Today with Vita Vygovska
For Window Treatment Friday, LuAnn and Vita conduct a live coaching session around a big issue that so many businesses encounter when they scale—clients wanting you on their project, not your staff. Listen to see how LuAnn advises Vita and prepares her to eliminate her problem with confidence and some carefully chosen words.
LuAnn and Vita's Aha-Moments
“Having the combination of a virtual hug and a little bit of a whip is very unique.” - Vita Vygovska
“If you only get comfort, then you don’t learn how to avoid that the next time.” - LuAnn Nigara
“If I don’t press you and urge you to find the place where only you could have changed the outcome, you’re destined to repeat it.” - LuAnn Nigara
“We can go back and own the moment.” - LuAnn Nigara
Picking It Apart
[11:34] LuAnn shares why we could all benefit from coaching
[16:13] Vita shares the struggle she is having in her business
[19:17] LuAnn gives an example of how she solves the same problem at Window Works
[26:02] Vita asks LuAnn to help her solve a nuance of her original struggle
[30:08] Vita asks LuAnn to help her solve a second nuance of her original struggle
[38:37] LuAnn shares a funny story about what happened when she didn’t take her own advice
Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife, and a ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, provides all-encompassing concierge-level, tech-driven fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management services exclusively for interior designers. In business for over a decade, Vita and her team are experts in their narrow field, providing designers with superb quality product and excellent communication. Most importantly, they take off the stress, save time, and give peace of mind in the job is well-done.
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Connect with LuAnn Nigara
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
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Kirsch is a reliable go to resource for all of your drapery hardware needs. Have you heard about all of the features Kirsch has built into their motorized Briza rod? Let me tell you a few:
Motor mounts to the back of the track which allows a seamless look if you have motorized and cord or baton traverse rods in the same room.
The Drapery fabrication specs do not need to change between cord or baton controlled draperies and motorized draperies-- this is nice- cuts down on errors--- ask me how I know--lol
No additional returns or any special instructions-- also very nice feature
Limits are set automatically after installation
Remote control is radio frequency and easily pairs with the motor
Tug feature; when drapery is pulled the motor will traverse the drapery
New Neo Smart Controller allows for easy integration with third party home systems.
So go to Kirsch.com today, find the dealer in your area and learn how Kirsch can help you on your next window treatment project.
Today with Beth Diana Smith
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today, we welcome Beth Diana Smith back to the show! Beth was last on the show over a year ago, and since then she’s made some major changes to her processes and her business. She’s going to take us through those changes, the way she revamped her processes, and what she’s looking to do in the future. We’re also diving into diversity and inclusivity in the industry, and what all of us can do to contribute and be better allies.
Pick it apart
LuAnn and Beth Diana Smith's “Ah-Ha” Moments
“I’m always saying to all the designers I work with and coach, and my own team, ‘Ok, so this stinks, this went wrong, but where can you personally wind this back where you could have changed the outcome.’ And there’s always a place, even if 15 other people along the way also made a mistake or dropped the ball.” -LuAnn Nigara
“I always want to make sure that my client feels excited because that’s how I want them to feel throughout the process.” -Beth Diana Smith
“That moment where I was able to transform something so drastically and people were able to see it throughout the entire house—it was great content.” -Beth Diana Smith
“I want people to realize that your silence is just as bad as the person that is the racist, because you are enabling their behavior.” -Beth Diana Smith
More About Beth Diana Smith
After more than a decade in accounting and finance at companies like Viacom and Johnson & Johnson, Beth Diana Smith left the corporate world to launch her own interior design firm. Her eye for aesthetics paired with her project management experience culminates in a truly unique approach to design. Her signature style is modern and eclectic with luxurious finishes and custom furnishings. Each vignette is a functioning art installation in its own right. Above all, her work is client-centric as she helps each homeowner hone in on their own style and create a space that inspires them and enhances their lifestyle. Beth’s goal for each project is to elevate the lives of her clients by first elevating their daily environment.
