Inspiring Conversations with Niki Weston Finkbeiner of Reserved Seating Upholstery of SE MI

Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Weston Finkbeiner.  

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
After graduating from U of M – Flint with a degree in clinical psychology, I got a job as a behavioral therapist. I did this for 7 years and, while I loved making a difference in people’s lives, I was also burnt out and just not happy. I always wanted to own my own business so when my in laws came to me with an idea of starting a restaurant upholstery company, I decided to go for it. After a couple of years of helping them with their company, I started my own in July of 2021. It has been a wild ride! 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While it has been an incredible journey, it has not been smooth sailing. It’s easy to forget, when you start a business, that the physical job is only a small part of running a company. There is also sales, marketing, social media presence, bookkeeping, networking, etc. Learning how to manage my time while successfully juggling all of the different roles has been a challenge. The other main challenge of starting a business is the loneliness…there simply isn’t much free time left over at the end of the day for my friends and family. Being an entrepreneur means that you don’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of, work through challenges with, or celebrate successes with. I couldn’t have gotten this far without my amazing support network! 

As you know, we’re big fans of Reserved Seating Upholstery of SE MI. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
RSU of SE MI is a commercial and marine upholstery shop located in Ypsilanti. I work with restaurant owners, physical therapy clinics, universities, dentists, boat owners, and many more. For the most part, if it is made with vinyl or leather, I can recover it. I set myself apart by providing a personal touch along with my services; I want to make my client’s vision come true and will work to ensure that the end product is perfect. As one of my clients has said, I am a perfectionist “in the best way.” 

Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Never let perfection stand in the way of progress. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.rsuse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/reservedseatingupholstery/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RSUMetroDetroit