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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: 2021
Jul 9, 2021
 
Today with Ethan Beute:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Ethan Beute, Chief Evangelist at BombBomb shares how a simple video tool can be used to differentiate yourself and showcase the best sales asset you have - yourself! Learn the framework for creating a video response to web inquiries and walk with Ethan as he shares how you can use video in the place of email and text.

Pick it apart:

[18:49] Ethan reviews when one would send video vs. email/text.

 

[26:05] LuAnn summarized where interior designers can use BombBomb in their business

 

[31:25] Ethan addresses common objections to using video for web-lead follow up

 

[48:20] LuAnn recaps how BombBomb is different from highly produced marketing videos

LuAnn and Ethan Beute’s Ah-Ha moments:

“We can build this psychological proximity to people. It’s the same reason that for decades people felt close to the television news anchor.” - Ethan Beute

 

“People will feel closer to you when you are in front of them.” - Ethan Beute

 

“All any of us wants is to feel seen, heard, appreciated, and understood.” - Ethan Beute

More About Ethan Beute:

Chief Evangelist at BombBomb, coauthor of Rehumanize Your Business, and host of The Customer Experience Podcast, Ethan has spent the past decade helping business professionals be more personal and human through simple video messages. He’s sent more than 12,000 videos himself. He also spent a dozen years leading marketing teams inside local television stations in Chicago, Grand Rapids, and Colorado Springs. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and UCCS in communication, psychology, and marketing. He lives in Colorado Springs with his wife and son.

Connect with Ethan Beute and BombBomb:

Website 

Instagram

Facebook  

LinkedIn

Book

Podcast

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

insidevoiceoutsidevoice.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet: the industry leader in the to-the-trade home furnishings industry. Kravet just recently unveiled their newest collection, Barry Lantz canvas to cloth. Check it out today and use coupon code AWDB10 to save 10% off any one purchase of Kravet Fabric, Wallpaper or Trim.

 

Mydoma Studio is the workflow software that organizes your design projects from beginning to end saving you time, money, and keeping everything in one place. And just for listeners of A Well-Designed Business, you can get 20% off Mydoma for 3 months! Visit mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness to learn more.

 

Other shows mentioned:

#616 Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole: Onboarding New Interior Design Clients

Jul 6, 2021

Today with Jessica Matteson:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Jessica Matteson started her business with lots of experience but little time and money to invest in getting Jessica Matteson Landscape Architecture off the ground. Jessica shares her journey from starting with just $35 in advertising postcards to running a successful luxury landscape architecture business.

Pick it apart:

14:28 Jessica shares her onboarding process in detail

18:12 Jessica gives a tip on how to handle a client introducing new wants in the middle of a project

22:78 Jessica shares how she broadens the scope of projects to include additional products

26:20 Jessica shares how she used to do her discovery process and the benefits of conducting it with her new method

34:28 Jessica tells the story about how she invented her one-day service concept

41:20 Jessica shares her simple marketing strategy she’s used since day one

52:30 Jessica tells about her early years and the mantra that got her through

LuAnn and Jessica Matteson’s Ah-Ha moments:

“I’ve stopped converting people. I just look for people who are open to the message.” - Jessica Matteson

 

“Just do one thing. Don’t ever let yourself do nothing. Because the difference between something and nothing is everything.” - Jessica Matteson

 

“Just get ready for when the opportunity is fully available.” - Jessica Matteson

 

“You can’t work out hard enough in one day to achieve the body you want.” -LuAnn (paraphrasing Jessica’s statement)

More About Jessica Matteson:

Jessica Matteson is a landscape architect that believes in the great joys of life. She works with residential and select commercial clients to design landscapes and distinctive outdoor experiences. Using her signature discovery process, she identifies the special magic of each property and combines it with each clients' unique identity to create something one-of-a-kind and exceptional. By harnessing the nuances of light, sound, air movement, and perspective, as well as the subconscious psychology of plantings and materials, she tells an original story of a place and its inhabitants.

 

Jessica's work is influenced by travel to more than 20 countries to study all genre of landscapes and wild places. She has a Masters of Landscape Architecture and a Bachelor of science in horticulture, both from Cornell University. Before opening MLA, she worked for highly respected firms in both the south and northeast as well as an organic design-build company in New York State.

Connect with Jessica Matteson:

Website

Instagram 

LinkedIn 

Pinterest

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Revel Woods first serves designers through product education - so designers can bring the flooring expertise and product directly to the client. Find out more about how you can benefit from including Revel Woods on your next project by going to RevelWoods.com.

 

Jul 2, 2021

On Today’s Flashback Friday

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today we’re taking you back in time for another Flashback Friday, where we revisit some of our can’t-miss episodes from our archives. 

Today’s flashback episode is Episode 441: Laura & Cliff Muller: Four Point Design Build Firm. 

Laura and Cliff have extensive experience in the design build industry. They know what it takes to create exquisite design build projects, the intricate details, legalities, and liabilities you have to face when you work in design build, and how best to launch your design build career. 

Let’s revisit the episode and find out what it really takes to make it in design build.

Pick it apart:

  • [6:50] Laura and Cliff share the personal side of their business and how they celebrate all of their partners at the end of a successful project. 

    [16:36] Laura and Cliff dive into their four step process and how that leads to strong projects. 

    [19:19] LuAnn asks Laura and Cliff what advice they would give to new designers interested in the design build world. 

    [25:19] Cliff and Laura talk about the importance of experience and how to gain it as a newer designer. 

    [53:30] LuAnn, Laura, and Cliff discuss what to do when you encounter pushback from clients on larger projects.

LuAnn and Mark Lavender’s Ah-Ha moments:

“It does take a village. I could never stand up and take credit for a project at the end of the line and say, ‘Hey, look at these pretty pictures. I’m the designer,’ because not any aspect of that project was done alone.” -Laura

 

“The idea is you’re starting a project from concept—the design, the plans, if it’s a renovation, the changes in the roof lines, the changes in how things are going to go together, the plumbing, the electrical—all of these things are important to coming up with the concept...Experience is very valuable and if you decide to do something in the design build setting, I believe you need to have some experience on the construction side to help facilitate your goal.” -Cliff

 

“The risk is so much higher here. We’re not moving furniture around and picking paint colors. That is scary enough and a risk of its own when you’re brand new. But this is not the same animal whatsoever.” -LuAnn

 

“The better step 1 gets frontloaded and the more details we have to inform step 2, 3, and 4, the better off we’re going to be, and then we don’t have to be overseeing the project on a day to day.” -Laura

More About Laura & Cliff Muller

Four Point Design Build is owned and led by interior designer and general contractor, Laura and Cliff Muller, and with over sixty years of combined experience, FOUR POINT’s boutique hands-on style of design and project management from concept to turnkey, specializes in highly customized client-centered projects with an experienced and immaculate focus on whole home remodels, kitchens, baths, and office spaces. Cliff and Laura’s work has been seen Architectural Digest, Elle Décor, Better Homes & Gardens, House Beautiful, Metropolis, Hospitality Design, and CA Home & Design to name a few.

Connect with Laura & Cliff Muller

Website 

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

insidevoiceoutsidevoice.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Revel Woods: your source for premium hardwood and resilient flooring. Using the Revel Woods selector tool, you’ll be able to find curated suggestions for your project catered to your client’s home. When you sign up for a free professional membership, you’ll get access to exclusive discounts and referral benefits. Visit www.revelwoods.com to get started.

Jun 29, 2021

Today with Paul Dashevsky:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Joining me today is Paul Dashevsky. Paul along with Jon Grishpul, are the co-founders of GreatBuildz. Between the two, they have decades of experience in the real estate and construction industries. They’ve seen enough renovation nightmares that they decided it was enough, and they knew there had to be a better way. Today, Great Buildz is revolutionizing the industry and making life so much easier for designers, homeowners, and contractors all over Southern California where they are based. Paul is here to give us his best practices that you can use as you vet and interview contractors for your projects.  Get those notebooks out, smart ladies and gents! This is a pen and paper show!

