A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

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

Welcome back to another power talk Friday! Kimberley is a full service, luxury interior designer and she has offices in Canada and Los Angeles and is the founder of Business of Design. Business of Design is a dynamic platform for interior designers who want to run more profitable businesses. The number of resources that Kimberley has available for you at the Business of Design platform is unbelievable. She is also an author of several books. If you would like the full back story on Kimberley, please go back to episode 112 on this podcast. Today she is going to talk with us about the flat fee demons! She is an expert at pricing your project and positioning your firm and projects for maximum profitability. I have to let the cat out of the bag! Kimberley is starting her own podcast! Show Notes: How long did it take Kimberley to write her book about flat fees? What is internal negotiation and when does this happen? Why should a designer charge for the initial consultation? What other processes should be taken into consideration when setting a flat fee? How does resentment towards the client usually happen? What should you bill for? What is scope creep? How does a designer “train” a client? When should you cut corners? How should a contract be written? What are some “traps” that can happen if your contract is not written correctly? When is Kimberley’s next webinar? How can you get the membership? Resources: www.businessofdesign.com www.kimberleyseldon.com March 9th Webinar - Win The Flat Fee Game: https://businessofdesign.com/events/win-the-flat-fee-game/

Welcome back to another Well-Designed Business! If you are a first-time listener and just now finding our show thank you so much for tuning in! On the show, today Sarah Wilson is with me. Sarah is an interior designer located in Redlands, California. She has just hit her two-year anniversary in business. She is a designer with a degree from the designer institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Today you are going to learn why and how Sarah left a career as a software quality engineer to pursue her passion in interior design. While she was attending FDIN she participated in different chairing styles where she created a chairing style that she intends to one day bring to market. Color is one of Sarah’s passions and encourages clients to use bold colors in their spaces. Show Notes: What are some of the skill sets that Sarah brought to her business? What other degrees does Sarah have? What would she like to tell all the people starting their new interior design businesses? Where and how did she get her first client for her business? How did she start up her business? What is BNI? What were some things that she thought would be challenging but were surprisingly easy? How important is networking for your business? What are some mistakes that Sarah encountered during her first two years in business? What are some big victories that she has accomplished in her first two years? How did she come to the decision to raise her prices for her services? What goals has Sarah set for herself for 2017? What process did she use to bring in interns? How does Sarah organize her Instagram and use it to show off her work? Resources: www.chairish.com/trade www.instagram.com/chansaeraedesigns www.chansaeraedesigns.com

Glen Peloso will be joining me today on A Well-Designed Business. Glen is one-half of the Glen and Jamie of the Peloso Alexander Interiors. Each Glen and Jamie are successful interior designers some twenty plus years each and in 2013 these two respected designers came together to co-found Peloso Alexander Interiors in Toronto. Following their merger, they launched their brand “Glen and Jamie Designer Collection” which is an upholstery line that is now available in stores nationwide. They have both appeared in both print and television in North America and internationally, HGTV and Food Network. They are regulars as design experts for the Merrel and Dennis Show, Global Morning Show, Breakfast Television Toronto and CHCH Morning. They are also regular design columnists for national papers like the Toronto Star and are national contributors to a variety of national and international magazines. Glen and Jamie serve as design directors at Toronto’s largest attended festival, Buscar Fest. They were recently honored by being appointed ambassadors to the peer project, a non-profit organization that assists youth mentored by youth. They maintain two boutique locations and somehow, they run a full-time interior design firm with a staff of ten! Show Notes: How did Glen and Jamie come to want to found a business together? What are some skill sets that Glen has that compliment Peloso Alexander Interiors that are different from Jamie’s skillsets? How did the two stores come to be? What is the difference in the two stores? What is the idea for “the basement”? How did the media part of the business get started? When did Glen have his start in television? What advice does Glen give to people who want to be on television and be famous? What are the design tours that Glen Jamie do together? How can someone join a tour that is being held by Glen and Jamie? How do you most effectively use the resources given to you? Resources: www.businessofdesign.com www.pelosoalexander.com

