Why Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest

Introducing our owners, Dan and Angela! It’s been a joy for them to grow alongside our Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest team and serve our Triangle community over the past 20+ years. When Angela’s career brought the pair to the Durham area, Dan drew on his background in business and from his experience at the Budget Blinds corporate office to take advantage of an incredible opportunity. He went on to become the owner of his first Budget Blinds franchise at 23, and the rest is history! Dan says his favorite part of the job is "helping our clients to design custom window coverings that are unique to their space and individual needs." He’s grateful for the impact his team has on customers, and loves the challenge of addressing each aspect– from light control, to privacy, to heat protection.  He believes his team is truly second to none, as everyone is supportive, fun-spirited, and genuinely strives to provide an exceptional experience. When Dan’s not at the office, you can find him enjoying lots of outdoor sports. Golfing, surfing, fishing, and biking, to name a few! He is an active member of his local church and looks forward to the time he spends with his family every day.

Victoria keeps our Budget Blinds office moving and grooving as our beloved Office Manager! Born in New York but proudly raised right here the Triangle, she's loved calling our community home for the past 30 years. At Budget Blinds, Victoria ensures that each of our customers has an exceptional experience as she oversees our office staff, showroom, window treatment service requests and more. Her extensive background in customer service along with her Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies with a Business Concentration have helped her become an adaptable problem-solver that does what it takes to find solutions for our clients. Her favorite part of the job is the uplifting company culture that makes her want to be the best version of herself every day. Victoria says, "I am blessed to be a part of this team that empowers me to make a difference in our staff's and clients’ lives.” Outside of work, you might find Victoria trying to keep her plants alive, enjoying the local food and entertainment scene, or spending quality time with family and close friends.

Meet Nick, our Residential and Commercial Design Consultant– also known as our Chief Encouragement Officer! As a member of our Budget Blinds team for over eight years, he is an expert on transforming the atmosphere of both residential and commercial spaces while still considering their practical light and privacy needs. When Nick moved to South Korea for a year after college, he grew to love listening and understanding new perspectives and carries this into each new customer relationship. He started off in the window treatment industry as an installer and learned the business from the ground up, giving him valuable knowledge of each step in the process. In his free time, Nick loves spending time in nature– whether it’s Jordan Lake, American Tobacco Trail, or his Durham home’s garden.

David ensures each window treatment installation goes smoothly as our awesome Installation Manager! With years of experience as a licensed general contractor, David uses his organization and problem solving skills daily. Plus, he’s a fantastic handyman. His favorite parts of the job are the people he works with, and getting to serve the Triangle where he was born and raised. As our resident adventure-lover, you might find David boating, backpacking, snowboarding, surfing, or even motorcycle camping. He is also a dedicated dad to his five children, alongside his lovely wife Rebecca.

Michael is a talented Design Consultant here at Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest. Having been a project manager and a draft artist for an interior designer earlier in his career, Michael wanted to leverage both his creativity and attention to detail in his next role. We’re lucky that he found the perfect fit within our team, as he transforms his client’s spaces with new custom window treatment designs! His photography and graphic design background give him a truly sharp eye for finding the right blinds, shades, or shutters to complement each home’s unique style. He’s lived within the Cary community for 17 years after moving to the Triangle from Toronto, Canada. Michael still enjoys snapping photos outside of work and loves spending quality time with his wife and four kids.

Melissa is our Operations Coordinator and has been a proud member of our Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest team for over seven years! After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Science, she moved on to graduate from Thomas M. Cooley Law School, passing the Bar Exam in 2006. Melissa uses the sharp organizational skills and attention to detail that she gained through her education every day, as she processes and tracks all of our window treatment orders. When asked about her favorite part of the job, she says, “That’s easy, my coworkers! I love our team!” Outside of work, Melissa looks forward to spending time with her husband, Chris, her 11-year-old son, Gabe, and their puggle, Rooney. Gabe is active in nearly all sports, so you can frequently find her in the crowd at his games!

Ben is an outstanding Design Consultant here at Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest! Throughout his childhood, Ben loved getting involved with home design projects and pursued his passion in home renovation after starting out his career in the corporate world. This experience in the real estate industry has shaped his unique approach to window treatment design and functionality. Plus, he’s learned a thing or two from his wife’s expertise as an interior designer! Now, he’s grateful to be working with clients to help choose window treatments that add to the design of their space while meeting their daily privacy and light control needs. Ben always looks forward to spending time with his wife and five kids, and catching the latest Eagles game. Of course, he still loves to use his skills as a creative handyman by working on his latest home renovation project.

If you’re interested in setting up your in-home consultation, Rockelle will be the one taking care of you! As our stellar Consultation Scheduling Coordinator, Rockelle connects our past, present, and potential clients with our design consultants and makes sure both parties are set up for success for their window treatment projects. She truly listens to our clients’ needs to make sure they don’t feel overbooked or overwhelmed, and finds outside-the-box solutions when unconventional situations arise. Her background in the event planning and hospitality industry brought her organization and people-skills together that made her a perfect fit for the role. Born in Pittsburgh, Rockelle is an avid Steelers fan, and is passionate about gymnastics and spending time with her two nieces, Sadie and Hazel. She’s been a Triangle local for 23 years and is excited for what the future holds with our incredible Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest team!

Nestor, our marvelous ”money man”, manages Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable, and Collections! His background in hospitality and hotel accounting sharpened his customer service skills and ability to analyze financial data, and now we’re grateful to have his keen eye on our team! One of his favorite parts of the job is spotting discrepancies in payments or catching overlooked details to make sure the financial-side of our business is running smoothly. Nestor is Cuban-born and Miami-raised, and has been a Raleigh resident for over five years. He’s got a true creative side as a former DJ, and still loves mixing music on his time off when he’s not traveling the world looking for tasty and interesting cuisine!

