Today, on A Well-Designed Business, I am joined by Jennifer Ma of Dwell & Oak Interior Design Studio. Before she became an interior designer, Jennifer was a competitive swimmer, a chef, and a nursing student. She also worked in luxury beauty marketing and owned a kickboxing franchise.
Jennifer put her heart and soul into each venture, and took away valuable experiences that have helped her business thrive. She believes that with determination, you can pivot your career toward the lifestyle you've always envisioned. Listen now to hear her inspiring story.
Pick It Apart:
[1:46] Jennifer talks about her winding path from competitive swimming to culinary school and nursing school, along with the lessons each venture brought her.
[8:21] As Jennifer discusses what she makes time for in her business during downtime, LuAnn asks if she allows time for self-care.
[15:35] Jennifer shares an emotional story of learning resilience.
[21:39] Jennifer explains how the Good Guy Clause helped when she closed her fitness business.
[27:03] LuAnn and Jennifer discuss going viral on Instagram, and Jennifer shares her best advice for getting more engagement.
[42:04] Jennifer recounts how she learned the importance of client experience from her kickboxing business.
LuAnn Nigara and Jennifer Ma's Ah-Ha Moments
“If I really, really don’t feel it in my heart and in my gut, that it’s okay to quit something after you’ve tried and put everything into it.” – Jennifer Ma
“What you put out there is what you're going to receive back.” – Jennifer Ma
“The fact that you can pull a very tangible life lesson out of each is, I think, the only way we get through things like this. It's the only way we get up in the morning and are willing to face the next possibly difficult thing that we have no idea that’s coming at us.” – LuAnn Nigara
“You have to show up for yourself, and you can do it. There is no straight path to your fulfilling career.” – Jennifer Ma
“The difference between success by intention and success by accident or success eluding us is that review—that consistent, constant review…each time you’re going through a phase of life.” – LuAnn Nigara
More About Jennifer Ma
After moving into a brand new build home in San Diego, Jennifer started an Instagram account to document her love for customizing and decorating her home. Jennifer's goal was simple: Create a space that was inspired, beautiful, & that her family loved to be in.
As Jennifer's online readership grew, so did her requests for interior design projects. Soon, she was being asked to design spaces--and entire homes--by online fans & followers from across the country. With that, Dwell & Oak was born; a full-scale design company grounded in Jen's firm belief that a home must be both beautiful and comfortable.
In the years prior to launching her design company, Jennifer had already built and owned a thriving kickboxing franchise business from the ground up after being 12 years in luxury beauty marketing in NYC. Her success came from her commitment to excellence and appreciation for the client experience. This same talent, attention to detail, and entrepreneurial "can do" attitude has all helped her interior design business grow.
Today, Jennifer remains committed to creating beautiful spaces that celebrate family, foster togetherness & connection, and are designed for everyday living.
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
AWDB #677: Megan Molten: To Succeed, Focus on Your Why
AWDB #455: Megan Molten: Planning Creates Success in Your Interior Design Business
Today With Fernando Duque, Kelly O’Neil and Camia Brown:
Today on A Well-Designed Business we are back with another Duke Renders-sponsored show. We are hearing from two more interior designers who absolutely love working with Duke Renders; Kelly O’Neil, founder of Kelly O’Neil Design and Camia Brown, founder of Camia Brown Interiors. As soon as Kelly and Camia started using Duke Renders in their projects, they never looked back. They now use them for all of their projects. They are sharing all of the benefits 3D renderings have for their businesses and why they recommend d Duke Renders to everyone.
Pick It Apart
[3:54] Camia and Kelly share why they use renderings for all of their projects.
[11:01] Camia explains how having a rendering facilitates the process.
[16:56] Fernando shares how he has even used renderings for his own visuals.
[25:10] Camia shares a specific instance where a client was not budging on a design preference and how the rendering convinced him it didn’t look right.
[26:05] Kelly and Camia share the process of working with Duke Renders.
[34:12] Last thoughts and benefits to using Duke Renders in your design projects.
LuAnn Nigara, Fernando Duque, Kelly O’Neil and Camia Brown's Ah-Ha Moments
“Using Duke Renders for your design projects uplevels your business. It’s the next phase in technology,” - LuAnn Nigara
“When you have these high-quality renders from Duke Renders, there is this instantaneous trust because the clients can see that you saw their vision and customized it to them.” - Kelly O’Neil
“We listen to feedback from designers to make our process as structured as possible so they always know what to expect throughout their process,” Fernando Duque
More About Fernando Duque
Born in Venezuela, MBA Babson College. Serial Entrepreneur, founded more than 5 companies.
