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528: Krista Watterworth Alterman: Leaders Lead and Leaders Succeed

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn gets to chat with Krista Watterworth Alterman, CEO of Krista Home in Palm Beach, Florida, about company mission and vision, how important it is to lift others up, and very timely advice on how to face fear.

Krista leads her company with purpose and clarity. She is the kind of CEO that has taken the time to figure these things out for herself and as you listen, you will hear how it guides every decision she makes, from client interaction to creating, training and leading her team. You don’t want to miss this engaging conversation!

Krista is the CEO of Krista Home located in Palm Beach Florida. Originally from Connecticut and trained in NY at Parsons School of Interior Design with a masters of Fine Arts from the New School, NYC, Krista is known for her highly acclaimed HGTV shows Save My Bath and Splurge & Save. She’s also been featured on The Food Network’s Restaurant Impossible and DIY’s The Vanilla Ice Project for seven seasons.

Selected as one of the designers for the prestigious Kips Bay Show House in 2019 Krista has also won two 2018 American Society of Interior Designers Crystal Awards, a 2018 LUXE Residential Excellence Award and three 2017 American Society of Interior Designers Design Excellence Awards.

Krista was one of the selected designers for the prestigious Kips Bay Show House in 2019. She won two 2018 American Society of Interior Designers Crystal Awards, a 2018 LUXE Residential Excellence Award and three 2017 American Society of Interior Designers Design Excellence Awards.

Her work is regularly featured in many publications including Architectural Digest, Decor, Luxe Interiors & Design, Florida Design, Good Housekeeping, HGTV Magazine, Southern Style At Home and Cottages & Bungalows.

Show Highlights:

  • When an employee hasn’t risen to exceptional status, it can sometimes be because we haven’t empowered them to properly do their job when they don’t have a clear understanding of their job description.
  • Streamlining her business helped Krista and her team figure out who was responsible for providing different services, and how they could do it in a way that was fun and empowering for everybody so they loved coming to work.
  • In doing this, she wanted to discover people’s natural talents and expertise.
  • Krista wants her company to be able to function without her presence.
  • Employees need clarity on their roles but they also need clarity on your company’s mission and vision.
  • Service is Krista’s mission and she shares the relevance of saying, “Yes, And”.
  • LuAnn emphasizes the importance of words.
  • “A Design Lab” rather than a “Design Presentation”: Krista describes her plan to make everything fun for her clients when they come in to finalize the work product.
  • When you feel fearful or anxious about something, it’s time for action. You need to do something to propel yourself forward.
  • What you’re naturally good at is what you grow your passion around. Krista describes her employees’ job descriptions and how each of their strengths complement their positions.
  • Having a philosophy in life that brings you great happiness and carrying that over to your work life is a win/win situation.

Links :

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog

Power Talk Friday

LuAnn Live

LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22!

If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits.

Connect with Krista!

Krista’s Website

Krista’s Facebook

Krista’s Instagram

Books Mentioned:

A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts by LuAnn Nigara & Friends

3 Words for Getting Unstuck: Live Yes, And!by Travis L. Thomas

A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors:

*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.

*Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

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

Previous Show Mentioned:

#526 featuring Asha Chaudhary

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527: Power Talk Friday: Where Are They Now? Wendy Woloshchuk: Grow Your Business Through Action

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! And today LuAnn will be doing a ‘Where Are They Now’ episode with Wendy Woloshchuk, who last made her appearance on A Well-Designed Business about two years ago. 

 

What a difference those two years have made! Wendy is here to share the invaluable information she has learned from LuAnn Live and The Power Talk Friday Tour, the implementations to her business that resulted from that, and the profound impact it has had on her life.

 

You don’t want to miss this conversation! Get ready for some takeaways from this!

 

Wendy Woloshchuk believes that great interior design can change your everyday life. It’s about more than just beauty and function. It’s about creating a home that feels like a warm hug when you walk in after a long day. The details of your home create that feeling of comfort. She believes that interior design should be approachable, not intimidating! Her goal is not to make your house a showpiece, but to create a beautiful, comforting space and to see you enjoying it with friends and family. Wendy has been an interior designer and decorating enthusiast for as long as she can remember, and has been getting paid to do it since 2007, when she received her Interior Design Certification from Bay Path University. She is a frequent speaker and panelist at design events. She’s spoken for Facebook, been on multiple panels at High Point Market, was an invited guest at The Designer Experience, and was on the designhounds Influencer tour of the Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS).

