Posted on

348: Albie Buabeng: The E-Design Experience

1x
0:00
1:1:55

Welcome! We have Albie Buabeng with us on the show today and she’s one smart lady! Albie will be sharing with us her journey into interior design, which has lead her to becoming exclusively an e-designer. She will also explain how the success she’s enjoyed as an e-designer inspired her to produce a conference and a community called the E-Design Experience. The E-Design Experience was created specifically to help designers, just like you, on their journey to becoming a more efficient e-designer. Listen in today to find out more about Albie and her community.

After creating a comfortable, stylish, and functional home for her family of three in her NYC Hell’s Kitchen studio apartment, Albie made the transition from retail visual merchandising to interior styling and design. And she hasn’t looked back! She helps creatives and influencers in their fields decode their spaces and create beautiful dreamscapes. Listen in to find out what she has to share on the show today.

  • Show highlights: Why Albie has chosen to follow the e-design path.
  • The importance of having well-structured systems in place in your business.
  • The way that Albie has refined her processes.
  • Albie uses an automated email platform to ensure a smooth process for her clients from start to finish.
  • How Albie moved into teaching e-design to her colleagues.
  • Where the biggest challenges that Albies students are facing lie.
  • Albie’s business model for the E-Design Experience.
  • The kind of designers that Albie attracts to her E-Design Experience community.
  • Where the different e-designers source their products.
  • The way that e-designers market their businesses.
  • How Albie managed to find her voice as an e-designer.
  • The social media platforms that Albie dropped out of while figuring out her specific path.

Albie describes her ideal client. Other shows mentioned in this episode: Article.com #301 Chaney Widmar #260 Nicole Hymar (Curio Electro) #125 #317 Links: To become an Article trade member go to Well Designed Article to register. https://welldesigned.article.com The E-Design Experience Website: Albie Knows Design YouTube: Albie Knows Design Instagram: Albie Knows Design

Posted on

347: Power Talk Friday: Mikael Dia: How to Market to Your Ideal Client

Mikael Dia

Welcome to another episode of Power talk Friday! Today we have Mikael Dia, a digital marketing expert and the founder of Funnelytics, with us on the show. Funnelytics is a software company that helps entrepreneurs and marketers to convert traffic into more profit. And Mikael is a really extraordinary entrepreneur and marketing expert who is really passionate about helping business owners, just like you, to get your message out in a way that is more impacting, more direct and way more focused. On the show, we talk with Mikael about his Growth Accelerator program with its nine phases towards success in growing your business online. Listen in today to get Mikael’s really helpful advice.

Mikael has two master’s degrees- an MBA from the Hult International Business School, and a master’s degree in civil engineering from Ryerson University in Toronto, Canada, with a specialization in project management. Mikael’s first venture was a Mandarin language school that he started in London in 2012. It grew quickly and Mikael and his business partner were able to exit from it successfully within eight months. Mikael has since grown his marketing agency, White Coat Digital, to over a million dollars in just eighteen months. He is known for his expertise in scaling online businesses very quickly and this has allowed him to raise over a million dollars in angel and seed funding for his ventures. Mikael,  originally from Montreal, now lives in Toronto with his wife and eighteen-month-old daughter. Listen in to find out what he has to share on the show today!

Show highlights:

  • The best way to look at sales funnels.
  • Guiding the conversation with your potential clients.
  • How to start the process.
  • Finding the top of your mountain.
  • Discovering your ideal client and appealing to them in the right way.
  • Getting to understand your ideal client.
  • Putting out the right message to attract the right person.
  • The power of your marketing message.
  • Finding the emotional reasons for people’s motivations.
  • Measuring what’s working and what’s not.
  • Creative ways to work with the numbers.
  • Mapping things out in a colorful, visual way.
  • Ways of keeping track of your Facebook ads.
  • All about Mikael’s 16-week Growth Accelerator program.
  • The awesome support that Mikael’s program will be offering.
  • Mikael’s process is all about growth.
  • Why you really need to simplify everything.

