Small Business Saturday Mom Amy

This Small Business Saturday Mom Amy, is from Congers in Rockland County. Amy is behind ROAM Design, LLC an architecture firm.  She is also the mom of almost 1 year old boy/girl twins! Talk about having your hands full.

When did you start your business?  I started my business in the spring of 2011 with my husband and partner, architect Roberto Palmerini.

How did the idea come about?  It has been a life-long goal of mine to have my own architecture practice.  During the downturn in the economy, my husband lost his position when the architecture firm he was working for closed.  Instead of looking for a position with another firm, we decided to take a chance and create our own firm.  It’s been a wonderful adventure since then!

What is special about your business?  We are a husband and wife architecture team, and pride ourselves in combining the best of our personal abilities to bring designs to life.  We love collaborating professionally and working with each other – how many people get to work with their best friend!  Since we both have different backgrounds (I have worked mostly on commercial projects, and my husband on residential projects), we have the ability to work on different project types.  I am also a LEED Accredited Professional, and I am committed to sustainable design.

How do you manage having your own business and motherhood?  It’s a constant juggling act!  We are very fortunate to have a wonderful family who has supported us and helped our family with child care.  I am also very lucky to be able to work from home part time, and have a mostly flexible schedule.  Being my own boss is wonderful, and it gives me the ability to always put my children’s’ needs first.

Walk us through a typical day:  The beauty of being an architect (and a mom!) is that every day is different.  After feeding the babies in the morning, I head to my computer to work on emails and projects.  At lunchtime, I’m back in the kitchen with my mom to eat and help with feeding the babies.  After the babies go down for their afternoon nap, I can work on the computer for another hour or two, or have the ability to go out for a meeting or visit a construction site.  And then, after the babies are asleep for the night, I also have a couple of hours to work uninterrupted.  It’s a long day, but it’s been working for me so far.

If you had to give one piece of advice to a mom wanting to start her own business, what would it be?  Get out there and do it!!!  There are always obstacles to overcome in starting your own business (finances and time seem to be the most challenging), but keep at it, even if it is only for a half an hour a day.  Try to be creative and think outside the box.  Also, try to keep an open mind and be open to opportunities you might not have considered previously.  If you set your mind to it, over time, you will see the seeds of your business grow into something you can be proud of and imagined for your family.

You can find out more about ROAM Design, LLC by checking out their website, LinkedIn, Facebook, pinterest and Houzz site.