A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Welcome to, A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn’s guest today is Natalie Norcross, who has a specific road map for how she teaches you how to do your own PR. Public relations is so valuable, and more now than ever, due to the current coronavirus event. If you’re looking to not only survive but thrive during this economic crisis, you’ll want to keep marketing your firm and learn how to do your own PR. Natalie offers so many good tips, you’re not going to want to miss this! Natalie is the CEO and Founder of A Design Partnership. Natalie Norcross has over 19 years experience working for Interior Designers, Architects, Builders, Developers, Hotel, and Home Brands and her firm has a demonstrated track record of driving exposure and placements through the PR they produce. Natalie has appeared on the show in episodes #162 and #506. In episode #506, LuAnn and Natalie talked about the four areas to pay attention to when you are going after press for your design firm. Please go back and listen to both episodes where you will not only pick up some outstanding business advice, but you will also learn a bit more about Natalie and her career. Show Highlights: Natalie details each of the five things you need to do to get published: Be specific! Know your niche. Be the face of your brand and be the expert. Partner with big names. Build a good relationship with the journalists. Timing is everything. Natalie explains her personality questionnaire that helps you to determine your niche. You don’t need an expensive publicist to get published, you just need the tools, the know-how, and who to contact. Natalie recommends to her PR members blocking out on their calendars 2-3 hours twice a month on Fridays. This is all the time they will need to spend putting together their pitches, sending them off to editors, and following up. LuAnn cautions knowing who you’re pitching to and making sure that your pitch matches their themes. Media NEEDS your content. Natalie shares some of the tools that members of her DIY PR Membership Program receive to assist them in getting more exposure. Tips and strategies on project organization, partnering, building relationships, and more! Media NEEDS your content. Natalie is a great resource of information and offers both DIY and a full-service PR firm. Links : LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Connect with Natalie! Promo Code for Interior Design PR: Luann DIY PR Membership Program For 20% off your 1st month of membership use Promo Code: luann For Your Personality Questionnaire That Natalie Mentioned, Please Email: [email protected] Natalie’s Full-Service PR Company: A Design Partnership Download Your FREE e-Books HERE Blog Post: 5 Things You Can Do To Get Yourself Published Today A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business When your client wants the finest in luxury appliances for their kitchen: Choose Monogram! Are You Set Up with Monogram's Design Partner Trade Program?

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Krystle Pickens joins LuAnn in today’s conversation about not just growing a business, but growing a business fast, smart, and intentionally. Listen in for real strategies that can help you set up your own business for success and profit! Krystle Pickens is passionate about working with clients to create spaces that are beautiful and evoke that special feeling of home, while also meeting the individual client’s needs. We apply our four core values: Sustainability, Feeling, Functionality, and Community to every project, big or small. Krystle has a degree in Interior Design and has worked in the design industry since 2012, getting her start in Kitchen and Bath Design. She is based in Jersey City and really feels rooted there, however being raised in Seattle, Krystle feels a responsibility and bond to the environment and incorporates sustainability in all of her projects-she even studied Environmental Science briefly. Show Highlights: Krystle describes how she is in her fourth year of business, and has come a long way since her first year, when she pulled in $13,001. She set a goal for her second year of $26,002, and ended the year with $27,100. It was at this time that Krystle started listening to “A Well-Designed Business” podcasts. She realized that she was serious about what she loved to do and decided to think of it as a business instead of a hobby. For her third year, which was 2019, Krystle set 19 goals and wrote them down. About halfway through her third year, Krystle decided to hire a business coach who pushed her to shoot for more than her $81,300 goal. She ended up exceeding her goal. Krystle learned at LuAnn Live how important it was to run a business autopsy. This is critical, because you must know where you are before you can plan where you are going. For 2020, Krystle assigned a specific goal to each month and is finding this very powerful. One of her goals this year is to get each and every policy and procedure locked down in a handbook before she takes maternity leave. The Process Leads to Profits class is packed with every tool, idea, and process you could imagine, specifically so that you have a road map to get your back-end organized. There will probably be another class late summer or fall, so if you want help with this, get on the email list to be notified. It’s worth every dime! Being coached on the concept of scaling and the concept of hiring were two of Krystle’s biggest lessons. Hiring a business coach is essential for accountability, advice, and helping you to see the bigger picture. Krystle shares some strategies on how she continues to grow her business and some client communication tips. Links: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Connect with Krystle! Krystle’s Website Krystle’s Instagram Krystle’s Facebook Krystle’s Pinterest A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Jaipur Living’s Website - Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company. Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article. Previous Shows Mentioned: Alinda Morris #429 Do Not Let Us Design For You #346 Nancy Ganzekaufer #15, #159, #256, #389 Amber De La Garza #385 Sandra Funk #02, #145, #520 Madeleine MacRae #283, #315 Amanda Berlin #420 Jenny Madden #332 Jamie Lieberman #454 Dane Austin #457

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! Are you in for a treat today! Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors contacted LuAnn to let her know about her experiences working with Brad Leavitt, President and Founder of AFT Construction in Arizona. Brad has the AFT Construction Podcast, and he and LuAnn have been guests on each other’s podcasts before, so it’s easy to see why Jenny gives him such high praise for being a great builder to work with. You’re sure to be impressed by Brad’s message and outlook on business, as well his obvious love and respect for interior designers. Listen in as he explains from the builder perspective all the reasons he knows that you make his projects more beautiful, more efficient, and more profitable. AFT Construction is an award-winning construction firm and has been nationally published in magazines such as: Fine Home Building, Luxe Interiors and Design, and Professional Builder. Brad Leavitt is an energetic public speaker and ambassador for many national brands including Kohler, Pella, Cambria, Elkay and Post-it Notes. Brad completed a Bachelor of Science in Construction Management from BYU in 2005 and worked on notable projects around Phoenix, including the Omni Montelucia in Paradise Valley. His Podcast, “The AFT Construction Podcast”, is focused on bringing value to its listeners, no matter their industry. The topics are focused on marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, organization, building science and construction. AFT has continued to exceed industry standards and create strong client relationships based on integrity, reliability, and quality. Brad and his wife Ashley have 6 children, 5 girls, and 1 boy. Brad is active with all 6 of his children, serves in his local community, and loves all sports. Show Highlights: Brad’s company will not build a home for a client that does not have an interior designer on the project. Many companies have disregard for architects and interior designers, but the architects and designers actually bring expertise and a lot of benefits to the table. Brad shares the reasons why he does not have any in-house architects or designers. It’s important to get the client onboard with understanding the importance and value of a designer. Selling points to take note of when pitching to a potential builder: Having a designer involved helps a builder be more efficient, often saving as much as 2-3 months on a project. This can represent thousands of dollars in the builder’s pocket. Having a designer involved improves a builder’s relationship with his clients. A builder can get information from the designer without having to interrupt the client’s day and this avoids the frustration of arranging meetings while a job is stopped. A huge benefit for the builder is getting published. Having a room or outdoor area styled makes a huge difference! The referral relationship is a valuable component. Businesses are built on reciprocity. Brad offers some great suggestions on how to meet builders: builder organizations, supply showrooms, networking events, and on social media. Building relationships and trust are necessary before beginning to work together. Brad has already been invited back for additional guest appearances on A Well-Designed Business! Future episodes will include a list of the Things Your Builder Wants You to Know and a list of his pet peeves. You don’t want to miss these! Stay tuned for something else you don’t want to miss: more information will be forthcoming in the next couple of months regarding a new course being taught by Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors called “Design Build for Profit”. To be notified of open registration, put your name on the list at Design Build For Profit. Links : LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara: COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Connect with Brad! Brad’s Email Brad’s Website The AFT Construction Podcast Brad’s Instagram (AFT_Construction) Brad’s Pinterest(AFT_Construction) Brad’s Facebook Brad’s LinkedIn A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: When Your Client Wants the Finest in Luxury Appliances for Their Kitchen: Choose Monogram! Set Up Your Design Trade Account Today! FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Other shows mentioned to include in show notes: Brittany Simon #490 Circle Design Studio #380 Denise Wenacur #513

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s time for another episode of “What Would Lu Do?” where you ask the questions and LuAnn helps out with the answers. Today’s question comes from listener Amanda, who has lost a couple of jobs due to the costs of freight and taxes outside of a client’s budget. Listen in as LuAnn digs into the details, susses out the situation, and lays out her reasoning on the resolutions. If you are not working with a coach or perhaps you don’t have a business mentor or business bestie to provide guidance, this is the perfect opportunity to email LuAnn the burning issues that you need insight on and she’ll answer them on air. Please send your questions to luannnigara.com/wwld! Show Highlights: LuAnn shares listener Amanda’s detailed email. Nearly the exact same thing happened to Sara Brennan last year. You must remember that you are the professional in the room. Ask clarifying questions and provide your client with the information on how your business is run so that they can make a truly informed decision. LuAnn provides an example of how to manage future budget discussions. It’s all about the clarity and agreements upfront, when no emotion is attached. LuAnn goes into more details about Sara Brennan’s similar experience. This doesn’t have to be hard, and it doesn’t have to be adversarial, but it does have to be discussed and agreed upon before you get to invoicing. Remember, no surprises and you’ll be fine! Links / Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? www.luannnigara.com/cob Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article.

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn’s guest is Robin Baron, who first joined LuAnn in episode #32. Robin is a #smartlady with an incredible body of work which includes being a celebrity interior designer, lifestyle expert, and a luxury home-furnishings designer. Based in NYC, Robin always brings a striking sense of fashion and style to everything she does as a successful interior designer. Robin knows that flexibility is important, so customization is available in almost every piece in her collections. Celebrating 30 years in business Robin could have spoken on several topics but chose her strategy for designing and bringing a product to market. If you have ever dreamt about designing your own product, please, get a pen and paper for this show. Robin truly shares every aspect that you must consider before you set out on this path. Her advice is well earned and it is easy to hear the depth and breadth of her experience as a thoughtful business woman! Robin thrives on creating homes that are unique and fabulous while maintaining a warm and inviting atmosphere. Reflecting her motto that “Confidence Begins at Home™”, she prides herself on her ability to capture her clients’ individual personalities and bring positivity into their homes. Robin has significant experience on TV, video, and radio including appearing on HGTV, Bravo, and NBC and has been featured in many print and online publications. Robin is the Brand Ambassador for the NY NOW show, and also tours the country as a spokesperson, speaking to audiences at events both within the industry as well as to the public. She enjoys providing lifestyle and design tips through her award-winning blog “Simplifying Fabulous!™” and her multi-platform social media presence. Show Highlights: There are five categories of products that Robin has brought to market: Hardware Case Goods Upholstery Rugs Lighting You have to set your macro goal, and then from there, set your micro goals, which are the goals that will get you to the bigger goal. Robin addresses licensing and how it needs to be a part of your overall marketing plan because it doesn’t really make you money, initially. Robin shares some tangible advice regarding bringing a product to a market: First, analyze the need in the market for your product idea. Have you looked around to see if anyone else is providing it? Next, are you the one to fill this need? Do you have the solution? Do you have the pockets deep enough to fund your idea and take it across the finish line? Does it fit into your overall goals for yourself and your business? A ‘Robin-ism’: If you don’t take a chance, you don’t get one! You don’t have to be an extrovert to be successful, you just have to know who you are. You’re only as good as the people you surround yourself with. You have to have support. Links : LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! LuAnn’s Window Works - Facebook - Please Follow! LuAnn’s Window Works - Instagram - Please Follow! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Connect with Robin! Robin’s Website Robin’s Instagram Robin’s Facebook Robin’s Twitter A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Take Advantage of Kravet Inc.’s Extensive Digital Tools & 24/7 Customer Service! Set Up a Virtual Appointment with Your Local Sales Representative: Kravet Jaipur Living’s Website - Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company. Previous Episodes: Robin Baron #32

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn’s co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska, joins her today to chat about some of the things that interior designers can be thinking about in relation to window treatments during this time of quarantine. Whether you’re settling nicely into virtual consultations or you can’t wait for the brick-and-mortars to open back up, you’ll want to listen in to this conversation to learn how important window treatments are to your business! Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. Show Highlights: Vita gives shout-outs to the #maskAmerica initiative and to local designer, Michele Plachter, who gave a wonderful gift to her industry partners. Remember that your window treatment specialist is your partner in this. LuAnn covers the different reasons why window treatments are important ANY time. Window treatments are: money-makers! an essential part of an interior design project! beautiful! Vita suggests that it’s time to lean into your workrooms and window treatment specialists and she shares the ways that a specialist can support an interior designer: They can provide product knowledge. They can do renderings on your pictures. They can give you a ballpark budget. Window treatment specialists: Consider offering up your services and asking your designers how you can be of value to them. Here are some great ways thats you can still incorporate window treatments into your 2020 projects: virtual consultations when presenting mood boards, remember the windows clients can take their own rough measurements #WTF Live!! Vita and Kim will be discussing drapery pleats!! Friday, May 8th at 12 PM, EST on LuAnn’s Window Works - Facebook. If you are not happy with your resources, now is the time to expand your reach and look for additional or alternative resources, in window treatments, or otherwise. This podcast and past episodes are excellent sources of information and resources. Vita has some encouraging words from the heart regarding our low points. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! LuAnn’s Window Works - Facebook - Please Follow! LuAnn’s Window Works - Instagram - Please Follow! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! #WTF Live!! Vita and Kim will be discussing drapery pleats!! Friday, May 8th at 12 PM, EST on Window Works - Facebook. To learn more about working with Window Works To receive a free subscription to Window Fashion Vision Magazine To attend the virtual IWCE where LuAnn To learn about the WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America) To learn about Exciting Windows To learn about working with Vita: Vitalia Inc A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Kirsch’s motorized Briza collection is the perfect answer to high end drapery treatments. Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch Jaipur Living’s Website - Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company. Previous Episodes Mentioned: #448

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s time for another episode of “What Would Lu Do?” where you ask the questions and LuAnn helps out with the answers. Today’s questions come from listener Christina, who struggles with expanding her prospects beyond client referrals. Christina is asking for tips on finding a space where she won’t be competing with architecture firms with in-house designers, and would like LuAnn’s opinion on the best social media platform. Listen in as LuAnn digs into the details, susses out the situation, and lays out her reasoning on the resolutions. If you are not working with a coach or perhaps you don’t have a business mentor or business bestie to provide guidance, this is the perfect opportunity to email LuAnn the burning issues that you need insight on and she’ll answer them on air. Please send your questions to LuAnn Nigara WWLD! Show Highlights: LuAnn shares listener Christina’s detailed email. Lean into the referral business because these are the best clients you can have. Look for ways to keep you referral clients engaged with you. Even when you do a fantastic job it may not be enough to make them remember you. Proudly build your referral pipeline! For more tips on how to build referrals, check out Episodes #93 and #426 with Stacey Brown Randall. Stacey is also one of the co-authors of LuAnn’s second book, A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts. Stacy’s chapter is about leveraging those A-list clients and maximizing the great work you have already delivered to them, so check it out! You may need to work smarter to grow a design firm in a rural location. Unfortunately, many architecture firms, builders, and kitchen showrooms may be laying off their in-staff designers during this economic downturn due to the coronavirus event. However, this may open the door for some freelance work and give you the chance to make an impression. Look for the local people there that can refer you to boutique commercial work. Check into organizations that have architects, property developers, builders, and commercial realtors, call each one and introduce yourself. You may need to join an organization in a larger nearby city. LuAnn suggests some additional episodes that will help Christina learn how to work with architects and builders and how to build a hospitality commercial firm. These shows are linked below. LuAnn provides a detailed overview of a potential social media strategy. For additional tips and social media strategies involving LinkedIn, please see the episodes referenced below. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article. Monogram - Work with Us! Monogram Other Shows Mentioned: Stacey Brown Randall #426 & #93 Susan Yeley #208 Anita Dawson #281 Judi Kieffer #276 Angela Harris #245 AJ Wilcox #219 Sara #438 Welcome, Monogram #536

