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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: February, 2022
Feb 25, 2022
Today with Erin Harding:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Social media marketing is a valuable tool for interior designers. Pinterest in particular is an excellent platform to leverage the beautiful visuals of your business in order to grow your audience and expand your reach. We’ve heard about the organic side of Pinterest from Simple Pin Media before. Today, Erin Harding of Simple Pin joins us to dive into the paid advertising side.

 

Pick it apart:

  • 1:50 Erin shares why Pinterest is so valuable to interior designers
  • 11:54 Erin talks about the nitty-gritty of how to prepare for a paid ad campaign
  • 28:18 Erin dives into how to make your ad successful with strong photos
  • 34:25 Erin shares why now is the best time to dive into paid Pinterest campaigns
  • 39:10 Erin covers what Simple Pin offers and how you can work with them
  • 1:50 Erin shares why Pinterest is so valuable to interior designers
  • 11:54 Erin talks about the nitty-gritty of how to prepare for a paid ad campaign
  • 28:18 Erin dives into how to make your ad successful with strong photos
  • 34:25 Erin shares why now is the best time to dive into paid Pinterest campaigns
  • 39:10 Erin covers what Simple Pin offers and how you can work with them

More About Erin Harding:

Erin Harding is the Director of Promoted Pins Management at Simple Pin Media. In her five years with Simple Pin, she has worked with a variety of businesses and brands, helping them to grow their business on Pinterest, both organically and paid. Erin believes in the power of Pinterest and hopes that through her teachings, others will as well.

Connect with Erin Harding

Website

Pinterest

Instagram

Facebook

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

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 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 revelwoods.com to get started.

Other Shows Mentioned

#331 Power Talk Friday: Kate Ahl: Pinterest for Your Interior Design Firm

#618 Jenna Gaidusek: How to Build an Online Business in Interior Design

Feb 22, 2022
Today with Peggy Morgans

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Window treatment pro, Peggy Morgans shares the experts she hired and the work she did to prepare her business for a sale. Previously doing 90% of the work herself, Peggy set a goal of taking herself out of the business and broke the action items into a checklist of just three simple to-dos to achieve her goal.

Pick it apart:

  • [13:07] Peg shares how she felt about the process documentation when work is so custom

    [22:54] Peggy details how she hired out some of her marketing 

    [26:31] Peggy and LuAnn talk about lunch and learns

    [33:33] Peggy and LuAnn discuss the hiring learning curve

    [44:36] Peggy tells how she upgraded her systems to allow for process improvement

    [52:32] LuAnn and Peggy talk about the advantages of coaching and Chairman of the Board

LuAnn and Peggy Morgans’ Ah-Ha moments:

“You have a business, not a you.” - LuAnn Nigara

 

We want to make this business so that the person who buys it doesn’t have to know anything about window treatments. - LuAnn Nigara

 

There’s nothing wrong with the personality. But that personality doesn’t align with what you want. - LuAnn Nigara

 

Part of what my role is is empowering you to listen to your own inner voice. - LuAnn Nigara

More about Peggy Morgans:

Peggy Morgans is the owner of Parkway Window Works, an award winning custom drapery workroom serving interior designers in the greater Rochester and Upstate New York area. Parkway Window Works started as a home based, solo operation 20 years ago and was built from Peggy’s background as a former chemical engineer and MBA. Streamlined systems and a problem solving approach are the cornerstones of the company. Today, Peggy is leading a team of 8 located in 2700 square feet of commercial space to house our designer consultation space and state of the art workroom. Parkway offers design professionals a one-stop-shop with unparalleled technical expertise and a hassle-free process that takes care of it all from measure to installation and everything in between.

Connect with Peggy Morgans:

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook 

LinkedIn

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

Inside Voice, Outside Voice Monthly Virtual Events

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

Feb 18, 2022
Today with Vita Vygovska

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Today’s WTF—Window Treatment Friday—is part 1 of a new three-part series on pricing window treatments. We’re breaking down margin vs. markup, how to do each, and why you need to know. 

You’re going to get the math and the formulas you need, but we’re also diving into what the numbers mean, so you can price window treatments with confidence and knowledge.

Pick It Apart: 

  • [5:59] Vita and LuAnn reflect on why you as a designer need to understand the numbers behind the formulas.
  • [11:30] Vita breaks down what markup is and how to calculate yours. 
  • [17:36] Vita shares insight on the multiplier—an often misunderstood part of the equation.
  • [27:50] Vita walks us through margins and the formula behind them. 
  • [38:40] LuAnn highlights how you and the window treatment professional can both come away with profit.

 

Ah-Ha Moments with LuAnn Nigara and Vita Vygovska:

“The bottom line of this is that we care about these numbers because they are the drivers. They show us how financially free we are, how financially independent we are, how financially sustainable we are in terms of our business. And ultimately, our business then translates to our personal lives. That’s why we should care. It improves the quality of our lives—at least on a financial level.” -Vita Vygovska

 

“There are people who are math whizzes and numbers geeks who will totally say ‘Oh, now I’m understanding all of the background on this and how to come up with numbers that will earn me a profitable markup so that I can run a profitable business.’ But then there’s a lot of people like me who will say ‘If you tell me the multiplier to run a healthy business is 2.5, that’s what I’m going to go for.’” -LuAnn Nigara

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.