Beth holds a MBA and a degree from the New York School of Interior Design. She is a member of the Black Artists + Designers Guild, the House Beautiful Advisory Council, and the New York School of Interior Design Task Force on Diversity. And Beth’s work has been on NBC and HGTV, and featured in various outlets including House Beautiful, Elle Decor, Real Simple, Lonny Magazine, and the Business of Home.
Connect with Beth Diana Smith
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
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Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Connect with LuAnn Nigara
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
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A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor
Mydoma Studio is the complete designer toolkit—a place for you to manage all of your projects, from time tracking to communication to product approvals. Mydoma can help you free your time up to focus on your business and serve your clients. You can get 20% off your first three months at mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness.
Other Shows Mentioned:
#439 Beth Diana Smith: Client Expectations, Contracts, and Hard Conversations
#184 Amber Lewis – Important Business Tips to Run Your Interior Design Firm
#06 Identifying Your Transferrable Skills with Erika Ward
#573 Cheryl Luckett, #BLM: See Something, Say Something
Stop the turnover in your business! Listen in as Jessica Harling, founder of Behind the Design, and a leading expert in employee and process development for design organizations guides us through a simple (not easy) and actionable process of hiring, training, and retaining top staff.
[16:52] Jessica reviews week 1: Process
[25:31] LuAnn reviews how she would use Shadowing at Window Works
[29:35] Jessics reviews week 2: Product/Services
[33:05] Jessica reviews week 3: Paperwork and Pricing
[37:58] Jessica reviews week 4: People
[47:35] LuAnn and Jessica review how to set goals for non-sales role such as Office Administrator
“It would be easier to train somebody in the papertrail process if they actually had been physically through the full process.” - LuAnn
Jessica Harling is a 4th Generation Window Treatment Specialist, founder of Behind the Design, and leading expert in employee and process development for design organizations. Her specialty in recruiting, training and change management drives innovative and high-producing results while keeping your team inspired. Behind the Design offers recruiting, onsite and online training, and operations development consulting for design organization to streamline costs, increase productivity, and develop rockstar employees to take the company to the next level.
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
Kirsch is a valuable partner to you, the interior designer, as well as to us, window treatment professionals. More than 100 years of innovation in design and technology, creating beautiful as well as functional drapery hardware for any window application you can imagine. Curved rods, ripplefold rods, decorative rods, had draw rods, cord draw rods, motorized rods...when I say everything you need, I do mean everything. Go to Kirsch.com to find a dealer near you.
Janelle Photopoulos on episode 364
Joni Vanderslice on episode 101
Today with Joyce Downing Pickens:
LA interior designer, Joyce Downing Pickens of JDP Interiors used to intern for Nathan Turner and now she’s running her own design business. Joyce shares how she got amazing press as a #babydesigner, what helped her not fear an empty pipeline, and what she’s rethinking as she graduates to her sixth year in business.
Pick it apart:
[21:31] Joyce shares about the press needing content
[22:03] Joyce shares advice from Nathan Turner about submitting projects to press
[36:50] Joyce shares about how her rates have changed since she started her business
[45:57] Joyce shares about her mindset surrounding her pipeline and plans for a shift in the next year
[49:20] Joyce shares her ideas about the scalability of interior design and her interest in product design
LuAnn and Joyce Downing Pickens’s Ah-Ha moments:
“The best learning experience is working for yourself. You have to juggle so many hats and you learn quicker than learning underneath someone.” - Joyce Downing Pickens
More About Joyce Downing Pickens:
Joyce is a Los Angeles based interior designer and owner of JDP Interiors. After traveling throughout her childhood, Joyce's love of design was born. She strives to create beautiful, comfortable and textural spaces, while providing her clients with superior customer service and project management. She continually collects and curates to achieve the perfect blend between vintage and modern and consistently enjoys watching her visions come to life - there's nothing better than a good "before and after"!
Connect with Joyce Downing Pickens:
What's new with LuAnn Nigara
Get The Goodies!