It’s another episode of power talk Friday! I have Jim Riviello with me today! Jim is the founder of Leadership X University, LXU. He is a speaker, team development coach as well as the author of “There Must be a Better Way”. His latest book is called “Rivelations for Business Professionals”. Jim and his team provide business leadership and growth tools to help you accelerate yourself as an individual, a team leader, home owner and team development. He comes from his own experience and has been in our shoes. He shares his own personal stories and this one of the reasons I was attracted to Jim and his team. Show Notes: What is “be do have not have do be”? Where should you be looking first if you are not successful? When should you plan your work week? How should you or what are some ways to plan your work week? How can you use Monday to plan for the rest of the week? What is a power day and how often should you have them? What is the golden rule for having to reschedule a meeting? Why is it so important to just keep moving the “needle”? What is the importance of three steps? What does the phrase catch first mean? What kind of programs does Jim and his team offer? Resources: www.lxu.training There Must be a Better Way Rivelations for Business Professionals

Today is the one year birthday for A Well Design Business! IT’s been quite a journey with so many challenges and victories along the way. It’s like the best roller coaster you have ever been on. For the one year birthday show I have been thinking “what should I do?” I wanted it to be different from regular scheduling. I remembered what I did for the 6 month show and for the 100th episode and I decided I can’t do what I did on those shows again. Then I was listening to Natalie Eckdahls BizChix Podcast. It’s a great show! It has lots of insight on how to run a business. While Natalie is a great business coach for anyone on any level she seems to really speak to “solos” and the struggles of solos. Natalie just celebrated her 3rd year on air and for that episode, she invited someone to interview her. I love that idea! So, I snagged and copied the idea. Today I have invited Carol Cox to be my interviewer. Carol is the creator of “Speaking your Brand” which provides mission-driven entrepreneurs and organizations with communications and media training. She helps them excavate their stories and core messages and create a breakthrough brand and signature talk that grows their business and influence. Carol also teaches business and marketing at a university and during election seasons she serves as a political analyst on TV news. Show Notes: How did the podcast “A Well-Designed Business” come about? What was it that Luann saw that designers were struggling with and that her podcast could help? Why do people like Luann’s podcast: A Well Design Business? How does she find the guests for her podcast? What is the criteria for a guest that Luann would pick? Why did she come up with power talk Friday for her podcast? Is there some advice that Luann has heard in several of the episodes over and over? How did Luann learn to trust her intuition? Why did Luann decide to hire a speaking coach? Why didn’t she go to college? What kind of thinker do you need to be to be a good designer? What has she gotten the most of doing the podcast? When is, her book coming out and what is it about? What’s next for the podcast? Resources: www.chairish.com A Making of a Well-Designed Business https://www.speakingyourbrand.com http://bizchix.com https://www.silvamethod.com

I have two dynamos in the marketing and PR world, Ann Feldstein and Jennifer Powell Tumpowsky of Moxie Marketing and Communications. We are going to talk today about how to be prepared to work with a PR marketing firm and what you can expect them to help you with if you do hire one. But first a little background on these two accomplished women. Moxie Marketing and Communications is a New York-based public relations marketing firm representing interior designers, architects, manufacturers and brands in the interior design industry. Founder and President, Ann Feldstein and her partner, Jennifer Powell Tumpowsky have twenty plus combined years of industry specific experience. Ann, throughout her career, has worked on high-end brands and for fifteen years she was the Vice President of Communications at Kravet Inc. At Kravet, she focused on B2B marketing and PR, media and event planning and was a part owner of CrossFit Sanctuary. Jennifer is a native of High Point, North Carolina and her passion for the design industry and deep understanding of marketing makes her a valuable asset to their clients. Jennifer joined Moxie in April of 2016 after she also spent time at Kravet Inc. Jennifer was at Kravet for seven years and was the Director of Communications and oversaw the development of strategy, implementation of social media, copyrighting, public relations and assisted with events, product launching and media planning. Jennifer has visited every major design center in the country. She speaks to designers large and small about the power of social media and the importance of marketing in the interior design industry. Show Notes: What is it like to be a client at Moxie Marketing and Communications? Does their business work with interior designers that don’t know what their goals are? What is a brand presence? What is the purpose of going to different events? What does it mean to have a good social media presence? What are some principles for good social media campaign? How many social platforms should a business be on? Are there certain things that someone should have ready before deciding to work with a PR firm? How important is communication for your business? How should you capture your work? What is something that you need to make sure is very clear on your website or page? Resources: www.businessofdesign.com www.moxiemarketingny.com