I co founded Duke Renders with my brother Enrique in March 2020 in the middle of COVID 19, since then it has been a skyrocket growth with more than 100 team members today and no outside investment.
We are a 3D Render studio based in beautiful Tulum, Mexico.
We specialize in Interior Design and Architectural photorealistic imaging.
We serve busy Interior Designers with 100% Accurate Photo-Realistic 3D Renderings of their Creative Designs.
We make You and Your Clients feel Proud, Confident and Empowered at Every Single Step of the Design Process.
I live in Tulum with my wife Mina, our newborn daughter Penelope and our doggy Lulu.
Fun Facts:
1. I love going to the beach at 5am and do it every day!
2. Traveled the world backpacking for 2.5 years
3. Loves cooking Moroccan Food for his Moroccan Wife
A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Duke Renders.
Other Shows Mentioned:
Other Shows Mentioned:
Today on A Well Designed Business, I am so happy to have our roundtable discussion with four amazing #smartladys. Leadership consultants Eileen Hahn and Jennifer Tokatyan, and award-winning designers Traci Connell and Anastasia Harrison.
Both Traci and Anastasia worked with Eileen and Jennifer to improve and solidify their hiring process and it resulted in clear and successful results. They are here to share their hiring experiences, how they worked together, and offer actionable tips that you do not want to miss.
Pick It Apart:
[11:44] Anastasia explains her situation with knowing she has the wrong team members and what she did about it.
[15:15] Eileen walks us through what to do after learning the roles we need to fill and realizing the people in them don’t belong in those roles.
[19:37] Traci shares her experience with hiring designers and when she decided to reach out to Eileen and Jennifer for help.
[26:44] Jennifer shares her experience working with Traci and the pain points she had to face with the previous use of recruitment companies.
[34:54] Anastasia shares actionable steps for those having issues with hiring and team management.
[44:18] Jennifer talks about determining the accurate fit for the role you are hiring.
[47:48] Eileen provides some tools for the hiring process.
LuAnn Nigara and Anastasia Harrison, Traci Connell, Eileen Hahn and Jennifer Tokatyan's Ah-Ha Moments
“Eileen let me know that I had to take hold of and understand the positions I needed to fill before hiring the people to fill them. At that point, I had people in seats, but they weren’t necessarily sitting in the right ones,” - Anastasia Harrison
“Everybody wants to be happy in a job that they are good at. Employers want their employees to be happy in a job that they are good at, but many times they are in the wrong place,” - Eileen Hahn
“You’re not just interviewing the candidate, they are interviewing you,” - Anastasia Harrison
“It is an honor to be able to hire someone to contribute to your business,” - Jennifer Tokatyan.
More About Anastasia Harrison, Traci Connell, Eileen Hahn and Jennifer Tokatyan
Anastasia Harrison:
Anastasia Harrison is a rarity in the design world – she is a trained architect and an award-winning designer. Her enthusiasm for both can be seen from concept to installation, and this energy fills each of her projects. As Owner and Principal Architect at AHD&Co, Anastasia leads a creative team best known for unconventional thinking and expertise, thus providing effortless designs.
She started her career working on large infrastructure projects in the NYC metro area and worked at the original World Trade Center for nearly a decade. She then moved to Europe to do design work for brands such as Donna Karen, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, and Prada. Once back in the US, her career focused on luxury residential and hospitality design, as Director of Sustainability in NYC for Gensler. Anastasia became a leader in sustainable design and offered a new standard for mindful living with speaking engagements across the nation.
In 2012, Anastasia shifted her career highlights and began working with high-profile clients on major architectural endeavors, designing legacy properties through her firm, AHD&Co. Her body of work now encompasses historic preservations, large-scale estate renovations, and new construction forever homes. Many of her clients return to her firm to seek her expertise when they secure an additional private residence or vacation home, building life-long relationships.