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:
Book 1: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts
Connect with LuAnn Nigara
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:
Kravet has sponsored our show from the very beginning and is a designer's go-to source for excellent fabrics, trims, and accessories. Get 10% off at Kravet.com when you use coupon code AWDB10. And our friends at Kravet Inc. are committed to ensuring a safe, sanitary, and secure experience for you, in all their showrooms and locations. Kravet promises to serve you from a distance by adhering to CDC guidelines and by taking extra precautions. Their warehouses are open and operational, so that means Kravet is ready to ship your orders quickly and efficiently! Visit www.kravet.com for more information and to book an in-person or virtual appointment with your sales rep.
Today with John Dupra:
John Dupra, Co-Founder and Director of Marketing for Revel Woods returns to the show to walk us through how designers can offer a valuable service to their clients and increase their project profit by becoming a flooring expert. Revel Woods is known for catering to the design trade by offering substantial training, concierge level service and customizable flooring options that allow interior designers to confidently include flooring in their new-build and renovation projects.
Pick it apart:
[41:26] John and LuAnn discuss how to work around the builder so you can spec the flooring
[55:28] John reviews how the flooring selector on his website works
[1:06:07] John explains how Revel Woods has disrupted the flooring industry’s retail model
[1:08:13] LuAnn recaps the value Revel Woods bring to the designer
[1:13:09] John explains the initial education and guidance needed to specify flooring
[1:21:34] LuAnn recaps the main benefits Revel Woods offers to designers
LuAnn and John Dupra’s Ah-Ha moments:
“Revel Woods is a hyper-personalized concierge service.” - John Dupra
“For projects that designers have flooring in, the designer should be the conduit for that industry.” - John Dupra
“This is an area where there’s money left on the table.” - John Dupra
More About John Dupra:
John Dupra (pronounced DU-pray)’s father Craig started in the wood flooring business before John was born as an installer and refinisher, which he did for 24 years before eventually opening his own wholesale wood flooring distribution company in Rochester, NY.
John grew up helping his father when not in school before taking a job for Saint-Gobain, a large materials manufacturing company that made sundries for the flooring industry. He traveled the country as a sales engineer working with flooring contractors for eight years before deciding to join the family business in wholesale distribution.
It was there John saw the need to evolve the industry, by evolving its sales channels. If the correct platform was built, designers would be just as integral a part of the flooring industry as flooring stores. Making flooring a lucrative avenue for the designer, while providing a better experience to their clients. Revel Woods is that platform. Now designers are empowered to add flooring to their projects in a way that’s never been seen before.
John has been featured in a number of publications, and has been a guest on a wide range of podcasts including being recognized in Hardwood Floors Magazine’s first ever 40 under 40: https://hardwoodfloorsmag.com/2017/10/02/hardwood-floors-magazine-introduces-first-ever-40-40/
His favorite podcast to be on is A Well Designed Business and he doesn’t care who knows it.
Connect with John Dupra:
Other Shows Mentioned:
Corey Damen Jenkins #549 #388 #127
Deborah DiMare #117 #82
Kristen Scott Thomas #314
Ashleigh Esprit #136
Ariella Horowitz of AH Design Group in New Jersey walks through what it took to go from 10 to 90 design/build projects a year. This #smartlady knows the value not only of hard work, but being bold enough to go for opportunities, and smart enough to iterate when something isn’t working. Ariella shares about how she got her start and what she did to differentiate herself and build success in the design/build world.
