Page 58 – LuAnn Nigara

09-10-202010-03-2024

588: What Would Lu Do: Leading your Business Through an Unprecedented Growth Spurt

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0:44:54

588: What Would Lu Do: Leading your Business Through an Unprecedented Growth Spurt

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s time for another riveting episode of “What Would Lu Do?”, where you ask the difficult questions and LuAnn gives the expert answers you’ve been wanting. Today’s episode is sponsored by Mydoma Studio.

Today’s dilemma comes from Virginia, a self-described #babydesigner. Virginia had a good working relationship with a contractor on commercial projects, and he brought her into one of his residential deals. Everything went great. She returned the favor by inviting him into one of her residential projects. The contractor ended up sending the client a proposal behind Virginia’s back, before she even had the design work presentation ready. This confused the client and made her look bad. Virginia is looking for the best way to handle this situation.

Today’s episode will capture your attention because Lu explains how having too much business isn’t always good. Really? Tune in to hear LuAnn explain.

Show Highlights:

LuAnn provides the details regarding a scary scenario Window Works faced during the World Pandemic
Lu shares the “miracle” that happened when business turned around in May
Marketing the business was where LuAnn’s team doubled down its focused energy
Successful marketing efforts paid off for the month of June!
Business was booming and the factories couldn’t meet demand.
The Window Works team was stressed and stretched to the max often pulling double duty
Deadlines were stretched and it was an emotional roller coaster!
But, oh, the lessons Lu sees in hindsight:
* The marketing blitz worked!
* Hiring a replacement admin was the right decision for the business
* Team communication was imperative
* Employees had to be flexible with job roles and pitch in where/when needed
Lu says not to be afraid to raise your prices during this environment
Turn down jobs if they don’t seem like a good fit for you
Be honest at all times within the business and to clients, vendors, etc.
Document everything said and follow-through to meet client expectations
Be willing to walk away and return money if necessary
Be assured that the situation will eventually turn around!

If you are not working with a coach or perhaps you don’t have a business mentor or business bestie to provide guidance, this is the perfect opportunity to email LuAnn the burning issues that you need insight on and she’ll answer them on air. Please send your questions to LuAnn Nigara WWLD!

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to MyDoma Studio for sponsoring this episode!

09-08-202009-24-2024

587: Darrell Long: The Best Design Comes From Within, Not Pinterest

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0:55:14

587: Darrell Long: The Best Design Comes From Within, Not Pinterest

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Are you really, truly, creating your own designs and ideas? Today’s guest wants you to learn to start with the story you want to tell and to express that in your design. LuAnn gets the pleasure of talking with so many great designers on the show, but she rarely gets the opportunity to chat with a commercial designer. That dynamic flips once again today, because she is joined by Darrell Long of Wilson Associates. Darrell believes it is important to develop your critical thinking in order to be an exceptional designer. He is here to share with us that the magic of creativity is in the story and it is the art behind the design. This is something that he is very passionate about and he considers it his mission to share with other designers, especially younger ones. Please join us in this very special episode!

Darrell Long possesses more than 25 years of brand-strengthening design experience that evokes a distinct sense of location, while engaging the world’s most discriminating travelers. As Regional Managing Director Long oversees the design direction of the Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Dallas studios.

Throughout his professional career, Darrell has set new standards for luxury, comfort, and innovation in hospitality interior design across the world. He has been recognized throughout the hospitality design industry for his emphasis on modernist principles rooted in contemporary and technological design practices. Of the contemporary, Darrell is a fan of Gehry and Piano.

Darrell’s ultimate source of inspiration has always been music. In his early years, Darrell embarked on a career path to become a musician, which further ignited his love for the fine arts, particularly museum exhibition design, ultimately leading him to discover an innate passion for architecture and interior design. When Darrell isn’t leading his team designing world-class projects, he can be found enjoying music, playing the guitar and piano, indulging in great food, wine, film, and spending time at home.