We’re back with another power talk Friday! I’m happy to announce that I have Charlotte Safavi with me today. Charlotte is a London born, Oxford University-educated writer and stylist. She has written for national shelter magazines such as Better Home and Gardens, Traditional Home, House Beautiful, HGTV magazine, Southern Living, New York Cottages and Gardens, Lux Interiors and Design, Southern Home and many more. I am looking at this list that Charlotte has been published in and think of how many times I have read those same lists for each of the interior design guests we have had on the show. Today we are going to look at it from the other side, the writer side. Show Notes: What makes Charlotte’s niche different than other stylists for magazines? Why did she decide on this niche? What does she do in her scouting for a shoot? What might be some suggestions that Charlotte would give the designer or photographer? When should a designer use a team like Charlotte’s team for their projects? What are some ways that Charlotte approaches a project when scouting? Why is it important to have a narrative or thread to a project? How can a designer keep the narrative or thread going through a photo shoot? What are some ways to stage a project to attract that client you want? Resources: www.instagram.com/charlottesafavi www.facebook.com/charlottesafavi www.charlottesafavi.com

Today on the show I have yet another fabulous business coach who specializes in our industry! Michele Williams is with me! Michele is the founder of Scarlet Thread and Consulting in Atlanta, Georgia. Today we will learn about Michele’s background which includes the financial software industry as well as a business in soft window treatment fabricator. She also has a BS in business administration, a diploma in Christian life coaching and she is one of the few certified profit first coaches in the United States. Michele was also the communication director and editor in chief of the Drapery and Designs Professional Magazine from 2009 to 2012. She is a member of The Design Collective in Atlanta, the Designers Work Club Council and the Window Covering Association of America. After talking to Michele I realized that there are so many things I could talk with her about but after we talk about her background a little bit we are going to pull apart work scheduling and chunking our day to have more productivity. Show Notes: What is her background in the financial software industry? When did she decide to start her window treatment business? Did she start with a business plan? How did she start to make her business bigger? What is the Design Collective in Atlanta? What is a round table discussion and how is it helpful? How is the Window Coverings Association helpful to Michele and her business? What are some of things that you can expect Michele to talk about the expo IWCE in Charlotte? Why is it important to listen to different people say the same things? Why is important to be able to chunk your time for productivity? Is it better to be proactive or reactive? How should you plan your calendar? Resources: www.chairish.com www.designcollectiveatl.com www.scarletthreadconsulting.com

On the show, today it is kind of a departure for the podcast because I am going to be speaking with an interior design student: Ashleigh Esprit. Ashleigh is a student Gwinnett Technical College in Atlanta, Georgia and she is working on her associates degree in interior design. She will complete her associates degree in the spring of 2017 and then attend Brunel University in the fall to get her masters in interior design. She has had great success in her internships and working with a great company, Sherwin Williams. She is very passionate about design and very passionate about her colleagues. She has started a blog, The Life of an Interior Design Student. In the interview, you will learn how Ashleigh and I came to know each other and what I have learned about her to make me respect her. Show Notes: Why did Ashleigh start a blog for interior design students? What are some of the struggles that she has experienced that other students have as well? How does Ashleigh overcome her times when she is having trouble staying inspired? What made Ashleigh want to be involved in the interior design business and study more about interior design? Are there any classes that Ashleigh thinks are more beneficial than others? Does Ashleigh think internships are important? Is there anything that she thinks should be included in the interior design curriculum that isn’t explained well enough already? Is Ashleigh a part of ASID? What are Ashleigh’s goals for her career in interior design? What are some other blogs that she has connected with? Has Ashleigh learned anything from doing her blog: The Life of an Interior Design Student? Resources: The Life of an Interior Design Student www.lifeofanidstudent.blogspot.com

On this power talk Friday I am happy to say that I have Heather Ann Havenwood! Heather Ann Havenwood is the CEO of Havenwood Worldwide. She is the head chief sexy boss, she is an entrepreneur and a top authority in internet marketing, business strategies, and marketing. What I found that is very interesting about Heather is that she started her first online business in 1999. If you think about that in 1999 nobody really had computers in their homes. In 2006, she took a company that she developed and grew it to an online marketing, publishing company from ground zero to over one million dollars in sales in under twelve months! Show Notes: What is Heather’s nitch? What should you promote first for your business? What are some of the differences between men and women’s approaches when it comes to getting what they want in business? When or should you become friends with clients? Why are consistency and commitment important? What is H2H and why is it important? Why is it important to google your name every occasionally? Why does everyone fail to succeed? Why did she write her book: Sexy Boss: How the Empowerment of Women is Changing the Rule Book of Sex, Money, and Business? Why are testimonials important to your business? How do you get testimonials? What is Heather’s podcast about? Resources: Sexy boss: How the Empowerment of Women is Changing the Rule Book of Sex, Money, and Success The Win with Heather Havenwood www.heatherhavenwood.com