[13:44] Ariella shares about how builders tried to keep her from working with other builders
[16:08] Ariella shares about her confidence and learning curve working with builders early in her career
[23:30] Ariella shares how she built her team and created spec books
[26:04] Ariella shares how and why she charges clients hourly
[40:14] Ariella shares advice for designers interested in working with builders
[43:49] LuAnn has an “aha” moment about how Ariella’s personality and work ethic attracts clients with similar personalities
“It’s not easy. To get here, you have to put in the hard work.” - Ariella Horowitz
“You have to be willing to put in the time and work really hard.” - Ariella Horowitz
As founder and principal designer of AH Design Group, Ariella Horowitz oversees all the design that makes its way into our clients' beautiful homes. Over the years, Ariella has designed countless chic, sophisticated and innovative interiors and exteriors. Her meticulous and thoughtful approach ensures that she makes a statement in every space. Her eye for detail and dedication to perfection is evident in each room she touches, leaving her mark wherever she goes. Ariella takes her motto, "Design with Distinction" into play when designing each and every space. Every home Ariella designs is unique and custom to itself.
AH Design Group, located in Northern NJ, is a full-service interior and exterior design firm specializing in new constructions, full renovations and custom homes. Unlike many other design firms, we take a hands-on approach and check-in at our projects on a regular basis to ensure everything is being done correctly and to perfection. Because we don't subscribe to one specific design aesthetic, we are able to envision and conceptualize projects ranging across the full spectrum from modern to transitional to traditional. With extensive knowledge of the construction process, we get involved in the very early stages from the architectural planning to the framing process. We collaborate closely with architects, builders, developers, and industry professionals to deliver a vision that is on time and within budget, while simultaneously meeting our clients' lifestyle needs and design aesthetic.
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
Mydoma Studio is here to help if you want to learn the process for designing kitchens. Kitchens have always been the heart of the home, and in 2021, they will be the heart of the thriving design business - and if you want to break into, or up your game in one of the fastest-growing residential interior design specialties, then 19 Hours: Kitchen Project Ready is for you! This one-day seminar, on January 20th, 2020 will give you the process, templates, and confidence to add kitchens to your menu of design services, and have you primed to take advantage of one of the biggest (and most lucrative) trends of 2021. Just head on over to mydomastudio.com/19hluann to register! And just for podcast listeners, the early bird pricing has been extended right up until the day of the event.
Christina Bruce #486
Natasa Jones #570
Judith Neary and Corey Classen #449
Brad Leavitt #542, #560, #580, and #615
Today with Jessica Delaney
Jessica Delaney is an interior and architectural photographer shooting beauty in the Boston area. She’s also co-founder of a digital interior design showcase, Bijou Magazine. Her magazine is a hub of design beauty and story and an opportunity to see and be seen. Jessica shares how she got started in her business by reaching out to bloggers, designers, and press professionals she met during networking events and everywhere else possible.
Pick It Apart
[19:06] Jessica talks about networking as a photographer
[25:36] Jessica remind us of the value of local press
[32:45] LuAnn and Jessica discuss the purpose of Jessica’s digital platform
[43:44] Jessica reminds us about photography usage rights and compensation
LuAnn and Jessica Delaney's "Ah-Ha" Moments
“Never be embarrassed of where you have to start - just start somewhere.” - Jessica Delaney
“You never know where your next business partner will come from.” - Jessica Delaney
“Things snowball - you never really know where it’s going to lead.” - Jessica Delaney
More about Jessica Delaney
I’m an interiors and architectural photographer, and one-third of BijOU Magazine. I’m the lady behind the lens most days since I don’t love having my own photo was taken (ironic, I know!). Lover of music (give me Mumford, JayZ, show tunes, Elvis, and all in between), cooking, podcasts + yoga.
I’ve specialized in interiors + design photography since my first paying client booked me Jan 20, 2013, and has been a dear friend and loyal client since. I’ve photographed the spaces of award-winning designers and believe each space has a personality and story to tell of a life well-lived. My work has been published in House Beautiful, Elle Decor, New England Home, Domino, Cottages and Bungalows, HGTV Magazine, Design New England, Decor Maine, South Shore Home, Life + Style, The Boston Globe, and Canada’s The Globe and Mail.
In September of 2018, we launched BijOU Magazine, and since then have been delivering “Small Stories of Big Design”. We strive to be the digital publication for inspired interiors and lifestyle stories, delivered with wit, substance + style.
