A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Today's guest is Reed Humphrey, the President of Alder and Tweed Home Outfitters in Park City, Utah, a family owned business that Reed runs with his two sisters. Reed was first exposed to the world of interiors at the age of eight, when he would travel all over the world with his parents, who were the owners of a successful lighting business, to visit suppliers and factories. This really allowed for Reed to develop a discriminating eye and knowledge for quality. This expertise has carried on as Alder and Tweed continue to source some of the best leathers, fabrics, furnishings, and suppliers in the world. Listen in to find out about how Reed and his sisters have used their really clear vision to re-invent and niche their business, to service strictly, the vacation homeowners buying in Park City, Utah. Reed, an open, humble and skilled leader, has operated the business side of Alder and Tweed for the past thirteen years, overseeing the logistics, strategy, marketing, and human resources. He also supports the wholesale side of Alder and Tweed Furniture. Since 2004, the firm has focused on a client-centric approach to projects, and it has grown to a staff of eighteen employees, with offices in both Park City, Utah and in Big Sky, Montana. Reed, who lives in Sandy, Utah with his wife Jenna and his daughter, London, was raised in El Dorado Hills, California and moved to Utah in 2002, after being offered a scholarship to play basketball for Utah Valley University, where he studied business. Reed speaks Japanese fluently and enjoys basketball, golf and traveling. Listen in now, to find out more about Reed and his really successfully niched business. Today, Reed talks to LuAnn about: How the family business, which started out as a retail showroom, has evolved, over time, eventually targeting vacation home buyers in Park City. How they decided to close their original business in Salt Lake City within one week, to move to Park City. That the family all knew that they had to make a move, at the time- and fast. The dynamics involved in running a family business. What Reed and his sisters did to brand themselves in a different light, so as not be just another Design Business How Reed and his sisters became are aware of the pain points of their clients, and what they do to help them to overcome these problems and make everything really easy for the client. How they manage to allocate the money as an operating expense, to fly out to see the clients. How they went into their new niche market and became known within it. What they did to reach out to Real Estate Agents in Park City, within their first six months. How they really make it their business to cover everything, seamlessly. How their referral stream has really picked up. How their Junior and Senior Designers work as a team, together with Reed's sister, Heather. How the processes of their projects run. How their Client Portal Their fantastic team, which is capable of running different projects, at different stages, all at the same time. The different packages that they have available, for all the various, different client needs. Why Reed and his sisters haven't really made it known that they are the owners of the firm. The biggest thing that Reed would caution people wanting to start a similar business with. How they manage to operate their business without a showroom. That they focus on quality and customer experience, rather than on the numbers. What Reed and his team really love about what they do! Links: http://www.alderandtweed.com http://www.alderandtweedfurniture.com Upcoming events include today’s FB Live Flash Mob at 2:00 pm EDT from the Kravet Showroom. Then, Design Uncorked – How to grow from Design Firm to Design Empire. A live interview with Kelli Ellis from the Kravet Showroom at Las Vegas Market on Tuesday, August 2 at 2:00 pm. Last week did you catch our 1st guest blog post by Kelsey Grose of Farmer’s Daughter Interiors? “How I Landed A Full Kitchen Project With No Portfolio” It’s a great read. Reminder: to be on our email list, text to this number- 444999 and in the text filed type designbiz it will bring you to 1 screen to enter your email and you’re all set.

Today's guests are Ronald Alvarez and Monica Santayana, the principals of Moniomi Design in Miami, Florida. This is really going to be a great show for the takeaways, so if you're in business with a partner, whether you're married to them or not, you will really get some great value today! Listen in as this very special husband and wife team talk about how they work and relate together and how this contributes to the great success of their company. Ronald and Monica met while attending Florida International University, where they were both studying Architecture. They started Moniomi about five years ago and they've become unbeatable, due to the fabulous way that they lead their team, in the up and coming River Area of Miami. Monica focuses on the creative details and finishes and selecting the specifics of the Design Process, like the textiles and the furniture, while Ronald, who has his background in Project Management and Advertising, keeps everything running on time, within the budget and moving forward. They offer Full Service Interior Design, for projects of any scale, as well as Custom Art and Furniture Design, Graphic Design, Space Planning and Project Management. Moniomi's commercial work includes a private aircraft terminal at Orion Jet Centre and their Hospitality Projects include Hyatt Place, Comfort Suites, Hampton Inn, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Express and Pincho Factory Restaurant. LuAnn really thinks that you're going to enjoy this talk with these two very special people, as she really enjoyed getting to know them and she thinks that you will too! Listen in now, to hear their conversation. Today, Ronald and Monica talk to LuAnn about: The organic development of each of their different roles, within the business, which runs in a similar way to how they organize the rest of their lives. The great level of respect and trust that Monica and Ronald have for each other. How Ronald and Monica really support each other and also even push one another at times. That Ronald initiated and brought systems into the business, while Monica concentrated on developing the firm. Their one on one Discovery Consultations, to really get the feel of the client and ascertain whether they will be compatible, or not. That they really look for creative freedom, with their projects. How they coordinate and work together on a new project. Where they fork off from one another with the projects and Monica focuses on the Design side of things, while Ronald focuses on the organizational side. How they handle their vendor meetings. That their construction documents and drawings need to be really clearly defined, for the Project Manager. That clients tend not to see the Contractor as separate from and the Designer, which can be a little unfair on the Designer. That most of their projects involve some type of renovation, which is bigger than the decorating side of things. How the communication between Ronald, Monica and the rest of the team is organized, during a project. That it's really just Ronald and Monica, as a team, that deal with the residential projects. That their design team works with the Hospitality and Commercial Projects. That their Residential clients know and feel comfortable in that they can reach out to Ronald and Monica, personally. The great respect that Ronald and Monica have for each other's capabilities. Why you need to focus on building a really strong team. Monica shares some things she's learned, in hindsight. Ronald's advice and number one take away- that all relationships, with your clients, employees and vendors really need to be valued.

The guest for today's Power Talk Friday is Adam Urbanski, aka The Millionaire Marketing Mentor and he's a real headliner in Online Marketing and Podcast circles! There are so many ways that Adam could really help and influence all LuAnn's Designer friends to get that extra 'something' to tweak their businesses, so today, she's decided to go with Adam's Dream Business Design Process. Listen in to find out how this process helps Designers to identify what they want to sell the most and also how to sell to the most clients. Adam, who has been in business for seventeen years now, is really the 'go to guy' for Coaches, Consultants and other Service Professionals who want to attract more clients, convert more high-value sales, build an authority brand, or grow a Lifestyle Business that has more impact and generates more income. Adam's clients have often doubled, tripled and even ten times-ed their businesses, some of them in as little as ninety days! All of this and Adam started out with only $194 and limited English and he still managed to turn his first business into a seven-figure business in less than ten years! LuAnn knows that she's in the presence of a true expert with Adam, so she's very grateful that he's on the show today! Listen in now, as Adam shares some really hot tips with you, to help you to become a way better business strategist! Today, Adam talks to LuAnn about: Becoming a master of, and being known for a very specific approach. What his six question worksheet allows you to zero in on. How he discovered his ideal clients. That 90% of his clients are women and this happened by design! That marketing is really all about listening. Adam talks you through his six questions and how to best approach working with them. Finding your specific magic, as a Designer. Thinking about your dream income, per client. Identifying your dream project. Identifying the characteristics of your dream client. What you'd need to do in order to execute your project in the best possible way. (i.e. identifying your Superpower) Really understanding the expectations that you have to meet with your project. Expressing what you're really good at to your client. Establishing systems for really clear processes in your business. Knowing that everything is changing all the time, so you need to maintain a constant process of evaluation with your clients. Asking yourself how much money you'd like to make from each project, per year. Examining which three to six marketing activities you really need to focus on- to avoid becoming overwhelmed. That you should really become a one track pony, in order to not lose sight of your core competencies. Links: Adam's websites: www.adamurbanski.com or www.themarketingmentors.com Adam Urbanski is also on Facebook

Are you a little intimidated at the thought of incorporating art into your design projects? Well, today's show could really help you to move beyond that, as the discussion centers on the value of a trusted vendor- in this case, an expert Framer, someone who can really help you to attain success in this area. LuAnn points out that the expert Framer is yet another colleague for you to rely on and so she couldn't think of a better way to have this conversation, than to have an artist on the show, alongside his favorite Framer. Listen in today, as LuAnn talks to Paul Thomas, a renowned artist and Daniel Beauchemin, an accomplished Interior Designer and the owner of the famous Chelsea Frames, in New York City, about the importance of quality professional framing and how that can really enhance a beautiful piece of art. Paul Thomas has been described as an artist of intuition. His paintings are composed through a natural pattern of creation, rather than a formal analysis. Paul's work is a true reflection of his personality- bright, cheerful, full of vitality and movement and filled with an inner radiance. Much of the translucence of the color tends to be lost when viewing Paul's work online or in a catalog, so it would really be well worth seeing it in person. His work is in both public and private collections in the US, Canada, France, Italy and South America. Some of the highlight collections include the US Consulate in Florence, Italy, The Museum of Contemporary Art in Bologna, The Louis Azzaro Collection, The NYU Langone Medical Centre, Montefiore Medical Centre, Boston Scientific World Headquarters, Holiday House 2013, 2014 and 2015 and Kips Bay Decorator Show House 2015. In 2016, Paul won “Best In Show” at the Architectural Digest Design Show, where he collaborated with Charles Pavarini (Episode #16). Paul has also worked in collaboration with numerous other well known Interior Designers. In 2017, Paul's work became the exclusive art for Haru Restaurants in New York City. Daniel Beauchemin grew up in a house where the design was part of daily life. It was a multi-cultural environment where he was exposed to the Canadian-American and European culture at home and his parent's friends spanned the whole world, so he developed an eclectic taste for beautifully designed things from a very early age. Daniel studied Architecture, with a focus on Furniture design, as well as Art History and Interiors. He came to New York in the early 1990's and worked with some notable New York City Interior Design Firms and he also opened his own firm in 1996, which he ran until 2009. He purchased Chelsea Frames in 1995 and it became the focus of his work. By 2009, it had become one of the most renowned framing studios in the USA, with customers all over the world. He left for a while and worked and designed for Larson-Juhl, but after seven years, he rejoined his partner, Jaclyn Acker, full time in Chelsea Frames, where he still works with Collectors, Designers, and clients on a daily basis. Listen in now and learn from a unique perspective, how you can incorporate fine art into your Design Projects with confidence! Today, LuAnn, Paul, and Daniel discuss: Daniel's perspective on the relationship between an Artist and a Framer and what he brings to the table when he works with an artist like Paul. How Daniel was recently approached by Larson-Juhl to do their booth presentation at the Art Expo New York 2017. How Daniel approached the Larson-Juhl booth at the Art Expo New York and framed Paul's pieces in three different ways so that he could effectively display both Larson Jewel's products and Paul's work. Paul's thought that the artist's work is elevated by what the Framer does with it. How Daniel guides designers to learn to develop an eye to select a really good frame. That it's really Daniel's job to listen. The three very different collection styles that Daniel used with the Larson-Juhl booth presentation. The effect that Daniel's work- the art of framing- has on Paul and his work. The real benefit of Artists, Framers, and Designers working collaboratively. How Daniel actually 'finished' one of Paul's pieces. Some tips for Designers to work better with Framers. That Daniel works regularly with Designers all over the world, so you can feel free to reach out to him. Paul's suggestion for making the best decision when choosing a frame. That there are some Designers who actually create the room around the art because it's such an important feature. Links: Daniel's email: [email protected]

Today’s guest is Kathy Kuo, an open, high-energy, talented designer, and Rockstar businesswoman. You may have seen her amazing Instagram feed or heard of the online boutique she founded, Kathy Kuo Home. She’s also a wife, mother, cook, and world traveler. Born in Taiwan, raised in Boston, and now settled in NYC, Kathy graduated from the Rhode Island School of Interior Design and has traveled to over 30 countries. She recently starred in the FYI Network’s Rowhouse Showdown and her designs have been featured in several lifestyle publications. She’s here to discuss her career, her design firm, and how Kathy Kuo Home can help you! What you’ll hear in this episode: The impetus behind the e-commerce site she founded 10 years ago: it later became Kathy Kuo Home How times have changed in the last 2-3 years Kathy’s site, and how it is consumer-facing and trade-facing Freedom and flexibility with online shopping How Kathy’s network functions to meet clients’ needs What it’s like working with celebrities Great topics on Kathy’s blog: The top three? How to answer awkward questions, How to mix metals, and How to create a design board Why your initial contract should include clear intention How to deal with a client’s inflamed remarks Vendors available at KKH E-design: how it works Why the presentation has to be significant Kathy’s “Get the Look” project collection Resources: www.kathykuohome.com (Find Kathy’s blog, shop, and design business information!) www.mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness (Find the special offer for listeners!)