Show Highlights:

You’re either a follower or a leader, so pick one side!
The problem with spending all day “following” people on social media.
Critical thinking should be the linchpin of what we do as creative people.
Young designers tend to not look beyond what is immediately in their face.
Coming up with something purely honest is how your own story comes about.
There is a roadmap on connecting a conceptual idea to the final idea of a design.
Darrell touches on the distinction between a story and a concept.
Stretch your noggin and get the most you can out of an idea.
Great art is always about a story.
Darrell’s goal is to help the younger designers find their voice.
When you’re looking at other peoples’ work and using their ideas to make them your own, that is just collecting someone else’s thoughts, and not creating your own.
Darrell provides a powerful Hemingway analogy as a perfect example of thinking critically.
Darrell shares some strategies and tips on how to be a better critical thinker and how to develop your designer conceptual edge.

Connect with Darrell!

Darrell’s Info: Wilson Associates

Darrell’s Email

Wilson Associates LinkedIn

Wilson Associates Instagram

Wilson Associates Facebook

Links :

Interior Design Standard is Back!

Sandra Funk is a game changer for our industry!

Enrollment: September 16th – September 28th

Investment: $3,989

Interior Design Standard is a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business! Interior Design Standard

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Investment: $2195

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Investment: $2195

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to This Podcast Sponsor:

Jaipur Living’s Website – Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company.

Other shows mentioned:

#435 Global Hospitality Interior Design, Juan Carlos Rodriguez Artigas of Wilson Associates

09-04-202009-03-2025

586: Window Treatment Friday: Tips for Selling Window Treatments

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1:7:59

586: Window Treatment Friday: Tips for Selling Window Treatments

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Window Treatment Friday! In today’s episode, LuAnn and her friend and co-host of WTF, Vita (Vitalia) Vygovska, discuss how to get yourself in the right mindset for selling window treatments. Window treatments add some dollar bills to that bottom line of a project and are a nice money profit center for an interior designer. Listen in today to hear what LuAnn and Vita have to share with you.

Vita is the award-winning window treatment specialist. Her company, Vitalia, Inc, is an all-encompassing fabrication, measurement, installation, and project management service 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.

Show Highlights:

Vita shares her thoughts on selling window treatments.
Confidence, product knowledge, standing in your space, and understanding that you’re providing value at your price will increase your sales.
The value mindset is a three-pronged approach:

1. value of the product and its benefits for the consumer
2. value that you provide as an individual
3. value that the consumer ultimately sees

Vita discusses differential advantage.
Create a list of all the special things about yourself. This is your “only” and what ultimately drives your value.
Attach an illustrative story for each of your “onlys” that becomes your go-to story for a particular point.
The idea of the word, “expensive”: it’s all relative!
Make window treatments a line item in the scope of the project you’re working on.
Vita has an intake form specific to new window treatment clients, and you can get the intake form and other free goodies right HERE!
Vita shares her selling strategies and tips.
Do’s or don’t’s: pricing phone calls and consultation fees.
If you’re selling every single job, you’re giving yourself away.
Check out WTF Live with Vita and Kimberly! Vita and Kimberly go live on Facebook and Instagram every Friday at 12:00 pm eastern to give you even more insight into window treatments, including pictures of projects and different ideas so you aren’t just hearing about it, but you’re seeing it, too. You can join them on the Window Works New Jersey Facebook page or Instagram at Vitalia Inc.

Connect with Vita!

Vita’s Website

Vita’s Instagram

Vita’s Facebook

Vita’s Email

Links / Resources:

Interior Design Standard is Back!

Sandra Funk is a game-changer for our industry!

Enrollment: September 16th – September 28th

Investment: $3,989

Interior Design Standard is a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business! interiordesignstandard.com/luann

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors:

Kirsch’s motorized Briza collection is the perfect answer to high end drapery treatments. Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now!

https://www.Kirsch.com

Jaipur Living’s Website – Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company.

Other shows mentioned:

#174 Power Talk Friday- Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours

#463 Sara Lynn Brennan: Package Your Design Services for Profit and Clarity

#6 Identifying Your Transferable Skills with Erika Ward

# 83 Lauren Clement of Lauren Nicole Designs – An Interior Design Firm Built on Family and Teamwork

# 180 Power Talk Friday: Michele Williams Talks About Profit First and Why it Matters to You

#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

09-03-202011-22-2024

585: Sandra Funk: Helping Designers Improve Their Business Systems

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1:7:33

585: Sandra Funk: Helping Designers Improve Their Business Systems

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn’s guest today takes efficiency to a whole new level, and she is also one of the co-authors in LuAnn’s upcoming book A Well Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts, coming out in November 2020. Please welcome Sandra Funk back to the show.

