Meet Sandra Thompson | Architect

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sandra Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sandra, what do you attribute your success to?
Initially, I started my own business to enable me to work from home, have a better work-life balance and raise my children. As the amount of business grew, so did the need for additional team members. Growing a team-based business required thoughful leadership training and getting the right team defined along with processes that would multiply the high quality of work we perform. Having a strong team that excels in areas outside of my own, has been the biggest key to our success.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Our firm provides architectural services to all of Colorado. We proud woman owned and woman led Colorado business. We pride ourselves on providing the full range of architectural services, from initial PreDesign of projects all the way through Bidding and Value Engineering and Construction Administration services. We believe that the most successful projects include the participation and assistance of their architect from beginning to end, and we offer these services to our residential clients in addition to commercial projects. I am most proud of the team we have built here at Zaga Design Group. We take a non-hierarchical approach to team management and believe that each team member brings unique strengths to our collective table, so we spend time learning where those strengths lie and how we can best utilize their talents in each phase of our design process. Every one of us, including me, is continually learning from one another, and I believe that this persistent aim to become better architects, employees, leaders and people makes us an incredibly strong team. I am so proud to work with every one of our team members. I started this business from my home in 2005, and we close out 2022 with 10 people now on our staff. All entrepreneurs know the many ups and downs that come with owning a business, and we are no exception. In my experience, one of the largest hurdles is getting that RIGHT team in place. It is challenging to understand from an initial job interview, how a new team member will interact with the other members of our firm, and how their approach to working will effect the services we provide to our clients. We have experienced a lot of trial and error in this area, but feel that it has all been worth it to get where we are today. I feel such responsibility for my employees, and want to be sure each one thrives and loves their job as much as I do. My biggest mission is to see more female and BIPOC representation in our industry, and I love to support other woman and minority owned small businesses in our community, as well as organizations that help promote representation for women. My greatest hope for our business is that we continue to help our community members and clients feel connected, whether at home with their families or in the gathering spaces we love to share.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Let’s start with food, because we all love to eat, right? One of my very favorites is El Camino, here in Highlands Square. It helps that our office has been next to El Camino for years, and the smells that waft into our space on a daily basis make us crave it constantly. Hops and Pie is my favorite pizza, and we are thrilled to be assisting them with the design of their new patio space. When in the mood for a healthy lunch, I hit up Natuur for amazing acai bowls and smoothies. No trip to Colorado is complete without spending some time in Grand Lake, my favorite mountain town. From jet skiing at the lake in the summer, to skiing and snow shoeing in the winter, it offers visitors a true taste of Colorado.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
The entire Zaga team!

Website: https://zagadesigngroup.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/zaga_design

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/zaga-design-group

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ZagaDesignGroup

Image Credits
Flor Blake Photography Kylie Fitts Photography