More About GreatBuildz:

GreatBuildz is a completely free service that simplifies the home renovation and remodeling search by matching and connecting homeowners with reliable, thoroughly screened general contractors throughout Los Angeles and Ventura County. Founded by a team of real estate and construction professionals with multiple decades of experience, GreatBuildz matches and connects each client with up to three contractors that are individually selected for their specific project within 24 hours and stays by the client’s side from the initial call through the finished remodel. Through its meticulous 10-step vetting process, all GreatBuildz contractors go through an in-person interview, a background check, reference calls, online ratings, an insurance check, and a signed commitment to uphold a 20-point Code of Conduct.

Connect with GreatBuildz:

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

GreatBuildz Guide: Tips & Advice for a successful renovation

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

insidevoiceoutsidevoice.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Big thank you to Mydoma Studio. If you are looking for the one place to manage your projects, your communication with clients and vendors, your invoicing, all the things, Mydoma Studio makes it easy for you all in one place. Go to Mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness. 

 

 

Other Shows Mentioned: 

 

Brad Leavitt #649 , #615 , #580 , #560 , #542

 

Jean Brownhil #422

 

 

Jun 25, 2021

Today on A Well-Designed Business

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. It's Power Talk Friday! Business for 90% of us is absolutely bonkers right now, isn’t it? Why is it when we are busy, we so easily throw aside the time to work on our business? Today, I want to talk about the importance of working on your business always, not just when it’s convenient. On today's show, I am letting the LuAnn University instructors tell you about their amazing courses, and why now, more than ever, it is critical that we focus on our businesses. 

LuAnn University Summer 2021:

5 Departments offering 8 courses for targetted instruction for profit and growth:

  • Process Leads to Profit Department
    • How to Build Systems Into Your Services, taught by Sara Lynn Brennan
    • Design-Build 201, taught by Kathleen Anderson
  • Profit is in the Numbers Department
    • Project Profitability 101, taught by Kimberly Merlitti
    • Online Bookkeeping 101, taught by Kathleen Anderson
    • Online Bookkeeping 201, taught by Peter Lang
  • Window Treatments for Profit
    • The Proven 7-Step Sales Process, taught by Jessica Harling
  • Marketing for Profit
    • Visibility for Creatives, taught by Rachel Moriarty
    • Video for Creatives, taught by Arianne Bellizaire
  • Expand Your Mind, Grow Your Profit
    • Courses coming soon! Check back for the Fall Session.

Get to Know the Instructors:

Rachel Moriarty

Sara Lynn Brennan

Kimberly Merlitti 

Arianne Bellizaire

Kathleen Anderson

Peter Lang 

Jessica Harling

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Inside Voice, Outside Voice Charity Events

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other shows mentioned:

  • Rachel Moriarty, Visibility for Creatives: Episodes 55, 214
  • Sara Brennan, How to Build Systems into Your Services: Episodes 463, 514, 524, 607
  • Kimberly Merlitti, Project Profitability 101: Episodes 361, 442, 592
  • Arianne Bellizaire, Video for Creatives: Episodes 20, 568
  • Kathleen Anderson, Online Bookkeeping 101 &  Design-Build 201: Episode 644
  • Peter Lang, Online Bookkeeping 201: Episode 349, 464, 522
  • Jessica Harling, The Proven 7-Step Sales Process: Episode 634
Jun 22, 2021
Today with John Robert Wiltgen:
 
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. My guest today is John Wiltgen. John has, for the most part, retired, from his 40+ year career as the principal of John Robert Wiltgen Design Inc., based in the Chicago area. John and I touch on many topics today, (I mean, after such a long and successful career, there s a lot of ground to cover!) We start by talking about how to manage client expectations when you are faced with delays, missed deadlines, disappointed clients, all the way to attracting luxury clients, servicing luxury clients as well as raising your prices when you have returning clients. John had a lot of wisdom to pass on to us and it is no wonder, so tune in for a jam-packed episode!

 

More About John Robert Wilgen:

The integration of art, architecture and design is fundamental at John Robert Wiltgen Design, Inc. This inclusive approach applies to a residence being designed from the ground up, the ingenious restyling and updating of an existing home and the selection and installation of finishes and furnishings. In addition, JRWD creates the construction documents and wields impressive construction management skills, often acting as a general contractor. The result is always a distinct, luxurious residence expressing the owner's personal style.

"Everyone says our work is dramatic," reveals John Robert Wiltgen. "No matter the scope of any given project, our ultimate goal is to create something extraordinary that's exclusive to our client."

Obsessing over making their client’s worlds beautiful has taken them across North America and halfway around the world – from Chicago’s Gold Coast to Africa’s Ivory Coast. His firm’s name is synonymous with its reputation for excellence and superior quality in design, styling, and craftsmanship. Some of their client’s include talk show host, writer, producer, and actor Steve Harvey, producer, director and actor John Cusack, Chicago Bulls general manager and NBA Hall of Famer Jerry Krause, and former Governor and First Lady of Lagos State (Nigeria) Mr. and Mrs. Bola Ahmed Adekunle Tinubu.

Their clients also relied on the JRW team to assist them develop sophisticated art collections. They have placed an artist’s proof of Picasso’s “The Cranach”, a bigger than life size Botero sculpture, a complete suite of Warhol serigraphs, and two Monet paintings in their client’s homes – just to name a few choice pieces. John’s own private collection includes a Henry Moore drawing that, after his purchase, was featured in a 5-museum tour curated by the Henry Moore Foundation (Much Hadham, England). He is also a collector of ancient Egyptian faience, Attica and Roman ceramics.

Discerning real estate developers across the country and in Canada often hired John Robert Wiltgen Design to evaluate and revise architectural layouts of new, not yet built, multi-unit housing projects to improve the utilization of interior space. His award-winning sales centers and model homes consistently generated increased revenues and have been featured in local real estate periodicals, as well as national shelter and design magazines, bringing valuable third-party endorsement to his commissions.

 

The completed projects of JRWD have been featured in over 200 newspaper and magazine articles including Newsweek – an unlikely place to find copy about a residential home designer. His commissions also appear in numerous hardcover books. He has been seen on HGTV’s Homes Across America, I Want That! Baths, I Want That Kitchens, NBC’s Open House, as well as Fox TV and WTTW. A comprehensive library of JRWD press and many of their completed projects, awards, etc. can be viewed at www/jrwdesign.com.

Connect with John Robert Wiltgen:

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

YouTube

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

insidevoiceoutsidevoice.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

LuAnn University:

the summer quarter of LuAnn

University classes kicks off in early July. Registration opens on June 11th.

If you need help establishing processes, Sara Brennen is your girl. Her class,

How to Build Systems into Your Services, begins July 7th.

If you’ve got your systems locked down but could use help with video –

Arianne Bellizaire is here to help. Arianne’s class, Video for Creatives, starts

July 6th.

And there’s so much more – go to LuAnnUniversity.com to learn more and to

register.

Take a class, take some time for yourself, do what you need to do to get

your business in shape for Fall. Decide to be excellent!

Other shows mentioned:

#642 Thom Sweeney

#668 Marlo Thomas

#74 Candace Olson

#34 Mary Fisher

#465 Jan Showers

#40 Meryl Santopietro

$485, #325, #237 Claire Jefford

#297 Mikel Welch

#549, #388 Corey Damen Jenkins

Jun 18, 2021
 
Today with Katie McFarlan:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. The client experience is something we all think about. How do we elevate the experience for our clients so that they feel like we truly care about them without making ourselves crazy by bending over backwards for each client? The answer just might lie in your processes. Today, I’m joined by Katie McFarlan of Dakota Design Company. Katie works with designers to build a strong client experience through streamlined processes, smooth operations, and clear expectations. She’s sharing with us how defined processes lead to a luxury client experience that helps you and your clients.