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Just wait until you meet today’s guest, Nicole McGuire. Every word of her bio is expressed in every word of her conversation, and in LuAnn’s eyes, that makes Nicole one #smartlady. If you don’t epitomize your written bio, this conversation will make you rethink yours! Listen in, as Nicole has some great tips and lessons for us all. You’ll notice right away that she is clearly a business woman running a design firm. Passion and drive define Nicole. These traits have been foundational to her success in the highly intense and competitive building market. She is a visionary leader and disrupter of the status quo. Nicole is a gifted conceptual thinker with strengths in strategic planning, team leadership, mentoring, and community outreach. She has actively worked to create space for women to be empowered and given leadership opportunities within the design and construction industry. Nicole was raised in a home building family, but she has never been one to rest on legacy. After graduating from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Nicole partnered with her father, the late Jeff McGuire, to begin a new venture, building spec homes, and eventually creating unmatched custom homes and personally curated design pieces, all available within the McGuire Homes Collection. Nicole has continued to dive deeper into best practices for the industry, even studying Sustainable Business Strategy at Harvard University- expanding her business through social and environmental sustainability standards. Show Highlights: A custom home-building company, McGuire Homes, is the foundation of all of their businesses. Nicole’s passions are in design and bringing women into construction leadership roles. She started Nicole McGuire Design Studio as another revenue stream, giving her the opportunity to sell all of the products, the finished materials, that go into a new construction home or a remodel, back to themselves. This includes cabinetry, flooring, lighting, and furniture. McGuire Development Group is a company that holds homes that are hire-in leases to professionals. The homes come furnished, unfurnished, or a full executive rental, as well. Nicole shares a mistake they made in 2019 and how they have been correcting it. Stay focused on your core business, she suggests. Nicole details her marketing philosophy. All about Around the House with Nicole McGuire. Nicole provides advice about how to get your own show! Communication between her clients, her design team, her build team and herself is extremely important, and Nicole does it all within project management software. Nicole describes the three different mood boards that clients get, and why. Getting clients on board with “important” vs. “urgent”. One of the biggest challenges is managing client expectations. If you have a question that you’d like LuAnn to answer- go to wwld and she’ll answer yours on air in the coming weeks. There’s a new episode of WTF this week with Vita! Also on Friday at 12:00 noon, EST Vita and Kim will be going live on LuAnn’s Window Works FB, talking tips, and design for custom window treatments. Please follow Window Works too, both on FB and IG, and be sure to join WTF Live every Friday on FB. Links : LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Luann Live LuAnn Nigara WWLD Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Connect with Nicole! Nicole’s Website Nicole’s Instagram #mymcguire Nicole’s Facebook Nicole’s Pinterest See Nicole’s tips here! Around the House with Nicole McGuire Nicole has also given talks at University of Illinois and women’s groups on the subjects of construction, design, and business. A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! Check Out Their Client Portal and Time Tracking Features! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Open Your Trade Account & Get 10% Off Any One Purchase of Kravet Fabric, Wallpaper, or Trim! Use Code at Checkout: awdb10 Kravet

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn’s guests today are Robert Koller and Alexandra Skobel with Monogram, a new sponsor of the podcast. Monogram was also a valued sponsor of the recent 19hours virtual event sponsored by Mydoma Studio. You’re going to love the energy that comes out of Monogram and its team members, so listen in meet Rob and Alex and learn more about what Monogram has to offer you! Rob is the Senior Brand Manager for Monogram and Alex is the Senior Manager of the Monogram Design Center. Show Highlights: Alex shares the company mission. Monogram is the luxury line of appliances for GE and has been in the business for more than 33 years. Monogram launched two new collections earlier this year: Their Minimalist collection and their Statement The appliances offered include built-ins, such as refrigerators, dishwashers, wall ovens, and 48-inch ranges. A “built-in” means that an appliance is built into the cabinetry around it. A built-in often has custom exterior panels, which gives an integrated, seamless look to your kitchen. In 1987, Monogram was the first luxury brand to create a full built-in package for their clients. Rob shares his background in Food and Beverage, and what excites him about the time he’s spent at Monogram. Monogram performed extensive research before putting pen to paper on their latest designs. After careful consideration, they developed three main pillars to support their new look and feel: Materials, Performance, and Ownership. Each of these upholds their commitment to high quality, innovation, and their ongoing relationships with designers and consumers. Through these pillars and their new collections, they've created a luxury brand experience that you can see and feel for yourself. “Social Currency” - Something to talk about with your friends! Monogram has a couple of programs specifically set up for the designer community to educate them on the Monogram products. Resellers (and there are over 1,100!) have updated displays and presentations. You can see, touch, and feel! The flagship showroom in Chicago is open to the public Monday through Saturday. The showroom does not sell the products, but directs the inquiries to the local Monogram sales manager if it’s outside of Chicago. If a designer is registered for Monogram’s Rewards Program, they get to extend preferred-builder pricing to the client, which is a great discount. If a designer is NOT registered for Monogram’s Rewards Program, then the client would be using the rebate. There are 3 tiers where the clients qualify for free items with certain purchases. Engineering details make all the difference in the design and ease-of-use of the appliances for the consumer. “Monogram Talks” - a webinar series that will be launching the first week of May! Different technologies are incorporated into the Monogram appliances. Designers, when you introduce luxury items into your projects it benefits your profitability! Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB LuAnn Live Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Connect with Monogram! Monogram’s Website Monogram’s Instagram Monogram’s YouTube A Big THANK YOU to The Podcast Sponsor: Monogram - Work with Us!

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s time for another episode of “What Would Lu Do?” where you ask the questions and LuAnn helps out with the answers. Today’s questions come from listener Samantha, who would like some suggestions on how to find income when your projects have been put on hold during this COVID-19 event, the top ten recommended processes and systems to be putting in place, and the best practices for social media presence when you have no active projects. Listen in as LuAnn digs into the details, susses out the situation, and lays out her reasoning on the resolutions. If you are not working with a coach or perhaps you don’t have a business mentor or business bestie to provide guidance, this is the perfect opportunity to email LuAnn the burning issues that you need insight on and she’ll answer them on air. Please send your questions to LuAnn Nigara: WWLD! Show Highlights: LuAnn shares listener Sam’s detailed email. Sam’s professional focus is mostly on hospitality design (9) but also residential (1). All ten projects are on hold, and she’s looking for suggestions on how to pull in income. LuAnn’s advice is to weather the storm for the time being and offers lots of great ideas that Sam can work on right now to successfully position herself for when things open up. Sam would like to know the top ten processes and systems that she needs to put in place. LuAnn offers 3 prerequisites and promises the other 7 when the first 3 are firmly in place. The first 3 are: bookkeeping, reviewing or creating a solid contract, and designing a thorough work flow. What level of social media presence is appropriate during Sam’s work lull? Recycle old pics with a new spin or a new caption, but avoid stating that it’s from an old project or that you’re not currently working on a project. Definitely post on SM to drum up business while not busy. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Are you a #babydesigner, #risingdesigner, or a #seasoneddesigner? Take the “What Level is Your Design Firm” Quiz and Find Out! Get a list of things to do that day, by the end of the week and by the end of the month, in addition to the best podcast episodes to listen to appropriate to where you are in your business journey! Suggested Podcast: Darla Powell’s podcast, Wingnut Social A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Kirsch’s motorized Briza collection is the perfect answer to high-end drapery treatments. Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article. Other Shows Mentioned: #292 Summer Tannhauser #331 Kate Ahl #487 Vanessa Shepherd #20 Arianne Bellizaire #201 Dorien Morin van Dam, #237 Claire Jefford #516 Jude Charles #514 Sara Brennan #470 Christine Lin

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Are you in for a treat today! LuAnn welcomes Stephanie Castillo, the principal of Rumble Interiors, back to the show. Stephanie was a guest on Episode #391, as well, and is joined by Renee Fyall of D. Marie Interiors and Sam Mikel of Nest Design Studio. These ladies are all interior designers, doing business in the city of Ellensburg, Washington. Ellensburg is a rather small city of just 20,000 people and sort of between Portland and Seattle. Wait until you learn what these 3 #smartladies have created! Listen in to hear how these three interior designers chose to be open-minded, innovative entrepreneurs rather than wary competitors. Together, they form what’s known as Collective Interiors. You’re going to find their story fascinating! Stephanie Castillo: Rumble Interiors Communicator, observer, entrepreneur and creative...... Stephanie has been in a creative field her whole working career. Stephanie started Rumble Interiors as an extension of her success as a hair designer. Design, balance and harmony are built into everything Rumble Interiors embodies. Stephanie's ability to design a space comes naturally and her passion lives in her strength to envision a space for the people who live in it. Rumble Interiors specializes in taking your home or room from uninspired to a unique, inviting warm space that speaks to the people who live in it. Whether it's a Re-Style which is taking what you already have and Re-thinking, Re-imagining and Re-vamping your space; or a complete home decoration with results that reflect your world refined. Stephanie's special talent comes in the form of helping people define their design style, the consultation technique is one of her favorite parts of the process. Renee Fyall: D. Marie Interiors When it comes to Interior Design Renee joins function with aesthetics seamlessly on projects both big and small. With over 10 years’ experience, much of her career has been focused on project management. With an eye for quality, superior sense of style, Renee assures the space functionality is forefront, including the project running smoothly and on budget while still creating a beautiful and inviting space. Kitchen design and kitchen remodeling have become a large part of Renee’s focus and priority throughout her time as a Designer. She possesses an innate desire to create and design Interiors that exceed clients’ expectations. As many of us spend a large amount of our time in the kitchen, it’s important to Renee? that she delivers? a return on the investment as the kitchen is the best place in the house to add value, both in design and function. Sam Mikel: Nest Design Studio Design is a bastion of individuality and creativity. However, as with other creative endeavors, the gap between one’s inner vision and its ultimate expression can be vast. The function of the professional designer is to help you bridge that chasm. By asking questions and listening attentively, a good designer can help you explore your needs and wishes and define and create the possibilities in your heart and mind. As a wise man once noted, “limitations live only in our minds. But if we use our imaginations, our possibilities become limitless." Sam’s goal as a designer is simply to help you make the best use of your imagination. Open communication throughout the design process helps develop trust and a comfortable, working relationship. Building on your input, Sam’s job is to guide your consideration of such elements as your home’s existing features, the sources of light, and the function required of each space to best define and create your individual style. Working collaboratively with her clients, she strives to create warm and inspired rooms—unique spaces that tell your own personal story in a timeless way. Managing every detail from conception to completion, Sam’s aim is always to create an ambiance that reflects your taste and unique lifestyle. In every project she undertakes, she strives to be budget-conscious. Also, whenever possible, she tries to incorporate eco-friendly green products and materials. Show Highlights: Stephanie shares how she met Renee and Sam, how the three of them worked over the idea of sharing a collective space, and their result. “Glorified space sharing” is their business model: Collective Interiors is a building, and inside of this are their three businesses. Stephanie and Renee share an office, and Sam has her own office. Sam is also the main leaseholder and she has retail space there. Collective Interiors is a interior design / decor / full-scale store. Renee relates the reaction she had to Stephanie’s request for coffee and mentorship, and how she appreciates directness. Sam describes her passion for her retail store and her love for people. Ways they make their collaboration successful. Mutual trust helps to make this business model work. Re-evaluation, as they grow and learn, is necessary. How their lives have been enriched since the inception of

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! It’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn’s guest today is Katie Krimitsos, Creator of the Women’s Meditation Network. The last time that Katie was featured on A Well-Designed Business on episode 253, she was the fearless leader of the Biz Women Rock community. Listen in to catch up with all that’s been going on with Katie since her newest endeavor. She truly has a passion to help you become your best you, and if this current Corona Virus event has left you a bit more fearful than usual, you’ll want to hear about guided meditations that can help you feel more centered in this anxiety-ridden environment. Katie Krimitsos is Creator of the Women’s Meditation Network. She is also a mom, wife, adventurer, podcaster, seeker, and change maker. She's committed to brightening the light of women around the world through the Women’s Meditation Network, which provides guided meditations and related resources specifically created with the special journey of women in mind. She’s passionate about giving women the tools, strategies, and inspiration to live lives they truly love. She loves the water, the sound of her two girls laughing with each other, and is constantly evolving to make her life and the lives of others as magical as possible. Show Highlights: Katie shares her compelling story of how the Women’s Meditation Network came about. Women naturally have a beautiful light but they are often dimmed by self-doubt or comparison. Katie is not a meditation teacher, but she does give women the TOOL of meditation to help them learn more about themselves and learn how to deal with life’s troubling moments. Meditation doesn’t mean having a blank mind. It’s about managing your thoughts, which is crucial to master in both your personal and business lives. Meditation helps you to distinguish between, “What’s the noise?” versus “What’s the voice?”. Stop and set aside the fear of what is and what could be. Then reflect on what you can do or how you can help. How are you uniquely qualified to help your clients right now? What you choose to do and how you choose to show up right now might not pay “right now”, but if you lead with love and do the right thing, it will pay a thousand-fold in the future. Katie describes the ease of using her 5-20 minute, guided meditations and she also has a sleep bundle. LuAnn points out that research backs up the physiological benefits of meditation. It’s so important to tap in and understand what’s really best for us at this moment and how we can best serve others. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Connect with Katie! Katie’s Website Subscribe HERE to get FREE weekly meditations! Start the 7 Day Meditation ChallengeHERE! A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Open Your Trade Account: Kravet FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Mentioned Episodes: Katie's other appearance on the show #253

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Did you miss the amazing “19 Hours” free virtual business summit that ran the week of April 6th through April 9th, 2020? If so, LuAnn will be filling you in on the industry’s answer to the COVID-19 crisis that contains all of the incredible presentations and panel discussions that was originally planned for High Point Market Spring 2020. Today’s show is a replay of the solo presentation that LuAnn did on Thursday, April 9th, on “How to Lead Your Business Through the COVID-19 Crisis”. She has some perspective here that is sure to interest you, whether you run a virtual team or a brick-and-mortar one because LuAnn has weathered several significant economic downturns during her career and came out stronger on the other side of it. 19 Hours was hosted by Mydoma Studio and sponsored by Kravet, Article, Jaipur Living, Monogram, Summer Classics,Gabby Home, Interior Design Society, and Revel Woods. There were an average of 800 designers and business owners watching each and every live session! If you missed it, you can still get the video recordings. For the next couple of weeks, Mydoma Studio will graciously email you the entire video conference if you contact them here: My Doma Studio: 19Hours. Just wait until you hear the presentations by some of the industry’s top business leaders. There were 14 presentations and each one was stellar! Show Highlights: In LuAnn’s first book, The Making of a Well-Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action, she emphasizes the importance of knowing your mission and your core values, and it’s never been more important than now so you can be laser-focused in crisis. LuAnn details the three areas that you should focus on: Mitigate the losses. Focus on sales and marketing. Gratitude There’s wisdom in the saying, “The time to fix the roof is when the sun is shining.” Don’t overreact but don’t not act. LuAnn describes the #1 mistake she made in the early ‘90s. Think very carefully about the problems you are experiencing with the way you are living through the COVID-19 crisis, and how might you solve this for people in your circle who are experiencing the same things? Be creative, be empathetic. This is a good time to look inward. It is also a good opportunity to make sure you have your systems locked down. If you could wave a magic wand, what would your business look like? Look inward and be listening for what your lesson is in this. It could be personal or business, big or small. Everyday there is something to be grateful for. Share and show grace with each other. If you need to unplug, then unplug and own that. It will take some ingenuity and intention to get through this, but you can do if! Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday To Receive the Entire 19Hours Video Conference, Please Visit: My Doma Studio: 19Hours Book Mentioned: The Making of a Well-Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action by LuAnn Nigara Mentioned Episodes: LuAnn’s Solo #519 Kim Merlitti #442