When not behind the camera, in front of the computer (or stove) I can be found galavanting in Milton, MA with my three daughters, one husband, and one new pandemic puppy.
Connect with Jessica Delaney
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
Revel Woods is a great company and a great source for hardwood and resilient flooring. And they also simplify the selection process with their online tool that is basically your digital advisor in flooring selection. Take a listen to episodes 329 and 452 to see why I’m so excited about his company. Set up your trade account by going to revelwoods.com/pro-account.
Today with Sarah Von Dreele
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business®. Today, LuAnn is diving into the world of textiles with designer Sarah Von Dreele. Sarah began painting as a creative outlet which soon transformed into a successful business producing wallcoverings, fabrics, and textiles. She relied on her branding background, her relationships, and her own talents as she launched her line. She’s sharing the lessons she learned along the way and how her business is shifting for the future.
Pick it apart
LuAnn and Sarah’s “Ah-Ha” Moments
“When your life blows up, everything is out of control, and you actually have to live with that and adjust to that. That life experience, in addition, to the professional experiences I had really helped me navigate starting a new business in a completely different way.” -Sarah
“That is one of the toughest decisions we face as business owners—that hurdle of when to hire. We all know intellectually that when you hire your business will grow and the revenue will grow, because you’ve taken yourself away from activities that are not your highest money-generating activities. But internally, you go ‘That’s a lot of dollar bills though!’” -LuAnn
“When you package it and you talk about your brand story, and you figure out where your niche is, and your marketplace is—that’s how you breakthrough in the sea of all the other wallpaper companies. And for you to have had that skillset yourself, I’m sure was a nice leg up.” -LuAnn
“When I am painting, the work is so iterative, and one leads to the next, but then it starts to shift. When I can recognize that it shifts in a negative way and things start to look muddy and with no direction, it’s over. You got the best of it.” -Sarah
More About Sarah Von Dreele
Sarah Von Dreele has spent much of her professional life as a branding consultant, employing her strong visual communication methods to facilitate large and small-scale branding campaigns for over the last twenty years. What began as a simple creative exercise at the end of the day quickly evolved into a collection of surface designs, painted exclusively in gouache. Her latest works explore repetition of abstracted floral and geometric forms, which are ethereal and calm, and lend themselves to a variety of applications for the curated home. Sarah Von Dreele's line of bespoke wallcoverings and textiles are available to the trade through Hewn Showroom in San Francisco, Lepere in New York City, and Twill and Texture in Miami. Sarah received a BFA in Graphic Design from Rhode Island School of Design in 1997. Between developing new products, painting what she sees, and keeping up with her fourth-grader, she patiently pursues her interest in learning the French language.
Connect with Sarah Von Dreele
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:
Kirsch is always at the forefront of innovation when it comes to window treatments. They have been an industry leader in drapery hardware for more than one hundred years, and they also have a custom window coverings program. Kirsch is dedicated to providing great resources to educate the design community about their product. Go to kirsch.com to find out more.
Mydoma Studio: Kitchens have always been the heart of the home, and in 2021, they will be the heart of the thriving design business - and if you want to break into, or up your game in one of the fastest-growing residential interior design specialties, then 19 Hours: Kitchen Project Ready is for you!
This one-day seminar put on by Mydoma Studio will give you the process, templates, and confidence to add kitchens to your menu of design services, and have you primed to take advantage of one of the biggest (and most lucrative) trends of 2021.
Just head on over to mydomastudio.com/19hluann to register! And just for podcast listeners, the early bird pricing has been extended right up until the day of the event.
Get kitchen project confidence at 19 Hours: Kitchen Project Ready!
Other Shows Mentioned:
#77 Katie Deedy- Founder of Grow House Grow- Inspiration, Guts, and Hard Work in Creating a Business
#125 Nicole Heymer- How To Brand Your Business. Yes, again! Do not miss this one!!!
#466 Power Talk Friday: Nicole Heymer: You’ve Defined Your Brand…Now What?