Pick it apart:

  • [2:19] Katie shares why she’s so passionate about the client experience and why it’s so important for designers. 

    [9:13] Katie explains how she helps clients uncover their processes—even if they haven’t formally defined them. 

    [16:24] LuAnn and Katie dive into what the client experience actually entails. 

    [25:49] Katie discusses how the backend of the business shapes the client experience. 

    [46:30] Katie talks about the common hangups she sees with her client’s processes. 

LuAnn and Katie McFarlan’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Every time there’s a new delay or a new charge, if you have already set the expectation of ‘Hey, this is what’s going to happen, I’m going to be there with you every step of the way,’ it allows the client to just enjoy it rather than be terrified the entire time. I think having the client experience nailed down is so key for businesses that have a long deliverable or lead time for delivering their final service.” -Katie McFarlan

 

“The ROI is not just that it benefits your clients, but also that it shows just how much your company is doing for them, and that speaks to the value and how you’re charging what you charge.” -Katie McFarlan

 

“You’re not necessarily imposing a process or a system on any one business. You’re taking the existing processes and systems (whether they are formalized or not), whatever individual process a firm might have, and you’re analyzing it and saying, ‘How do we announce, describe, explain, or give collateral information on that phase so that the customer feels informed and cared for.” -LuAnn Nigara

 

“I think the biggest takeaway that I have is that the client experience is everything you do, not just a thank you note. So often we throw the word “client experience” around when we’re talking about the subtleties and the niceness and the pretty that we bring to the relationships, but a really terrific client experience is one where the process feels organized and systemized, and the client understands their role in it and can know what’s coming next and see what it is that you’re doing on their behalf the whole time.” -LuAnn Nigara

More About Katie McFarlan:

As a former wedding and event planner with 16 years of experience in operations and project management, I love using both my creative and analytical sides to come up with solutions that work for my clients. With my intimate knowledge of project management and the entrepreneurial mindset, I know what it takes to get behind the scenes operations running smoothly so businesses can grow in a professional way.

Today I help luxury interior designers and wedding planners who are buried in business operations get back to doing the creative work they love. I create and improve their processes and set up systems so they can streamline their workload, move their business forward, and free up their time to focus on the things that matter most.

Connect with Katie McFarlan:

Website

Instagram  

Blog

Client Experience Download for listeners

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet: the industry leader in the to-the-trade home furnishings industry. Kravet just recently unveiled their newest collection, Barry Lantz canvas to cloth. Check it out today and use coupon code AWDB10 to save 10% off any one purchase of Kravet Fabric, Wallpaper or Trim.

 

Mydoma Studio is the workflow software that organizes your design projects from beginning to end saving you time, money, and keeping everything in one place. And just for listeners of A Well-Designed Business, you can get 20% off Mydoma for 3 months! Visit mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness to learn more.

 

Other shows mentioned:

#616 Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole: Onboarding New Interior Design Clients

Jun 15, 2021

Today with Megan Molten:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Megan Molten is back on the show today! Megan is the principal Megan Molten and interior design firm located and Charleston NC. Megan and I discuss how she achieved huge successes so quickly. For outsiders looking into her business, Megan made it look easy! But, in today's episode, we take a peek behind the curtain at the dedication, sacrifice, hard decisions, and sleepless nights that paved the way for her success. 

More About Megan Molten:

Megan's love for all things interiors has been around for as long as she can remember and soon became a reality after she purchased her first home in Charleston, South Carolina and started the design process herself. She began sharing with the world her modern coastal spaces on social media and the world responded! It was this incredible response to Megan's designs that encouraged her to start helping friends, then friends of friends and eventually clients transform their spaces too. This exciting new "hobby" she devoted every hour to while not working her very full time job in healthcare sales quickly turned into a business. She quit her 12 year career in corporate America to chase a dream-a dream that was her true passion in life-helping others achieve beautiful spaces they love.  Her passion for light and airy design, go getter attitude and attention to detail has quickly created a strong following, distinct brand and now online shop for Megan Molten and she can't wait to continue to watch her big dream grow! Megan and her husband Hugh reside in Mount Pleasant in their newly renovated home with their baby girls Marion and Mae. They enjoy the low country lifestyle, all the culture and cuisine Charleston has to offer as well as being on the water as much as they can. Megan feels very fortunate to be able to do what she loves in the city that she loves and serves as her greatest inspiration. 

Connect with Megan Molten:

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

Pinterest

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Mydoma:

Mydoma Studio is the workflow software that organizes your design projects from beginning to end saving you time, money, and keeping everything in one place. And just for listeners of A Well-Designed Business, you can get 20% off Mydoma for 3 months! Visit mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness to learn more.

 

LuAnn University:

 the summer quarter of LuAnn

University classes kicks off in early July. Registration opens on June 11th.

If you need help establishing processes, Sara Brennen is your girl. Her class,

How to Build Systems into Your Services, begins July 7th.

If you’ve got your systems locked down but could use help with video –

Arianne Bellizaire is here to help. Arianne’s class, Video for Creatives, starts

July 6th.

And there’s so much more – go to LuAnnUniversity.com to learn more and to

register.

Take a class, take some time for yourself, do what you need to do to get

your business in shape for Fall. Decide to be excellent!

Jun 11, 2021

Today with Vita Vygovska

Welcome to Window Treatment Friday!  As business owners, the pandemic was scary, to say the least! Every single day was unpredictable and a new scenario we have never faced before. Now, over a year later, we are starting to see the world open up and see a light at the end of the tunnel. Today, LuAnn and Vita discuss how to navigate the future and the post covid world.

More About Vita Vygovska

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.

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Luannlive.com

luannnigara.com/launch

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Jun 8, 2021

Today with Mark Lavender:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. In his 25 years working in institutional medical design, Mark Lavender learned a few things about sticking to processes, creating estimates, and getting over the fear of asking for payment. In business for himself for the past six years, Mark is an open book - he shares the details of his markup, when to think twice about signing a client, and how he keeps his clients coming back.

Pick it apart:

  • [14:11] Mark shares advice on always utilizing a contract 

    [19:29] Mark tells about warning signs with clients redlining his contract [20:31] LuAnn offers advice to designers who encounter clients who don’t agree with their contract or value them as professionals 

    [24:43] Mark shares how he explains his policy of final payment before the product is delivered 

    [32:00] LuAnn gives advice on pricing yourself properly 

    [41:00] Mark and LuAnn walk through how Mark operates his pricing structure including his hourly fee

LuAnn and Mark Lavender’s Ah-Ha moments:

“It’s all about the contract - everything goes back to the contract.” -Mark Lavender 

 

“You just have to stand your ground. It’s hard as hell the first time you do it!”. -Mark Lavender 

 

I never sell from the standpoint that I have to be like everyone else. Because I’m going to give more. I’m going to be better.” -LuAnn 

 

“Do be afraid to collect the money you’re due.” -Mark Lavender

More About Mark Lavender:

M. Lavender Interiors is led by Mark Lavender, an architecture graduate of the University of Kentucky - College of Design. Mark worked for several years at two of Chicago’s most prestigious architectural firms – VOA Associates and HOK prior to starting his own design firm. While at these firms, he developed a reputation for managing large teams of professionals and contractors to create great design that realized the client’s vision.

Connect with Mark Lavender:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Mydoma:

Mydoma Studio is the workflow software that organizes your design projects from beginning to end saving you time, money, and keeping everything in one place. And just for listeners of A Well-Designed Business, you can get 20% off Mydoma for 3 months! Visit mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness to learn more.

