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How This Entrepreneur Channelled Grit to Build a Passion-Driven Business

What does it take to build a thriving business from scratch? Madison Taylor’s journey shows that bold decisions, a dedication to client relationships, and an eye for detail are key.

By Sarah Walker

 

Madison Taylor grew up with an eye for design.

“My mom was a decorator and taught sewing classes, so I was always around textiles,” she says. “I was the five-year-old who would lay out my outfits the night before. I always had to have things very organized and put together. Visual order was really important to me.”

Combined with her strong work ethic (“I loved the independence of it”), Madison’s path toward starting her own thriving design firm, Madison Taylor Interior Design, was destined to be. But it wasn’t straightforward or without some bumps.

“I started working in the service industry when I was 14,” she recalls. “It taught me so much about hard work and creating experiences that people enjoy. Those early jobs [from cook  to server] shaped how I see the world — how much effort goes into making something feel effortless for others.”

The hospitality industry is known for its demanding hours. For Madison, the toll of this lifestyle   became impossible to ignore. She found herself craving a different path, one that would let her use her creativity and bring more balance to her life. She wasn’t fully ready to leave hospitality behind, but she knew she couldn’t stay either. That’s when she had an “aha moment”, linking her passion for creating spaces with her love of the service industry.

“I thought, ‘What if I could create restaurants? How cool would that be!’” she recalls. “So I went back to school for interior design and ended up winning a scholarship for a project focused on restaurant design. I finished college and basically went straight into designing hospitality spaces for several brand names .”

Madison says the role was a dream, especially because her manager trusted her to do everything from set up the organization’s processes to strategize with clients. The problem was the commute. “I was living in Barrie, and driving  downtown Toronto every single day,” she shares. “I was spending five hours just getting to and from work.” Eventually, the long hours on the road outweighed the rewards of the job, prompting her to consider a new path that would bring her closer to home.

Her husband, an entrepreneur, stepped in.

“One day, he looked at me and said, ‘Quit your job… start your own thing… we’ll figure it out,’” she remembers. “It was weird for me because I was a worker. I’d always worked, so someone telling me, ‘Just quit your job; you’ll be fine,’ was scary.”

But that’s exactly what she did in 2008.

Starting her own business came with many unknowns, and Madison knew she needed support to build a strong foundation. Her first step was signing up for a free government-sponsored course designed to help new entrepreneurs establish themselves in the industry. Though now defunct, the program was invaluable at the time.

“It was a business preparation course that taught me how to build business plans, marketing, and the like,” she says. “The hard part when starting something on your own is figuring out where to start. It was overwhelming for me. This course helped break the process into manageable steps.”

Next, she focused on putting herself out there. She printed business cards and began networking, a task that felt uncomfortable at first. “I was a server. I knew how to talk to people, but getting out and networking for my business was difficult and awkward.”

Her persistence paid off, and her Barrie-based studio, Madison Taylor Interior Design, gradually expanded from just herself to a team of four and eventually a dozen. A key part of this growth was establishing trusted relationships with people who shared her values, including a Commercial Relationship Manager at TD who believed in her vision.

“My Relationship Manager has been in the trenches with me, through all the ups and downs,” she notes. He introduced her to the Regional Manager for TD Women in Enterprise, who then invited her to events driven and supported by TD Women in Enterprise that were connected to  her goals, and he helped her secure financing at TD when she decided to create a commercial hub for her growing business, Madison Taylor Interior Design. The 12,000-square-foot space, now complete, showcases her full range of work, complete with a showroom and a café for clients.

As her client base grew, Madison saw an opportunity to make a bigger impact.

This led her to restructure her business to offer a more cohesive, integrated approach to design and building. Her goal was to create a seamless experience for clients, covering everything from architecture and interior design to landscaping and construction management. The change was a success. Today, her company continues to expand and employs more than 30 people.

Over her 17-year journey as an entrepreneur, Madison has learned the importance of adaptability and intentional growth. “Talk to people, be open, try new things,” she advises.

She also emphasizes sustainable growth. “When you start a company, a big focus is on bringing in work to keep you busy, but as you grow you realize the importance of building a solid foundation. I was fortunate to see that opportunity and took the time to reset and build what I needed so I could scale more seamlessly.”  Reflecting on her journey, Madison highlights the importance of doing what you love.

“I’m always looking forward to what’s next,” she says. “It’s been a long road, but I’m proud of how far we’ve come — and excited for what’s ahead.”