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We Didn’t Just Raise Our Kids—We Designed Their Future · The iDesign Lab Podcast

• 0:00
  Voice Over: This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and curiosity meet style and design.
• 0:06
  Voice Over: Curator of interiors, furnishings, and lifestyles.
• 0:09
  Voice Over: Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, an interior designer and a style enthusiast, along with her serial entrepreneur husband Scott.
• 0:17
  Voice Over: iDesign Lab is your ultimate design podcast where we explore the rich and vibrant world of design and its constant evolution in style and trends.
• 0:31
  TIffany Woolley: Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast.
• 0:34
  TIffany Woolley: Today in studio, it's Scott and Tiffany.
• 0:37
  TIffany Woolley: Scott and me.
• 0:39
  Scott Woolley: Yeah, we we decided we decided today to not have a guest.
• 0:43
  Scott Woolley: A couple of reasons.
• 0:44
  Scott Woolley: Today's uh somewhat of a little bit of a special day for us because we've got quite a few things going on this today and this week.
• 0:53
  Scott Woolley: And, you know, part of the reason why we decided not to have a guest is we wanted to have a conversation about design, but something that we've never spoken about or talked about, which to us is probably the single most important thing for us in life about design.
• 1:08
  Scott Woolley: You know, we spend all of our time during the day at work designing homes, you know, remodeling homes, designing television shows, designing the sets of television shows.
• 1:20
  Scott Woolley: But one of the things when we're not at the office, we're designing a life around our family.
• 1:27
  Scott Woolley: And we're designing a life with our kids.
• 1:29
  Scott Woolley: And today there's a number of a couple of significant things happening in the family pertaining to our kids.
• 1:36
  Scott Woolley: One is our oldest daughter turned 20 today.
• 1:39
  Scott Woolley: It's her fourth day of college.
• 1:42
  Scott Woolley: And our three daughters today, their first music single dropped worldwide on every streaming platform out there.
• 1:50
  Scott Woolley: So there's a lot of excitement in the family.
• 1:53
  Scott Woolley: You know, and the fact that that happened, it happened because of the five of us in the family all working towards a goal and designing something unique and different for a family to do.
• 2:05
  Scott Woolley: Tiffany and I, many years ago, when our kids were young, we decided we wanted our kids to have not just an education in school, we wanted them to have an education around music.
• 2:16
  Scott Woolley: Because we both love music.
• 2:19
  Scott Woolley: So our kids at five years old, six years old started taking music lessons.
• 2:23
  Scott Woolley: And over the years, they have continued.
• 2:26
  Scott Woolley: There's been a little bit of pushing from us, correct?
• 2:30
  TIffany Woolley: Yeah, keeping them on keeping them on track.
• 2:33
  TIffany Woolley: On track.
• 2:34
  Scott Woolley: But, you know, I would say three years ago they came to us, they wanted to form a band, they formed a band, and over the last two years, they've been writing music, designing music, designing the tracks uh behind it, you know, putting the instrumentals together.
• 2:50
  Scott Woolley: Um, they've had a terrific, I'll say, music coach, their music director working with them on that.
• 2:58
  Scott Woolley: But uh today they dropped the first single.
• 3:03
  Scott Woolley: Um, but for us as parents, we have encouraged them and pushed them to continually designing their life in a direction that, hey, we don't know what will come about it.
• 3:14
  Scott Woolley: But the one thing that we do realize is that they are having a wonderful time in what they're doing.
• 3:20
  Scott Woolley: They're having an exciting and an interesting time.
• 3:25
  Scott Woolley: And they also realize that this could just be something that they do for the next year or two and nothing really comes about it, or it could be something that becomes their career.
• 3:35
  TIffany Woolley: And the beauty is they get to design that, you know, it's how much time and energy that they put in focus on it, which for two 17-year-old high school students, finding that balance on, you know, in life and juggle to wanting to have a social life and also going to a very intense school program that, you know, there's a lot of accountability needed for their grades, along with all the pressures to, you know, step up into the right college situation for your future, this junior year being super important for them.
• 4:12
  TIffany Woolley: We constantly come back to how important it is for them to really, you know, be focused on what's going to grow their future in the greatest part of success.
