Posted on

401: Power Talk Friday: Jennifer Burnham: Space to be Creative, De-Clutter and Organize Your Space

Jennifer Burnham

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Keeping things organized is often the Achilles heel of creatives, so today we are very happy to have Jennifer Burnham, an organization coach, join us on the show. Jen helps people by providing the space for them to be creative, de-clutter and get organized. She believes that organizing is about more than color-coordinated baskets and pretty labels. It’s really about productivity, so she helps her clients to dive in and discover the specific experience they’re looking for in the way that they want their home, office, and in their life to be organized. Listen in today to find out how you can increase productivity in your business by having an organized space.

Jennifer has appeared on Charlotte today, spoken at IKEA, at community organizations, at high-end real estate events, and she’s also run home estate sales. On the show today she talks about how important it is to have your workspace organized, and she explains how to go about getting that done. Listen in and find out how an organization translates into productivity, which then translates into more business.

Show highlights:

  • Jennifer’s awesome relationship with Cheryl Luckett, of Dwell by Cheryl.
  • The challenges of organizing a design studio.
  • The first step is always de-cluttering.
  • Organizing in the right way.
  • Looking at the emotional reasons for de-cluttering.
  • First, put things in a space in the middle of the room, then sort them into broad categories. (Eg. pens, paper clips, notepads, product samples)
  • Evaluate what you need and what you can get rid of.
  • After you have de-cluttered you organize what you have decided to keep, putting everything in its place.
  • The kinds of push-backs that Jen has encountered.
  • Organizing takes time, and it’s never really done, so you want to get it finished as soon as possible.
  • The way that organizing changes your energy and the energy of the space.
  • Things to watch out for that can bring the de-cluttering process to a halt.
  • Donating unused items to charity can make the decision to throw things away a bit easier.
  • If necessary, get new containers, storage items, or cabinets.
  • Keep it this way by picking up each week as you go and not letting things get out of control.
  • Jennifer explains the basis of her philosophy of organizing.
  • The connection between organization and productivity.
  • The way that Jen thinks in terms of shapes.
  • If your business is feeling stagnant it’s a good time to start organizing things.
  • Owning less is better than organizing more.
  • Do you respect your space?
  • Tips for working with your client’s clutter.
  • Closing the loop when you’re de-cluttering is important, so you need a system.
  • Keeping the balance and staying organized.
  • Looking at the things that threaten an organized space.

Previous shows mentioned in this episode:

Cheryl Luckett: #291 and #397

Kim Kuhteubl #73

Links and resources:

To see Cheryl Luckett’s line of furniture: Sylvester Alexander

Jennifer’s website

Jennifer is offering 20% off her services for all A Well Designed Business listeners

Our friends at Kravet Inc. are having a big furniture sale. Starting January 14th, get 10% off Kravet Furniture, Lee Jofa Furniture and Holland MacRae furniture. Start shopping now- the deal runs until March 4th! Go to Kravet and make sure to use the code W7 at checkout to redeem the offer!

Posted on

400: Celebrating 3 Years & 400 Episodes!: LuAnn Nigara

1x
0:00
0:48:40

Big Day, Big Show, lots of news!!

400 hundred shows! I’d like to say I never believed this day would come but the truth is I did believe it. And more than that, I planned for it, I set goals around it, I tracked the milestones and the steps needed to reach it. Am I bragging? No, no, I am not. I am hoping to teach and inspire you by example.

Just like you, I love what I do and as much as I love it and could do it for free for the fun and pleasure of connecting with you, meeting you in real life I understand all too well in order to be able to do those things I must intentionally run this podcast as the business it is.

And you must do the same. In order to be able to create the fabulous, functional and unique spaces for your clients, you must run your firm profitably so you can continue to do it.

What are some of the major lessons we have learned, together?

What are some of the things we have learned from A Well-Designed Business Podcast?

Welcome to our 400th episode! Today really is a big day for the show and we have lots of news! LuAnn loves what she does with this podcast so much that she could do it for free, yet she truly understands that, in order to be able to keep it going, she needs to run it intentionally, as the business that it is. Today she really hopes to inspire you, the listener, to do the same with your design business. Listen in to find out what you need to do, and the steps you need to take, in order to continue creating the fabulous, fun, and unique spaces that you do for your clients.

Although LuAnn set a very intentional plan in action to make this day happen, it still feels almost unbelievable to her! On the show today, she will be discussing some of the major lessons that we’ve all learned together, from A Well-Designed Business Podcast. Listen in to find out more.

Link to LuAnn’s New Book:

Luann Nigara Book 2

Posted on

399: Design Biz Live: Business Can Be Thunderstorms and Chickens; Hard Truths, Hard Lessons

Corey And Judith

Welcome to another Design Biz Live! We have the gang all together again to have a very candid conversation regarding a difficulty to which most of us can relate…how to handle a difficult client. Judith Neary and Corey Klassen join LuAnn once again and today, Judith shares a personal experience she had with a very difficult client last summer that rocked her confidence, made her life very horrible and the project was very challenging to get through. It shares the message that being self-employed is very hard and it takes a tremendous amount of grit and fortitude to power through the rough times. It is a significant message because Judith is a seasoned entrepreneur, showing how it can hit any of us at any time. You’re definitely going to want to catch this episode, so be sure to tune in.

Show highlights:

  • Designers are real people, too, and experience a myriad of emotions.
  • Judith shares about a couple of episodes she experienced last summer that rocked her from her zone of genius.
  • Judith shares that a difficult client crushed her confidence and made her question her own abilities and value.
  • The client was satisfied with work being done one day, and unsatisfied the next, which was very challenging for Judith, the contractor, and other workers.
  • Judith shares that the client’s demeanor drastically improved once the spouse came home.
  • Corey shares that he and other people he knows have had similar experiences, and tried to understand why those types of behaviors were happening in order to avoid misunderstandings.
  • LuAnn expresses that because a client had personal difficulties, doesn’t mean we should feel that we aren’t confident and capable, but should self-question in order to have better conversations with the client in the future.
  • LuAnn says that even when we have difficult clients, we still need to remain professional and meet their needs in the best way possible.
  • Judith says she is still affected by what happened last summer and felt like she was in a hostage situation.
  • LuAnn and Judith discuss the importance of diffusing difficult situations in professional ways.
  • Corey jumps in and says that sometimes a text or e-mail tone may differ from the in-person tone.
  • Judith says through the experience, she knows she has to filter what is going on rather than absorbing it herself.
  • LuAnn says it’s important to manage difficult situations so that we don’t become non-productive.
  • Judith says that as a creative, you may perceive and sense the world differently and that when she has a client, it becomes a personal relationship.
  • When Judith’s inner dialogue told her the client had personal issues and that she was not responsible for the negative behavior, it was still hard not to absorb the negativity.
  • LuAnn says that each person has something within that makes them react in a particular way.
  • LuAnn also points out that a designer’s relationship with a client may last weeks, months, or longer, which can be taxing when dealing with a client exhibiting erratic behavior.
  • Regardless of the difficulties Judith experienced with her client, she had a positive result at the end of the job, and hopes her client is enjoying the home.
  • Judith moves on and shares about another difficult client situation and how she had to fire a client.
  • Judith terminated the relationship with her client because it was just not working for her.
  • Judith shares how she terminated the relationship and about the follow-up phone call that confirmed she had made the right decision.
  • Judith shares that the client crossed the line with her, and she respected herself enough to let him go.
  • Judith shares how the two difficult clients made her bucket very full and she didn’t pay enough attention to it before it overflowed.
  • LuAnn says before we reach the level of wanting to terminate a client, maybe we should remember that it is a business transaction, rather than a personal relationship.
  • Also, LuAnn applauds the way Judith used two methods so it would leave no doubt about the situation.
  • LuAnn also says Judith did a great thing by invoking some “wait time” before responding to the client’s request for a phone call.
  • LuAnn suggests that we each need to figure out ways to keep our buckets from becoming too full. ie. a walk/run, dinner/conversation with family or friends, reading, etc.
  • Corey says he has switched from having business hours to appointment hours so that he takes appointments when he can be productive and be his best.
  • Judith suggests that designers may want to contribute time to a non-profit so that they can contribute to causes outside themselves.
  • LuAnn says to watch for signals from clients which may indicate difficult behavior. Know you can’t change the person, but you can change how you react/respond to them. Have mechanisms in place to deal with this type of client because you will encounter them.

Links:

Corey Klassen Interior Design

Judith Neary – Roadside Attraction Studio

LuAnn’s 3rd birthday party for the podcast is coming up and Kravet is hosting the party! It will be on February the 5th at the Kravet Showroom at the D&D Building in New York City. Please RSVP through the Event-Brite link at Luann Nigara.

Posted on

398: Courtney McLeod: Defined Process = Success in Your Interior Design Business

Courtney Mcleod 409x361

Welcome to today’s episode of A Well Designed Business! We have Courtney McLeod, the principal of Right Meets Left Interior Design in New York City, with us on the show today. Courtney has come to interior design as a second career. So even though she has always been passionate about the decorative arts, she first obtained a business degree from the Warden School at the University of Pennsylvania, and then pursued a successful, fifteen-year career in the financial services industry, where she rose to the role of a leading portfolio manager in real estate private equity before exercising her true passion for designing beautiful interiors. Listen in today to find out how Courtney used both the skills she gained through her experience, and her transferable skills, enhanced with her design-related studies at Parsons Pratt and the New York School of Interior Design, to confidently embark on a new career course.

An avid colorist at heart, Courtney draws from a kaleidoscopic toolbox of texture, pattern, and color to create rooms evocative of one emotion above all others – joy. Her designs express both her client’s unique tastes and her vivid, collected aesthetic.  Born and raised in New Orleans, Courtney brings a sophisticated view to her rooms, informed by her Creole background and extensive travels throughout Europe and Asia. She resides in the vibrant Harlem neighborhood, a wonderful source of inspiration. She has lived in New York City for two decades but remains a Southerner at heart. Listen in to find out more.

Show highlights:

  • It takes time to figure out your specific process.
  • Your confidence you will gain from having your system in place is really a huge benefit.
  • The development of Courtney’s process was not a straight line from A to B- it took trial and error to figure out what really worked.
  • Working out what worked for her rather than for the client was like a magic moment for Courtney.
  • Courtney shares a really important and effective way to gain the trust of your client.
  • A softer touch works for Courtney, yet she also has to be firm.
  • Courtney also developed a lot of confidence from embracing her style clearly and entirely.
  • Happy, joyful color is really Courtney’s thing.
  • Having confidence in her process allowed Courtney to develop more creative confidence.
  • The six steps of Courtney’s process.
  • Courtney explains her phase one, and how to implement it.
  • About Courtney’s ‘Rules Of The Road’ document.
  • What’s to be found in Courtney’s welcome packet.
  • The way that having a retainer protects Courtney.
  • The way Courtney sets up her spreadsheet.
  • It takes a lot of practice to get things right.
  • The clear way that Courtney prices her projects.
  • How to keep your clients informed and empowered.
  • What the closure meeting means to Courtney.
  • The goal of the closure meeting is to get a referral.

Previous episodes mentioned in this episode:

Erica Ward #6

Monique Holmes #365

Rachel Cannon #306

Nicole Heymer #317

Curio Electro #125

Links:

Website: Right Meets Left Interior Design

Instagram: Right Meets Left Interior Design

Twitter: Right Meets Left

LinkedIn: Right Meets Left Interior Design

Facebook: Right Meets Left Interior Design

LuAnn’s 3rd birthday party for the podcast is coming up and Kravet is hosting the party! It will be on February the 5th at the Kravet Showroom at the D&D Building in New York City. Please RSVP through the Event-Brite link at Luann Nigara.

Posted on

397: Power Talk Friday: Where Are They Now?: Cheryl Luckett: Dwell By Cheryl

Cheryl Luckette headshot

Todays’ guest is Cheryl Luckett, who is not only a tenacious and creative entrepreneur but has used her talents to build a flourishing business. Within the past two years, Cheryl has fully committed to growing her design business by using her creativity to incorporate unique designs into her projects. Her work has been published in Home and Garden, Southern Home, The Charlotte Observer, and her work has been featured on many other platforms. Not only is Cheryl making headway in her business but she’s using her platform to build relationships.

Cheryl is all about establishing connections and giving back. In this episode, Cheryl talks about how to network, how to build beneficial relationships and the importance of self-promotion. If you want to learn how you can pursue your own dream and build an authentic business, join us in this episode of A Well-Designed Business, with your host, LuAnn Nigara.

Show Highlights:

  • What Cheryl has learned about the process of introducing new pieces.
  • The new product line that is being launched on Cheryl’s website.
  • Creating unique pieces and collaborating with local artists for the high-point market.
  • How Cheryl fell into her current project and first show-house.
  • Why you should keep going back and not always take no as a final answer.
  • Being consistent with your business through your personality and professionalism.
  • Cheryl shares how she uses her social media to uphold her brand.
  • Cheryl talks about why she hired a coach and getting her license.
  • How Cheryl built mutually beneficial relationships and set boundaries.
  • Analyzing strengths and utilizing them to benefit your business.
  • How Cheryl used her love for design and culture to tell a story.
  • Weaving in friends’ goals and creativity into your work.
  • The mechanics behind Cheryl’s design process.
  • Identifying people who are going to be ambassadors for your business.
  • Cheryl talks about how you build a business on self-promotion.
  • Collaborating with smaller businesses in order to reach a bigger audience.
  • Setting expectations upfront for projects as opposed to rushing for time deadlines.
  • Being honest about your abilities with potential clients.
  • How Cheryl prepares for upcoming showrooms.

Previous Guests Mentioned:

Denise McGaha #10

Kim Hoegger #336

Madcap Cottage #228

Ruthie Staalsen #296

Rasheeda Gray #267

Revolution Fabrics Sylvester Alexander

Links:

Website: Dwell By Cheryl

Furniture: Dwell By Cheryl 

Blog: Dwell By Cheryl Blog

Instagram: Dwell By Cheryl 

Facebook: Dwell By Cheryl 

Twitter: Dwell By Cheryl 

Pinterest: Dwell By Cheryl 

LinkedIn: Cheryl Luckett

Posted on

396: Yohan May Interiors: Home Staging for the Luxury Market

Blank 2 Grids Collage 409x361

Welcome! Today we have Amber Friederichs and Michele Atijas from the UK, a really dynamic duo and the principals of Yohan May Interiors, with us on the show. They specialize in very high-end, high-quality home staging, so Yohan May Interiors attracts clientele and projects at the very highest level of luxury real estate in London. The two primary goals with every project in this really high-pressure market are to sell the home fast and to obtain the highest possible price. On the show today, Michele and Amber discuss their turnaround times, how they cannot concern themselves with their clients’ taste and design style, and also, how they position the home for sale. Listen in today to find out more about Michele and Amber’s business model, and to discover their keys to be really successful with what they do.

Founded in 2015, Yohan May Interiors emerged from the collaboration of two friends, Michele Atijas and Amber Friederichs.

The company started out of necessity when Amber was unable to find a home staging agency that offered the personalization and curation she was looking for.  The pair decided to work on the project on their own and spoke with a number of developers and estate agents. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive.

They decided to call the company Yohan May after Amber’s late father, Johann, and Michele’s late mother, Maj, whom they credit with their passion for interiors. Listen in to find out more.

Show highlights:

  • Michele and Amber discuss the systems they use for their incredibly quick turnaround time.
  • About their free site visits and what they entail.
  • Their projects usually involve staging the entire house and they often deal with foreign investors.
  • They always try to provide a flexible service.
  • How they managed to attract so many high-end clients so early on in their business.
  • The importance of networking to attract the ideal client.
  • They talk about what went into their decision to invest in inventory.
  • Providing a look that really embodies your brand.
  • They have developed a relationship with several art agencies over the years.
  • Dealing with the tricky business of insurance for the artworks in the house.
  • The condition of all the items that they bring into a house is as new because nobody ever lives in their show-homes.
  • At this point in their business, they don’t stage homes that people are living in already.
  • The number of projects they are able to deal with in one month.
  • The cost of an average project that they do, and the kind of net profit margin that they work towards.
  • They have included cancellation charges in their contract.
  • Some of the differences between interior design and home staging.
  • Home staging is a really new thing in the UK.
  • Home staging has more to do with real estate than with interior design.
  • About their go-to team for doing renovations.
  • This particular line of work is all about relationships.
  • How they manage their time, to fit it all in.
  • A small business is all about prioritizing and delegating.
  • Some of the suppliers that they work with, in the UK.
  • The work is very hands-on and either Michele or Amber will always be present on site.

Previous shows mentioned in this episode:

Polly Williams #88

Jo Buckerfield #320

Rachel Laxer #42

Fred Berns #289

Links:

Website: Yohan May

IG: @yohanmayinteriors

Pinterest: Yohan May Interiors

For your 10% off your next purchase at Kravet, use the code W7 at the checkout. Go to Kravet.

Posted on

395: Power Talk Friday: Michele Williams: Financial Health Checklist for Your Interior Design Business

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We are really excited to have Michele Williams back on the show for the third time today! (She previously appeared in episodes #137 and #180.) Michele is the owner of Scarlet Thread Consulting, she’s a certified Profit First Coach, and she is also one of the co-authors in LuAnn’s soon-to-be-launched new book, The Things I Learned From A Well-Designed Business.

Michele was one of the guest-speakers at LuAnn’s Power Talk Friday Tour in High Point last October. During her presentation Michele had everyone do a very eye-opening exercise, designed to help business owners dial in on what’s really important with their finances so that their business can become more successful and profitable. We have decided to share this exercise with you on the show today. It’s a really good thinking point and you’re going to have to answer some questions. If you don’t score too well with your answers, it is an indicator that you may need some help, so listen in carefully to find out how to increase the profitability and success of your business.

Having worked in the interior design industry for more than 18 years, Michele is fiercely committed to helping each business owner attain and maintain profitability. She empowers her creative clients by not only building confidence to charge what they are worth but by sharing education and systems for money management and financial awareness. With a degree from the University of South Carolina in management information systems and ten years of product development on financial software at Dun & Bradstreet Software, Michele has the ability to mix the logical and creative aspects of a business with ease. She is a Profit First certified coach and hosts the popular podcast, Profit Is A Choice. Michele is a sought after speaker and coach known for her straight forward but grace-filled approach delivered with a healthy dose of love. Listen in today to find out what to do if you really need to change the trajectory of your business.

Show highlights:

  • Don’t let this exercise scare you, because if you’re capable of working as an interior designer, you will be capable of getting to grips with your finances.
  • There are certain numbers and indicators in your business that will paint a very clear picture of where you are at.
  • You can download this Financial Health Check-Up exercise, at no cost, from Michele’s website at Scarlet Thread Consulting.
  • It’s really important to have only business transactions running through your business accounts.
  • Know your total sales.
  • Have you created a clear sales goal for the year? For the month? For the day?
  • Why Michele is such a great fan of QuickBooks accounting system.
  • Michele has a course called Understanding Your Financials. It’s a tool to help you to understand where to place your focus.
  • Where you can start- right now!
  • Become the boss of your money. What is your gross profit margin? And how does it fit towards your goal?
  • Michele gives the ideal gross profit goal.
  • Are financial reports maintained and analyzed regularly?
  • The goal in all of this is to allow you to make decisions and to find errors early.
  • Defining where the money is coming in at the highest rate and allowing your company to be in alignment with that. We have defined our top two profit centers and have all company goals aligned to maintain them.
  • Who are my top two clients and income? Spending your resources in a way that brings you top dollar.
  • We have set aside funds for owner’s pay. How does this fit in with your net profit goals?
  • Why Michele writes herself a salary cheque every single month.
  • We’re aware of payroll expenses and have a plan to always have funds available. Just in case something unforeseen happens.
  • We know our average monthly expenses and we watch them closely. Remember that cash doesn’t flow in and out at the same rate every month, so you need to be saving every month and managing your expenses well.
  • We have a bank and credit card reconciliation process that is followed monthly. Don’t rely entirely on your bookkeeper. Look at every transaction, in and out of the bank and the credit card.
  • We have a process for determining the need for non-budgeted purposes in our company. Setting company values, a structure, and a determination to reduce impulse buys.
  • We have a yearly budget that we track back to regularly.
  • We have an ideal client description and a betting process that we use before we agree to work with anyone. Working with the wrong client will cost you money (or a bit of who you are) every single time.
  • We have implemented and used a cash management system. Making choices that put you in control of the money you spend. (A cash management system is something like a Profit First system and not like QuickBooks- that’s a financial management system.)
  • We regularly considered the tax implications of our company financials. Knowing what your taxes are based upon.
  • Peter Lang is one of the co-authors of LuAnn’s new book. He is a CPA who works ONLY with interior designers. His goal is for you, as an interior designer, to really understand your finances.
  • We have ongoing conversations with our accountant, our bookkeeper, and our financial coach. Ask for what you need and speak up if there’s something you don’t understand.
  • We have confidence in the achievability of our financial goals. If your confidence is low, ask yourself why. Look for the areas that you still need to work on in your business.
  • We are careful not to co-mingle funds in any way. (Between personal and business.) This will help you get a clearer picture of your financials.
  • What will be happening at LuAnn’s event LuAnn Live- It’s About The Conversation.

Links:

Website: Scarlet Thread Consulting

Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

Instagram: Scarlet Thread

LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Twitter: Chelebelle

Financial Health Checklist PDF: Scarlet Thread Consulting

To get Kravet’s generous one-time offer of  10% off your first order of any wallpaper or trim, go to Kravet and use the code AWDB10 at the checkout.

LuAnn’s 3rd birthday party for the podcast is coming up and Kravet is hosting the party! It will be on February the 5th at the Kravet Showroom at the D&D Building in New York City. Please RSVP through the event-brite link at Luann Nigara.

To find out more about LuAnn Live- It’s About The Conversation, go to LuAnn Live

Posted on

394: Carole Marcotte: Interior Designer, Retailer, Marketer

Fandf 2 Of 12 409x361

Welcome to today’s episode of A Well-Designed Business! We’re really happy to have Carole Marcotte, from Form and Function, in Raleigh NC, join us on the show today. Carole followed a number of different paths while raising her three children, prior to officially starting her design business a little more than ten years ago in 2008.

In 2013 she had the genius idea to expand her business to include a storefront with classic and funky vintage pieces alongside new Made-In-America and up-cycled gift selections. On today’s show, Carole talks to us about her niche, and she also explains how she was honored as one of Midtown Magazine’s “Thirty People You Need To Know” for the fantastic work she’s done in her community. Listen in today to find out about Carole and how she guides people, and gives them a fresh, modern spin, with things they already have.

Carole was raised in Canada and her career began in marketing and special events for a private women’s club in Toronto. After that, she worked at a radio station and she then moved to North Carolina in 1987. An old house renovation fueled her interest in architecture and design and she “unofficially” began to help friends and family with design work for many years, while also operating a catering and special events business and acting on local stages for more than twenty years. She also sat on many non-profit boards, most notably conceiving of and planning Raleigh’s largest public art project (The Raleigh Red Wolf Ramble) while Co-Chair of the City of Raleigh Arts Commission. Listen in to find out more.

Show Highlights:

  • Carole talks about her niche, what it means to her, and how she arrived at the clarity of it.
  • The way that Carole’s firm leads with her really meaningful process.
  • Finding and reusing items from all over the house is part of Carole’s process.
  • Adding the final layer and stylizing the house to completion, and then taking photographs, is important to Carole.
  • The kind of look that Carole uses in her design really varies a lot.
  • Carole guides people and gives them a fresh, modern spin on what they already have.
  • Carole always honors people’s ‘non-negotiable’ items, and figures out a way to place them, no matter how absurd they are.
  • Reusing items is more sustainable for the planet.
  • Carol talks about her retail store.
  • The store is about sixty percent vintage and forty percent new products- and it has a really funky vibe!
  • The store is a great marketing tool for Carole’s design services.
  • Talking about different kinds of design business models.
  • Shifting her business slowly towards a more sustainable model.
  • Carole talks to us about The Design District, in Raleigh, that she pro-actively put together.
  • Carole has really brought people together with her Design District map.

Links:

Website: Form And Functionraleigh

Facebook: Form And Functionraleigh

Instagram: Form And Functionraleigh

Pinterest: F And Fraleigh 

The website for the Design District map:  Design District Raleigh

Previous shows mentioned in this episode:

Kate Ahl #331

Fred Berns #174

Laurel Bern #342

Nancy Ganzekaufer #15

Claire Jefford #237

Nicole Heymer #125 and #317

Pulp Design Studios #176 and #310

LuAnn’s Upcoming Events:

Philly Jan 30 Lucas Alexander showroom

February 8th CEU Summit 2019 run by ASID NY Metro

Feb 12 in the Boston Design Center at Waterworks

And of course, the birthday party at Kravet.

Posted on

393: Power Talk Friday: Fred Berns: 12 Ways Interior Designers Sabotage Their Business

917 Power Talk Friday Fred Berns The Five Things All Successful People Do Thumbnail.png

Welcome to another Power Talk Friday! Today we are really happy to have the inimitable Fred Berns back on the show with us once again! Fred has been our guest on the podcast more often than anyone else in all of the almost three years that the show has been on the air! He has previously appeared on episodes #22, #48, #96, #174, #226, #289, and #337 and he is one of our favorite returning guests because his advice is always so intentional and actionable. Observation is one of Fred’s superpowers and he always adds an extra layer by noticing the things that are done well and could be done even better, in any business process. Fred has discovered that success leaves clues, but mistakes multiply, so today he will be talking to us about The Dirty Dozen, the twelve most common things that interior designers tend to do to sabotage their own success, that they really need to avoid. Listen in today and learn about the habits that cause harm to professionals.

Fred Berns is the only interior design industry business coach and speaker who creates personal bios and other promotional materials for design professionals worldwide. Fred has more than 25 years experience training design professionals from Dallas to Dubai and creating their online profiles, website and social media copy, blogs, and marketing forms. In addition, he offers a wide range of business coaching services, ranging from his High-Performance Coaching Program to his Bio Briefing and Website Onceover. As one of the biggest names in the business of interior design, he speaks at design conferences and other events throughout the U.S. and around the world. He also develops sales and marketing programs for international franchise organizations and companies within the interior design industry, and trains manufacturers, retailers, and others on how to increase sales to design professionals. Fred focuses on his keynote speeches and seminars on how designers, kitchen and bath specialists, window fashion experts and other professionals can dramatically increase sales, and market themselves more effectively. He has appeared at the International Window Coverings Expo; Neocon events; the High Point Market; Surfaces; design symposiums; home and design expos; furniture, gift and accessory shows; and national conferences of such groups as ASID, NKBA, IDS, and IFDA.

Fred’s blog is read by design professionals the world over, and he regularly writes guest blog posts and articles for online and print media.  He also is a frequent guest on design industry podcasts. His Interior Design Business Library includes a vast collection of books, audio and video programs and other business-building resources that he has developed for the design industry. His learning tools cover topics ranging from setting and getting higher fees and overcoming price objections to branding and million dollars marketing on a shoestring budget. Fred’s clients today benefit from the communication and copywriting skills that he acquired during his highly-successful earlier career as a broadcast and print journalist. In that career, he founded one of Washington, D.C.’s largest and longest-established independent news bureaus.

Show highlights:

We’re so busy looking for success steps, strategies, and shortcuts that we tend to overlook the fact that there are obstacles, roadblocks, and silly mistakes that derail too many design professionals too often.

Be careful of following the followers and not the leaders in the design industry. Remember that you make a great you, but a lousy somebody else!

Fishing for marlins, not minnows. Too many designers sell themselves short by thinking too small, too often, and they’re aiming too low. They under-value and under-promote themselves, and they charge too little for their services.

You’re an expert, so know your value. Many designers fall into the trap of giving away their time and Fred believes that really diminishes your value, as a design professional. The most financially successful designer’s charge for all of their time, all of the time.

You cannot be taken advantage of if you don’t allow it, so manage your relationships and take charge of them.

Majoring in minors. Stop wasting your time and becoming distracted.

What you will gain from including Fred’s Daily Dozen Activity and his Five O’clock Focus in your daily routine.

Plan your next day ahead with Fred’s MVP List (Most Valuable and Productive use of your time activities).

You need to be cross-selling, up-selling and doing add-on selling all the time by educating your clients about all you can do.

Your work does not sell itself- it’s way too competitive out there. Thinking your work sells itself is old-school thinking. It’s the kind of thinking that could kill your career.

Bogus Bios and Wimpy Websites– Bios that block you rather than boost you and disqualify you from the kinds of clients and projects you want and deserve. And websites that don’t promote all that you do and how well you do it. (Check out Website Onceover)

Your bio really has got to rock because it’s your most vital, versatile, and viable marketing tool. (See Bio Briefing)

Don’t go it alone. Do what you do best and delegate the rest.

Viewing price objections as obstacles. Learn to use price objections as opportunities.

Fred’s Fabulous Fallback for price objections.

Don’t futz with your fees. Hold firm on your fees or you won’t come across as professional.

Charging too little is another thing that will sabotage your success.

You need to be in control your business rather than the business controlling you.

Fred is coming to New Jersey for the LuAnn Nigara Live-It’s About the Conversation event. He is one of the co-authors of LuAnn’s new book, The Things I Learned From A Well-Designed Business, which will be launched on March 30th at this event!

Previous shows mentioned in this episode:

Episode #391- Live On Air Coaching Call- Rumble Interiors

Links and contacts:

Things I learned from Fred Bern: The Dirty Dozen

For coaching on how to avoid or overcome these “Success Saboteurs:”  Coach Call

For coaching on how to upgrade your website content: Website Onceover

For coaching on crafting your Killer Bio: Bio Briefing

Fred’s email: fred@fredberns.com

Fred’s phone number: (303) 589-3013

About our birthday party:

Sponsor, Kravet Inc, is hosting the 3rd birthday party for the podcast! So, if you are coming into New York for NY Now in the 1st week of February, or you want to come just for the party, please join us on Feb 5th at the Kravet showroom, in New York,  from [5:30] to 7:30 pm. Go to Luann Nigara and look for the event rsvp—the party is free and the more the merrier so please plan to join us! Go to Luann Nigara and click on Live Event.

Posted on

392: Dala Al-Fuwaires: Commercial Designer, Focused Business Owner

Welcome to today’s episode of A Well-Designed Business! Dala Al Fuwaires, the Principal of FJI Design in Scottsdale, Arizona, will be joining us on the show today. Dala is a dreamer, designer, and doer, and she has begun to niche and focus her firm, FJI Design, in the food and beverage industry. Dala runs her business with very clear strategies for building her client base, for managing and motivating her employees, and also for making a name for herself and for her firm in her community. Listen in today to find out what she has to say about getting yourself into the driver’s seat, in order to create a really successful business.

Dala Al-Fuwaires, Principal of FJI, a hospitality design firm with a sweet spot for food and beverage interiors, is a dreamer, designer, and doer. With over a decade of experience in the interior design field, Dala has worked on hospitality, retail, and residential design projects ranging in size from boutique to national rollouts. Dala graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from Arizona State University and a Master of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Purdue University. Outside of design, Dala can be found exploring the world, hosting dinner parties for friends and family, remodeling her home, and photographing all of the above. Listen in to find out more.

Show highlights:

  • About sixty percent of Dala’s business is food and beverage related and Dala really wants each of her projects to be it’s own thing, in terms of style.
  • The importance of having good design and lighting in restaurants.
  • Dala really creates an experience for restauranteurs, and she even has a specific playlist of music that she plays when doing a presentation, to set the right tone.
  • The intentional plan that Dala had in place for making money, when she first opened her business.
  • Dala spent eight hours per day, for a whole week, reaching out to the people that she already knew.
  • Dala talks about the High Stakes Mastermind Group she joined in her first year in business.
  • Why Dala offered her services, pro bono, to one new (or growing), local food and beverage business per year.
  • Dala gives the details of the Design It Forward competition she’s been running for two years.
  • How Dala informed her community about the pro bono design services she was offering.
  • The applications for Dala’s competition open in June of each year.
  • How the book Profit First, by Mike Mikalowitz, really helped Dala to strategize effectively, and to keep her business expenses low, in her first year in business.
  • Setting herself up on Payroll, so that Dala is actually an employee of her business, in order to maximize her profit.
  • The importance of having enough money put away to keep your business running for at least three months, in case of an emergency.
  • Dala’s really awesome way of motivating her team to reach their quarterly goals.

Previous shows mentioned in this episode:

Candy Scott #279

Claire Jefford #237

Michele Williams #180

Chris Kofitsas #152

Links:

Website: FJI Design

Instagram: FJI Design

Facebook: FJI Design

Pinterest: FJI Design

LinkedIn: FJI Design

About our birthday party:

Sponsor, Kravet Inc, is hosting the 3rd birthday party for the podcast! So, if you are coming into New York for NY Now in the 1st week of February, or you want to come just for the party, please join us on Feb 5th at the Kravet showroom, in New York,  from [5:30] to 7:30 pm. Go to Luann Nigara and look for the event rsvp—the party is free and the more the merrier so please plan to join us!