Women Of The C-Suite: Blima Ehrentreu of The Designers Group On The Five Things You Need To Succeed As A Senior Executive
An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
Having an open mind is key: Enter each situation prepared to hear and consider ideas that are different from your own. When presented with a new opportunity, technology, or project, make sure to take a moment to consider all of the possibilities before being quick to dismiss
As a part of our interview series called “Women Of The C-Suite”, we had the pleasure of interviewing Blima Ehrentreu.
As the Founder and CEO of The Designers Group, Blima Ehrentreu combines her creativity and talent to reform the design industry. Her passion for empowering women, giving back to the community, and championing women in the workforce earned her the Globe St. Women of Influence award in 2020 & 2022. With a diverse project portfolio that spans the residential, hospitality, healthcare and commercial sectors, The Designers Group is a key leader in the industry, specializing in high-end interior design.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dig in, our readers would like to get to know you a bit more. Can you tell us a bit about your “backstory”? What led you to this particular career path?
I’ve always been a visual, artistic person who loved expressing my creativity through drawing and painting. From a young age, I was fascinated with the built environment, stemming from watching my childhood home get rebuilt from the ground up. I found the perfect balance between creativity and social impact in the field of interior design. After attending school and earning my master’s degree, I was approached by another designer in Toronto about working together. What began as a two women firm grew to a team of over 40 with projects across the US and Canada. Today, The Designers Group has experience working on a broad range of interior spaces, and our portfolio includes workplace, hospitality, education, retail, and healthcare projects. Without the passion of our team, our firm would be unable to continually push the boundaries of the built environment, making a difference in the communities we serve today.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you began leading your company?
I always find that the greatest ideas come from places you least expect them to. Once, when I was moving, I realized I had perfectly good furniture that I could not bring with me and I wanted to find a way to give it to people who needed it. By discovering this unmet need, the idea for our TDG Furniture Exchange program was born. Through the program, we can provide furniture to those in need while simultaneously reducing waste, giving the furniture a whole new life.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
During my first project, I was designing an interior and ordered a sofa that I was sure would be a perfect addition; I had measured the space to guarantee it would fit exactly where I envisioned it. Upon delivery, it turned out that I hadn’t considered a very important measurement: the doorframe. Since we couldn’t get the sofa to fit through the front door, the basement, or any other entrance, we had to choose a completely different piece instead. Now, that lesson has been learned and it translates into much larger elements we work with, such as slabs of stone and ceiling partitions. I always tell my team mistakes are inevitable, but we need to make sure to learn from them. Now we’re always sure to measure entrances and make sure we get those larger elements in before things like windows and doors are installed to ensure they’ll actually make it inside the building.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My parents always motivated me to pursue my creative interests. I wanted to take what stimulated me artistically and turn it into a career, and I always understood the importance of being able to draw inspiration and ambition from those around me. There have been many mentors along the way that have encouraged me with the business, creative and charitable aspects of TDG. Mentorship is also an element of The Designers Group that we take really seriously; we want our young designers to have every opportunity and resource to grow in their careers.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader?
With any expanding business, tough decisions come as a part of the process. New York is a city that I have always associated with diversity and opportunity. When considering an expansion of the firm, New York seemed like a natural choice, being an economic powerhouse and cultural mecca. When we decided to establish The Designers Group in New York City from my hometown of Toronto, Canada, it was a leap of faith. There were uncertainties that came with adjusting to business and re-establishing our brand in a new city and a new country. The move taught me the value of adaptability, approaching the design of new spaces with an open mind in new cultures and environments. Today, New York is our largest office, pushing our team to new successes and innovations with every project.
Ok, thank you for that. Let’s now jump to the primary focus of our interview. Most of our readers — in fact, most people — think they have a pretty good idea of what a CEO or executive does. But in just a few words can you explain what an executive does that is different from the responsibilities of the other leaders?
