Today With Rick Campos:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Whether we’ve had it for 6 months or 5 years, we still have questions when running our design business. The experience may not be the same, but the questions we ask ourselves are. It’s the circumstances that change.

Today with Rick Campos, who does freelance consulting exclusively for the interior design community, we tackle these questions that linger in our minds and all of the resources that are all around us that can answer them.

More About Rick Campos:

Rick Campos is a self proclaimed “recovering interior designer” with fifteen years of experience in the design industry. Formerly Director of Business Development for a notable Orange County design firm, his daily interactions with architects, builders, vendors and clients contributes to a broad perspective of the design industry.

In 2018 Rick traded in his tape measure for a microphone and launched Design Biz Survival Guide – a podcast about life and business for interior design professionals – with the intention of informing and inspiring the design community.

In 2019 Rick integrated freelance consulting into the platform with an emphasis on “the business of design” exclusively for the interior design community. He has since helped numerous design entrepreneurs grow their business to new levels.

The platform has since evolved to include annual business development retreats, learning opportunities, networking events, and an online community.

“My mission is to be the source of information and inspiration to interior design entrepreneurs that I needed when I launched my own design business back in 2007. To promote and further develop a design community that supports and empowers fellow design professionals on their journey in life and business.”

Pick it apart:

[4:00] Rick introduces what we will be talking about today, that a creative business is still a business.

[6:57] Rick addresses challenges that may arise from three to ten years down the road of owning your design business.

[16:24] Rick tells us the types of questions designers ask each other when they connect.

[33:40] Our conversation continues with great questions to ask your colleagues, including their background.

[38:27] Rick gives us details about his 3rd annual Design Biz Retreat.

[42:05] Rick talks about his expertise; selling luxury.

LuAnn and Rick Campos’ Ah-Ha Moments

“No matter how long we’re in our design business the questions we have are the same, it’s the circumstances that are different.” – Rick Campos

“It’s the conversations with other people in the business that answer your questions, not Google or Youtube.” – Rick Campos

“What I have said one billion times is that people buy people and process, not products.” – LuAnn Nigara

“If anyone is going to help guide you, it’s going to be a fellow designer because they’re already doing it.” – Rick Campos

“Getting together with other people who do what you do is one of the most enjoyable ways to push the envelope on your business.” – LuAnn Nigara

Connect with Rick Campos

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Podcast

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

luannuniversity.com

https://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

Other Shows Mentioned

#06- Identifying Your Transferable Skills With Erika Ward

#50- Veronica Solomon: Powerful Marketing for Your Interior Design Firm- Website to Fan Engagement on Facebook

#180- PowerTalk Friday: Michele Williams Talks About Profit First and Why It Matters to You

#482- Cheryl Clennendon- Small Business, Think Big

#485- Power Talk Friday: Claire Jeffers- Rock the Consult

A Big Thank You to Today’s Sponsor:

Mydoma studio, the project management tool for you to organize your communication with your team, your clients and your trades. Invoices, proposals, presentations, project milestones all in one place. See it for yourself- go to mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness

Today With Michelle Wiebe:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today is a Flashback Friday epsiode, where we revisit some of the most popular shows from our archives. I hope you enjoy Michelle Wiebe’s episode that originally aired as episode 148!

On the show today, we have Michelle Wiebe! Michelle is the principal of Studio M in Tampa, Florida. The specialty of Michelle’s firm is luxury residential new construction. I know we have talked to quite a few designers in this field I haven’t really picked their brain as much as I did with Michelle today. 

Her firm in addition to luxury residential, new construction they also do family condominiums, corporate headquarters, medical offices and small-scale hospitality spaces. Michelle is a busy lady! In addition to all of this, she serves on the board of interior design at Florida State University her Almer mater. She also serves on the high point market authority board and she goes all over the country speaking on design social media. She is the editor of Impression, the Studio M design blog.

Pick it Apart:

• How many years has Studio M been in business?
• How does one show their specialty in luxury residential new construction on social media?
• What should a new designer know before taking on a big project in luxury residential new construction?
• What is a CEU?
• How can a designer educate themselves on different codes that need to be known before going into a project?
• What should the contract consist of?
• Can you really learn what you need to know from classes?
• How should make your client feel?
• Are there times when certain “projects” in a project should be hired outside of the firm?
• Who does Michelle have on her team at her firm?
• What does Michelle look for when going through the hiring process?
• What is High Point Market Authority?
• What sort of app can you use at the High Point Market Authority?
• How long can you serve on the board for High Point Market Authority?

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

luannuniversity.com

https://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

Today With Adam Urbanski:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today is a Flashback Friday epsiode, where we revisit some of the most popular shows from our archives. I hope you enjoy Adam Urbanski’s episode that originally aired as episode 280!

Today’s guest  is Adam Urbanski, aka The Millionaire Marketing Mentor and he’s a real headliner in Online Marketing and Podcast circles! There are so many ways that Adam could really help and influence all LuAnn’s Designer friends to get that extra ‘something’ to tweak their businesses, so today, she’s decided to go with Adam’s Dream Business Design Process. Listen in to find out how this process helps Designers to identify what they want to sell the most and also how to sell to the most clients.

