We had the good fortune of connecting with Julie Laughton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Julie, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from a small town in Iowa. I started drawing when I was 10 and started oil painting when I was 12. Then I began technical drafting when I was 14. Along with all of this, I was playing the drums and the piano and became the youngest certified lifeguard at 14. In addition to that, I played tennis and did archery and skeet shooting. My favorite sport was golf and still is today. I was MVP on the golf team three out of four years and had two scholarship offerings to college for golf, which I did not take. Needless to say, I had a very busy childhood.

My point of telling you all of this is that I was a very accomplished young woman and my parents who had two girls made sure to never interfere with our goals or dreams, especially telling us we couldn’t do something because we were girls. A big part of our childhood was letting us decide what we wanted to do and then guiding us along the way. My father taught us to play basketball, baseball and football and we helped him with the chores. We did what he did. We worked in the yard, detailed cars and learned to pour concrete. When I entered the construction business there was no learning curve on my part about how to act or behave around men in the workplace. I have been running a very successful Design Build business for over thirty years and it’s been a wonderful journey.

What should our readers know about your business?
I provide a unique one-stop shop Design Build service for all my clients. This means that I am able to do the work from conception to completion through my two companies. My services start with me drawing all of the plans and getting my clients’ dreams on paper. Then I submit the architectural plans to the city along with the plans from my five engineers. While we are waiting for the plans to be approved during the design phase, we work on the interior design of all the materials, finishes and everything that is screwed and glued to the home. After all of the selections are made and everything is approved by the client, I start the bidding process as the contractor. Once the bidding process is complete, then the construction contract can be assembled, signed and approved. Then I pull the permit and start the work as the contractor.

This entire process is simplified when it is done by one person. If the homeowner didn’t have someone like me who is a true one-stop shop, they would end up working with over eleven people. Working this way takes the stress out of the process for the client.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had friends or family visiting the area and was put in charge of the sightseeing and dining, this is where I would go. First, we would have breakfast at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Then I would start the sightseeing through Beverly Hills and then have lunch at the iconic Beverly Wilshire Hotel. We would do window shopping and walking around Beverly Hills and end up having dinner at the Peninsula Hotel. The rest of the week I wouldn’t leave out the Four Seasons on Doheny, the Bel-Air Hotel and Dan Tana’s.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to dedicate my shoutout to my parents. They are the ones who guided me and coached me into who I am today. Life isn’t easy and you have to set goals, take risks and maneuver through the curveballs that life throws at you. Like a lot of good parents, my parents taught me about honesty, integrity and work ethic. They showed me how to do it right.

Website: https://www.julielaughton.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julielaughtondb/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julielaughtondesignbuild

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulieLaughtonDB

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julielaughtondesignbuild

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@julielaughton

Other: Julie Laughton Living podcast: https://www.julielaughton.com/category/podcast/ 7 Simple Steps to a 5 Star Experience free online course: https://www.julielaughtondesignbuild.com/

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