Today we’d like to introduce you to Aspen Scharff.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Today I am an Interior Designer, Real Estate Agent, and Project Manager for Irwin Building Company. I am a world traveler, girlfriend, daughter, sister, and friend. I am a student at Design Institute of San Diego and University of San Diego Communication Studies Alumni. I now embark on taking these experiences and giving back in the newest role of mentor through the creation of my self discovery and career planning course, Designing Life’s Blueprint.
My journey really began ten years ago when I left my hometown, Ladera Ranch for Santa Barbara, where I attended Santa Barbara City College for two years until I transferred to Richmond, Florence, Italy to study abroad. Following my time abroad, I came back to my hometown and attended Saddleback College. This is where I took my first Interior Design Course as an elective and thought, “wow, I could really see myself doing this.” In the midst of that time, I was accepted to University of San Diego to earn my bachelor’s degree in communication studies. While I knew I was in the early discovery phase of what would soon become my life’s passion of Interior Design, I also had a deep desire to earn a bachelor’s degree from a university as a first-generation college student in my family.
I made the decision to put the dream of going to university first and my passion of Interior Design on the side and moved to San Diego to attend USD.
During my time at USD, I started my Business, Aspen Riley Designs, and earned my Real Estate License. By my last semester of senior year at USD, I had remodeled seven Air BnB units, residential spaces and was working on two commercial remodels. Simultaneously I was working for a production company doing stage design for large music events and was putting my first home into escrow. This is when COVID-19 hit.
Graduation and a blossoming career all take a turn as the pandemic hits. I did not get to walk for graduation. The projects I had been working hard to bring to life for the past year fell through as uncertainty arose, and the home, of course, fell out of escrow as my buyers feared what their financial situation would become.
What else was there to do except rebuild, a month following this turn of events, I was enrolled at Design Institute of San Diego to pursue my second bachelor’s degree at Design Institute of San Diego. The best decision I could have made.
Now here I am three years later. My passion for design has evolved, and my business continues to blossom as Aspen Riley Designs enters into its sixth year of business. My experiences within the education system, entrepreneurship, and travel are now the inspiration as I embark on the journey of mentorship through my program, Designing Life’s Blueprint.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I experienced many struggles along the way. Transferring from City College to University was a hard experience for me. School was always a challenge for me. I am a person who has to give 110% in school to be successful. Once I learned study habits that aided my learning style, I was able to accomplish my goal of transferring to university and then maintain a 3.5 GPA once at university. For many college is a nonlinear experience, and for me, there was most definitely a lot of trial and error. The biggest thing in life is to never give up on your dreams. Try and try and try again until you accomplish your goals. This has always been my philosophy.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As an interior designer, my art is to bring others’ visions to life. It is my gift to create beautiful spaces, but this cannot be done without collaboration. I live to collaborate with others. The creative process, finding inspiration, and then executing that vision is what brings me the most joy.
Stylistically I am a desert girl. I love muted spaces with leather textures, cactus, and beautiful patterns. I have a deep connection to Spanish and Italian cultures. I love drawing from historic events and styles, creating a storyline for whatever I am creating.
My travels and life experiences are what set me aside from others. My curious nature as a person has allowed me to experience unique spaces, absorb many aesthetics and have a deep understanding of many diverse spaces. Travel, design, and fashion are the spices of life. From these experiences, I am able to share my tastes with my clients to bring their dreams to life.
Any big plans?
I look forward to continuing the growth of my business Aspen Riley Designs. Diving into new projects and learning from past projects. We have rebranded and are excited to share new content and continue to strengthen the relationship with our community.
My mentorship program, Designing Life’s Blueprint, is an endeavor very close to my heart. I am excited to be sharing a 4-week transformative course that I have developed from my experiences over the past ten years within the educational system and entrepreneurship. The program gives the next generations tools to discover their passions at a younger age and ultimately have the opportunity to invest into a career that will be fulfilling for them long term. I share lessons that took me years to learn, draw from hardships, failures, and successes to teach young students what to do and what not to do as they are beginning to plan their college careers. At the end of the program, each student will have a beautifully cohesive, intentional, and personal five-year road map to accomplishing their dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.aspenriley.com
- Instagram: @aspenrileydesigns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aspenscharff1324
Image Credits
Somos Volt
Lionswear Creative Studio
Aspen Riley Designs
