On Today’s Flashback Friday

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today, I am introducing a new kind of episode to the show! Welcome to Flash Back Friday, where I revisit old episodes of the podcast. After so many successful years of interviews, there was a need, for both new listeners and long-time listeners alike, to revisit the archives.

For new listeners, it is an opportunity to be introduced to older shows they missed, and for long-time listeners, it’s a chance to refresh the ah-ha moments of the past!

So here we go! Today, we are revisiting “Episode 423: Tiffannie White, ​The Nappy Bohemian: Your “Only” and Lessons From a New Interior Design Business”.

From the archives…

On today’s show! We’re talking to Tiffannie White today, the creator of The Nappy Bohemian, located in Oakland, California. Tiffannie is a blogger, an interior stylist, and an e-designer and she also has a full-time position as a design consultant at  Fireclay Tile. After spending many years as a career sales professional, The Nappy Bohemian was born in 2017 because Tiffannie wanted to merge her architecture education, her love for tile and ceramics, and her desire to showcase the real black experience in the world of interior design. Tune in today, to hear about Tiffannie’s business, what she’s doing, and the lessons she’s learned from running her business.

Tiffannie’s job with Fireclay Tile has allowed her an inside look on the world of artisan makers, and it has also connected her with terrific designers in her East Coast territory. In today’s episode, she describes how much she loves her job, she talks openly about the lessons and challenges she experienced in her first year in business, and she shares her goals for the year to come. Listen in now, to find out more.

Show highlights:

• Tiffannie talks about her traumatic experience of taking her daughter to the hospital and how her daughter really loved the decor there. This showed Tiffannie just how important interior design really is in people’s lives.
• Creating a holistic space is really important for Tiffannie.
• About Tiffannie’s personal and unique ‘only’.
• Tiffannie is proud of the lessons she’s learned.
• Tiffannie talks about her first eighteen months in business.
• Being focused and clear in her vision.
• All about Tiffannie’s e-design packages.
• Tiffannie’s e-design is driven mainly through her Instagram and word-of-mouth.
• Settling on a name.
• Going with the flow and trusting.
• Some of the challenges she’s faced.
• You have to value what you do to have a thriving business.
• Being careful not to compromise in too many areas when starting out in a business.
• Work for free only if it’s worth your while.
• Some tips about blogging.
• Tiffannie’s business goals for the next year.

Connect with Tiffannie:

Instagram: The Nappy Bohemian

The Nappy Bohemian

The Nappy Bohemian

Previous shows mentioned:

Albie Buabeng #348

Chaney Widmer #260, #327

Cheryl Janice #41

Sue Firestone #404

Today with Kate Bendewald:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Sometimes, we start our own business because we always knew that’s what we were meant for. We want to be our own bosses, have flexibility in our work, and take charge of our lives. Other times, we’re pushed into it due to changes in our circumstances. For my guest today, Kate Bendewald, the second category is true. After she had her first daughter, she left a prestigious job in a commercial design firm and struck out on her own. Her design experience didn’t prepare her for the business side of things—that, she had to learn on her own. Today, she’s sharing with us the lessons she learned and how she has stayed the course through it all. 

Pick it apart:

• [7:16] Kate shares her journey from commercial designer to running her own firm. 
• [18:11] Kate discusses how she navigated the transition into business owner without any knowledge of business fundamentals.
• [22:00] Kate dives into how she figured things out along the way, including improving at sales and messaging. 
• [37:19] Kate explains her “FOCUS” strategy for not losing sight of what’s important and maintaining movement toward success. 
• [45:38] Kate and LuAnn discuss the Designer’s Oasis and how designers can take advantage of its upcoming relaunch.

LuAnn and Kate Bendewald’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Sometimes we are just counting the hours until we can leave a job—maybe it’s because we are going to make a move in location or a family change like having a baby—and other times it’s that, what you just said, that you enjoyed it and it was kind of a surprise that it wasn’t manageable with a baby.” -LuAnn Nigara

“That conversation was the starting point and after that, it was pen to paper, creating a spreadsheet, talking about the low-end possibility, the high-end possibility, and stretching and saving in other areas in order to make it work for our family.” -Kate Bendewald

“Once I started to realize that my call to action needed to be much simpler, my success rate went from 20% to 90%, so knowing your call to action and how to wrap up that discovery call has been an important part.” -Kate Bendewald

“We tend to get hung up on the term ‘sales.’ But the truth is that if you have any intention to run your business, you have to get good at sales, so you need to embrace it and you need to become comfortable with it.” -Kate Bendewald

More About Kate Bendewald:

Kate’s work is a celebration of approachable luxury informed by her lifelong love of antiques. Her unfussy livable interiors are classic in nature but remain fresh by the unapologetic mix of contemporary art and furnishings with collected items. The result is effortless mix of color, pattern, materials, styles, and eras.