After 20 years in the business, Sandra has gained a ton of information, a ton of expertise, and a ton of knowledge, and now, she is offering that expertise, that well-oiled machine to designers everywhere. The Interior Design Standard is a program that Sandra has put together, actual templates for designers to utilize her systems and processes. LuAnn is thrilled to announce that today’s show is sponsored by Interior Design Standard. You’re going to love what you hear!

Sandra Funk is the CEO and Principal Designer of House of Funk, a greater New York area design firm working wherever great clients need us. This is interior design with a soul and a sense of place; reflecting your desires, personality, and style. House of Funk creates thoughtful homes with an emphasis on clean lines and soulful touches, all rooted in tradition. Sandra is an Accredited Professional for the Sustainable Furnishings Council. Sandra’s award-winning design work has been featured in publications such as Elle Decor, House Beautiful, The Huffington Post, Apartment Therapy, Aspire Design & Home, and Luxe Interiors + Design. With almost two decades in the interior design industry, Sandra is launching the Interior Design Standard in the spring of 2020 – a template for designers to utilize her streamlined processes and business structure to bring joy and profit to their own design business.

Show Highlights:

Sandra provides an overview of the success of the first Interior Design Standard program that launched this past spring.
The most important feature of the Standard is the insanely accurate flat-fee calculator. The contract supports it and the processes take you through each step.
The email templates in the program have been picked at, refined, and perfected by clients over the last 15 years.
The Standard’s platform is built on the free version of Asana so that it removes a barrier to entry.
Sandra discusses her House of Funk norm and what the request-for-quote templates contain.
There is joy in efficiency: You get to sleep through the night because you’re not going to forget any of the important details because it’s all in the Standard.
LuAnn takes a look back on the very first time she met Sandra.
The Standard program took eighteen months to build prior to launch.
Zoom calls as a community and Q&A are a regular thing. The calls are social, collaborative, and encouraging.
The program processes get refined so users will get those updates.
You have to do the work to reap the benefits of the Standard.
The holy grail, according to those who have gone through the Standard, is signing your next client. Start with the potential client module, work them all the way through that, sign them, and then work them all the way through the full service process module from start to finish. Once you’ve gone through both the potential client and the full service process with one fresh new client, everything has been customized to you!

Connect with Sandra!

Sandra’s Website

Sandra’s Instagram

Sandra’s Facebook

Sandra’s Pinterest

Sandra’s Email

How to Start an Interior Design Business

Interior Design Pricing

Interior Design Standard is Back!

Sandra Funk is a game changer for our industry!

Enrollment: September 16th – September 28th

Investment: $3,989

Interior Design Standard is a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business! Interior Design Standard

Watch Sandra Funk’s feature in LuAnn’s new 3-part docuseries:

Watch the full 3-part Docuseries here. See behind the scenes of what it took to build A Well-Designed Business® podcast.

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors:

Interior Design Standard is a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business! Interior Design Standard

FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized!

Check Out Their Client Portal and Time Tracking Features!

My Doma Studio A Well Designed Business

Take Advantage of Kravet Inc.’s Extensive Digital Tools & 24/7 Customer Service!

Set Up a Virtual Appointment with Your Local Sales Representative:

Kravet

Other shows mentioned to link:

#520, 145, 02

Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: The Interior Design Standard is Here

09-01-202012-16-2024

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

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1:18:35

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

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! No matter where your business is, it’s going to take trial and error, iterating, learning, changing, and growing to take it to the next level. And if anybody knows how to build a business from the ground up in new locations multiple times, relying on solid networking and content marketing strategies to help her forge new connections and succeed in new places, it’s today’s guest. LuAnn welcomes Lesley Myrick back to the show. Listen in to learn what Lesley has to say about building a successful business, even when you’re starting in a brand new place.

