Welcome to another solo Power Talk Friday! We hope you're ready for a really out-of-the-box episode today! This morning, as on most weekday mornings, LuAnn was reading the Dear Abby column. She's often thought about it and wondered why she reads it because it's such a crazy, mindless column. People write in with very real and heartbreaking problems and yet they are willing to wait for months to get an answer. That really boggles LuAnn's mind! So, this morning, she was talking out loud and ranting about it, in the very same way she did at the LuAnn Nigara Live event last month when she got really upset about designers not charging their worth. Then she had an idea! Tune in now, to find out what she came up with.
Sometimes, in our businesses, when we know that things aren't quite right, we pretend that it's just not that big of a deal. So we avoid having the hard conversation or doing the hard thing. Today, LuAnn has come up with some of the top things she has found that we, as business owners, tend to convince ourselves are okay when they really are not. She has listed all the shows that go with these difficulties, so listen in today, to find out which action to take to correct each these problems.
Show Highlights:
Previous episodes mentioned in this show:
Cheryl Luckett of Dwell by Cheryl # 291 and #397
Michele Williams # 180 and # 395. Her Podcast, Profit is a Choice Listen Notes: Profit Is A Choice Michele Williams
Kae Whitaker #259 and 274
Links:
LuAnn's sales course: Sales For Creatives
LuAnn's new book: LuAnn Nigara: Book2
Welcome to a very special episode of A Well-Designed Business! Today Nate Berkus joins us on the show! We really have lots to talk to him about, and at the top of the list is his first collection with Kravet Inc. This collection, called Well-Traveled, launching in June 2019 is a luxurious mix of chenille’s, statement cotton and linen prints as well as intricate embroideries, and velvet. In today's show, Nate describes how his love of organic, rich, earth-tones is incorporated in the color palette he designed for this collection. Nate's travels have been the inspiration for this collection. Each of his exclusive fabrics possesses a global point of view and the fabric collection, as a whole, represents his distinctly individual perspective, which blends history, architecture, and artwork from all around the world. Listen in to find out about Nate's approach to his business, his perspective on color and design, and how he came to work with Oprah.
Show Highlights:
Bio:
Since designer Nate Berkus established his award-winning interior design firm at the age of 24, his approachable and elevated philosophy has transformed countless homes around the world through his design work, home collections, books, television shows, and media appearances. Ever since Berkus’ first appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2002, he has become one of the world’s most recognizable interior designers. His work has been featured in publications including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, VOGUE, InStyle, O Magazine and People. He is included on the ELLE DÉCOR “A-List” of the world’s top designers and was named to the AD100 list in 2018.
Links:
Website: Nate Berkus
Instagram: Nate Berkus
Facebook: Nate Berkus
Pinterest: Nate Berkus
Nate And Jeremiah By Design is on TLC on Saturday nights.
Nate’s fabric collection with Kravet Inc. is called Well-Traveled.
In spring 2019 Nate and Jeremiah launched a new line of furniture, with over 300 pieces, for Living Spaces, a retailer on the west coast of the US.
Recommended book:
Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we're talking about what to do when you know the client is wrong. For the health and success of your business, it's really critical that you know how to handle conflicts successfully. In episode #430, we talked about what to do when you are wrong. In today's episode, you will learn what to do when you do everything right but the client doesn't like it. Listen in, to get LuAnn's expert advice.
Do you want to be right or do you want to get what you want? Over the years, this little phrase has really helped LuAnn navigate conflicts with clients, vendors, employees, and even with the people closest to her. And Window Works is also very clear about their core values and their commitment to 110% customer service. The team doesn't always know how each of them will handle a given situation, but they all know that they will do whatever it takes to make the client happy. Tune in now, to find out what to do when the client just isn't happy with what you've done.
Show highlights:
Links:
To find out about LuAnn's group sales coaching course, Sales For Creatives, head over to
To get onto LuAnn's email list, text the word designbiz to 444999.
Welcome to today's show! We have Debbe Daley, an interior designer in the New England area, on the show with us. Debbe is also an installed designer in the Boston Design Center’s Designer On Call program, now called Design Services program. In today's episode, Debbe talks to us about the way she handles her initial consult, about the items that she puts in a folder for her clients, and how she provides suggestions for her clients. She also talks about the book she is writing, Monetizing Your Passion- Turning Your Hobby into A Business, which is due to be launched in the fall of 2019 and she discusses the two-day seminar that she will be running in Portsmouth, in June, for interior designers. Listen in, to find out what Debbe has to share on the show today.
After obtaining a business degree, Debbe took a slight detour and taught herself how to sew custom window treatments. She also spent some time doing hands-on work in the paint, wallpaper, and furniture industry. In doing this, she gained valuable knowledge and she also expanded her industry network of friends and colleagues. Now, some thirty years later, Debbe is well-respected in the industry and she is often invited to speak at industry conferences. She also writes a weekly lifestyle column for the Lowell Sun, where she covers topics about design, travel, DIY, and cooking, for the Merrimack Valley audience. Tune in now for more.