The guest for today's Power Talk Friday is Jan Bowen, the Founder, and Principal of Strategic Solution Services. Jan is an author, a keynote speaker, a catalyst and a thought leader, with the central theme of her work being alignment. Jan talks about work aligning with life from both the inside and the outside. She is passionate about helping people to live their lives fully, through her work as an Author, a Coach, and a Public Speaker as well as through her business. Listen in to find out more about Jan and the really inspiring work she does. LuAnn could talk to Jan about any of the several aspects of coaching that she does- Leadership Coaching and working with teams or individuals, but the subject of intuition is the one that came up. There are so many things that LuAnn can teach, but she realized that although she's a huge believer in intuition and she's spent her whole life, since childhood, cultivating it, she feels that teaching people how to cultivate and follow their intuition isn't something that she can break down into actionable advice. Intuition has become so instinctive for her that she doubts she has the language to teach it. So, today LuAnn will talk about that with Jan, because Jan really knows how to teach people how to use it- it relates to leadership training and to interactions with clients. Listen in now and find out from Jan how you can cultivate your intuition and use it to enhance your life and business. Today, LuAnn talks to Jan about: How her intuition speaks to her. How she teaches people to cultivate their intuition. What people tend to think that intuition is. Allowing your intuition to build and develop. Keeping a log of your successes with your intuition. How to know the difference between just an idea and her intuition. That intuition is rational- it's not emotional. Starting with knowing what your personal feelings about intuition really are. That your intuition will never lead you into harm- it will save you. Your intuition is really your truest self, talking to you. Paying attention to ways that you get your intuitive messages and the miraculous patterns that they form. That many people get their intuitive messages when they're showering. Having goals for how you would like your intuition to work for you. How Jan uses her intuition in a unique way, within business relationships. The many, many areas in your life that intuition can really work for you. Keeping track of how your intuition talks to you, to increase the intuitive messages that you will receive. Clearing your clutter, to be still and better hear your intuitive voice. When you are physiologically busy, you can often be more open to hearing your intuition. Allowing your intuition to talk to you, as you really do have all the information that you need, for everything. Listening carefully to pick up the non-verbal messages that people are giving you. That your heart is really intelligent! Why you need to trust and follow your hunches. That using your intuition makes it grow stronger. Intuition is part of the human condition. Resources: Jan's books: It's Not That Complicated- How To Create A Personalised Template Of Alignment. Why Do You Get Up In The Morning?- Demystifying Life Purpose How To Hear What You Know Links: Jan's website: www.janlbowen.com Jan is also on Instagram, Linkedin, and Twitter

The guest on today's show is Jane Cunningham, the President, Principal Designer and CEO of Room Resolutions. Interestingly, Jane is also a classically trained musician- she used to be the Principal Clarinettist in the Honolulu Symphony. Jane describes how she is particularly skilled at finding her way through the intimacy of the second movement of a musical piece. LuAnn learned from Jane's website how Jane sees the second movement in music in correlation to the journey we have in our lives, seeking a different tempo in the second half, or sometimes even changing the theme, or using a different key. That got LuAnn thinking about Fred Berns (#174) and she found it interesting that Jane not only knows what her 'only' is, but she has it right there, on her website! Listen in and find out how Jane's skill as a classically trained musician and her specific talent for the second movement inform her both as an individual and as a Designer. Room Resolutions is a luxury Interior Design Firm, which is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, specializing in large scale residential and commercial renovation, as well as new builds. Jane runs Room Resolutions together with her daughter, Amanda, who is the firm's Design Manager. Amanda is responsible for educating the clients about the scope, the specifications and the details of the selections in the projects, from vendor relationships, procurement and expediting, to total Project Management, including the overseeing of the tradesmen and craftsmen. She also manages all the Social Media and website tasks. Sounds like a busy lady! Listen in now to find out more about the awesome firm that these two ladies run together! Today, Jane and LuAnn discuss: The 12 Core Values of her Company, that Jane has listed on her website. How Jane arrived at her Core Values. The value of being clear about who you are and what you want to convey to your clients. The more that people get to know who you are, the more you can stand out. That for Jane, there has to be an in-depth relationship with her clients, which starts with her being intrinsically honest about who she really is. Vulnerability- how it works for Jane in getting people to know who she really is. What Jane means by 'Champagne Professionals'. How Jane's firm keeps everything in really detailed and systemized order. Making sure that the communication is really clear when working on a project, by setting everything up in advance. Jane's process of avoiding glitches in the Designer world. Dealing effectively with changes, with clear communication. How Jane handles with her client communication, by corralling them in the beginning. How Jane ascertains if a client is right for her firm. Two questions that you could ask your potential clients, to tell you a lot about them. Some amazing things about Amanda!

Are you an Outlanders fan? If so, you're just going to love listening to the accent of today's guest! LuAnn warns you though, that if you're not, the first five to ten minutes of today's show aren't going to be your cup of tea! Today's guest is Laura Lochrin, who's originally from Scotland and she only moved here, with her husband and children, five years ago. She now lives in sunny California. Listen in to find out about Laura and the particular way that she goes about her business. LuAnn was really surprised to discover that Laura only opened her firm eight months ago. Today, they talk about the challenges that Laura faces in having a start-up design firm, two small children and a husband- all of this while living on the other side of the world from where she was raised! Listen in now, to their really fun conversation. Today, Laura talks to LuAnn about: What it was like for her, getting started in the USA. How she grew her Instagram following in such a short time. Her Instagram feed- how much of her own work is on it and how much of it is curated posts of other people's work. Laura's way of working with Instagram. How Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook and now also Yelp are translating into business for Laura. Appealing to the right people for her kind of work, through her Instagram feed. Using Instagram as a Marketing Tool. Those things are starting to get a little hectic with her solo business, now. Time management- one of her biggest challenges at the moment. The challenges of being a working mom. How she makes things work, as a mom and a designer. That she developed the necessary confidence to do design work as a result of her background in advertising. Some of the challenges that she faces with her business, at the moment. How much she's learned from listening to LuAnn's Podcast! That she uses Design Manager to help with her administrative processes. That she falls a little more in love with MyDoma, every time she uses it. What she does that really helps her new business to thrive. How Laura structures her fees. That she knows the value of her work because she knows what she has to give up in her life, in order to make it happen. Making the time to go to the Industry Markets and to meet other designers. That her Superpower is all about the details- in every aspect of her life. Laura's website: Laura Lochrin Interiors

Today, LuAnn is delighted to be getting together again with Anna Brockway, who first appeared on episode #79 of the show. Anna is the CEO and founder of Charish, which is also one of the show's sponsors. Anna is back today, as there are some crazy new updates to Charish that she and LuAnn want to share with you. Listen in to find out more about Charish and why it's important to you, as Interior Designers. Charish is an Online Marketplace, which was started about four years ago. Three months ago, it had over 150 000 items available for sale on the site and nearly 1 000 000 buyers and sellers that do business there every month. Recently they've introduced a really cool virtual app that Interior Designers are going bananas about! Listen in now and find out more about Anna's really fun and fast growing business. If you're new to the show, please go back and listen to episode #79, to get the full story of how Anna started Charish and everything else that you need to know about it. Today, Anna talks to LuAnn about: A quick run down of what Charish is and how it helps Interior Designers with their businesses. That the transactions at Charish are similar to those on e-Bay. The delivery service that Charish provides. The advantages of using Charish for Interior Designers. The 'cash back' discount benefit, for Interior Designers who use Charish. The new and exciting things that have been recently added to the Charish platform, making it an even better tool for the Design Trade to use. How the fantastic, new, 'try it before you buy it' virtual app works. That you can use the app to do design work on your iPhone. Amazing ways that you could use the app. The really large range of prices available at Charish. The Charish Pink Book- a digital pricing guide. Their version of the Kelly Blue Book. The environmental advantages to buying vintage furniture. The styles and trends that are available at Charish. The value points for used furniture. Pricing for either time or money. Links: Anna's website: https://www.chairish.com

Are you bummed because you weren't able to attend the amazing Designerlebrity Event, which was held on the 17th of May at the gorgeous Ethan Allen Showroom in New York City? If so, have no worries, because we have the full audio for the event, right here for you, on today's show. Listen in now, to catch this special presentation. The panel for the event included Barbara Viteri, a brilliant business woman and the Creator of Designerlebrity, Cheryl Eisen, the Founder of Interior Marketing Group, Mikel Welsch, the Principal of Mikel Welsch Design and Manuella Morreira, the co-founder of the really beautiful New York Ethan Allan location. Today's show starts off with LuAnn's private, pre-show interview of the four panelists. After that, we go straight into the live panel discussion, which happened in front of all the attendees. Listen in to find out more about this outstanding Designer Event. Some highlights include: Mikel gives some inside info on Harry Connick Jr – that he really is as sweet and authentic as he seems to be, on his show! Mikel gives a brief synopsis of working with Steve Harvey. What it's like for Cheryl Eisen to work on the show with Frederick. That Cheryl staged Bethany's apartment and it sold within twenty-four hours – for over asking! What it's like for Cheryl, working with networks and doing amazing work that just doesn't get spoken about. Cheryl talks about the freedom of not having to design for a client and why people come to her. What it's like for Manuella, to design with the challenge of people from every walk of life coming into her showroom, in the middle of Manhattan. How Manuella got to where she is today. LuAnn explains what a wonderful and unique person and the astute businesswoman that Barbara Viteri really is! How Barbara got to where she is today. Barbara explains about the hot topics and the potentials in her great, new Designerlebrity.com thing that she's doing for the design community. Being prepared to be lucky! Barbara, Cheryl and Manuella's struggles on the way up and how they've grown beyond them. LuAnn's encouragement for you to take time to listen to the voice inside you, which will never lead you wrong. How Designers can help Celebrity Designers and grow in the industry. If you're a Designer and you have something going on, share it with Barbara and she will put it out on the Designerlebrity Platform if it's noteworthy. Cheryl answers Facebook Live questions about what was involved in her re-invention of herself and how she got started with doing staging of homes. Barbara's definition of what epitomizes a Designerlebrity. What makes a 'potential'. Links: Barbara's email: [email protected] To be on LuAnn's mailing list, send a text to 444 999 and put the word designbiz in the message field. Go to LuAnn's website: www.windowworks-nj.com to see The Designerlebrity Event streamed live on Facebook, through Tastefully Inspired. (Go to the To The Trade Blog and you'll see a whole recap there.) You can also see all the pictures on the sites and blogs of all the others – Ethan Allen, Designerlebrity, and even Tastefully Inspired has a post about it.

