858: Veronica Solomon: Cultivating Self-Awareness as a Superpower
858: Veronica Solomon: Cultivating Self-Awareness as a Superpower
857: Power Talk Friday: Shannon Lopez: The ERC Program – Do NOT Skip This Episode!
Today With Shannon Lopez:
You’ve heard of the PPP, but did you know that there’s another government program waiting to give you as much, if not more money back? It’s called the ERC. Today, Shannon Lopez breaks down the program, who it’s for, how you can take advantage of it, and the deadlines you need to know.
Pick It Apart
[8:55] Shannon breaks down what the ERC is and why it matters.
[13:53] LuAnn and Shannon discuss the challenges of running a business at the beginning of the pandemic.
[31:16] Shannon explains who qualifies for the ERC.
[44:00] Shannon walks us through how her company can help.
[53:53] Shannon and LuAnn talk about why this program isn’t more well-known.
LuAnn Nigara and Shannon Lopez’s Ah-Ha Moments
“It’s so incredibly important. We’re really lucky that we have someone like you that really understands it and has spent the last two and a half years pivoting her business in order to become an expert at this.” – LuAnn Nigara
“This program is as financially impactful, if not more, than the PPP for most business owners. Whatever amount of money you got from the PPP, there’s a good chance that you will get that much, if not more, for this program.” – Shannon Lopez
More About Shannon Lopez:
Shannon Lopez is co-founder of ‘Be Better ERC Consulting’ and ‘Be Better Salon Accelerator’, a salon entrepreneur consulting firm. She’s a small business owner and an accomplished CFO with more than 25 years of experience.
As a business owner, consultant and educator, Shannon along with her business partner, Naomi Prusinski, are always looking for ways to create better results for their businesses and clients.
When they first learned about the Employee Retention Credit (ERC), they conducted extensive research and have now helped hundreds of companies receive tens of millions of dollars in refunds so far!
Connect with Shannon Lopez
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara
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
Audiobook: 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
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
857: Power Talk Friday: Shannon Lopez: The ERC Program – Do NOT Skip This Episode!
857: Power Talk Friday: Shannon Lopez: The ERC Program – Do NOT Skip This Episode!
856: Enrique Crespo: Describing His Type-A Personality Mindset
Today With Enrique Crespo:
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today’s episode features Enrique Crespo of Crespo Design Group. Enrique is here to share how developing a Type A personality approach can ensure success, especially in an industry as creative as interior design. Type A personalities are organized, ambitious, and like to have an agenda. But don’t worry—you don’t have to be one to become one. Over the years, Enrique has refined this mindset and honed the skills to guide and grow his firm, and he shares those stories with us today.
Pick It Apart
[1:57] Enrique explains how Type A personality traits can help maintain a well-run business through organization, which allows you to offer a higher level of luxury service.
[8:50] LuAnn and Enrique discuss how he invested in his business by hiring someone who specializes in interior design processes, and how he tailored that structure to the specific needs of his firm, along with other ways he invests in his business.
[10:30] Enrique talks about how he has hired several senior designers that all have different personality types and he tries to match them with clients and projects accordingly.
[19:01] Enrique and LuAnn discuss working with luxury clients and Enrique explains why listening and understanding, yet maintaining authority as the designer is important, and how he learned those lessons the hard way.
[28:25] Enrique reveals how he exposes his team to luxury and gives them opportunities to experience luxury so they can better understand the level of service they are expected to maintain.
LuAnn Nigara and Enrique Crespo’s Ah-Ha Moments
“Creativity happens in the gray areas. However, finances happen in black and white. And you need to know how to manage your finances to run a successful business.” – Enrique Crespo
“When you’re dealing with people’s money in their homes, it gets really personal.” – Enrique Crespo
“When you swim in that luxury lane, to your point, that’s what the client expects. And if you don’t deliver, there’s another firm that can do it for them.” – LuAnn Nigara
More About Enrique Crespo:
At a young age, Enrique was inspired by his favorite uncle, Enrique Gutierrez, a prolific architect who was the first to bring Cuban-inspired architecture to Miami. His home was filled with antiques, African artifacts, modern pieces and an incredible collection of contemporary Latin American art. It was a collected home, now a hallmark of Enrique’s personal taste.