Anastasia lives in New Jersey with her husband and two Puggles and has three young adult daughters. One of her daughters has a rare connective tissue disorder, which led her to establish a charity for children in medical crisis, the New Jersey chapter of Savvy Giving By Design. Anastasia believes there is a greater purpose to what she does in her career. Time and again, she has found that architecture and design can do more than just create beautiful spaces – beautiful design can bring great joy and great respite into the home.
Traci Connell:
Since founding her eponymous firm, award-winning designer Traci Connell is an expert in delivering tailored interiors that are as luxurious as they are livable. With her keen eye for design, space planning and art, Connell brings understated glamour and elegance to a vast range of high-end residential interiors, commercial projects, vacation homes and custom site-specific requests. Her inspiration is attained from her explorations of the world of design, travel, art, nature and culture.
With a renewed appreciation for transforming homes into an ease of escape, Connell breaks through predictability with art curation, cutting edge technologies and custom artisan talents, weaving in special, unexpected elements into every design project. As one of the most trusted design firms in Dallas, she delivers an expertly perfected, streamlined system of service that simplifies and organizes the design process. Her impeccable eye for space planning and design, combined with the team’s in-depth knowledge of project management, proves invaluable for clients ranging from busy young families to empty nesters and those seeking vacation homes.
Connell’s philanthropic work within the Dallas design community includes the Dwell with Dignity “Thrift Studio” fundraiser, a design project aimed to raise money to combat homelessness in the city of Dallas and surrounding areas. She is currently serving on the ASID Texas Community Board.
Traci Connell Interiors has proudly been named a Kips Bay Decorator Show House Designer of 2021, D Home Best Designer in 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021 and has been included on the Luxe Interiors + Design Gold List in 2018, 2020 and 2021. The firm’s work has been recognized in national and regional media publications including Luxe Interiors + Design, Wall Street Journal, Traditional Home, Modern Luxury Interiors, D Home and AD Pro among many more.
Eileen Hahn:
Eileen Hahn is a leadership consultant who works with firms like Anheuser-Busch, Ericson Worldwide, General Motors, Legoland, San Diego Padres, and interior design firms, as well as smaller entrepreneurial firms. She teaches leaders in these organizations how to hire and lead exceptional employees who bring fire and energy to their work, achieve high levels of performance, and generate financial results. Eileen’s work has improved productivity, profitability, and employee work passion. It has also brought the employees joy, peace, purpose, and prosperity.
Jennifer Tokatyan:
Jennifer Tokatyan is a leadership consultant and a consulting partner with Eileen B Hahn. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in small and large organizations across mul5ple industries in public, private and nonprofit sectors. She has worked with and for Fortune 500 companies as well as fast-paced entrepreneurial start-ups and Founder-led companies including interior design, hospitality, real estate, apparel, retail, manufacturing, non-profit and more.
Jennifer provides leadership, talent optimization, organizational development, strategic HR consulting and coaching to organizations seeking to grow their people and business, deliver on their brand promise, create the culture and environment where its people flourish and achieve exceptional results. She has several ac5ve interior design clients across the United States and was on the expert panel at LuAnn Nigara’s Power Talk Friday at High Point Market in October, 2022
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
#363: Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: Building An Exceptional Interior Design Team
#525: Traci Connell: Take Your Business from Setback to Success
#554: Power Talk Friday: Traci Connell: Buy Wholesale for Profit
#589: Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: Scaling from 2 Million to 5 Million
#851: Power Talk Friday: Alexis Varbero: Making Connections that Matter
#909: Power Talk Friday: Traci Connell: Normalizing Wealth With The Gloss
The Job You Were Born For: 7 Steps to Align Your Work with Your Life Mission - Eileen Hahn
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. For today’s Power Talk Friday, I’m sitting down with Jessica Lackey of Jessica Lackey Consulting. Her extensive experience in consulting and Fortune 500 operations leadership helps her guide businesses to grow without sacrificing the well-being of their clients, teams, and community. Listen in to learn what reaching the next level means to you and how to get there.
Pick It Apart:
[4:07] Jessica defines the starting point with her clients when they express that they want to reach “the next level."
[11:16] The first thing to remove yourself from when you want to scale.
[18:55] What to do once you have determined your goal.
[23:02] Strategies to determine the first “bottleneck” if you’re trying to scale on your own with no help from a consultant like Jessica.
[26:39] Jessica offers advice for when your clients are repeatedly clueless about what your pricing is and expect much less.