 

LuAnn University:

 the summer quarter of LuAnn

University classes kicks off in early July. Registration opens on June 11th.

If you need help establishing processes, Sara Brennen is your girl. Her class,

How to Build Systems into Your Services, begins July 7th.

If you’ve got your systems locked down but could use help with video -

Arianne Bellizaire is here to help. Arianne’s class, Video for Creatives, starts

July 6th.

And there’s so much more - go to LuAnnUniversity.com to learn more and to

register.

Take a class, take some time for yourself, do what you need to do to get

your business in shape for Fall. Decide to be excellent!

 

Jun 4, 2021

Today on A Well-Designed Business®

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business®. Today, I am telling you all about LuAnn University. We are getting ready to launch our Summer Session of courses on July 6th, 2021, and I can't wait for you to learn more about our extraordinary instructors and our growing list of value-packed courses! 

LuAnn University Summer 2021:

5 Departments offering 8 courses for targetted instruction for profit and growth:

  • Process Leads to Profit Department
    • How to Build Systems Into Your Services, taught by Sara Lynn Brennan
    • Design-Build 201, taught by Kathleen Anderson
  • Profit is in the Numbers Department
    • Project Profitability 101, taught by Kimberly Merlitti
    • Online Bookkeeping 101, taught by Kathleen Anderson
    • Online Bookkeeping 201, taught by Peter Lang
  • Window Treatments for Profit
    • The Proven 7-Step Sales Process, taught by Jessica Harling
  • Marketing for Profit
    • Visibility for Creatives, taught by Rachel Moriarty
    • Video for Creatives, taught by Arianne Bellizaire
  • Expand Your Mind, Grow Your Profit
    • Courses coming soon! Check back for the Fall Session.

Get to Know the Instructors: 

Rachel Moriarty

Sara Lynn Brennan

Kimberly Merlitti 

Arianne Bellizaire

Kathleen Anderson

Peter Lang 

Jessica Harling

 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

 

Jun 1, 2021

Today on A Well-Designed Business:

Today is a What Would Lu Do episode where I answer listener questions, and….you guessed it, tell you what I would do!

Today’s listener question comes to us from a designer struggling with marketing for client acquisition. So where do you start? I will tell you during today's episode!

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

May 28, 2021

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today, I am introducing a new kind of episode to the show! Welcome to Flash Back Friday, where I revisit old episodes of the podcast. After so many successful years of interviews, there was a need, for both new listeners and long-time listeners alike, to revisit the archives.

For new listeners, it is an opportunity to be introduced to older shows they missed, and for long-time listeners, it's a chance to refresh the ah-ha moments of the past!   

So here we go! Today, we are revisiting "Episode 423: Tiffannie White, ​The Nappy Bohemian: Your “Only” and Lessons From a New Interior Design Business".

From the archives...

On today’s show! We’re talking to Tiffannie White today, the creator of The Nappy Bohemian, located in Oakland, California. Tiffannie is a blogger, an interior stylist, and an e-designer and she also has a full-time position as a design consultant at  Fireclay Tile. After spending many years as a career sales professional, The Nappy Bohemian was born in 2017 because Tiffannie wanted to merge her architecture education, her love for tile and ceramics, and her desire to showcase the real black experience in the world of interior design. Tune in today, to hear about Tiffannie’s business, what she’s doing, and the lessons she’s learned from running her business.

Tiffannie’s job with Fireclay Tile has allowed her an inside look on the world of artisan makers, and it has also connected her with terrific designers in her East Coast territory. In today’s episode, she describes how much she loves her job, she talks openly about the lessons and challenges she experienced in her first year in business, and she shares her goals for the year to come. Listen in now, to find out more.

Show highlights:

  • Tiffannie talks about her traumatic experience of taking her daughter to the hospital and how her daughter really loved the decor there. This showed Tiffannie just how important interior design really is in people’s lives.
  • Creating a holistic space is really important for Tiffannie.
  • About Tiffannie’s personal and unique ‘only’.
  • Tiffannie is proud of the lessons she’s learned.
  • Tiffannie talks about her first eighteen months in business.
  • Being focused and clear in her vision.
  • All about Tiffannie’s e-design packages.
  • Tiffannie’s e-design is driven mainly through her Instagram and word-of-mouth.
  • Settling on a name.
  • Going with the flow and trusting.
  • Some of the challenges she’s faced.
  • You have to value what you do to have a thriving business.
  • Being careful not to compromise in too many areas when starting out in a business.
  • Work for free only if it’s worth your while.
  • Some tips about blogging.
  • Tiffannie’s business goals for the next year.

Connect with Tiffannie:

Instagram: The Nappy Bohemian

The Nappy Bohemian

The Nappy Bohemian

Previous shows mentioned:

Albie Buabeng #348

Chaney Widmer #260#327

Cheryl Janice #41

Sue Firestone #404

May 25, 2021

Today with Kate Bendewald:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Sometimes, we start our own business because we always knew that’s what we were meant for. We want to be our own bosses, have flexibility in our work, and take charge of our lives. Other times, we’re pushed into it due to changes in our circumstances. For my guest today, Kate Bendewald, the second category is true. After she had her first daughter, she left a prestigious job in a commercial design firm and struck out on her own. Her design experience didn’t prepare her for the business side of things—that, she had to learn on her own. Today, she’s sharing with us the lessons she learned and how she has stayed the course through it all. 

Pick it apart:

  • [7:16] Kate shares her journey from commercial designer to running her own firm. 
  • [18:11] Kate discusses how she navigated the transition into business owner without any knowledge of business fundamentals.
  • [22:00] Kate dives into how she figured things out along the way, including improving at sales and messaging. 
  • [37:19] Kate explains her “FOCUS” strategy for not losing sight of what’s important and maintaining movement toward success. 
  • [45:38] Kate and LuAnn discuss the Designer’s Oasis and how designers can take advantage of its upcoming relaunch.

LuAnn and Kate Bendewald’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Sometimes we are just counting the hours until we can leave a job—maybe it’s because we are going to make a move in location or a family change like having a baby—and other times it’s that, what you just said, that you enjoyed it and it was kind of a surprise that it wasn’t manageable with a baby.” -LuAnn Nigara

 

“That conversation was the starting point and after that, it was pen to paper, creating a spreadsheet, talking about the low-end possibility, the high-end possibility, and stretching and saving in other areas in order to make it work for our family.” -Kate Bendewald

 

“Once I started to realize that my call to action needed to be much simpler, my success rate went from 20% to 90%, so knowing your call to action and how to wrap up that discovery call has been an important part.” -Kate Bendewald

 

“We tend to get hung up on the term ‘sales.’ But the truth is that if you have any intention to run your business, you have to get good at sales, so you need to embrace it and you need to become comfortable with it.” -Kate Bendewald

More About Kate Bendewald:

Kate’s work is a celebration of approachable luxury informed by her lifelong love of antiques. Her unfussy livable interiors are classic in nature but remain fresh by the unapologetic mix of contemporary art and furnishings with collected items. The result is effortless mix of color, pattern, materials, styles, and eras.

Over the last 10 years, she has built a career in interior design working on projects ranging from luxury residences in the Texas Hill Country, to public spaces for children like the Rose Andom Center and Denver Children’s Museum. She’s had projects from Alaska to South Carolina. Additionally, she has designed for many clients with special physical, mental, and emotional needs.

Last year, 100% of her new clients were word-of-mouth referrals and over half of her clients were repeat clients, that not only love how she translates their ideas into reality, but also elevates the process into a true experience.

Kate grew up in a creative family and developed her technical skills while earning a degree in Interior Design from Texas State University. Today she’s married and a mother to two young daughters that constantly teach her better ways to live beautifully with children.