• 4:28
  TIffany Woolley: And to not truly make one of them so important that their other little rewards aren't available along the way.
• 4:37
  TIffany Woolley: But a big part of that is keeping them off the phones and really living and enjoying life.
• 4:43
  Scott Woolley: So for us, it's you know, helping them design their lives with encouragement and trying to give them and push them into great experiences.
• 4:51
  Scott Woolley: And, you know, music being one of those, you know, I kind of look at music almost like a dying art.
• 4:58
  Scott Woolley: You know, the schools don't push it as much as they used to.
• 5:02
  Scott Woolley: You don't see, at least from our perspective, kids creating bands, you know, kids going out and wanting to perform.
• 5:11
  Scott Woolley: Um, we've encouraged them and we pushed them, you know, but they have really pushed themselves as well.
• 5:19
  Scott Woolley: You know, they came to us two years ago, a year and a half ago, and they started writing songs.
• 5:24
  Scott Woolley: We want to record these songs.
• 5:26
  Scott Woolley: So we got behind them and I looked at it saying, okay, if they're that excited about doing this, let's go and let's look at trying to do it in the most unusual and unique iconic and iconic way.
• 5:39
  Scott Woolley: So they recorded their first songs, which we arranged, you know, at Abbey Road Studios in London.
• 5:45
  TIffany Woolley: Definitely a pinch me day.
• 5:46
  TIffany Woolley: I mean, it still is something that I think about so often.
• 5:50
  Scott Woolley: But it's supporting and helping them design the direction in their life.
• 5:53
  Scott Woolley: And I think part of the conversation that we wanted to reinforce is that, you know, ultimately they they're going to make the choices in which direction that they go.
• 6:03
  Scott Woolley: But as parents, if we can support them and push them and help them along the way, and especially being a great tight family unit, I think it's so important.
• 6:14
  Scott Woolley: And more of that needs to happen in today's society and in today's world.
• 6:19
  Scott Woolley: You know, as two parents, we're extremely proud and excited about what they're achieving, what they're doing.
• 6:25
  Scott Woolley: You know, they're very motivated about performing on stage and trying to perform in as many locations and places as possible.
• 6:32
  Scott Woolley: So as parents, we're trying to support them with that as much as much as possible, which again is, you know, designing and taking a creative direction in life.
• 6:42
  TIffany Woolley: Well, and also giving them the tools that they can remain grounded, spiritually connected, faithful, kind, you know, good stewards of our world in in the midst of everything they're learning and growing and going through right now.
• 6:58
  TIffany Woolley: And I do think that I couldn't be more proud of them for who they are growing into each and every day.
• 7:06
  TIffany Woolley: And especially having our older child who is on the autism spectrum, so was given a lot more challenges to watch her overcome them has truly been such a blessing and a remarkable, you know, accomplishment for her.
• 7:24
  TIffany Woolley: And it's it's it's really, really, and to even see how, you know, the other two children, our other two daughters, interact with her, support her, cheerlead her, it just reinforces how designing your family life really is the most important thing you can do in our society.
• 7:44
  TIffany Woolley: And, you know, in life.
• 7:47
  TIffany Woolley: It's nothing more rewarding.
• 7:49
  TIffany Woolley: You're setting a foundation for many years to come for the next, you know, generation.
• 7:55
  TIffany Woolley: You're really shepherding them.
• 7:58
  Scott Woolley: And well, dreams can really become reality when you as a family are all working together to make them happening, make them happen.
• 8:07
  Scott Woolley: Definitely.
• 8:07
  Scott Woolley: That's something that we certainly strive for as a family, working together, designing in the direction, the creative direction of the future for for all of us.
• 8:21
  TIffany Woolley: Well, and I have told them, right, actually had this conversation with the girls recently, and I said, you know, you are 17 and you do have, you know, a very blessed beginning and a great opportunity, and you do work hard to achieve what you are achieving at school and with your friendships and you know, all and with their music important too.
• 8:43
  TIffany Woolley: But the sooner you kind of make a goal as an individual to achieve your dreams and achieve your success, whatever that might look like, I feel like you are on your page to your future.
