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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

In today's world being a talented interior designer isn't enough to ensure that you have a profitable and successful interior design business. Design school doesn't always teach you the critical business skills to be sure your interior design business be everything you imagined it would be! A Well Designed Business is here to fill in the gaps and give you real live business skills from some of the top interior designers. Your host, LuAnn Nigara shares her 35 years of success in the interior design industry, and she finds the most successful guests to share their interior design business best practices.
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Now displaying: June, 2018
Jun 29, 2018

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We are very happy to have Fred Berns back on the show today! Fred has been our guest many, many times before and he continues to bring value every time, getting right to the point with his really actionable topics. If you're new to the show, Fred has been on episodes #22, #48, #96, #174, #226, and #289 of the podcast. He is the only interior design industry business coach and speaker who creates personal bios and promotional material for design professionals all over the world, so listen in to find out what he has to share today, about how to set and get higher fees for the work you do.

Fred has more than 25 years experience training design professionals from Dallas to Dubai and creating their online profiles, website, and social media copy, blogs, and marketing forms. In addition, he offers a wide range of business coaching services, ranging from his High-Performance Coaching Program to his Bio Briefing and Website Onceover. As one of the biggest names in the business of interior design, he speaks at design conferences and other events throughout the U.S. and around the world. He also develops sales and marketing programs for international franchise organizations and companies within the interior design industry, and trains manufacturers, retailers, and others on how to increase sales to design professionals. Listen in to find out more.

Show highlights:

  • Why Fred really loves what he does so much.
  • Why so many designers, who work so hard, just aren't realizing the abundance and the prosperity that they deserve.
  • It's been Fred's passion over the years to convince designers to increase their fees dramatically.
  • The number one obstacle that's preventing designers from charging higher fees.
  • What Fred has discovered about some of the most financially successful, high-end designers in the world.
  • High-end clients are used to paying designers high-end fees.
  • Making the decision to make more money- and then focusing on that.
  • Why earning more is all about your mindset.
  • Having the guts to appreciate your value and raise your fees accordingly.
  • Create a list of twenty reasons why you can actually double your fees.
  • You can raise the standard of the whole design industry by charging higher fees.
  • Learning to run your own business by your own rules.
  • Explaining your value to your clients.
  • People with money always have money, regardless of the current financial climate.
  • Focusing on the pain points of your high-end clients, then painting yourself as a caregiver.
  • Positioning yourself as a partner to your high-end clients.
  • What you have to do to double your fees.
  • How to deal with any objections to your price.
  • Small thinking brings about small results.
  • Give yourself permission to earn what you really deserve, and to enjoy financial prosperity!
  • All about Fred's new Platinum Package.

Links and contacts:

Fred's website: Interior Design Business.net

Bio Briefing
Website Onceover

Fred's email: fred@fredberns.com

Fred's phone number: 3035893013

Jun 26, 2018

Welcome to the show! We have a special episode today, with Kim Hoegger, the award-winning owner, and designer of Kim Hoegger Home. On the show today Kim talks to us about her passion for antiques, retail store ownership, her days as a restaurateur, and also about her thirty plus years of experience in residential and hospitality design. Listen in to find out more.

Kim's business sense, her Southern charm, and her hospitality have all helped her create a design firm that delivers sophisticated, yet livable interiors to clients that return project after project. She is a designer with an eye for fresh, personally curated interiors and she brings a sense of warmth to each and every interior project she creates. With her classic, yet eclectic style, she easily mixes the old with the new in a refreshing way. From coastal to cottage, rustic to chic sophisticated, Kim creates interiors where her clients feel at home in spaces that enhance the lives they lead. Listen in to find out what she has to share on today's show!