 

Wendy is a Houzz influencer, has won multiple Houzz Service Awards, and is a Maria Killam Certified True Colour Expert. She was also a Las Vegas Market Red Carpet Tour attendee. She has done multiple projects with the Make a Wish Foundation, and she’s a certified member of The Interior Design Society (IDS).

 

Wendy loves sharing interior design advice and ideas. She coaches interior designers from around the world and teaches both local and online workshops to interior designers, decorators and home stagers on the business of interior design, and offer free tips on design on her Facebook live show, The Daily Details!

She’s been quoted and/or seen in:

  • Designers Today Magazine
  • The Sunday Republican
  • The Palmer Journal
  • Mydoma.com
  • Window Fashion Vision magazine

…and heard on:

  • A Well-Designed Business podcast with LuAnn Nigara
  • Home Stagers and Designers on Fire podcast with Marianne Cherico

 

 

When she’s not working on other people’s houses – or on the beach in Aruba – she’s in her own home in the woods, listening to podcasts or country music; cheering for the New England Patriots; or spending time with her husband, Mike (Wally), and their schnug, Ozzy.

 

Show Highlights:

 

  • As Wendy explains, she had a process, but it was inconsistent. Once she hired an assistant, she knew she had to have a better process in place.
  • Wendy took the time to document her processes in a “Standards of Excellence Manual”, an idea she got from Ashley Uhl. 
  • Wendy asked her assistant to write down her own documented processes as she experienced them after a month of being hired, then they compared notes. This allowed them to fine-tune the manual.
  • Another idea she got from Ashley Uhl was sending a simple hand-written thank you note after a consult. 
  • LuAnn loved the idea Wendy shared of sending “Happy Birthday to Your Room” cards to her clients after their first anniversary of doing business together. After year 5 and year 10, Wendy sends a card offering to refresh their room design.
  • Wendy hired Nancy Ganzekaufer as a coach and worked with her for most of last year. One of the big areas in which Nancy helped was with Wendy’s numbers, so she increased both her hourly rates and her consults rates, and started charging her clients retail for product, which substantially increased her profits.
  • All clients get a weekly update email very Friday updating them on their project and exactly what was accomplished over the past week.
  • Nicole Heymer’s branding course helped Wendy to websites, social media. what she wanted from her website, so last year, Wendy worked with a copywriter to redesign her website, making it more relaxed and fun.
  • Based on conversations over lunch with Debbe Daley and Marianne Cherico last year, Wendy, Debbe, and Marianne started the Design for Today Collaborative. They do in-person workshops at the Boston Design Center and other venues around New England. It’s a way to keep designers up to date on technology, websites, and social media but has grown to include staging coaching.
  • LuAnn points out that Wendy’s success story is a great example of never being afraid of seeking help and knowledge from others, and taking that information you learn and putting it into practice.

 

 

Links / Resources:

 

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Sara’s Blog post on LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday 

Luannlive.com

 

LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22!

If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to https://www.processleadstoprofits.com.

 

Connect with Wendy!

Wendy’s YouTube

Wendy’s Pinterest

Wendy’s Facebook

Wendy’s Instagram

Wendy’s LinkedIn

Wendy’s Website

Design For Today Collaborative Facebook Page

 

Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors:

 

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

Mydomastudio.com/awelldesignedbusiness

 

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

https://www.article.com

 

Previous Show Mentioned:

Ashley Uhl #412

Nancy Ganzekaufer: #15, #159, #256, #389

Eileen Hahn #363

Kae Whitaker #26, #66, #114, #259, #274

Sarah Daniele #91, #177

Nicole Heymer #125, #317, #466

Debbe Daley #431

Marianne Cherico #123

Kimberly Merlitti #361, #442

Sally Williams #496

Claire Jefford #237, #325, #485

Sara Brennan #463, #524

Wendy Woloshchuk #316

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526: Jaipur Living, CEO Asha Chaudhary




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Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! LuAnn is so excited to finally be able to introduce this new sponsor to the show by chatting with none other than the CEO of Jaipur Living, Asha Chaudhary!

In this episode, you’ll be learning about Jaipur’s beauty, value, and social responsibility, as well as their customer-centric trade partner program and their easier-than-ever to browse website with stunning images.

Listen in to the conversation and please welcome Jaipur Living to the family!

As president and CEO of Jaipur Living, Inc., Asha Chaudhary brings a personal perspective to the rug industry: “I grew up around rugs all my life; it’s a part of me.”