Lesley Myrick is an adventurous, organized, and enthusiastic interior designer in the Atlanta, Georgia area (and she works with clients all over the US and Canada, too). Lesley is originally from Canada and has lived and worked in Toronto, Ontario; Los Angeles, California; Waco, Texas; and now Macon, Georgia. She earned an honors diploma in interior design from Sheridan College in 2005 and launched Lesley Myrick Art + Design in 2015. She works with high-achieving women who are ambitious, adaptable, and committed to personal and professional growth. Lesley helps these driven women bust out of boring homes and helps new interior designers launch kickass businesses they love.

Show Highlights:

Lesley describes the moment she knew she needed to step out on her own.
Intuition plays a part in making good decisions about your business.
Niching down is how to find the best clients.
Lesley also coaches designers that are coming into the design field as a second career.
Appearing as a guest speaker has turned out to be a better networking ROI for Lesley.
Lesley shares many ways to build your business.
Elevate your design to differentiate yourself from other designers.
Lesley blocks time for blogging, marketing, and other tasks.
LuAnn and Lesley discuss the ins and outs of HARO (Help a Reporter Out).
Lesley dishes on her Bust Out of Boring
How the coronavirus event actually helped to streamline some of Lesley’s decisions.
A “Freebies” webpage is value-added! Lesley shares some tips to maximize its impact.
Reading The Introvert’s Edge: How the Quiet and Shy Can Outsell Anyone by Matthew Pollard with Derek Lewis was a game-changer for Lesley in understanding how to turn potential clients into actual clients.
How your stories can help close a sale.

Connect with Lesley!

Lesley’s Website

Lesley’s Freebies

Lesley’s Instagram

Lesley’s Podcast Bust Out of Boring

Lesley’s Email

#BizTipMonday emails + Resources for Interior Designers

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors:

FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized!

Check Out Their Client Portal and Time Tracking Features!

My Doma Studio A Well Designed Business

Take Advantage of Kravet Inc.’s Extensive Digital Tools & 24/7 Customer Service!

Check Out Their ICreate Program to Easily Design Your Own Furniture in Just a Few Simple Steps! Kravet

583: Mitch Hahn: Accounting for Creatives: It’s About the Partnership

0:00

0:53:49

583: Mitch Hahn: Accounting for Creatives: It’s About the Partnership

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn’s guest today is Mitch Hahn, the CEO of Nordens, a large, established accounting firm in Central London. Mitch is not new to the struggles and successes that accompany accounting for home designers. Simply put, Mitch doesn’t just look at home design from an accountant’s perspective; he sees accounting from a home designer’s perspective, too, so he truly speaks creatives’ language. Listen in for what Mitch has to say about what to look for in an accountant and how accountants can better serve designer clients.

The CEO of an established accounting firm – like, over-3000-clients-established – at only 31, Mitch Hahn is versed in starting a company from scratch at a young age. And he’s not too bad at helping a variety of other businesses do the same, either.

Plus, with a variety of home design businesses included within that scope, Mitch is not new to the struggles and successes that accompany accounting for home designers. It’s that “struggle” bit that he knows all too well!

Show Highlights:

Mitch’s firm, Nordens, differentiates itself from other accounting firms by focusing on relationships.
Most creatives tend to not want to work with numbers.
Designers should have a good working knowledge of their finances.
Knowledge is power, and knowledge enables you to make better decisions.
Mitch’s tips on how to find the right accountant.
Benefits of working with an accountant on a close basis.
Consistency and accountability are key to avoiding mistakes once you have your system down.
Mitch is a “closer” and he makes things happen.
Nordens is based in the UK but has many business consulting clients in the US.
Mitch details his “Interactive Acceleration Program” that can help you achieve your goals. Location does not matter! Email Mitch directly at mitch@nordens.co.uk for more information.

Connect with Mitch!

Nordens Website [The firm Mitch is CEO of]

@MitchelHahn [personal twitter handle]

@NordensAccounts [Accounting firm handle]

Mitch’s LinkedIn

Nordens YouTube

To sign up for the Interactive Acceleration Program, just email Mitch directly at mitch@nordens.co.uk

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors:

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article.

