Founder Q+A: Sarah Cunningham
Photo courtesy Sarah Cunningham.
Founded in 2010, Ethos Design + Remodel & Ethos Real Estate is the Treasure Valley’s only women-owned, eco-thoughtful design+build+real estate firm. Ethos provides custom high-end remodeling and thoughtful real estate services with a focus on bespoke design and sustainability.
Founder and CEO Sarah Cunningham has ensured that community impact is at the core of Ethos’ growth. With deep roots in both trade associations and community organizations, Ethos has a home in Boise’s community development ecosystem.
From conscious surface and product choices to neighborhood impact, every decision on every project with every client is purposeful. Having a strong mission empowered Ethos to grow significantly outside of remodeling as well. The company’s real estate arm, affiliated with the Silvercreek Realty Group brokerage, means Ethos is a one-stop shop for buying, selling, building, remodeling or adding an ADU, such as a mother-in-law cottage or work-from-home studio. In a world where decisions are measured by ROI, Ethos proves that a community-driven focus drives organic and sustainable growth.
Built In Idaho interviewed Sarah and learned more about the culture at Ethos, and how she instilled a strong mission into her growing company.
Founder Q&A
It is obvious that Ethos is deeply dedicated to its mission. How did you settle on that mission, and did it take time to find it?
“Our mission at Ethos is to create beautiful homes and intentional neighborhoods that stand the test of time, respect the planet and honor our community. I believe that Boise and the surrounding communities in the Treasure Valley can do better when it comes to building homes and neighborhoods that are crafted with intention, integrity, and reflect a commitment to a sustainable economy and planet. I think customers want to work with a remodeler or design + build company that shares their values, and since women make the majority of household decisions, it only makes sense to work with a woman-owned company that understands their needs. This reflects why the name Ethos is significant. I've always been motivated to live in a way that reflects my values, my truest self, and to act with integrity, deliver with integrity and do business with integrity.”
How do you contribute to the community as a company?
“We believe as a company that there is a strong correlation between the individual and how and where they live. This is why we don’t design homes or neighborhoods for cars, for example. We believe quality of life is rooted in belonging to a community, knowing your neighbors, and designing your home and neighborhood to reflect those values. It has a concentric rippling effect. Even in a real estate transaction, it’s not just transactional, it’s relational. It's important to understand what a person's lifestyle needs are and what inspires them. When you respond to this by fulfilling these personal needs, it has a beneficial ripple effect beyond the individual that can have a profound impact on the community.
Erin Sorenson and I have both been active volunteers in our respective neighborhoods for many years and we encourage the whole team to be involved in community activities, including a monthly team outing. As a team we collectively decide if we take on a group volunteer project or have a fun team play time. Both of us have served on the board for NeighborWorks Boise and we like to do a certain percentage of our projects to support affordable housing initiatives. We also take great care when we rehab homes to donate or repurpose building materials to reduce the amount of building waste going to the landfill. Two recent examples are from a project where we were able to donate flooring to Habitat for Humanity and to a local artisan who is making wooden art panels out of reclaimed wood.
We collaborate with local artisans and fabricators to build projects and to put on events which I think is fairly unique for a design + build firm.”
What made you decide to go from an employed designer to a founder?
“I always planned to start my own company, but wanted to make sure I had the experience and qualifications to make it successful. I worked as a Design Consultant and Project Manager for 5 years where I developed the skillset to implement my designs and manage projects. Then the Great Recession hit. I made it through several rounds of cuts and then when they went down to the skeleton crew, I was finally let go. I was terrified to leave the security of a steady job, but my heart told me I had to go for it.
I started my company as Desiderata Interiors, based on the poem, which has had a profound impact on me since I was a teen. Flash forward to 2014, when I realized no one could pronounce it or spell it, so I had to rebrand. The name Ethos was born of the same set of principles and values represented in the poem. Ethos is about your value set, it defines your individual culture and how we relate to one another. An individual’s ethos affects their world view and how they exist in the world.
The early days of running my own business were hard. There are so many little things you don’t necessarily know how or what to do, functionally and philosophically. Things like determining who your ideal strategic partners are and who you want to do business with to learning along the way how to actually make your company the type of company you always dreamed it could be. In addition to staying true to your ideals you still have to figure out the practical side of business like how to find customers and generate a pipeline and be your own bookkeeper until you can afford to hire one. In 2014 things started really picking up, and today we have a team of five and will be adding more members soon.”
What do you see in the future for Ethos?
“As an entrepreneur it’s always been my goal to have a team culture where everybody is engaged and there’s a spirit of equity among us, and there's respect. I like the idea that there’s not a mindset of hierarchy, that we’re all working together for the greater good, that our amazing little team has a beneficial effect that ripples outward into our community.
I've always thought that Boise is a great place for entrepreneurs. There's so many opportunities. It doesn’t have that dog-at-your-throat mentality. It’s a great place for startups. In terms of our goals, I’ve always seen us in the built environment. There are several entities under the Ethos umbrella; we currently have design+build, real estate, and development. We’re the only woman-owned design + build firm that offers green building. There’s tremendous demand for every aspect of our business right now.”
Do you have any advice for fellow entrepreneurs?
“As an entrepreneur, I’ve learned I can’t do it all. I’m driving the vision and I’m the creative, but I need to be able to break things down and hire out where I’m not in my zone of genius. I’m focused on getting the right players on our team so we can maximize our community impact and deliver excellence for our clients. Learn who you want your key strategic partners to be, find out who you want to do business with. These key people can be great reciprocating resources to share industry insight, networks, tips and tricks to help each other learn and grow in business and in life. People learn quickly who to trust in business and it’s much easier to maintain respect when people know they can trust you than it is to rebuild a tarnished reputation. Stick with integrity, it pays dividends. If you have a gift and a passion for something, stick with it, even in the hardest of times because you never want to cheat yourself or the world of your gifts, the world will be a better place for your pursuit of your dreams. Wake up early and give yourself time to think, breathe and process. I’ve historically been a night owl but I can’t tell you how much better the days go when you wake up early and start my day off strong. These days have compounding effects.”
What resources have you used to grow your company?
“When I started out, I turned to the Score program with the SBA, but those experiences didn’t resonate with me. Then I went to Jannus because they have their women- and minority- owned support, and that worked out great. At that point in time, I was more involved in nonprofits. Being involved in the nonprofit community helped my business in both leadership skills and building community relationships. Being involved in the Boise Chamber and various networking groups was helpful. NARI was helpful as a woman contractor and remodeler. On the real estate side there are so many resources for ongoing education and expanding your industry network. I learned that creating great relationships with title companies is a great first step to opening doors to their endless resources. In development I determined who I wanted my mentor to be and made the connection. Years later we are dear friends, explore business opportunities and my life has been blessed by his presence in countless ways. Mentors with relevant backgrounds are invaluable. Being a member of the Urban Land Institute and US Green Building Council have provided great educational opportunities along with expanding our community of like minded industry professionals. Having access to ongoing education and industry mentors as well as having a great group of colleagues and other professionals to reach out to has contributed to my personal growth as well as Ethos’ growth as a company. LinkedIn has been a really great resource because it creates opportunities to connect with so many different professionals, learning opportunities and associations that relate to my industries.”