[36:06] Understanding what “leveling up” means to you.
LuAnn Nigara and Jessica Lackey's Ah-Ha Moments
“If you reach the next level where you have to rainmake to support that pipeline, are you designing anymore? If not, are you OK with that? People don’t expect the fact that their roles may completely shift,” - LuAnn Nigara.
“When you think about scaling your business, you need to think about how far you want to remove yourself from the business. So, the first step is to remove yourself from the backend stuff that isn’t your zone of genius,” - Jessica Lackey.
More About Jessica Lackey
Jessica Lackey is a strategy and operations advisor who is on a mission to radically disrupt mainstream business culture in an effort to create sustainable businesses with a human-centric approach. With a background in corporate leadership, McKinsey & Company consulting, and a Harvard Business degree, Jessica knows a thing or two about hustle culture and what it feels like to judge success by the bottom line…at all costs.
Now, she combines her deep experience in consulting, Fortune 500 operations leadership, and coaching to help businesses grow without sacrificing the well-being of their clients, team, and community.
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
AWDB #349: Power Talk Friday: Peter Lang: The Designer CPA
AWDB #827: Power Talk Friday: Bart Anestin: A Marketing Framework For Interior Designers
AWDB #873: Power Talk Friday: Peter Lang: Design a Better Bottom Line With The Designer CPA
AWDB #909: Power Talk Friday: Traci Connell: Normalizing Wealth With The Gloss
Today With LuAnn Nigara:
Today on A Well-Designed Business, LuAnn announces the return of the Power Talk Friday Tour! She makes some other announcements regarding LuAnn Live, and mentiones some of the dates for the PTF Tour: Dallas on Apr 5, 2024, NJ on Jun 7, 2024, Las Vegas on Aug 2, 2024 and finally, High Point on Oct 25, 2024.
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
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
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
Connect with LuAnn Nigara
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Today on A Well-Designed Business I am joined by Ericka Saurit, Jessica Duce, and Jane Dagmi, the masterminds behind the Vacation Rental Design Summit, happening this spring at High Point Market. According to my guests today, Vacation Rental Design is much more than beautiful spaces—it’s a scroll-stopping, memory-making, profit-building business model. And they want to teach you all about it.
We’re discussing what Vacation Rental Design is (and isn’t), what kind of designer it’s best suited for, along with the content and what to expect at this year’s summit, because the more educated and better prepared you are as a designer in this niche, the more value you’ll bring to vacation rental owners and property managers, who will want to use your services again and again.
Pick It Apart
[2:25] Jessica defines what Vacation Rental Design is (and isn’t).
[7:17] Ericka, Jessica, and Jane all share how serendipitous it has been finding one another and creating together.
[11:29] LuAnn asks what type of designer Vacation Rental Design suits best.
[15:10] Ericka speaks to some of the topics they cover and educate on at the Vacation Rental Design Summit, including marketing and branding.
[20:28] The guests explain what the upcoming Vacation Rental Design Summit is and the topics covered there.
[31:30] Jane covers the structure and schedule of the upcoming summit at High Point’s Spring Market.
[33:16] Jessica explains how this category of design has different needs from brands and vendors versus standard designers.
LuAnn Nigara and Jessica Duce, Jane Dagmi and Ericka Saurit's Ah-Ha Moments
“Vacation rental design is not staging, it's not residential design, it is unique…It has a lot of layers. But it also has, in my opinion, some of the greatest rewards for a designer for creativity.” – Jessica Duce
“Any one person can be inspired to “take an action” at any moment in time. But it's the taking of the action that is the key, right? Not just hearing and feeling the inspiration—you've got to move. And you have to move through fear often.” – LuAnn Nigara
“The more educated and the more prepared [vacation rental designers] are, the better of value they can sell, the more they can sell design as a sales tool [for the vacation rental owner].” – Ericka Saurit
“Designers are real arbiters of taste. They curate lifestyles for their clients. They can curate vacations. Their expertise goes beyond picking the furniture…[to] create more income that way. They are really curating that person's entire experience. That's a big responsibility and one to really accept and embrace if you're up for it.” – Jane Dagmi
More About Ericka Saurit
In 2020, after a 20 year global career in interior design and marketing, Ericka Saurit founded Saurit Creative with a mission to support and elevate brands across the entire home industry. Ericka believes that the more clients and customers who understand the value of working with a designer, the better world we’ll create for everyone.