Connect with Kate Bendewald:

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Mydoma Studio: Mydoma is your complete designer toolkit, the place for you to manage all of your projects, from time tracking to communication to product approvals, so that you can free your time up to focus on your business and serve your clients. You can get started today and save 20% off your first three months at mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness.

 

Other Shows Mentioned:

#37 Lesley Myrick – Strategies I Used to Build My Business



#584 Lesley Myrick: Building a Business From the Ground Up, Again



#656 April Jensen: How to Establish Client Expectations for Successful Projects

 

#654 Jenny Madden: Navigating Maternity Leave in Your Interior Design Business

May 21, 2021

Today with Susan Inglis:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. When you hear the phrase “sustainable furnishings,” what comes to mind? Is it something you already know about, something you are bringing forth to your clients on a regular basis? Is it something you vaguely know about but aren’t sure of all the ins and outs? Or is it something that isn’t quite on your radar yet?

No matter which category you fall into, today’s conversation is relevant for you. Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, is sharing with us why sustainable furnishings matter, the power that designers hold when it comes to the future, and how you can embrace these ideals in your business.

Pick it apart:

  • [8:10] Susan and LuAnn discuss the power that interior designers hold when it comes to sustainability issues. 
  • [11:12] Susan breaks down what the Sustainable Furnishings Council is and what it offers for designers. 
  • [21:39] Susan gives us insight into the research behind sustainable furnishings and consumer interest.
  • [32:59] Susan dives into her inspiring backstory of how she came to be executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. 
  • [48:15] Susan explains how to become a Green Leader or align your firm with the Council.

LuAnn and Susan Inglis’ Ah-Ha moments:

“Our supply chains are extremely complex, but our relationships are very, very important...so if one link in the chain says ‘I’m making a commitment to lower my carbon dioxide emissions...I’m going to change the lightbulbs in my warehouse…” they have the opportunity to share that news up and down their supply chain, inviting their vendors and everybody else to also take whatever is an easy first step, because all of us can do a little bit of something.” -Susan Inglis

 

“If each one of us is consciously trying to do what we can, it does have an overall effect on the end product being delivered in a less damaging way to the environment.” -LuAnn Nigara

 

“The interior designer is in a position of great power in being able to tell clients what the attributes of one piece of furniture over another might be, and this is important because 97% of the consumers we surveyed say they would be very interested in buying environmentally safe home furnishings (if, of course, they liked the style and the cost was within their budget).” -Susan Inglis

 

“The first step is often the most significant one you take, so I really encourage people to start with whatever is easiest for them, because you’re going to see that it makes a difference, you’re going to get excited, you’re going to be inspired, you’re going to want to make more changes and improvements within your operation, and, especially within the case of designers, you’re going to want to learn more and more because you’re going to see the significance of the information you’re garnering and sharing with your clients.” -Susan Inglis

 

More About Susan Inglis:

Susan Inglis is Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and resident expert with the organization she helped found in 2006. She has led SFC to work with industry leaders to establish criteria to gauge the sustainability of furniture products and practices; develop programs for educating all sectors of the industry; and attract hundreds of companies to membership. Inglis is also founder and owner of From The Mountain, a company that imports hand spun cashmere yarn from Afghanistan, providing safe income for over 100 women there. Inglis serves on the Board of the American Sustainable Business Council and was awarded a 2017 Visionary Leadership award by the NC Business Council. She lives in North Carolina.

 

About SFC:

MISSION: SUSTAINABILITY.  The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a coalition of manufacturers, retailers and designers dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry. Our mission is to help companies reduce their environmental footprints as they grow, and to help consumers find healthy furnishings.  To accomplish these lofty goals, we provide the best education, promotion, and networking opportunities available.  We raise consumer interest in environmentally safe furnishings and promote the development of many more sustainable options. SFC urges the use of Life Cycle Assessment as the best method for analyzing the environmental and health impact of products and a verifiable chain of custody as the only acceptable method for tracking wood flow. SFC members support the triple bottom line of PEOPLE - PLANET - PROFITS and lead the industry in best practices throughout their supply chains. Members are committed to continually work toward a healthy future, inside and out.

 

OUR GOALS: Raise awareness of sustainability issues. Assist companies in adopting eco-friendly practices. Serve as an information clearinghouse. Provide a symbol of assurance for consumers.

Connect with Susan Inglis:

Susan’s 2021 consumer report for free for a limited time

Website

Instagram 

Facebook  

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet:

Kravet has been with me since the beginning of the show and I love them for it! They helped me to build this amazing community.

Please check out Kravet if you’re looking for fabrics, wall coverings, trims and even quick ship furnishings. Go to Kravet.com and use coupon code AWDB10 – You’ll love their excellent service and your clients will appreciate the Kravet quality for years to come.

May 18, 2021

Today with Kelly Collier:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today, I’m joined by a guest who knows all about balance in her business—Kelly Collier of Plot Twist Design in Philadelphia. Like many designers, Kelly started her business on the side, while working a full-time corporate career. Two years later, her business has grown and thrived to a full-service design business. But she’s also maintaining her full-time job. To top it all off, she is also a realtor and a podcaster.  Balancing it all isn’t easy. It takes deliberation, commitment, planning, and dedication. Today, Kelly’s sharing her tips for balancing it all and building the business, along with maintaining her career responsibilities. 

Pick it apart:

  • [6:40] Kelly shares how she manages to identify her multiple facets in her social media presence.
  • [11:40] Kelly dives into time blocking and how she lays out her day so that nothing falls through the cracks.
  • [18:32] LuAnn and Kelly talk about the importance of transparency and setting out expectations with clients.
  • [30:13] Kelly shares some insight into her personal life and how that factors into her responsibilities. 
  • [38:50] Kelly discusses racism in both the corporate world and the design industry and how she has dealt with it.

LuAnn and Kelly Collier’s Ah-Ha moments:

“I have to keep in mind what a healthy balance is for me...by me leading more with interior design, then I always have more interior design clients than real estate clients.” -Kelly Collier

 

“The nugget in this is the clarity in your priorities. You’re not just throwing the spaghetti against the wall with Instagram. You’re actually deciding that given the time and the ROI on design, real estate, and corporate, that the mix is that corporate obviously gets done first, then design, then real estate, but there’s a clear understanding of why they’re in that order and therefore, the strategy reflects that.” -LuAnn Nigara

 

“I hear people say that we all have the same 24 hours in a day, which is very true, but how you use those hours matters, especially when you’re doing a lot of things.” -Kelly Collier

More About Kelly Collier:

Kelly Collier is the Owner and Principal of Plot Twist Design in Philadelphia PA. She is also a licensed Realtor, offering interior design and real estate services under the brokerage of Keller Williams. Plot Twist Design was officially established in February 2019, and Kelly has been a Realtor for 12yrs. She also has a full time corporate career as a Senior Account Manager. 

 

Kelly is also a Blogger, Podcaster (Plot Twist Design Business Podcast) and recently started using her platform as an Influencer collaborating with other businesses. To date, Kelly has been featured in numerous publications by Architectural Digest AD PRO, Business of Home, Curated Quarters Mag, and others. She also served as an Influencer at market sharing trends and finds on the High Point Market Instagram page for fall 2020. 

 

In recent design news, Kelly completed her second One Room Challenge home project; a powder room renovation and a 2nd powder room refresh partially sponsored by The Tile Shop. 

 

Kelly’s brand is being built to offer multiple services. Her platform on social media is used to share her journey in the business and real-life via lifestyle posts, blog shares, and inspirational posts. 

Connect with Kelly Collier:

Plot Twist Design Instagram

Plot Twist Home Instagram 

Facebook

Website

Podcast

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Kravet: Kravet just recently unveiled their newest collection, Barry Lantz canvas to cloth. Check it out today and use coupon code AWDB10 to save 10% off any one purchase of Kravet Fabric, Wallpaper or Trim.