Jaipur Living’s Website – Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company.

Other shows mentioned to link to and to tag in SM

#464 Power Talk Friday: Peter Lang: Understanding Your Finances #FreeTheDesigner

#349 Power Talk Friday: Peter Lang: The Designer CPA

08-27-202010-03-2024

582: What Would Lu Do: My Contractor Went Behind My Back!

0:00

0:34:56

582: What Would Lu Do: My Contractor Went Behind My Back!

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s time for another episode of “What Would Lu Do?”, where you ask the questions and LuAnn helps out with the answers.

Listen in as LuAnn digs into the details, susses out the situation, and lays out her reasoning on the resolutions.

Show Highlights:

LuAnn provides the details around Virginia’s situation.
Kudos to Virginia for:
not throwing the contractor under the bus with the client.
recognizing that she is the one that hired him for the project.
taking a hard look at where she might have gone wrong.
Why and how we should pay attention to our intuition.
Part of the process for Virginia’s anger is to get it out and let it go.
The contractor probably has no idea how “in the wrong” he is.
Virginia should wait to speak with the contractor until the words she says are reflected in her tone of voice.
Consider: In the interim between writing LuAnn the note and the airing of this show, does it still feel necessary to talk to the contractor about this? Does it feel like it will be productive to have this conversation with him now?
If things feel fine now, let it go for the duration of the project.
If things don’t feel fine, LuAnn has some thoughts on that direction, too!
Suggestions for proposing and leading a constructive, post-project “autopsy” meeting with the contractor.

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits – Kicking Off September 23, 2020!

With Desi Creswell

Regular Price: $2195 after September 4th

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors:

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article.

When your client wants the finest in luxury appliances for their kitchen.

Are You Set Up with Monogram‘s Design Partner Trade Program?

08-25-202002-11-2025

581: Paloma Contreras: High School Teacher to Elle Decor’s A-Lister

0:00

0:56:31

581: Paloma Contreras: High School Teacher to Elle Decor’s A-Lister

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! Today’s guest is the Paloma Contreras – the Elle A-list, Forbes recognized, shop-owning, fabulously talented design influencer. You know, the Paloma Contreras that has163,000 Instagram followers? This lady is one amazing powerhouse! Keep listening, though, because it wasn’t always that way. She is a lady who cried on Sundays because she dreaded her work week so much, then went on to find her niche, love her job, and become that Elle Decor A-Lister.

Don’t miss LuAnn’s and Paloma’s inspiring conversation about trusting your gut, taking action even when you’re afraid or unsure, and going for the big dream in your head and making it reality.

Based in Houston, Texas, Paloma has honed her eye for style over more than a decade in the design industry. She has developed a reputation for designing beautiful interiors in a broad range of styles which are executed in a manner that is polished, refined, and effortless.

Paloma has repeatedly been named on the prestigious ELLE Decor “A-List” of the top interior designers in the world. She’s been recognized as a “Next Wave” interior designer by House Beautiful and has been named to LUXE Magazine’s “Gold List”.

Paloma was named #4 on the Forbes list of the Top Social Media Influencers in the Home category and according to ELLE Decor, is one of the Top 10 interior design Instagram accounts to follow.

She recently debuted a licensed collection with Williams Sonoma Home and has done special projects with many major brands including One Kings Lane, Bravo Television, American Express, KitchenAid, Kohler, Auberge du Soleil, and Peninsula Hotels.

Paloma has a book named Dream Design Live and a curated retail shop, Paloma & Co. And last but not least – she’s a lady after my own heart – she just launched The Style Files Podcast.

When she gets a free second, Paloma enjoys traveling with her husband, Fabian, and spending time with their sweet dog, Tate.

Show Highlights:

Paloma credits her success to her passion, tenacity, and the ability to recognize opportunities.
Consistency is necessary when you’re trying to build an audience, a brand, or a name for yourself.
How Paloma went from being a bored high school Spanish teacher to starting a design blog as a creative writing outlet.
Paloma shares the opportunities that enabled her to hone a different set of skills and her new design career that followed.
Just because you’re seeing “xyz” in your social media feed because everyone is doing “xyz” doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you.
Things that you need to have in place before hiring a publicist.
What it takes to be recognized by the press.
Success can take years of hard work, sacrifice, and even some failures.
“Make it a pleasure to work with you!” – Paloma Contreras
Paloma addresses being an Elle Decor A-Lister.

