Jo Staffelbach Heinz’s black outfit and eye-catching earrings stand out in her crisp, modern, white office space on the eighth floor of 2525 McKinnon. Heinz leads a group of interior designers, architects, and facility planners who have programmed and planned more than 70 million square feet of interiors. They create functional and efficient interior environments for companies and individuals. As principal of a leading integrated design firm, Heinz exhibits a fierce dedication to the company. “I work 12- to 15-hour days, Saturdays, and Sundays,” she says. “It doesn’t feel like work. I love what I do.” 

Wakes up.

Meets with her trainer in her Turtle Creek home. “Exercise is critical and equips you for the day,” she says.

Arrives at DLR Group/Staffelbach in Uptown an hour before the office opens. Meets with talent development manager Marc Melbourne to chat about staffing and recruits. “I hate email,” she says. “A quick huddle is more important to connect.”

Heads to the main meeting room to review materials to present to potential clients with marketing manager Amy Shultz. Heinz wants people to feel good in the workplace. ”There’s no look of DLR Group/Staffelbach,” she says. “It’s the look of our clients and their culture.”

Updates John Fuller, DLR Group CMO, on client statuses and how they can leverage each other’s relationships. Staffelbach merged with DLR Group in 2017. “We went from … 70 employees to 1,206, and one office to 29,” Heinz says.

Slides into the resource room to catch up with Michael Capuano, senior designer. They review finishing touches of flooring, paint, and furniture to present to an undisclosed law firm.

Eats a chicken Caesar salad from Avanti Ristorant and explains how she combined her company with that of her husband, Andre Staffelbach. “I merged my company, Interior Spaces, with my mentor at the time, Andre, in 1985,” she says. “We merged lives in 1993.”

Makes a coffee run before meeting with Cynthia Byars, project client leader, to talk about key critical project updates. “I put coffee in my creamer,” she says as she pours a healthy dose of French vanilla creamer in her coffee.

Conference call via webcam with longtime client Granite Properties to see what other services DLR Group/Stafflebach can provide.

Heads over to the office of an unnamed client with architect Paul Schlachter to review drawings and plans for a developing project.

Catches up on the newspapers she has delivered to her home, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and USA Today.

Reads a book until she goes to bed. “I’m always reading five books at a time,” she says.