In the early days, Baer negotiated deals to live rent-free in the homes she was staging. This clever arrangement solved her personal housing crisis and eliminated overhead, allowing her to bootstrap her business and build a client base with zero capital.

The idea for Birdies didn't come from market research. It came from Bianca Gates observing a recurring awkwardness in her own community meetings: guests were uncomfortable taking off their shoes. The product was a direct solution for a real-world problem she experienced personally.

Despite a successful screenwriting career, Baer felt creatively unfulfilled by her late 40s. She abandoned the perceived glamour of Hollywood for the hands-on, instantly gratifying work of home staging, proving it’s never too late for a radical career pivot.

Early in her career, Daren Kagan wanted to be a sportscaster on a show that didn't have one. She pitched the news director to let her do it for free on her days off for one month. By creating the role and de-risking the decision for her boss, she built a year and a half of experience that was crucial for her career.

Instead of a cost-plus model, Baer justified her high fees by framing them as a bargain against a client's ongoing monthly mortgage. This value-based pricing positioned her service as an investment that saved clients money by selling their homes faster.

Baer's non-linear career—actress, writer, model, screenwriter—culminated in her founding a major company at age 50. Her story is a powerful counter-narrative to the idea of a single career path, demonstrating that profound professional reinvention can happen at any life stage.

To access high-end inventory without capital, Baer convinced a rug dealer to use her staged homes as showrooms for his products. This consignment model provided her with free, premium inventory and generated direct sales for her partner, creating a win-win.

The business-changing insight to create a product line came from an actress who needed a way for her makeup artist to maintain her eyebrows for a six-month film shoot. This specific, high-stakes problem forced the creation of a replicable kit, directly leading to the scalable product business.

The origin of CNX wasn't a meticulously planned venture. The two co-founders were colleagues who, frustrated with their boss, impulsively quit their jobs together. The company was born out of that moment with no plan and no money, forcing them to be resourceful from day one.