Gala is an esteemed, award-winning holistic interior designer, thought leader, and expert. She was raised in New York City and Barcelona and is an authentic, multi-faceted creative and conscious leader.
In 2016, a pivotal moment sparked Gala’s evolution as she delved into Vedic meditation, bridging her creative prowess with spiritual insight. Transitioning from orchestrating events for fashion giants like Harper’s Bazaar, Jimmy Choo, and Calvin Klein, Gala embarked on a profound quest for holistic wisdom. Armed with certifications in Holistic Interior Design, Feng Shui, WELL, and Vaastu, she unveiled Gala Magriñá Design in 2018, a New York City-based commercial and residential interior design agency with projects worldwide.
Gala is considered a pioneer and expert in the holistic interior design space and has given numerous talks for prestigious groups such as Business of Home, Goop, and Luxe Magazine. She is also the host of Going Beyond Spaces With Gala, a holistic interior design podcast that debuted as a top 40 design podcast in the U.S. Gala challenges audiences to rethink their environments, encouraging heightened awareness, uplifting energy in spaces, and inspiring meaningful reflection in our approach to the built environment.
Company: Gala Magriñá Design
We are thrilled to have you join us today, welcome to ValiantCEO Magazine’s exclusive interview! Let’s start off with a little introduction. Tell our readers a bit about yourself and your company.
Gala Magriñá: I studied film and television at NYU, and after graduation, I was looking for a job that would allow me to continue making short films in the hopes that they would win at a film festival and help me along my director journey. I took a job at Diesel, the Italian clothing company, doing their window and in-store displays and worked my way up to Creative Manager for the entire U.S.—putting me in charge of designing our showrooms, office spaces, marketing events, and then the stores and windows. As I grew in the company, I realized that while I loved film, my real passion was design. From there, I opened M Crown Productions, Inc.—a design and production agency that produced pop-up shops, fashion showrooms, events, and exhibition design and production. This is eventually what led me to interior design.
In 2018, I discovered Vedic meditation and knowledge, and it was a game-changer for me. It helped me reconnect with my purpose, better understand how the world works on a deeper level, and rethink the impact I wanted to make through my work. I became passionate about holistic design and mindfulness, which led me to shift my focus from temporary spaces to creating permanent interiors rooted in holistic interior design. That’s when my mission came into focus: to merge the cool and beautiful with the holistic and mindful to create spaces that heal, inspire, grow, and elevate energy.
Aside from our large-scale commercial and residential interior design projects, I also offer something called a Beyond Spaces Consult. This in-person or virtual consultation is based on the idea that our spaces are a direct reflection of us. Just as a palm reader reads someone’s palm, I can read someone’s space and bring to light some of the issues or problems I may be seeing in their lives based on what I’m seeing in their space.
If you were in an elevator with Warren Buffett, how would you describe your company, your services or products? What makes your company different from others? What is your company’s biggest strength?
Gala Magriñá: I would start by explaining that while traditional interior design focuses solely on creating beauty and function in a space, we take it a step beyond that to design for a person’s mind, body, and soul while also considering the planet. This is a critical differentiating factor of ours because, according to the Global Wellness Institute, “Our homes, communities, and surrounding environment directly affect our daily motivations, behaviors, and lifestyle, and these factors determine 80–90% of our health outcomes”. Therefore, it’s critical that we dig deeper to create truly holistic, impactful spaces.
Quiet quitting, The Great Resignation, is an ongoing trend causing many businesses to struggle to keep talent engaged and motivated. Most are leaving because of their boss or their company culture. 82% of people feel unheard, undervalued, and misunderstood in the workplace. In your experience, what keeps employees happy? And how are you adapting to the current shift we see?
Gala Magriñá: I find this comes down to two things. First, experience has taught me that hiring the right talent in the first place is crucial. I realized that the employees who thrive on my team tend to work and communicate with a similar approach to mine. We can get into the flow a lot quicker and remain there, which makes work fun and easy.
The second factor involves being a self-aware, conscious leader. All the work I’ve done on myself—from regulating my nervous system through meditation, exercise, and working with a coach to understanding my triggers—has helped me be a better leader and, in turn, helped me create a nurturing, fun, open environment where employees feel seen, heard, and valued. I also make it a point to celebrate wins and commend individuals for their work. While financial compensation can matter, a deeper sense of happiness often comes from feeling recognized and having a sense of belonging. When a company fosters this kind of environment, there is no reason for someone to quit.
Online business keeps on surging higher than ever, B2B, B2C, online shopping, virtual meetings, remote work, Zoom medical consultations, what are your expectations for the year to come and how are you capitalizing on the tidal wave?
Gala Magriñá: Since COVID, we began offering virtual design consults—first, as a way to reach more customers, and second, to help as many people as possible who may not have the budget for a full renovation. These sessions allow us to provide valuable insights and expertise at a lower cost. My philosophy is to change the world one space and one conversation at a time, and going virtual has been a powerful way to do that—enabling me to connect with and help more people than ever before.
Business is all about overcoming obstacles and creating opportunities for growth. What do you see as THE real challenge right now?
Gala Magriñá: For us, it’s about getting customers to see the value in a holistic approach to design and wanting it for themselves, their families, and their businesses. Conveying the importance can be a challenge for those less in tune with greater wellness practices, which makes it our job to educate them on why they should embrace a more holistic approach.
In your experience, what tends to be the most underestimated part of running a company? Can you share an example?
Gala Magriñá: The old saying, “It’s lonely at the top,” comes to mind. Making critical decisions for the business without sharing that responsibility with someone can be tough. In the beginning, I didn’t have a strong network of peers, which made the journey feel lonely. I was making decisions on my own and didn’t have anyone to bounce ideas off of or talk through outcomes. Now, I have a great network of fellow interior designers I can grab a coffee with or text when I need a fresh perspective. This has been a huge game-changer for me.
On a lighter note, if you had the ability to pick any business superpower, what would it be and how would you put it into practice?
Gala Magriñá: How to pitch and sell new business in a way that feels truly authentic, more easily and effortlessly—I am still working that out!
What does “success” in 2025 mean to you? It could be on a personal or business level, please share your vision
Gala Magriñá: I love this question! Success on a business level means hitting our target gross revenue number at the end of the year, having fun while working on all of our interior design projects, landing 4–6 public speaking engagements, and booking 2–4 broadcast TV appearances.
