Today we’d like to introduce you to Dorsa Afsharjavan.
Hi Dorsa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Thank you for having me! To begin – I come from a background in landscape engineering and landscape architecture, however, over the years, I have expanded my roles far beyond the fields I studied. I grew up in an engineering, design, and entrepreneurial environment. My mother is an interior and lifestyle designer, and my father is a mechanical engineer. My undergraduate studies in landscape architecture and sustainability studies led me to a 2-year master’s degree in Europe in landscape engineering and environmental science and eventually took me towards the entrepreneurial path with the establishment of my own entity, DORSAcorporation.
DORSAcorporation started when I was living abroad, working as a freelance designer and planner for several international landscape architecture and urban planning companies. In 2018, I made my first major career shift by moving to Miami Beach to open a lifestyle concept gallery, Platform, with my mom Sogol Afsharjavan. I then quickly began growing and managing her interior design projects while working on more and more landscape design collaborations with companies based out of Miami, DC, NY, Switzerland, and Prague.
During the 2020 Covid lockdown, I recognized the increased need for residential design and project management roles as people started to invest more time and resources into their private homes and residences. I was introduced to a builder on Shelter Island, NY in 2020, and one referral project after another, I established DORSAcorp’s landscape design, owners’ rep, and project management services in New York, Miami, DC, and California. In addition to the private residential projects I am involved with under DORSAcorporation, I am currently also managing a commercial boutique hotel design/build project in Miami Beach which has been an exciting new experience for me.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Being an entrepreneur has its ups and downs, however, the continuous growth and learning experience that comes with it is invaluable. Anyone in the design/build industry today knows about the numerous challenges due to limited resources, extended production times, and global material delays. So simply said – projects have not gone as smoothly as anticipated. With that said, I take each day as a learning opportunity and remind myself that obstacles come and go. I am a solutions-driven person so I enjoy taking the challenges of everyday work to discover new approaches and opportunities needed to meet my project’s needs and client’s end goals.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I think I should start by saying that I love exercising both sides of my brain. I have established myself as someone who can best use my skills depending on a project’s specific needs and requirements.
The left side of my brain is the engineer and project manager in me. It loves the numbers, budgets, timelines, logistics, and schedules.
The right side of my brain is the designer and communicator. It loves creativity, experiences, nature, and collaboration.
Over the past several years, I have taken on projects that feed both sides of my brain. For my left-sided brain, I have established myself as a project manager and owner’s representative. Working on projects as the coordinator and decision-maker on behalf of the stakeholders involved. For my right-sided brain, I have continued my line of work as a landscape designer and offer my project management services for interior design projects as well. On some projects, I work on both sides of the design/build (right/left) needs, and on others, I offer support based on what the project’s unique needs may be.
What are your plans for the future?
Over time, I have come to realize that perhaps I enjoy the left side of my brain slightly more than the right. I have noticed that my left-brained skill sets are what many of my clients need and require in order to successfully execute their vision and projects. As a young-ish entrepreneur, I am far from having an established “forever” title. My goal is to take more time developing my strengths to pursue projects that can best benefit from my experience in the design and build industry. I have the utmost love and respect for creatives and right-brained individuals and feel that with my own understanding of the creative process and my analytical and professional strengths, I can help become a real change-maker in people’s lives and businesses. I was once told that for every person with a vision, there needs to be someone who can execute and make that vision a reality. I love being part of the force that brings a vision to life. I am incredibly grateful for my past and current clients, projects, and experiences that have gotten me to where I currently am today, and am looking forward to what future opportunities await.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://dorsacorp.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dorsaafsharjavan/