Do you sometimes look around and wonder if there could be different, or perhaps better ways to run your business more efficiently? If so, take heart and don't despair. Amber Lewis is back on the show today and she knows where you're at and what you're going through because she's been there. Today, Amber and LuAnn will go a bit deeper into the business side of what Amber does. They talk about how she discovered this podcast last winter and that she signed up for Kimberley Seldon's courses, because of even Amber, with a firm as successful and as large as hers, still wonders if there could be a better way to run things more effectively. Listen in today, as Amber shares her advice and the things she's learned along the way. Today, Amber talks to LuAnn about: Some of the things that she's struggled with and challenges that she's faced, in her business. How she had to fake it, to make it, in the beginning, when dealing with people that were way more professional and talented than she was. What it was that catapulted her into a level above her own, in the beginning. Being comfortable with evolving and knowing that your style could change often. Being firm in your convictions, if you trust your own style. That clients will tend to focus on your weakness if you let it show. Parenting and running a business. Figuring out invoicing in a way that makes sense to the client- it's everything! The importance of figuring out how to create a good contract. Studio Webware- Amber finds this to be an amazingly intuitive program. The importance of figuring out your system and the chain of command in your firm. How she really works really together with her whole team. That she understands and accepts that there will always be variables with the trade. That her organization takes overall responsibility for everything in a project. How she works very specifically with vendors and contractors. That client couldn't care less who's fault it is if there's a problem- It's your responsibility! Treating your job as if it's your business and learning as much as possible about all it's aspects if you intend starting out on your own, one day. That she's always learning, growing and being humbled. That there's always the human factor in business. Links: Amber's website: http://amberinteriordesign.com Amber's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberinteriors/

Do you realize how hard it can be to create a really successful experience for an intern in your business? LuAnn certainly does and this is one of the reasons that she asked Ranya Barrett to come onto the show today, to talk about the terrific Intern Program that she's set up at The House Of Funk. This program has both helped and developed the House Of Funk in the last year and the interns there have really benefited from the winning experience that Ranya has created for them. Listen in to find out more about Ranya's awesome Intern Program. For nearly a full year now, LuAnn has admired the enormous change and that Ranya, as a single individual, has brought to Sandra Funk's business. LuAnn has watched an extreme uplevel of their message, branding, marketing and focus since Ranya joined their firm in the Spring of 2016. Prior to that, Ranya was a Content Director, Writer, Editor and a Branding Consultant, with more than thirteen years in the industry. She's written and edited for Glamour Magazine, Glamour.com, Highlights Magazine and Scholastic Books. Ranya has a B.FA in Theatre, from New York University Tisch School Of The Arts and before taking up her current position as the Development Director at The House Of Funk, she was the Content Director at CA Creative, a New York-based Digital Media Agency. Listen in now, to find out more about Ranya and her really creative ways with interns. Today, Ranya talks to LuAnn about: That her Internship Program is an unpaid program, for school credit, so they cannot hire Interns if they're not getting school credit. Some creative ways to go about looking for the right Interns. Meeting the necessary criteria for the different colleges, when it comes to the credit requirements for the Interns. That The House of Funk have taken it upon themselves to have a Close Out Program with their Interns, where they write a letter of recommendation, highlighting the Intern's particular skills, of which they both keep a copy and send one to the Intern, to be used later, as a reference. The kinds of things that an Interior design Intern would need to turn into their school, at the end of a semester. The kinds of interns that The House Of Funk has had. The kinds tasks that Ranya has the Interns do. What prompted her to initiate her Internship Program in Sandra Funk's business and how those interns are a real benefit to the business. Tapping the skill sets of Graphic Design, Editorial or Video Interns, to your mutual benefit, in your business. That it's not really necessary to plan ahead, in order to have a productive workflow for the Interns in your business. How she manages situations where the Intern does not quite operate to the standard of quality that is required by the business. Using your instinct with Interns. Although you cannot expect to necessarily hire your awesome Intern, however, you might well be able to do that. How much time the Interns spend working in the business. Systems that she uses for monitoring the work of the Interns. The amount of time and guidance that's necessary for the Interns. That there will always be things that Interns can help you with, that will save you time and benefit them. The Six Points Of Law, regarding unpaid Internships. That Ranya takes in Interns for each semester. The number of applicants that usually apply for Internship and Ranya's advice for interviewing and vetting Interns, to find the right fit. That there will always be someone on your team, who could benefit from the assistance of an Intern.

Isn't it intriguing how we are sometimes lead to meeting certain people in strangely serendipitous ways? Today's guest, Christie Leu, met LuAnn in a really fun and unusual way. Listen in to find out what brought these two ladies together and why LuAnn wanted to have Christie on the show today. Christie, originally from Ohio, is the principal of Christie Leu Interiors in DC. She started out in her career as a working artist, participating in juried shows and selling her work through galleries, stores, and catalogs. However, after having completed some major renovations to a number of her own homes, she realized just how much she really loved every step involved in the Interior Design process. So she enrolled in Montgomery College when her children were in pre-school and she earned an Associate Degree in Applied Sciences in Interior Design, with a further specialization in Kitchen and Bath Design. Christie was a star student and she won the local version of the National Kitchen And Bath Design Competition and was also asked to serve on the Montgomery College Advisory Board for Interior Design. Listen in now to find out more about how Christie and her colleagues learn from each other and help one another to grow and develop their businesses. Today, Christie and LuAnn talk about: The hysterical story about how Christie and LuAnn met at IWCE. What happened with Christie, Darcy Heather, Lisa Escabar and Jessie Cooney at a Gail Doby Design Summit Event and their fabulous Mini Summit that ensued from that. How their Mini Summit really helped them to get to know one another and gave them a real understanding of the reasoning process that people have. The background behind Christie Leu Interiors. How Fred Berns (#174) helped her to discover that she's probably the only Artist Triplet Mom Interior Designer in the country- and how that's lead her to give her clients a really fabulous experience! That her assistant (Hired from Craig's List) also has triplets- the same age as hers! How being the mom of triplets helped her with her design process. What she really gained from the role play, during the Mini Summit. Why LuAnn really has no problem in asking for the money. The question of a standard markup on all products. Using historical data to help to arrive at an appropriate markup on products. Options for clients around flat fees and markups. Having boundaries with flat fee contracts. The benefits of listening to good and relevant podcasts. The work they did with the 'Energy Person' who was brought to their Mini Summit. That Christie prefers meeting with clients few times - how she keeps things efficient, in order to do that. Christie's website: www.christieleuinteriors.com

Get ready for today's show, with Angela Rassmussen of H2H design Plus Build, in San Jose, California. Angela is the definition of a go-getter and she's a firecracker, so LuAnn says that you may want to strap on your seat belt for this interview! Listen in and prepare yourself to be blown away! H2H Design plus Build is a really fun and dynamic firm, which was started in 2009 by Matt and Angela Rassmussen, specializing in convenient all in one service, from kitchen and bathroom, to master suites and additions. Today, H2H has become known, both locally and nationally, as an award winning Design Plus Build firm. Some of their awards include those from prestigious associations like NARI, NKBA, and HGTD, to name just a few. At H2H Design Plus Build, the focus is on a no-nonsense approach to bringing the best Design Solutions and Remodelling Services. Their service is turnkey and they are set apart from general contractors and other design plus build firms because they take care of every aspect of your renovation. Listen in now, to find out more about the firm that Matt and Angela started, with the intention to change the game in the Construction Industry. Today, Angela talks to LuAnn about: How she and Matt decided to start their business. Her success while at Design school, being an A+ student and getting onto Dean's List. How She and Matt just clicked when they met, both emotionally and business-wise. Their roles in the business when they first started out. How they started out slowly and built up, one job on top of the next. There really noteworthy early projects. How she implemented what she learned at school immediately, in the business. The growth and management of their team, over the years. The challenge of leading a team really well. Organization- her priority. What her ideal project looks like, from start to finish. The evolution of their company from kitchens and bathrooms, to bigger projects. That they handle every aspect of renovation, down to the appliances and finishes. Why their demographic market is more geared to renovation than building. The fun new cutting edge Home Automation Technology. The benefits of hiring professionals. Buildertrend- Their really good Track Your Project Their new design studio, opening in the next couple of months. Their other goals for the future. Angela's website: https://h2hpro.com

If you'd like to learn about the concept of Profit First and find out how you can really benefit from using it in your Design Business, you will gain a lot from today's Power Talk Friday with Michele Williams, one of the very few certified Profit First Coaches in the United States. LuAnn loves the idea of Profit First and she really wanted to bring it to the Interior Design community after hearing Mike Michalowicz talking about it on The Biz Chicks Podcast. So she asked Michele, who has been interviewed on the show once before, (#137) to come back and explain the concept. Listen in to find out more. Michele is a truly gifted Business Coach. Before becoming a coach, she worked in the Financial Software Industry and ran a business as a Soft Window Treatment Fabricator. She has a BS in Business Administration and a diploma in Christian Life Coaching as well as her Profit First certification. Listen in now, to find out all you need to know about Profit First. Today, Michele talks to LuAnn about: What Profit First is all about and how it works. How Michele initially got going with Profit First. Why so many designers really need Profit First for their business. Bookkeepers and accountants are amazing, however, they are only going to work with the figures that the business owner gives them. How Profit First can help business owners understand how much money they really have available for themselves. How Profit First's view of profit differs from that of GAPS. That Profit First doesn't change the way you're doing your accounting, it changes the bank accounts that money gets allocated to. That Profit First changes the way that you're making your spending decisions. Some of the terms that are used by Profit First and what they refer to. What is meant by Real Revenue? That you have to sell the right product to the right person at the right price and then you need to manage the money. That it's not enough to build top line if you're spending all the money. Parkinson's Law, human nature and why you take profit first. That being honest and clear about your figures is really important. The benefit of moving money out to separate bank accounts, for your financial security. Your five main accounts- with Profit First. That staying consistent is key for this to work. Where a lot of business owners tend to get into trouble. That Profit First helps you move from cash flow negative to cash flow neutral, to cash flow positive. How Profit first can help you out of a hole, if you're in debt and willing to do the work. The beauty in Profit First working on percentages, for the natural ebbs and flows of your business. An instant assessment that you can do now, for your business. Owning your numbers, a bit at a time. Pricing for value and not to cover your needs. Links: Michele's website: www.scarletthreadconsulting.com Michele's email: [email protected] Michele on Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Your Coupon Code for 10% off Michele's Passion For Profit online course: WDB10 Resource: Book: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz is available from Amazon, or other good book stores.

