Little did I know the younger years spent rearranging my room various ways once a week would lead me down this career path. Perhaps invading the teacher’s personal craft closet without permission was another clue. My mother’s creative genes run through my veins, as well as my architect-of-a-father’s tendencies and attention to detail. This is what I was born to do. I have found my calling. My name is Mary Elizabeth Clouse, or Mary Beth, as most like to call me. MB for short. And I am a Warrior for good design.

As a Fort Smith, Arkansas native, I made the trek up the hill to the University of Arkansas to continue the “what I want to be when I grow up” journey. It wasn’t until the end of my first year of college, I noticed a girl on the bus hauling tons of supplies: markers, paper, a toolbox full of materials. She was on a mission and I had to know what. I followed her to her studio, plopped myself down in a chair at the Dean’s office, and enrolled for Fall design courses. Over the years, my studio projects were kept for accreditation purposes which gave me an overall confidence in my career path.

When the housing market for Northwest Arkansas was at it’s lowest low, I was graduating college. One of 40 designers…one of 10 with a job lined up. I worked retail at I.O.Metro for eight years, starting as Sales Manager and referring design jobs to the one designer on staff. There was a shift in hierarchy, which led to my own designer title, and I flourished. Before long, I was top five company wide. The company name and ownership changed, as did their appreciation for loyalty and talent…so I shifted my employment to HOWSE for the next four years. Before I closed that chapter of my life, I was selling a million dollars of inventory annually. Now that I’m recently remarried with three children, I need a more flexible schedule…and being my own boss and calling my own shots was the answer!

It’s been an incredible journey to say the least. Through it all, the one thing I’ve walked away with is knowing I have a group that believes in me and my abilities….YOU. All clients alike save me in their phone and text me at a moments notice. YOU are the reason I get moving daily, aspire to be better, try harder, and venture out on my own with this new business. So thank you for all your support!