Amanda Armstrong Sava

Rachael Barclay (00:00) welcome Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:00) right. Rachael Barclay (00:01) to the next episode of Vantage Voices. I'm Rachel Barclay, the founder of Vantage. So Amanda Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:07) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (00:08) Armstrong Sava, thank you for being here. Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:10) Thank you for having me. It's exciting. Rachael Barclay (00:12) Yeah. Yeah, very exciting. And so what we do with the Vantage Voices interview is we go through first what you can bring to the community of Vantage, then what you're looking for, and then a little bit Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:25) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (00:25) about you and what it is that you do. Okay, so Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:28) Okay. Rachael Barclay (00:28) we'll start with in one sentence, who do you help and what changes for them when you do? Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:35) Who I know and what changes for them when I do. well, I mean, obviously they get my bubbly personality. Rachael Barclay (00:42) Love it. Amanda Armstrong Sava (00:44) I am absolutely an introvert, so some of this comes new to me, but I realized I'm a helper. That is my thing. And whether it's helping to connect someone or helping to find the right service or if it's something I can personally help with, I did a lot of work in volunteerism growing up. And I think helping is just in my general nature. So I may not be a talker or a connector, but I'm a helper. So that is, I will help find a way. Even if it's Rachael Barclay (01:11) I love that. Amanda Armstrong Sava (01:12) moving a kitten from Tokyo to Seattle, I've done that. Rachael Barclay (01:15) Did you do that? Amanda Armstrong Sava (01:16) I did. I did. A friend of mine had a niece in Tokyo that was having trouble with her cat and I had a coworker that wanted a cat. And the niece was coming to Seattle literally for the Taylor Swift concert. and so she backpacked her little cat into a carrier and we tra international cat dealer. That doesn't sound good, but international cat Rachael Barclay (01:36) It does. Amanda Armstrong Sava (01:37) rescue. Yeah. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (01:38) my gosh. Amanda Armstrong Sava (01:40) So it just worked out. But and I think that's why I'm in the industry that I'm in, is I love helping people kind of find their new home and find their new space in their home. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (01:48) Yeah. Well let's talk a little bit about what it is that you do, for everybody who's watching. Amanda Armstrong Sava (01:53) so I work, I am the general manager of a design build remodel firm, Neil Kelly Company. We are one of four branches. We're based in Portland. we are Going on 80 years next year. So we have been around for 79 years and 12 of those in Seattle. I have been a designer, both kitchen designer, interior design, anything, interior architecture, anything like that, for 25 years now and just took over the GM role here about two years ago. So previously I was helping my clients find things and and build things and bring, you know, kind of bring dreams to reality. And now I help my team. make those things happen for our clients. So it's really, it's still fulfilling. It's just fulfilling in a different way. and I really want to bring the best of you know, building to the Seattle area. So that is what we do. Rachael Barclay (02:42) I love that. I love that. And Neil Kelly, it's a B chord, correct? Amanda Armstrong Sava (02:46) It is a B Corp, which was one of the things that brought me to the company. Same thing. it's a family business. It's still owned by the Kelly family. the Neil Kelly was a human once upon a time. He's Rachael Barclay (02:57) Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (02:58) no longer with us. but his son Tom is still the chairman of the board and his grandson Garrett is our director of production. great human. and making new humans. They've got a third human on the way at the end of the year. So it's great. Rachael Barclay (03:11) Anything. Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:11) I love I love a family business because even when it's a really good sized business, you know, we're about two hundred people across all of our branches. it's nice to know that there's still family and family values back there kind of leading the Rachael Barclay (03:23) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:24) way. Rachael Barclay (03:24) yeah, it makes a ton of a difference, doesn't it? Just in the joy that Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:26) Yeah, it really does. Rachael Barclay (03:27) you get from the work that you do, I imagine. Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:30) Absolutely. And you're not just doing it for, you know, there are a lot of people who have to work for the corporations. I thankfully do not. But Rachael Barclay (03:37) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:37) it it makes it feel a little bit better at the end of the day that it's it's one family business helping another family find the best plan for their home. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (03:45) I love that. I've star just recently started calling myself an a a corporate escapee. Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:51) I love that. Rachael Barclay (03:53) Very dramatic and intended to be so. I know, I know. You can my gosh, I should get advantage cape. You're right. More to come on that. Maybe you can help me with designing it. Amanda Armstrong Sava (03:56) No, I love that. I feel like you need a cape. Do you need a cape or a mask? I'm not sure. Yes. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (04:07) okay, so you've been in your if for to understand correctly, twenty five years in remodeling. Is that correct? Amanda Armstrong Sava (04:12) Mm-hmm, yes. Mm-hmm. Yep. Rachael Barclay (04:13) And then you started as a designer, as you said. But what did you see early? if anything, that made you think the drawings are the easy part, but the people are really the work, right? You know, people might think you're the Amanda Armstrong Sava (04:25) the people are always the work. The people are always the work. So I a million billion years ago, back in the 1900s, graduated with a degree in psychology Rachael Barclay (04:33) Mm-hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (04:33) and never really realized how much I would use it until I went into sales, because in reality, design is sales. and so getting people to kind of see your point of view and and kind of having to talk them through it and having them understand why this is the best choice because you know they're gonna see some idea on HGTV, heaven help them. you know, they're gonna want Rachael Barclay (04:52) Mm. Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (04:54) something that's not realistic for their space. So really it is this project or this job is all about people. Even before I became a P you know the GM, it was absolutely like with my clients, it was all about people. It's it's marriage counseling. It's you know, trying to talk them through just a bad day, like, you know, they've they feel like something's gone horribly wrong in their remodel. And it's like, no, no, drywall looks like that in the first stage. I know this is scary, but we're at one of those low Rachael Barclay (05:22) Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (05:22) points of the remodel. We're gonna we're gonna head back up in a few minutes. So it's it's just walking them through it and caring for them through the process and trying to do your best to take care of them so that they've got that space exactly the way they want it. And hopefully they're not divorced by the end of it. Rachael Barclay (05:36) Hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (05:38) Thank you. Rachael Barclay (05:40) Maybe the remodel brings them back together, right? Amanda Armstrong Sava (05:43) I have had clients that I am not joking, they had to move out of their house completely. They moved into her parents' house. Not only did they finish the whole remodel, but they came out pregnant while living in their parents' house, while dealing with a full house remodel, while dealing with two baby girls that they had already. So some remodels go really well. Rachael Barclay (06:00) Huh. That's interesting. I love that. Yeah, really that's that is really well, hopefully. Yeah. Yeah Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (06:05) Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean that's a success story. Rachael Barclay (06:13) Yeah. And so in your own word so you went through the interview. We have two interviews, this live one. and then the the questions that you filled out that are sort of rotated through to extract certain things for every member who takes it. But in your own Amanda Armstrong Sava (06:26) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (06:27) words, which I love this because I've described myself like this too. An introvert disguised as an extrovert. I love that. So you Amanda Armstrong Sava (06:34) Absolutely. Rachael Barclay (06:35) lead a team, you walk into strangers' homes at the hardest moment of the year and you come back to a club, vintage, and all the other clubs Amanda Armstrong Sava (06:42) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (06:43) in the city, after it closed. How does an introvert build community on purpose? And what does it cost that nobody cost you that nobody sees? Amanda Armstrong Sava (06:51) Quietly and slowly is the answer to the first one. It's Rachael Barclay (06:53) Mm. Mm-hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (06:55) you know, it's it's stopping, it's reading the room, it's looking to