The guest on today's show is Lynn Leonidas, the really intentional principal of Lynn K. Leonidas Design and Decoration, in the San Francisco Bay Area. LuAnn had quite an 'aha moment' when she first started talking to her, as she suddenly realized that Lynn had achieved some really awesome things and has been published in some truly notable places, after only running her own firm for two years! Listen in to find about the really remarkable way that Lynn launched her business. Lynn takes particular pride in her relationships with her vendors, which she says comes from having a contractor father, who taught her all about building techniques and materials. Lynn has a degree in Interior Design and Architecture and another in English Language and Literature. Her work has been featured in Sunset, Domino, Lonny, Rue and also in Refinery 29. Prior to starting her own business, Lynn worked in Interior Design in the Bay Area for ten years. She first worked at The Workroom for two years, doing window coverings, soft furnishings, and upholstery. This is where she says that she probably got the best education for doing what she does now. After that, she became a Project Manager at The Workroom and then after that, she did Project Management for a couple of other designers, before striking out, on her own. Join LuAnn and Lynn now and find out how Lynn intentionally set out to achieve her success. Today, Lynn talks to LuAnn about: How she's been able to achieve so much in only two years. Her strategy, once she knew that the article about her was coming out in Domino Magazine, in six months time. The Consultant (Christa Cooper Communications) and Business Coach (Sarah, of Anchor and Orbit) who really encouraged her to go out on her own. How she landed a featured in Domino Magazine, before even going out on her own! What she did to be prepared, after deciding to start her business. How she started out, using a friend's network, before having a portfolio to show people. The great opportunity to do a gut renovation, that presented itself to her, as she was starting out. How her Business Consultant helped her to develop her dream and business plan and to decide about the kind of work that she really wanted to take on. How she handled the clients who were not able to meet her budget requirements. How she's evolved to being totally comfortable with talking openly to people about their decorating budgets. Her past experience with Project Managing and with Bookkeeping, and how these have really helped her in her own business. Her experience with working in editorial and how it helped her later, as a designer, to understand the fits for the various publications. The importance of doing the research and getting to know the target market of each publication. How she determines which projects are portfolio-worthy. The roles of her two employees. How she promotes her business and gets her name out there. Using a vision board to create inspiration, when your portfolio is still small. Some tips to gain confidence, when starting out as a designer. Her opinion about working for free, for friends or family, when starting out. That transparency is a huge part of how she runs her business. Her plans for the month of May, and some of her short-term plans for the future. The changes in her business model that Lynn is planning. Links: Website: http://lynnkleonidas.com/

The guest on today's show is Monique Duarte. She's a brilliant business person and the founder and principal of Duarte Decor in New Jersey and the founder of Duarte Consulting, where she coaches Interior Decorators to help them to run their businesses better. Monique has traveled the world gathering inspiration and ideas for her design work. Listen in and find out more about Monique and the fabulous work that she does. Monique is an active member of The National Association of Professional Women of the International Interior Decorator's Association and she's also a member of the Certified Interior Decorator's Association. She holds a number of degrees, including a Career Degree in Interior Decorating and in Autocad Design, a Bachelor's in International Business, with a specialization in Economics and Marketing and a Master's Degree in Interactive and Direct marketing. Monique was awarded Woman Of The Year for Interior Decorating in New Jersey in 2013 by the NAPW and her work has been featured in Your Decorating Resource and in Moxy Magazine. As a Design Coach, Monique combines more than ten years of marketing experience with her design knowledge. She has had five years of experience in running her own seven-figure Interior Decorating business, which reached six figures in its very first year- while Monique was still working in her full-time job! Listen in now, to find out how Monique managed to achieve all of that! Today, Monique talks to LuAnn about: How her ten years in advertising and marketing have informed the things she does to run her own business profitably. The really creative family that Monique comes from. How she realized that she had a gift for decorating, after buying her first home. Her first project, when she started her business as a side-hustle, eight years ago. Where and how she managed to find herself a mentor and how she cultivated a good working relationship with him. Why she really recommends finding a mentor or coach. That her mentor taught her that there is enough to go around. What the Local Experience and an International Experience, that she offers on her website, are all about. Her Eight Key Steps To Building A Profitable Design Business. The importance of figuring out who you are and who you want to work with. That she's always looking out for what's coming next and sharing that with designers. That the way you package and present what you have to offer is really important. That she always talks to clients upfront about how she works to set their expectations. Having a strong enough mindset to only work with the clients that really fit with you. The power of connection, networking with the right people and going to the right events. Submitting your design work for contests, as a marketing move. A book that Monique really recommends- Profit First by Mike Michalowicz. Links: Monique's website: www.duarteconsulting.net To request to join Monique's Facebook group, type 'Interiors Guide To Profitability' into the search box on Facebook, or you can do it via her website, above. Resource: Book: Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

The guest on today's Power Talk Friday is Sarah Daniele, the CEO, and Co-founder of My Doma Studio, a sexy software which was built specifically for the Interior Design Industry. Sarah appeared on the show (#91) last November and then she became a sponsor for the podcast. LuAnn and her partners were all so truly impressed with the platform that Sarah has created that they actually invested in My Doma Studio, which is used by a lot of the Designers that LuAnn works with. Listen in to find out how My Doma Studio can really help you to keep a lot of balls in the air at the same time. Sarah has a degree in Interior Design. She spent four or five years working for other Designers and then opened her own Design firm, with her focus on renovations, kitchens, and bathrooms. In episode #91 Sarah explains that while she was working for other Design Companies, she found no Project Management Systems in place at all, so Sarah, a highly intelligent, technical and organized person, developed her own system. Today, Sarah talks to LuAnn about some of the really cool things that have been happening with My Doma Studio. They have been featured recently in a number of publications- Editor At Large, Kitchen And Bath, Kitchen And Bath Design News, and Home Accents. Listen in now to find out more about Sarah's great system, which has really attracted a lot of well-earned buzzes lately! Today, Sarah talks to LuAnn about: The new things that are coming out with My Domo Studio. Sarah's recipe for growing and scaling your Design Business. What went into their latest, brand new version, based on feedback from Designers. Some of the things that the new version has, that's different from the original. How her program has been designed to really assist with easy collaboration. How unlikely it would be to accidentally, or inadvertently communicate with a client, using Sarah's system. The great advantages of her new system. The kind of communication that the system makes possible, for different projects. How this system makes for better organization with projects. How checklists can be used in context, within the system. That My Doma Studio has automatic updates. That you can try Sarah's system out for thirty days for free. Links: Sarah's website: https://www.mydomastudio.com

If you're interested in hearing about innovative designers who are also really good at business, you're in for a treat! The guests today are Carolina Gentry and Beth Dotolo of Pulp Design. LuAnn really wanted to have them on her show. She's been researching designers for the last year and a half and some of them have videos on their websites. Some of the videos are better than others, however, when she looked at those on Beth and Carolina's website, they were so good that she just wanted to keep on watching! She really enjoyed how their personalities come across in a subtle, yet distinctive way and also that their high regard for one another is very clear. Listen in and find out why LuAnn couldn't stop herself from falling in love with these two adorable rock stars! Some of the videos are better than others, however, when she looked at those on Beth and Carolina's website, they were so good that she just wanted to keep on watching! She really enjoyed how their personalities come across in a subtle, yet distinctive way and also that their high regard for one another is very clear. Listen in and find out why LuAnn couldn't stop herself from falling in love with these two adorable rock stars! She's been researching designers for the last year and a half and some of them have videos on their websites. Some of the videos are better than others, however, when she looked at those on Beth and Carolina's website, they were so good that she just wanted to keep on watching! She really enjoyed how their personalities come across in a subtle, yet distinctive way and also that their high regard for one another is very clear. Listen in and find out why LuAnn couldn't stop herself from falling in love with these two adorable rock stars! Pulp Design has studios in both Seattle and in Dallas and their team has been recognized and published by Architectural Digest, The Traditional Home and New York Times Magazine. Beth has received an ASID Legacy Of Design Award and she was also named Best Designer in Dallas in 2011 and in 2012. Fashion Group International recognized her as a rising star in Interior Design and she's been named Dallas Design Glitteratti by Modern Luxury Magazine. Carolina has had more than fifteen years of experience in Interior Design and in Project management, with her work including award-winning New Construction and Renovated projects in Hospitality, Residential and Multi-family. Some of her projects have been for high-end hospitality brands, like Ritz Carlton, Hyatt Regency, Hilton and Mariotte, with her projects spanning all the way from New York City to Asia. Carolina was also a recipient of an ASID Legacy Of Design Award and she's also been recognized as a rising star in Interior Design by Fashion Group International. LuAnn had so much fun talking to these ladies and she knows you're really going to enjoy today's episode. Listen in now! Carolina has had more than fifteen years of experience in Interior Design and in Project management, with her work including award-winning New Construction and Renovated projects in Hospitality, Residential and Multi-family. Some of her projects have been for high-end hospitality brands, like Ritz Carlton, Hyatt Regency, Hilton and Mariotte, with her projects spanning all the way from New York City to Asia. Carolina was also a recipient of an ASID Legacy Of Design Award and she's also been recognized as a rising star in Interior Design by Fashion Group International. LuAnn had so much fun talking to these ladies and she knows you're really going to enjoy today's episode. Listen in now! Carolina has had more than fifteen years of experience in Interior Design and in Project management, with her work including award-winning New Construction and Renovated projects in Hospitality, Residential and Multi-family. Some of her projects have been for high-end hospitality brands, like Ritz Carlton, Hyatt Regency, Hilton, and Mariotte, with her projects spanning all the way from New York City to Asia. Carolina was also a recipient of an ASID Legacy Of Design Award and she's also been recognized as a rising star in Interior Design by Fashion Group International. LuAnn had so much fun talking to these ladies and she knows you're really going to enjoy today's episode. Listen in now! Today, LuAnn talks to Beth and Carolina about: What went into creating their beautifully done videos. That they wanted to create videos that people can really relate to. How the videos really save them so much time. The steps that went into the creation of their video. What they wanted to communicate with their video. How long it took to film all their videos. How Carolina managed to overcome her camera shyness. How much they invested in making their video. How quickly they started making a return on their investment. How they started out with their company ten years ago. How they decided that they could work with a two hour time difference. The support group that they work with. That even though they work

My guest today is Judi Kieffer, who has over 24 years’ experience in hospitality, luxury residential, and restaurant design. Her portfolio is full of top tier projects and satisfied clients. In our conversation, she shares advice about how she built and now manages her design firm in Boise, Idaho. Judi is involved as an advocate for the personal and professional development and for sustainable products and developments. She participates in several local philanthropic and civic groups and is a mentor for women’s and children’s organizations. She was recently appointed as a spokesperson for the American Society of Interior Designers and is a certified Green Globe auditor. Her passions are yoga, fine wine, riding horses, hiking, and inspiring other designers to run more profitable and enjoyable businesses. Join me for this conversation with Judi! What you’ll hear in this episode: How Judi’s career began, working for three different companies before opening her own firm The benefits of experience, classes, and various job positions before going out on your own What it’s like to build your own design firm in the beginning: cold calling, mailings, projects, and referrals What the builder or architect needs to hear from the commercial designer: how our services can fit into your project How to use directories for leads on upcoming commercial projects How to find free top sheets in your local area The benefits of long-term relationships in the design business Judi’s recommendations for software, including Quickbooks, Studio Designer, and MORE! The challenges as your business grows: having systems in place and using personality profiles as you add more people to your team Day-to-day running the firm: journals and calendars Judi’s superpower? Using the interior as a marketing tool Clear practices for charging fees Judi’s advice to a new designer with no portfolio: show your passion and excitement, have confidence, ask questions, and present solutions Judi’s interest in green building products The recent surge in green products Advice Judi’s received that is still with her: Be absolutely true to your passion Honor yourself Allow yourself time to breathe, renew, and relax Be transparent in communication What’s ahead for Judi? Hiring an office manager and hosting eco-glamping retreats Resources: Find out more about Judi! www.kiefferdesigngroup.com For the free WindowWorks newsletter, text 444-999 and enter “designbiz” www.usgbc.org (Find out more about green building products) Search the GreenWorks or Green Standard group in your local area Judi recommends the following books: ECO-preneuring by John Ivanko The Northwest Green Home Primer by K.L. Smith and Kathleen O’Brien The Philosophy of Sustainable Design by Jason F. McLennan Women in Green by Kira Gould and Lance Hosey Value Pricing for the Design Firm by Frank Stasiowski A Guide to Principles and Practices for Interior Designers by Harry Sigel Marketing and Selling Design Services by Mary V. Knackstedt Interior Designers Business Handbook by Mary V. Knackstedt