May 14, 2021

Today with Marlo Thomas:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Marlo Thomas of the hit show, That Girl, shares the story of how her father’s diligence shaped her path to success and how her mother’s graciousness inspired her own product line with Williams Sonoma. She also shares her moment of self-doubt on her way to wild success in show business and how to lead with conviction so you can make a difference.

Pick it apart:

[11:15] Marlo shares her advice to young people

 

[14:50] Marlo talks about how her father was her example of what it took to be successful 

 

[21:00] Marlo shares how she came to call the shots for the storyline of That Girl

 

[27:00] LuAnn and Marlo chat about getting started with her women’s charity

 

[32:00] Marlo shares about Free to Be You

 

[40:03] Marlo tells about when she first met her husband

 

[44:00] Marlo shares what inspired her William Sonoma collection

LuAnn and Marlo Thomas’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Everybody gets a first chance but not everybody gets a second chance - so be ready for that first chance.” - Marlo Thomas

 

“If you believe something really strongly, it’s probably true.” - Marlo Thomas

More About Marlo Thomas:

Marlo Thomas is an award-winning actress, author and activist whose body of work continues to impact American entertainment and culture. She has been honored with four Emmy Awards, the Peabody, a Golden Globe and a Grammy, and has been inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. In November 2014, she was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom—the highest honor a civilian can receive—by President Barack Obama at a White House ceremony.

 

Marlo burst onto the scene as television’s That Girl, which broke new ground for independent women everywhere, and which she also conceived and produced. Her pioneering spirit continued with her creation of Free to Be...You and Me, which became a platinum album, best-selling book, Emmy Award-winning television special and a stage show. Proceeds from this project went toward the formation of the Ms. Foundation for Women, which was co-founded. 

 

Marlo has produced eight bestselling books (three of them New York Times #1 bestsellers), including: Free to Be You and Me; Free to Be a Family; The Right Words at the Right Time (Volumes 1 and 2); Thanks and Giving: All Year Long (which became a Grammy-winning CD); her memoir, Growing Up Laughing; It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over; and in 2020, What Makes a Marriage Last, which she co-authored with her husband, talk show pioneer Phil Donahue.

 

For her activism, Marlo has been honored with the Helen Caldicott Award for Nuclear Disarmament; the ACLU's Thomas Paine Award; the American Women in Radio and Television Satellite Award; the William Kunstler Racial Justice Award; The National Civil Rights Museum Freedom Award; and The Jefferson Award for Public Service, which she received along with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

 

Marlo is the National Outreach Director for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which was founded by her father, Danny Thomas, in 1962. After his death, she became the face and voice of St. Jude; and in 2004, she created the hospital’s annual Thanks and Giving campaign, a national holiday fundraising and awareness program that has raised more than one billion dollars to date. In 2014, in recognition of her commitment to the hospital, St. Jude christened its newest building The Marlo Thomas Center for Global Education and Collaboration. 


Marlo began 2021 with a bang. In February, she launched her own line of unique tabletop settings in partnership with home furnishings giant Williams Sonoma. Tapping into Marlo’s renown as the consummate hostess, Williams Sonoma invited her to recreate dozens of the unique pieces she has discovered over decades of world travel, from the porcelain markets in Kyoto, Japan, to the iconic Portobello Road in London. And in March, Marlo and Phil will debut their original podcast series about marriage, “Double Date,” featuring intimate conversations with long-married celebrity couples—from Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, to Viola Davis and Julius Tennon, to Elton John and David Furnish. The series is based on the couple’s bestselling book, What Makes a Marriage Last, and is produced by Pushkin Industries.

Connect with Marlo Thomas:

Williams Sonoma Collection

Instagram 

Podcast

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet:

Kravet has been with me since the beginning of the show and I love them for it! They helped me to build this amazing community. 

Please check out Kravet if you’re looking for fabrics, wall coverings, trims and even quick ship furnishings. Go to Kravet.com and use coupon code AWDB10 - You’ll love their excellent service and your clients will appreciate the Kravet quality for years to come.

May 11, 2021

Today with Mark Weaver:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Mark Weaver, an industry veteran launched his full-service LA-based design firm, Mark Weaver & Associates over thirty years ago. He’s a design expert, travel lover, and also a lecturer in the business of design at UCLA. Learn what his design students are so eager to learn and how he’s used travel to elevate his palette and create connections with his clients.

Pick it apart:

[21:24] Mark shares his advice to young designers entering the job market

 

[31:30] Mark shares who his own mentors in design, business, and personal life

 

[35:14] LuAnn and Mark discuss how travel informs design

 

[42:35] LuAnn and Mark talk about travel experience as a means of making your client comfortable with you

 

[47:57] Mark explains his philosophy on continual learning 

 

[50:33] Mark shares the importance of gaining experience as a designer

LuAnn and Mark Weaver’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Ignorance is not an asset, intelligence is.” - Mark Weaver

 

“Surround yourself with successful, positive people.” - Mark Weaver’s friend and mentor, Donald

 

“You want to be around people who elevate you.” - Mark Weaver

 

“Travel is magic and an instrumental part of my career.” - Mark Weaver

More About Mark Weaver:

Over thirty years ago, Mark Weaver launched his eponymous, full-service design firm, Mark Weaver & Associates, headquartered in Los Angeles.

 

MWA’s extensive portfolio covers a diverse and distinctive body of work including residential installations, private aircraft, yachts and private island retreats. The firm’s work has spanned projects from Los Angeles to New York, restorations of historic estates in Nantucket and Santa Barbara, a townhouse in London, renovations and interiors for a 16th century palazzo in Piacenza, Italy. In addition, MWA has completed prestigious private corporate installations, including offices, for Fortune 500 companies.

 

In response to the recent stay at home orders, Mark developed a weekly Instagram live series, Designers at Home. It is a casual and informative discussion between Mark and fellow colleagues in the architecture and design industry. The half hour Instagram Live addresses all things design and architecture related, along with personal anecdotes and inspiration. Recent guests have included set director and three-time Emmy Award nominee, Peter Gurski, one of America’s leading sculptors Sabin Howard, renowned architect and artist Leo Marmol, art advisor extraordinaire Barbara Guggenheim, and Eleanor Schrader, Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension’s Architectural and Interior Design Program.

 

Mark regularly lectures at UCLA’s interior design program discussing topics such as business procedures, conducting oneself as a professional, the responsibilities as a designer, and resourcing materials. He is a founding member of both the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art as well as a member of the Decorative Arts Council for LACMA and a patron of the Los Angeles Opera. Mark has been recognized by a breadth of national and international publications, earning him a loyal following of clients around the world.

 

Connect with Mark Weaver:

Website 

Instagram  

YouTube 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

You're busy, I get it. But are you the good kind of busy? The kind of busy that has you working on amazing projects with clients who trust you? Or, are you the kind of busy that stresses you out, and has you buried in admin work?

It's time to take back your time, and get the platform that will become the core of your thriving design business - it's time to get on Mydoma Studio.

And there's never been a better time, because right now they're having their Merry Month of May Sale, where you can get a whole 20% off any new annual plan subscription.

So become the good kind of busy with Mydoma, and head on over to mydomastudio.com/merrymay to take advantage of one of their best deals of the year!

May 7, 2021
 

Today on A Well-Designed Business®:

Today is a What Would Lu Do Show where I bring you listener questions, and....you guessed it, tell you what I would do!

Today's listener question comes to us from a designer who is in a difficult spot with a client. It just goes to show, no matter how long you have been in business, there are always those projects that teach us a thing or two about ourselves, our business, and where we can do better the next time. 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

May 4, 2021

Today with Cathy Maready:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Cathy Maready shares a special piece of relationship-building wisdom she’s gained from running her North Carolina interior design business called Elephant Ears, since 1990. She also has a clever way to take the ick-factor out of your budget conversation with clients. She’s stacked several key skills to produce a successful business and thrilled clients.