Show Highlights:
Bio:
Debbe Daley, an award-winning interior designer with more than 30 years’ experience, is known for the extraordinary service she provides prominent homeowners in New England and around the country.
She supplies a complete range of design services for new and existing homes nationwide, but she focuses on working with clients in the Boston Back Bay, the North Shore of Massachusetts, Cape Cod, coastal Maine, and the New Hampshire seacoast as well as the Merrimack Valley. In addition, she is a gifted professional speaker who delivers programs to both interior design and general audiences nationwide. She presents keynotes, seminars, and workshops on topics ranging from design business success practices to the Power of Positive Energy.
Debbe is the winner of numerous Houzz customer service awards and gets 80% of her business from referrals. She designs multiple homes for the same clients and works with different generations of the same family. Clients use words like “fantastic,” fabulous,” “exceptional,” “impeccable,” “outstanding,” and “a pleasure to work with” to describe her. Debbe has designed new homes and remodeled existing residences for more than 700 clients, including Fortune 500 executives, CEOs, high tech leaders, medical specialists, business owners, and other successful professionals. Her commercial design projects include funeral homes and professional offices.
Debbe Daley Designs is based in an elegant design studio in the historic Abraham Shaw House in Portsmouth, NH. The firm is backed by a team of some of the region’s premier contractors, carpenters, painters, flooring specialists, cabinet experts, electricians, and other professionals, as well as a nationwide network of vendors and suppliers.
Debbe, who earned interior design degrees at three leading institutions, shares her extensive design expertise in her weekly lifestyle column in the Lowell Sun, the Huffington Post and her own blog. She keeps current on the design industry through her involvement with the American Society of Interior Designers and the International Furnishings and Design Assn. and the National Speakers Association. Her clients today benefit from the customer service, problem-solving and administrative skills, and the product knowledge she gained during her highly successful earlier career working in the industry through retail establishments, an interior design firm and four leading New England companies.
Debbe has an office in the Boston Design Center, where she is involved in the Design Services, Designer on Call program as well as the new office location in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, serving regions of the Merrimack Valley, Boston, and the Portsmouth seacoast.
Previous episodes mentioned in this show:
Fred Berns: #289, #226, #174, #96, #48, #22
Barbara Sallick owner of Waterworks #131
Links and resources:
Debbe Daley Designs LLC
379 State Street - #1
Portsmouth NH 03801
Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today, we're talking about when things go wrong and how to fix them. If you'd like your business to be really successful, with loyal, long-term clients who keep coming back year after year, you have to differentiate yourself from the rest. There are two kinds of situations where you can make this happen if you're willing to conduct yourself in the way that LuAnn advises and if you're willing to spend the time perfecting the necessary skills to do so. Listen in today, to learn what LuAnn has to teach you about what to do when you've made a mistake.
Sometimes, your client isn't happy with an outcome. You see their point and you agree, however, you can also see that the solution is going to be expensive for you, either in terms of time or money. So you might feel that you can't afford to fix it. The truth is, however, that you cannot afford not to fix it. Because good news travels fast and bad news travels even faster- and further. Tune in now to find out what LuAnn has to share about what to do when something goes wrong.
Show Highlights:
Links:
To find out about LuAnn's group sales coaching course, head over to
Sales for Creatives - (If the link is not working Friday when this airs, it will be working by Tuesday, 5/21.)
To get onto LuAnn's email list, text the word designbiz to 444999.
Welcome! Today we have Alinda Morris, of Alinda Morris Interior Design, located in Gig Harbor, Washington, with us. Although her firm is small, with Alinda and just one other employee, she's running it like a bigger firm. She has her systems down, she has her practices binder, and she's tracking her hours. In today's episode, Alinda explains how she has become very clear and focused, in the last couple of years. This has really made a big difference for her in terms of peace of mind, profitability, project management, and the experience her clients have when working with her firm. Listen in today, to find out what Alinda has to share about the way that she's set herself up for success with builders and other trades, and how she ensures the success of anyone that works for her.
Alinda Morris is a nationally published, award-winning interior design professional, habitual remodeler, adventurous creative, specializing in full service, luxury residential interior design. These include custom furnishings, unique kitchens & artfully designed bathrooms, attention to details, and clean, updated spaces are her specialties.
She is committed to her clients having a wonderful experience. She is widely admired for her ability to create, invent, explore, and innovate.
In addition to Alinda's impressive versatility, ranging from minimalist restraint to traditional chic, client’s find Alinda's passion for design infectious so that collaborating with her is a thrilling process as she works her creative magic in both visual appeal and functionality. Tune in now, for more.