From a childhood spent observing weavers and designers, Chaudhary has grown into a powerful design force within the industry. As the rare female CEO, Chaudhary has built a thriving business across rug constructions and textile accessories. Chaudhary’s father NK founded Jaipur Rugs, India’s largest manufacturer of hand-knotted rugs. She watched as he took the company from nine weavers in the family home to a global presence that employs more than 40,000 artisans.

Chaudhary came to the U.S. in 1997 to attend Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating in 2001 as a Dean’s List scholar with a Bachelor of Business Administration, and a concentration in Finance. Chaudhary just graduated with a certificate from the Owner/ President Management program at Harvard Business School. She is also an active member of the Entrepreneurs Organization, Young Presidents Organization, Nest and ASID.

After taking over leadership of the company’s U.S. operations in 2005, Chaudhary set out to expand on her father’s original vision to create beautiful lives through great design and respect for artisans. Today, she has broadened the company’s range of products and its customer base.

Chaudhary has overseen new product launches of pillows, poufs, and throws, and a major restructuring and re-branding of the company to Jaipur Living, Inc. Jaipur Living’s customer base has expanded to include a broad mix of retailers, e-commerce dealers, and a sizable, loyal interior design following.

Looking towards the future, Chaudhary wants to help bridge the world of handmade artistry with the end consumer. “I’d like them to understand and appreciate the harmony of the design process and their part in it – with the first spark of an idea, through the hands of an artisan, and ultimately into their home. And always with the intent to create beautiful lives.”.

Show Highlights:

  • Asha shares the compelling story of her childhood and her incredibly visionary parents.
  • Jaipur Living is a family enterprise and Asha’s Father is known as “the Ghandi of the rug business”.
  • Jaipur Living has a handmade, custom line of rugs and has award-winning designs and team: they were the winner of the last 2 Dallas ARTS Awards and 3 design awards in 2020 at Domotex in Germany.
  • 95% of interior designers rate Jaipur Living as better than other rug companies when it comes to products and customer service.
  • Asha praises the 40,000 artisans in more than 600 villages in India for the beautiful work that they do. These artisans earn a sustainable wage that far surpasses the industry average, and also receive access to healthcare, education, and social development opportunities, in partnership with the Jaipur Rugs Foundation.
  • Asha’s personal favorite features on their newly-designed WEBSITE includes real-time inventory, Pantone color matching, instant quotes, and the ability to customize the size and shape of more than 600 rugs.
  • Jaipur Living has a comprehensive swatch program: free swatches are available on every single product that they offer. Touch and feel, and share with your customers!
  • They have THOUSANDS of products in stock and ready to ship, and orders ship within 4-6 hours of receipt of order.
  • Jaipur Living works hard to design beautiful things across all price points, and they are proud of their dedicated customer service!
  • Creating beautiful lives is the mission of Jaipur Living, and they strive to keep the art of weaving alive. The art of weaving is passed down from generation to generation.
  • Asha shares how each and every rug has a story behind it.
  • LuAnn addresses the designers listening to the show regarding the value and practical reasons that it makes sense to work with Jaipur Living.
  • In future episodes, LuAnn will be sharing more about the value, features, and benefits of working with Jaipur Living, so stay tuned!
  • Thank you, Asha and Jaipur Living, for sponsoring this podcast!

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog

Power Talk Friday

LuAnn Live

LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22!

If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits.

Please Extend A Warm Welcome to Our New Sponsor By Visiting Their Links!

Jaipur’s Purpose Is To Create Beautiful Lives! Get Started Creating Yours, Now!

Jaipur Living’s Website – Easy to Browse, Custom Calculator, Products Ready to Ship!

Jaipur Living’s Instagram: #jaipurliving

Jaipur Living’s Facebook

Jaipur Living’s Pinterest

Book Mentioned:

The Healing Organization: Awakening the Conscience of Business to Help Save the World  by Raj Sisodia and Michael J. Gelb

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525: Traci Connell: Take Your Business from Setback to Success

Traci Connell

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! Today is a special episode because it features a #smartlady that LuAnn has come to know over the last several months and has been impressed by how thoughtfully and purposefully she runs her interior design firm. Traci Connell joins LuAnn and weaves in info not only about how she designs, but how she delivers the design process to her clients.

You’re going to learn how Traci reflected, analyzed, and documented what she did, how she did it, and what worked and what didn’t, all in the face of tremendous anguish and hardship.

Traci is the combination of a sweet, southern lady with the grit and fortitude it takes to not only survive but to thrive and to provide for herself, her family and her staff.