Show highlights:

  • About the exciting launch of Kim's new textile designs!
  • What to expect when you dive right in and go after your dreams.
  • Where to go after working out your initial design concept.
  • Some things to think about that may not have occurred to you before.
  • Having to wear many different hats, as a designer.
  • The awesome advice that Kim received, that really took her to the next level.
  • How Kim managed to align with just the right person!
  • What it really takes to build a platform with your brand- and recognition too.
  • What Kim has accomplished in a really short time, by hiring a publicist.
  • Finding the right balance with a new endeavor.
  • Why you should really get your work professionally photographed.
  • Going after your dreams with your eyes wide open.
  • How Kim handles the sale of her fabrics.
  • Having a licensed product is no sideline- it's another whole business!
  • All about Kim's new retail showroom.
  • Kim really knows her clients well, so her buying process is very streamlined.
  • What's coming up for Kim in the future?
  • Kim's way of re-branding her products.
  • Kim has also started coaching new designers and business owners.

Other episodes mentioned on this show:

Amy Flurry #108 and #323
Andrew Joseph #39
Steve and Jill McKenzie #304

Jun 22, 2018

Welcome to Power talk Friday! Today we're talking organization and we're really happy to introduce you to our guest, Jane Stolly. Jane is a Lifebizz Organizer, author and university Instructor who found her passion in decluttering spaces, business processes, and closets. The Structure Strategist loves to help companies and individuals getting more organized.  Pretty impressive, right! Listen to today’s episode to find out more!

Where Jane's organizing knack comes from? She believes it must be her Swiss roots. Jane's love for organizing began when she was six years old: As a young girl she was often found happily lining up her cats by size, her stuffed animals by color, her books by publication date. What makes Jane's organizing approach unique is her holistic method. She starts redefining your office and continues at your home - or vice versa. The end results of her seminars, coaching and/or consultations? Reduced stress, increased happiness and productivity. "Organizing is a lifestyle, that will help you conquering anything."Jane strongly believes that custom-tailored organizing systems and routines will massively enhance your work and life. By now, she did not only convince numerous friends and her family but also various clients of this mantra. Listen to today’s show to hear Jane’s awesome advice!

Show highlights:

  • Learn how to makeover your home or business!
  • Declutter your home and your life to reduce stress.
  • Make your system work for your lifestyle.
  • Learn how to set things up so that you make the most of your time.
  • Learn how Jane’s passion of organizing evolved to a different level of helping clients organizing their businesses with sustainable systems.
  • Reaching out for help with organization is crucial for individual and personal growth.
  • Learn how valuable “outside eyes” looking at your business can be.
  • Re-organizing your business systems or marketing can save you time and money.
  • Jane shares how to look at physical things from a different perspective.
  • Organizing your priorities can save you time.
  • Learn the importance of starting small when organizing.
  • Jane shares how she markets her business outside her circle of influence.
  • Jane shares how she overcomes fear in her own business.
  • Jane shares how she has time to help others pursue their dream businesses.
  • LuAnn encourages designers who are thinking of starting their own businesses to realize they have a lot to offer others and to get started.

Links:

Order your copy of Organizing for Your Lifestyle: Adaptable Inspirations from Socks to Suitcases is Jane’s book.

Website: Organizing for Your Lifestyle

Instagram: Organized Jane Stoller

Facebook: Organizing Jane

Twitter: Organizing Jane

Linkedin: Jane Stoller

Jun 19, 2018

Welcome to the show! Today we have a great opportunity to showcase another career you might consider if you're looking for a slightly different angle within the design industry. We have Debbie Pegher, a long-time listener who is also an all-around amazing cheerleader of this podcast as our guest! Debbie is the showroom manager of   Century Furniture, in the Washington Design Center and she has more than thirty years of experience as a designer working in retail, a design studio, and having her own design firm before she became the manager at Century. Listen in to find out more.

Debbie serves as the board of directors of The Washington Design Center and she regularly hosts events for the design community in the 5000 square foot Century showroom. She served as membership director of the ASID Washington Metro Chapter from 2014 to 2016. Century Furniture was awarded Best Made in America, in 2012, by  Made, a non-profit which honors excellence in American design, with Debbie's expertise. Furniture from Century was featured at the National Reagan Airport, and this honor culminated in an invitation to the US Capital, to watch the fireworks show, on 4th July. Debbie's leadership has earned her and the DC team at Century Showroom of the Year twice, most recently in 2017, with the best sales record recorded, for their showroom! Debbie credits and shares this with her co-worker, Gloria Domingez, a seasoned and talented design-oriented member of this two-person team. Listen in to find out what Debbie has to say today!