Ericka began her career as an interior designer, working with ESI (now NBBJ) in New York and Ralph Appelbaum Associates in Beijing for numerous cultural and hospitality clients throughout Asia, the United States, and Europe, and transitioned to a career in marketing for home brands in 2012.
As a global brand marketing leader, she has overseen digital product development and brand strategy at Airbnb in San Francisco, created immersive physical and virtual brand experiences for Tag Heuer, Estee Lauder, and Procter & Gamble in addition to working with top home and lifestyle brands around the world.
Ericka is an inspiring and motivating public speaker—frequently invited to lead industry discussions on marketing, brand strategy, and storytelling at conferences in the US and abroad. A southerner at heart and traveler by trade, she maintains residence in both North Carolina and the south of France.
Download your free brand audit
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Hi, welcome to a Well Designed Business. My guest today, Morgan Molitor, was introduced to me by Brad Leavitt, a friend of the show and Power Talk Friday expert. Morgan and Brad, along with Nick Shiffer, founded the Contractor Coalition Summit, a conference for the construction industry.
Morgan is also the co-founder of construction2style, a full-service design-build firm, alongside her husband Jamie. And, as if that wasn’t enough to keep her busy, Morgan also runs a media company for designers and construction firms, and a separate nonprofit, along with creating online education workshops. Oh, and did I mention she has three young kids?
If that sounds essentially impossible to you, you aren’t alone. Today, Morgan breaks down how she manages to keep everything running smoothly and all the lessons she has learned along the way.
Pick It Apart
[1:04] Morgan breaks down all of the facets of her businesses and how they came to be.
[9:35] Morgan and LuAnn discuss the visionary vs. the implementer and how Morgan turns her ideas into reality.
[16:20] Morgan shares her processes and the way she prioritizes tasks.
[24:18] Morgan and LuAnn talk about work-life balance and maintaining connection when your spouse is your co-worker.
[33:56] Morgan talks about the Contractor Coalition Summit and what attendees can expect.
LuAnn Nigara and Morgan Molitor's Ah-Ha Moments
“You have to take one thing at a time and be present in the moment. Okay, I'm in business mode. I'm in mom mode. And you know, being a business owner and entrepreneur, clients can rock you, family can rock you. All these things that we deal with every day in our personal lives can rock you.” -Morgan
“You can have the ideas, you can see the vision, you can see where it's gonna go. But we need the person who says step one is this step two, is this step three is this. The visionary dreamer will be impacting the steps all along the way. But it's tough to get it done without the people who are getting it done.” -LuAnn
More About Morgan Molitor
Morgan is the other half and co-founder of construction2style, alongside her husband Jamie. Wife, mom of 3, content creator, marketing strategist, stylist and designer.
For over 10 years, they've been tearing houses apart and creating new dream spaces not only for their clients but for themselves. Starting c2s from the ground up as a DIY blog and have since evolved into a full- service design + build and small media company. They document it all from the construction side, to how to build a website, developing multiple streams of revenue, to how to build your brand while ensuring profitability, marketing courses, in person workshops, and more.
They also run a nonprofit called resilience2reform, giving those a voice who have reformed their lives and deserve a second chance. As well as is a partner in Contractor Coalition Summit, a four day in person national workshop geared towards Contractors for those looking to elevate their brand.
MN based but nationwide, Morgan graduated from college in Long Beach, CA with a fashion merchandising and marketing degree, she has now taken that creativity and knowledge to use within their multiple businesses, clients homes and websites.
Morgan oversees all content creation, manages the brand partnerships, is the writing guru, and overall creative director. She also heads up their online education courses and in- person marketing conferences. You can always find an infectious smile on Morgan’s face and hear her contagious laugh. She’s a forward thinker, risk taker, and nothing makes her happier than when she gets to play a small part in making people's dreams and lives thrive.
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
#542: Brad Leavitt: AFT Construction: A Builder’s Perspective on the Design Build Process
#560: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Design Book
#580: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Two “B” Words: Budget & Builders
#615: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Overcoming Resistance in the Design-Build Process
#649: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Understanding Design-Build from the Builder’s Perspective
If you've ever contemplated hiring a PR representative, this episode is a must-listen! On this Power Talk Friday we’re joined by a friend of mine, Courtney Pisarik. If you have ever used a PR or had contact with one, then Courtney’s name might ring a bell, as she co-founded Ink PR Group following her successful starting career in the world of celebrity and entertainment PR, where she worked with A-list Hollywood talents and organizations. Her ability to help individuals and brands reach major milestones is deeply rooted in her industry relationships and ability to positively influence any situation.
