- Date published
Meet Caroline and Liz Lusk, the dynamic team behind Set The Stage Southwest Missouri.
If you’ve ever tried to sell a home, you know first impressions are everything. That’s exactly where Set The Stage Southwest Missouri comes in.
Founded by mother-daughter team Caroline and Liz Lusk, Set the Stage is a full-service home staging and furnishings company based in Ozark, Missouri — right off the Lambert’s exit, as Liz likes to say. From curating furniture and décor to delivery and installation — “soup to nuts,” as Caroline puts it — they’ve built a business grounded in quality, authenticity, and a whole lot of heart (and heavy lifting).
But like most successful businesses, Set the Stage didn’t happen overnight. It grew from a leap of faith, a willingness to learn, and the right support at the right time through the Early-Stage Business Boot Camp offered by efactory’s Missouri SBDC at Missouri State University.
The Jump In
Caroline entered entrepreneurship with a clear mindset:
“Failure is not an option. Regardless of the challenge, you prepare, you train, you do the things to set yourself up for success — and then you just get after it.”
When she found the Boot Camp, the fit was immediate.
Liz, now the studio and brand manager, joined soon after. At the time, she was working a full-time job with stability and benefits — but stepping into the family business didn’t feel risky. It felt right.
“Honestly, I was so excited to be doing it with my family that none of it felt scary,” Liz said.
A Whole New Toolbox
Through the Boot Camp, the Lusks built a strong foundation across key areas like business structure, financial management, operations, and risk.
“At first, I thought the business side was ‘her thing,’” Liz said. “But I realized I wanted to understand it too — to take ownership and really contribute.”
Beyond the curriculum, one of the biggest takeaways was connection.
“We’ve stayed in touch with speakers and others we met through the program,” Caroline said. “It feels like we’re all in this together.”
The Moment It Clicked
Every entrepreneur reaches a point where belief replaces doubt. For Set the Stage, that moment showed up in different ways.
For Liz, it’s been seeing their name recognized in the community.
“People come up and say they’ve been wanting to meet me — that’s been really rewarding. It makes you feel like, ‘we’re doing this.’”
For Caroline, it came during a client event when their work was recognized publicly — followed by a room full of applause.
“I looked at Liz and thought, ‘this is happening,’” she said. “That’s when you realize you’re building something real.”
Build Something that Lasts
Today, Set the Stage Southwest Missouri continues to grow, serving homeowners, realtors, and the broader community with a personalized, full-service approach.
Their journey reflects what’s possible when entrepreneurs pair determination with the right guidance and resources. Through programs like the Early-Stage Business Boot Camp, efactory and the Missouri SBDC at Missouri State University continue to support business owners across the region as they build strong foundations, improve financial readiness, and turn ideas into sustainable businesses.