Shea Soucie is the trailblazing co-owner of Soucie Horner, a Chicago based interior design firm. The idea for the business took shape outside a small Parisian café more than 20 years ago with co-owner Martin Horner and has soared to successful heights with offices in Chicago; Naples, Florida; and the Mountain West. Their work has taken the company across the globe, including New York, Mexico, and France. Shea Soucie is redefining what it means to be a working mom and is doing so with grit and grace. As a passionate advocate for women, Shea understands the importance of mentorship and is committed to guiding the next generation of women at every stage of their journey. During the pandemic, Shea helped navigate the business through an unprecedented time helping the business to not only survive but thrive! Please take a moment to read about Shea below!

In three words, describe the essence of your business.

Authentic, Unique, Collaborative

What’s one unexpected lesson entrepreneurship has taught you?

As interior designers, we never believed that our work could thrive in a remote or virtual environment. Our work is inherently tangible and personal — every design choice, every detail, every interaction is rooted in being physically present. Before 2020, we assumed that true creative collaboration could only happen in person. However, over the last 5 years, I’ve realized that embracing virtual work didn’t just sustain us — it propelled us into a new strategic roadmap that shaped the future growth of Soucie Horner Design Collective.

What does success look like to you beyond the bottom line?

To us, design is more than the finished product--it’s about the entire journey and how it makes you feel and think differently. Our goal is to inspire the world to rethink design, not just as something that looks beautiful, but as something that transforms the way you experience life. The most rewarding moments of my career are when you see the impact of our work on others — from translating a client’s dream into an exquisite home or product, to guests at the Wickwood Inn having an unforgettable getaway, to witnessing our employees’ lives change because of the design-rich culture we foster. That is success in its truest form.

What’s one thing people can do today to better support women-owned businesses?

As leaders, one of the best things we can do is offer mentorship at every stage of someone’s journey—whether it’s helping a student find their path, guiding an entrepreneur towards a product launch, or encouraging women as their career takes shape. Mentorship is about building meaningful connections, modeling positive behavior, and lifting a community. Through my work with Nest, a nonprofit that supports women makers, I’ve seen how powerful it can be to help someone believe in their own potential. When we gather and celebrate lesser-known voices, it creates a ripple effect that helps women in ways that go far beyond business.