 Links:

Other episodes mentioned on this show:

Adam Urbanski #280

Nancy Ganzekaupher #256

Kae Whitaker #274

Kae Whitaker #259

Claire Jefford #325

To find out more about Mikael’s Growth Accelerator program go to The Dia Project

Mikael’s other website is  Funnelytics

You can reach Mikael’s PR representative, Ester (Pinky) Kiss, on (323)770 3530 or find her at Born To Influence

To find out more about LuAnn’s group coaching program or mastermind group starting on September 12, email Christie at christie@luannnigara.com to make the necessary arrangements.

Posted on

346: Do Not Let Us Design: Taylor Dieterich & Yashlie Negron

Taylor Dietrich and Yashlie Negron

Welcome to today’s show! We have Taylor Dietrich and Yashlie Negron with us and they are the co-founders a firm that works both in real locations and virtually, called Do Not Let Us Design. And that’s a catchy name that really piques your interest, right? On the show today Taylor and Yashlie discuss their interesting journey in the industry, starting out as interns, being promoted and eventually graduating into project managers and junior designers. They have come up with a very interesting concept, so listen in today to find out more.

DNLUD as a name comes from the misconception of misjudging someone who might look too young or easygoing. Taylor and Yashlie have embraced any negative connotations and turned these to their advantage while striving to produce really unique and stunning interiors. 

Yashlie grew up around construction zones and witnessing places transform before her eyes instilled in her a desire to create a similar kind of magic. She graduated with a BFA in Interior Design from the New York School of Interior Design. Since graduating, she has worked with various design firms.

Taylor, inspired by travel and all things foreign, became inspired to contribute to the arts through interiors after spending a semester in Florence. After graduating from the University of Rhode Island in the Textile, Merchandising, and Design program, she quickly jumped into the trade. She specializes in project management.

Listen in to find out what these two really savvy ladies have to share on the show today.

Show highlights:

  • How DNLUD concept came about and why they decided to do it.
  • How they started their own company while still working part-time for another firm.
  • The kind of confidence they had, starting out.
  • Their process of legitimizing their brand.
  • The kind of legal assistance they used for their business.
  • Some of the things that Yashlie and Taylor do to assist designers.
  • The close attention that they pay to the details.
  • The way that they really have their systems locked down.
  • How they go about managing their projects.
  • Their way of being transparent with their processes, in real time.
  • The really organized process that they use with their clients.
  • The fees that they charge and the way that they get paid.
  • How they create a visual package for their clients.
  • How they understand the design holistically.
  • The way that they protect their clients’ confidentiality.

Links:

Yashie and Taylor’s website: DNLUD

Email Yashlie and Taylor at yashlieandtaylor@dnlud.com

Yashlie and Tayor on Instagram: dnlud

Other episodes mentioned on the show:

Brittany Ems #149

Danielle Liss #171

Posted on

345: Power Talk Friday: Chris Ramey – Attracting and Marketing to the Affluent

chris ramey

Welcome to today’s episode! We have Chris Ramey, the president of The Home Trust International and Affluent Insights/Retail-Rescue, on the show with us today. Chris is a marketing professional who is very well versed in both our industry and the habits and traits of affluent people and he truly understands all there is to know about the client and the consumer base, particularly within the affluent consumer market. He’s pointed out to us that research has shown that the biggest problem that interior designers are facing lately is finding clients. So today Chris, who really knows the kind of pain that many interior designers are experiencing right now, explains what luxury really means and how to interact with the extremely wealthy market. Listen in to find out more.

The Home Trust is an aggressive marketing agency with hyper-focused marketing programs to help them really penetrate the market. It is best known for its rich consumer-facing website which is aimed at high net-worth families, where they find the world’s best products and services for their homes. Chris is a consultant and a speaker, consulting and speaking to organizations with all luxury categories. He is the most quoted independent authority in the luxury segment and he has, in the past,  been president of The Luxury Marketing Council Miami and The Luxury Marketing Council Palm Beach, as well as president and founder of Savvi Formalwear, and president of International Design Guild.

Chris is a member of National Speakers Association, a columnist for Hearst Business Publications’ Floor Covering Weekly, and he has earned the ‘Top 5% appellation’ from Gerson-Lehrman for his work with private equity firms investing in home and luxury segments. He also sits on the Retail Wire Brain Trust panel and he is a director for Domestic Estate Management Association Palm Beach.