Adam, who has been in business for seventeen years now, is really the ‘go-to guy’ for Coaches, Consultants and other Service Professionals who want to attract more clients, convert more high-value sales, build an authority brand, or grow a Lifestyle Business that has more impact and generates more income. Adam’s clients have often doubled, tripled and even ten times-ed their businesses, some of them in as little as ninety days! All of this and Adam started out with only $194 and limited English and he still managed to turn his first business into a seven-figure business in less than ten years! LuAnn knows that she’s in the presence of a true expert with Adam, so she’s very grateful that he’s on the show today! Listen in now, as Adam shares some really hot tips with you, to help you to become a way better business strategist!

Pick it apart:

• Becoming a master of, and being known for a very specific approach.

• What his six question worksheet allows you to zero in on.

• How he discovered his ideal clients.

• That 90% of his clients are women and this happened by design!

• That marketing is really all about listening.

• Adam talks you through his six questions and how to best approach working with them.

• Finding your specific magic, as a Designer.

• Thinking about your dream income, per client.

• Identifying your dream project.

• Identifying the characteristics of your dream client.

• What you’d need to do in order to execute your project in the best possible way. (i.e. identifying your Superpower)

• Really understanding the expectations that you have to meet with your project.

• Expressing what you’re really good at to your client.

• Establishing systems for really clear processes in your business.

• Knowing that everything is changing all the time, so you need to maintain a constant process of evaluation with your clients.

• Asking yourself how much money you’d like to make from each project, per year.

• Examining which three to six marketing activities you really need to focus on- to avoid becoming overwhelmed.

• That you should really become a one track pony, in order to not lose sight of your core competencies.

Connect with Adam Urbanski:

Website 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

luannuniversity.com

https://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

Today With Meredith Huck:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today I am joined with fellow Jersey girl Meredith Huck, Founder of House of Huck. Meredith and I were chatting on Instagram, and it ended up with one of those instances in which I saw value in her being a guest on the show. 

Meredith has successfully achieved a net amount of six figures within her first ten months of business. She is here to give my audience three helpful tips for those who are twiddling their thumbs about starting their design business. Don’t worry, we get it. But I know that you will find value and information that will give you the confidence you are desiring to go for it!

More About Meredith Huck:

Founded in 2020, House of Huck creates timeless spaces focusing on functionality and beauty while keeping your lifestyle top of mind. We make the process streamlined and straightforward, taking decision fatigue off your plate and holding your hand every step of the way.

Meredith and her husband live in Coastal Connecticut with their two young children. She is also a licensed real estate agent in the state of Connecticut and enjoys supporting her clients to turn average houses into spectacular homes.

Pick it apart:

[5:18] Meredith elaborates on her first lesson that you don’t need a creative background to succeed in a creative business.

[20:17] Meredith starts to explain how you can make more money in your first year than you had in corporate if you are organized and disciplined.

[35:17] Meredith shares her lessons of process and systems in her first year.

[45:00] Meredith explains how you can be creative in the beginning if you don’t have the money to invest in the business.  

LuAnn and Meredith Huck’s Ah-Ha Moments:

“Whatever you want to be, you don’t necessarily need to have had experience in that trade.” – Meredith Huck

“As a designer, you should be striving for as many trade resources as possible.” – LuAnn Nigara

“The wisdom and experience of your first year in business is like the memory of childbirth pain, it fades over time. It becomes hard to remember how hard the first couple of years can be.- LuAnn Nigara

Connect with Meredith Huck:

Website 

Instagram 

LinkedIn

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

Power Talk Friday Tour at High Point

Exciting Windows! Build a Better Business Registration

luannuniversity.com

https://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

Other Shows Mentioned:

#6- Identifying Your Transferable Skills With Erika Ward.

#182- Christie Leu- Christie Leu Interiors: Creating Your Own Mini Designer Summit.

#234- Kimberly Kay Interiors- A New Designer & Her 1st Five Months in Business. 

#278- Erika Ward- Master Business Skills 1st, Interior Design Skills 2nd.

#297- Mikel Welch- Interior Design, TV, Self Made Man.

#455- Megan Molten: Planning Creates Success in Your Interior Design Business

#463- Sara Lynn Brennan- Package Your Design Services For Profit and Clarity.

#607- Sara Lynn Brennan- Project Management With Specific Deliverables and Deadlines.

#677- Megan Molten: To Succeed, Focus on Your Why

#678- Power Talk Friday: Katie McFarlan: The Client Experience Starts With Processes.

Today with Kelly Fridline:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. For many of you, running a successful and profitable interior design firm is the ultimate goal. But sometimes, the goal might look different. Perhaps you’ve thought about coaching, course creation, or another avenue besides a traditional firm. There are many career paths in the industry, and all of them require adjusting, evaluation, learning, and making mistakes. Today, Kelly Fridline joins me to discuss what it looks like to take a unique career path and what she has learned as she has carved out her businesses.

