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

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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.

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

Find Michele on Boardroom for Creatives

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

Find Michele on Boardroom for Creatives

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394: Carole Marcotte: Interior Designer, Retailer, Marketer

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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.

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

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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.

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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!

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391: Power Talk Friday: Live On Air Coaching Call: Rumble Interiors

Stephanie Castillo

 Welcome to Power Talk Friday! Today we have the first of our brand new on-air coaching shows and Stephanie Castillo, of Rumble Interiors in Washington State, will be joining us. Stephanie is a new designer and although she is still finishing her degree, she does have business experience. On the show today Stephanie will be asking LuAnn some really interesting questions about how to set up vendor accounts and setting up accounts with the trades. They talk about whether or not Stephanie should niche her firm, and if she needs a receivership for the products she sells to clients. They also have a discussion about a collaboration that Stephanie is developing with two other interior designers. Listen in to LuAnn’s excellent coaching session with Stephanie on the show today.

Stephanie has been a hairstylist for 27 years and she’s worn many hats in that industry, Stylist, Educator, Manager, and Recruiter. She has two kids in grade school and she volunteers as the Board President for the Ellensburg Downtown Association in Washington state.

As her body was beginning to get tired from her work, Stephanie began thinking about what else she could do. As interior design has always been a love of hers, she enrolled at the New York School of Art and Design and started taking classes online.

Now that she’s close to finishing up with her studies, Stephanie has gone ahead with the process of starting her own business, Rumble Interiors. She has done some practice work of what has become re-styles which involves taking someone’s house and using what they already have and reworking it. And this really brings her so much joy!  To set herself up for success, she has been reaching out to mentors, like LuAnn, because she is ready to learn about all the details of running an interior design business. Listen in to find out more.

Show highlights:

Stephanie has her license and she has her social media sites set up, but she does not yet have her website set up.

Stephanie has a blog that you can find via Instagram.

The collaboration that Stephanie is developing with two other interior designers.

Stephanie is into re-styles and would like to get into feng shui.

The design styles of Stephanie and her partners are very different.

Things to bear in mind when leasing a design space in partnership with someone else.

Finding the best vendors and tradespeople.

How to establish great relationships with sales reps.

The need for having a receivership for your shipped goods.

Finding a good and reputable receivership.

Running your business like a big-girl one, even if you’re still a baby designer.

Do you really need licenses and accreditations?

How to work out how much to charge when you’re starting out as a designer.

Is having a niche the best way to go?

Deciding whether to go to design school or not.

Why you really need to have a website for your business.

Creating content for your website.

Other episodes mentioned on the show:

Nicole Heymer, Ep 125 – Curio Electric, Ep 387

Links:

Facebook: Rumble Interiors

Instagram: Rumble Interiors, mangossalon, @Stephanieatmangossalon on Instagram

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390: Taylor Spellman: Re-play Episode & Designer Panelist at LuAnn Nigara Live 3/2019!

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I have another fun show for you today! Taylor Spellman is with us today. Taylor is a New York-based interior designer and staging expert. She is also the host of Bravo’s new TV show “Yours Mine or Ours”. No matter what she is designing- whether it be a 10-million-dollar penthouse, the lobby of a high-rise or the showroom for a fashion client– her super down to earth personality combined with her bold style makes her a stand out in our interior design community. Taylor has the unique and unteachable talent using high end one of a kind pieces to an afternoon spent at the Goodwill. Today you will learn how she came from humble beginnings and now has a million dollar clientele in New York City.

Show Notes:

  • Did Taylor go to school for interior design?
  • What are some pros for an interior designer that was not classically trained in the interior design field?
  • What do Taylor’s clients have in common?
  • How did she decide she wanted to work with men for her niche?
  • How long did she research her idea for her niche before launching the idea?
  • What did Taylor go to school for?
  • What were Taylor’s intentions for her career?
  • What is Taylor’s competitive edge?
  • Nothing just happens!
  • How did she discover staging as another niche?
  • How did she find events to attend in real estate and build relationships?
  • Why is it a good idea to have a lawyer?
  • What opportunities came about before “Yours Mine or Ours”?
  • What is the show “Yours Mine or Ours” about?
  • Is it all just about real estate when helping clients with their homes?
  • How does she execute her design on the show?
  • Where do her girls from her business fit in while Taylor is working on set?
  • Is there any other advice she would give to her colleagues?

The rest of the show notes are in our resource center: Window Works 

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389: Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: The Interior Design Profit Formula

Nancy Ganzekaufer

Find Nancy on Boardroom for Creatives

Welcome to Power Talk Friday! We have Nancy Ganzekaufer, one of the co-authors of Luann’s soon-to-be-launched new book, The Things I Learned From A Well-Designed Business, with us today. Nancy is a really smart lady and she has appeared on the podcast number of times before to share her spot-on, expert advice. (#377, #256, #159, and #15) Today, Nancy is going to be talking to us about her new product, The Interior Design Profit Formula, an online course that she has really poured her heart and soul into creating. This is really the most affordable way to add a huge amount of value to your interior design business, so listen in to find out more!

Nancy Ganzekaufer partners with creative entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses, get more sales, get over their fears and go for what they want in work and in life. Through a series of coaching calls, emails, and exercises, she helps entrepreneurs reframe their doubts and indecisions, work through challenges with more confidence, and ultimately to grow their sales. Listen in today, to find out about the incredible kind of impact that Nancy’s new course, The Interior Design Profit Formula, could have on your business.