Originally from South Tampa, Enrique graduated from the prestigious Savannah College of Art and Design with an emphasis in art history and architectural history. Studying architectural history deepened Enrique’s knowledge of design and broadened his approach to his craft. Art and architecture through the ages, and its influence on design and space, is ingrained in his work. In 1999, Enrique launched Crespo Design Group in his hometown of Tampa, which soon became the sought-after design firm for discerning clients in Florida’s most desirable neighborhoods. The Group made its mark on everything from high-profile beach properties, to island escapes to mountain retreats. In 2021, he expanded his practice to Los Angeles to better serve his clients on the West Coast.
Enrique built his firm to ensure a smooth, enjoyable, and fulfilling experience for his clients. He is a collaborator who prides himself on listening to clients, understanding their needs, and delivering the lifestyle they have always imagined. Every detail is intentional and chosen to reflect the style, spirit and nature of the client. Whether the goal is eclectic modern estate or sophisticated mountain retreat, Enrique is passionate about exceptional design.
An avid equestrian, Enrique can often be found at the barn at the Tampa Yacht Club and Country Club riding horses or at Stovall House when he’s not designing or traveling. Enrique currently sits on the board of the Tampa Museum and is Chair of the Collections Committee; the board of the Henry B. Plant Museum; the Board of Tampa Bay Businesses for Community and the Arts; and is Chair of the Tampa Museum of Art’s CITY Fashion Event. Enrique spends his time between Tampa and Los Angeles. He shares his home in Tampa with his husband Russell and their two French Bulldogs, Coco and Josephine.
Connect with Enrique Crespo
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara
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
Audiobook: 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
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
Other Shows Mentioned:
#853: Power Talk Friday: Brittany Murphy: Hiring An SEO Specialist For Your Interior Design Firm
#844: John McClain: Turn Failure Into Success
#849 Power Talk Friday: Staci Davidson: Why You Need Someone to Handle Everything But Design
#753: Sandra Funk: How to Grow a Thriving Luxury Interior Design Business
#578: Lori Morris: When Working With the Luxury Client, the Answer is Yes!
#678: Power Talk Friday: Katie McFarlan: The Client Experience Starts with Processes
856: Enrique Crespo: Describing His Type-A Personality Mindset
856: Enrique Crespo: Describing His Type-A Personality Mindset
855: Power Talk Friday: Hunter Lowder: Is it Time for a Fractional COO?
Today With Hunter Lowder:
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. We’ve all heard that we should free ourselves up for CEO-level tasks. But knowing we should and actually following through with it are very different things. It can be hard for entrepreneurs who feel like they have to carry everything in their business. Sometimes, the operations get jumbled along the way. My guest today, Hunter Lowder, runs a business that steps in and serves as fractional COO to get designers back on track. She’s sharing how we can let go, how to find the right person for the job, and how the process of bringing someone in actually works.
Pick It Apart
[1:48] LuAnn and Hunter discuss what bringing in an outside COO looks like and how it can work.
[5:15] Hunter shares why business owners often experience overwhelm.
[10:33] Hunter and LuAnn discuss the importance of mission, vision, and values when bringing someone into the COO role.
[18:23] Hunter shares two tips for people who might need assistance in their operations.
[33:15] Hunter discusses the different ways she supports business owners.
LuAnn Nigara and Hunter Lowder’s Ah-Ha Moments
“I think everybody talks about creativity and visionaries…but then there’s the side like me who are operations and systems. We are kind of like the fun police, telling people, it’s great that you love what you do—here’s how we make it sustainable.” – Hunter Lowder
“The original entrepreneur gets it going…but now the business is growing and decisions need to be made on the daily. The whole organization is accustomed to the CEO being the decision-maker. But there’s this level where the CEO is seeing the next level for the business but is stuck in the weeds of the day-to-day decision making.” – LuAnn Nigara
More About Hunter Lowder:
Hunter Lowder is co-owner of Tortoise & The Bear, a business strategy, operations, and mindset coaching company that supports visionaries in bringing their wild and crazy dreams to life. Coupling her past business experience as CEO of a multi-million dollar company with mindful coaching approaches, Hunter helps service-based business owners create and prioritize a strategic plan to grow their impact and move their business forward in a sustainable way.
After suffering severe burnout as a CEO, Hunter is passionate about building a business in alignment with her values. When she’s not helping clients fine tune their operations, she’s likely dancing and singing karaoke with her husband, feeding her son’s football team, or hanging out at the beach with her fur babies.
Connect with Hunter Lowder
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara
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
Audiobook: 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
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
Other Shows Mentioned:
#607: Sara Lynn Brennan: Project Management with Specific Deliverables and Deadlines
#385: Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza: The Productivity Specialist
#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
855: Power Talk Friday: Hunter Lowder: Is it Time for a Fractional COO?