The guest on today's Power Talk Friday is Fred Berns, the only Interior Design Industry Business Coach, and Speaker. Fred was a Speaker at the Design Blogger's Conference, held in L.A. In March, where he spoke about how to create your bio, so this show is tagged onto the Design Blogger's Series. This is the fourth time that Fred has appeared on this show and LuAnn is really happy to have him back again because he always brings so much value. (He previously appeared on shows #22, #48 and#96.) Today, Fred will help you to figure out your 'only', so listen in now and find out why it's so important. Fred creates personal bio's and other promotional materials for design professionals, worldwide. He has had more than twenty-five years of experience, training design professionals and creating their online profiles, website, and social media copy, blogs, and marketing forums. He also offers a wide range of business coaching services, including his High-End Performance Coaching Program, his bio briefing and his website once over. Listen in to today's show to find out from Fred how you can really stand out in the marketplace. Today, Fred talks to LuAnn about: Why it's so important for you to figure out your 'only'. How he helps designers to arrive at their 'only'. Some categories to consider when trying to figure out your 'only' phrase. How to be sure that you are really the 'only' one when making that claim. How to subtly modify your 'only phrase', if necessary. Using the word 'specializes' to better describe your 'only' and to differentiate yourself. That your 'only' doesn't have to be a big thing. How having an 'only' helps you to charge a higher fee. How he helps people to draft letters to inform customers that they are raising their fees. How educating people about your value helps to overcome their resistance to your charging top dollar. Why he encourages you, as a designer, to highlight rather than hide your past. That it's often the small things that make you unique. Some examples of how you can incorporate your 'only phrase' into your bio, to make yourself memorable. Ways for newly graduated designers to set themselves apart. His victory vocabulary. Using the law of attraction to draw the kinds of clients you'd like to work with towards you. That the most financially successful designers are not necessarily the best designers. 'Only' is not the only word, but it's the best one! Links: Fred's website: www.interiordesignbusiness.net This is where you will find Fred's The Big Splash Little Cash Marketing Manual. Go to: www.biobriefing.com to sign up for Fred's promotional Bio Briefing Campaign. To telephone Fred: 303 589 3013

If you'd like to know what it's like to be a successful Interior Designer in The Hampton's, you're going to enjoy today's show with LuAnn's guest, Austin Handler. Austin and his wife, Jennifer Mabely, are the principals of Mabely Handler Interior Design in The Hampton's. Listen in today, to find out about this leading design firm that has been featured many many times, in both magazines and on TV. LuAnn does a lot of work herself, in The Hampton's. She says that it's like it's own little planet. On today's show, you will hear about Austin and Jennifer's fabulous projects there and the great success of their Interior Design Business, which they started in The Hampton's in 2002 and also about their work which has been featured in numerous publications, including Hampton's Cottages and Gardens, Hampton's Magazine, Beach Magazine, Coastal Living, Lux Interiors and Design, Ocean Home, Traditional Home, The New York times, The Daily News and the New York Post, along with News Day and NBC's LX TV, Open House, New York City, News 12 and The Discovery Channel. Kravet Inc. recently launched their brand new line of furniture, which has been designed by Mabely Handler Interior Design. Listen in today, as Austin shares the back story on the creation and the execution of this truly gorgeous new line of furniture. Today, Austin talks to LuAnn about: What it's like, working as a designer in The Hampton's, where the design has its own feel and vibe. Finding the balance in design, between luxurious living and durability. What it was like, breaking into Interior Design in The Hampton's and breaking the stereotype of 'taking your designer with you'. When their room, which wasn't a feature room, in their first show house for Hampton's Cottages and Gardens Magazine was featured in The New York Times. How they came to develop The Hampton Aesthetic, their line of furniture with Kravet Inc. The kind of furniture in The Hampton Aesthetic line. Austin and Jennifer's initial meeting with Kravet Inc. about the furniture design and how they managed to convey their concepts and their vision, with clarity. The very well known Hampton's design style. How they set the scene, to create the right atmosphere, to sell The Hampton's Aesthetic furniture line to Cravet Inc. How they set a trend for creating coastal design collections. How they used certain fabrics and materials to give The Hampton Aesthetic maximum versatility. Why Kravet was always first on the list to make Jennifer's furniture. The incredible support that they got from the expert team at Kravet Inc., every step of the way. The pieces that they designed that didn't make the collection. The great value Austin and Jennifer found in the sharing of expertise with Kravet Inc. The great pleasure that it's been for Austin and Jennifer to work with Kravet. Austin's websites: http://www.mableyhandler.com http://www.kravet.com/products/collections/ www.curatedkravet.com

If you'd like to hear about a business perspective that's very different to that of the bigger firms which are usually featured on the show, you'll enjoy today's episode, with Natalie Hurst, who's first a full-time mom and wife and second, a part-time Interior Designer. Listen in and find out how Natalie does it. You're going to find it interesting! Natalie, who lives in Salt Lake City Utah, with her husband and four children, graduated from Brigham Young University in 2003 with a B.Sa in Interior Design. After working in the lighting industry for a few years, she spent the next ten years away from the design world, consulting occasionally with friends or family. In 2014 she felt ready to dive back in and so she started Natalie Hurst Interiors. Listen in today, as Natalie shares her ideas on work and business flow, from a very different perspective. Today, Natalie talks to LuAnn about: How she decided to start her business at such a busy time in her life. That she's comfortable with doing her business part time, for the time being. The specific work-life balance that she's found, that works for her. That her life could appear disorganized and stressful to someone else. How she structures the phases of her work, both consciously and organically. Attracting the clientele that you want. Charging prices that are appropriate to your desired clientele. How she prepares for her really busy design weeks. Coping with very specific challenges. That her sourcing is mostly done online. How she organizes her workspace, at home. That she keeps track of things by taking lots of notes. Her really honest relationships with her vendors. Having confidence in asking for help. How she structures her fees. How she landed her very first client. Word of mouth is the only marketing tool that she needs at the moment. How she came to being featured in Pregnancy And New Born Magazine from a picture on Instagram. That Instagram is an authentic and effective marketing tool for her.

Are you intimidated at the thought of going to see a lawyer about your business? Or do you feel that they may look down on you and not take your business seriously? If so, you really need to listen in to today's show, with LuAnn's expert guest, Danielle Liss, who is a lawyer who has absolutely nothing invested in intimidating her clients. Quite the opposite, actually- Danielle and her partner, Jamie Lieberman have a firm called HashtagLegal and they allow a potential client to purchase only what they really need, even if it's only a once off conversation. They don't want people to feel that legal work is inaccessible. They believe that a lawyer should be a partner, to help your business grow and to help you to make strategic decisions. Listen in now and find out what Danielle has to say, that could benefit you and your business. Danielle was previously Chief Marketing Officer and General Council for Fitfluential, an Influencer's Network that concentrates on health and wellness initiatives. She has loads of experience in creating and negotiating contracts, interpreting FTC guidelines and creating website policies. She's also worked for a Fortune 500 Bank and spent some time in private practice. As well as this, she is an accomplished speaker, having spoken at dozens of conferences on legal issues, related to bloggers and social media pros. Listen in and find out what you really need to know, legally speaking. Today, Danielle talks to LuAnn about: How hard it is, at times, for people to figure out the kind of legal service that they really need. Those lawyers have a tendency to not take people and their businesses as seriously as people would like them to. The kinds of things that they like to help people through. What she would suggest for people who are starting out in an Interior Design business and are looking for some advice. The kinds of entities that you can create for your business- an LLC or a Corporation and what each one will involve. The costs involved to file the paperwork for either an LLC or a Corporation. Why you shouldn't skip on the legal stuff when building your brand. The importance of figuring out and crafting a letter of agreement with your client. What to outline in a letter of agreement with a client. How to extricate yourself from a design agreement, legally. The importance of being really clear about what you are being engaged for. Creating clear communication boundaries. Indemnity provisions and making sure that you are going to be held harmless in certain types of claims. Making provision for the gray areas in a standard client contract. Creating contracts for sub-contractors. The importance of vetting the contractors that you work with. Making sure that your clients are okay with being included in your portfolio, in a confidentiality provision. Site terms, disclaimers, and legal and privacy policies on your website. The importance of disclosing your retargeting pixels. Liabilities on Facebook Live and Youtube. Protecting yourself against 'nonsense lawsuits', which could end up costing you five figures! The importance of disclosing and maintaining transparency about what you're doing on your website or blog. Links: Danielle's website: www.hashtag-legal.com Danielle's email: [email protected]

Today’s show features, Corey Klassen and Judith Neary. While there’s a host of topics we could talk to them about, today we are focusing our conversation on the new CEU that they have created. There is so much value in their CEU. Judith is a certified bath and kitchen designer, and she moved to the manufacturing side and now works on implementing business processes. She offers a comprehensive designers perspective as a consultant and she's known for doing weird really well! Corey is also a certified bath and kitchen designer, and a Certified Designer with experience in commercial and residential design. He opened his own firm in 2011 and has won many awards and been featured in many design magazines. He teaches and continues to expand his professional credentials. He is known for creating symmetry in awkward spaces. Together, Judith and Corey co-lecture all across the US and teach designers about the business of design. This led to the creation of their new CEU. In this episode Corey and Judith discuss: How My Doma Studio plays a role in the new CEU course. Learn what a “psychographic” is and why it matters to Corey. Why Judith does weird so very well. Find out how hard it is to make your kitchen match your aura! The rules for designers are different since the recession. Learn how Judith and Corey met and teamed up! Corey and Judith are polar opposites - and it works! The process of working through psychographics. There’s an art in knowing when to refer someone out - learn it today. Homeowners truly don’t understand what designers do. Find out why a site visit isn’t being fully utilized and how Corey changed it! The CEU can help designers regain valuable administrative charges. Find out which course is best for you Resources: mydomastudio.com/beyonddesign - Register for the course First course starts May 10 Course for seasoned designers starts May 18 Corey’s website: https://coreyklassen.ca Judith Neary's website: http://www.roadsideattractionstudio.com Not sure if the CEU course is right for you? Here’s a detailed description: Beyond Design: Establishing Monetary Value for Creative Skills Judith and I have co-authored a 2hr CEU that is IDCEC Approved and has been presented at the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (in current format) this year with sold-out attendance. We're already scheduled for 2018. Previous formats have been sold-out at KBIS 2015, 2016 and IDS Vancouver 2014. So, what is this? The start of the course came out of personal and professional challenges that Judith and I have separately had with the ever-changing market of clients who shop online, watch media shows, read mommy-blogs and thing they can do it all for a shoe-string budget. Why this course? Interior design education is really great at teaching the basics of business and excels at creativity, but if the business is 80% and creativity is 20% we really have our shirts on backwards. Why now? Personally, after I was apart of the DXV Design Panel in 2014, my business went from a home office to taking over my home, adding and employee, and now in a studio location with a Team. I when to show much incredible professional growth that I've nearly thrown in the towel a few times, but if I love what I do I had to find a way to do what I love. I'm sure Judith will have more to contribute, and I'm sure I'll run down the road and leave her at the stop sign too, but we're really excited to talk about why running a scalable business is achievable with a solid plan (or without one...) I truly admire Judith and her skills, she has been such a great friend, co-conspirator, and advisor to me and I'm sure she has her shared values about me. Here's a link to our upcoming course hosted by Mydoma Studio! https://www.mydomastudio.com/beyond-design-business-course-for-interior-designers