I have Paula Grace with me today! Paula Grace comes to interior design as a second career. Before coming to interior design, she earned master degrees in clinical social work and business administration. She held a directorship in a large behavioral health program and was a senior instructor at the graduate level in a prestigious university medical center. This is exactly why I was so intrigued to bring Paula on the show! In addition to designing interiors, she also designs furniture and area rugs which are available to the trade. Paula Grace also consults and shares her knowledge with us her design colleagues on how to build strong professional relationships with clients, staff and vendors. Show Notes: What are the steps that an interior designer should start out with when trying to build a good relationship with clients? What should a designer talk about in the first meeting with a client? Why is it so important to stick to your original plan? What are some clues that you as a designer have not explained clearly enough what you are about? What are the four “c”s? How can designers reinforce to their clients that they made the right decision? How can you stay out of the “friend zone”? How can you deal with a person’s bad experience from a previous project? How can you as a leader decide if your staff members are happy in their work environment? What is the organization culture assessment instrument? What is the reveal and heal process? How do the relationships with your clients relate to your relationships with your staff members? How can you keep a great designer happy at a small firm? How open should you be when owning your own business? Resources: www.paulagracedesigns.com www.windowworks-nj.com/podcast-birthday-party www.chairish.com

Gillian Rose is a Canadian transplant whose New York-based interior design and color consultancy firm draws on several years of professional experience in design practice, as well as formal training from Parcel School of Design. As a color scientist, Gillian works to ensure the positive integration of people and their environments. Her consultation process includes supporting the function of space, avoiding the over and under-stimulating spaces based on personality, and avoiding negative emotional and physiological response to the built environment. Gillian is an accredited member of the association of Color Associates of North America and she uses the psychological and physiological impact of color on the human experience to bring exceptional creativity and tailored edge to her design projects. Show Notes: What are the names that Gillian and fellow color scientists refer to themselves as? How many businesses does Gillian have? How does her business The Science of Color help businesses? What does Gillian mean that color is part of our DNA? In what ways does color affect introverts and extroverts? Does instinct play a role in picking colors? Is it possible for people to be living in the wrong colors? When should you create different spaces when colors are not working all the same? Is there such a thing as a general color reaction? Are there certain colors that appeal to our libido? Are the colors that appeal to women and men different? What is the color assessment test? Where should you look to decide what color to use for a space? Who was Gillian’s mentor? What and where is the association of paint color collection? What are clear colors? Resources: www.gillianrosedesign.com www.thescienceofcolor.com www.finepaintsofeurope.com

Today I have Cathi Hargaden on this power talk Friday! Interestingly enough for you interior designers, she is a feng shui expert. She has been practicing and teaching this for over twenty years. She has taught this at workshops, universities, demonstrations at retail stores, hospitals, homes etc. She has traveled to several countries doing this for small businesses. I know you are all thinking we already know about feng shui and how to teach this. What we are going to talk to Cathi about is how feng shui relates to our business and success. Show Notes: What ways can you bring tenacity to your business? What is so important about what “sits behind you”? What should be in front of you at your workspace? How can you make your environment project what kind of person you are? How should your desk be arranged in your workplace? How can plants help your work environment? How can you put power into your workspace? In what way, should an interior designer’s layout their personal space? What sort of help or tools does Cathi have to declutter? How do you identify what elements you need more of? What does water flow represent? What is the power of signs? How does space clearing relate to safety? How many different kinds of feng shui are there? Resources: www.wealthyspaces.com www.facebook.com/wealthyspaces

Welcome back! On the show today I have Barbara Sallick! She is the Co-Founder and Senior Vice President of Design for Waterworks, and Author of ‘The Perfect Bath’. In 1978, Barbara and her husband Robert Sallick founded Waterworks, a luxury kitchen and bath brand in Danbury, Connecticut. The two are dedicated to bringing the European style to the American bath market. In the years to follow Waterworks has transformed the kitchen and bath market. Barbara has applied her education and lifelong love for art, antiques, travel and the principles for architecture and decoration to educate those around her and to elevate the bath to a room that is as beautiful, personal, inviting as it is practical. Today on the show Barbara is going to share with us the steps to confidentially design and execute a perfect bath project. Show Notes: What sort of things does Waterworks help a person do? When should you have experts help you with your bathroom? Who do you need to have on your team when starting on a bathroom project? What is an architecture trim? Why is important to work with the right sales consultant for you? Why should you not be intimidated when walking into Waterworks? When should you bring your client to the showroom? How much homework should you do before you bring a client to the showroom? What sort of lingo should you have when coming to Waterworks? What sort of customer service does Waterworks have? When should you call the client service department when working with Waterworks? When did Barbara and her husband pivot their business, Waterworks? Why was this pivot such an important decision for more success for the business? What is her new book, The Perfect Bath about? Resources: www.waterworks.com www.windowworks-nj.com/barbara The Perfect Bath Waterworks: Inventing Bath Style