Traci Connell is an award-winning creative entrepreneur whose business sense and design skills are combined with a passion for delivering interiors that are at the heart of livable style. Her well-edited spaces feature functionality for a distinctive aesthetic she calls Ease of Glamour. She gives you luxury you can live in along with an innovative customer service experience that saves you time and money. High-end design, business savvy and a simplicity-driven approach — that’s what makes Traci one of leading interior designers in Dallas and the surrounding areas. Traci’s projects have been featured on the cover of Luxe Interiors and Design as well as projects showcased in Traditional Home, among numerous other publications. She has been named D Home Best Designer of 2018, 2019, and 2020 and was included in the 2018 Gold List by Luxe Interiors and Design.

Her latest endeavor is her consulting business to teach other designers how to get unstuck and scale their business just like she did using her proven system that she tested and developed over the past 8 years. She is really excited to share this system with others. Check out her website Traci Connell for more details.

Show Highlights:

  • Traci shares her story and describes how she was trying to up-level her business during a trying time but couldn’t get any straight answers to the questions she had.
  • This experience gave her the desire to help other designers who are experiencing setbacks to get unstuck.
  • Remember that you have a choice!
  • Get vulnerable and accept help from coaches, mentors, or whoever it takes. There’s no reason to go it alone.
  • Put your business under a magnifying glass and take a hard look at your finances, margins, and revenue streams. Evaluate your pipeline and run your projections for the year.
  • Create processes and systems for your business. As Traci explains, this is KEY in being able to confidently deliver an excellent client experience, to be able to scale, and to be able to take time off from your business when you need it to take care of yourself, especially if you may be in crisis like she was as she built her business.
  • It is critical to build the right team. You must surround yourself with a team that can execute and help grow and run your firm profitably.
  • Traci shares her concept of “Ease of Glamour”, which is livable luxury, and tips on how she streamlined her own personal life.
  • The confidence behind finding your niche is super-important.
  • Always deliver more than what is expected. This communicates value to the client.
  • Traci is coaching and teaching other designers like you to go from setbacks to success using her proven system that she has tested and developed over the past 8 years. For more info go to Traci Connell.

Links :

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Sara’s Blog post on LuAnn’sBlog

Power Talk Friday

LIVE CLASS with Sara Lynn Brennan, Starting April 22!

If you need help with your processes, in getting your business systemized so you can scale, you can hire, you can finally be confident in your projects, Process Leads to Profits is back! To find out all about this live class, taught over 6 consecutive weeks starting April 22, go to Process Leads To Profits.

Is Chairman of the Board Right for Your Business?

LuAnn Nigara

Connect with Traci!

Traci’s Email

Traci’s Coaching Website

Traci’s Interiors Website

Traci’s Instagram

Traci’s Facebook

Traci’s Pinterest

Watch Traci’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.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

If you are listening in real-time, we are on the 2nd day of our epic online summit hosted by Mydoma Studio. It is called 19Hours.

A huge thanks to Mydoma Studio as well as our other sponsors: Kravet, Article, Kirsch, Jaipur Living, Monogram, IDS, Revelwoods, Summer Classics, and Gaby Home.

Traci will be on LuAnn’s panel Thursday, April 9th, along with Sandra Funk, Monica Wilcox, and Tobi Fairley. Don’t miss it!!

  • Event: 19hours
  • Hosted by: Mydoma Studio
  • Monday, April 6th – Thursday, April 9th
  • This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT!
  • Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST.
  • It will be recorded for later viewing.
  • This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market.
  • DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers!
  • To Sign Up, Go to 19hours

Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor:

Connect with Your Local Kirsch Distributor Now!

Kirsch

Other Shows Mentioned:

LuAnn #491 Chairman of the Board Opportunity

Nancy Ganzekaufer #15, #159, #256, #389

Nicole Cole #509

Kim Merlitti #361, #442

Michele Williams #137, #180, #395, #424

Denise Wenacur #513

For conversation about the importance of reciprocal mentoring and paid coaching, go to Rasheeda Gray #267, Christina Bruce #486, Laurence Carr #484 and Laura Umansky #492

For a good conversation about taking a hard look at your finances, go back and re-listen to Cheryl Clendenon’s show #482 as well as Kimberly Merlitti #442.

Conversations about creating processes and systems for your business include: Sara Brennan #463, Darci Hether #220 and Christine Lin #470.

For shows about building the right teams, go to Eileen Hahn #363, Janelle Photopoulus #364, Rebecca Richardson #303, and Chad James #68.

