Mariangel Coghlan is an architect and the founder of the design firm MARIANGEL COGHLAN. With more than 25 years of experience, she has become a reference in Mexican interior design. Mariangel, mother of four children and wife of a great artist, is a tireless and optimistic businesswoman with a passion for color and beauty. She is constantly involved in initiatives that allow her to spread the value of design as an instrument for positive change in our society.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Mariangel Coghlan:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside the workplace.
I am a woman passionate about beauty. I believe that, as Dostoevsky once stated: “beauty will save the world”; That’s why I am so enthusiastic about my professional work because I am convinced that beautiful and harmonious spaces contribute to our productivity and help us enjoy life to the fullest. I am very proud of the almost 25 years I have been married to my husband, the family we have formed, and our four children. I am thankful every day for the enormous blessing of having their support and being able to work doing something I am so fond of.
Describe your background and what you did before starting/joining the company.
I studied architecture and specialized in interior design, always with the idea of transforming and improving spaces. For three years, I worked as a manager in a furniture company; afterward, I founded my furniture brand and manufacturer, where I worked for 14 years with a high level of success. There came a point where I wanted to do something different, so I decided to create an interior design firm focused on people.
Tell us about the beginnings of the company, how did it all start?
I wanted to create anthropological designs, focused on people, so I founded this design firm where we specialize in creating spaces that enhance people’s quality of life.
The initial phase was complicated, as I left a successful and profitable brand to start over, but the creative challenge filled me with enthusiasm and energy to do things differently. I focused on finding a good work team, always with the goal of helping them grow and training them continuously. Today we have a great interdisciplinary team, with very talented people. Our focus has always been on offering the best interior design services.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
My utmost success has been doing something that I love and that also contributes to the welfare of our customers. I know that facilitating a better place to live for them will improve their lives, these actions make our clients happier and predispose them to doing good. I consider this my grain of sand to make this world a better place.
I value the opportunity to collaborate with different people to transform their environments, the possibility of working with creative people full of ideas and the desire to improve every day, and also having a profession that allows me to balance it with my family life.
What are the company’s main services and how do they help the company get ahead of the competition? What value-added services does the company offer?
We specialize in interior design, remodeling, and architectural projects. Our distinctive mark is to deliver turnkey solutions, meaning the house is perfectly assembled, with the beds laid out, the dishes put away, the rugs, pictures, lamps, and everything in its place.
We usually prepare a ceremony at the time of delivery, arrange a small toast, and give them a bottle of sparkling wine so they can uncork it and make the first toast in their new home.
This ceremony is usually very emotional, and in most cases, the clients cry with happiness.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture?
We fully identify with five values: integrity, excellence, passion, creativity, and happiness. All the company’s members are aware of and have acknowledged these values, which gives us a clear focus on what we do and why we do it.
There is a good atmosphere of companionship in our team. I like to say we are a big family, and everyone feels part of it, encouraging us to have a good attitude toward the challenges and difficulties that arise. There is great affection among all the collaborators, and that allows us to enjoy more what we do. Fortunately, our work is not monotonous; we always do different things that keep us entertained.
Undoubtedly, what motivates us the most is to see that through our work, we change people’s lives for the better.
What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
I believe in the common good, in respect for each other, and particularly in contributing to beautifying the environment. We improve our customers’ quality of life, which motivates us to do our job well and take care of all the details.
Daily studying and learning is part of our routine; we invest a considerable amount of resources in training, and the tremendous advantage is that training people in the beautiful things in life is a true delight that allows us to enjoy life even more. Focusing on beauty allows us to enjoy every moment of life just a bit more. I am convinced that we are truly fortunate to be in this profession.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
The main innovation in our professional work is to center the design on the human factor and focus on their well-being, centered on the creation of beauty.
Everything we do is made with this in mind, and the result is usually very satisfactory in most cases.
Give us your opinion on; Do organizations rely heavily on individual heroic acts or team processes?
From my point of view, the proper functioning of an organization depends on teamwork. For it to flow properly, it is necessary that everyone plays their part well, taking care of every detail in each part of the process. It is like an orchestra: if an instrumentalist plays poorly, it damages everyone’s work, but if everyone plays their part well, the result is masterful.
What are your responsibilities as the founder of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
My main responsibility is to ensure that the mission of the company is carried out, which is to help people live better. With this in mind, I focus on perfecting the service and analyzing each project, looking for opportunities to improve it.
The happiest part is when I design spaces and have the possibility to transform our ideas into reality.
What advice would you give to someone who is going into a leadership position for the first time?
Keep studying and never stop; your mind has to be open to learning, even from the youngest and least experienced employees. It amazes me how much you can grow.