Show highlights:

  • Debbie gives a detailed explanation of how being an interior designer for so many years has informed her ideas and decisions at Century Furniture.
  • The wonderfully welcoming approach of the staff at the Century Furniture showroom towards designers.
  • About the fantastic team at Century- including those based at the factory in North Carolina.
  • The real human kind of client experience that's to be found at the Century Furniture showroom.
  • The willingness of Century to customize items, if required.
  • The importance of treating all designers, including the young and junior ones, really well.
  • Some of the things that Debbie has instituted at the showroom to welcome, and also to teach designers.
  • Although it's a trade-only showroom, they still encourage the public in to come in and browse.
  • How it really pays off for designers to create great relationships with design showrooms.
  • The awesome events that Debbie hosts at the showroom at the Washington Center.
  • The new and exciting events that Debbie has coming up for the Summer season.
  • It's all about who you know- and who knows you!
  • How Century services work 'the Century way', to avoid any problems.

Previous episodes mentioned on this show:

Kristen McLaughlin #319

Links:

Century Furniture
Instagram: Century Furniture
Facebook: Century Furniture
Linkedin: Debbie Pegher
Instagram: Wash Design Ctr
Facebook: The Washington Design Center
Twitter: Wash Design Ctr
Pinterest: The Washington Design Center
Twitter: Century Furniture
Pinterest: Century Furniture
Jun 15, 2018

Welcome to today's show! Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all the zillions of ideas running through your head about how to improve your business? If so, you are not alone! We have heard so many of you saying in coaching, mastermind or one-on-one sessions that as much as you love the podcast, it can sometimes be the at the root of that feeling of panic. Running your own business is crazy and when you come to the podcast for help, you get it and then you land up with a notebook full of everything that you should be doing in your business.  But, this can really be daunting if you don't have someone to help you prioritize and execute those ideas, so listen in today, to find out how we've been inspired to help you with this.

The Power Talk Friday Tour is one of the solutions that LuAnn has come up with. She is inviting you to spend the day with her and with four selected experts from the Power Talk Friday shows and they will all deliver their very best to you. As long as you have a genuine desire to do the work, we promise to help you figure out the plan that is best for you. And it really doesn't matter if you're six months, six years, or even thirty-six years into your business! If you're interested in working hard and working smart, we're interested in working alongside you and we want to give you the tools to make it possible. Listen in now to find out more about the Power Talk Friday Tour -Las Vegas!

Show highlights:

  • For the Power Talk Friday Tour- Las Vegas you will spend time with Vince Nigara, Sarah Daniele, Nancy Ganzekaupher and Mark McDonough.
  • What you can expect at the Power Talk Friday Tour.
  • A great opportunity for you to access real-time advice and create relationships of quality and merit.
  • Why we have included small breakout groups.
  • An added bonus that you can expect from the sponsors.
  • In addition to Sarah Daniele, Grace McNamara and John Dupra will be joining us too!
  • What you can learn from Grace McNamara.
  • How Revel Woods can help you be more profitable and serve your clients better.
  • The awesome kind of connections that you will make with your fellow attendees.
  • Re-listen to some of the shows to get to know your Las Vegas team of experts a little better: #78 Vin Nigara, #91 Sarah Daniele, #15, #159 and #256 Nancy Ganzekaupher, #110 Mark McDonough.
  • LuAnn will be doing what she always does- break it all down, summarize it and give you ways to think about the new information.
  • About the four books that LuAnn had in mind to support this endeavor.
  • How the Power Talk Friday experts can really help you.
  • The real beauty of the Power Talk Friday Tour!
Jun 12, 2018

Welcome to today's show! We have another in the series of husband and wife teams today and our guests are Jenny and Greg Madden, of Jenny Madden Design in Hoboken New Jersey. Today's interview is packed with valuable insights about knowing when it's the right time to employ an operations manager, how to work out if you can actually afford it, and the results that you could expect to get after placing someone in that role. Jenny and Greg truly are the real deal and they really have it together, so listen in today to find out what they have to share today.