Over the last 10 years, she has built a career in interior design working on projects ranging from luxury residences in the Texas Hill Country, to public spaces for children like the Rose Andom Center and Denver Children’s Museum. She’s had projects from Alaska to South Carolina. Additionally, she has designed for many clients with special physical, mental, and emotional needs.

Last year, 100% of her new clients were word-of-mouth referrals and over half of her clients were repeat clients, that not only love how she translates their ideas into reality, but also elevates the process into a true experience.

Kate grew up in a creative family and developed her technical skills while earning a degree in Interior Design from Texas State University. Today she’s married and a mother to two young daughters that constantly teach her better ways to live beautifully with children.

Connect with Kate Bendewald:

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

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

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

Mydoma Studio: Mydoma is your complete designer toolkit, the place for you to manage all of your projects, from time tracking to communication to product approvals, so that you can free your time up to focus on your business and serve your clients. You can get started today and save 20% off your first three months at mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness.

Other Shows Mentioned:

#37 Lesley Myrick – Strategies I Used to Build My Business

#584 Lesley Myrick: Building a Business From the Ground Up, Again

#656 April Jensen: How to Establish Client Expectations for Successful Projects

#654 Jenny Madden: Navigating Maternity Leave in Your Interior Design Business

Today with Susan Inglis:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. When you hear the phrase “sustainable furnishings,” what comes to mind? Is it something you already know about, something you are bringing forth to your clients on a regular basis? Is it something you vaguely know about but aren’t sure of all the ins and outs? Or is it something that isn’t quite on your radar yet?

No matter which category you fall into, today’s conversation is relevant for you. Susan Inglis, Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, is sharing with us why sustainable furnishings matter, the power that designers hold when it comes to the future, and how you can embrace these ideals in your business.

Pick it apart:

• [8:10] Susan and LuAnn discuss the power that interior designers hold when it comes to sustainability issues. 
• [11:12] Susan breaks down what the Sustainable Furnishings Council is and what it offers for designers. 
• [21:39] Susan gives us insight into the research behind sustainable furnishings and consumer interest.
• [32:59] Susan dives into her inspiring backstory of how she came to be executive director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. 
• [48:15] Susan explains how to become a Green Leader or align your firm with the Council.

LuAnn and Susan Inglis’ Ah-Ha moments:

“Our supply chains are extremely complex, but our relationships are very, very important…so if one link in the chain says ‘I’m making a commitment to lower my carbon dioxide emissions…I’m going to change the lightbulbs in my warehouse…” they have the opportunity to share that news up and down their supply chain, inviting their vendors and everybody else to also take whatever is an easy first step, because all of us can do a little bit of something.” -Susan Inglis

“If each one of us is consciously trying to do what we can, it does have an overall effect on the end product being delivered in a less damaging way to the environment.” -LuAnn Nigara

“The interior designer is in a position of great power in being able to tell clients what the attributes of one piece of furniture over another might be, and this is important because 97% of the consumers we surveyed say they would be very interested in buying environmentally safe home furnishings (if, of course, they liked the style and the cost was within their budget).” -Susan Inglis

“The first step is often the most significant one you take, so I really encourage people to start with whatever is easiest for them, because you’re going to see that it makes a difference, you’re going to get excited, you’re going to be inspired, you’re going to want to make more changes and improvements within your operation, and, especially within the case of designers, you’re going to want to learn more and more because you’re going to see the significance of the information you’re garnering and sharing with your clients.” -Susan Inglis

More About Susan Inglis:

Susan Inglis is Executive Director of the Sustainable Furnishings Council, and resident expert with the organization she helped found in 2006. She has led SFC to work with industry leaders to establish criteria to gauge the sustainability of furniture products and practices; develop programs for educating all sectors of the industry; and attract hundreds of companies to membership. Inglis is also founder and owner of From The Mountain, a company that imports hand spun cashmere yarn from Afghanistan, providing safe income for over 100 women there. Inglis serves on the Board of the American Sustainable Business Council and was awarded a 2017 Visionary Leadership award by the NC Business Council. She lives in North Carolina.

