I quit nursing and found my passion in décor

Sharon Makio, 32, is married with two children and is the founder of Cozy & Zen Living. She shares her transition from nursing to décor with Malaika Chunji

MY BACKGROUND

Before starting Cozy & Zen Living, I was pursuing my Master’s degree in Medical Surgical Nursing. I remember being depressed and tired of going to the hospital as part of my school requirements. I had so many hours I had to complete and on Sunday I had classes all day till about 8pm at night. I remember sitting in class on Sundays and wishing I was elsewhere. The hours at the hospital were something I always dreaded and found exhausting. I fell out of love with nursing two years after finishing my undergraduate. I’d always had a dream of settling in the US so I sat the US medical certification board exam and passed. Soon after, I got a job in the US and just as I was preparing to leave, I got a call from the agency handling my case saying the US government had suspended taking foreign nurses indefinitely. Left with no option, I decided to go back to school but during this time, my motivation was very low and I knew I was doing something I didn’t love but I had come too far to quit. In the process, life happened. I got married and had my first baby. This is when things started to change, my son really opened me up to understand myself better. I realised I chose the nursing career because it promised me lots of money.

THE IDEA

While at home for those two years taking care of my son, I noticed I spent a lot of my time designing my house. I would use my shopping money to transform the few rooms I had. I also spent a lot of time reading interior design books. I remember this one time I really wanted a white sofa for my home but had no money. I had just enough to buy some fabric so I went to the fabric store, got white material and stayed up with my husband until the wee hours of the morning sewing a seat cover by hand for the maroon sofa we had. Gradually, I found myself looking for interior design schools online and that is when I realised what my passion was.

WHAT HAPPENED NEXT

Over time, I started to get messages from other people asking me to give them ideas on how they can transform their homes. Others would even ask me to visit and offer advice. I also started my blog which has largely helped in marketing my work. It’s been a gradual process. I just recently launched my website. I was fortunate at some point to work for a Korean company that paid me well enough. I used my savings as capital to jumpstart my venture. I have always dedicated a certain portion of my pay to the business and gradually I have been able to build Cozy & Zen Living. 

RUNNING A START-UP

Passion has been the engine behind this business. Running a startup is not easy and seeing my vision come to life and having satisfied clients is one of the highs for me. What I wish I learned earlier is that you don’t have to have a lot of money to start a business. An idea is enough to take off.

WHERE I AM NOW

I am focusing on branding and with the current projects that I have, I want to expand my portfolio. I manage most of the work myself, my husband handles the IT aspect of it and I also have one assistant who helps me on certain occasions. Balancing building a company and taking care of my two kids has been my biggest challenge. I am still learning to organise my tasks for each day and manage my time wisely.

YOUR TIP

In a very competitive society, you need to be authentic, master your craft, trust yourself and follow your instinct. Doing what you are passionate about will help you through the tough times when most people give up.