Bradley Wampler, the founder of Bradley Interiors in Columbus, Ohio moved to the United States from Russia with his parents when he was only 6 months old. He has been working as an interior designer for the past three decades, and his biggest inspiration is his uncle. His uncle had a design studio when he was a teenager, which sparked He’s initial interest in design.
Bradley’s uncle first introduced him to the world of designs and interiors. He worked as a receptionist at his uncle’s studio during summer breaks and then as an apprentice when Bradley was in high school. His uncle’s expertise in design paved the way for him, covering topics such as color theory all the way to more intricate concepts like how colors affect people psychologically.
Ever since he was young, Bradley knew he wanted a career in design and interiors like his uncle. So, during his senior year of high school, he took advantage of a dual enrollment program to get ahead and start professionally. Bradley graduated from college a year early, attending senior-level classes while his peers were still taking freshman-level ones. Bradley attended the Columbus College of Art & Design and earned his degree in Interior, Architecture & Design rapidly.
He graduated and got a job as an assistant to an architectural design firm owner. This role granted him experience with colors, furniture placement, and window treatments.
Bradley Wampler’s dedication to his craft and creativity resulted in a sizable following for Bradley Interiors, which he founded in Jan 2001. In the last two decades, Bradley has juggled hundreds of residential and commercial clients while still delivering top-tier results.
Bradley Wampler is thrilled to have made his passion into a profession. He loves being able to interact with customers and seeing their excitement when their decorating dreams come true.
Bradley is a loving father of three and a great supporter for his wife, Jenny, who is also a textile designer. They enjoy traveling the world and learning about new cuisines.
Thanks for joining us! Let’s start with getting to know who Bradley Wampler is? And what are you doing these days?
Thanks for having me! I am Bradley Wampler. I moved from Russia to the United States with my parents when I was 6 months old. I have been working in the field of interior design for the past three decades. My biggest inspiration is my uncle who had a design studio when I was just a teenager. My uncle was the one who first introduced me to the world of designs and interiors. I started working as a receptionist at my uncle’s studio during my summer breaks and then as an apprentice with him when I was a high schooler. I enjoyed it so much that I knew this is what I wanted to do and pursue interior designing as my career. To learn everything professionally I enrolled myself in an Interior Architecture & Design course at Columbus College of Art & Design. Self-study also played a great role in my becoming an interior designer and a business owner. In 2001, I founded Bradley Interiors and since then there is no looking back.
Nowadays I am in the process of expanding my business and opening another studio in Texas.
What made you decide to become an entrepreneur?
Doing a job was never my ultimate goal, I always wanted to work for myself, just like my uncle did. After completing my studies, I spent several years working for others only to gain an in-depth working knowledge of the industry and tips and tricks to develop a loyal clientele. I also did some short courses in business management so that my entrepreneurial skills get polished before I start my design studio.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
I am not a business student and what I know is I have learned through my experience over the years. According to my experience, a successful trajectory as an entrepreneur depends upon three primary skills.
Number 1, you must have the solution-based or service-based expertise that the market requires.
Number 2, you must have the ability and wisdom to connect with your ideal client at the right time.
Number 3, to become a successful entrepreneur, you must have a growth mindset without fear of failure.
You sound quite passionate about your work; why? Is there a story behind it?
As I mentioned earlier, my greatest inspiration was my uncle, who had a design studio when I was a teenager. My uncle was a passionate designer, and I spent hours at his studio witnessing his creative process and client dealing. My first exposure to the world of designs and interiors was very inspiring. I worked as a receptionist at my uncle’s studio initially. I learned much about the psychology of colors and patterns as an apprentice during high school. This is how I started my journey as a designer.
How do you separate Bradley Interiors from your competitors?
The main factor that separates Bradley Interiors from its competitors is Bradley Wampler. Yes, I am not boasting but it’s the only difference. I believe in myself and my creative approach to every project. I focus on a customer-centric business approach. I have a lot of experience, spread over 3 decades. It gives me a unique perspective on each project.
I am truly passionate about what I do, and I genuinely want to see my clients happy.
What was the biggest problem you encountered launching your Design Studio and how did you overcome it?
I won’t say it was a problem but yes, launching my Design Studio was very overwhelming. Making a huge investment and purchasing my Design Studio was the biggest decision of my professional life. Bradley Interiors was doing pretty well without a physical studio but I often felt the need for a proper setup to grow my business and taking this leap to expand the business was vital. I was not sure about it until I came across an opportunity to own a studio at a fantastic price.
How do you stay driven and motivated to keep going in your business?
I believe everything comes down to building a seamless process. When I started Bradley Interiors, I found it really hard to keep up with all the creative work, handling staff (remotely during the initial years), meeting clients, and visiting project sites. But over the years, I have successfully crafted and implemented a process that has enabled me to stay on top of it. When you master time management, you need nothing else to stay motivated but timely accomplishment of goals. Now I try to automate the process most of the time and often spread out the tasks between myself and my team.
What’s the best part of your job?
Whenever my clients come to me and show confidence in my creativity and abilities it is an immensely satisfying part of my job. Just knowing that someone trusts me so much that they want me to design their most precious possession, fills me with a new passion to work even better.
What is your definition of success?
Being a good team player is the definition of success for me! Success is when you build a community along with you! Being the CEO of Bradley Interiors I have realized there is no success sustainable and worthy without building a fantastic support system in place. No success will last no matter how good anyone is without being a good team player. When you surround yourself with a great support system and build them along with your dreams, success comes along without effort.
Thank you so much for this truly amazing interview!
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