Name: Eileen Gould

Title/Company: Interior Designer & General Contractor (lic. #978861) at Eileen Gould Design & Construction

Chapter: Westlake Village, CA

Contact: egould07@gmail.com or call (818) 706-8825!

Q: Tell us about yourself. You're a member of the Westlake Village chapter, where do you live? 

I live in Westlake Village, where I’m a chapter member.

Q: What is one thing everyone should do at least once in their lifetime?

Skydiving is so absolutely invigorating and scary. Everyone needs to do it at least once, no matter your age.

Q: Did you choose your profession, or did it choose you?

My first career wasn’t in design or construction. My mother enrolled me in college to learn to be a medical technologist and I managed to graduate, despite hating blood. I came out to Los Angeles to work for a Hollywood doctor. My claim to fame is that I helped Jack Nicholson, took Mel Brooks’ sperm, and looked at Diana Ross’ nose.

While I was working I went back to UCLA at night to get certified in design and construction. I got married young and had my son and daughter. I started working in the interior design business, but then figured out that the designer was left to do all the hard work! This encouraged me to pass my contractor license exam, where they mistakenly thought I was there to take a secretary test!

Currently I have seven subcontractors that work under me. My mom is my inspiration as she had a physical disability, which gave me the idea to specialize in aging house modifications and ADA remodels.

Q: What goals are you working on now?

I want to raise my revenue from two million to five million, design boutique hotels, and a line of beautiful products for aging in place use.

I'm looking forward to finishing my second book to help everyone’s environment be safe, stylish, and sustainable. One of my books is already available on Amazon: www.amazon.com/dp/1425991645

Q: What do you like to do when not working?

I'm passionate about adventure, meeting new friends, and running 5k races. I do a lot of yoga, am an avid reader, walker, love to travel, and shop where I travel.

Q: How does your work connect you to The W Source network?

I work with a lot of realtors, financial planners, and mortgage brokers, as their clients are either people who are getting their homes ready to sell or need plans for a remodel. I work the entire process from design to build; I’m also a licensed interior design and general contractor.

Q: What else would you like W Source members to know about you?

I’m very good with people who are scared of construction. My job is to hold their hand especially as we balance budget and design. In my spare time, I teach interior and construction locally. I have 3-year-old and 5-year-old grandchildren.

Plus, I won an HGTV Design challenge!

Our Mini Member Spotlight series was created for you to meet the many amazing women who make up The W Source®.

If you are a current member and would like to be nominated for a future spotlight or know someone who could benefit from connecting with The W Source®, please contact us for more information!

Name: Cindi Gortner

Title/Company: Realtor, Founder of The Cindi and Suzi Realty Group, Pinnacle Estate Properties

Chapter: Ventura / Thousand Oaks, California

Contact: cindigortner@gmail.com or visit the company website!

Q: Tell us about yourself. You're a member of the Ventura / Thousand Oaks chapter, where do you live? 

I have lived in Thousand Oaks, CA for the last 11 years, but in the Conejo Valley for a total of 27 years. Currently, I reside in the older section of Lake Sherwood. My home is historic and dates back to the 1940's – once owned by Leo Carrillo's sister and a woman who owned a speakeasy!

Q: What is one thing everyone should do at least once in their lifetime?

My partner Suzi says everyone should ski the Swiss Alps. I’d say try scuba diving or paragliding over by Hendry's Beach in Santa Barbara.

Q: Did you choose your profession, or did it choose you?

I worked in brand management at Nestle, but eventually the corporate travel became too much while raising my children. I always wanted to be in the driver's seat and needed something with minimal travel – real estate seemed to fit the bill. Plus, my husband had his broker's license (he’s in investment real estate), so it just made sense.

It’s a great career combination of business and my love of real estate. You also can’t beat the commute – I sold one home behind me and another next door! We’re also selling a home a couple houses down that was owned by a Gilligan's Island cast member. That’s a fun neighbor to have!

Q: What goals are you working on now?

Personally, I’m working on writing a family cookbook/history book. It’s to preserve family stories and recipes, and become a legacy for my children. It has been a joyful collaboration for the entire family to talk about food and our heritage.

Connect with me for some great stories about bringing the family together with familiar food. Don't miss the oatmeal cookie recipe!

Professionally, we’re growing our team to continue to provide first-class service. We want each client to feel like they're our only client. We have added one new team member who is fluent in Korean, and another who has a background in staging. Our secret sauce is that we own storage units full of staging furniture to help people face the overwhelm of getting a house ready to show.

Q: What do you like to do when not working?

I love hiking and e-biking, especially with our W Source friends and our dogs. Outdoor activities are huge for both me and my business partner, Suzi. Thrift store shopping is a fun activity we both enjoy.

Q: How does your work connect you to The W Source network?

I find synergy in our different professions. Even though our chapter is fairly young, we are already referring back and forth. I get asked for recommendations all the time and it has been great to have a qualified group of ladies I know and trust as a resource. These women are so inspirational and I've made some amazing personal connections.

This group is a new experience for me and I get a lot of value from the monthly meetings. We even had a group mixer with another W Source chapter and it was so energizing meeting even more ladies from our network!

Q: What else would you like W Source members to know about you?

I would like the W Source women to know four things: 1) My team sells homes ranging from small condos up to high end luxury homes (we are currently writing an offer on an 11,000 square foot home in Lake Sherwood) as well as secondary homes especially when someone is doing a 1031 exchange, 2) we specialize in helping sellers prep their homes for sale and do light staging complimentary, 3) we not only work in the Conejo Valley but we also work in the San Fernando Valley and all the way up the coast to Santa Barbara and 4) we would be very grateful for your referral.

Our Mini Member Spotlight series was created for you to meet the many amazing women who make up The W Source®.

If you are a current member and would like to be nominated for a future spotlight or know someone who could benefit from connecting with The W Source®, please contact us for more information!

Meet Eileen Gould

Meet Cindi Gortner