Connect with Vita Vygovska:

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

Pinterest

YouTube

LinkedIn

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point

LuAnn Nigara and Friends Meet and Greet at High Point 

luannuniversity.com

Inside Voice, Outside Voice Monthly Virtual Events

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

 

A BIG Thank You to Today's Sponsor:

Kravet. Have you heard? The majority of Kravet Inc. product is in stock and ready to ship within days. Order your favorite patterns from Kravet’s exclusive in stock collections like Barbara Barry’s Midsummer to CuratedKravet's exclusive decorative accessories. Keep your design projects on track with Kravet Inc. and order memos today at www.kravet.com.

 

Other Shows Mentioned:

#589 Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: Scaling from 2 Million to 5 Million

 

#363 Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: Building An Exceptional Interior Design Team

 

#634 Power Talk Friday: Jessica Harling: A Specific Process for Onboarding a New Hire

 

#448 Window Treatment Friday: A New Series featuring Vita Vygovska and LuAnn Nigara

 

#456 Window Treatment Friday: Custom-Made vs Ready-Made Window Treatments

 

#462 Window Treatment Friday: Window Treatment Business Models, Part 1

 

#471 Window Treatment Friday: Window Treatment Business Models, Part 2

 

#481 Window Treatment Friday: Overview of Hard and Soft Window Treatments

 

#493 Window Treatment Friday: Vitalia Vygovska: A Mindset for Success

 

#512 Window Treatment Friday: Drapery Hardware

 

#518 Communication Between the Designer and the Window Treatment Professional

 

#539 Window Treatment Friday: Look to Your Window Treatment Partner to Sell Remotely

 

#551 Window Treatment Friday: Exploring Awnings as an Additional Revenue Stream

 

#586 Window Treatment Friday: Tips for Selling Window Treatments

 

#610 Window Treatment Friday: Listener Questions

 

#645 Window Treatment Friday: Scaling to Your First Million Dollar Year

 

#653 Window Treatment Friday: Rising from the Ashes

Feb 15, 2022

Today on A Well-Designed Business:

A Well-Designed Business® is 6 years old today!  Can you believe it? I can't tell you what it means to me to have you on this journey with me. So really, while I am celebrating this milestone for the podcast, I'm also celebrating YOU. 

I've been reflecting on all that's happened between February 15th, 2016 and today, and I'm blown away by the education I've received from all the incredible guests and sponsors I have had the privilege to work with throughout the years. 

Today I will be sharing some of the big lessons I've learned from my three featured sponsors: @kravetinc , @mydoma , and @windowworks

Give the episode a listen, and tell me: What are the biggest #ahamoments you've experienced?

Thank you for coming along for the ride and choosing to spend your time with me each week. 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Inside Voice, Outside Voice

Windowworksnj.com

Shop38east.com

Comfortex.com

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

Feb 11, 2022

Today with Daniela Furtado:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Daniela Furtado, the Toronto-based managing director of Findable Digital Marketing specializes in SEO for the design industry. She covers what to look for when hiring an SEO specialist and how to DIY it without wasting your time. Daniela’s case study recommendation comes with a Goodie Doc checklist found by signing up at https://luannnigara.com/goodies/.

 

Pick it apart:

    •  

[11:26] Daniela shares how to optimize your portfolio

[17:31] Daniela explains the structure of her case studies

[21:11] Daniela gives an example of a designer she helped with SEO

[24:35] LuAnn recaps Sara Barney’s SEO success

[27:27] Daniela explains what to look for in a reputable SEO provider 

[33:01] Daniela suggests a process to solicit reviews from clients

[37:46] Daniela shares how she works with clients

[43:02] Daniela explains how Google Ads works

[46:29] Daniela explains Google Search Console

More About Daniela Furtado:

Daniela Furtado is the managing director of Findable Digital Marketing, a boutique SEO agency that specializes in architects and interior designers.

She’s based in Toronto, Canada.

Connect with Daniela Furtado

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

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 Sponsor:

Mydoma Studio: Mydoma is your complete designer toolkit. Mydoma makes it easy to streamline your processes, track projects, communicate with clients, and get organized. It’s created by designers for designers, specifically to address what you need as a business owner. I’ve said countless times that systems and processes are how you reach the next level of profitability. Mydoma Studio makes it easy to do that. You can get 20% off your first three months by going to mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness.

Feb 8, 2022

Today on A Well-Designed Business:

Today is a What Would Lu Do episode!

"Let's meet for drinks", says an innocent email from a potential client. Or is it less than innocent?

Today's episode was a great question, a very important question, from an anonymous listener, who found themselves in an uncomfortable situation with a client.

How do you respond when a potential client extends an invitation for a meeting outside business hours?

Join me for today's What Would Lu Do episode as I pick this situation apart, and we discuss the importance of listening to your intuition.