Today she’ll be joining me to talk about what are those things you need to consider if you’re looking to hire a PR rep, starting with the most important question, the “why” of it.
LuAnn Nigara and Courtney Pisarik's Ah-Ha Moments
“You should not worry about the competition, you should appreciate the expertise.” - Courtney Pisarik
More About Courtney Pisarik
Courtney Pisarik co-founded Ink PR Group following her successful starting career in the world of celebrity and entertainment PR, where she worked with A-list Hollywood talents and organizations. Today, she’s taken her red carpet experience to the world of design, where she continuously helps launch some of the industry’s biggest stars including Bobby Berk, costar of Netflix’s Queer Eye, and Breegan Jane, HGTV host.
Courtney’s ability to help individuals and brands reach major milestones is deeply rooted in her industry relationships and ability to positively influence any situation. She approaches each client with a combination of enthusiasm, curiosity, and intelligence that results in award-winning and influential campaigns. At the end of the day, her hands-on approach and ability to craft powerful brand narratives is what ultimately drives these superior results.
Her expertise lies within a diverse group of services including media relations, brand development, and the ability to foster meaningful connections. With a focus on interior designers, architects, and brands in the home and lifestyle space, Ink PR Group’s reach is expansive and ever-evolving.
LuAnn University - Registration is now OPEN for the Winter 2024 semester!
http://www.luannnigara.com/cob
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
AWDB 563: Power Talk Friday: Mike Van Tassell: Expressing Your Brand Through Photography
AWDB 97: Linda Holt- From Professional Photographer to Interior Designer and Accomplished Blogger
AWDB 343: Power Talk Friday: Raquel Langworthy: Partnering with Your Interiors Photographer
AWDB 51: Power Talk Friday with David D. Livingston-Professional Interior Photographer
The Designer Within - John McClain’s book
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today, I am joined by Susan Lizan-Immerman, founder and CEO of MDesign Home Decor, 25+ year veteran businesswoman, and all-around #smartlady.
Susan started her business journey in the garment industry when it was very much a man’s world—but she didn’t let that stop her. Through valuable relationships and connections, as well as a real CEO mindset, that we should all aspire to, Susan grew multiple thriving businesses and created a longstanding career.
I am so excited to share with you my guest today, Susan Lizan-Immerman. Susan is a true seasoned veteran businesswoman.
Today, she’s sharing how she did it, and how you can cultivate that CEO mindset and create a successful interior design business.
Pick It Apart
[5:16] Susan shares her journey and how she learned that connections and networking are everything.
[11:42] LuAnn and Susan discuss the importance of joining organizations and building communities, no matter what level.
[15:35] Susan talks about the importance of mentorship, both as a mentor and a mentee.
[19:52] Susan breaks down her latest venture, MDesign, and how it can benefit interior designers.
[36:10] Susan talks about what it takes to be an effective CEO.
LuAnn Nigara and Susan Lizan-Immerman's Ah-Ha Moments
“It took telling myself, how do I feel comfortable being uncomfortable? As soon as I start feeling uncomfortable, I have to submerge myself in that in order to feel comfortable.” -Susan
“You have to be prepared to get lucky. You're constantly preparing, you're doing all of the right things. You're making all of the best decisions you can each moment that you can, and then all of a sudden, something happens.” -LuAnn
More About Susan Lizan-Immerman
Conceiving, developing and executing the strategies and initiatives that drive revenue, growth, competitive market positioning, profits and shareholder value is what I do best. Throughout my career in senior executive and entrepreneurial roles with leaders in the apparel and home industry, I've earned a track record of success in achieving exceptional rather than expected results.
I'm recognized as one who possesses the experience, capabilities and judgment for taking a business to its next level of success or resolving the deficiencies that impede its ability to grow.
My management style can be described as "hands on" and decisive yet flexible. I value and reward creative thinking, initiative, teamwork, commitment and performance.
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Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
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#831 Nate Berkus: The Importance of Creating An Exceptional Client Experience