Say Hello To Of The Essence Designs!

Published March 8, 2021

Hey everyone! Tara here!
First, we want to give a BIG thank you to the Design Network for taking the time to get to know us and for their creativity in highlighting our company through Rehabbed! We are forever grateful for the opportunity to share what we do creatively and also for the possibility of reaching someone who is struggling and living the life of desperation that we once knew.

I would love to give you all a little backstory on Of The Essence Designs. I started the company back in 1999 in NJ as Faux Finish company. I have always been creative and come from a long line of entrepreneurs. I wanted to be able to have creative freedom, work for myself, and make a living doing it.  I also happen to be an addict in long-term recovery. I  found that keeping myself around like-minded people that were in recovery upped my chances of not returning to active drug addiction.  I do attend a 12-step fellowship. That fellowship and the 12-step work I have done, and continue to do, is the reason I am alive and the foundation of all of my accomplishments. That being said, I made the decision to surround myself with other people in recovery and create a work environment that was safe for addicts trying to stay clean and change their lives.

Part of our mission at Of The Essence Designs is to hire people who need a second chance at life. Through that mission, we have created a family that holds one another accountable every day. We have a unique business where we get to be in a safe environment and can encourage one another to live to our fullest potential. We also have this support system at our disposal when we are having a bad day, as addicts, especially early on in our recovery, it’s easy to let a bad day send you back to using drugs. We are so lucky at Of The Essence Designs to have one another to talk to and to have the language of empathy that you can only get from someone who understands where you have been. Over the last 5 years, this company has evolved to where it is today. We can thank Shannon for all of the talent and knowledge he has brought to us!

Shannon and I joined forces just over 5 years ago and we have grown to have a staff of 16 people and we now offer all types of construction, remodeling, interior, and exterior painting, and really… you name it, we do it! Shannon and I have a very unique marriage. We are really the best of friends and think alike when it comes to business.  In the areas where we are different, we complement and balance one another out. We found early on that we have a synergy that just works. Shannon also has the same passion for recovery that I do so he is naturally on the same page when it comes to helping other addicts who need that second chance. Shannon and I both believe that given the opportunity, any addict can stop using, lose the desire to use, and find a new way to live!  We LOVE watching that happen to the people we surround ourselves with. We love everyone that works for Of The Essence Designs but could only pick 4 of our people to highlight, which was very difficult to do! Everyone here is so talented in so many ways. We chose the people that have been with us the longest.

Casey “The Boss” Harris. Everyone calls her a boss. Simply, because she just is! You’ll see!! I met Casey in the 12-step fellowship we attend. I knew she was a painter by trade and had a lot of painting experience. The company was starting to grow and I needed some help so I asked Casey to come work with me. We both have a similar work ethic and like to get things DONE!! Casey is OTED in Wilmington’s first employee! It’s now 15 years later and she is our Foreman and runs all of the paint crews! She also knows how to faux finish and we love to create together whenever possible. She is absolutely amazing and I don’t know where we would be without her. Shannon and I are grateful for her skill, attention to detail, commitment to integrity, and for simply being “The Boss”. We love her.

Maegan Severt came to Of The Essence through our friend Mikey who also works for the company. She was a natural fit. Maegan and I have very similar stories when it comes to addiction and the traumas that we endured in that time of our lives. We are connected on a very soulful level. Maegan is also one of the most creative people that I know so she took to the faux finishing part of the company with ease. Maegan is a unique individual and expresses herself through many different art mediums. You will love her! We most certainly do!

Chris Rocca came to us through the 12-step fellowship we attend. There was a meeting that we would go to regularly that had a piano in the back of the room. I hadn’t met him yet but would always hear him playing the piano before or after the meeting. He would be playing a Biggie Smalls song, I love it when you call me Big Poppa but instead would be singing I love it when you call me Poppa Rocca! It would crack me up and his piano playing was really impressive! After some time, Shannon asked Chris to join Blank Hands, the band that Shannon is a part of. Chris became a part of our personal lives before he became a part of OTED. Chris was working at a sandwich shop at the time and asked if we would be willing to train him. The answer was absolutely yes! Chris is so humble and willing to learn new things. He has such a detail-oriented mind and it shows in his work. He is naturally creative and a perfect fit here! We love him! You will too!

Kameron Sapsford loves to surf! End of story. But really though, Kam is one of our favorite people ever. He’s super quiet and introverted but once you get to know him, you get to see into the world of a very loving, caring, and kind guy who would do anything for the people he’s close with. Kam became a part of Shannon’s life through surfing before he joined the company. Shannon and Kam got very close and are like brothers. Kam was working for another company doing some hurricane cleanup construction work when he approached us for a job. We were more than happy to add him to the OTED team. We know we can always depend on Kam and we love him for that! 

We are so very grateful for this opportunity and cant wait for Rehabbed to air!!! 
Please know that if you are struggling with addiction, that there is hope and there is help. Please reach out!

You can catch this all-new series starting Tuesday, March 9th at 9/8c!

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