It wasn’t Grace Start’s idea to follow in her mother’s footsteps—at least, not at first. Despite developing an early appreciation for design as she watched her mom, Jean Stoffer , launch a kitchen design–focused firm in the Chicago suburbs, Start herself went on to pursue a career in education. Then, shortly after college graduation, her young family purchased a house in Michigan and began renovating it. Stoffer relocated to Grand Rapids, where three of her children now lived. And before long, her daughter had a change of heart.

“I was like, ‘Oh, houses are very interesting, and my mom’s job is very , very interesting all of a sudden,’” Start tells host Kaitlin Petersen on the latest episode of the Trade Tales podcast. “I asked my mom if she would hire me part-time, no experience. S

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