Pick it apart:

  • [19:22] LuAnn recaps the importance of integrating a client’s passion and story into their design


    [35:52] Cathy shares how she has the budget conversation with clients


    [42:07] LuAnn and Cathy review the angle they use when talking about budget


    [48:03] Cathy share about how she handles potential clients who don’t have sufficient budget

LuAnn and Cathy Maready’s Ah-Ha moments:

“You got personality, budget and expectations. There has to be a beautiful balance before you’ve got a beautiful project.” - Cathy Maready

 

“Not all projects are photo worthy.” - Cathy Maready

More About Cathy Maready: 

Cathy has been practicing interior design since 1990 and is an Allied ASID member. She holds a Bachelor’s degree from Chaminade University in Honolulu and graduated magna cum laude. After traveling the globe in her younger days, Cathy began an import business where she designed her own furniture and accessory line.

Upon settling back into her home state of North Carolina, she opted for a more personal level of design where she could apply her creations to specific environments. Through Elephant Ears, her successful interior design business, a diverse client base has allowed Cathy to work on multi-level and multi-million dollar commercial and residential projects in both domestic and international arenas.

Cathy also holds a commercial pilot license and loves animals. So, Pegasus would be her perfect ride.

Connect with Cathy Maready:

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook 

Pinterest  

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Revel Woods can help designers easily add hardwood flooring to their full-service offerings, regardless of your experience in specifying wood flooring. 

With their expert knowledge and service, Revel Woods walks you through the entire process and stays with you from the initial sampling through installation. 

With true wholesale pricing, you are now competitive with the flooring retailers on the highway. 

Learn more today--- go to revelwoods.com and open your pro account. 

 

Apr 30, 2021

Today with Michael Schneider

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Michael Schneider founded BDNY and now he’s in the business of connecting interior designers and suppliers in a whole new way with Next Virtual Meetings. Using the speed dating concept, Michael offers designers an easy way to source new products and build vendor relationships right from your living room.

Pick it apart:

[8:03] Michael review what happens at the Next Virtual Meetings 30-minute session

 

[15:34] Michael shares the process an interior designer uses to sign up for his service

 

[19:40] LuAnn asks Michael why he pays designers to attend meetings

 

[24:13] Michael share about his “land cruise” speed dating type event for designers and suppliers

 

[31:57] Michael reviews how suppliers can participate in his event

 

[35:00] LuAnn reviews Michael’s opportunities for designers

LuAnn and Michael Schneider’s Ah-Ha moments:

“You have to be nimble. You have to be willing to pivot and figure out where the opportunities are—because they’re there.” - Michael Schneider

More About Michael Schneider:

Michael Schneider, Founder and CEO of NEXT Events is a hospitality industry connector and business leader. Michael founded the Boutique Design brand in 2005, which now encompasses a magazine, face-to-face events, and the highest regarded hospitality interior design trade show in the world (BDNY). Recently, Boutique Design was acquired for a second time by a publicly-traded company for $45M. As a serial entrepreneur, Michael has spent the last 15 years leveraging relationships and developing innovative ways for his clients to market their business. Now, Michael is looking forward to reinventing and transforming the hospitality interior design industry all over again. Michael enjoys fitness, flying planes, and hanging out in his upstate home with his wife, three sons, and rescue dog.

Connect with Michael Schneider:

https://nexteventsusa.com/

https://nextvirtualmeetings.com/

https://hospitalitycares.org/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldschneider5

https://www.linkedin.com/company/next-virtual-meetings?trk=public_profile_topcard_current_company

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet:

The Seattle Design Center Spring Design Week is kicking off from May 3rd-7th. Join me and Kravet for “Design Discussions with Barry Lantz.” on May 4th at [10:00] AM PST. I will be hosting an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Barry Lantz of Lantz Collective’s debut collection, “Canvas to Cloth.”

Join Barry and me as he shares how his newest collection came to life. Visit the link in our show notes, or at the link in our Instagram bio to register!

 

Apr 27, 2021

Today with Andrea Hysmith:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business®. Goal-setting isn’t always easy. Sometimes, we write a list of goals and never take any steps to get there. Other times, we become so obsessed with the goals that we develop tunnel vision and fail to see when we need to adapt. All too often, unexpected situations derail our goals entirely.  My guest today, Andrea Hysmith, has found the balance between flexibility and structure that allows her to pivot when the unexpected happens, maintaining a commitment to strong client experiences and to her business values. Today, she’s sharing her insights on how to do that, no matter what comes your way.

Pick it apart:

  • [5:50] Andrea shares her part-organic, part-structured process to goal-setting.
  • [11:10] Andrea breaks down the steps she takes to bring in a steady stream of referrals and network-based clients.
  • [16:12] Andrea discusses her unique process to building relationships with her clients.
  • [36:25] Andrea shares the journey she took to open her brick-and-mortar studio, the first black-owned business in her neighborhood.
  • [45:00] LuAnn and Andrea dive into the experience and challenges of being a Black business owner.

LuAnn and Andrea Hysmith’s Ah-Ha moments:

“For me, at least, when I have this structure in place, even if I have to adjust it, it gives me a guide.” -Andrea Hysmith

 

“Always tell people what you do and ask for what you want.” -Andrea Hysmith

 

“It’s walking that line and really figuring out the people whose values align with yours and making sure that they’re a culture fit from one human to another.” -LuAnn Nigara

 

“We keep the goal, but we throw away some of the things we thought were attached to the goal and open our mind to what other way we can get to the goal.” -LuAnn Nigara

More About Andrea Hysmith:

Andrea Hysmith, CAPS; Associate ASID Andrea Harvey; Founder of ASH Interiors and Design is an Interiors Specialist, Kitchen and Bath Designer, Manufacturer Representative, Speaker and Presenter that has been sharing her knowledge of luxury design and products in the design industry for over twenty years. Her industry experience includes kitchen, bath, and interior design…focusing on residential and light commercial spaces. Her background as a manufacturer’s representative of luxury kitchen and bath products has increased her knowledge of products, skills in training and business development. Her relationships with the A&D Community have made her a well-recognized resource in the Washington Metro Market. Andrea recently opened her design studio and office space in Historic Ellicott City becoming the first woman of color to open a brick-and-mortar design space in this area. In this studio space, she works with design clients as well as B2B partners educating them on the luxury products the firm represents. Andrea is a member of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), The Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH) & Black Interior Design Network (BID). As well as an advisory board member of the Historic Ellicott City Board. Andrea loves connecting to her clients and peers…she is said to be relatable, knowledgeable, informative, and always fun. She believes that design is truly a lifestyle!

Connect with Andrea Hysmith:

Website 

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Kravet:

The Seattle Design Center Spring Design Week is kicking off from May 3rd-7th. Join me and Kravet for "Design Discussions with Barry Lantz." on May 4th at 10:00 AM PST. I will be hosting an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at Barry Lantz of Lantz Collective’s debut collection, "Canvas to Cloth."

Join Barry and me as he shares how his newest collection came to life. Visit the link in our show notes, or at the link in our Instagram bio to register!

Other Shows Mentioned:

#282 Blanche Garcia – You Teach Clients How to Treat You

#598 Judith Taylor – How an Introvert Networks in an Extroverted Industry

 

Apr 23, 2021

Today with Terri Taylor:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business®. Terri Taylor of Interior Design Business Academy is back on the show to share her design business expertise and help you step into your space, confidently manage your projects, and pick up all the opportunities for profit. She’s also reviewing her truly golden Letter of Agreement that will change the way you approach your remodeling projects.

  • To learn more about Terri's new class and get your ticket, go to https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com/

Pick it apart:

[22:37] Terri shares the problem with a quickly-created letter of agreement.

 

[24:41] Terri explains how designers can determine an accurate design fee.