On the show, today I have Kate O’ Hara of Martha O’ Hara Interiors. She is another guest that has been requested by a listener! Kate O’ Hara is the director of business and marketing development at the Minneapolis, Minnesota and Austin, Texas-based interior design firm Martha O’ Hara Interiors. After pioneering the local firms’ expansion to national markets and international clientele. Kate was named one of Minnesota’s the top thirty-two under thirty-two marketing professionals. She has played a leading role growing and refining Martha O’ Hara marketing strategy and social media presence. You will hear Kate talk about how they have over 200000 followers on Facebook and how they rated as a top industry expert on houzz.com. These things happened under Kate’s leadership. Her mother Martha runs their award winning interior design team which has been featured in local and national media. Show Notes: How did Martha O’ Hara Interiors get started? What are some things that have made Martha O’ Hara Interiors successful? What should be on the hiring criteria? What is the interview all about? How many times should you “meet” someone before hiring them? What is the most important investment for the business? How does the hiring process work through Martha O’ Hara Interiors? How does the Houzz.com platform work for promoting business? How can you get more reviews on Houzz.com? What are some things you can do to get more followers? How does Martha O’Hara Interiors prepare for the questions going to be asked on Houzz.com? Any response is better than no response! How does different social media platforms work together for a better presence? Resources: www.houzz.com www.oharainteriors.com www.instagram.com/oharainteriorsofficial www.facebook.com

On this power talk Friday I am happy to say that I have finally brought a lawyer to you! I have been thinking about it for a while and I have Kwame Christian with us today! Kwame is part of the American Negotiation Institute and a fellow podcaster. He is the host of negotiation of entrepreneurs and he is very passionate about teaching business professionals like us to negotiate and be more persuasive. I love negotiation almost as much as I love sales! Kwame has a lot of great advice and tips you don’t want to miss out on. Show Notes: What is Kwame’s definition of negotiation? Who do we negotiate with the most? What is a “date test” and why is it important? How can negotiation help be a better communicator? How can persuasion help you be a better business person? What are the three things you need to be a good negotiator? What is the difference between an open-ended and a close ended question? When should you find out someone’s push points? Where do you as a business person need to find confidence first? What is the first step for negotiation? How has society shaped women on how to get what they want? What is the art of concession? When and how should you say yes and no? Why should you say no? What is a no sandwich? Resources: www.americannegotiationinstitute.com www.linkedin.com www.kchristianlaw.com Kwame's Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negotiation-for-entrepreneurs/id1101679010?mt=2 About Kwame: http://americannegotiationinstitute.com/about/

Today on the show we have Grace McNamara. Grace has owned and produced window fashion Vision magazine since 1986. Vision is the business publication for the window covering industry in North America. I can certainly attest to this, we have subscribed to this magazine since the very beginning of our business! It is always full from cover to cover of useful information. In addition, Grace also produces the international window coverings expo, the industries national trade show and educational conference. Also, in 1990 Grace developed the window fashion certified professionals program. The longest ongoing training for window coverings professionals. Grace is a member of the international furnishings and design association and a press member of ASID and IIDA. Show Notes: What two areas has Grace niched her business in? Why did Grace choose window treatments? Is there anyone else that addresses this market the way that Grace does? How did she come across the cake design business? What was the practical and emotional situations when deciding to buy a business? Why is confidence so important when running a business? What is IWCE (International Window Coverings Expo)? Where is, the IWCE going to be held? What is going to be offered at IWCE that would be helpful to businesses? Who are some of the speakers that will be at IWCE? How many seminars does Grace have available for the Expo? How does she come up with the topics for the Expo? How do you register for the Expo seminars? Why did Grace decide to have the Expo in Charlotte this year? How many attendees are there generally at the expos? Resources: www.iwce-vision.com www.wf-vision.com http://windowworks-nj.com/join-luann-nigara-for-opening-ceremonies-iwce-2017/