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! On today’s show, LuAnn is joined by industry-icon, Kendall Wilkinson. They’ll be chatting about Kendall’s perspective on her experience in growing an esteemed and successful firm. They discuss budgets to clients to discovery-call practices to Kendall’s experience in the 2008 recession where she had to use guerilla-style marketing strategies to build a pipeline. Whether you are already a Kendall Wilkinson fan or this is the first time learning about her, you are going to love this conversation. Kendall is a #smartlady who runs a major enterprise which includes her famous San Francisco design firm, her textile collections for Fabricut, as well as being a sought-after speaker for industry events all over the nation. Kendall’s work has been on the pages of Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, House Beautiful, Traditional Home, and Wall Street Journal, to name a few. Along with participating in numerous showcases over the years including the San Francisco Decorator Showcase, Elle Decor Showhouse, and LUXE Magazine’s Maison de Luxe Showhouse, Kendall has also she served on the prestigious Board of the Institute of Classical Architecture & Art. Show Highlights: Kendall has been in business for 27 years and employs a staff of 30. Kendall believes that a combination of creative excellence and business acumen are responsible for her success. It’s important to mentor once you have the experience in. Kendall explains her business structure: She has four teams of principals who have their own firms. Within each team is a senior designer, a design associate, a design assistant, and a project manager. They each run 3-5 projects. Kendall also has a back office, which includes the expediters, controllers, accountants, and administrators. This structure has allowed her to be more creative because of the confidence she in her principals and their abilities. LuAnn and Kendall discuss clients, budgets, variables, and the non-negotiables. Kendall shares how she came through the 2008 recession without having to lay off any employees. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting Wednesday, April 22! If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits. Connect with Kendall! Kendall’s Website Kendall’s LinkedIn Kendall’s Twitter - @KWilkinsonSF Kendall Wilkinson Design’sInstagram - @KendallWilkinsonDesign Kendall Wilkinson Design’sFacebook Kendall Wilkinson Design’s LinkedIn Kendall Wilkinson Design’sPinterest DesignClass: Interior Design With Kendall Wilkinson Be sure to check out Kendall’s textile line atFabricut! A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Jaipur Living’s Website - Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company. Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article.

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Nancy Lane, CEO of Nancy Lane Interiors in Houston, Texas, joins LuAnn today and you’ll be learning all about the Process Leads to Profits course that Nancy took last winter and the tangible benefits she has received from it. You’ll also hear how Nancy utilized Mydoma Studio to define her services for her prospective clients and how she now invoices and receives payments for her services through Mydoma Studio. Join LuAnn and Nancy in this engaging and informational conversation, and to learn more about signing up for the next Process Leads to Profits with Sara Lynn Brennan’s LIVE course, which starts NEXT WEEK! Nancy Lane’s idea of home has been informed by all the places she's lived, and perhaps most of all by the one she lost. As a child, her home burned to the ground, displacing her family in the process. Nancy and her family found themselves building their new home together and establishing the true meaning of that word at the same time. Her love for interior design grew through the years, both through her own personal projects and as she shared her passion by helping friends and neighbors with their design projects for more than a decade. In 2016, she opened her residential interior design consulting business, Nancy Lane Interiors and turned that passion into a livelihood. Nancy helps clients solve their design dilemmas and turn houses into homes in and around Houston, Texas, where she resides with her husband and three sons. Show Highlights: Nancy’s first career was as a chemist! She is a perpetual learner and was already running a successful business when she signed up for classes because she loves to learn new and better processes. Clearly defined processes are everything. You can define your process to make it concrete and repeatable BUT just know it's still really fluid. It will always be a work in process. Nancy details the steps she’s implemented since completing the Process Leads to Profits course. Automate, automate, automate! Automation is important in delivering consistent service. Mindset is key. Most of the issues we have all start right between our ears! In light of COVID-19, Nancy discusses the ways that she’s been taking advantage of being at home. Is the Process Leads to Profits class right for you? If 6 weeks from now you would like to know you are well on your way and well-armed with the information and strategies to once and for all organize your “you” into a repeatable, duplicatable process (AKA, a “business”!), then YES! Sign up HERE! Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! LuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22! If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits. Connect with Nancy! Nancy’s Websites: Nancy Lane Interiors &The Decor Detective Nancy’sInstagram Nancy’sFacebook A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Previous shows mentioned: Nicole Cole #509 Sara Lynn Brennan:#463, #514, #524

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s time for an episode of “What Would Lu Do?” where you ask the questions and LuAnn helps out with the answers. Today’s question comes from listener Jane, who would like to know how to handle a client who is refusing to pay a bill. Listen in as LuAnn digs into the details, susses out the situation, and lays out her reasoning on the resolution. If you have a burning issue that you need some insight on, please send your question to LuAnn Nigara! Show Highlights: LuAnn shares Jane’s detailed email. The red-flag phrase in the listener’s email that got LuAnn’s attention: “Even when I could see the project going south.” Why LuAnn thinks that the client somehow feels wronged. LuAnn’s take-action steps: The listener should think back to when she first felt things going south. She needs to identify the event and ask herself these questions: What one thing could you have done at the time to have avoided the project going south? Can you fix the problem even though it is late? Even if it costs you money, you have to fix it. Get ready for the hard conversation. Call her, acknowledge the problem, give a genuine apology for the past offense and offer the solution you are going to take. Once you’ve agreed on a solution, THEN you can ask for the payment, but there’s a particular way you need to frame the request! The client needs that moment of contrition and the solution to get past the problem. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday LuAnn Live LuAnn Nigara- Email LuAnn Your Questions! LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22! If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits. A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: Open Your Trade Account & Get 10% Off Any One Purchase of Kravet Fabric, Wallpaper, or Trim! Use Code at Checkout: AWDB10 Kravet Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn gets to chat with Krista Watterworth Alterman, CEO of Krista Home in Palm Beach, Florida, about company mission and vision, how important it is to lift others up, and very timely advice on how to face fear. Krista leads her company with purpose and clarity. She is the kind of CEO that has taken the time to figure these things out for herself and as you listen, you will hear how it guides every decision she makes, from client interaction to creating, training and leading her team. You don’t want to miss this engaging conversation! Krista is the CEO of Krista Home located in Palm Beach Florida. Originally from Connecticut and trained in NY at Parsons School of Interior Design with a masters of Fine Arts from the New School, NYC, Krista is known for her highly acclaimed HGTV shows Save My Bath and Splurge & Save. She's also been featured on The Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible and DIY's The Vanilla Ice Project for seven seasons. Selected as one of the designers for the prestigious Kips Bay Show House in 2019 Krista has also won two 2018 American Society of Interior Designers Crystal Awards, a 2018 LUXE Residential Excellence Award and three 2017 American Society of Interior Designers Design Excellence Awards. Krista was one of the selected designers for the prestigious Kips Bay Show House in 2019. She won two 2018 American Society of Interior Designers Crystal Awards, a 2018 LUXE Residential Excellence Award and three 2017 American Society of Interior Designers Design Excellence Awards. Her work is regularly featured in many publications including Architectural Digest, Decor, Luxe Interiors & Design, Florida Design, Good Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, Southern Style At Home and Cottages & Bungalows. Show Highlights: When an employee hasn’t risen to exceptional status, it can sometimes be because we haven’t empowered them to properly do their job when they don’t have a clear understanding of their job description. Streamlining her business helped Krista and her team figure out who was responsible for providing different services, and how they could do it in a way that was fun and empowering for everybody so they loved coming to work. In doing this, she wanted to discover people’s natural talents and expertise. Krista wants her company to be able to function without her presence. Employees need clarity on their roles but they also need clarity on your company’s mission and vision. Service is Krista’s mission and she shares the relevance of saying, “Yes, And”. LuAnn emphasizes the importance of words. “A Design Lab” rather than a “Design Presentation”: Krista describes her plan to make everything fun for her clients when they come in to finalize the work product. When you feel fearful or anxious about something, it’s time for action. You need to do something to propel yourself forward. What you’re naturally good at is what you grow your passion around. Krista describes her employees’ job descriptions and how each of their strengths complement their positions. Having a philosophy in life that brings you great happiness and carrying that over to your work life is a win/win situation. Links : LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday LuAnn Live LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22! If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits. Connect with Krista! Krista’s Website Krista’s Facebook Krista’s Instagram Books Mentioned: A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts by LuAnn Nigara & Friends 3 Words for Getting Unstuck: Live Yes, And!by Travis L. Thomas A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: *Jaipur Living’s Website - Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company. *Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article. Previous Show Mentioned: #526 featuring Asha Chaudhary

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! And today LuAnn will be doing a ‘Where Are They Now’ episode with Wendy Woloshchuk, who last made her appearance on A Well-Designed Business about two years ago. What a difference those two years have made! Wendy is here to share the invaluable information she has learned from LuAnn Live and The Power Talk Friday Tour, the implementations to her business that resulted from that, and the profound impact it has had on her life. You don’t want to miss this conversation! Get ready for some takeaways from this! Wendy Woloshchuk believes that great interior design can change your everyday life. It’s about more than just beauty and function. It’s about creating a home that feels like a warm hug when you walk in after a long day. The details of your home create that feeling of comfort. She believes that interior design should be approachable, not intimidating! Her goal is not to make your house a showpiece, but to create a beautiful, comforting space and to see you enjoying it with friends and family. Wendy has been an interior designer and decorating enthusiast for as long as she can remember, and has been getting paid to do it since 2007, when she received her Interior Design Certification from Bay Path University. She is a frequent speaker and panelist at design events. She’s spoken for Facebook, been on multiple panels at High Point Market, was an invited guest at The Designer Experience, and was on the designhounds Influencer tour of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). Wendy is a Houzz influencer, has won multiple Houzz Service Awards, and is a Maria Killam Certified True Colour Expert. She was also a Las Vegas Market Red Carpet Tour attendee. She has done multiple projects with the Make a Wish Foundation, and she’s a certified member of The Interior Design Society (IDS). Wendy loves sharing interior design advice and ideas. She coaches interior designers from around the world and teaches both local and online workshops to interior designers, decorators and home stagers on the business of interior design, and offer free tips on design on her Facebook live show, The Daily Details! She’s been quoted and/or seen in: Designers Today Magazine The Sunday Republican The Palmer Journal Mydoma.com Window Fashion Vision magazine …and heard on: A Well-Designed Business podcast with LuAnn Nigara Home Stagers and Designers on Fire podcast with Marianne Cherico When she’s not working on other people’s houses – or on the beach in Aruba – she’s in her own home in the woods, listening to podcasts or country music; cheering for the New England Patriots; or spending time with her husband, Mike (Wally), and their schnug, Ozzy. Show Highlights: As Wendy explains, she had a process, but it was inconsistent. Once she hired an assistant, she knew she had to have a better process in place. Wendy took the time to document her processes in a “Standards of Excellence Manual”, an idea she got from Ashley Uhl. Wendy asked her assistant to write down her own documented processes as she experienced them after a month of being hired, then they compared notes. This allowed them to fine-tune the manual. Another idea she got from Ashley Uhl was sending a simple hand-written thank you note after a consult. LuAnn loved the idea Wendy shared of sending “Happy Birthday to Your Room” cards to her clients after their first anniversary of doing business together. After year 5 and year 10, Wendy sends a card offering to refresh their room design. Wendy hired Nancy Ganzekaufer as a coach and worked with her for most of last year. One of the big areas in which Nancy helped was with Wendy’s numbers, so she increased both her hourly rates and her consults rates, and started charging her clients retail for product, which substantially increased her profits. All clients get a weekly update email very Friday updating them on their project and exactly what was accomplished over the past week. Nicole Heymer’s branding course helped Wendy to websites, social media. what she wanted from her website, so last year, Wendy worked with a copywriter to redesign her website, making it more relaxed and fun. Based on conversations over lunch with Debbe Daley and Marianne Cherico last year, Wendy, Debbe, and Marianne started the Design for Today Collaborative. They do in-person workshops at the Boston Design Center and other venues around New England. It’s a way to keep designers up to date on technology, websites, and social media but has grown to include staging coaching. LuAnn points out that Wendy’s success story is a great example of never being afraid of seeking help and knowledge from others, and taking that information you learn and putting it into practice. Links / Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post on LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Luannlive.com LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22! If you need h

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! LuAnn is so excited to finally be able to introduce this new sponsor to the show by chatting with none other than the CEO of Jaipur Living, Asha Chaudhary! In this episode, you’ll be learning about Jaipur’s beauty, value, and social responsibility, as well as their customer-centric trade partner program and their easier-than-ever to browse website with stunning images. Listen in to the conversation and please welcome Jaipur Living to the family! As president and CEO of Jaipur Living, Inc., Asha Chaudhary brings a personal perspective to the rug industry: “I grew up around rugs all my life; it’s a part of me.” From a childhood spent observing weavers and designers, Chaudhary has grown into a powerful design force within the industry. As the rare female CEO, Chaudhary has built a thriving business across rug constructions and textile accessories. Chaudhary’s father NK founded Jaipur Rugs, India’s largest manufacturer of hand-knotted rugs. She watched as he took the company from nine weavers in the family home to a global presence that employs more than 40,000 artisans. Chaudhary came to the U.S. in 1997 to attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating in 2001 as a Dean’s List scholar with a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a concentration in Finance. Chaudhary just graduated with a certificate from the Owner/ President Management program at Harvard Business School. She is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs Organization, Young Presidents Organization, Nest and ASID. After taking over leadership of the company’s U.S. operations in 2005, Chaudhary set out to expand on her father’s original vision to create beautiful lives through great design and respect for artisans. Today, she has broadened the company’s range of products and its customer base. Chaudhary has overseen new product launches of pillows, poufs, and throws, and a major restructuring and re-branding of the company to Jaipur Living, Inc. Jaipur Living’s customer base has expanded to include a broad mix of retailers, e-commerce dealers, and a sizable, loyal interior design following. Looking towards the future, Chaudhary wants to help bridge the world of handmade artistry with the end consumer. “I’d like them to understand and appreciate the harmony of the design process and their part in it - with the first spark of an idea, through the hands of an artisan, and ultimately into their home. And always with the intent to create beautiful lives.”. Show Highlights: Asha shares the compelling story of her childhood and her incredibly visionary parents. Jaipur Living is a family enterprise and Asha’s Father is known as “the Ghandi of the rug business”. Jaipur Living has a handmade, custom line of rugs and has award-winning designs and team: they were the winner of the last 2 Dallas ARTS Awards and 3 design awards in 2020 at Domotex in Germany. 95% of interior designers rate Jaipur Living as better than other rug companies when it comes to products and customer service. Asha praises the 40,000 artisans in more than 600 villages in India for the beautiful work that they do. These artisans earn a sustainable wage that far surpasses the industry average, and also receive access to healthcare, education, and social development opportunities, in partnership with the Jaipur Rugs Foundation. Asha’s personal favorite features on their newly-designed WEBSITE includes real-time inventory, Pantone color matching, instant quotes, and the ability to customize the size and shape of more than 600 rugs. Jaipur Living has a comprehensive swatch program: free swatches are available on every single product that they offer. Touch and feel, and share with your customers! They have THOUSANDS of products in stock and ready to ship, and orders ship within 4-6 hours of receipt of order. Jaipur Living works hard to design beautiful things across all price points, and they are proud of their dedicated customer service! Creating beautiful lives is the mission of Jaipur Living, and they strive to keep the art of weaving alive. The art of weaving is passed down from generation to generation. Asha shares how each and every rug has a story behind it. LuAnn addresses the designers listening to the show regarding the value and practical reasons that it makes sense to work with Jaipur Living. In future episodes, LuAnn will be sharing more about the value, features, and benefits of working with Jaipur Living, so stay tuned! Thank you, Asha and Jaipur Living, for sponsoring this podcast! Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday Luann Live LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22! If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught ov