In the interview, LuAnn makes a point of complimenting Jenny and Greg on their About Us page, so we have decided to give you their company bio here, so that you can have an opportunity to see for yourselves just how deftly it conveys Jenny's skill and expertise, how it calls to their ideal client and expresses the way that they handle their projects with respect to budget, time, and the overall client experience. Listen in to find out more!

Jenny Madden Design Bio

At Jenny Madden Design, we take great pride in our client focus. We will not push a cookie cutter, signature-style onto your home. Instead, we’ll listen to your unique needs, dreams, and goals to create spaces that align with your design style and enhance your lifestyle. We also understand the importance of sticking to a budget. We specialize in mid-to-high-end furnishings, which will be of lasting quality and uncommon design. To that end, we’ve built relationships with a wide range of trade-only vendors, allowing us to bring you those sources at an exceptional value, making the most of each client’s budget.

Jenny Madden Design has been in business designing beautiful spaces since 2011. Prior to founding Jenny Madden Design, Jenny acquired formal training from top-tier programs in both Architecture (BA, Columbia University) and Interior Design (MS, Drexel University). She then gained invaluable professional experience across multiple facets of the industry, including construction management, architecture, furniture sales and interior design. The years she spent working for a general contractor, managing large-scale construction projects, are particularly unique within the interior design industry. This breadth of experience places Jenny Madden Design in the distinctive position to not only design beautiful interiors but to successfully manage projects through to completion. Jenny is able to speak the language of the broader industry and build successful partnerships with architects, builders, and vendors. She understands that a smooth, professional project experience is as important to her busy clients as an excellent aesthetic design.

Jenny built out her team to ensure she has the right mix of talent to enhance and support your project. Stefania and Maggie support the design and drafting phases, while Greg keeps operations and budgets tightly controlled. Our goal as a firm is to maintain boutique customization while providing the systems and support typically reserved for firms with a larger headcount.

At the end of the day, we believe our portfolio speaks for itself. We love that our work has been recognized in local and national publications, both in print and online. But we take the most pride in our ever-growing list of happy clients.

Jenny Madden Design offers luxury interior design services in the greater New York City area, based out of our Hoboken, NJ office. Whether you are embarking on a new construction project, a gut renovation or looking to furnish your existing space, our interior design team will guide you through the design process and into your dream home.

Show highlights:

  • The really awesome About Us page at Jenny Madden Design.
  • Some tips from Jenny and Greg's experience of working together.
  • Making the decision to put all their eggs in one basket.
  • Why it was really necessary to have someone in an operations role.
  • Greg as a pioneer in the work/family role.
  • Greg and Jenny's really supportive relationship.
  • The evaluation process they used for crunching the numbers.
  • Their plan for dealing with their downward change financially.
  • The benefits of having a fixed agreement for the business.
  • How they've managed to keep on track with their projections.
  • The way that their relationship has developed in the business.
  • The importance of having great communication when working together.

Other episodes mentioned on the show:

Andrea Schumacher #86 and then a replay on #275

Links:

Contact details for Jenny Madden Design:

website: Jenny Madden Design
email: info@jennymaddendesign.com

phone: 908-273-1634
office: 50 Harrison Street, Suite 202B Hoboken, NJ 07030
showroom: W Hoboken Living Room, 225 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030

Jun 8, 2018

Welcome to today's episode! We're very happy to finally be doing our second show on Pinterest today and we have Kate Ahl, the owner of Simple Pin Media, on the show with us. Kate teaches Pinterest marketing and she is really passionate about helping bloggers, content creators, and small business owners to grow by using Pinterest for their business. If you don't really have your Pinterest locked down as yet, you can go back and listen in to episode #292 with Summer Tannhauser to get the basics, because today, Kate and LuAnn will take you onto the next step. You're really in for a treat, so listen in now to find out more!