• 8:59
  TIffany Woolley: And so many people just want to like go to school and you know, be, you know, because I'm in high school, it has to look like this, this, this, and this.
• 9:07
  TIffany Woolley: Where I've kind of been wanting them to, you're in high school, like start your future now, you know, no time like the beginning.
• 9:17
  TIffany Woolley: Design it.
• 9:18
  TIffany Woolley: And in this social media world where you do have a footprint that colleges refer to, future businesses, spouses, parents of spouses someday, you know, people are gonna look back through that.
• 9:30
  TIffany Woolley: So the sooner you create your own brand, if you will, design your own brand, I really believe the sooner you are, you know, supporting your future.
• 9:41
  TIffany Woolley: You're you're caring about what you're doing, what you're bringing to the table, whether it be your sports or your faith or your passion project, you know, really getting behind that and really making it count.
• 9:55
  Scott Woolley: Yeah.
• 9:56
  Scott Woolley: You know, when we learned about a year or two ago, when the kids started looking at college, I became kind of surprised and shocked listening to the college advisors and so forth that academics isn't important, but there are other things that are just as important as the academics.
• 10:14
  Scott Woolley: You know, part of that is how involved you are in the community.
• 10:18
  Scott Woolley: What are you doing to give back to the community?
• 10:20
  Scott Woolley: Are you involved in sports?
• 10:22
  Scott Woolley: What other activities are you doing?
• 10:24
  Scott Woolley: And I started looking at my kids, and I even started looking at their friends on what they are all doing, you know, and some kids are playing sports.
• 10:34
  Scott Woolley: I think a lot of the kids are helping out in different, you know, charities or foundations, because the school kind of makes them do that as well.
• 10:42
  TIffany Woolley: And they do take pride in it.
• 10:43
  TIffany Woolley: It is really lovely to see young people.
• 10:47
  Scott Woolley: So for us, from a design standpoint, Tiffany and I looked at it and said, you know what, this music thing could be possibly be a really helpful situation for them to get into a good college.
• 10:59
  Scott Woolley: Because how many kids are going to put on their resume?
• 11:02
  Scott Woolley: Hey, they got good grades, hey, they played in some sports, they did their community services, but along the way, they played 50 different places and performing as a band.
• 11:13
  Scott Woolley: They put out eight or nine singles, which by the time they graduated, they're gonna have put out probably more than that because they're uh now finishing their fourth single, getting ready to do their fifth single or fifth song that will be put out because they're they put a goal.
• 11:28
  Scott Woolley: Every six weeks a new song's gonna come out.
• 11:31
  Scott Woolley: Um, you know, so it's uh it's another aspect of changing and creating a very unique design for your cells and your resume.
• 11:40
  TIffany Woolley: Definitely, and how every family member takes on a different role in that growth.
• 11:46
  TIffany Woolley: So it's it's a good eye-opener how different we all are as individuals and how we all apply ourselves to each task.
• 11:54
  TIffany Woolley: So it's a really great exercise, whatever that you know, item or that that situation that brings a family for a circle.
• 12:03
  TIffany Woolley: For us, it's been the music component.
• 12:06
  Scott Woolley: Yeah.
• 12:06
  Scott Woolley: Well, I've always believed for years, for decades, that you've got to believe in your dreams and you've got to go after your dreams.
• 12:14
  Scott Woolley: And I think that a lot of people don't.
• 12:17
  Scott Woolley: I think a lot of people look at their dreams saying, I can never do that.
• 12:20
  Scott Woolley: I'll never be able to do that.
• 12:22
  TIffany Woolley: Or they wait.
• 12:23
  Scott Woolley: Or they or they wait.
• 12:24
  Scott Woolley: Yeah, that they shouldn't be waiting.
• 12:26
  TIffany Woolley: And that's what I didn't want the kids to wait.
• 12:28
  TIffany Woolley: Because I realize myself that through hard work and through perseverance and positive mindset, and clearly through faith, that you will have challenges in life, but there's nothing that you can't do, really.
• 12:41
  TIffany Woolley: And I wish I had that in me a little earlier on that I was realizing that I had these abilities to make a change in my life and others.