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! Today is a special episode because it features a #smartlady that LuAnn has come to know over the last several months and has been impressed by how thoughtfully and purposefully she runs her interior design firm. Traci Connell joins LuAnn and weaves in info not only about how she designs, but how she delivers the design process to her clients. You’re going to learn how Traci reflected, analyzed, and documented what she did, how she did it, and what worked and what didn’t, all in the face of tremendous anguish and hardship. Traci is the combination of a sweet, southern lady with the grit and fortitude it takes to not only survive but to thrive and to provide for herself, her family and her staff. Traci Connell is an award-winning creative entrepreneur whose business sense and design skills are combined with a passion for delivering interiors that are at the heart of livable style. Her well-edited spaces feature functionality for a distinctive aesthetic she calls Ease of Glamour. She gives you luxury you can live in along with an innovative customer service experience that saves you time and money. High-end design, business savvy and a simplicity-driven approach — that’s what makes Traci one of leading interior designers in Dallas and the surrounding areas. Traci’s projects have been featured on the cover of Luxe Interiors and Design as well as projects showcased in Traditional Home, among numerous other publications. She has been named D Home Best Designer of 2018, 2019, and 2020 and was included in the 2018 Gold List by Luxe Interiors and Design. Her latest endeavor is her consulting business to teach other designers how to get unstuck and scale their business just like she did using her proven system that she tested and developed over the past 8 years. She is really excited to share this system with others. Check out her website Traci Connell for more details. Show Highlights: Traci shares her story and describes how she was trying to up-level her business during a trying time but couldn’t get any straight answers to the questions she had. This experience gave her the desire to help other designers who are experiencing setbacks to get unstuck. Remember that you have a choice! Get vulnerable and accept help from coaches, mentors, or whoever it takes. There’s no reason to go it alone. Put your business under a magnifying glass and take a hard look at your finances, margins, and revenue streams. Evaluate your pipeline and run your projections for the year. Create processes and systems for your business. As Traci explains, this is KEY in being able to confidently deliver an excellent client experience, to be able to scale, and to be able to take time off from your business when you need it to take care of yourself, especially if you may be in crisis like she was as she built her business. It is critical to build the right team. You must surround yourself with a team that can execute and help grow and run your firm profitably. Traci shares her concept of “Ease of Glamour”, which is livable luxury, and tips on how she streamlined her own personal life. The confidence behind finding your niche is super-important. Always deliver more than what is expected. This communicates value to the client. Traci is coaching and teaching other designers like you to go from setbacks to success using her proven system that she has tested and developed over the past 8 years. For more info go to Traci Connell. Links : LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22! If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits. Is Chairman of the Board Right for Your Business? LuAnn Nigara Connect with Traci! Traci’sEmail Traci’s Coaching Website Traci’s Interiors Website Traci’s Instagram Traci’s Facebook Traci’s Pinterest SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: If you are listening in real-time, we are on the 2nd day of our epic online summit hosted by Mydoma Studio. It is called 19Hours. A huge thanks to Mydoma Studio as well as our other sponsors: Kravet, Article, Kirsch, Jaipur Living, Monogram, IDS, Revelwoods, Summer Classics, and Gaby Home. Traci will be on LuAnn’s panel Thursday, April 9th, along with Sandra Funk, Monica Wilcox, and Tobi Fairley. Don’t miss it!! Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industr

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Sara Lynn Brennan joins LuAnn to chat about faith or fear. Earlier this year, Sara wrote a blogpost titled, “Are You Operating Your Design Business Out of Faith or Fear?” and in the midst of the current pandemic, it seems like a great time to re-visit her reflections. Although her original intent had nothing to do with the Corona Virus, there are lessons in the article that are certainly timely and applicable to our current situation. Sara is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors. Sara has become the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina, who specializes in Transitional Designs, where she and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable, and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish. Sara’s design work has been nationally published six times in the last year including publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, who recently offered her a role as a monthly columnist. She’s also been noticed as a rising star among colleagues in the design industry being invited as a guest on podcasts, as a panelist at High Point Market and as a host and speaker at local design events and shows. Show Highlights: LuAnn’s interview with Candy Scott in Episode 279 was the inspiration behind Sara’s blogpost, “Are You Operating Your Design Business Out of Faith or Fear?”. A lot of drama stems from fear, and this was Sara’s epiphany that even the design experts have the same doubts as everybody. Be prepared for problems, but having the right processes in place will give you confidence that you’ve covered all of your bases. Problems that might occur will not be because you weren’t following through. Drama in projects can stem from lack of communication, expectations, mistakes, personalities, etc. How you handle it is what makes all of the difference. Look for common ground where your clients feel heard and happy. If you’re working from home during this outbreak, explain upfront to your client that your kids are home and there may be some interruptions during a phone call. Conversely, if you’re talking with a client and their kids are home and interrupting, don’t roll your eyes or express frustration. Let them know it’s ok because you’re both in the situation together. Offer to reschedule if that is better for them. This quarantine is slowing us all down and giving us common ground, and opening up opportunities to have hard conversations. LuAnn addresses fear and the ways it can impact our business relationships. Sara offers ideas to make things happen during this downtime. Know your worth! Doing your best isn’t just what you showed up that day, doing. Doing your best is being prepared to do your best and doing extra. Gather your best resources, and spend your time sourcing so that you have the opportunity to provide your finest services. Showing up with a plan, some knowledge, and a background will separate you from the others who are just showing up. This is what Sara means when she says, “Showing up is not enough.” Are you going to be the person who deflects and doesn’t want to look bad? Or are you going to be the person that owns it because you can see where it went wrong and you’re going to make it better? Take this time to re-organize and streamline your business. The more informed the client is, the further along you can get with them, faster. Clarity is key and comes from preparation. Links: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Power Talk Friday SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers! To Sign Up, Go to 19hours Interior Design Standard IWCE 2020 Connect with Sara! Sara’s Website Sara’sInstagram Process Leads to Profits- Starts April 22nd! Get Your Early Bird Pricing Now! Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Monogram - Work with Us Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.comHere! Article Previous Shows Mentioned: Nancy Ganzekaufer: 15, 159, 256, 389 Nicole Heymer: 125, 317, 466 Candy Scott: 227 Sandra Funk: 02, 145 Sara Lynn Brennan: 463, 514

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn brings you a very special conversation today, one that may hit very close to home for many of us; mental illness. Bearing that in mind, I must also say that this show was recorded months ago before the word COVID 19 was even legitimately on our radar. Even though the topic of mental illness can be sensitive, it’s important to talk about it. Whether mental illness affects us personally or affects one of our loved ones, you’re not going to want to miss this intimate talk. LuAnn’s guest is Leah M. Meyer Perez, and Leah will be sharing how she overcame her own internal struggles while trying to run a business. She wants to share her story and bring it out in the open so that we as a community don’t have to feel embarrassed about asking for help. She encourages an environment of support and care for each other. Leah M. Meyer Perez is the CEO/Principal Designer of Leah May Interior Design. Like so many of you, from an early age Leah was creative and had a natural talent for interiors. From her artistic flair in art class to tinkering in the garage with her Father, Leah’s path was destined for design. Leah has earned an extensive knowledge of fabrics and furniture by working for several boutique interior firms including a custom furniture workshop and drapery workroom. In 2014, taking a leap of faith, Leah opened her residential interior design firm and as you will learn today, Leah has had to overcome more than simply understanding marketing, bookkeeping, and pipeline building in order to be successful. If you are listening and you are struggling with serious thoughts of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or isolation, there is no podcast for that. Please reach out, and have a friend help you find qualified help. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled and like Leah, with true professional therapy, it IS possible. Show Highlights: First: It’s Ok to have fears and insecurities. You just have to find the courage to talk to somebody about them and work through them. Leah shares how her symptoms of mental illness manifested in her personal and business lives. Understand self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors by learning to be self-aware. Therapy can help you discover the heart of the issues. Learning that she was a negative person and realizing that she had to start being grateful was a turning point in Leah’s life. Appreciate all of the things you’re good at doing. Leah strives to push past the fear of talking about mental illness. What other people think of you does NOT define you. You must be open to help. You cannot change another person, but you can learn to change how you respond to a person. You never know what another person is going through. Share a high-five with someone who you think could use it, and if you’re inclined, tell someone you talk with today something nice so that they have a positive thought in their head when you part. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live WCAA Exciting Windows IWCE-Vision My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Connect with Leah! Leah’s Website Leah’s Facebook Leah’s Instagram Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Other shows mentioned to link to and tag in Social Media Alex Gourlay # 447 Wendy Glaister # 386 Desi Creswell # 475

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Peter Lang joins LuAnn on today’s show to discuss accounting that is specific to design firms. Peter is a CPA that works exclusively with interior designers, and he will be covering the nuances of the industry. He is also a co-author of LuAnn’s latest book, A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts. If you’re a business owner and concerned about how this current COVID-19 pandemic will impact your taxes, you will not want to miss this episode! Peter Lang is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. He is the founder of The Designer CPA, a CPA firm that works exclusively with business owners in the design industry. He has worked in public accounting since graduating from Providence College in 2002. After working for several larger size firms in Boston and Rhode Island, Peter realized his true passion was to start a firm that specifically focused on designers. Peter currently resides in Rhode Island with his wife Carmen and their identical twin boys, William and Matthew. He enjoys running and golfing outside of work. Show Highlights: The IRS expects you to file your 2019 income tax return by April 15th, or apply for an extension. If you have a Federal or state tax payment that is due, they expect that by the April 15th deadline. Technically you are responsible for Q1 2020 estimated payments by April 15th, as well. HOWEVER, due to the pandemic, the IRS has reset all of the April 15th deadlines to July 15th for the 2019 filing year. This gives everyone an additional 90 days to get all of your information to them. The IRS has NOT changed the Q2 2020 estimated payments deadline of June 15th, so this WILL still be due. Peter addresses which deadline might be better to consider, and why; HSA’s, and sales tax. Peter and LuAnn discuss the stimulus package, how much we might expect to receive, and when it will be sent. What you need to know if you’re receiving unemployment compensation and receive a stimulus payment. Your business may be eligible for relief in the form of a relaxed-rules small business loan. Listen for details! Payroll tax credits, deferments, and managing your cash flow. Things you can do now to be ready in the event another disaster strikes: Get your books in order. Make sure you understand your numbers. Set aside cash for quarterly tax payments. Don’t mingle sales tax collected from customers with your operating cash. Build a reserve of three months fixed operating expenses in a savings account. LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers! To Sign Up, Go to 19hours Connect with Peter! Peter’s Website Book Mentioned: A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts by LuAnn Nigara & Friends Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.comHere! Article FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma studio: A Well Designed Business Kravet Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch Sponsors You’ll Be Learning More About in the Future: Jaipur Monogram Shows Mentioned: Michele Williams - Certified Profit First Coach #180 Peter Lang previous episodes: #349, #464 #519 finances at Window Works

Welcome to this episode of A Well-Designed Business! Gabriela Gargano joins LuAnn in this episode to caution us as entrepreneurs about being careful not to apply reasons and rationale to decisions that we are facing because we are reluctant to take the risk. Gaby also shares some very specific strategies that she is employing as the CEO of her design firm in light of the Corona Virus, which you will likely find very smart and useful! You are going to love these ideas! After graduating from college with degrees in Art History, Hispanic Studies, and Business Economics, Gaby spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, as a sales trader and relationship manager. She simultaneously grew her passion for interior design through real estate investing, renovation, and staging of her properties in Manhattan. In 2016, she decided to leave finance and establish Grisoro Designs, a full-service interior design firm located in New York City. Gaby’s style blends clean lines with rich textures and eclectic pieces, referencing art, and vintage design. The team's process is anchored in a deep understanding of each client's design goals, functional needs, and lifestyle. By implementing a transparent process, clear communication, and active project and budget management, they can provide a seamless experience, resulting in a beautiful and functional space that truly feels like home. Grisoro Designs has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Domino, and several other publications. Services offered include interior design, full-scale renovations, project management, budget management, art curation, and real estate advisory. SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: Event: 19hours Hosted by: Mydoma Studio Monday, April 6th - Thursday, April 9th This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT! Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST. It will be recorded for later viewing. This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market. DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers! To Sign Up, Go to 19 Hours Show Highlights: Gaby was at Goldman Sachs during the 2008 recession. Decide what you want your business to look like. The indicators that Gaby used to evaluate when it was time to grow: Assessing her past, current, and projected pipeline. She made sure that she was attracting the type of clients that will take her into the future. She recognized that she was so fatigued that she was jeopardizing her ability to deliver her creative best to her clients. She realized that she and the employees she had on board were consistently being pushed to their limits, and this was leaving a lot of room for errors. Working from home is fine, but getting space brings an elevated sense in having your own studio. You’re able to have your full-time employees there, bring on an intern, and have your vendors and clients meet you there. Remember that this Covid-19 crisis isn’t forever. Take this time to learn to work better remotely. Find more ways to be collaborative and keep the lines of communication open. As entrepreneurs, we have to figure out a way to work through this. Focus on business planning in greater detail, such as business expenses, hurdles, goals, targets, etc. Most importantly, do not delay in responding and looking at what changes you need to make in order to protect your cash flow. Make rational, unemotional decisions when you are calm. Make decisions based on thoughtful evaluation with your CFO or whoever helps you with your finances in your business. Commit to taking the actions that you make a decision on. This planning and effort will help to provide you with a peace of mind, which is very important subconsciously for your team. When you’re calm and positive, your team will feel that. Don’t overreact. But don’t NOT act! LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Gaby! Design Firm: Grisoro Designs Principal: Gabriela Gargano Gaby’s Instagram Gaby’s Website Do YOU Need Help with Your Past, Current, or Projected Pipeline? Michele Williams: Scarlet Thread Consulting Kim Merlitti: KMM Consulting Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: Kravet For 10% off any Kravet Wallpaper, Fabric, or Trim Enter at Checkout This Promo Code: awdb10 Kirsch Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Mentioned Episodes #519