Kate does full-service management of people's Pinterest accounts and she also does consult calls with people who really need to get their Pinterest house in order. Kate originally started Simple Pin as a way to help her blogger friends to focus on creating content for their blogs and now, four years later, she has worked with more than four hundred accounts and she has one hundred management clients on her books.

Simple Pin was started on a whim and a prayer that it could provide for a family financially when they were living off government assistance and only $1000 per month! Kate runs Simple Pin out of her She Shed in her garden, and she even has a Pinterest board devoted to her She Shed ideas. She finds working from home a peaceful way to balance her family life, as she has three kids and also a bonus foster baby to care for. Kate and her husband are passionate about running their businesses in a way that allows them the space to do great things that can really impact their community. Kate often gets asked to speak on Pinterest and she has spoken at Build Your Blog Conference, Indulge and Blended, SNAP, and Social Media Marketing World. This year, she will be speaking at Activate, Everything Food, and Fincon. She really loves speaking about Pinterest, so listen in to find out what she has to share with you on the show today!

Show highlights:

  • Pinterest is actually a search engine- it's like a visual Google!
  • Some things that you really need to know, to make your Pinterest more effective and to drive more people to your website.
  • The importance of having the right kind of images on Pinterest.
  • Supplying the right information about your images on Pinterest.
  • The two types of people to be found on Pinterest.
  • Pinterest is a place where people go to dream and plan- and to save their ideas.
  • How to specify where you are located on Pinterest.
  • Telling your story with catchy phrases on your pins.
  • Thinking about your clients' pain points when creating your posts.
  • Earning people's trust with Pinterest.
  • Thinking of your website as a central hub.
  • Why you, as a designer, should encourage your clients to create a Pinterest board.
  • Innovative ways of creating your various Pinterest boards.
  • Why it's still really worth using Pinterest, even though it can take a while to build up steam.
  • How Pinterest is actually designed to help people take action.
  • Some tips for your best pinning practices.
  • Why it's okay to use the same images over and over again!
  • Why you really have to listen to the Simple Pin Podcast!
  • All about Kate's Full Pinterest Planner- you can download it for free at Simple Pin Media!

Other episodes mentioned on today's show:

Summer Tannhauser #292

Allison Fannin #223

Leslie Carothers (Savour Partnership) #209
Links:

Website: Simple Pin Media
Pinterest: Simple Pin Media
Facebook: Simple Pin Media
Twitter: Simple Pin Media
Podcast: Simple Pin Media Podcast
Jun 5, 2018

Welcome to today's Where Are They Now show, where we will be re-interviewing Darla Powell, from Darla Powell Interiors in Southern Florida. Darla originally appeared in episode #203, where she shared a lot of information about how she got her business off the ground and right out of the gate within the first seven months. On today's show, you will learn about everything that Darla has managed to accomplish over the last year- and she will also be announcing something brand-new, which will be making its debut on the podcast today! Listen in to find out more.

Darla has a fun, genuine and down-to-earth approach to the designing of beautiful spaces. Since she launched her career in 2016, she has grown her business almost exclusively by word-of-mouth and her clients have really fallen in love with her work!

In her past life, Darla spent almost twenty years as a Detective Sergeant in Miami Florida, so one might say that she is an expert on the importance of having complete tranquility at home after a stressful day at work! Also, her background has carried over many hidden perks- including a strong sense of integrity, accountability and a ready-for-anything-ness that is key for home renovation projects.

Darla's career transformation was fueled by her need to express her boundless creativity. She spent her childhood summers rummaging through her grandmother's antique store where she developed an extensive knowledge of antiques, collectibles and of pieces that look perfect together, so Darla's refined eye definitely sees those diamonds hiding in the rough! Above all, Darla really loves creating rooms that are gorgeous, elegant and soothing, so listen in now to find out what she has to share with you on the show today.