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

luannuniversity.com

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Inside Voice, Outside Voice

Windowworksnj.com

Shop38east.com

Comfortex.com

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

 

Feb 4, 2022

Today with Meredith Kallaher:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Once a CPA at PricewaterhouseCoopers, Meredith Kallaher took her love of numbers and fondness for small businesses and became a certified paid ad specialist. Learn the strategy Meredith uses for her clients to grow their social following and advertise on social despite increasingly restricted targeting options.

 

Pick it apart:

  • [8:35] Meredith recaps the iOS 14 update of April 2021

     

    [13:25] Meredith explains a sample ad campaign creation

     

    [16:58] Meredith advises how to set up your social profile section

     

    [18:38] Meredith explains how to set up a social ad campaign

     

    [38:57] LuAnn shares a tactic for time blocking

 

More About Meredith Kallaher:

Meredith Kallaher helps entrepreneurs develop and implement marketing strategies that optimize for profit and meet their customers where they are with social media advertising (i.e. Facebook and Instagram ads) and conversion copy writing.

 

Her 6 years of experience as a CPA with PricewaterhouseCoopers combined with her ownership of The Scout Guide Miami franchise where she developed an extensive advertising and social media marketing expertise has uniquely prepared Meredith to help businesses execute and implement successful social media advertising campaigns.

Connect with Meredith Kallaher

Website 

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

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 Sponsor:

Mydoma Studio: Mydoma is your complete designer toolkit. Mydoma makes it easy to streamline your processes, track projects, communicate with clients, and get organized. It’s created by designers for designers, specifically to address what you need as a business owner. I’ve said countless times that systems and processes are how you reach the next level of profitability. Mydoma Studio makes it easy to do that. You can get 20% off your first three months by going to mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness.

Feb 1, 2022

Today with Chanae Richards 

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. The journey to building a well-designed business isn’t always linear. Sometimes designers come from the most unlikely of careers. That’s something we have heard many times on the show. But today Chanae Richards shares the story of how she founded her firm Oloro Interiors. Not only did she come into the space as a second career, but she even built her interior design business in an unusual and unexpected way. She has made some very unique decisions along the way that have led to her success.

Pick it apart:

  • [22:24] Chanae shares her unconventional story, which started in finance and then included Peer Space rentals before design. 
  • [29:37] Chanae and LuAnn dive into how she secured 500 rental bookings in two years, laying the foundation for her design referral base. 
  • [36:50] Chanae discusses how seeing another successful Black designer fueled her decision to leave her career and start her business.
  • [44:55] Chanae reflects on her decision to shift her business to 100% referral-based. 
  • [1:04:30] Chanae highlights her Entrepreneurial Retail Center—a way that she gives back to the community and helps those who live in public housing start their own entrepreneurial journeys.

LuAnn and Chanae Richard’s Ah-Ha moments:

“There’s the confidence, and there’s the know-how behind that confidence. It’s not just the showy ‘I know it all,’ but it’s why you know it and how you know it and having them believe that you understand the guts to it.” -Chanae Richards

 

“What’s interesting about this is that when you think about if somebody hypothetically said, ‘I want to be an interior designer…I have my education and my internships and I have my chops and I’m ready to go, but I don’t have clients yet. Should I start focusing on a rental space while I try to build my design business?’ You could line up ten business coaches and more than 50% of them would say, ‘No, don’t divert your attention.’ But you did it because you didn’t ask anyone’s permission, and that’s sometimes the best thing in the world. And it worked for you.” -LuAnn Nigara

“I’m able to do all that I do, simply because I have hired and cultivated great teams, both at the firm and the Center. I have a number of people who are simply brilliant and I mean that. I hire great people and empower them to do great teams both inside and outside the firm.” -Chanae Richards

More about Chane Richards:

Chanae Richards is the CEO & Principal Designer of ọlọrọ interiors, an interior design firm with offices in Philadelphia and New York. Her curated spaces and design expertise have been featured in ELLE Décor, Business of Home, Philadelphia Magazine, and Apartment Therapy as well as on national syndicates including MSNBC, National Geographic, Vice, CNN, and The Travel Channel. An inaugural Philadelphia Mural Arts Fellow, Chanae also serves as the Managing Director of Philadelphia Housing Authority’s Entrepreneurial Resource Center, a groundbreaking initiative providing residents with free business resources and support for community innovation.

Chanae received her BA from Temple University and MA and MPA from Rutgers University. She is also an alumna of Bank of America Women’s Institute at Cornell University and a member of the Black Interior Designer’s Network.

Connect with Chanae Richards:

Website 

Instagram 

LinkedIn

Pinterest

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

Inside Voice, Outside Voice Monthly Virtual Events

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. Mydoma makes it easy to streamline your processes, track projects, communicate with clients, and get organized. It’s created by designers for designers, specifically to address what you need as a business owner. I’ve said countless times that systems and processes are how you reach the next level of profitability. Mydoma Studio makes it easy to do that. You can get 20% off your first three months by going to mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness.

Other Shows Mentioned:

#06 Identifying Your Transferrable Skills with Erika Ward

 

#711 Christine Platt: The Afrominimalist

1