 

[26:37] LuAnn and Terri explore what to do when a contractor’s budget is too low.

 

[31:00] Terri reviews a scenario where the designer is in charge from the beginning of the project.

 

[41:36] LuAnn recaps Terri’s method of owning a job from the beginning.

 

[42:42] Terri explains what her three-day class, The Real Deal, covers.

LuAnn and Terri Taylor's Ah-Ha moments:

“Designers are the heart and soul of the projects.” - Terri Taylor

 

“You need to think of your fee as insurance to the client that the money is going to be spent is spent well and adds value at the end.” - Terri Taylor

 

“You don’t have to finish the project to get paid - you have to finish the design to get paid.” - Terri Taylor

More About Terri Taylor:

Terri Taylor is a frequent speaker and guest lecturer at design conferences and showrooms throughout the country. She speaks on a number of topics related to the business of interior design, including: business practices, sales, marketing, motivation, leadership, success, and personal growth.

Ms. Taylor is nationally known as an interior design business expert and coach who teaches and mentors interior designers to help them create successful design businesses.

Terri has over 32 years in the interior design and construction business. She holds both residential and commercial general remodeling Arizona Contractors Licenses, and qualified for her NCIDQ certification in 1991. Terri is a professional member of ASID, IDS, and NCIDQ.

Her Tucson-based design studio, Taylor Design Group, was a diversified design practice working in the areas of high-end residential design and remodeling, model home merchandising, hospitality, and medical and professional offices. Her studio has been the recipient of ASID Arizona South Chapter Design Excellence Awards every year since 1986 and she received the ASID National Design Excellence Award in 2000.  Terri’s design work has been published in regional and national design journals, including ASID ICON and Wall St. Journal. Terri retired from her studio practice in 2015.

In 2009, Ms. Taylor created Design Biz Blueprint (now Interior Design Business Academy); an education and coaching resource that provides a unique mix of design business strategies and systems, and powerful positive mindset to help interior designers create meaningful success. She’s inspired thousands of interior design entrepreneurs through her speaking engagements, seminars, on-line education, and coaching.

Terri connects with heart-centered designers to help grow their business strategy, accountability, and profitability all while undergoing a beautiful personal transformation.

Connect with Terri Taylor:

Instagram

Facebook

LinkedIn

Website

  • To learn more and get your ticket, go to https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com/

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Terri Taylor's upcoming class: The Real Deal - Designer Remodeling Jobs for Profit

  • You’ll be in class for a highly interactive three full days 
  • May 19th, 20th, and 21st, 2021
  • It will be a mix of all the things: 
    • worksheets 
    • templates
    • scripts 
    • copies of letters of agreement
    • Q&A time
    • community, sharing, mindset work, and breakout groups
    • And some dance!
  • Early bird pricing is $797 until Tuesday, April 27th
  • It goes to $1297 after that
  • To learn more and get your ticket, go to https://interiordesignbusinessacademy.com/

 

So what do you say? Want to stop giving away your time and learn how to set up a job so you’re paid properly?

 

Is Q2 the time to allow yourself to step into your space and bloom as a designer?

 

I think it is. Decide to be excellent.

Other Shows Mentioned:

  • episode 548

  • episode 602

Apr 20, 2021
 

Today with Lucy Harris:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business®. This week, I’m joined by New York City designer Lucy Harris. Lucy shares her top five “musts” for new interior design firms. This nine-year high-end design firm veteran has learned a thing or two about the non-negotiables when starting out on your own. Learn what Lucy did to get to where she is today!

Pick it apart:

[13:25] Lucy explains the need for community, the first of five musts when starting an interior design firm

[17:57] Lucy shares her take on the importance of photography and photo styling

[27:41] Lucy talks about how she approached outsourcing

[36:14] Lucy and LuAnn share why creating an online presence is vital

[48:35] Lucy shares the three reasons to consider taking a project

LuAnn and Lucy Harris’ Ah-Ha moments:

"People want to believe that you’re an amazing interior designer. And all it takes is one or two good enough projects to give people that confidence." - Lucy Harris

"Starting a business is about making baby steps." - Lucy Harris

More About Lucy Harris:

Growing up in a modernist house in Concord, Massachusetts, Lucy Harris was surrounded by, and given an appreciation for thoughtful design. From her great-great grandparent’s eclectic art- and antiques-filled Federal townhouse in Beacon Hill (now the Nichols House Museum) to her great-grandparents’ Arts and Crafts summer home in Ipswich, Massachusetts to the Mid-Century house where she currently lives in Westchester’s Usonia, Lucy has always surrounded herself with thoughtful, beautiful, timeless design.

Building on that heritage, Lucy continues to be influenced by many different movements in art and design, from the Bauhaus to Minimalism. Eclecticism is at the root of her designs, and her work is reminiscent of the “impossible bouquets” of Dutch Master painters, in which flowers that would not normally grow together exist side-by-side in the name of art. An avid traveler who has lived in Rome and Milan, Lucy visits Europe often for inspiration, and sources furniture, rugs, lighting and materials from all over the world. She also works with skilled craftspeople from Los Angeles to Brooklyn to realize her custom designs.

Connect with Lucy Harris:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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

Pre-Order Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

I am honored to be on the Window coverings Association of America (WCAA) national board and I cannot tell you enough about my colleagues in this organization. We have chapters all over the US. Both Vita and I are members and I encourage you to do the same. For designers, it’s where you can meet the trusted trades to help you offer the best window treatments to your clients, and for us window treatment pros, it’s where you can stay on top of resources and education to make sure you are delivering your A-game. Go to wcaa.org

 

The IDS annual conference is coming up, May 6th, 2021, and I will be keynoting for this. So, please join us, all kinds of sessions and the chance to meet new colleagues and be introduced to a fantastic organization. Go to interiordesignsociety.org/conference

 

 

 

Other Shows Mentioned:

  • Stephen Karlisch #369
  • Charlotte Safavi - #623
  • Mike Van Tassell- #563
  • Raquel Langworthy- #343
  • David Livingston- #51
  • Sarah Winchester - #444
  • Jessica Delaney- #630

 

 

Apr 19, 2021
 

Today's Show Sponsored by the "Interior Design Standard." 

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. On today's sponsored show, Sandra Funk is here to share all the details of her upcoming course, the "Interior Design Standard".

I’m so excited to share Sandra Funk’s business program, the "Interior Design Standard", with you because I know it will be the best investment for your business.

Enroll here: https://interiordesignstandard.com/luann

Here’s what you need to know:

The Interior Design Standard is composed of modules that outline Sandra’s entire business. Within each module are resources that you can start using right away.  She walks you through how to implement all of these templates via videos along the way.

Program highlights include:

Design fee calculator - confidently calculate flat design fees in moments

Design agreement, that both clients and designers love

The exact process that each interior design project follows, from the first potential client contact to pitching the photos to press

 

Important dates for your calendar:

April 21st - Registration opens! 

April 28th - Enrollment closes at midnight

May 3rd - Program begins

 

Designers who have implemented the Standard in their businesses:

“A rising tide will raise all ships - and man, is Sandra bringing in the tide!  The Interior Design Standard is incredible.  I feel so lucky to have stumbled into Sandra’s circle of light. To say it is ‘exactly what I needed’ is the understatement of the year!

- Jenn O'Brien, Jenn O'Brien Interiors 

 

"The Standard is EXACTLY what I've been looking for. Sandra "speaks my language" - she's relatable, quick and to the point, yet thorough enough for me to understand. I’ve been in other programs. This is the best one.” 

- Taylor Johnson, Taylor Johnson Interiors 

 

It’s your turn, enroll here: https://interiordesignstandard.com/luann

 

Share this with someone who deserves joy and efficiency in their business just as much as you do. It’s time for our entire industry to rise together.

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