An executive is responsible for consciously building a passionate team that supports and enhances the company mission. CEOs set the tone for the rest of the team, setting goals, cultivating the company culture, and empowering project teams to push the envelope with their work.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about being a CEO or executive? Can you explain what you mean?
Some believe that executives can be detached from their companies when in my experience, it’s the exact opposite. CEOs can get involved at every level of an organization; in my case, I like to be a part of each step of the design process, collaborating with each team member to produce the best projects possible. In my mind, it doesn’t matter what position someone has when it comes to collaboration — whether they’re a VP or an intern, their thoughts and opinions matter equally.
In your opinion, what are the biggest challenges faced by women executives that aren’t typically faced by their male counterparts?
I’m incredibly proud to be a female executive, especially in a historically male-dominated industry. I think there’s an enhanced importance of mentorship for female CEOs; being able to establish myself as a resource for young talent has been such a special part of my career. When we’re hiring for our team, we’re focused on bringing in diverse perspectives from up-and-coming professionals looking to make the world a better place. I see this perspective as more of an advantage than a challenge; female executives know the importance of bringing every voice to the table, ensuring all ideas and points of view are represented.
What is the most striking difference between your actual job and how you thought the job would be?
After finishing college, I took the time to refine my design skills and experience at an international architecture firm, which gave me further practical knowledge and fine-tuned my technical skills for working in this industry. I’m excited about TDG’s trajectory; at the beginning, we focused primarily on residential projects and have since transitioned to working on commercial projects, including rehabilitation, hospitality, healthcare, and senior living. The diversity and synergy of our team are what keep us flourishing and at the cutting edge of interior design.
Is everyone cut out to be an executive? In your opinion, which specific traits increase the likelihood that a person will be a successful executive and what type of person should avoid aspiring to be an executive? Can you explain what you mean?
I believe the most successful leaders are empathetic above all else. Leaders need to be invested in the growth of each member of their organization to make the entire business thrive. By focusing on your team rather than being solely results-oriented, you can empower employees to shine and reach their goals.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why? (Please share a story or example for each.)
- Mistakes are fine, as long as you learn from them: There are bound to be mistakes made throughout your career. Give yourself grace, learn from them, and move forward with a new outlook and lesson learned.
- Your time is your money: Invest your time wisely, as you only get so much of it — prioritize your employees, your clients, and create the vision you set out for in the first place.
- Prioritize each team member: As a business owner, your biggest asset is your team, so reflect that in every aspect of your business practice. Find ways to celebrate their personal accomplishments just as much as their professional goals. Take the time to get to know everyone, foster inclusiveness, and cultivate a company culture you’re proud of.
- Bring in different perspectives: Jumping off of the last goal — ensure you’re utilizing the talents and bright ideas of your team at every opportunity. Throughout the hiring process, prioritize onboarding individuals with diverse perspectives to widen the lens and ideas of your organization.
- Having an open mind is key: Enter each situation prepared to hear and consider ideas that are different from your own. When presented with a new opportunity, technology, or project, make sure to take a moment to consider all of the possibilities before being quick to dismiss.
You are a person of great influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good for the greatest number of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.
I strongly believe that design can fulfill positive energy in spaces, and a great way to do that is to give back to others. At TDG, I am passionate and committed to using our firm as a platform to help others and spread positivity. An initiative I am proud of is the launch of TDG Gives Back, a program where we offered charities and nonprofits complimentary design services. Most recently, we launched TDG Insider, an internship initiative that immerses young, aspiring designers into the field through a thoughtfully-curated shadowing program.
We are very blessed that some very prominent names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US with whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them
I would love the opportunity to speak with Lex Fridman — I find his work and outlook fascinating. From working with robots to exploring the inherent goodness of people and interviewing high-profile individuals, his experience would make for some great dinner conversations.
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Women Of The C-Suite: Blima Ehrentreu of The Designers Group On The Five Things You Need To… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.