Jan Finlayson, Luxe Interiors

After working in her chosen field for several years, Jan Finlayson felt it was time for a change. Not a change of profession. Just a change of ownership. After earning a degree in interior design and working 22 years for an area interior design firm, Ms. Finlayson said she was ready to go into business for herself. “I hit the age of 42 and decided, if I’m going to do it, I need to do it now, while I still have the energy,” Ms. Finlayson said. Having seen her previous employer open a new store in Des Moines, she said, “I knew what goes into it. And I’ve mentored students in entrepreneurship for many years. It’s one of those things that, I think, you have to have a certain passion and interest and craziness all together to want to be an entrepreneur, that willingness to dive in, do all and be all, be able to adapt.” A decade later, her business, Luxe Interiors, is still going strong, recently moving from the Iowa River Landing to 281 N. Linn St., in the heart of Iowa City’s bustling Northside district. The business focuses primarily on large-scale interior remodeling projects and interior designs for new homes. While interior design has been an occupation historically dominated by women, Ms. Finlayson said owning a business as a woman has presented both advantages and challenges. “There are a lot of opportunities out there for women (financially),” she noted. “The state of Iowa wants to build up women business owners and promote entrepreneurship, and there’s grants that women can apply for. There’s a lot of emphasis put on women in business, just because we are a minority of business owners.” The city of Iowa City has been particularly supportive as well; she noted that several Iowa City businesses, including Luxe, display placards promoting their woman-owned status. “As far as challenges, I deal with the construction industry, which is definitely a man’s world,” Ms. Finlayson added. “You’ve got to know what you’re talking about in that realm, being able to deal with contractors and having a woman show up on the job site, especially when I was younger and didn’t know what the heck I was doing.” As her confidence and knowledge grew, Ms. Finlayson said, she moved to equal footing with construction professionals. “A lot of women are not always projecting confidence,” she said. “But if you know what you’re talking about, it just comes naturally. I’m a stronger personality, so I’m not afraid to speak up. And I think that sometimes, female business owners need to not be afraid to be more assertive.” Ms. Finlayson said she’s also mentored several business students from the University of Iowa, stressing the importance of ongoing change to business success. “I’m a lifelong learner, whether it’s design trends or personal development,” she said. “There’s always room to grow and change. As the world evolves, we all need to evolve. I think any good entrepreneur should be able to pivot on the fly and be coming up with new ideas.”