#39 Andrew Joseph- Advice From the Principal of an Elite NYC Public Relations Firm
Today with Ginna Christensen
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business®! On today’s episode, I talk with business coach Ginna Christensen. Ginna specializes in helping designers and creatives identify their differentiating points in the marketplace. But that work starts with discovering their values. Today, Ginna shares with me why discovering and staying true to your values is integral to your business, and what you can do to identify those values and incorporate them into what you do.
Pick it apart
LuAnn and Ginna Christensen's “Ah-Ha” Moments
“You don’t have to be like someone else in order to be successful. You can be who you are. And not only can you be who you are, but it’s vital to your success.” -Ginna
“The reason we go into what their values are is because your values help you make the right decisions.” -Ginna
“When it’s a hard decision in your business, it’s ‘Well, does this align with what I said my mission and my values were?’ And if it doesn’t, then no matter how shiny, how pretty, how attractive, how lucrative it might be, if it doesn’t fit, it’s just a no.” -LuAnn
“The best salesperson in the world is uncovering the win for the other person. That’s the sale. It’s figuring out what the other person really needs and wants and providing it for them.” -LuAnn
“When our values are being honored, things are going well for us. When things are not going well, that’s an indicator that our values are not being honored.” -Ginna
More About Ginna Christensen
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Ginna Christensen, the daughter of two entrepreneurs, grew up knowing that innovation and the arts would play a central role in her professional and personal life.
Ginna started her career in the fashion industry, working in merchandising and marketing for Giorgio Armani, Ellen Tracy, and Emanuel Ungaro. Her attention moved to art and interiors in early 2000 when she joined the team at T.I. Industries, a company that manufactured wood moulding for the picture frame and furniture industries. Starting as the company's North East Regional Business Development Manager, Ginna quickly grew into a more creative role designing product, as well as the company’s trade show displays.
Ginna’s career shifted once again when she moved to Los Angeles in 2004 and got her start in the rug business with Aga John. As the VP of Sales and Product Development, she helped reinvigorate the high-end rug company, forging deals with companies like Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma Home.
In September of 2013, Christensen joined the Los Angeles-based team at Woven as Creative Director. In her three-plus years with the company, she implemented programming, produced events, and created business development strategies which resulted in increased sales revenues, regional and national press coverage, and the launch of Woven at Design Within Reach.
Recognized for her cool and creative solutions to the challenges that modern businesses face, as well as for her willingness to give back to the design community, Christensen was asked to join the West Hollywood Design District Board in 2016 and was quickly appointed chair. In her
two plus years as chairwoman, she helped rebuild the board, lead the board through a complete rebrand, and restructured programming to insure that all members benefitted.
As a result of her work with the Design District and the experience she gained in working with a variety of brands and businesses, Christensen launched her own business in 2017. GC Collaborative launched as a boutique consulting firm and has transitioned into business coaching specializing in helping creatives identify their differentiating points in the marketplace, build a foundation for their brand, and create a roadmap to transform them into STANDOUTS in their field.
While Ginna now calls NYC home, the creative works with clients all over the country.
Connect with Ginna Christensen
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:
Kravet is here for you during these challenging times. They’ve been around for 102 years and want you to know you can trust them to securely process your orders and keep your deposits safe. Take advantage of Kravet Inc’s extensive digital tools and set up a virtual appointment with your local sales representative by logging in to kravet.com.
Article is the best way to buy beautiful modern furniture, and their trade program offers discounts and specialized support. Their team of industry professionals is dedicated to helping you get your projects done, from sourcing and design to invoicing and delivery. Go to article.com to get started today.
Other Shows Mentioned:
#552 Shirry Dolgin: I Have a CPA so I’m Good, Right?
#598 Judith Taylor – How an Introvert Networks in an Extroverted Industry
#594 Reena Philpot: Ideas for Flexing Your Sales Muscles
#516 Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: Video Storytelling for Your Brand
#613 PTF: Angela Kristen Taylor: The Productivity in Your Business Starts With Your Emotions