Show highlights:

  • Darla talks about some of the things she's learned over the last year.
  • The difference that the hiring of assistants has made to the growth of Darla's business.
  • How Darla re-invented herself at the age of fifty.
  • Why Darla has begun to delegate outside of her particular zone of genius.
  • Why Darla's company has grown by leaps and bounds over the last year.
  • Starting a business costs money, so you really need to have a plan.
  • Some of the more challenging moments when Darla first started out as a designer.
  • Darla's initial fears about raising her rates.
  • The kind of clients that Darla attracted when she was charging lower rates.
  • Finding your sweet spot in order to attract your ideal client.
  • How Darla managed to attract the huge number of Instagram followers that she has!
  • Keeping abreast with the latest Facebook algorithms.
  • The importance of being authentic and engaging quality followers on social media.
  • Using rich pins on Pinterest to drive traffic to your website.
  • The awesome clients that Darla has attracted through social media.
  • The benefits of sharing other people's work on social media.
  • All about Darla's exciting, soon-to-be-launched new venture- Wingnutsocial.com.

Other episodes mentioned in this show:

Barbara Viteri (Designerlebrity) #155

Allison Fannin #223

Leslie Carothers #209

Summer Tannhauser #292 

Resources mentioned on the show:

Website: Darla Powell Interiors
Website: Wingnut Social
Instagram:  @darlapowellinteriors 
Instagram:  @wingnutsocial
Facebook: Darla Powell Interiors
Twitter:  @wingnutsocial

Book: The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks

Jun 1, 2018

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We have John Dupra of Revel Woods with us for an interview today and they are also the sponsor of today's show! Revel Woods' mission is to make the buying process of expert-curated, high-quality hardwood floors as easy as possible. Today, John explains the proprietary algorithm, and how it removes a large number of the technical barriers that one normally faces when sourcing a wooden floor. He also talks about the new website that they are launching, with a revamped pro-program, to help you, as designers, to make money on this sought-after, high-ticket item. Listen in today to find out about the really unique method that Revel Woods has developed specifically to enable interior designers to learn about and also to confidently specify hardwood floors on their projects.

John's father, Craig, started out in the wood-flooring business, working as an installer and a re-finisher before John was even born. Craig did this work for twenty-four years before eventually opening his own wholesale wood-flooring distribution company in Rochester, New York. While John was growing up, he spent all his summer holidays helping his father in his business. He then took a job with Saint-Gobain, a large materials manufacturing company, where he traveled the country as a sales engineer, working with flooring contractors for a period of eight years, before deciding to return home to join the family business in wholesale distribution. When John returned to the business, he joined up with the operations manager and together they developed an idea to put the boutique flooring showroom experience online. Their inspiration came from high-end fashion sites, like Stitch Fix and Trunk Club, and this was how the idea for Revel Woods was born. John has been featured in a number of the publications in the industry, including being recognized in Hardwood Floor Magazine's first ever forty under forty.

Listen in to find out more!

Show highlights:

  • John talks about the supply chain in the industry.
  • Where interior designers can go to see what the Revel Woods product looks like. (Revel Woods)
  • How Revel Woods make their product equally and fairly available to everybody at the distribution level so that they are able to control the end-user experience from beginning to end.
  • Why the Revel Woods brand is really a brand of curated expertise from top to bottom.
  • The high level of care that's provided by Revel Woods.
  • What happens when you complete the Revel Woods Selector and how it works.
  • How flooring really forms the center of every design space from an aesthetic standpoint.
  • How the Revel Woods product is designed to technically empower and also to provide a financial incentive for interior designers.
  • What Revel Woods are doing with their brand-new website.
  • How the new Revel Woods website solves pain-points for designers.
  • The discount plus a rebate structure that Revel Woods has settled on for pro accounts, as an incentive for interior designers.
  • How every aspect of the way that Revel Woods operates is very well thought out.
  • How Revel Woods have closed the loop to help find qualified installers for solo or small business owners who want to source their product.
  • Getting to really understand professional installers and the way that they think.
  • The way that Revel Woods will really work well for less experienced designers.
  • The incredible kind of support that Revel Woods gives designers.
  • The awesome features to be found on the new Revel Woods website!

Links:

Website: Revel Woods

Facebook: Revel Woods

Instagram:  @revel_woods

Twitter:  @RevelWoods

Pinterest: Revel Woods

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