The guest on today's show is Amber Lewis, who was a Key Note Speaker at the recent Design Blogger's Conference. LuAnn didn't get to talk to her at the conference, so she's really happy to interview Amber on today's show, as there were parts of her story that LuAnne thought were really fun and interesting. LuAnn finds Amber's body of work and what she's managed to accomplish at such a young age, to be incredible. Listen in now and get some great tips for gaining followers on social media. Amber spent a couple of years working for Elizabeth Lamont (#17) at her store, Room With A View, in Santa Monica. This is where she first fell in love with pretty things and with design and started to feel a pull in that direction. Listen in and find out how Amber first discovered her niche in the world of design and how her business has evolved and grown, since then. Today, Amber talks to LuAnn about: How she first started out, working for Elizabeth Lamont and where she went, from there. How she initially didn't connect being an Interior Designer with making a living. How much she gained from working for and being mentored by Kirsten Marie. Why she only hires people who have completed school. How she learned about design on the job, through making mistakes, rather than going to school. That she runs her business as a team effort. What it was like for her, speaking at the Design Blogger's Conference. Why you shouldn't compare your own business with the appearance of someone else's success. How she first started to develop a name for herself through her initial obsessive engagement with her community. How she has learned and progressed through her business. Creating a formula to her really successful method of engagement with social media. Her e-commerce store- how it started through her blog which documented the decoration of her home. Her Flash Sales on Instagram- a great way to gain followers. Her struggle with sacrificing her family time for the huge amount of time and attention that she poured into developing her business. Her milestones, analyzing why her followers were coming back. The first time her house was properly published, in Glitter Guide and in HD TV Magazine how she used the pics to her advantage. The silly names she uses for her clients' hashtags! Her fabulous photographer, Tessa W, who she's used on all her projects. The value of using really great photography. Being featured in Architectural Digest last October, for her kitchen. Working with agencies for blog sponsorship. Brand ambassadorship and how it has developed. That she does all her own writing for all her social media platforms. Amber's website: http://amberinteriordesign.com Amber's instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amberinteriors/

In today's Power Talk Friday, I'll continue with the second half of the Design Bloggers Conference Summary series. I'm covering the top lessons that I've learned through podcasting about interior design. Last week, we went over the first three lessons #165. The other shows include Claire Staszak and Kelsey Grose this past Monday and Wednesday and this coming Monday will be Amber Lewis. All 3 interviews had some terrific advice for design blogging as well as running your firm and building an audience on Instagram. Three truly smart ladies! Today, we'll cover the rest. Join me now with The Things I Learned From A Well Designed Business Part 2! Be Do Have – Have Do Be #141 Jim Riviello says that we need to change our way of thinking about things in order to be successful. Jim, a business coach and the owner of Leadership X University, explains that we need to Be-Do-Have, not Have-Do-Be. In today's show, I will clarify this powerful explanation. Leap Of Faith #21 Stacy Garcia took a leap of faith and decided to invest in vintage wallpaper and fabric as a starting point for creating a new textile line for the hospitality industry. No Pipeline #55 Rachel Moriaty heard about Facebook Live and the rest is history. 24 hours to decide #128 Grace McNamara was an Advertising Director, thirty-one years old and with no idea of how to run a magazine, was given 24 hours in which to decide if she would buy two magazines. Despite huge fears, she jumped into it and became an entrepreneur and a magazine publisher. Sarah Daniele came up with an idea and turned it into a software program. #79 Anna Brockway-Chairish saw a need in the marketplace and built a huge company, filling a gap in services. #85 Heather and Mark used tech to offer truly professional Interior Design at a level of excellence, affordable for the masses. Nous Decor was born- however, in running Nous Decor, she has another business- how to scale Nous Decor. Interior Design Is A Business First #112 and #144 Kimberly Seldon- Business of Design. Flat fees, Scope Creep, Trade Days, Fifteen steps to running a profitable project...and the list goes on. #2 and #Sandra Funk House Of Funk #36 Susan Brunstrum #24 #45 #60 #81 #150 Krista Coupar How to bill out using hourly fees. Managing work-life balance from a financial perspective. Build your story and your brand. Things to look at when planning your new work year. #71 Dr. Ellen Fischer- Ellen cautions us about the main reasons that Interior Designers have trouble being profitable: Undervaluing your time. Not charging for the hours you work. Not recognizing how to keep your pipeline filled. Not placing enough emphasis on marketing. Ellen's advice to new graduates: Stay connected to the passion that brought you to the field throughout your career, not just in the beginning. Be prepared for hard work. The business of interior design is tough and while outsiders may not recognize it, it is truly as hard as any other career. Ellen's advice when hiring interns and junior designers for your firm: Set tangible goals and objectives for the tenure. Teach, train, monitor and evaluate performance. “Fuzzy objectives = Fuzzy experience.” #6 Erika Ward- Erika attributes her success to her expertise and knowledge in Business Management. She advises: Educate yourself about Business Management. Do everything you can to broaden and enhance your business acumen. This will ensure a proper foundation for a profitable business, allowing you to explore your talent, create fantastic spaces for your clients and explode your Interior Design business. Links: Jim Riviello: https://lxu.training/ https://businessofdesign.com/how-it-works/

Today’s guest is Kelsey Grose. I sat beside her at the Design Blogger’s Conference and after she won an award, I knew immediately that I had to get her on the show. I’ve been doing a whole series lately with all of the people I met at the Design Blogger’s Conference, so you are going to learn so much from all my guests in this series. I was even more blown away when I learned that Kelsey has only been in business a year! That blew me away and I knew I had to work with her. So in addition to having the privilege of interviewing her today, I’m pleased Kelsey Grose is the owner of Farmer’s Daughter Interior. Kelsey is based in Canada and has quickly found a following all over the US as well. She uses a 6 step design process that combines several different design styles. She has a passion for small business and entrepreneurship and she’s here today to share her wisdom with us. Listen in as Kelsey and LuAnn discuss: Find out Kelsey’s impression of the Design Blogger’s Conference and see if she had the same experience as LuAnn. In some ways, Kelsey got more than she expected from the conference - find out what exceeded her expectations. Relationships, relationships, relationships - the unexpected benefit of the conference. How a house tour is bringing several bloggers together and allowing them to leverage each other’s audiences through cross promotion. How guest posting on another blog can help promote your own website and business. Ways a new designer just getting their business off the ground can use existing resources online and properly credit the creator, and still build out their own content. How Kelsey is able to look like a seasoned designer with a beautiful blog, but in reality has only been in business a year. The resources that have been useful to Kelsey in getting her business started, plus she’s kind of obsessed with design! The exact steps Kelsey took to get started blogging and building her design business. How Kelsey got a really big kitchen design job as a new designer. A free consultation or a paid consultation? Find out which Kelsey uses. Ways to convert a paid consultation into a paid project. Treat your business like the world is watching you, even if they aren’t yet. http://www.farmersdaughterinteriors.com

Today's interview is the first of three, which are as a follow up to the recent Design Bloggers Conference, which was held in LA, this last March. LuAnn really loves the process of how these designers create blogs to serve as a marketing arm for their business and a lead generator for their design firm. Listen in today to get some really great, actionable tips that you can duplicate. Today's guest is Claire Staszak, who won the award at the Conference for the best blog writing of 2017. She is a Chicago-based interior designer who is known for her holistic design process of combining refined aesthetics with wellness principals, as she draws on her years of experience as a Yoga and Meditation Instructor, to gently guide her clients through the process of unearthing and then refining their own, unique style, resulting in a sanctuary which is timeless, rather than trendy. Claire studied Interior Design at the School of Art Institute in Chicago and she holds a Certificate of Kitchen and Bathroom Design from Harper College. She's a certified Yoga Instructor, with more than five hundred hours of training and she also has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in journalism from the University of Dayton. Claire did apprenticeships at two high-end firms- Nate Berkus and Associates and Kate Marker Interiors. Her own work has been featured in Design Sponge, Rue Magazine, and Domino. In 2016, she had the honor of being nominated for HD TV's Fresh Faces of Design Competition. With her latest project of renovating her own home, a 1932 Tudor Style brick bungalow in Chicago, Claire is using her own, eclectic style. You can follow this renovation on her blog. Listen in to today's show to find out more about Claire, and how she uses her blog as an effective tool for marketing her business. Today, Claire talks to LuAnn about: How she got to do her internships with Nate Burkus and Associates and Kate Marker Interiors. The advantages of getting as much work experience as possible. The benefits of working for a large and well-run business, in order to gain necessary experience, to run a successful business of your own, later on. Where she found the inspiration for her blog. How she incorporates Yoga and Meditation into her design work. How she's starting to be recognized by her clients, who know that she really gets them and knows what they want. That consistency is really important with blogging. Creating blog content that readers want to come back for. Her Renovation Series- how it helps her to draw people to her website. How collaboration has really worked for her as a marketing vehicle. That she really doesn't try to sell things from her blog, yet it still makes money for her in other ways. That you should go to conferences to renew your energy, expand your horizons with blogging and keep you moving forward. The great networking opportunities that she found at the conference. How the conference has helped her to partner up with other Interior Designers, to enhance their blogs and hers. Her Spring Into Home collaboration with other design bloggers. You don't need to spend a lot of money on your blog, however, you do need to spend something, to make it look really good. Using the correct etiquette and ethics to credit the source of the photographs that you use on your blog, from the internet. An idea to help people to network better with the people that they connect with at conferences. Claire's website: www.centeredbydesign.com http://centeredbydesign.com/spring-home-tour-week-one-doreen-corrigan/

In today’s Power Talk Friday episode, I’m kicking off the Design Bloggers Conference Summary series. I was inspired by the conference that was held in Los Angeles in March, and I wanted to share it with you. I had to condense my presentation down to only 13 minutes for the conference, but I can take the time here to expand! I’m covering my top lessons learned through podcasting about interior design. We’ll go over the first three lessons today and cover the rest next week. Join me now! Influence and authority are gained through NICHING This subject comes up repeatedly with guests on the show Here are a few episodes in which niching was discussed: Episode 15 and 159 with Nancy Ganzekaufer —“Niche is rich!” Episode 41 with Cheryl Janis—Niching can help create a space that increases revenue Episode 106 with Taylor Spellman—She niched down her design business to target bachelors in Manhattan Episodes 82 and 117 with Deborah Rosenberg—She extended her belief system to her design business Episode 77 with Katie Deedy—She taught us about setting yourself apart, creating focus and clarity, and being able to raise your rates when you become a recognized expert Your “About You” page is CRITICAL Episodes 22, 48, and 96 with Fred Berns—Much insight into the “About You” page Episode 125 with Nicole Heymer—“I’m the interior designer that . . . “ Establish your company’s MISSION and CORE VALUES Episodes 26 and 66 with Kae Whitaker—Core values can push your business forward Episode 78 with my husband, Vince—“Everything you do must support your company’s mission.” Episode 73 with Kim Kuhteubl—Check out her book, Branding + Interior Design