Connect with Paloma!

Paloma’s Website

Paloma’s Instagram

Paloma’s Blog

Paloma’s Podcast:The Style Files Podcast

Paloma’s Email

Order Your Copy of Paloma’s Book, Dream Design Live!

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Coming Late Summer / Early Fall!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Get on the Email List HERE!

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits

Registration Opening in August, Course Starts in September

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

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Other shows mentioned to link to and to tag in SM

Visual Comfort #408

Amber Lewis #169, #184

Robin Baron #32 #540

Shea McGee #236 #270

08-21-202008-13-2024

580: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Two “B” Words: Budget & Builders

0:00

0:59:13

580: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Two “B” Words: Budget & Builders

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn welcomes Brad Leavitt of A.F.T. Construction back on the show today. Brad is here to talk with us about the “B” word – budgets! And the other “B” word – builders! Taking charge of the money for our projects is vital. In fact, it’s absolutely necessary if you want to build amazing client relationships and get the respect you deserve from your builders – and really anyone you interact with in your business. Brad is going to get into that with us today. Plus, LuAnn has been saving a question from one of her designers for him, so listen in to hear that question and see how Brad responds.

Brad Leavitt is President of A Finer Touch Construction, LLC, a luxury residential and commercial builder located in Scottsdale, AZ. His Podcast, “The AFT Construction Podcast”, is focused on bringing value to its listeners, no matter their industry. The topics are focused on marketing, social media, entrepreneurship, organization, building science, and construction. Brad is an ambassador for many national brands and an energetic public speaker.

Brad was born and raised in San Diego, CA as the oldest of 6 children. He grew up in the Construction industry and worked as an electrician throughout High School for Grove Electric with his 2 uncles. They did remodels and new home builds all over San Diego, but mostly on Coronado Island and in Rancho Santa Fe. Upon HS Graduation, he was accepted to Brigham Young University where he received a Bachelor’s of Science in Construction Management.

Brad accepted an offer in 2005 with Trend Homes, a local production home builder in Phoenix, AZ. He worked 1 year as a superintendent before accepting a dream job building custom homes. Rowland Luxury Homes hired Brad in 2006 and immediately he was assigned to be a Project Manager at the 350MM Omni Montelucia Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, AZ. Brad oversaw the construction and completion of 34 Custom homes that ranged between 2-4MM each. After completion of the 34 custom homes, he then assisted with the completion of the hotel guest rooms, arrival zone, lodge, and spa. After Montelucia was complete, Brad worked on numerous other residential and commercial projects in the greater Phoenix Area.

In March 2013, Brad was ready to begin his own company and officially started A Finer Touch Construction, also known throughout social media as AFT Construction. AFT has continued their rapid growth this past 7 years and has been fortunate to win numerous build awards for its work. AFT Construction offers a wide variety of services including: Multi family, commercial, residential, tenant improvement, retail and medical. AFT has continued to exceed industry standards and create strong client relationships based on integrity, reliability, and quality.

Brad is married to Ashley Leavitt. Together, they have 6 children, 5 girls, and 1 boy. Brad is active with all 6 of his children, serves in his local community, and loves all sports

Show Highlights:

What designers can do to make sure their design matches the client’s budget.
How conversations between the designer and builder should go.
Builders should set designers up for success by letting the designer know the budget early on.
Brad answers a question that LuAnn shares from her friend, Jillian, concerning Jillian asking a builder to give the client a quote based on the deliverables that the client wanted. This request caused a major problem between the builder and the designer.
One of the common mistakes we make is jumping to conclusions about what we think our clients want to hear.
Network with builders in your area and network with designers outside your area to find out how they’re working with budgets.
The most successful designers have a good idea of pricing, even outside their scope of design.
Do your resourcing homework on your own time. Invest a certain amount of time each week or each month where you’re on your own clock.
Many builders today are open to a working relationship with designers and architects.