This is just a snapshot of some of our awesome installation team! They work hard to make sure our client's visions become a reality as they expertly install each new blind, shade, and shutter. Plus, they make sure the process is as seamless as possible along the way, and demonstrate utmost respect for each client's space as they come and go. Each individual brings their own unique talents and an unmatched work ethic, and we can't be more grateful for their efforts within our team! And, based on our raving Google reviews, our clients appreciate their work as much as we do!

With over 25 years of experience in the industry, we’re grateful to have Barry as our Sales Manager! This Tampa native moved to North Carolina several years ago with his wife, Megan, and the pair has called Durham home ever since. Window treatment expertise runs in Barry’s family, as he grew up watching his dad run his own window treatment company. He made his first sale at 15 years old and has serviced over 12,000 homes since. Now, Barry enjoys serving customers in his own local community and leading the training efforts for all Design Consultants on our team. He truly loves his job and believes that with every consultation comes a new opportunity to connect with someone, and to help them find the best solution when investing in window treatments. Beyond his work, Barry just loves being a dad to his four awesome kids. He’s also passionate about music and enjoys playing the guitar, and was even a tour manager and sound engineer for various bands in his 20s. He says he’s got lots of stories… ask him about it during your design consultation!

Meet our Jersey Shore native and awesome Design Consultant, Mark! With a degree in International Business and Marketing and experience in a variety of fields, including window cleaning, Mark found his passion in designing window treatments to meet his customers’ unique needs. He’s a true people-person and finds joy in meeting new clients and creating fun and memorable experiences along the way. Plus, he uses his problem-solving nature and handyman skills to find the best blind, shade, or shutter solution for their home. Mark loves surfing, hiking, riding motorcycles, and spending quality time with his loved ones. Regardless of whether it's inside or outside the office, he’s always up for an adventure!

Pam is our wonderful Realtor Program Director and helps our referring realtors and their clients take care of their window treatment needs! In addition, she has organized our $1 Per Window Campaign for many years, our annual initiative to give back to the local community in North Raleigh, Wake Forest, and beyond. She says that visiting the non-profit organizations at the end of each quarter to present our donation and connect with such amazing people is the highlight of her role. In her spare time, Pam leads a neighborhood Bible study group, loves to sing and dance, studies sign language, and enjoys spending as much time as possible at the beach. If that wasn't enough to keep her busy, Pam has four daughters and sons-in-law, as well as 10 amazing grandchildren. Pam is an integral part of our team and we're so grateful to have her!

Ella is our wonderful Office Administrative Assistant here at Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest! Growing up in North Carolina's Wayne County area, Ella developed a strong passion for sales and office management. With a degree in Business Administration under her belt, Ella has honed her skills in delivering exceptional customer service, making her an indispensable asset to our team. She uses her creative problem solving skills to assist with calls and walk-ins to our showroom, and provides support to the office team as needed. Ella’s personal window treatment of choice is our Smart Drapes, as she appreciates their classy look and versatility. Her favorite part of the job? The close-knit camaraderie and collaboration among her colleagues. Ella loves exploring local markets and unwinding with a good book at home, surrounded by her three adorable cats, Friday, Lily, and Amelia.

Sam is our fantastic Customer Service Coordinator. With her background in Sales Management, Sam’s career journey has led her to bring a wealth of experience into her current role, where she handles client interactions post-installation. She makes sure our customers absolutely love their new window treatments, and will connect them with help if any adjustments are needed. Bringing joy to clients and helping them fully appreciate their window treatment choices is Sam’s favorite part about working at Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest. Her favorite window treatments are Lutron shades, as they’re very aesthetically pleasing. Originally from Virginia and a former Cosmetologist, Sam enjoys doing hair and loves all things MOM. She proudly shares that her kids are her world!

Meet Sammy, one of our amazing Design Consultants! Formerly a middle school social studies teacher, Sammy joined our team at Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest in pursuit of a career change that would allow him to continue to help others. Now, he does that by providing quality window treatment solutions that make their home more comfortable! His favorite part of the job is the face-to-face interactions he gets to have and building relationships with his customers. His favorite window treatment is the Norman SmartDrape because they are very bright and elegant. Although originally from central California, Sammy is a true North Carolinian, as he has called Raleigh home for the past 26 years. Outside of work, Sammy indulges in his love for music, singing, and playing guitar as a member of the NC Master Chorale. He stays active in various sports leagues, enjoys church activities, and cherishes time spent with loved ones.

Joshua is one of our wonderful design consultants here at Budget Blinds of North Raleigh and Wake Forest! As a U.S. Air Force veteran and former Budget Blinds Owner serving the West Raleigh area, Joshua brings a unique perspective to his current role and plenty of design expertise. As an Owner, he had the opportunity to work with customers from the initial phone call until the final installation, giving him the end-to-end experience that now allows him to better understand his customers as a Design Consultant. Joshua’s favorite part of the job is meeting new people and providing them with beautiful designs and functional custom window treatments. His favorite choice in window treatment, proudly displayed in his own home, is Lutron Roller Shades. He favors them for their versatility and adaptability, using an automated setup that raises the shades with the sunrise to welcome the beautiful natural light and lowers them at midday to conserve energy. Joshua is a proud Christian and enjoys spending time with his friends and family near the water, reading, surfing, playing pickleball, and tinkering with and driving fast cars and big trucks.