Welcome to this episode of A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn chats with Sandra Funk about Sandra’s amazing new program for the interior design community. Her program is called “The Interior Design Standard”. Just wait until you hear about it, you’re going to LOVE this! Sandra Funk is the CEO and Principal Designer of House of Funk, a greater New York area design firm working wherever great clients need us. This is interior design with a soul and a sense of place; reflecting your desires, personality, and style. House of Funk creates thoughtful homes with an emphasis on clean lines and soulful touches, all rooted in tradition. Sandra is an Accredited Professional for the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Sandra’s award-winning design work has been featured in publications such as Elle Decor, House Beautiful, The Huffington Post, Apartment Therapy, Aspire Design & Home, and Luxe Interiors + Design. With almost two decades in the interior design industry, Sandra is launching the Interior Design Standard in the spring of 2020 – a template for designers to utilize her streamlined processes and business structure to bring joy and profit to their own design business. Show Highlights: Sandra’s program is targeted towards interior designers to guide them on the path of business success. The Interior Design Standard is a program comprised of Sandra’s templates, systems, and processes, delivered in a digital format to help designers run a more efficient, joy-filled, and profitable business. The program includes: Sandra’s design fee calculator - confidently calculate flat design fees in moments. House of Funk’s design agreement, that both clients and designers love. The exact process that each interior design project follows, from the first potential client contact to pitching the photos to press. Four designers beta-tested the program for three months and gave the program rave reviews. LuAnn and Sandra discuss the lessons learned from beta-testing. There’s a lack of standards in the industry. Depending on your situation, the time of implementation will vary but is expected to take approximately 3 months. Sandra asks: Do you want to spend another year wondering if you should edit your terms, update your fees, pass along your trade discount or make a profit on furnishings, or manage client expectations better? The Interior Design Standard purchase is a lifetime membership and 100% guaranteed, but you have to fully implement from start to finish. Sandra’s program costs $3,989, plus any applicable tax. This program streamlines your methods of business management and execution! Sandra wants to see the industry become more professional and profitable. The more profitable the designer the better work you can all do as an industry, and the better high-quality customer service you can offer to your clients. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Sandra! House Of Funk Sandra Funk is a game changer for our industry. In April, she’s launching the Interior Design Standard - a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business. Click here to take her FREE Demo Module to get a taste of what’s to come: Interior Design Standard April 8th: Registration opens Note: If designers register before April 22nd, they receive VIP access which grants them 3 group Zoom calls with Sandra. April 22nd: VIP Access closes and general enrollment begins May 5th: Enrollment closes at 11:59 PM May 6th: Module 1 is released and the program begins FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Podcast Sponsor: Article Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn has been considering adding a Wednesday show answering straight-up questions that you ask her via email and SM, and with everything happening in the world right now, she thought this was the perfect time to debut “What Would Lu Do?” On today’s episode, she will be discussing doing business through a crisis. In the 40 years, she’s been in business, she has had to weather all kinds of crises, such as recessions, acts of terrorism, and viral pandemic scares. Listen in to learn how you can be smart, strategic, and patient to help you get your business to the other side of this! Be sure to join her next Wednesday as she shares some additional tips to help you through this difficult time. Show Highlights: This is critical: 1) Don’t overreact. 2) Don’t NOT act. Cash flow is KING. Everything in your business will depend on your cash flow. The first-level action plan: Focus on sales. Monitor cash flow and keep your vendors paid. Review all money owed to you and collect any outstanding balances. Go through your expenses with a fine-toothed comb. Owner’s pay cuts as loans to the company. Other ideas for consideration: Consider working remotely. Work on projects that you have been ignoring, especially if they generate revenue. Keep a routine. Find your mentors, your peers, set up phone calls, zoom meetings, brainstorm ideas on how to stay productive, how to maintain your clients and how to build your pipeline for when this is a bad nightmare for all of us down the road. LuAnn’s favorite tip from an emergency virtual meeting with her colleagues at Exciting Windows is from Steve Wishnow, who said, “Get Smart - Get Market Share.” He urged the allocation of money to marketing during this time and to not make the mistake of curbing this expense. Don’t go into debt, do everything with common sense. But now is the time to let people know you are here, you will be here and you can be depended on. Find a way to stay positive through this! Links: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live WCAA Exciting Windows IWCE Vision Carla Aston Tips for Building Future Success When Your Interior Design Business is Slow Episode Mentioned: episode #242 Carla Aston

Welcome to A Well Designed Business! It’s WTF, Window Treatment Friday! In today’s episode, LuAnn and her friend and co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska, cover effective communication between the interior designer and the workroom to ensure a successful project. One of the private Facebook groups that Vita belongs to is the “Soft Furnishings & Upholstery” group. Prior to this show, she posted a query asking for their stories on the topic of communication, both good and bad, that members’ workrooms have had with their designers. She received some really good feedback on what worked and what didn’t work, and she and LuAnn will be sharing their collective wisdom with you today. Listen in to take advantage of what others have learned from their experiences, and remember the most important thing of all: communication is key with everything! Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short!), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. Show Highlights: Vita explains the difference between the detailed estimate and the top-line budget estimate and discusses the proper information that is required from the designer. The right questions contribute to a successful site visit to take measurements and discuss project specifics. It is important for the designer to be present at this visit. If you’re a designer or a workroom new to window treatments, make sure meetings happen when all of the important parties are there. Considerations when choosing types of fabric. You must take ownership and read the detailed estimate, question it, and correct if needed. Some workrooms require the designer to sign it. Vita shares her recommendations for managing outstanding issues on the detailed proposal. LuAnn offers further suggestions on ironing out all the details. Additional communication tips: Be clear on who is responsible for what. Be clear on terms. Use only one way of communicating, preferably email. Be sure to follow up a verbal conversation with a summary email. Thank your workroom! And keep them in the loop. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live WCAA Exciting Windows IWCE Vision My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business Vitalia Inc. Grand Opening! All are invited to join us for Vita's grand opening! June 16th, 4-7pm LuAnn is excited to be there and all are invited to join! RSVP at Vitalia Inc Events To learn more about working with Vita and Vitalia Inc: Vitalia Inc To learn more & register for Vita's course: Profit With Window Treatments Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor: Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Mentioned Shows: Links to previous WTF episodes #462, #471 Sandra Funk #02, 145

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn’s guest today is Melissa Lindsay, Co-Owner of Pimlico Interiors, located in Westport, CT. She will be sharing some of the methods and tactics that she and her partner, Jill Kakaletris, use when dealing with difficult conversations and difficult clients. As #seasoned designers, Melissa and Jill have had their share of difficult conversations with clients and together they have developed a personal philosophy for handling these as well as some actual tips to help you navigate them, too. Whether you are crafting an email or having a hard person-to-person discussion, there are some strategies here that you can most certainly find useful! Melissa brings 20 years of luxury residential design experience and award-winning interiors to the firm. Named at home Magazine’s A-list award winner multiple years over, she has been lauded by industry professionals from Celerie Kemble to Bunny Williams. Show Highlights: Be truthful with kindness and grace! Listen more than talk. This is the only way to truly know what the obstacle is for the client. And if you are reading an email from a client--- read it closely and consider only what it says; don’t make up stuff in your head. Keep to your talking points and be clear and focused. Keep the conversation respectful and unemotional. Know your value and be confident in it. Have a value statement prepared that you are ready to say when you are in a situation that is getting tricky. Keep re-stating your points, rephrasing if necessary, and don’t get dragged into details that are irrelevant. This distracts from the solution. Keep a cache of pre-written emails that you can go to in the tough moments. You can tweak as needed for the present client. This helps in both diffusing your emotion of the current situation as well as saving not having to start from scratch over and over. Stop talking once you have made your points. By continuing to talk it opens the conversation to points that are not core to the current conflict. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live Connect with Melissa! Pimlico Interiors Interior Design Standard East End Interiors Trade Mydoma Studio: Well Designed Business Kirsch Stamford Waterside Design District March 19this the 4th birthday party for this podcast! Thanks to Kravet Inc for hosting this. Please join us 5:30- 7:30 pm at the Kravet Work Space Showroom at 200 Lexington Ave NYC. You can find the RSVP on EventBrite as well as on the website under the Events Tab. March 21stto 24th Exciting Windows and IWCE / March 25th to the 27th Teaching the Professional Window Coverings 7 Step Process, which is open to the public. Go to Exciting Windows. At the IWCE, Luann will be doing Closing the Sale Begins with Hello, as well as moderating some panels on Profitability with the Vin Man and Michele Williams. Next, LuAnn has a panel with Sara Brennan on Packaging your Process and Working with Window Treatment Professionals with Sara Brennan and Vita. Please visit IWCE-Vision. April 2nd, Thursday, East End Interiors is celebrating 30 years in business this year and they have invited LuAnn to speak at their showroom in Long Island NY. If you were at LuAnn Live last year, then you know Sal and Enza and you already know what a fantastic family business they run. If you are in the NY Metro area, especially LI, you must make the time to join us so you can see everything they have to help you complete all of your design projects. They are a strictly to the trade showroom featuring furniture, lighting, accessory and more. LuAnn is also delighted to share that they are the Exclusive VIP Experience Sponsor for LuAnn Nigara Live 2020. High Point Market in April. It all starts with LuAnn’s PTF Tour on Friday, April 24th, 8am to 11:00 pm. Yup, all day, this event is jam-packed, loaded-to-the-gills, with eye-opening A-ha’s and advice specific to your business. LuAnn brings you 3 of her PTF Experts and one of them is Sandra Funk, the CEO of HOF. Sandra will be on an upcoming PTF where you will learn how she truly runs the back end of her business. And then, get to spend the whole day picking her brain? Uhmmm, the price of admission is worth it right there, no question. During the next few days at HP, LuAnn will have several presentations and panels. Saturday, April 25th, she’ll moderate a panel at the showroom of the newest sponsor to join the show, Jaipur, which will be co-hosted by Revelwoods and the Interior Design Society. They will be talking about the Design-Build Process and how to navigate the big-ticket projects. On Sunday, April 26th, LuAnn will be in the HP Theater at 12:00 noon for a very special one-on-one conversation with a very special friend, designer, and all around outstanding human being…not sure if ASID wants the proverbial beans spilled yet…so just put LuAnn on your dance card! Here’s a hint: If you were at LuAnn Live, yo

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. It’s Power Talk Friday! On today’s show, Jude Charles joins LuAnn for a chat about videos, and how important they are to our websites. He is here to explain that compelling video is achieved through storytelling, and how we can’t have video just for video’s sake. It must be compelling and it must do the heavy lifting of attracting our ideal client to us. Jude is talented and clearly passionate about helping business owners tap into their unique value by creating the videos that help your clients feel like they already know you.Don’t miss this insightful and inspiring episode! Jude Charles is a story-driven filmmaker, brand strategist & speaker. For over 13 years, he has been producing documentaries & videos for purpose-driven entrepreneurs. He lives and breathes YOUR brand. He digs deep to find the compelling stories that no one else knows & then leverages those stories to scale your business. Show Highlights: Jude shares how storytelling is pivotal to captivating video. The “why” creates the thread for your story. It’s essential to “cut out the fat” of a 3-minute video to focus on the one core story. A great storyteller is also a great editor. LuAnn draws an interesting parallel between filmmaking and design. The Road Mapping Session: Jude explains his strategy when working with a client. Hearing something said a thousand times is not as convincing as seeing it once for yourself. Clients are searching for silver but are sitting with gold. The gold is the content that they’ve already created, but haven’t yet figured out a way to re-purpose. Jude relates some success stories for a closer look at the process and the results. You are invited to check out some of the work Jude has done on his Website. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live Check Out LuAnn’s Second Book! A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts Window Coveringsu Connect with Jude! Jude’s Website Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor: Kravet Other guests mentioned for Shownotes and to tag in SM: Marie Flanigan #89 Pulp Design Studios #176 Arianne Bellezaire # 30 Fred Berns #174 Claire Jefford #237 Nicole Heymer #125

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, LuAnn chats with Jaclyn Lankiewicz, the woman behind the Instagram handle, Jaclynmari_. She is the principle of Jaclyn Marie Interiors based in Long Island, NY. Her journey into interior design, like many, has not been a direct line. Basically, Jaclyn created an Instagram page that was getting so much attention that it prompted person after person to ask her if she would design their space. As you will hear today, her response was, “I finally said to myself, ok, let me do this”. Jaclyn created an Instagram that has created a design business, and since you already have a design business and want to create more clients through Instagram, perhaps you’ll find her tips to be very helpful. Listen in to see what we can learn about how to attract clients through Instagram! Show Highlights: Keep your feed neutral, bright, and uncluttered. Edit your pictures properly, paying close attention to wood tones. Be strategic about what and where you’re posting. Keep an eye on your nine squares. A picture of herself, a zoomed-in picture of styling, and a larger picture, such as a whole living room or whole kitchen is another tactic that Jaclyn likes to use. Sharing a little of her personal life through Instagram helps people feel connected to her. Another tip that Jaclyn offers is tagging retail vendors because they re-post a lot. Jaclyn likes to share designers on her story (but not on her feed), and details the reasoning behind this. Answering every message and comment from followers is a great way of engaging with them and inspiring trust. How to identify someone whose work you’d like to share, and how to reach out. Understanding your “why” and saying no to those you don’t wish to collaborate with. Posting new content every day shows your followers that you’re reliable. Jaclyn mentions apps that she finds helpful: Videoshop, Unfold, rewardStyle, VSCO, Snapseed, Retouch, and Planoly. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! The Power Talk Friday Tour LuAnn Live Connect with Jaclyn! Jaclyn’s Website Jaclyn’shouzz Jaclyn’s Instagram Wingnut Social East End Interiors Trade Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors: Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now! Kirsch Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Article Other guests mentioned from previous episodes: Sara Lynn Brennan #’s: 463, 514 Darla Powell #’s: 203, 330 Kim Merlitti #’s: 361, 442 Sandra Funk #’s: 2, 145

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, LuAnn recounts the way that Sara Lynn Brennan, from Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors, went from being a stranger to her, to someone she treasures as a friend, all in less than two years. As an entrepreneur, Sara stands out as one of the most unusual LuAnn has met during her entire business career and her podcast journey. You may have noticed lots of collaboration with Sara over the last few months, and wondered why. There’s a lesson to be learned here, and LuAnn is eager to share it with you! It has to do with investing in your success. One of the ways that LuAnn noticed Sara investing in her success was that she steps outside the box by working on things that may have been intimidating or scary. Another way is that Sara has put in the blood, sweat, and tears. A third way that Sara has brought her business to a place of success so quickly is that she invested her dollar bills. When she made money, she evaluated it, and invested money back into her business. Listen in today to find out what Sara has to share concerning success! Sara is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors. Sara has become the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina, who specializes in Transitional Designs, where she and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable, and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish. Sara’s design work has been nationally published six times in the last year including publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, who recently offered her a role as a monthly columnist. She’s also been noticed as a rising star among colleagues in the design industry being invited as a guest on podcasts, as a panelist at High Point Market and as a host and speaker at local design events and shows. Show Highlights: Sara shares how listening to LuAnn’s podcast helped her learn to run her business. Aligning yourself with the people you love and respect and want to be like is pivotal in becoming successful, because you are like the five people you spend the most time with. Understanding the value that you bring to the table inspires confidence. It all comes down to what you planned and what you didn’t plan for, and the expectations that you set. You can look back to see where things went wrong. Sara relates her favorite saying and what it means: “The package is the promise of the process.” Sara takes her own discovery calls because she wants to be the first person a client talks to about her process. Whoever is in this with you - a business partner, a coach - can’t stroke your ego; they have to give you the insights and pushback you need. Hard times in life can teach us the greatest lessons. Understanding yourself as a person will help you to find your passion. This sometimes takes therapy or soul-searching. Learn to “edit” your space and business to create a balance that is sustainable. FYI, LuAnn and Sara will be in Charlotte at the IWCE in March! LuAnn details all the other shows that she and Sara will be showing up at in the coming months. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Power Talk Friday LuAnn Live The Power Talk Friday Tour Interior Design Standard IWCE Vision Connect with Sara! Sara’s Website Sara’s Instagram Process Leads to Profit! Big Thanks to ThisPodcast Sponsor: My Doma Studio Book Mentioned: Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman Other shows mentioned: Michele Williams: 137, 180, 395, 424 Nancy Ganzekaufer: 15, 159, 256, 389 Nicole Heymer: 466, 317, 125 Wendy Woloshchuk: 316 Sandra Funk: 02, 145 Sara Lynn Brennan: 463