About SFC:

MISSION: SUSTAINABILITY.  The Sustainable Furnishings Council is a coalition of manufacturers, retailers and designers dedicated to raising awareness and expanding the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices across the home furnishings industry. Our mission is to help companies reduce their environmental footprints as they grow, and to help consumers find healthy furnishings.  To accomplish these lofty goals, we provide the best education, promotion, and networking opportunities available.  We raise consumer interest in environmentally safe furnishings and promote the development of many more sustainable options. SFC urges the use of Life Cycle Assessment as the best method for analyzing the environmental and health impact of products and a verifiable chain of custody as the only acceptable method for tracking wood flow. SFC members support the triple bottom line of PEOPLE – PLANET – PROFITS and lead the industry in best practices throughout their supply chains. Members are committed to continually work toward a healthy future, inside and out.

OUR GOALS: Raise awareness of sustainability issues. Assist companies in adopting eco-friendly practices. Serve as an information clearinghouse. Provide a symbol of assurance for consumers.

Connect with Susan Inglis:

Susan’s 2021 consumer report for free for a limited time

Website

Instagram 

Facebook  

LinkedIn

Twitter

YouTube

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

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

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet:

Kravet has been with me since the beginning of the show and I love them for it! They helped me to build this amazing community.

Please check out Kravet if you’re looking for fabrics, wall coverings, trims and even quick ship furnishings. Go to Kravet.com and use coupon code AWDB10 – You’ll love their excellent service and your clients will appreciate the Kravet quality for years to come.

Today with Mark Weaver:

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Mark Weaver, an industry veteran launched his full-service LA-based design firm, Mark Weaver & Associates over thirty years ago. He’s a design expert, travel lover, and also a lecturer in the business of design at UCLA. Learn what his design students are so eager to learn and how he’s used travel to elevate his palette and create connections with his clients.

Pick it apart:

[21:24] Mark shares his advice to young designers entering the job market

[31:30] Mark shares who his own mentors in design, business, and personal life

[35:14] LuAnn and Mark discuss how travel informs design

[42:35] LuAnn and Mark talk about travel experience as a means of making your client comfortable with you

[47:57] Mark explains his philosophy on continual learning 

[50:33] Mark shares the importance of gaining experience as a designer

LuAnn and Mark Weaver’s Ah-Ha moments:

“Ignorance is not an asset, intelligence is.” – Mark Weaver

“Surround yourself with successful, positive people.” – Mark Weaver’s friend and mentor, Donald

“You want to be around people who elevate you.” – Mark Weaver

“Travel is magic and an instrumental part of my career.” – Mark Weaver

More About Mark Weaver:

Over thirty years ago, Mark Weaver launched his eponymous, full-service design firm, Mark Weaver & Associates, headquartered in Los Angeles.

MWA’s extensive portfolio covers a diverse and distinctive body of work including residential installations, private aircraft, yachts and private island retreats. The firm’s work has spanned projects from Los Angeles to New York, restorations of historic estates in Nantucket and Santa Barbara, a townhouse in London, renovations and interiors for a 16th century palazzo in Piacenza, Italy. In addition, MWA has completed prestigious private corporate installations, including offices, for Fortune 500 companies.

In response to the recent stay at home orders, Mark developed a weekly Instagram live series, Designers at Home. It is a casual and informative discussion between Mark and fellow colleagues in the architecture and design industry. The half hour Instagram Live addresses all things design and architecture related, along with personal anecdotes and inspiration. Recent guests have included set director and three-time Emmy Award nominee, Peter Gurski, one of America’s leading sculptors Sabin Howard, renowned architect and artist Leo Marmol, art advisor extraordinaire Barbara Guggenheim, and Eleanor Schrader, Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension’s Architectural and Interior Design Program.

Mark regularly lectures at UCLA’s interior design program discussing topics such as business procedures, conducting oneself as a professional, the responsibilities as a designer, and resourcing materials. He is a founding member of both the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art and The Institute of Classical Architecture & Art as well as a member of the Decorative Arts Council for LACMA and a patron of the Los Angeles Opera. Mark has been recognized by a breadth of national and international publications, earning him a loyal following of clients around the world.

  Connect with Mark Weaver:

Website 

Instagram  

YouTube 

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

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

A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

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