Chris, originally from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, now resides with his wife in Palm Beach County, Florida. Listen in to find out what he has to share with you on today’s show.

Show highlights:

  • How Chris came to understand the affluent market so well.
  • What you, as a designer, need to understand in order to be successful in reaching the affluent market.
  • You don’t sell to the affluent market- you fascinate them!
  • What it takes to connect with the affluent market.
  • Creating something that is uniquely yours.
  • Why you need to constantly be honing who you are and what you do.
  • Why it is really so important for you to have the courage to express your own, singular point of view.
  • How Chris helps designers.
  • Chris explains his ‘Laws of Luxury’.
  • Why you should not align your brand with fashion.
  • The different kind of business model and sales strategy that is applied to the luxury market.
  • Evoking desire for your brand.
  • Having money doesn’t necessarily make you a luxury consumer.
  • How to market to the truly affluent.
  • Scarcity is another pillar of luxury.
  • How logos define you.
  • Ways to get known within the really affluent market.
  • Collaborating is always a pillar of luxury- but you really do need to have enough money to advertise.
  • Why you really don’t want to be perceived as isolated.
  • Surprising and delighting your client in a way that will drive loyalty to your brand.

 Links:

Chris Websites: The Home Trust

Email Chris at: cpr@affluentinsights.com

cpr@thehometrust.com

Other episodes mentioned on the show:

Nicole Heymer #125 and #317

Studio Thomas #314

Nancy Ganzekaupher #9

Jo Buckerfield #320

Posted on

344: Mrs. Paranjape: A New Take on Relationships with Retailers

Lori Paranjape 409x361

Welcome! Today we have a very smart lady, Lori Paranjape, of Mrs. Paranjape Design and Interiors with us. As well as being a really talented designer, Lori, affectionately known as Mrs. Paranjape, is also an excellent businesswoman and on the show today she’s going to be offering lots of really practical advice for designers. She has had her work featured in People, HGTV Magazine, and Domino, as well as in many other publications. Listen in today to find out what Lori has to share with you.

Mrs. Paranjape Design and Interiors, which specializes in luxury residential and new construction projects, was started in 2008. Lori is a self-taught and extremely motivated designer. She started out helping friends and acquaintances with their homes. As time went by, referrals continued to pour in and Lori began working as the in-house designer for Redo Home and Design, the well-loved home retailer to generations of families based in Nashville. Listen in today as Lori discusses the really innovative relationship she has with Redo Home and Design, and she also encourages designers and retailers to build awesome partnerships, just as she has done with Redo.

Show highlights:

Lori’s explains the details of her ‘Design Collective’ business model that she has set up in Nashville.

The wonderful, symbiotic relationship that Lori has with her business partner.

The clear distinctions between the different aspects of her partnership.

What constitutes a ‘commissionable’ sale within her partnership.

How Lori’s commission is paid to her.

The intentional way that Lori sources everything that she needs.

How Lori’s retailer provides everything that she needs.

The awesome and mutually beneficial kind of partnership that can be formed between a designer and a retailer.

The way that Lori and her partner work to utilize a relatively small showroom space to their best advantage.

Lori’s unique, practical and real-life approach to designing a home for her clients.

The way that Lori really takes care of her clients.

Why you, as designers, really need to cultivate the skill of asking,  listening, and then going a little deeper.

Lori’s special way of discovering the personal details about her clients, without making them feel uncomfortable.

Lori’s innovative ways of encouraging clients to spend more money on a project, if it’s necessary.

Some tips for overcoming difficulties with clients around the cost of a project in a comfortable way.

The conversations that Lori has with her clients right at the beginning of their relationship.

When to simply say ‘no’ to a client.

Using candles and music to transform a room and create the right atmosphere.

Ways of gaining a client’s cooperation in using their home for a photo shoot.

How to Find Lori:

Website – Mrs. Paranjape

Instagram – @mrsparanjape

Pinterest – Mrs. Paranjape

Posted on

343: Power Talk Friday: Raquel Langworthy: Partnering with Your Interiors Photographer

Raquel Langworthy

Welcome to this week’s Power Talk Friday! We have Raquel Langworthy, a lifestyle, and interiors photographer, with us. Rachel’s philosophy is one of partnering very closely with her clients, so today we are going to be talking to her about how she does that with her designer clients, by creating with them a thorough and detailed relationship, working with them side by side and supporting them all the way. Listen in to find out more.

Raquel is a Lifestyle and Interiors photographer based in Berkeley Heights, New Jersey. She services mainly the east coast but she’s traveled the country for various photography assignments for both documentary storytelling and interiors. Raquel has recently been published in NY Cottage & Garden, for their cover story, as well as in many other online publications such as Domino.com and Architectural Digest online. Raquel moved to New Jersey two years ago, and although she still feels new to the NJ market she has had the pleasure of working with a host of talented interior designers and architects to capture their work and portraits. Her focus in photography is naturally lit bright spaces. Her goal when photographing interiors is not only to capture the overall space but captivate an audience through visual storytelling and well-styled compositions. Listen in to find out what Raquel has to share on the show today.

Show highlights:

  • How Raquel starts her relationship with a new client.
  • The importance of using the right styling to create the perfect composition.
  • Why Raquel does not email her clients.
  • How Raquel prepares for a shoot.
  • Raquel also assists with the styling at times.
  • Photographing a full house really takes a whole lot of styling!
  • Raquel and Charlotte’s work was featured recently on the cover of NY Cottage and Garden, and also in a ten-page article.
  • How to tell if it’s really worth investing in a talented stylist for a photo shoot, or not.
  • What Raquel has learned from previous episodes of the podcast.
  • Why you really have to be ready, to work nationally.
  • The different specialties and skill sets of photographers.
  • Some things to look out for when taking photos with your iPhone.
  • Some tips for working with a photographer.
  • Some tips for designers, when thinking about hiring a photographer for a project.

Previous episodes mentioned on the show.

Charlotte #138

Ashley Hotham Cox #321

Amy Flurry #108 and #323

Links:

Website – Raquel Langworthy

Instagram – Raquel Langworthy Photography

Facebook – Raquel Langworthy Photography

Posted on

342: Laurel Bern: 6 Figure Interior Design Blogger Shares Advice

Laurel-Home

Welcome to today’s episode! We have Laurel Bern, of Laurel Bern Interiors on the show with us today.

Laurel Bern is an award-winning New York Interior Designer, blogger, brand ambassador and speaker. Her design work has been featured in national as well as Westchester County shelter magazines. She is known for a having a young-traditional aesthetic and is one to buck many of the current trends unless they happen to be classic favorites. However, after 21 years as the principle designer in her firm Laurel Bern Interiors, she has turned her focus to blogging as a full-time occupation. Her award-winning blog, Laurel Home has drawn a large following – and by large- I mean with page views in the multiple hundreds of thousands every month- due to her candid style of writing, useful information and warm community of readers. You can see for yourself right on her website, laurelberninteriors.com she earns over $33,000 per month from her blog.

Laurel’s Rolodex is a comprehensive shopping guide for home furnishings with links to the vendor/manufacturers and features a list of some 180 designer-friendly vendors for interior designers. No professional confidences are divulged. Laurel’s goal is to help you make your home more beautiful, personal and a really comfortable place in which to live.  You will want to savor every moment of today’s show, so join us today to discover more about Laurel ’s incredible, entrepreneurial journey.

Show highlights:

  • How to blog effectively, in order to attract your ideal client.
  • Steps you should take right from the start in order to create a successful blog.
  • Your blog needs to live on a really well-built website.
  • What your ‘about’ page is truly all about.
  • The nuts and bolts of creating a successful website.
  • Why you need to have a navigation menu on every page of your website.
  • Selecting the most appropriate font for your website.
  • How to avoid overwhelming your readers.
  • How to use primary keywords
  • People want a lot of knowledge, but they also want to be entertained.
  • Figuring out your special secret sauce, and your own, unique voice.
  • Your content has to be rich with relevant information.
  • The importance of having your blog posts indexed.
  • Some things that will help you to create magic in your blog.
  • You can even take your own photos with your phone.
  • Some tips to enhance your photos.
  • Awesome ideas for free gifts for your readers of your blog.
  • Why Laurel loves using WordPress.com.
  • Selecting information to place in your sidebar.
  • Ways to keep your readers on your website for as long as possible.
  • Learn about the $250 000 that Laurel left on the table for five years of her blogging career.
  • Why you should get yourself onto an advertising network.
  • The importance of blogging consistently.
  • Ways to encourage people to take your surveys.
  • Laurel has written a document called Six-figure Income Blogger, and it’s really simple and full of the strategies that she’s used, and lessons that she learned the hard way. Go to her website laurelberninteriors.com to get your copy for $199. It’s in the first link in the main menu on the left-hand side.

Previous episodes mentioned on this show.

Claire Jefford #325

Linda Holt #97

Carla Aston #242

Stephan Spence #238

Recommendations:

For really awesome geek help, go to Eileen Lonergan

Laurel Bern Interiors Instagram: Laurel Bern Free Blogger Guide: Six Figure Income Blogger Guide

Posted on

341: Esther “Pinky” Kiss: How to Position Your Interior Design Business to Get PR

Esther-Kiss

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We are really happy to introduce you to Esther (Pinky) Kiss today. Pinky is the founder of Born To Influence, a boutique publicity firm that specializes in helping experts and personal brands to get more publicity, leads, and sales. We will be talking to Pinky about how to get your ducks in a row, and understanding what you need to do, in order to be properly prepared for the marketing and PR process, and to gain credibility as an expert in your field. Today’s show is geared for the interior designer who is in their own market, with a successful business, who would like to access PR and media opportunities specifically to create more business for their firm. Listen in to find out what she has to share on the show today.

Pinky has worked on campaigns in a variety of industries, including software as a service, mobile apps, and digital information. She also has a podcast called Born To Influence, The Marketing Show, where although she does not air new interviews at this point, there is still a library available, on iTunes, containing tons of information. Pinky has also been involved in bringing several book launches to national bestseller and New York Times status. Listen in to find out more!

Show highlights:

  • The importance of having certain foundations in place, in order to be seen as an expert in your field.
  • Why you need to be really clear about your goals.
  • What you need to do to cover all the necessary bases, in order to get more clients.
  • Positioning yourself to gain more credibility through publicity.
  • The steps involved in creating an awesome bio to suit your specific needs.
  • An example of a bio containing really compelling information.
  • Creating a bio that will really earn you credibility
  • The next step towards getting some publicity, once you have your bio and website locked down.
  • How to really set yourself apart from the rest.
  • Learning to understand the problems that your potential clients would be facing, and to think the way that your potential clients would be thinking.
  • Creating your Intentional Media Message Content.
  • Creating different pitches to suit different situations.
  • Connecting your expertise to what the media is already interested in.
  • Choosing the right talking points to suit specific media situations.
  • Ways to connect with the right people in the right spaces.
  • Why you should get some local TV experience before attempting to get onto national TV.
  • Examining your underlying skill sets.
  • Looking at big, current news items and connecting to that, to get publicity.
  • All about Pinky’s online study course, Publicity Empire.
  • The right time to hire a publicist.
  • Pinky has a free giveaway of her Media Positioning Checklist. Go to borntoinfluence.com/checklist to get it!

Links:

For the free training segment of Pinky’s Publicity Empire online study course go to https://www.borntoinfluence.com/free-publicity-training

Previous episodes mentioned on this show:

Amy Flurry episodes #108 and #323

Pulp Design Studio episodes #176 and #310

Christy Leu episode #182

Ren Miller episode #12

Posted on

340: Judith Taylor: Strategies for Working with Family and Friends

Welcome to today’s episode. We have Judith Taylor, of Judith Taylor Designs, with us on the show and today we talk to her about navigating the murky waters of working with friends and family. She also talks about the new furniture line that she is launching and her multi-generational heritage of furniture design and manufacture. In addition to studying interior design, Judith also studied at Toronto School of Art, she has a bachelor’s degree in psychology and business administration and a past career in IT. These added areas of understanding have provided her with the unique ability to combine practicality, psychology, and aesthetics into her interior design projects. Listen in today to get her really spot-on advice and tips for working with family and friends in a way that won’t drive you crazy!        

Judith is the founder and principal designer of her award-winning firm which specializes in residential design. She did her formal training in interior design in Toronto, where she received high honors for her work, which is inspired by broadly reaching disciplines. Judith started her career in IT, where she honed her skills in project management and developed a deep understanding of the process and an orientation to details. Today she lives in Toronto’s Beaches neighborhood with her family. Listen in to find out more!

Show highlights:

  • All designers have a friend that they don’t want to say ‘no’ to, or that they wish they hadn’t said ‘yes’ to.
  • What to do when you’re approached by someone at a dinner party and they ask for some free advice about interior design.
  • How to gently lead friends to the front door of your business.
  • Using the right language to make it very clear that you are dealing with a business transaction.
  • Sometimes there could be a fair payoff from working with friends or family.
  • Establishing firm boundaries can be really tricky with friends.
  • How a small favor can quickly snowball.
  • Giving yourself a chance to reflect on the reality of the workload of a personal favor.
  • Dealing with friends and family members who push your boundaries.
  • Being clear about what you will and won’t do.
  • Explaining to friends and family the amount of work that goes into what you do.
  • Handling discounts appropriately with friends and family.
  • Why you have to be willing to have the hard conversation with friends and family.
  • About the soon-to-be-launched furniture line that Judith has developed.

Links:

     Judith’s furniture line can be found at Silver 4 Home

     Blog “Point of View”: Judith Taylor Designs

     Instagram

     Pinterest: Judith Taylor Designs

     Facebook: Judith Taylor Designs

     Houzz: Judith Taylor Designs

To find out more about LuAnn’s in-person coaching seminar on 28 July in Las Vegas go to Luann Nigara

Previous episodes mentioned on this show:

Lee Cockerell #222

Posted on

339: Power Talk Friday: Craig Cody, CPA: The Biggest Mistakes Small Business Owners Make

Craig-Cody

Welcome to Power talk Friday! Today we’re talking taxes and we’re really happy to introduce you to our guest, Craig Cody. Craig is a certified tax coach, a certified public accountant, a business owner and he is also a former New York City police officer with seventeen years on the force! Pretty impressive, right! Listen in to find out more!   

In addition to being a public accountant for the last fifteen years, Craig is also a certified tax coach to a select group of tax practitioners throughout the country. They undergo extensive training and education on various tax-planning techniques and strategies to become (or remain) certified. With this organization, Craig has co-authored an Amazon best-seller, Secrets of a Tax-free Life. On the show today, Craig discusses the services that he offers his clients, and how he saves them money, tax-wise. He also explains how to develop the right relationship with your accountant, and how to ensure that he’s the right fit for your business. Listen in today to hear Craig’s awesome advice!

Show highlights:

  • Craig and his organization have a really pro-active approach to taxation.
  • Why good relationships between business owners and their accountants are really all about great communication.
  • Some questions that designers who have recently started out in business should be asking their accountants.
  • How proper communication with your accountant can significantly affect the amount of taxes that you will have to pay.
  • How to know if an accountant will be the right fit for yourself and your business.
  • Craig explains the way that he works with his clients.
  • Knowing if your business is healthy enough to hire an employee.
  • How Craig’s services help his clients make informed decisions.
  • Craig’s kind of pro-activity.
  • Some typical tax-mistakes that Craig comes across.
  • Some awesome tax-rebates for home-office designers.
  • Crazy tax-deductions for working kids!
  • How Craig’s services differ from those of other accountants.
  • Craig talks about his book, The Ten Most Expensive Tax Mistakes That Cost Business Owners Thousands.

To get your free copy of Craig’s book, The Ten Most Expensive Tax Mistakes That Cost Business Owners Thousands

Links:

Website – Craig Cody and Company Facebook – Craig Cody and Company Twitter – Craig Cody & Company Book – Secrets of a Tax Free Life