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! On this episode, LuAnn sits down for a chat with Denise Wenacur, the principle of DW Design & Décor in Croton on the Hudson, which is a beautiful community just outside of NYC. Design-build is the hot topic of the day, and you’ll learn the importance of having an interior designer as the point person for the client between the architect, the builder and themselves. She discusses the ways having an interior designer on their team from the outset truly benefits the process and the result of the project. If that wasn’t enough, Denise will share tips for connecting with people who can introduce you to the type of projects you are looking for. Tune in to this engaging and informative conversation! Show Highlights: Denise recounts why and how she changed her business model to include the construction part. She is always the first point of contact as the interior designer. She rounds out each team with an architect, contractor, and whichever trades need to be added, as well. Each team member has their unique perspective and experience that they bring to the job, all working together for the good of the client and a perfect outcome. Making a 3D version of the architect’s plans can assist in both the design and the build in amazing ways. Denise has a video on her website explaining the pros and cons and importance of having a designer involved at the beginning of construction. One big successful project will generate referrals. Sharing on social media tips and ways that your services have made a positive impact will further help you to get noticed. Denise also holds a Construction Manager certificate from Pace University. This helps build confidence when she’s working with the rest of the team. Communication is everything, and it’s all about the client. Denise feels like she’s doing a good job when she gets new clients from her referral partners. Denise shares some ideas on how to meet architects and builders in the area. It’s important to create the relationship first. A CFO surprise! When you know your numbers, it instills confidence and that comes across to your clients. Potential clients will know if you know what you’re doing. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Power Talk Friday LuAnn Live Connect with Denise! Denise’s Website Denise’s Facebook Denise’s Instagram Denise SINGS!The 1-4-5's YouTube Channel Podcast Sponsor: Article Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Other episodes mentioned: #380 Circle Design, John and Theresa Dorlini #361, #442, Kimberly Merlitti #441 4Pt Design Build, Laura and Cliff Muller #181 H2 Design Build, Angela Rasmussen #202 Enoch Sears #292 Jana Phipps

Welcome to A Well Designed Business! It’s WTF, Window Treatment Friday! It’s been a while since LuAnn has had a window treatment episode, so she’s super-excited to have her co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska back on the show. Hardware is the subject of today’s show, and if talking about ripple folds, pinch pleats, stationary rods, rod pockets, and rods with c-rings make your heart beat a little faster, then you’ve found your people! Drapery rods can be a super-complicated thing, but LuAnn and Vita have a way of making this a fun conversation. Join them in this educational and insightful journey into the world of window treatment hardware. Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. Show Highlights: The more knowledge you have on hardware enables you to sell more window treatments. There are four main components to drapery hardware: the rod, the finials, the brackets, and the rings. The types of rod (or pole) is a basic traverse rod, a decorative traverse rod, and a pole that doesn’t move. Vita explains more about each rod and how it functions with drapery. LuAnn and Vita sing the praises of Kirsch and its Architrac Ripplefold track. Motorized draperies? Yes, it’s a thing! Provide your client with ALL of the options, and let them decide what they want. LuAnn and Vita address drapery issues that designers run into. How to counter a client who asks for a lower price. Drapery hardware can add a lot of profit to a job, but it is its own beast in the world of window treatment professionals. Distributors are there to help you. Familiarize yourself with Kirsch’s website and other drapery hardware websites. Window treatments are a great way to make your company more profitable. Check out LuAnn’s Live Events! She would love to meet you! Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Kravet To learn more & register for Vita's course: Profit With Window Treatments To learn more about working with Vita and Vitalia Inc To learn more about working with Window Works To receive a free subscription to Window Fashion Vision Magazine To attend the IWCE where both LuAnn and Vita will be presenting: IWCE To learn about the WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America) To learn about Exciting Windows Podcast Sponsor: Kirsch Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now!

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Join LuAnn and her guest, Victoria Sanchez, in this thought-provoking conversation about changing things up in the way we educate interior designers. Her concern is if we don’t start to make changes in the design curriculum, then we, as an industry, are at risk. At one time, Victoria served as in interior design professor at Marymount University and this is where the conversation begins today. As LuAnn will tell you, this is a totally new idea to her and many of us, and sometimes you don’t know what you don’t know! Just wait until you hear what Victoria proposes! Victoria Sanchez, one of America’s premier design professionals, has been creating one-of-a-kind interiors for hundreds of prominent clients over the past three decades. Dubbed a home décor “style maker” by Luxe magazine, Victoria is an award-winning designer who offers services ranging from project management and space planning to kitchen and bath design and furniture selection. She and her team are backed by the region’s leading contractors, painters, architects, kitchen and bath pros, flooring specialists, audio-visual experts, and other professionals. Victoria, whose work has appeared in publications nationwide, is known for her extraordinary customer service, fee integrity and ability to help clients get the highest return on their design investment. She has designed multiple homes for the same clients and has worked with companies to design the interiors of apartment buildings, boutique hotels, and law offices. Victoria spent the majority of her career in Alexandria, Virginia, providing design services to Fortune 500 executives, lobbyists, military generals, doctors, lawyers, investment specialists and other professionals throughout the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area and along the east coast. While there, she also ran her ‘Victoria at Home’ shop, the area’s leading source of elegant home furnishings and accessories. Her collection of the finest upholstery, furniture, art, lighting, and pillows was carefully and proudly curated from an international network of vendors and suppliers. Now based in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Victoria is keeping busy in ways she had never imagined. From charitable design work to the restoration of heritage buildings, the depth and breadth of her work have expanded while her style becomes more and more influenced by the new colors and nature that surround her. She continues to travel back to the East Coast on a regular basis, taking on projects across the country. Victoria also speaks at design industry events across the United States. She is currently active in the American Society of Interior Designers and holds Bachelor of Arts and Masters degrees in Interior Design from Marymount University. She also previously served as an interior design professor and was a board member of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the International Furnishings and Design Association. Show Highlights: The internet and all the design centers being opened to retail now both present concern to interior designers, because consumers now have the same access as designers. A bigger cause for concern is that we are not producing business-minded interior designers when they graduate from their programs. The top ten schools in the country have the same curriculum due to certification requirements. Victoria explains that colleges are trying to pack far too much information into a 4-year program. Students must learn residential design, commercial design, sustainability, and technical presentation skills, in addition to the general education classes. The solution offered by Victoria is to take the programs, pull them apart, and offer three separate interior design programs: residential, commercial, and technical presentation. This would allow schools to offer more courses, such as business law, accounting, marketing, and professional practices. We are moving forward in our profession when we can offer a student the opportunity to be a designer with a business brain. Interior design is very tactile; therefore, a designer misses the basics when rushing through courses and doing work digitally. It’s not that industry leaders are apathetic to change, but they are tasked with the traditional models of teaching the student all of the aspects of interior design. Changing the curriculum to product business-minded interior designers represents a challenge to CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation). LuAnn and Victoria discuss ideas for implementation. LuAnn points out that those running the most successful interior design firms come with experience or training in running a business. It’s a business first, and a design firm second. The younger generation of designers understand that they need business skills, and are currently turning to podcasts to learn what schools aren’t teaching them. Resources: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Today, LuAnn shares her findings on coaching a diverse group of entrepreneurs. As it turns out, they have several tangible things in common that she was so impressed by that she decided to dedicate a podcast to complimenting these special people and laying out for you what she has discovered in their time together. As she relates, this has been an ‘A-ha!’ moment for her, and she hopes it will be for her listeners, as well. If you don’t already see yourself in these descriptions, perhaps it’s time that you do something to work toward them. Additionally, LuAnn brings you exciting news of her upcoming LIVE events that she will be attending spring and summer, and invites you to join her because she LOVES meeting you in person! Show Highlights: The 3 Traits of Smart Business Owners: They come to every session with a truly open mind. They listen, ask great questions, and take action on ideas that are new to them and that sometimes even make them a bit nervous. They understand the importance of having a coach because it is an investment in their business. A coach can help you grow beyond what you imagine for yourself and shorten the learning curves. They have hope. Hope for themselves, hope for their business, and hope for the industry. They seek out new ideas and new ways to make a profit, to succeed and service a client where the client needs it the most. Companion questions to ask yourself: Are you open to taking advice? Even advice that you think might not work for you? If you are the sum of the 5 people you spend the most time what, how does that make you look? What does your crew look like? Do you create opportunities through mentoring, coaching, and eduction that increase your value and your business acumen? Do you believe in yourself? Do you know your value and how you enrich other peoples’ lives? Do you take your talent and your abilities serious enough to invest in them? March 19this the 4th birthday party for this podcast! Thanks to Kravet Inc. and 200 Lex for hosting this. Please join us 5:30- 7:30 pm at the Kravet Work Space Showroom at 200 Lexington Ave NYC. You can find the RSVP on EventBrite as well as on the website under the events tab. March 21stto 24th Exciting Windows and IWCE / March 25th to the 27th Teaching the Professional Window Coverings 7 Step Process, which is open to the public. Go to Exciting Windows. At the IWCE, Luann will be doing Closing the Sale Begins with Hello, as well as moderating some panels on Profitability with the Vin Man and Michele Williams. Next, LuAnn has a panel with Sara Brennan on Packaging your Process and Working with Window Treatment Professionals with Sara Brennan and Vita. Please visit IWCE-Vision. April 2nd, Thursday, East End Interiors is celebrating 30 years in business this year and they have invited LuAnn to speak at their showroom in Long Island NY. If you were at LuAnn Live last year, then you know Sal and Enza and you already know what a fantastic family business they run. If you are in the NY Metro area, especially LI, you must make the time to join us so you can see everything they have to help you complete all of your design projects. They are a strictly to the trade showroom featuring furniture, lighting, accessory and more. LuAnn is also delighted to share that they are the Exclusive VIP Experience Sponsor for LuAnn Nigara Live 2020. High Point Market in April. It all starts with LuAnn’s PTF Tour on Friday, April 24th, 8 am to 11:00 pm. Yup, all day, this event is jam-packed, loaded-to-the-gills, with eye-opening A-ha’s and advice specific to your business. LuAnn brings you 3 of her PTF Experts and one of them is Sandra Funk, the CEO of HOF. Sandra will be on an upcoming PTF where you will learn how she truly runs the back end of her business. And then, get to spend the whole day picking her brain? Uhmmm, the price of admission is worth it right there, no question. During the next few days at HP, LuAnn will have several presentations and panels. Saturday April 25th,she’ll moderate a panel at the showroom of the newest sponsor to join the show, Jaipur, which will be co-hosted by Revelwoods and the Interior Design Society. They will be talking about the Design Build Process and how to navigate the big-ticket projects. On Sunday, LuAnn will be in the HP Theater at 12:00 noon for a very special one-on-one conversation with a very special friend, designer, and all around outstanding human being…not sure if ASID wants the proverbial beans spilled yet…so just put LuAnn on your dance card! Here’s a hint: If you were at LuAnn Live, you could probably make a good guess as to his name… Sunday at 4:00 pm you can always find LuAnn at the Kravet showroom. This is a wonderful opportunity to see and meet the incredible leadership team at Kravet. Later at 6:00 pm Sunday, there will be a special VIP party with Mydoma Studio. YOU are the special VIP :) This is a kickoff event to celebrate this new collaboration, so ple

Welcome to this episode of Power Talk Friday! Nicole Cole joins LuAnn today for a chat about a-ha moments and the ensuing mindset shifts. Nicole will be sharing five takeaways she’s learned from both Power Talk Friday and her time with business coach, Nancy Ganzekaufer. You’ll want to listen in to hear her tips on how she accomplished her mindset shift to being a CEO so that you can implement these ideas for your business, too! Nicole Cole is the CEO and Principal Designer at vestige HOME, a Philadelphia based residential interior designer firm focused on creating spaces that are interesting, engaging, and that encourage people to live well. As a young adult, Nicole served in the Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer before leaving to pursue work in the corporate world. With her new-found freedom outside the military, she realized that she missed the curiosity and creativity she enjoyed as a child, and decided it was time to build a creative business. Thus, vestige HOME was born! Nicole and her team provide turnkey design services, which include trade resource coordination, sourcing expertise, creation of detailed plans, and open communication with her clients. With her many years of project management experience, she consistently delivers her projects in the most streamlined fashion with clear goals and expectations and a plan that provides the least amount of disruption possible to her client’s lives. Nicole studied interior design at Monterey Peninsula College and earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and Information Systems from the University of Kansas. She believes in creating beauty and exercising a little creativity wherever possible, whether designing a room in a client’s house, picking the perfect pairing of plants for the garden, or just setting the table for breakfast on a Wednesday morning. Nicole’s greatest joy is helping clients to create homes that reflect their lives and personalities while honoring the buildings that contain them. Show Highlights: Systems and processes are fundamental to the way you run a business. Confidence is the reward when systems and processes are used consistently. This confidence spills over to the client and they become confident in you. When you know what you will and will not do, and the why, you will be more selective about who you work with. When you refer a job because you know someone else can do it better than you can, it makes saying ‘no’ so much easier. Nicole’s Five Takeaways: She realized she was no longer “just” a designer, but the CEO. As CEO, she had responsibilities to herself, her team, and her clients. It’s important to build a team. Create the systems and processes, and teach them to your staff. Focus on the details of the client experience. Focus on profit, and don’t feel guilty! Lu Ann covers some additional obstacles that she has observed in speaking with designers. How there’s power in using the phrase, “In my experience”. LuAnn provides a designer perspective on how much work gets packed into each billing hour. When you truly explain what details go into what you do, that’s when the client can buy in to your charges. When you understand your own value for the work you do, you can then feel confident in either what you charge or raising what you charge. Resources: Join us for The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point Market Friday, April 24th, 2020 from 8am - 11am! Sign Up For Updates HERE! Sponsors: Start Your Trial Now! Mydoma Studio- Your On-Stop Client & Project Management Tool! Jaipur A Well Designed Business Podcast® 4th Birthday Party New York City, New York Thursday, March 19th 5:30 – 7:30pm Kravet Workspace, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 210 RSVP HERE! LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Nicole! Nicole’sWebsite Nicole’s Instagram Nicole’s Facebook Podcast Sponsor: Article Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Links to other shows mentioned: Nancy Ganzekaufer #389 Michele Williams #180 Ashley Uhl #412 Bethany Mabee #450 Sarah Durnez #418 Brittanie Elms #149 Taylor Dieterich & Yashlie Negron #346 Kimberly Merlitti #442 Sara Lynn Brennan #463 Wendy Wolshchuk #316 Mikel Welch #297