I have another outstanding show for you today! Corey Damen Jenkins is with me today and he is no exception to the amazing people I have been meeting. What you will learn from Corey Damen is that he is one of the good guys. He is the kind of person that everyone would agree is very open, sincere, humble and giving. What you may or may not know about Corey is that he is the principal of Corey Damen Jenkins Associates which is located in Birmingham, Michigan. In 2011, television audiences voted him the winning design star of HGTV’s Show House Showdown. Since then it has been a whirlwind of accomplishments! Today we are going to talk about how his lifelong dream came true in 2016 with his launch of his first couture collection of furniture, Corey Damen Jenkins exclusively for Leathercraft. This collection was nominated for the prestigious 2017 Arts Award for the Best Product Design. Once you start to listen to this episode it will be no surprise to you that Corey Damen believes in giving back to the design community. His firm generously donates to several charities. Show Notes: What was the process like to get Corey Damen to decide to get on HGTV’s Show House Showdown? What were the reasons that Corey Damen was cast for HGTV’s Show House Showdown? How has Corey Damen learned to deal with his past insecurities and reconstruct the way he deals with things? How does he get the most out of his projects? Does he use PR firms? When working with a PR firm how should a design firm behave and be organized? How did Corey Damen decide to design his furniture through Leathercraft? What is Leathercraft? How did Corey Damen decide what fabrics to use on his furniture collection? Who did Corey Damen name a piece of his furniture in his new collection after? How does he come up with his designs for his furniture? Resources: His website: http://coreydamenjenkins.com His Leathercraft Furniture line: http://coreydamenjenkins.com/collections/ The Kate Spade Collection for Kravet which was mentioned in the episode: http://www.kravet.com/products/collections/kate-spade-new-york/

On this power talk Friday I am excited to say that Kimberley Seldon with me again on the show. If you remember she was just on the show about a month ago, and she has her interior design business but she also has Business of Design where she teaches interior designers how to run their businesses more effectively and more profitably. Kimberley’s Business of Design is one of our happy sponsors here! Show Notes: How long did it take Kimberley to write her third book? When does her third book come out? Does Kimberley like flat fees? What are the steps to turning your business’s business model around? What systems should be in place when you decide to “try”? Should the fees or the client wish list change? Make sure to document! Does a designer have to track everything even though they have a flat fee? Are there projects that have no deficiencies? How should a designer expect to be paid? How can you make yourself sound professional and confident when talking about money? How can you tell when you have a mature pier? What happens when a client misses payments? How many times should you talk or ask about money? How should you deal with a change in a project? How should the client be billed when something does change in a project? When is Kimberley’s newest webinar? Is Kimberley’s Webinar free? Resources: Volume One: Have the Professional Life You’ve Always Wanted http://businessofdesign.com/product/business-of-design-volume-1/ Volume Two: Make Every Project Satisfying for Both you and your Client http://businessofdesign.com/product/business-of-design-volume-2/ How to Win the Flat Fee Game http://businessofdesign.com/events/win-the-flat-fee-game/ Kimberley's website: www.kimberleyseldon.com www.businessofdesign.com "Join today and start to turn your business in the right direction. And a reminder Basic membership is free and you'll receive a free download of Kimberley's book 10 Profit Drivers for signing up." The new book coming 1/31/17

On the show today I am so excited to introduce you all to Nicole Heymer! Nicole is the owner of Curio Electro Boutique Web Design Agency that specializes in branding, content strategy and web design and development for interior design firms and other innovative businesses. She has been helping more interior designers bring in more leads and increase their visibility online since 2011! I know we have talked about branding on the show more than a couple times, but this is such an important aspect of your business in this age of social media. I promise there is more to learn about branding. Show Notes: Why is branding so important for interior designers? How does Nicole divide the ways to look at branding? What are the benefits of having a brand? How can you let people know what you really want or enjoy to design? Can you have too much “language” on your about me page? Give the reasons why! How does a client determine “your worth” and what to pay an interior designer? How should you pick your colors? Why are colors and what they mean so important? How do you figure out your message? What is the bare minimum you can do when starting out? Why is font important? What should be included in your branding guidelines? Is it worth it to hire a photographer if possible? What can you do to let people know you can do what they want, even when you have no projects yet? How can a designer “beef up” their website when starting out? How can a designer use blogging to express their brand? When should and shouldn’t a designer use a blog? What else could be used for good website content? What makes you different? Resources: www.curioelectro.com http://curioelectro.com/interior-design-branding http://curioelectro.com/seo-for-interior-designers-architects