Pick it apart:

• [2:34] Kelly discusses her background in architecture and the path she took to interior design. 
• [17:15] Kelly shares why she has chosen to not become licensed as an architect. 
• [34:08] Kelly highlights why she started Virtual Design Mentor as a networking and growth opportunity for designers. 
• [47:10] Kelly shares why her business involves other coaches and the strengths everyone brings to the table. 
• [53:20] Kelly talks about Liase for Interior Design and how designers can use it to find virtual assistance for their businesses.

LuAnn and Kelly Fridline’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Humility is key, but so is being really proud of what your gifts are.” -Kelly Fridline

“No matter how many podcasts you listen to or how great your business coach is, there is still that learning experience where you’re going to make some really stupid decisions, and you’re going to learn from them.” -Kelly Fridline

“It’s such a personal thing. I have to believe with the body of experience and education you have, if it really mattered to you, you’d sit and pass the darn test. But it doesn’t. And until it really matters to you, so what?” -LuAnn Nigara

More about Kelly Fridline:

Kelly Fridline is an entrepreneur at heart, but a designer through and through. Since establishing Kelly Fridline Design, LLC in 2017, she’s learned the importance of flexibility in not only design, but business planning and goals. In the almost five years she’s been in business her focus has changed from primarily interior design, to Virtual Design Assistance and Renderings, totraining fellow creatives in the art of professionally presenting and documenting their projects, and finally assisting and mentoring fellow virtual assistants in business and attracting clients.

With a Master of Architecture from Savannah College of Art and Design and almost a decade of professional design, construction, and virtual collaboration experience, Kelly brings a unique insight to the interior design industry.

Using these experiences, this past year Kelly founded The Virtual Design Mentor and Liaise for Interior Design.

In addition to her own business, Kelly resides in the Metro-Detroit area with her husband, son, and two dogs.

Connect with Kelly Fridline

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

Inside Voice, Outside Voice Monthly Virtual Events

https://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

Other Shows Mentioned:

#389 Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: The Interior Design Profit Formula

#256 Nancy Ganzekaufer- A Powerful Strategy to Attract More Clients

#159 Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – How To Get Confident & Clear on What You Offer

#779 Power Talk Friday: Madeleine MacRae: What Should the CEO of an Interior Design Firm Be Doing?

#440 Power Talk Friday: Tobi Fairley: Her Design You Coaching Program

#419 Tobi Fairley- Say No to Busy and Yes to Health, Wealth and Joy

A big thank you to today’s sponsor

Kravet’s commitment to innovation and ability to bring in new technology works to make life easier for you as a designer.  Their website makes finding quality home furnishings easy for you. And, the advanced color search allows you to create the exact custom color you are looking for and get filtered search results that best match your selection. Visit Kravet.com today to see it for yourself! Be sure to use coupon code AWDB10 for 10% off your first order.

Today with Pamela Durkin:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today with Pamela Durkin, author of Elevate and owner of Pamela Durkin Designs, we are discussing how to time block our tasks. Pamela is coughing up some great strategies on how we can set specific blocks of time for specific tasks that will help us, get this, “Get more done in one day then you used to get done in an entire week.”

Pick it apart:

[2:00] Pamela talks to us about time blocking to increase productivity. 

[8:30] Pamela takes us to the next level of getting a weeks’ worth of things done in a day. 

[11:15] Pamela explains a strategy for completing the potential tasks we get from when we check all of our emails.

[26:00] Pamela and LuAnn discuss the importance of communicating to your clients your time expectancy. 

LuAnn and Pamela Durkin’s Ah-Ha moments:

“We need concentrated time to accomplish anything. We need to be aware of the fact that bouncing around to different tasks can hurt our productivity. ” – Pamela Durkin

“If we can think about where we are spending our time and how that relates to money in our business, then you ask yourself if you should even be doing those things.” – Pamela Durkin

“Time blocking is more than being efficient, it’s understanding that we have finite hours in the day and if we’re not making enough money by putting these blocks of time in, then maybe we are not charging enough.” – Pamela Durkin

“We are imperfectly perfect and always a work in progress. We should always give ourselves a pat on the back for our progress. As long as we are trying and moving forward, it’s all good.” – Pamela Durkin

More about Pamela Durkin:

Pamela Durkin, ASID, LEED AP ID+C

Design is powerful and Pamela wants designers to step into that power. After 30 years in the high-end design business, she is now helping other designers create a business they love through her In Demand Designer Program. She teaches them how to be magnetic and attract the best clients. This method makes owning a design business easier and more fulfilling. Her book, Elevate! can be found on Amazon. 

Pamela Durkin has been a professional interior designer for over 30 years. She is a past-president of ASID Florida South Chapter and served on the Board of Architecture and Design in NJ. She lives in Naples, FL and in her spare time, loves spending time on the beach and learning new moves in her home dance studio. 

Connect with Pamela Durkin

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook 

LinkedIn 

Book

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

luannuniversity.com

Inside Voice, Outside Voice Monthly Virtual Events

https://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

Other Shows Mentioned:

#577- Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza, LuAnn is in the “Productivity” Hot Seat.

#607- Sara Lynn Brennan: Project Management with Specific Deliverables and Deadlines.