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524: Power Talk Friday: Sara Lynn Brennan: Showing Up is Not Enough

Sara Lynn Brennan Headshot 409x361(1)

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Sara Lynn Brennan joins  LuAnn to chat about faith or fear. Earlier this year, Sara wrote a blogpost titled, “Are You Operating Your Design Business Out of Faith or Fear?” and in the midst of the current pandemic, it seems like a great time to re-visit her reflections. Although her original intent had nothing to do with the Corona Virus, there are lessons in the article that are certainly timely and applicable to our current situation.

Sara is an entrepreneur, CEO, and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors. Sara has become the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina, who specializes in Transitional Designs, where she and her design-build team take spaces from Bare Bones to Beautiful by utilizing her exclusive, approachable, and stress-free design process, transforming and renovating homes from start to finish.

Sara’s design work has been nationally published six times in the last year including publications such as Romantic Homes, Traditional Home, Window Fashion Vision, and Cottages and Bungalows, who recently offered her a role as a monthly columnist. She’s also been noticed as a rising star among colleagues in the design industry being invited as a guest on podcasts, as a panelist at High Point Market and as a host and speaker at local design events and shows.

Show Highlights:

  • LuAnn’s interview with Candy Scott in Episode 279 was the inspiration behind Sara’s blogpost, “Are You Operating Your Design Business Out of Faith or Fear?”.
  • A lot of drama stems from fear, and this was Sara’s epiphany that even the design experts have the same doubts as everybody.
  • Be prepared for problems, but having the right processes in place will give you confidence that you’ve covered all of your bases. Problems that might occur will not be because you weren’t following through.
  • Drama in projects can stem from lack of communication, expectations, mistakes, personalities, etc. How you handle it is what makes all of the difference. Look for common ground where your clients feel heard and happy.
  • If you’re working from home during this outbreak, explain upfront to your client that your kids are home and there may be some interruptions during a phone call.
  • Conversely, if you’re talking with a client and their kids are home and interrupting, don’t roll your eyes or express frustration. Let them know it’s ok because you’re both in the situation together. Offer to reschedule if that is better for them.
  • This quarantine is slowing us all down and giving us common ground, and opening up opportunities to have hard conversations.
  • LuAnn addresses fear and the ways it can impact our business relationships.
  • Sara offers ideas to make things happen during this downtime. Know your worth!
  • Doing your best isn’t just what you showed up that day, doing. Doing your best is being prepared to do your best and doing extra.
  • Gather your best resources, and spend your time sourcing so that you have the opportunity to provide your finest services.
  • Showing up with a plan, some knowledge, and a background will separate you from the others who are just showing up. This is what Sara means when she says, “Showing up is not enough.”
  • Are you going to be the person who deflects and doesn’t want to look bad? Or are you going to be the person that owns it because you can see where it went wrong and you’re going to make it better?
  • Take this time to re-organize and streamline your business.
  • The more informed the client is, the further along you can get with them, faster.
  • Clarity is key and comes from preparation.

Links: 

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog

Power Talk Friday

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

  • Event: 19hours
  • Hosted by: Mydoma Studio
  • Monday, April 6th – Thursday, April 9th
  • This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT!
  • Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST.
  • It will be recorded for later viewing.
  • This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market.
  • DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers!
  • To Sign Up, Go to 19hours

Interior Design Standard

IWCE 2020

Connect with Sara!

Sara’s Website

Sara’sInstagram

Process Leads to Profits– Starts April 22nd! Get Your Early Bird Pricing Now!

Sara’s Blog post onLuAnn’sBlog

Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors:

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

My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business

Monogram – Work with Us

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.comHere!

Article

Previous Shows Mentioned:

Nancy Ganzekaufer: 15, 159, 256, 389

Nicole Heymer: 125, 317, 466

Candy Scott: 227

Sandra Funk: 02, 145

Sara Lynn Brennan: 463, 514

 

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523: Leah Meyer Perez: Overcoming Fears and Insecurities




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Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn brings you a very special conversation today, one that may hit very close to home for many of us; mental illness. Bearing that in mind, I must also say that this show was recorded months ago before the word COVID 19 was even legitimately on our radar. Even though the topic of mental illness can be sensitive, it’s important to talk about it.  Whether mental illness affects us personally or affects one of our loved ones, you’re not going to want to miss this intimate talk.