Welcome to today’s episode of Power Talk Friday, where LuAnn chats with Nikki Rausch, a fellow seasoned sales guru with a passion for the art of selling. Nikki has the unique ability to transform the misunderstood process of selling into techniques, tools, and tips that can successfully be incorporated into a duplicatable process. Nikki Rausch is the Founder and CEO of Sales Maven, where she leverages her 25 years of sales experience to help entrepreneurs learn to sell in an authentic way. As a sales coach, trainer, author, and speaker, Nikki teaches her clients how to authentically move people through the selling process in a way that builds relationships, creates true connection, and results in more closed deals and long-term clients. Her latest book, Selling Staircase, is sure to leave you feeling confidently equipped to develop a genuine sales process that gets those deals closed. Listen in to this jam-packed conversation to find out more about how showing up from a place of credibility and being more strategic will help you to reach your sales goals. Show Highlights: Sales is really about creating strong relationships with people. LuAnn likens closing a sale with being on a first date. Interior Designers often classify themselves as an introvert and therefore don’t develop sales skills. Using your own personality is the best way to grow your business. Nikki helps clients learn how to use language to attract ideal clients. It’s important to be the expert and provide recommendations. You need to be able to explain the “why” so that communication is clear. You can talk people out of buying from you if you don’t recognize a buying signal. LuAnn and Nikki share personal pet-peeves they have when they’re on the receiving end of a sales pitch. Nikki’s 5 Steps of the Selling Staircase: Introduction: Establish yourself as a credible source and make a powerful first impression. Creating Curiosity: Is this a potential client or colleague? Tip: Are you answering questions in a way that spurs people to want to know more about you? Nikki explains the difference between using a ‘cat-calling’ and ‘dog-calling’ technique to create curiosity. The Discovery Phase: Find out what their want/need/problem is, and ask questions that lead to people hiring you. The Proposal: As the expert, recommend the services that you think your client needs, and not what you think they can afford. The Close: Use closing language and then zip it! Let your prospect respond first. If they raise an objection, be ready to uncover and overcome the “real” objection. You, as the salesperson, are not allowed to skip any of these steps. Your client, however, can! Resources: Join us for The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point Market Coming Spring 2020! Sign Up For Updates HERE! A Well Designed Business Podcast® 4th Birthday Party New York City, New York Thursday, March 19th 5:30 – 7:30pm Kravet Workspace, 200 Lexington Avenue, Suite 210 RSVP HERE! LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! Purchase LuAnn’s Book! Connect with Nikki! Nikki’s Website - Free E-Book ‘Closing the Sale’! Learn why you might be fumbling sales calls and what to do instead, how you can establish yourself as the expert and language to use when asking for the sale. Nikki’s Sales Maven SocietyFor 10% Off Membership, Use COUPON CODE: luann Nikki’s Selling Strength Assessment Nikki’s Facebook Nikki’s Instagram Nikki’s Linkedin Nikki’s YouTube Nikki’s Books

Welcome! On today’s show, the creative force behind the Barclay Butera Design Firm, joins us on the show for the second time on the podcast. We pick up with Barclay today, where we left off with him in our previous conversation in episode # 122. He talks to us about his corporation, how it has changed, how he vets potential licensing partners, and what his responsibilities are, in terms of his relationships with his licensing partners. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what Barclay has to share. Barclay has been the creative force behind his prestigious design firm since 1994, and he is well-known for his approachable elegance and glamorous coastal-chic interiors. He has showrooms in New Port Beach, California, Corona Del Mar, California, and Park City, Utah. Apart from his thriving interior design business, Barclay is also a stand-out leader in our industry for developing and earning licensing agreements. His licensing partners include Kravet, Jaipur, Bradburn Home Lighting, Castell Outdoor Furniture, Eastern Accents, Leftbank Art, Lexington Home Brands, Mirror Image, Napa Home and Garden, and many others. Barclay also has a long list of esteemed press and media publication credentials. Tune in today, to find out more. Show Highlights: Barclay talks about his new, sophisticated fabric collection at Kravet. Every license relationship wants Barclay to push to the next level. Barclay discusses what he has coming in 2020with Jaipur. Barclay has recently celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his business. His next book could be out within the next year. Barclay discusses the real estate revenue stream that he has recently added to his corporation. How his whole licensing empire has grown organically to where it is today. Some tips for capitalizing on licensing opportunities. A lot of hard work goes into Barclay's licensing partnerships. Barclay discusses the kinds of people he has to sell to. Barclay informs everything he does with the very same thought processes he uses to manage his very large design firm. Barclay's company has been built on good personal relationships and he promotes from within. Learning to run a business well. Barclay was raised in a sales environment. His parents were both salespeople. Managing with kindness, not fear. Some things to consider when thinking of growing your business. Barclay shares his thoughts about sharing, caring, and supporting charities, and his mechanisms for doing it. Barclay explains why e-commerce is the most difficult revenue stream. Previous Episode Mentioned: Nate Berkus #433 Links: Barclay Butera [email protected] My Doma Studio: A Well designed Business

Welcome! We have Natalie Norcross, the CEO and Founder of A Design Partnership, back on the show today. (She was previously in episode #162.) Natalie started her career as an interior designer. She then built a highly successful residential and hospitality design firm, and after she sold it in 2008, she was repeatedly approached by interior design and architectural firms to assist them with their marketing and business development. And this was how A Design Partnership was born. In today's episode, Natalie talks about the four areas you need to focus on when going after press for your design firm. She also discusses how to make PR more accessible to designers, and she shares her strategies for goal setting, running her firm, and achieving success. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what this #smartlady has to share! A Design Partnership has grown to become a dynamic group of experts who are passionate about helping clients transform their brands and evolve their businesses. From content curators to data-obsessed experts, Natalie leads a dynamic team of design-savvy people who know the industry, love their craft, and are fanatical about helping brands grow. Natalie has more than nineteen years of experience, working for interior designers, architects, builders, developers, and hotel and home brands. Her firm has a proven track record of driving exposure and placements through their PR. Natalie is an Official Member of Forbes Agency Council as well as a regular speaker and panelist in both the communications and design industries. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Having systems in place will allow you to sell your business. How Natalie's agency was born. Systems lead to success. Locking things down and getting things organized in your business. Focus on your goals to achieve your dreams. Ninety days of intention. Focus on becoming the best version of yourself. Success is all about service. Natalie talks about her superpower. Natalie describes her wonderful team. Working with success metric for each client. Accountability is a great mirror. Developing a growth mindset and surrounding yourself with positive people. Everything in your life is figure-outable. Some advice about PR. Great tips for getting press! Getting published with Interior Design PR in 2020. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Natalie Norcross 1st show #162 Ren Miller #12 Ashley Hotham Cox #321 Amy Flurry #108, #323 Alex Gourlay # 447 Links: Website: A Design Partnership Instagram: A Design Partnership Pinterest: A Design Partnership Facebook: A Design Partnership New Launch: Interior Design PR

Welcome to our special bonus show! Today, as promised, we will be sharing our conversation with Eric Ross about his business philosophy, his process for selling accessories, and the way he manages his reveal install day. Eric's process is unique and very unusual. Be sure to listen in, to hear what he has to share. Eric has been a professional decorator for more than twenty years. Although his preferred design style is traditional, he listens to his clients, to help them discover what they love, and what they respond to because he believes that everyone's home should represent who they are on their best day. Tune in today, to get some great advice from Eric! Show Highlights: Eric doesn't deliver a project piecemeal. He only reveals it when it's ready. Eric takes risks when making purchases for his clients but they seldom ask to return items. It is important to look at what you're trying to achieve, and the value you're bringing to people, and stick to that. Know that your job is to make things beautiful and if something gets returned you have still done your job. Eric loves to wow people at the install. People who appreciate Eric's value and want a beautiful home will be willing to pay the price he's asking. It's Eric's job to design a room to completion. It's the client's job to decide on the budget. The designer needs to learn what makes the client tick. Links: Website: Eric Ross Interiors Facebook: Eric Ross Interiors Instagram: Eric Ross Interiors Pinterest: Eric Ross Interiors Mydoma Studio: A Well Designed Business A Well-Designed Business® 4th Birthday Party

Welcome! Today, Eric Ross joins us on the show. Eric is a charming southern gentleman and a well-experienced design professional. He is also a seasoned businessman who has figured out how to run his firm in a unique way that really works for him. In today's episode, he describes how he runs his private interior design studio like a retail store. He explains that he no longer feels the need to change, apologize or adjust the way he works to conform to a client’s expectations. Eric knows himself well, he understands his passions, and he is very clear about what he will and will not do. Be sure to listen in today, to find about his very interesting business model. Eric is from Nashville. He has been in love with the traditional living design style since he was a child. He has more than twenty years of design experience and his work has been published in Traditional Home, Southern Style, Southern Lady, The Cottage Journal, as well as in many other publications. Eric's passion is to fan the flame of traditional decorating with a deeply Southern esthetic. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Eric explains what he means when he says that he is running his design firm like a store without a storefront. What the decorating track of Eric's business is all about. Eric's margins are hefty, just like those in a storefront, and all of his design services are included in that pricing. The way that Eric educates his clients about his philosophy and the way he works. Talking about transparency. People will happily pay Eric for his product rather than his time. Trust is a key issue. Eric's business model allows him to have total control over the whole process. Eric's advice is to start small with clients. It makes your business more manageable. The biggest motivator for Eric is seeing the result of what he has created. Eric's qualifying process for his new clients. Eric explains why he does not do discounts. The opportunities you're losing by being overworked. Eric's goal is to monetize his passion. Our industry is too high-touch to make it high volume. It's okay to mark up because of the value you add to the project. You don't have to explain your "no". Eric has a new book out, called Enduring Southern Homes. Links: Website: Eric Ross Interiors Facebook: Eric Ross Interiors Instagram: Eric Ross Interiors Pinterest: Eric Ross Interiors Mydoma Studio: A Well Designed Business A Well-Designed Business® 4th Birthday Party

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Traci Reuter, the founder, and CEO of Divine Social joins us today. Traci loves to uplift and inspire business owners, entrepreneurs, or anyone with an amazing idea! She has a knack for uncovering just the right strategy for everyone and then helping them map things out to make the execution simple and easy. In today's episode, Traci shares tons of ideas, strategies, and tips for paid marketing on social media. Be sure to listen in to find out more about the paid advertising aspect of Instagram and Facebook. Traci has twenty-five years of experience in sales and marketing. She is passionate about supporting businesses and growing their brands through real and meaningful social media advertising. She has a special gift for mapping out the perfect strategy to get a brand in front of the right people at the right time. Traci truly knows her stuff when it comes to high-level marketing strategy. She also co-hosts the Social Media Happy Hour podcast with Dawn Marks. Tune in today, to learn what she has to share. Show Highlights: The power of paid advertising on social media. Traci explains how she started with her business. Traci gives her team incredible training. Sometimes, it takes just a tiny thing to make all the difference in your profitability. Begin with the end in mind. The customer journey. Never spend money on ads. Rather invest in your business. Consideration is not the same as pre-purchase. Why Traci is against boosting Facebook posts. It takes time to build up enough trust to invest in advertising. Thinking about what to put your ads, to get your prospects to want to know more. Branding is about telling your story so that business comes out of it. Creating engagement with your prospects. Building audiences of people who have watched your Facebook video. Traci shares the EDIE formula for creating a great video. All your ads must be congruent with your end-goal. Video out-performs everything else on social media. What to do if you only have the budget to run one thing. The Three Pillars to Successful Social Ads. Should you focus on Facebook or Instagram? Bio: Traci Reuter is the founder/CEO of Divine Social. She’s passionate about supporting businesses in growing their brands through authentic, meaningful social advertising. Traci has an uncanny gift for looking at any business’s mission, vision, and message, and mapping out the right strategy to get their brand in front of the right people at the right time. With 25 years of experience in sales and marketing, Traci knows her stuff when it comes to high-level marketing strategy. Combined with her tactical knowledge of social advertising, Traci can write the recipe for any brand’s success, and she would love to share some of her greatest secrets behind mapping out your own powerful social advertising strategy. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Nicole Heymer #125, #317, and #466 Links: Website: Divine Social Instagram: Traci Reuter Facebook: Traci Reuter Social Youtube: Traci Reuter Please take advantage of Traci’s gifts: For the 15-minute audit, if you are spending more than $3000 a month on social media marketing, email Traci at [email protected]. For Traci's free mini-course, 3 Pillars To Successful Social Ads, go to A Well Designed Business Big announcement - The 4th Birthday Party for the podcast will be at Kravet’s new workspace center at 200 Lexington NY NY on March 19, 2020, at 5:30 pm Book mentioned: Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey

Welcome! Today, we have Lisa Haude, of Paradigm Design Group, joining us! Lisa built her firm from ground zero to a firm with gross revenues exceeding fifty-million dollars. And she showed her relentless commitment by doing that the old-fashioned way, by calling on her contacts week after week. In today's episode, Lisa talks to us about how she runs her business, and she explains how all her success can be attributed to her commitment to delivering an exceptional project, regardless of the situation. Tune in today, to find out how planning to exceed your clients' expectations in every aspect of a project will always bring about a successful result. As the lead designer and founder of Paradigm Design Group for the last fifteen years, Lisa Haude is an expert in livable luxury. She has built Paradigm Design Group into a hospitality design powerhouse. With projects ranging from The Roosevelt Waldorf Astoria in New Orleans to the award-winning Portland Marriott Downtown, to boutique hotels and numerous Hilton hotels across the United States, Lisa prides herself on her design versatility. Be sure to listen in today, to find out more about Lisa, and her work ethic, and her successful design firm. Show Highlights: Lisa spent time working at high-end hospitality firms, for architectural design firms, and in the hotel and hospitality industry, on the inside, on their design teams, before opening her firm. She talks to us about how this great learning experience informs the way she runs her firm. Lisa gives us some insight into the way her firm looks. Taking care of the details and all the moving pieces on multiple-million dollar projects. The way that Lisa's whole team collaborates to bring about an awesome project. Dealing with the documentation. Talking about accountability. The whole team is detail-oriented. Open discussions are vital for growing and improving. Taking responsibility, as a leader, for whatever happens with a project. Sometimes it's hard to find your humor when you're in the trenches. Some advice for landing and keep long-term hospitality accounts. Owning up if you mess up is very important. People like to do business with people who have similar ideals and values. Lisa has an amazing village of co-workers. How Lisa created her opportunities and made things happen when she started her firm. Lisa offers some awesome advice. Thinking outside the box to make things happen. The background and skills that Lisa looks for when hiring a junior designer. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Meryl Santopietro #40 Mikel Welch #297 Corey Damen Jenkins #127 Claire Jefford #237 Vanessa DeLeon #18 Links: Website: Paradigm Design Facebook: Paradigm Design Group Instagram: Paradigm Design Group The 4th Birthday Party for the podcast will be at Kravet's new workshop center at 200 Lexington New York on March 19, 2020, at 5.30 pm. Use this link to RSVP - Event Brite

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we have one of our early guests back on the show. Diane Gardener, known as The Tax Coach (Episode #54) is back with us to talk about the specific niche of seven-figure interior design firms. Although LuAnn has done a lot of shows about getting a design business off the ground, she realized that she's done way fewer shows about what to do when you are in the seven-figure bracket. And there are very specific challenges that come with this area. When moving into the seven-figure bracket, business owners frequently experience higher expenses, cash flow problems, and higher taxes. So be sure to listen in today even if you're still a #babydesigner because LuAnn fully intends for you to become a seven-figure interior designer someday. Diane Gardner is a Certified Tax Coach, a Quilly award recipient, and a best-selling author whose expert planning approach has saved her clients over three-million dollars in taxes. Her expertise lies in the area of tax planning. And her goal is to make sure that successful entrepreneurs across the United States are paying the least amount of income tax that they can legally pay. She aims to save taxes, one business at a time, through the use of pro-active tax planning. Diane has been featured on popular podcasts such as CEO Warrior, For the Love of Money, Listen Money Matters, Investing in The U.S, Cashflow Ninja, SharkPrenuer, Wealth Formula and Profit Boss. Tune in today, to learn about what you need in your seven-figure business to mitigate risk, increase your profits, and legally decrease your taxes. Show Highlights: Diane is a certified Profit First coach. Planning ahead to pay less tax when moving into the seven-figure tax bracket. Increased income often means increased expenses. Becoming an active partner with your CPA or Business Coach. The tax planning strategies that seven-figure businesses need to implement to keep more money A great way to incentivize your people and lessen your tax load. It takes a different set of skills to run a bigger business. How to increase your cash flow to leverage growth from multi-six-figures to seven-figures. Diane explains how a tax coach can be your ultimate advocate and partner in growth. Doing an entity analysis for your business. An amazing strategy for saving money by investing in your own insurance company. Other guests mentioned in this show: Michele Williams #180, #395 Peter Lang # 349, #464 Diane Gardner was on the show before in episode #54 Links: Diane's website: Tax Coach 4 You Diane's offer: Planning guide for the new tax law vs old tax law. Diane’s Facebook handles: @taxcoach4you @AdeptBusinessServices

