Lorena Gaxiola’s career has been filled with unexpected turns, all of which have pushed her to exceed her professional goals.

Gaxiola, 32, originally intended to follow her father as an architect, but opted for design school. During an internship, she learned all the tricks for creating interiors for model homes, a field she had never considered before. In 2000, she opened her own business, Kuatro Design. Kuatro caters to some of the top homebuilders in America and has become an award-winning firm.

“I work with the marketing department, which researches a target audience for their individual communities,” she explains. “Then I design specifically to fit their brand and audience, creating memory points for buyers to remember.”

When the building industry slowed down earlier this year, Gaxiola designed an exclusive line of furniture, which debuted at the Architectural Digest Show in New York City. Now she’s looking to brand her furniture line, called Kuatro Home, with turnkey packages for developers and hoteliers.

Combining these two parts of her business seems natural to her. “One’s my love,” she says, “the other is my passion. One day, I’d like my brand to be recognized worldwide. That’s my new goal.”