LuAnn’s guest is Leah M. Meyer Perez, and Leah will be sharing how she overcame her own internal struggles while trying to run a business. She wants to share her story and bring it out in the open so that we as a community don’t have to feel embarrassed about asking for help. She encourages an environment of support and care for each other.

Leah M. Meyer Perez is the CEO/Principal Designer of Leah May Interior Design. Like so many of you, from an early age Leah was creative and had a natural talent for interiors. From her artistic flair in art class to tinkering in the garage with her Father, Leah’s path was destined for design.

Leah has earned an extensive knowledge of fabrics and furniture by working for several boutique interior firms including a custom furniture workshop and drapery workroom.

In 2014, taking a leap of faith, Leah opened her residential interior design firm and as you will learn today, Leah has had to overcome more than simply understanding marketing, bookkeeping, and pipeline building in order to be successful.

If you are listening and you are struggling with serious thoughts of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, or isolation, there is no podcast for that. Please reach out, and have a friend help you find qualified help. You deserve to be happy and fulfilled and like Leah, with true professional therapy, it IS possible.

Show Highlights:

  • First: It’s Ok to have fears and insecurities. You just have to find the courage to talk to somebody about them and work through them.
  • Leah shares how her symptoms of mental illness manifested in her personal and business lives.
  • Understand self-sabotaging thoughts and behaviors by learning to be self-aware.
  • Therapy can help you discover the heart of the issues.
  • Learning that she was a negative person and realizing that she had to start being grateful was a turning point in Leah’s life.
  • Appreciate all of the things you’re good at doing.
  • Leah strives to push past the fear of talking about mental illness.
  • What other people think of you does NOT define you.
  • You must be open to help.
  • You cannot change another person, but you can learn to change how you respond to a person.
  • You never know what another person is going through.
  • Share a high-five with someone who you think could use it, and if you’re inclined, tell someone you talk with today something nice so that they have a positive thought in their head when you part.

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

The Power Talk Friday Tour

LuAnn Live

WCAA

Exciting Windows

IWCE-Vision

My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business

Connect with Leah!

Leah’s Website

Leah’s Facebook

Leah’s Instagram

Thank You to This Podcast Sponsor:

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here!

Other shows mentioned to link to and tag in Social Media

Alex Gourlay # 447

Wendy Glaister # 386

Desi Creswell # 475

 

 

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522: Power Talk Friday: Peter Lang, CPA: Taxes and the Coronavirus Relief Package Explained

Peter Lang

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Peter Lang joins LuAnn on today’s show to discuss accounting that is specific to design firms. Peter is a CPA that works exclusively with interior designers, and he will be covering the nuances of the industry. He is also a co-author of LuAnn’s latest book, A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts.

If you’re a business owner and concerned about how this current COVID-19 pandemic will impact your taxes, you will not want to miss this episode!

Peter Lang is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.  He is the founder of The Designer CPA, a CPA firm that works exclusively with business owners in the design industry.  He has worked in public accounting since graduating from Providence College in 2002.  After working for several larger size firms in Boston and Rhode Island, Peter realized his true passion was to start a firm that specifically focused on designers.  

Peter currently resides in Rhode Island with his wife Carmen and their identical twin boys, William and Matthew.  He enjoys running and golfing outside of work.

Show Highlights:

  • The IRS expects you to file your 2019 income tax return by April 15th, or apply for an extension.
  • If you have a Federal or state tax payment that is due, they expect that by the April 15th deadline.
  • Technically you are responsible for Q1 2020 estimated payments by April 15th, as well.
  • HOWEVER, due to the pandemic, the IRS has reset all of the April 15th deadlines to July 15th for the 2019 filing year.
  • This gives everyone an additional 90 days to get all of your information to them.
  • The IRS has NOT changed the Q2 2020 estimated payments deadline of June 15th, so this WILL still be due.
  • Peter addresses which deadline might be better to consider, and why; HSA’s, and sales tax.
  • Peter and LuAnn discuss the stimulus package, how much we might expect to receive, and when it will be sent.
  • What you need to know if you’re receiving unemployment compensation and receive a stimulus payment.
  • Your business may be eligible for relief in the form of a relaxed-rules small business loan. Listen for details!
  • Payroll tax credits, deferments, and managing your cash flow.
  • Things you can do now to be ready in the event another disaster strikes:
  • Get your books in order.
  • Make sure you understand your numbers.
  • Set aside cash for quarterly tax payments.
  • Don’t mingle sales tax collected from customers with your operating cash.
  • Build a reserve of three months fixed operating expenses in a savings account.