Connect with Brad!

Brad’s Website

Brad’s Instagram

Brad’s Facebook

Brad’s Pinterest

Brad’sLinkedIn

All of Brad’s social media handles are “AFT_Construction”.

Brad’s podcast is “The AFT Construction Podcast”.

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Coming Late Summer / Early Fall!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Get on the Email List HERE!

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits

Registration Opening in August, Course Starts in September

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to This Podcast Sponsor:

FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized!

Check Out Their Client Portal and Time Tracking Features!

My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business

Other shows mentioned to include in show notes:

Brad’s other show: #542 & #560

08-20-202009-24-2024

579: #BLM Albie Buabeng: The Seed of Accessibility

0:00

1:4:03

579: #BLM Albie Buabeng: The Seed of Accessibility

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, and welcome to another conversation in our Black Lives Matter series! Albie Buabeng, a specialist in e-design, joins LuAnn to share the internal struggle she had when she first began her design firm, and her desire to be part of the change in our world so that her daughter’s generation reaps the benefits. This is one #smartlady who walks the talk. Albie also shares some valuable resources, so don’t miss this!

As both interior designer and content creator, Albie’s passion for decoding spaces is the culmination of nearly a decade of retail visual merchandising and freelance marketing, sprinkled with a lifetime of experiences. Using her background of space design and storytelling, Albie took her real-life lessons and launched an online interior design service. Her love of design has since evolved into a destination for inspiration centered around her blog, video content, social media, podcast, and self-published book, in addition to her current role as the marketing coordinator for a Seattle-based interior design firm.

Show Highlights:

The impact of Albie’s initiative with #sharethemicnowhomeedition
Albie’s deeper exploration into the accessibility of beautifully designed homes
How our reactions are being internalized by our audiences that are watching us
Albie relates her experience with her first black client
“Brown girls aren’t ballerinas” – Albie shares a conversation with her daughter
A gut-punch moment: Going into a profession that is so personal only to find out that the black community felt completely disconnected and neglected from it
The importance of normalizing these hard conversations
No matter how small your part may seem, it still matters.

Connect with Albie!

Albie’s Instagram

Albie’s YouTube

Albie’s Website

Albie’s Email

Albie’s Book, which just celebrated its first anniversary!

The Design Influence podcast resumes this fall!

#sharethemicnowhomeedition

A Special Note from Albie:

First and foremost, I urge everyone to look up their local (city) NAACP chapter, BLM, and bond fund. National contributions are amazing, but there’s so much we can do within our own zip codes, especially to help people already doing the work.
Secondly, as creatives, find your local creative institutions to support and/or work with. We do not always know how to step into the arena of activism because we believe it has to be some grand gesture like a large donation and/or protesting, but that just isn’t the case. For example, here in Washington, we have the Northwest African American Museum. In southern New Jersey, there’s the African American Heritage Museum. Keeping the culture and history alive for current and upcoming generations is as important as dismantling broken systems.
Lastly, on my blog I compiled two separate lists of books on diversity & racism — one for adults and one for kids.

Links :

Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business?

LuAnn Nigara COB

LuAnn Live – Coming February 2021

Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates!

Design-Build For Profit – Coming Late Summer / Early Fall!

With Jenny Slingerland of Black Ink Interiors

Get on the Email List HERE!

Increase Your Confidence, Increase Your Profits

Registration Opening in August, Course Starts in September

LuAnn University

The Profit Is In The Numbers

The Profit Is In The Numbers 101 with Kathleen Anderson

The Profit Is In The Numbers 102 with Peter Lang

Coming September 2020!

Early Bird Registration Sept 4 – Sept 20

Classes: Sept 22 – Sept 24

Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies!

Courses and Products to Dive Deep into Specific Elements of Your Business

LuAnn’s Favorite Resources

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

A Big THANK YOU to This Podcast Sponsor:

Jaipur Living’s Website – Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship! Open Your Trade Account to Begin Your Relationship with This Admirable Company.

Other shows mentioned to link to and to tag in SM

Albie’s original appearance # 348

Cheryl Luckett #291, #397, 573

Beth Diana Smith #439

Veronica Solomon #50