Name: Sara Ianniciello

Title: Senior Associate, Director of Design

Company Name: Whitehall Interiors

Real estate associations or organizations that you are currently a member of:
IIDA, NCIDQ, NEWH

How do you keep your team motivated despite conflicts and obstacles?
Motivation is best inspired and maintained when the team has a stake in the work they are dedicating their time and energy to. Assuming that their workload is fairly balanced and there is open communication, the best remedy to an obstacle is when the motivation is internalized. Luckily we are in a profession where there are many components to a project that require creative flare and ingenuity. I believe those are vital to keeping a team proactive, positive and excited about the work at hand.

How do you contribute to your community or your profession?
I am a woman in a male dominated industry. From the boardroom to the studio, I have passionately led award-winning teams to create innovative and beautiful spaces. I believe representation matters and am proud to be leading by example.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
Always a designer. As a child I inserted myself into anyone’s home improvement project. I was always fascinated by different spaces and their functions and was heavily influenced by my travels at an early age. I can’t recall a time when I wasn’t drawing or doing something creative with my time.

Top three things on your bucket list:
Visit Penguins in Tierra de la Fuego; Visit the fjords in Norway; Design a car

Favorite quote:
“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” - Neale Donald Walsch