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

  • Event: 19hours
  • Hosted by: Mydoma Studio
  • Monday, April 6th – Thursday, April 9th
  • This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT!
  • Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST.
  • It will be recorded for later viewing.
  • This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market.
  • DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers!
  • To Sign Up, Go to 19hours

Connect with Peter!

Peter’s Website

Book Mentioned:

A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts by LuAnn Nigara & Friends

Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors:

Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.comHere!

Article

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My Doma studio: A Well Designed Business

Kravet

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Kirsch

Sponsors You’ll Be Learning More About in the Future:

Jaipur

Monogram

Shows Mentioned:

Michele Williams – Certified Profit First Coach #180

Peter Lang previous episodes: #349, #464

#519 finances at Window Works

 

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521: Gabriela Gargano: Thinking Like an Entrepreneur

Gabriela




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Welcome to this episode of A Well-Designed Business! Gabriela Gargano joins LuAnn in this episode to caution us as entrepreneurs about being careful not to apply reasons and rationale to decisions that we are facing because we are reluctant to take the risk.

Gaby also shares some very specific strategies that she is employing as the CEO of her design firm in light of the Corona Virus, which you will likely find very smart and useful! You are going to love these ideas!

After graduating from college with degrees in Art History, Hispanic Studies, and Business Economics, Gaby spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, as a sales trader and relationship manager. She simultaneously grew her passion for interior design through real estate investing, renovation, and staging of her properties in Manhattan.

In 2016, she decided to leave finance and establish Grisoro Designs, a full-service interior design firm located in New York City. Gaby’s style blends clean lines with rich textures and eclectic pieces, referencing art, and vintage design. The team’s process is anchored in a deep understanding of each client’s design goals, functional needs, and lifestyle.

By implementing a transparent process, clear communication, and active project and budget management, they can provide a seamless experience, resulting in a beautiful and functional space that truly feels like home. 

Grisoro Designs has been featured in Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Domino, and several other publications. Services offered include interior design, full-scale renovations, project management, budget management, art curation, and real estate advisory. 

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:

  • Event: 19hours
  • Hosted by: Mydoma Studio
  • Monday, April 6th – Thursday, April 9th
  • This is a FREE VIRTUAL EVENT!
  • Presentations Each Day at 11am, 1pm, and 3pm EST.
  • It will be recorded for later viewing.
  • This Is The Industry’s Answer to Covid-19 and Contains Much of the Content That Was Planned for HP Market.
  • DON’T MISS the Solo Presentations by Some of the Industry’s Top Business Leaders and Panel Discussions with Some of the Industry’s Top Designers!
  • To Sign Up, Go to 19 Hours

Show Highlights:

  • Gaby was at Goldman Sachs during the 2008 recession.
  • Decide what you want your business to look like.
  • The indicators that Gaby used to evaluate when it was time to grow:
  • Assessing her past, current, and projected pipeline. She made sure that she was attracting the type of clients that will take her into the future.
  • She recognized that she was so fatigued that she was jeopardizing her ability to deliver her creative best to her clients.
  • She realized that she and the employees she had on board were consistently being pushed to their limits, and this was leaving a lot of room for errors.
  • Working from home is fine, but getting space brings an elevated sense in having your own studio. You’re able to have your full-time employees there, bring on an intern, and have your vendors and clients meet you there.
  • Remember that this Covid-19 crisis isn’t forever.
  • Take this time to learn to work better remotely.
  • Find more ways to be collaborative and keep the lines of communication open.
  • As entrepreneurs, we have to figure out a way to work through this.
  • Focus on business planning in greater detail, such as business expenses, hurdles, goals, targets, etc.
  • Most importantly, do not delay in responding and looking at what changes you need to make in order to protect your cash flow.
  • Make rational, unemotional decisions when you are calm. Make decisions based on thoughtful evaluation with your CFO or whoever helps you with your finances in your business.
  • Commit to taking the actions that you make a decision on.
  • This planning and effort will help to provide you with a peace of mind, which is very important subconsciously for your team. When you’re calm and positive, your team will feel that.
  • Don’t overreact. But don’t NOT act!

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Connect with Gaby!

Design Firm: Grisoro Designs

Principal: Gabriela Gargano

Gaby’s Instagram

Gaby’s Website

Do YOU Need Help with Your Past, Current, or Projected Pipeline?

Michele Williams: Scarlet Thread Consulting

Kim Merlitti:  KMM Consulting

Thank You to These Podcast Sponsors:

Kravet

For 10% off any Kravet Wallpaper, Fabric, or Trim Enter at Checkout This Promo Code: awdb10

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Mentioned Episodes

#519

 

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

Welcome to this episode of A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn chats with Sandra Funk about Sandra’s amazing new program for the interior design community.

Her program is called “The Interior Design Standard”. Just wait until you hear about it, you’re going to LOVE this!

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’s program is targeted towards interior designers to guide them on the path of business success.
  • The Interior Design Standard is a program comprised of Sandra’s templates, systems, and processes, delivered in a digital format to help designers run a more efficient, joy-filled, and profitable business.
  • The program includes:
  • Sandra’s design fee calculator – confidently calculate flat design fees in moments.
  • House of Funk’s design agreement, that both clients and designers love.
  • The exact process that each interior design project follows, from the first potential client contact to pitching the photos to press.
  • Four designers beta-tested the program for three months and gave the program rave reviews.
  • LuAnn and Sandra discuss the lessons learned from beta-testing.
  • There’s a lack of standards in the industry.
  • Depending on your situation, the time of implementation will vary but is expected to take approximately 3 months.
  • Sandra asks: Do you want to spend another year wondering if you should edit your terms, update your fees, pass along your trade discount or make a profit on furnishings, or manage client expectations better?
  • The Interior Design Standard purchase is a lifetime membership and 100% guaranteed, but you have to fully implement from start to finish.
  • Sandra’s program costs $3,989, plus any applicable tax.
  • This program streamlines your methods of business management and execution!
  • Sandra wants to see the industry become more professional and profitable. The more profitable the designer the better work you can all do as an industry, and the better high-quality customer service you can offer to your clients.

Resources:

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

Connect with Sandra!

House Of Funk

How to Start an Interior Design Business

Interior Design Pricing

Sandra Funk is a game changer for our industry. In April, she’s launching the Interior Design Standard – a digital program that covers everything you need for running an efficient and joyful business. Click here to take her FREE Demo Module to get a taste of what’s to come: Interior Design Standard

April 8th: Registration opens

Note: If designers register before April 22nd, they receive VIP access which grants them 3 group Zoom calls with Sandra.

April 22nd: VIP Access closes and general enrollment begins

May 5th: Enrollment closes at [11:59] PM

May 6th: Module 1 is released and the program begins

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

My Doma Studio: A Well Designed Business

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.

Podcast Sponsor:

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519: What Would Lu Do?: In Light of the Coronavirus




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0:45:29


Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! LuAnn has been considering adding a Wednesday show answering straight-up questions that you ask her via email and SM, and with everything happening in the world right now, she thought this was the perfect time to debut “What Would Lu Do?”

On today’s episode, she will be discussing doing business through a crisis. In the 40 years, she’s been in business, she has had to weather all kinds of crises, such as recessions, acts of terrorism, and viral pandemic scares.

Listen in to learn how you can be smart, strategic, and patient to help you get your business to the other side of this!

Be sure to join her next Wednesday as she shares some additional tips to help you through this difficult time.

Show Highlights:

  • This is critical: 1) Don’t overreact. 2) Don’t NOT act.
  • Cash flow is KING. Everything in your business will depend on your cash flow.
  • The first-level action plan:
  • Focus on sales.
  • Monitor cash flow and keep your vendors paid.
  • Review all money owed to you and collect any outstanding balances.
  • Go through your expenses with a fine-toothed comb.
  • Owner’s pay cuts as loans to the company.
  • Other ideas for consideration:
  • Consider working remotely.
  • Work on projects that you have been ignoring, especially if they generate revenue.
  • Keep a routine.
  • Find your mentors, your peers, set up phone calls, zoom meetings, brainstorm ideas on how to stay productive, how to maintain your clients and how to build your pipeline for when this is a bad nightmare for all of us down the road.
  • LuAnn’s favorite tip from an emergency virtual meeting with her colleagues at Exciting Windows is from Steve Wishnow, who said, “Get Smart – Get Market Share.” He urged the allocation of money to marketing during this time and to not make the mistake of curbing this expense. Don’t go into debt, do everything with common sense. But now is the time to let people know you are here, you will be here and you can be depended on.
  • Find a way to stay positive through this!

Links:

LuAnn’s Website

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

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

The Power Talk Friday Tour

LuAnn Live

WCAA

Exciting Windows

IWCE Vision

Carla Aston

Tips for Building Future Success When Your Interior Design Business is Slow

Episode Mentioned:

episode #242 Carla Aston