see, you know, who feels approachable to me as an introvert. I absolutely Rachael Barclay (07:03) Mm-hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (07:03) have to play an extrovert in my role. So that does get exhausting. So that's the other side of the of the project of the question is that it takes some time to recover. I mean, I am looking forward to homecoming tomorrow night, but I also know that Wednesday morning is gonna be. Rachael Barclay (07:17) Mm-hmm. Yes. Amanda Armstrong Sava (07:20) I'm gonna have to recharge my social batteries, you know. So Rachael Barclay (07:20) Me too. Yeah, I totally get that. Yes. Amanda Armstrong Sava (07:25) I it's one of those things that I I get so much from it when I meet new people and they're the kind of people that fill my cup, you know. but I also know that in events like that I am I am leaking. I am leaking out of the cup. Like the cup is definitely d emptying as I fill it. but always look for that like for like energy when I go into a Rachael Barclay (07:43) Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (07:43) room. 'Cause I know we're out there. We're all out there, those introverts that are kind of pretending or scanning or checking. Yeah. We're we're out there. Rachael Barclay (07:52) yeah. And I think especially it's interesting that it sort of aligns with you being a helper too. I Amanda Armstrong Sava (07:57) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (07:58) feel a lot of similarities with you and and I. And it's like you're a helper, so you're always scanning. But you're I I definitely am with you. I'm like, I might take till Thursday to to recover. Amanda Armstrong Sava (08:07) Ha Rachael Barclay (08:08) So yeah, Amanda Armstrong Sava (08:08) My work schedule will not allow it, but I would if I could. Rachael Barclay (08:11) yeah. I know maybe the weekend. I love a do nothing weekend. Amanda Armstrong Sava (08:15) Yes. Rachael Barclay (08:16) so so One of the things that we're being intentional about with Vantage as we build is we've seen a lot of groups and I've seen a lot of clubs that really center whether on purpose or not, with what can I get from this? Right. And Amanda Armstrong Sava (08:31) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (08:31) so it with Vantage, we're leading with what can you give? and sort of trying to rewire what I believe personally has broken a lot of different groups and communities. Amanda Armstrong Sava (08:43) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (08:44) so what can you give another member just by being who you are? Like you don't have to think about it, it's just some and you already said you were a helper, so probably a lot of things, but Amanda Armstrong Sava (08:52) Yeah. A lot of things. I think I would say support, because even if it's just an ear or a shoulder, you know, I've got both of those. And, you know, I know a little bit about a lot of things. I know a lot about remodeling. I know a little bit about other things. I always say I'm really great at trivia. So if you need me, I manage to keep a hold of all that random stuff. So, you know, pro tip, I can't help. I'm horrible at music, but other stuff I'm great. But the Other thing, I just think that by supporting someone and just listening to them. So it's like you're a doctor, you have a hard day, you I'm here to listen and not judge. I can be that giver of support. Or maybe it's just yeah, like, you need that? I know a person. That person Rachael Barclay (09:33) Mm. Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (09:35) can help you. Let me get you connected. I'm I shouldn't say I'm new to the area because I've been here seven years, but half of that was COVID. I got here Rachael Barclay (09:42) Hmm. Right. Amanda Armstrong Sava (09:45) right before COVID. so I am still meeting people and still kind of expanding my social network up here. but I feel like I'm gathering some great people. I'm enjoying the people that I'm gathering. So I'm I'm excited about that. So hopefully I've got a person to help, even if I'm not the right person. So yeah. Rachael Barclay (10:02) I love that. Yeah. So so that's great because a lot of the how we're growing Vantage is is sort of, you know, the first round of members, the first co cohort if you will, are sort of experiencing vantages and saying who else can join Vantage that would benefit from this? who might Amanda Armstrong Sava (10:19) Mm-hmm. Rachael Barclay (10:20) not even be looking for it. So Then I that sort of goes into my next question, which is how Vantage can help you. And this could be a very specific person. I mean, I had I've had members say like athletes and like Seattle celebrities, but if you could meet one person in your first ninety days, whether it's a type of person or anything like that, who would it be? Amanda Armstrong Sava (10:41) okay, I don't want a fangirl, but I want a fangirl. I when I am so excited that Carmen Best is part of the membership and Rachael Barclay (10:48) Ooh. Amanda Armstrong Sava (10:50) that you guys work so closely together. She just seems so amazing. I've I just like watching her through the COVID stuff and the George Floyd stuff and all the things, like she felt like such a true leader for the community at that time. And that's all we were doing, right? We were all home, we were all stuck to our TVs. So having her on, you know, the Vantage team just makes me feel like this is a group of people that really want to support their community. other than that, I don't care. I am open to meeting lots of people. So to me. I what I want to do as I grow my social network in Seattle, obviously part of it comes from the standpoint of business. I want my business to grow. I want people more people to know about my business, but I also just want to know the people in the space. I want to know Rachael Barclay (11:34) Mm-hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (11:35) if I've got a client that needs a lawyer, I can check the vantage registry in the black book and just see who I can reach out to for my client, you know. or maybe it's one of my kiddos, you know, they need a new financial planner. Heck, maybe it's my hubby. He's retired. He needs somebody to go play golf with. I don't know. So it's one of those like it could be any Rachael Barclay (11:55) it could be any of those things and all of those things, yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (11:58) of those things. Exactly. So I'm going into it with a really open mind. but I really appreciated how it was much It seemed just so much more intentional. and I did also see, of course, like a few of the folks that were that I had met, you know, briefly at the Columbia Tower before. and so I was glad to see similar names that at least a few people that I had met before. So it was great. Rachael Barclay (12:19) I love that. When you said Carmi Best it gave me chills because she is such a wonderful support and so lovely. So you'll definitely, you'll definitely meet her. And I fangirl with her every single time I talk to her. So Amanda Armstrong Sava (12:28) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (12:30) yeah. So this is the this has all been fun. But at the end we do some quick fires, which kind of just like gets you thinking. So what Amanda Armstrong Sava (12:37) Okay. Rachael Barclay (12:38) is your coffee order or tea? Amanda Armstrong Sava (12:41) God, okay, this is gonna out me as a really fussy person. venti Rachael Barclay (12:44) Ha ha. Amanda Armstrong Sava (12:44) blonde vanilla latte with non-fat milk. Mm-hmm. It's gotta be blonde. Rachael Barclay (12:48) All right, what is a book that you push on people? Amanda Armstrong Sava (12:52) that I push on people. gosh. Rachael Barclay (12:54) Or said differently, a book that you think everybody should read, whether it's something we're reading Amanda Armstrong Sava (12:57) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (12:58) right now or an aud it could be audiobook too. I only do audiobooks. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:01) I am all audiobook. My sister thinks I'm a cheater because of that, but I am all audiobook all the time. I don't have time to read. honestly, I Rachael Barclay (13:05) Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:09) don't, I'm s part of the bad news about reading audiobooks is I feel like then you kind of forget them a little bit. Rachael Barclay (13:14) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:15) I've Rachael Barclay (13:15) instead. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:15) got it. If you want a downer, sapiens. incredibly great knowledge and things to understand but definitely a downer and then an Rachael Barclay (13:23) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:24) a a weird one that I'm listening to right now is yesteryear so trad wife gets thrown back into 1833 and I can't wait to see how that one resolves yesteryear looks good right yes yes yeah Rachael Barclay (13:31) I wrote both of those down. Those are good. I have to stop learning about AI and to expand my horizons. It's an obsession at this point. okay, and then what is the what's the last thing that inspired you? Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:49) Mm. Rachael Barclay (13:50) The most recent thing. