Today with Chloe Mackintosh
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today, I’m chatting with Chloe Mackintosh, the principal designer and creator of Boxwood Avenue.
Chloe and I discuss her journey from owning an Etsy shop in college, to developing a thriving blog, e-commerce / brick & mortar shop, and design firm. Moving to a town of 99 people, Chloe explains how she built a team of 12 people to help her conduct her business and formulate a proper “system and process.”
Pick it apart:
- [8:06] Chloe talks about how she shut down The Shop for one year and, while she is very grateful for the business that she received at the time, it’s ok to follow your intuition and put the ball down so you can put things in order and work on your other goals.
- [28:07] Chloe discusses the importance of setting clear business and financial goals and how to strategize and budget in order to achieve those goals.
- [39:47] Chloe and LuAnn discuss systems and processes and how digital platforms like Asana, along with their team, have been key in organizing their businesses and systems and processes. Examples and Chloe’s daily business routine included.
- [48:36] Chloe shares her who, when and what in terms of her content creation process for Boxwood Avenue.
- [57:30] Chloe admits how assistance with systems and processes has made her more confident in conducting her business and how, “Not passing on discounts” is important as a designer.
LuAnn and Chloe Mackintosh’s Ah-Ha moments:
“ That’s so sweet that you’ve noticed my belief of: If not you, then who? I would agree with you. It has helped me power through many things over the years as well. If you’re not going to do it, somebody else is? What trait, skill, asset…do they have that you don’t have? Figure it out. You can get what you need to have, to do it.” -LuAnn Nigara
“ To build a business out at the size that you built it out, it’s again recognizing that different things are not your superpower. Surround yourself with people who understand those things respect you as you respect them back and also share your goals.” -LuAnn Nigara
“Going above and beyond is important because one referral can lead to 5 referrals, that can lead to a really incredible project. Our biggest project came from Facebook, so don’t be afraid to showcase work that you are proud of, but also remember that focusing on the client’s experience and doing the best that you can do will grow your business.” -Chloe Mackintosh
“The confidence that having great systems and processes and Renee’s help with our deliverables allows me to present myself better to clients and vendors. The confidence has been a big turn-around.” -Chloe Mackintosh
More about Chloe Mackintosh:
Chloe Mackintosh is the founder and creative director of Boxwood Avenue. She is a designer, shop owner, and blogger. She began her journey at 17 years old with an Etsy shop and has since built her business into a thriving blog, e-com / brick & mortar shop, and design firm. With a growing social footprint of over 10 million impressions per month and 250,000 followers across social platforms, Chloe now leads a team of 12, all from a town with a population of 99.
Chloe has been featured by many publications including Domino and Country Living, she is a Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker and former contributor to Martha Stewart. In addition, she leads retreats for small business owners each in Sonoma, CA at the Boxwood Avenue Creative Business Retreat and is a speaker at The Haven List Workshop for Interior Designers. With clients spanning from coast to coast, she has worked hard to develop a solid foundation of systems and processes. Today she will share how she went from not knowing what a “system or process” was to leaning on them to scale her business.
Connect with Chloe Mackintosh:
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