• 12:52
  TIffany Woolley: So I feel like it's so important for them to truly grasp that they hold all the cards right now themselves.
• 13:01
  TIffany Woolley: And the sooner that I feel like you kind of grasp that, you can move forward on, you know, making your dreams come true.
• 13:08
  TIffany Woolley: And those dreams might continue to change.
• 13:11
  TIffany Woolley: And I feel like as long as families stay open-minded and communicate and like the doors are open, you work together and you can go through changes together.
• 13:22
  Scott Woolley: Well, and it's it's in going after those dreams, you're gonna hit milestones.
• 13:27
  Scott Woolley: It's really important to celebrate those milestones.
• 13:31
  Scott Woolley: Or as you're hitting various different aspects of your dream, reaching that those milestones, you're celebrating them, especially as a family and as a unit.
• 13:40
  Scott Woolley: We try to do that every day.
• 13:42
  Scott Woolley: You know, something special happens or we've achieved something.
• 13:46
  Scott Woolley: You know, today with the single dropping, you know, there was a family gathering and Aurora and pictures and a little video taken, you know, just wishing everyone off to school and having a positive, fun day.
• 14:00
  Scott Woolley: There was a lot of texting back and forth, you know, encouragement back and forth that we we encourage tremendously.
• 14:07
  Scott Woolley: You know, it's keeping that positive motivation and keeping your dream alive.
• 14:13
  Scott Woolley: And letting it don't let it die.
• 14:15
  Scott Woolley: Keep going after it.
• 14:16
  TIffany Woolley: That it's possible.
• 14:19
  TIffany Woolley: And they're so they're just, you know, it's just so great to see how they are taking it all in.
• 14:27
  TIffany Woolley: And it, you know, and it's another part that's fun as you go through things as a family is really, we always say, like, oh, we want to take our kids traveling because we want to see it through their eyes.
• 14:37
  TIffany Woolley: And it really is true.
• 14:38
  TIffany Woolley: And you don't need to leave even your home to do that.
• 14:41
  TIffany Woolley: I mean, just to experience things through their eyes and really listen to what they're hearing, saying, what they're going through, what they're experiencing.
• 14:50
  TIffany Woolley: They all experience it so different, you know.
• 14:54
  Scott Woolley: So, what we wanted to get across in this short little podcast today is, and as we always say, design is everywhere in life and everything that we do.
• 15:04
  Scott Woolley: But we would hope and encourage people to look.
• 15:07
  Scott Woolley: If you're if you're a parent or going to be a parent, start thinking about and start working towards the design of your family and the design in the direction of what you're gonna help your kids become or do.
• 15:20
  Scott Woolley: Because there's nothing more exciting and you know, memorable than when you're achieving those those things.
• 15:28
  TIffany Woolley: And not achieving them in isolation.
• 15:31
  TIffany Woolley: That like any good design, it's a collaboration, it's a group effort, it's curated, it you know, it might have its stalling moments, but most of them are positive and moving forward.
• 15:44
  TIffany Woolley: And I feel like there's so many little opportunities to really hone in and focus on that in your family life.
• 15:52
  TIffany Woolley: And it's never too late to start.
• 15:54
  TIffany Woolley: And even if, you know, family members kind of set the tone, it's it's all about the celebration of each other and never to let that go.
• 16:04
  TIffany Woolley: I mean, truly your family unit is the most important thing in life, and you are creating a legacy, and you have to every day keep in mind and stay focused on what that legacy is gonna look like.
• 16:23
  Scott Woolley: Uh, if you want to listen to something else, iTunes, Spotify, maybe Blue Bronco.
• 16:29
  Scott Woolley: Just about it on every streaming platform there is.
• 16:32
  Scott Woolley: Take a listen.
• 16:33
  TIffany Woolley: Thank you for listening to the iDesign Lab Podcast.
• 16:37
  TIffany Woolley: Have a fantastic day.
• 16:40
  Voice Over: iDesign Labs Podcast is an SW group production in association with the five star and TW Interiors.
• 16:47
  Voice Over: To learn more about iDesign Lab or TW Interiors, please visit TWinteriors.com.