Show highlights:
Previous shows mentioned in this episode:
Links:
Welcome to another episode of Power Talk Friday. Today, we're having a solo show because LuAnn has some things to share about her event, LuAnn Nigara Live, which was held in New Jersey a month ago. She would also like to talk about some of the things you can do to take action in your business, in order to do better and become more profitable. Luann's event was a really special experience and an outstanding success! Almost 200 designers, speakers, panelists, sponsors, as well as LuAnn's team, attended the event and for two-and-a-half days, the room was filled with an electric atmosphere and they all really rocked it! Listen in today, to find out more.
LuAnn had a vision for the event, and she really knew what she had to do. And she did it! The conversations after the panel discussions were so interactive that it felt as if there were only twenty people in the room, even though there were almost 200 people there! It was really intense in the very best way possible so we're working on doing it again, probably in eight months to a year's time. In the meantime, there's a lot of stuff coming up, like the smaller one-day events and the Power Talk Friday tours. Tune in now, to find out how to turn your inspiration into action.
Show highlights:
Previous shows mentioned in this episode:
Links and resources:
Kravet is having a sale at their outlet. And on any regular Kravet fabric, wallpaper or trim order get 10% off with the code AWDB10 at checkout.
Mydoma Studio for project management, time tracking, invoices, communication and saving time: A Well Designed Business
Welcome to the show! We have Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto, the founders of Park and Oak Interior Design Studio, located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with us today. These ladies work on new construction, renovation, and furnishing projects across the US, and you may even know them from their Instagram, with 130 000 followers. The way that they handle themselves and speak about their firm really conveys the confidence that they have in what they're doing. And the success they've had in their first three years in business is not at all typical. In today's episode, Renee and Christina pull back the curtain and boldly share with us their experiences and the lessons they have learned over the last three years. Listen in today, to find out what they have to share.
Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto founded the Park & Oak interior design studio in 2015. They are known for creating homes that are visually stunning, yet functional and comfortable. Their work, rooted in the art of timeless style, is driven by the belief that design can be used to create feelings of comfort and happiness. It combines the best of their individual aesthetics for a unique look. Christina and Renee have a creative energy that is engaging to work with. Using beautiful and unexpected sources of inspiration, they work collaboratively with clients to create spaces that thoughtfully honor the spirit and traditions of their owner. Tune in now for more!
Show Highlights:
Links:
Welcome! Stacey Brown Randall joins us on the show today. Stacey, a three-times repeat guest on the podcast, is one of the co-authors of LuAnn's new book, A Well-Designed Business, the Power Talk Friday Experts. Stacey really has a lot to share, to teach, and to give that is of genuine value, and she does some wonderful work with entrepreneurs. In her first and second episodes, she talked to us about Employee Management (#69), and the Client Experience (#93). In today's episode, she will explain How To Get Referrals Without Asking. Tune in now, to find out more.
Stacey, who has a Master’s in Organizational Communication, provides a roadmap for small business owners and solopreneurs to generate referrals without asking through her Growth By Referrals program. She is the author of the book, Generating Business Referral- Without Asking, and she also hosts her own podcast, Roadmap to Grow your Business. Stacey lives in Charlotte NC with her husband and three kids. Listen in today, to find out what Stacey has to share about building relationships and planting the seeds of referral.
Show highlights:
Stacey's bio:
Stacey Brown Randall is a member of the business failure club, a contrarian on how to generate referrals and a supporter of the entrepreneurial dream. Through her programs, she provides a roadmap to take control of your business.
Stacey’s quest to crack the code on how to generate referrals without asking began after her first business failed. When she started her second business – a business and productivity coaching practice – she knew keeping her pipeline full of new clients would be one of the biggest differentiators from her business failure. She honed-in on referrals as the main source of prospects for her second business but wasn’t satisfied with the conventional advice which is to receive referrals you must ask.
Stacey has taught her “no asking” referral generation strategy to hundreds of companies including Bank of America, Carroll Financial, International Minute Press, Dogtopia, O’Connor Insurance Associates, ACC Associates (Mortgage Advisor), Slater Interiors, Real Living Real Estate, Milazzo Webb Law Firm, Wells Fargo Advisors, Success Institute, HM Properties, Ameriprise, Farris Cooke CPA, Keller Williams, LearningRX and more small businesses and solopreneurs.
She is a three-time entrepreneur, author of Generating Business Referrals...Without Asking, and host of the Roadmap to Grow your Business podcast.
Stacey received her Master’s in Organizational Communication and is married with three kids, a 10-year- old son, 8-year-old daughter and she and her husband are raising their 11-year-old nephew.
Links:
Previous episodes Stacey has been on:
Other episode mentioned in today's show:
Janelle Photopoulos, Blakely Interior Design #364
Stacey is a co-author in LuAnn's new book: