In this Business Spotlight, not only do we get a chance to interview an amazing woman, but we are thrilled to share that we've started a PODCAST! Introducing the Working Moms Podcast, your go-to destination for inspiration, wisdom, and the incredible stories of mothers who are making waves in the business world!
In our inaugural episode, we are honored to feature the remarkable Diana Miller, founder and CEO of Wild Rose Homes LLC. Join us as we dive into the unique and inspiring journey of Diana, a powerhouse balancing the roles of motherhood and entrepreneurship. With a passion for creating dream homes and a commitment to personalized service, Diana has been making waves in the real estate industry. Let's take a look into her journey, insights, and the secrets behind the success of Wild Rose Homes LLC. Get ready to be inspired by her expertise and discover the magic of how she loves houses back to life.
1. Are you from Chattanooga? If not, what brought you here?
I am not originally from Chattanooga. I grew up in Kennesaw, GA, a suburb of Atlanta. In my late 20’s I was teaching middle school science in Atlanta and I joined a climbing gym. Eventually I got to the point where I was good enough I could climb outside, so weekends I would come with a group of friends and we would climb all day and then go to Chattanooga for dinner. I didn’t think about moving to Chattanooga until I moved to China though. I taught English in China and sort of realized there how special Chattanooga is. It’s got everything you need, mountains and water, restaurants, bars, parks. I really missed the easy access to the outdoors and my parents live an hour away. So when I moved back from overseas I knew I wanted to move to Chattanooga. I met my husband and convinced him to come too, it didn’t take too much convincing. That was 9 years ago.
2. Tell me a little bit about Wild Rose Homes LLC. When and how did you start your company?
We started Wild Rose Homes this year. After teaching, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. So I just sort of worked a bunch of odds and ends jobs to make ends meet. We knew we wanted a family, my husband was working as a firefighter and I was able to stay home with our first born. But I’ve learned I’m not really happy as a stay at home mom. When I was pregnant I started taking online classes at our local community college, I thought maybe I would go back to school to be a nurse - I knew I wanted a job where I could move around depending on my interests, something with a flexible schedule so we could travel with our girls. But, I kind of knew nursing itself wasn’t really it. Then I started a Project Management Google certificate - I felt like that was a lot closer to my strengths. After managing a classroom for several years, I knew I liked having moving parts and being the one in charge of that. I’m not really a specialist in any one thing, but I can manage projects. A friend of mine sent me a Robert Kiyosaki video and my husband and I got hooked on passive income and real estate. So we went to our family and started looking for a home we could buy and turn into a short term rental. My husband is really capable of doing a lot of home remodeling projects on his own - so we found a house here in St Elmo and he and his brother flipped it themselves. We designed it and really thought through every inch of space - what people will need and what will make the home stand out. But there was a lot about that process that was frustrating and difficult, mainly my husband and his brother doing all the work - I thought this was supposed to be passive. Our goal at the time was to have like 5-6 short term rentals and I could just see the writing on the wall, that would mean him being gone 10-12 hour days for 5-6 years if it took us 10 months to flip a house. So I found a program online that teaches women how to flip houses. So I joined that coaching/mastermind group a year ago. It was also really difficult going into business with family and having multiple partners. So with the help of that group, I gained the confidence to start Wild Rose Homes, where I am the CEO and am the one who gets to have the final say. My husband is acting as the GC and this year we bought 2 houses that we are flipping and are about to put on the market.
3. What would you say are your biggest strengths when it comes to your business?
I’m pretty good at problem solving, asking questions, finding the right people for the job, figuring out what needs to happen, when. I have a pretty good mindset as far as things are going to be hard and that’s ok, and that things work out the way they’re supposed to and that there’s no real such thing as failure, it’s all a learning opportunity. I like to keep the big picture in mind and let other people work on the details.
4. What would you say are your biggest challenges when it comes to owning a business and maintaining your personal/family life?
Finances and communication - I am not not a numbers person, but that detail level of keeping track of spending and using quick books and tracking mileage and stuff is really hard for me. Doing taxes, that nitty gritty isn’t my cup of tea, but I’m having to learn. I do have an accountant doing our taxes and someone helping with bookkeeping, but I still need to understand how it works and track our spending. Money can be a little stressful, at the moment we have a lot going out and haven’t sold our first flip yet, but I do have a strong feeling that what we’re doing is providing value and people will see and appreciate that.
The other thing is communicating with my husband. We have very different personalities and ways that we like to do things - I’m the talker and big picture and he’s quiet and worries about the detail. We’re working on separating our roles but we’re still new and figuring this out so we do talk a lot - like all day long. And I get to hear about every single thing that is going wrong with his day cuz he needs someone to listen and vent to, and that can be hard when I’ve got my own stuff I’m working on or the kids are being needy. We are fortunate that the kids go to school half days and I have a babysitter and my MIL who helps out during the week, so that I have time I can go and be at the houses and doing what I can. But we get really frustrated and right now we’re in a phase of really long hours and work doesn’t really shut off. So I’m trying to stay present when I am with the kids, it’s just hard.
5. I see you’ve been working on some house flips around Chattanooga. Tell me a little bit about your current projects and how they are going.
We have 2 houses, both are in the Brainerd area. We bought from wholesalers, one was going into foreclosure, the other someone had started flipping and then ran out of money. The first house we had some challenges working with the city and getting our permits. But it’s a super cute little cottage, it backs up to a green space the city is turning into a park. It has a full basement we are finishing out to be a mother in law suite with it’s own entrance. Something we are also doing at the other house which is a mid century brick house. It has great bones and is just super fun. We’re having a lot of fun with colors and tile in that house. It’s at the end of a cul-de-sac and has a great front porch and side yard. Adding a bathroom, closet spaces, the mother in law suites, beautifully designed kitchens and bathrooms is definitely our cup of tea - we love that.
6. What advice would you give someone just starting a company similar to yours?
Join a group/find a mentor. There are so many mastermind/coaching groups out there. I would highly recommend both groups I’ve been in - The Flipsister’s Program and 7 Figure Flipping. Both of these groups have wonderful coaches and accountability. You can do it by yourself, it may just take a little longer. Unless you have someone in your close network that doesn’t mind sharing trade secrets :) Podcasts like Bigger Pockets are also FULL of free information and lots of people willing to help.
Learn more about Wild Rose Homes LLC
Website: https://wildrosehomesllc.com/