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:51) actually, sadly it was AI. it was I was looking for Rachael Barclay (13:55) I don't think that's sad. Amanda Armstrong Sava (13:56) I was looking for places to donate things. And was looking at Mary's place, who does a lot of donations and things like that. And then I was on their website and they saw a thing that's about making a home. So we're now going to, as we start doing projects, when our clients are purging the kitchen or the home as they do projects, we're going to make bulk donations for them. So in a random search for AI, just where I could like give my clothing. turned into an amazing opportunity that I'm working on with Mary's place. So that and I'm feeling Rachael Barclay (14:27) I love that. Amanda Armstrong Sava (14:28) really good about that 'cause that feels like a good heart project versus just a basic work project. Yeah. Rachael Barclay (14:31) Yes. See the AI allows us to be more human in many cases. So we have a great human idea. How do Amanda Armstrong Sava (14:39) It does. Rachael Barclay (14:40) we get it out to the world? Amanda Armstrong Sava (14:42) Yeah. And it's amazing. It just it can just help you elaborate. I don't I hate Rachael Barclay (14:45) Mm-hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (14:46) being anti-AI and I'm actually very pro AI, but it's easy to get anticause it is scary. But stuff like Rachael Barclay (14:53) Mm-hmm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (14:53) that, I was like, my God, you made me have just like this amazing epiphany Rachael Barclay (14:57) Yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (14:57) that we could do for our clients, you know? They need Rachael Barclay (15:00) Yes. Amanda Armstrong Sava (15:00) to get rid of their stuff. Other people need that stuff. So it seems like a win win. Rachael Barclay (15:04) Yeah. I love that. I love that. And then this one's tailored just for you. Amanda Armstrong Sava (15:09) Okay. Rachael Barclay (15:10) what is the one room in a house that everybody gets wrong? Amanda Armstrong Sava (15:13) the living room. Yeah. The living room. Rachael Barclay (15:14) Tell me more. Amanda Armstrong Sava (15:20) 'Cause ninety-nine percent of people put the TV like front and center and it just becomes a T V room and not a gathering space. So there is very frequently not a room where people just gather without electronics. and no other Rachael Barclay (15:34) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (15:35) no other situations. So like in a kitchen, sure, there might not be electronics, but you're busy cooking or prepping or, you know, getting the kids out the door or things like that. So I would say the only Rachael Barclay (15:45) And is there a favorite social media account that you follow for design that you would recommend? Amanda Armstrong Sava (15:50) gosh. my gosh. I there's a half a dozen. I I there's a a bunch of big designers. I'm I've always always been a fangirl of Ken Fulk, Rachael Barclay (16:01) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:02) who's out of San Francisco. honestly I love home and gardens or to Rachael Barclay (16:06) Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:07) town and country is a good one too, because that kind Rachael Barclay (16:08) Mm. Mm. Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:10) of spans the gl the the the the the space of design across the board. but I think I tend to get from like an inspiration standpoint, it's actually I probably get more inspiration from like random tile companies just scrolling through and like looking Rachael Barclay (16:24) yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:24) at different color palettes and things like that. So I do miss design a little bit. But Rachael Barclay (16:27) I love that. Yeah, yeah, you're like, that's how I get my fill just a little bit. Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:33) Exactly. 'Cause sadly I do not get to design much anymore. Rachael Barclay (16:37) Mm. It's hard when you start going into the leading the the like you were really good at the thing that you did and you enjoyed it so much and it was Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:43) Yeah. Rachael Barclay (16:43) your passion and then you're the one leading it, but that part's so important, right? So finding your Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:47) Yes. Rachael Barclay (16:47) joy in a different function, I I know how that can be. Okay. So yes, yeah. Amanda Armstrong Sava (16:50) Yeah. Yeah. And I mean thank goodness it's fun to lead my people. I I I could I could have a different story, but I don't. Rachael Barclay (17:00) Well, thank you so much, Amanda. I am so looking forward to seeing you tomorrow, which one of the time Amanda Armstrong Sava (17:02) Absolutely, thank you. Yes. Rachael Barclay (17:06) this is out that won't be useful, but it will already happen. Amanda Armstrong Sava (17:08) Yeah, I know. Rachael Barclay (17:10) But I I Rachel today, Monday, am looking forward to meeting you tomorrow. And if you'd like to bring any with buddy with you, please do. We still have a little bit of space. if that Amanda Armstrong Sava (17:13) Yes. Same. Yeah. Okay. All right. Rachael Barclay (17:19) helps the introvert and you and then otherwise, I will see you later. Thank you for being a part of the Vantage community. Amanda Armstrong Sava (17:21) All right. Wonderful. Okay. Thank you so much. Thank you for inviting me and I'm excited to get started. Thanks. Okay, Rachael Barclay (17:30) All right. Thank talk to you later. Bye. Amanda Armstrong Sava (17:33) bye.