If you think your life is busy, get ready to meet Susan Winterstein, of Savvy Interiors, in San Diego, California. As well as running an Interior Design Firm, she also has Inside Savvy, a Retail Store and Savvy Giving By Design, a non-profit organization. Susan also has a husband and five daughters. Listen in today, to an awesome conversation with a remarkable woman. On today's show, the focus is on her non-profit, Savvy Giving By Design. LuAnn is truly overwhelmed with what Susan is doing. She points out that even though there are other designers who are involved with different ways of helping out and giving back, Susan has turned her business into a full on Non- profit Organisation of her own, with an extremely organized platform. Listen in to find out more. Today, Susan talks to LuAnn about: What drew her to turn her business into a Non-profit Organisation and how she started out with it. Why she keeps her Facebook Group small and intimate and runs it the way that she does. How she went about finding another child for her project, after the first one and the whole process that followed that. How she got started as an official Non-profit Organisation. Her goal of tapping into bigger and better vendor relationships. How hard it is to get corporate attention onto her projects. Putting out the Funder Needs - why this is critical when you're in your social media community and the success that Susan has had with it. Although they rely on donations, there are certain things which have to be paid for- like painters. If the child that Susan is creating a space for has siblings, she does their rooms as well. What goes into the decision of who the next child will be to receive her tremendous gift. That she's willing to assist other designers to do as she does with Savvy Giving By Design, even if they're located in other states. The grounding effect that working with people who would not normally use the services of a designer, has on designers. How she would love to see designers helping designers to do something to pay it forward. Links: The main website for Susan's Non-profit: www.savvygivingbydesign.org Susan's website: http://www.savvyinteriors.com Susan's Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/SavvyGivingbyDesign/ Susan on social media: Youtube Instagram: @Savvy Giving By Design

My guest for today’s exciting show is Highlyann Krasnow, one of the founders of The Developers Group, now MNS, located in Brooklyn, NY. Not only did she oversee the design of her company’s buildings and sales offices, but then she opened The Design High, the exclusive interior design arm at MNS. Highlyann is involved in commercial interiors and residential projects, but the focus of our conversation today is on the commercial side of her business. Join us! What you’ll hear in this episode: The path from real estate development to The Design High Benefits to “casting a wider net” Interior design concepts for commercial spaces Challenges in designing for the target demographic How to hone your commercial design skills The key: relationships with manufacturers Tips for the designer seeking a career in commercial design How to “let go” of some of your design elements Why you need to be a design chameleon The payoff for a designer The mood board test HIghlyann uses for hiring designers The commitment to eco-friendly designs: Why is it so important? Understanding the “durability” of your design: it’s NOT just for today! Highlyann’s recent and current projects and their specific challenges Carrying the design thread through the project as a whole Resources: www.thedesignhigh.com (Highlyann’s website) Email Highlyann: [email protected] www.cherish.com/trade

The guest on today's show is Natalie Norcross, the dynamic founder and CEO of A Design Partnership, which is a Premier National Marketing and PR Agency. Natalie herself has appeared in Boutique design, Esquire, Hospitality Design, Access Hollywood, E Entertainment, Television, and Extra. Listen in today and learn about some great strategies and marketing tips from Natalie. Natalie started her career as an Interior Designer, after which she built, then in 2008, sold, a highly successful firm, specializing in both Residential and Hospitality. Fellow designers in Architectural Firms then began asking for her help with generating leads, media placements, and marketing tools. That was how A Design Partnership started out. The agency, with Natalie, her two partners and a staff of nine high-powered designers and marketing experts has really grown over the last nine years. Listen to today's show to find out more about how this energetic group, who are passionate about helping design-minded companies to exceed their goals, transform their brands and evolve their businesses, work to create success. Today, Natalie talks to LuAnn about: The businesses that were started by her mother and her grandmother, who were both entrepreneurs and both a great inspiration to Natalie. How she and other parents can lead their children and inspire them to develop positive work ethics, through their own example. Her successful design firm, which she sold in 2008 and what she learned from it. How having really good systems in place works, to catapult your business to wild success. The process of creating an exit strategy for your business. The power of having a team which is focused on the same mission. Some advice for people who are working on their brands. The DISC Profile tool, to help you get more clear as to who you really are, as a human being, to help you build focus, a mission, and a vision. The 5 Why's and how this can help you to get to the core of your beliefs. The difference between Inbound and Outbound Marketing. Great ways to drive traffic to your website. How, in the last six months, her company has grown five of their client's Instagram followers to over 15 000. Great ways to help your business to grow, using social media. The value in having blog posts on your website. Using the Ladder Up Strategy, for PR. Great tips for pitching for publications. Natalie's finite system for keeping her entire company on that train. Natalie's website: www.adesignpartnership.com

You may remember on episode 110 when Mark McDonough was on the show and he talked about his blog, Tastefully Inspired. Today we are going to be talking with Karina Jones who is a contributor plus an interior designer on Mark’s Tastefully Inspired blog. Karina holds degrees in communication in arts and education. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. She has her own full serviced firm that she founded in Charlotte, North Carolina: Karina Jones Designs and also has her own blog that she uses to educate people on the different aspects of design. Design is visual and Karina is going to talk with us on how she and Mark use the Tastefully Inspired blog to bring the visual to a blog. Show Notes: Learn how you can use an education degree to help you and your client have a better relationship Find out the three things that should always be included in a blog Learn the secret to Mark and Karina’s key to success on the blog they have together, Tastefully Inspired Learn what the key component to the final product of a blog is Understand the importance of balance of family is important and how this works out for Karina and Mark Hear why having a schedule for a blog is not always best Discover how to enhance your learning from this episode Resources: superiorinteriorsbykj.com tastefullyinspired.com

I have the original Rockstar interior designer on the show today, Kelli Ellis! I know we all know Kelli as an interior designer because she has been published in national magazines. It’s likely that you have seen her on TLCs show Clean Sweep as the featured designer, HGTVs Take Over My Makeover and many more. In addition to being an accomplished interior designer, featured in many publications and on TV, she is a certified life coach and a design psychology coach. She received her certification in interior design for the Interior Design Institute in California and she also holds a BA in Marketing from California State University of Fullerton, a law school education from Western State University and a Liberal Arts education for the University of London. On top of all of this, she is on the board of directors for Miracles for Kids lending her name and time to this passion project which is aiding the children in Orange County in need. Show Notes: What is the certified design psychology program that Kelli started? What are the three “F’s”? Why is knowing the psychology of color important? How long is the design psychology course? What is included in the course? What is a Mevo camera? What does she mean “get rid of the extras”? How does Kelli find time to be an artist too? What are some ways to avoid killing the relationship between the designer and client? Resources: www.mydomastudio.com Do I Look Skinny in this House? www.kelliellis.com www.instagram.com/designerkelliellis www.thebusinessofdesign.com www.spencerinstitute.com

We’re back with another power talk Friday on A Well-Designed Business! I have Nancy Ganzekaufer back with me today! If you are new to the podcast Nancy was on the show in the very beginning on episode 15. On that show we talked about her background, business background and “niche is rich”. She has so much she can teach us and you should really go back listen to her episode. She is a life and business coach and the founder of “Your Business Partner”. Through her life and work she empowers women entrepreneurs to create the life and business they have always wanted. She understands the unique challenges that women entrepreneurs face when trying to pursue their dreams and leads by example with her hard work, encouragement and her no BS leadership style. Show Notes: How does Nancy use her survey? How often should you take a survey? How many and what are the categories in a three-year vision? What should you be asking yourself and be planning for a one year plan? How many marketing outlets should you be looking at one time? Why should you write things down instead of just thinking them? What should be included in your 90-day strategy? In what intervals, should you block out at a time on your calendars to get stuff done? Why is it so important to be loud and clear about what you offer? When should you walk away from a client? How and what are some ways to walk away from a client that wants to hire you but not a good fit for you? When should you say yes to everything? What does she have coming new this summer? Resources: www.nancyganzekaufer.com [email protected]

Today on the show I have Rhea Mader! Rhea is the principal of Tumbleweed Interiors in Kansas and an interior designer who specializes in health care facilities. Rhea provides sustainable designs that improve better quality of life, cost effective, eco-friendly and evidence-based design. Her goal is to see patients and residents live independently with hope and dignity. Rhea earned her BFA/IFA at the Academy of Art University in California and she is also LEED and CLIPP certified. Rhea and I met through Cheryl Janice, who if you are an avid listener of this podcast you know who Cheryl Janice is. She was one of the first guests that talked to us about how she specifically walked away from being a generalist designer into a specialist. I use her as an example a lot! If you are new to the show, please go and listen to episode 41 after this episode because it will really fill in the spaces that we take for granted that Rhea and I talk about. Show Notes: What is the name of Rhea and Cheryl’s new podcast? What is the new podcast going to be about and what audience is the podcast focused towards? What key elements would help create a better environment? What is an evidence-based design? How Rhea and Cheryl meet each other? Where did Rhea work after she got out of school and what did she discover while at this job? What is clip? When did Rhea realize she wanted to specialize in healthcare design? How did it effect Rhea not having a mentor? How did joining a mastermind help Rhea? What process did Rhea go through to rebrand? How often does she create a newsletter for her marketing? What is Rhea’s “avatar”? Resources: www.chairish.com www.tumbleweed-interiors.com www.wellnessdesignpodcast.com www.socialitesubscribe.com

My guest today is Charmaine Wynter, the principal of Wynter Interiors and the owner of Bespoke Design Boutique in Texas. You may already know Charmaine because she is one very busy lady! She is a radio show host of The Living Well show, a speaker, HGTV design host pioneer and you may know her from her design advice column, Ask the decorator. In addition to all of this, Charmaine is a firm believer in paying it forward. She has been involved in several charities and has sat on universities and government advisory boards to help shape the interior design industry. Today we are going to discuss the design niches of designing for small spaces. Show Notes: What are the particular ways to approach a small room design? Why is color so important for smaller spaces? What are the key questions to ask your client when designing a smaller space? What size furniture should be used in these smaller spaces? How can you create visual depth? What is designing vertical? Is there any part of the curriculum in design school that teaches how to design smaller spaces? Where can designers learn more about designing these smaller spaces? What is the Living Well Show about? Where can you listen to Charmaine’s show? What does the word boutique mean? How did she get into the niche of boutique work? How are her packages set up? Resources: www.thebusinessofdesign.com www.wynterinteriors.com www.mydomastudio.com

It’s time for another power talk Friday! I am happy to say that I have Carmen Torres with me today! Carmen Torres is a HR specialist. She has over twenty years in experience helping employers create equitable and safe work space environments for both employers and employees. She is a trusted advisor to many organizations and has helped many small to midsize businesses and non-profits produce reliable and stable HR departments. She has a 360 analysis of the human resource function that results in building job descriptions, policy and procedure manuals, conflict resolution, employee retention, employee termination structures, compliance, audits and standards and employee communications. This is for everybody whether you have fifty employees or just one. You need to know these procedures so that an employee can’t come back and sue you. Show Notes: What should a business owner be looking for on a candidate’s resume? Are there red flags on a resume to look for? How should you approach calling references? What do you do when you have a hard time trying to get in contact with a reference? What can you say legally if you don’t have a great reference to give about a previous employee? What are some different ways to give a reference? How do you have the conversation with an employee that is not right for the job? What sorts of the things should be discussed when talking to an employee that is not meeting expectations? When should an employer talk to an employee about their performance if it’s not where it needs to be? Resources: www.myhrspecialist.com

Barbara Viteri is back on the show today! Get ready! Her show is one of those where your face hurts from laughing so much. Barbara was originally on the show on episode number 46. You really should go back and listen to that episode after this one because we are not going to go into all of Barbara’s twenty plus industry years of experience. Today on the show we are talking about designerlebrity. She teased us with this when she was last on the show but her website has finally launched! If you haven’t heard of this yet listen up! Barbara is here to tell us all about designerlebrity.com. When you get done listening to Barbara you will know why you want to be part of this new part of the industry. Also, don’t forget to listen all the way to the end after the interview to learn the new way to get on our email list! Show Notes: What are the “potentials”? Where did the name “designerlebrity” come from? What is the plan for the designerlebrity website? How is the website set up and divided? Who is included on the designerlebrity website? Can a designer pitch Barbara or does she have to find them herself? What is the criteria for a designer to have to be considered to be a designerlebrity? Is there room for everyone? Resources: www.chairish.com www.designerlebrity.com www.viteristylemanagement.com www.socialitesubscribe.com