Welcome to the epic 500th episode of A Well-Designed Business! So far, it's been a wild ride, and we've fully enjoyed every minute of it! Even LuAnn, the consummate positive thinker, ever-optimistic dreamer, and earnest believer in the truth, could not foresee all the joy she has experienced, and the delightful connections she has made, because of this podcast! Join us today, for this truly memorable episode! Recently, LuAnn has been spending time reflecting on all the pleasure that this podcast has brought her. She's been thinking about all the people she's met, the invaluable relationships she's formed, the opportunities she's been given, and the ones she has helped to create through this podcast. She has also taken the time to break down the various business strategies she's used in running this platform. In today's episode, she shares the five things that she learned behind the scenes, from doing this show. Be sure to tune in today, to hear about the 5 Keys that LuAnn believes were essential for her to have in place, to allow for her calling to happen. Show Highlights: LuAnn talks about the 5 essential keys to success. Talking about passion. How LuAnn realized that she needed to do a podcast. Looking for something to light her up, back in 2013. Lessons learned from golf lessons, surfing lessons, and 46-mile bike rides. Never looking back, only ahead for what was to come. LuAnn shares her true passion. Even the hard days have been an absolute joy for LuAnn. Creating a business plan with cold, hard facts. Making clear decisions, based on facts and up-front agreements. Clarity creates calm and purpose because when you have a plan, you are more likely to get to where you want to be. Having an unrelenting, single-minded, and focused commitment to getting things done. Every business is always a work in progress. What you need, to be successful. Commitment is showing up on schedule, being prepared to do what you said you would do, and doing the work. What it takes, to run a village. LuAnn has been blessed by the most amazing village of the brands who believe in this show. It has been through the village of guests, sponsors, co-authors, and listeners that LuAnn has grown, and learned so much, in the last four years. Some valuable lessons were learned from doing LuAnn Live. Paying other people to deal with the details and fill in the gaps. Having the support of our amazingly gifted podcast village. The sad loss of a dear friend, Liza Jones. Treasuring the support of all her co-authors. Make someone's day, and decide to be excellent! Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Nicole Heymer #125, #317, and #466 Taylor Spellman #106, #390, and #467 Michele Williams #137, #180, #395, and #424 Sarah Daniele #91, #119, and #177 Jenny and Greg Madden #332 Corey Damon Jenkins #388 Eileen Hahn #363 Wendy Glaister #386 Links: LuAnn Nigara My Doma Studio Kravet Article Kirsch Revel Woods

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We have Shauna Lynn Simon with us today. She is an award-winning home staging industry expert and business strategist, and she's also one of the co-authors of LuAnn's second book, A Well-Designed Business, The Power Talk Friday Experts. Shauna Lynn is seriously committed to helping aspiring entrepreneurs achieve success in their businesses. In today's episode, she explains how to become unforgettable to your clients. She shares several ways to make yourself memorable so that you're always the first person that your clients think of when they need an interior design or a window treatment service. Be sure to listen in, to find out what this exceptional businesswoman has to share with you today. You're really going to love her! Shauna Lynn Simon is dedicated to creating educational content that builds successful relationships between like-minded professionals. She partners with CEOs, executives, and solo-preneurs to grow their brands. Shauna Lynn has built a thriving home staging and design business. She has designed a comprehensive and systematic program for teaching the technical and the business side of the home staging world. She also offers core and continuing education for home staging professionals through Styled, Listed, and Sold (SLS) Academy. Tune in now, for more! Show Highlights: Making yourself stand out uniquely. It's all about understanding who you are and owning it. Shauna Lynn's company has been branded with the color pink. You need to know who you are and what you represent. People often forget the names of people they have worked with before. You need to find something to make yourself memorable. Owning every part of your image. You have to be one in a million. Figuring out what makes you the best. What fires up your passion? Finding your purpose by looking at what makes you happy. Positioning yourself well in the marketplace. Give people a reason to remember you. Figure out your "thing" is and steer yourself in that direction. Everything you do should reflect your business in some way. Creating an effective About You page. Bio: Shauna Lynn Simon is an award-winning home staging industry expert and business strategist, committed to guiding aspiring entrepreneurs to achieve success in their business. After building a thriving home staging and design business, she founded Styled, Listed, and Sold (SLS) Academy, a comprehensive and systematic program providing core and continuing education training for home staging professionals. Analyst turned home stager, Shauna Lynn combines creativity with logic and problem solving to achieve incredible results. Dedicated to creating educational content that builds successful relationships, Shauna Lynn partners with CEOs, executives and solo-preneurs in the creative field to grow their personal and professional brands, providing real-world insights and actionable tips for conquering their business dreams. Links: Website: Beyond The Stage Homes Facebook: Beyond The Stage Homes YouTube Channel Pinterest: BTSHomes Exciting Windows IWCE PowerHouse Smart Luxury Conference - phs20.com Goodies Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Shauna Lynn Simon # 76, #84, and #102 Moniomi Design #193 Dane Austin #457 Nicole Heymer #125, #317, and #466

Welcome! Today, we have Claire Staszak back on the show with us. Claire, who was previously in episode #166, is the principal of the Chicago-based firm, Centered by Design. Claire is a kind and genuine lady, and LuAnn has always had a very soft spot for her. In today's episode, she explains how to create excellent, top-quality content for social media. She and LuAnn also talk about how they met at the Design Influencer's Conference in 2017, and they discuss how Claire's blog, Centered by Design, was honored with an award for Best Design Writing. Be sure to listen in, to hear what Claire has to share about creating quality content for social media. Centered By Design, is known for its holistic design process, which combines Claire's passion for wellness with her well-trained eye for interiors. Claire studied interior design at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and she holds a Certificate of Kitchen and Bath Design from Harper College. She is also a certified yoga instructor with more than 500 hours of training. Claire's work has been featured by The Chicago Tribune, Modern Luxury, HGTV, Domino, Architectural Digest online and more. Tune in now, to find out more. Show Highlights: Claire will be speaking at The Powerhouse Smart Luxury Conference that LuAnn will be headlining, in February, in Chicago. Why The Powerhouse Smart Luxury Conference is unique and well worth attending. Claire talks about winning the Best Design Writing Award at the Design Influencer's Conference, in 2017. The Design Influencer's Conference was a turning point for Claire. It boosted her and gave her a lot of confidence. Claire has a degree in journalism so writing comes very naturally to her. Helping as many people as possible, as effectively as possible. Claire came to the Design Influencer's Conference, in 2017, asking whether or not she should continue writing her blog. Claire shares her biggest takeaway from her experience of winning the Best Design Writing Award. Claire has created a workbook, called Authentically You, for interior designers and creatives looking to create content for their websites and social media. Claire has a social media following of 18 000 people, and she gets more than a million views a month on Pinterest. She shares some tips and strategies. Creating opportunities for brand ambassadorship. Claire's best apps for pre-planning and creating content. Growing your #following on Instagram. You attract the right kind of clients when you're authentic on social media. Claire has an awesome giveaway for you today! Links: Claire's online shop pages: Centered By Design Centered By Design Claire's Instagram and Pinterest: Instagram: Claire Staszak Pinterest: Claire Staszak Claire's blog Claire's giveaway - Social Media Prompts for Seasonal & Evergreen Content Goodies Process Leads To Profits Profit With Window Treatments What Would Lu Do LuAnn and Claire will be speaking at the Power House Smart Luxury Conference this February 5, 2020 For tickets Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Claire’s 1st episode #166 Kelsey Grose- The Farmer’s Daughter #167 - Winner of Best New Design Blog 2017 by Design Influencers Conference Shea McGee - episode #’s: 236, 270 - Keynote Speaker 2017 at Design Influencers Conference Amber Lewis – episode #’s: 168, 184 - Keynote Speaker 2017 at Design Influencers Conference Wendy Cohen: #483 - Organizer of the 2020 Power House Smart Luxury Conference

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we have a business strategist, Kim Dawson, joining us. Kim enjoys working with business owners, helping them earn more and grow their businesses into successful enterprises. Her superpower is helping the owners of service-based businesses work out their ideal pricing formula. In other words, she guides them through a process of figuring out how much they should be charging, either per hour or for an entire project, to be profitable. Kim's advice is to always start with the numbers so that you can plan and strategize to accomplish your goals, rather than wishing for them to happen. Be sure to listen in today, to find out what she has to share. Kim is a lifelong entrepreneur. She has started many businesses of her own, including a local health and fitness studio, and she has also co-founded a software setup. Kim's experience lies both in locally-focused, service-oriented businesses, and in online product-based businesses. Tune in now, to find out how to set and track your yearly financial goals, and make more profit from your business. Show Highlights: Kim works with many different industries. Running a business is not for everybody. Owning a business does not mean that you know how to run one. Making a plan to earn your money. Getting your priorities in order. Looking at your numbers. Kim shares a formula for working out how much money you need to bring in each year. You need to know your market. Evaluating the whole situation before deciding to take something on helps you stay on target. Kim advises charging a flat fee, rather than an hourly fee. Working out your hourly rate. Finding the right market for the rate you're charging. Using a strategic plan to get where you want to go. Tracking your time makes your billing easier. Kim used to have The Sassy Strategist Podcast. The shows to go with this show: Krista Coupar #60 Kim Merlitti #361 and #442 Alinda Morris #429 Cheryl Clendenon #482 Michele Williams #395 Kae Whitaker #114 Links: Kim Dawson LuAnn Nigara Profit With Window Treatments Kirsch My Doma Studio Kravet Well Designed Article IWCE Vision

Welcome to the last podcast for 2019! Today, we have Sally Williams, the owner of Colorful Concepts Interior Design, based in Raleigh, New York, with us on the show. Sally knows who she is, what she is capable of doing, and what sets her apart from other designers. And this comes across very distinctly in her carefully thought-out and exceptionally well-written bio. Listen in today, to hear what Sally has to share about the way she markets and grows her design firm. Sally is very clear about what she will do and what she won't do in her business. And she knows precisely what to say when she has to have difficult conversations with her clients. This is Sally's secret sauce because certain conversations can be very hard to have if you're not prepared. In today's show, Sally explains how she's equipped herself for having these hard conversations with clients, and she talks to us about two changes that she made in her firm, which have resulted in a 40% increase in her gross sales in just one year. Be sure to tune in today, to find out more! We wish you the happiest and most successful of years in 2020! Show Highlights: Sally explains how she achieved a 40% growth in her business this year, by making two changes. Changing to charging an hourly rate, rather than a flat fee. Sally explains how she estimates the cost of a design project. Sally's mechanism for billing her clients for additional work. Sally explains how she and her team track their hours. Sally walks us through her strategy wall for new projects. Setting things up for a new project. Sally explains how she persuades new clients to hang in there, and bear with her until she's ready to start with their project. How Sally and her team coped with a 40% growth this year. Creating touchpoints for keeping the communication with the client open throughout a project. The wrapping-up process. Susan Brunstrum (#36) has developed a great process for wrapping up a design project. Charging the same mark-up percentage on products across the board. Sally explains how she builds her pipeline and markets her business. Bio: Sally Williams, the Owner and Principal Designer of Colorful Concepts Interior Design has a design aesthetic that is timeless and free of stylistic premises working in contemporary and traditional spaces alike. Sally is a CQRID-certified Interior Designer who has also earned an Accounting degree from the College of William and Mary. She worked in Corporate Accounting Management prior to following her life-long passion for Fine Art and Craft by opening a Gallery in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina. During her seven years of Gallery ownership, Sally’s eyes were opened to the world of Interior Design. With the encouragement of Gallery clients, friends, and family, she pursued vigorous self-study of the field. In 2002, Sally closed the Gallery and Colorful Concepts was born. The gallery and artists Sally worked with continue to inspire her design approach today. She begins her designs with the color palette, which sets the tone for the entire project. Sally transforms a space artistically, providing balanced composition and soulful color schemes set in crisp optimistic environments. She has a strong philosophy that environments impact peoples’ daily lives, and she works with the client to deeply understand what they want and need in their space. ​As the daughter of a United States Foreign Service Officer, Sally spent much of her childhood overseas. A multi-cultural heritage of French-Canadian on her Father’s side, and Peruvian on her Mother’s, has also inspired Sally’s creativity, which is delivered beyond her client’s expectations. Sally is a Past President of the Triangle Chapter of the Interior Design Society; a member of numerous Professional Associations including the Home Builders Association and the Remodeler’s Council; and is a volunteer with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the Carolina Designer Craftsmen Guild. Sally has lived in Raleigh for thirty years, where she and her husband, Richard, raised their two daughters - Angela and Nancy. Colorful Concepts Interior Design is a full-service Interior Design studio providing professional services in residential renovation design, space planning, new home materials selections, custom window treatments, and furnishings, fine art and craft consulting, and more. At Colorful Concepts Interior Design, long-term client relationships are valued, and we look forward to working with you on future projects as well. We are fortunate to serve clients in a way that truly enhances their lives. Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Cheryl Clendenon # 482 Susan Brunstrum # 36 Nicole Heymer # 125, #317, and #466 Fred Berns #22, #48, #96, #174, #226, #289, #337, #393, and #460 Links: Colorful Concepts Interior Design Instagram Facebook Dering Hall Luann Nigara Well Designed Article My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business

Welcome to another Power Talk Friday! Today, we're very excited to be talking money with our guest, Gerri Detweiler! Gerri understands just how to talk to creatives like us about money in a way that we truly get it. As designers, we need to understand that working intentionally with our business finances will ultimately allow us to bring our design talent to the world. However, many creatives struggle to understand the nuances of money and finance, so, in today's episode, Gerri talks to us about business finance and she explains how to get access to a line of credit. Be sure to listen in, to get a clear understanding of credit and financing for your business. Gerri has been guiding individuals through the confusing world of credit for more than twenty years. Her articles have been widely syndicated, and she is either the author or co-author of five books, including her most recent, Finance Your Own Business: Get on the Financing Fast Track. Gerri is also the Education Director for Nav, which matches small business owners to their best financing options and gives them free access to their personal and business credit scores. Tune in today, to find out more! Show Highlights: Gerri admits that she's not a numbers person. She does what she does because she loves helping people. Gerri hates seeing people making bad choices. Why you need to have a good financial buffer available for your business. Setting your business up smartly, for success. Protecting your personal finances from your business's ups and downs. There are a lot of misconceptions and misunderstandings about which cards to use in your business. Some clever strategies for saving on bank charges. Avoiding fraud with credit cards. Using business credit to benefit your cash-flow. Establishing a line of credit. There are many different loans available for small businesses via the SBA. Checking on business credit. Why you need to keep your personal credit scores separate from business credit scores. Business credit- use it or you'll lose it. How Nav helps business owners. You can set up your business credit for free with Nav. Links: Nav: The coupon code for opening a premium Nav account is PODCAST. Nav Blog Find out which small business credit cards don't report to your personal credit: Nav Small business credit cards that DO help you build business credit Get Nav's free Build Business Credit Checklist at Nav Podcast Facebook: Nav Twitter: NavSMB Previous shows mentioned in this episode: Peter Lang #349 and #464 Kimberley Merlitti #361 and #442 Michele Williams #137, #180, #395, and #424 Taylor Spellman #467 Ashley Micchice #468