Today’s guest is Gary Inman! If you don’t know who Gary Inman is, get ready! Gary is a nationally celebrated, award-winning interior designer, author, and public speaker. He has been published in major magazines and several other places. Gary is also the vice president of Hospitality with Baskervill, which is an international giant in hospitality serving four star and five stars luxury hotels and resorts. His design métier includes handbags, women’s evening wear, textiles, lighting, rugs and furniture including his acclaimed Home Couture Collection for more counsel. He is also a High Point Style Spotter, an Instagram taste maker, the editor of Art and Fine Living and the popular guest on TV programs. Stay tuned after the interview. I have some important news on how you can get on our email list! Show Notes: How did Gary maximize his visibility for what he can do as a designer when starting out? What are the different skill sets needed for hospitality design? Who does a hospitality designer work with the most every day? Why does hospitality design require so much research? What would be a deal breaker to being involved in hospitality design? What does he look for in a hospitality designer? What kind of research should be done for this kind of design? What is the “weeding out process”? What is a spec writer? What are some other ways that a designer can make their way into hospitality design? Resources: www.thebusinessofdesign.com www.garyinman.com www.mydomastudio.com

On this Power Talk Friday I have Casey Destefano with me! A few months back I was on Casey’s podcast. She is the host of the hit podcast “Women with Balls…in the Air”. She coaches her audience to have more successful careers and abundant family lives without pulling their hair out. If you did hear about our episode on Casey’s podcast that’s terrific! If you didn’t, please go over to iTunes and check out Casey’s podcast especially if you are someone who is trying to run a business and manage your family and children and get it all done. Like Casey says you have balls but they are in the air! But in addition, if you haven’t heard of Casey or her podcast you might not realize that she is an accomplished director and producer with more than twenty years’ experience. Casey could be on the show to talk about any number of things but today she is going to talk her number one skill set. She is a multimedia marketing agency. What she does for businesses is web design, video production, digital marketing and small business coaching. Casey is especially passionate about helping women and working with them to help them achieve their goals. Show Notes: Why is it important to include video on your website? How do you figure out what you should include in the video? What is the most important part of the video? What kind of questions should a designer ask to find their “hook”? What is your about me page supposed to be about? Quality is important! What scenarios should you use different qualities? How long should the video be? What are the three steps for prepping? What should a budget be for the video? What advice does Casey have to give about hiring people? Why did Casey start her business? Resources: www.d-stef.com www.caseydestefano.com

Our guest today, Chris Kofitsas is the president of “New World Design Builders”. If you have ever had the pleasure of dining at Catch LA, Catch New York City or ABC Kitchen in New York City then you have had the pleasure of experiencing Chris’s work firsthand. Today Chris is going to tell us about his unique firm. Chris is the architect, builder and interior designer on all of his projects. Over twenty years of experience and training allows him to interlace these disciplines of architecture, interior, furniture and lighting design into an immersive experience paired with his discerning eye for beauty, attention to detail and commitment to excellence. Chris is one of the most sought after hospitality interior designers and the industries recognized Chris’s designs with multiple awards. Show Notes: How many businesses are there that the designer, builder and architect are all the same person? After going to school what was Chris’s next step? How did the relationship change between Chris and his favorite professor help him with his business? Why did he reconstruct his business? Where does the communication start between a builder and architecture? What sort of things should you look for in good communication? What does he look for when interviewing a new designer? What is an important quality to have when working with someone else? How many people work for Chris’s firm? Advice for new people on how to get a job for a firm like Chris? Resources: www.chairish.com/trade www.newworlddesignbuilders.com

I have Marina Case with me today and she is the principal of The Red Shutters located in Warwick, New York. Marina is a self-described hobby decorator who has become an accomplished interior decorator. Today you will hear Marina talk about the specific steps that she took to create the interior design business that she has today that would be envied and admired by any of us. Marina has been honored as one of the top fifty New York designers in New York spaces. She has won national acclaim for her design at the spa at Glenn Mear Mansion which was named one of the top 100 places in the world to visit by Departures Magazine. She also hosts a radio show, a live show where she interviews many people in the decorating field. Good news! She will be making that available in a podcast very soon! Show Notes: What was the “aha” moment when Marina decided she was going to go into the design business? In hindsight, when did she realize that she was interested in design? How is she using the Historics, Textiles and Wallpaper class that she teaches to help other designers? What is the Historics, Textiles and Wallpaper class really about and where can you take the course? What is the difference between a skype design and e-design? What is the difference between a construction package and a builder specification package? How does she charge her services? How can the project's packages affect the cash flow? What are some of the challenges that a new designer could face if they try to duplicate what Marina has done with her business? What does it mean to be an unofficial brand ambassador for the Williamsburg brand? What is the red list? Resources: www.businessofdesign.com www.theredshutters.com www.mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness

Welcome back to another power talk Friday! I’m very happy to let everyone know Krista Coupar is back in the house! Krista has two businesses: Coupar Communications and Studio Coupar. Coupar Communications is a public relations and market agency located in San Francisco. Studio Coupar is a full-service design support firm for interior designers, architects, contractors, and builders. On top of running two businesses, she has six children! Talk about a busy and talented lady. Today Krista is going to give us some great tips on what and how we should analyze our business starting the new year. Show Notes: What are some things that new business owners should incorporate for the new year? How can you teach people to assign a financial budget? Why is it important to know your baseline expenses? How can you make yourself feel empowered? Where is the biggest social media platform that an interior design should be on? What are some tips for using Instagram to promote business? What should you put on your business Instagram? What are some steps to take to look out for your future? How does a designer work up more business or pipeline? What are some ways to get the meeting for more clients? Resources: www.instagram.com www.couparcommunications.com www.studiocoupar.com

Today Brittanie Elms is with me on the show. Brittanie is a smart, young go-getter who recently founded and launched her own company called My Design Assistant. Brittanie recently reached out to me because she is an avid listener of the show and she was interested in a sponsorship and wanted to know what that entailed. So, while that didn’t work out I was so impressed by her and her services and the concept of hers that I asked her to be on the show. My Design Assistant is a virtual design service specifically for interior designers. The purpose of this service is to decrease the behind the scenes work and to allow the interior design owner to focus on the business while finding time for themselves. Show Notes: Where are virtual assistants most known? What is Brittanie’s ideal customer/client? What are Brittanie’s goals with her business, My Design Assistant? What are the tasks that Brittanie would help a client within a normal day? What are the structures that a client can use to bill their services? In her opinion, what sort of things should a designer look for when hiring an in-person or virtual assistant? What are some challenges she has come across with a virtual assistant? How did she come up with the idea to create My Design Assistant? Resources: www.chairish.com/trade www.mydesignassistant.com www.instagram.com/mydesignassistantbusiness www.twitter.com/mydesignassist

On the show today, we have Michelle Wiebe! Michelle is the principal of Studio M in Tampa, Florida. The specialty of Michelle’s firm is luxury residential new construction. I know we have talked to quite a few designers in this field I haven’t really picked their brain as much as I did with Michelle today. Her firm in addition to luxury residential, new construction they also do family condominiums, corporate headquarters, medical offices and small-scale hospitality spaces. Michelle is a busy lady! In addition to all of this, she serves on the board of interior design at Florida State University her Almer mater. She also serves on the high point market authority board and she goes all over the country speaking on design social media. She is the editor of Impression, the Studio M design blog. Show Notes: How many years has Studio M been in business? How does one show their specialty in luxury residential new construction on social media? What should a new designer know before taking on a big project in luxury residential new construction? What is a CEU? How can a designer educate themselves on different codes that need to be known before going into a project? What should the contract consist of? Can you really learn what you need to know from classes? How should make your client feel? Are there times when certain “projects” in a project should be hired outside of the firm? Who does Michelle have on her team at her firm? What does Michelle look for when going through the hiring process? What is High Point Market Authority? What sort of app can you use at the High Point Market Authority? How long can you serve on the board for High Point Market Authority? Resources: www.interiorsbystudiom.com www.businessofdesign.com

I have Calvin Correli with me today and I have learned talking with him before the show that he is a very interesting man! He is an artist, entrepreneur, a CEO of a holistically focused multimillion dollar software company called Simplero. Calvin is very passion about helping online business owners do exactly what makes them feel most alive and is currently working on branching out to bring all of his talents including music, spirituality, personal growth and bring all of this into an exciting new experience. Show Notes: What is Calvin’s business, Simplero? What is Calvin’s personal mission with his business? What would be some business advice that he would give? How long has he been self-employed? What are some questions does he asks himself for his business? How does he use meditation to help him with projects? How can people emulate the life that he lives? How can you integrate your life and work? What is so great about the “fingerprinting stuff”? Resources: www.calvincorreli.com

If this is your first time, I am so happy that you found us! Today I am pleased to introduce you to Amanda Reynal! Amanda received her Bachelor of Arts at Trinity College. She then studied the masters abroad in Florence, Italy and ultimately learned her trade at the New York School of Interior Design and Parsons School of Design. Recently, she spent three years in London which provided the perfect venue for traveling and continuing her education in English and European decorative arts and antiques as well as contemporary art. Amanda’s introduction to interior design began in New York first at an architecture firm and then as a senior design associate at the prestigious Cullman and Kravis. You will hear today that this had a huge influence on her future success. In 2001, Amanda founded Amanda Reynal Interiors in Des Moines, Iowa which was born through a huge break with the opportunity to design the master bedroom suite at the Des Moines Symphony show house. Show Notes: What stayed with Amanda while she worked at Cullman and Kravis? What is the process for an estimate to be executed? What kind of transition did she go through when she went from an established firm to the beginning of her own business? What characteristics or sorts of things does Amanda look for when hiring a team member? What was it like to go from New York to Iowa? How did Amanda reinvent her business: Amanda Reynal Interiors? What are some steps that she took to make the transition? What kind of thought did she put into picking her new space? What should you look for when finding a space for your new business? Resources: www.chairish.com www.reynalinteriors.com www.joepeoples-photographer.com www.marisapellegrini.com

I am very happy to announce that I have my buddy Sandra Funk from House of Funk! If you are a returning listener you will know exactly who Sandra Funk is because you know she was on the show on episode 3. You have heard me mention her on the podcast several times over the past year. The reason why you hear me mention her so much is I just admire so much how she runs her business. So often I have other guests on the show that I admire the same way but I don’t see it head on and day to day. So, when I want to make a point or mention her it’s because I see her work up close all the time. If you are new to the show this is all new information. Sandra Funk is the founder and principal designer of House of Funk. It is a full-service firm with offices in New York City and Montclair, New Jersey and they also have e-funk, their online option for interior design. The thing about House of Funk is that they are fully dedicated to living purposefully and authenticity. House of Funk supports charitable organizations such as Charity Water and the Junior League. Both organizations empower women. Why is Sandra Funk back today? Sandra has rebranded her firm after ten years in business. She has taken a pivot and did some soul searching. We are going to talk about that a little bit. Show Notes: What sort of things has Sandra been going through to make her want to rebrand after being in business for ten years? What are some of the steps that she took to rebrand her business? How did Sandra use social media to promote her business? Who does what on her team? How does she get people outside of her network into her network? What was Sandra’s painful experience? How did Sandra deal with her bad experience? Why are deadlines so important to her? What are her long-term and short-term goals? Resources: www.houseoffunk.com www.businessofdesign.com