Show highlights:

  • There are many different things that an interior designer needs to manage and it’s one of the most difficult service industries that Nancy’s coached.
  • Running an interior design business takes balance and really knowing what to do.
  • Nancy explains her motivation for putting this course together.
  • You will need to have stickability, and the right kind of personality to go the distance with Nancy’s course.
  • Nancy explains what you will find in her course.
  • Describing your business in words is the beginning of your branding process.
  • The way that Nancy presents her information, and the examples that she gives, will really open up your mind and give you clarity.
  • The benefits of having lifetime-access to Nancy’s course.
  • Nancy talks about growing your business.
  • The importance of getting creative.
  • Designers often come to Nancy for her help when they’re feeling overwhelmed.
  • Nancy gives the simplest tip that really makes the biggest difference!
  • Becoming the leader in your relationship, and in charge of the process with your clients right from the outset.
  • Being alert to the subtle messages that a potential client is giving out during the consultation.
  • Ways to introduce your services in order to protect yourself.
  • Nancy explains the benefits of her Ladder of Services model.
  • Make sure that the people that you hire are dedicated to the growth of your company.
  • The goal of Nancy’s course is to make everyone feel confident in extending their reach, gaining more clients, and doubling or tripling their income.
  • Nancy talks about the guest coaches in her course.
  • Nancy’s course costs $997 at this point in time and she is offering a free, one-on-one, half an hour coaching consultation to everyone who purchases her course, through this link Luann Nigara, from now until 30th June 2019.

Other episodes mentioned on this show:

Eileen Hahn # 363

Resources:

To get Nancy’s Interior Design Profit Formula, go to Luann Nigara

Links:

Profit Insiders Coaching

You can also reach Nancy through her forum, or through her Facebook group, The Interior Design Business Forum at Interior Design Business Forum

Find Nancy on Boardroom for Creatives

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388: Corey Damen Jenkins: Interior Designer, Furniture Designer, & Gentleman

Corey Damen Jenkins

I have another outstanding show for you today! Corey Damen Jenkins is with me today and he is no exception to the amazing people I have been meeting. What you will learn from is that he is one of the good guys. He is the kind of person that everyone would agree is very open, sincere, humble and giving. What you may or may not know about Corey is that he is the principal of Corey Damen Jenkins Associates which is located in Birmingham, Michigan. In 2011 the television audiences voted him the winning design star of HGTV’s Show House Showdown. Since then it has been a whirlwind of accomplishments! Today we are going to talk about how his lifelong dream came true in 2016 with his launch of his first couture collection of furniture, Corey Damen Jenkins exclusively for leathercraft. This collection was nominated for the prestigious 2017 arts award for the best product design. Once you start to listen to this episode it will be no surprise to you that Corey Damen believes in giving back to the design community. His firm generously donates to several charities.

Show Notes:

  • What was the process like to get Corey to decide to get on HGTV’s Show House Showdown?
  • What were the reasons that Corey was cast for HGTV’s Show House Showdown?
  • How has Corey learned to deal with his past insecurities and reconstruct the way he deals with things?
  • How does he get the most out of his projects?
  • Does he use PR firms?
  • When working with a PR firm how should a design firm behave and be organized?
  • How did Corey decide to design his furniture through Leathercraft?
  • What is Leathercraft?
  • How did Corey decide what fabrics to use on his furniture collection?
  • Who did Corey name a piece of his furniture in his new collection after?
  • How does he come up with his designs for his furniture?

Resources:

Leather Craft Furniture

Corey Damen Jenkins

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387: The Things I Learned From A Well-Designed Business




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Welcome to Power Talk Friday!

LuAnn has a special announcement to make on the show today. As most of you know, her second book, The Things I Learned From A Well-Designed Business, is coming out soon. It was initially going to be released in February next year, but this has changed. On the show today LuAnn explains why the plans have changed and she talks about the big event, LuAnn Nigara Live, It’s About The Conversation, that has been planned instead, for the launch of the book on the 30th of March. She also explains what the book will be like, and the kind of information you can expect to find in it. Listen in to find out all about the really remarkable event that LuAnn has planned.

LuAnn invited twelve of the Power Talk Friday experts to collaborate with her in creating a go-to book to run your interior design business. She invited each of them to write a chapter for the book about their specific zone of genius. The book is full of really useful information for interior designers about attracting luxury clientele, creating a design process, charging what you’re worth, building an exceptional team, defining your brand, and much, much more. Listen in to find out more!

Show highlights:

  • The kind of information that you will find in the book.
  • At the beginning and end of every chapter, LuAnn will do an intro and outro, just like she does on the show.
  • The twelve experts, that LuAnn invited to write a chapter each, for the book.
  • Our birthday party will be happening at the Kravet showroom, at the D and D Building in New York City, on the 5th of February 2019.
  • About the Power Talk Friday Tour.
  • Doing a thorough analysis of every project, after completion.
  • LuAnn talks about the planned launch for her book in March.
  • Thinking about ways to make the Power Talk Friday Tours a really amazing experience.
  • On March 30th, 31st, and April 1st, 2019, at the Hilton in Short Hills, New Jersey, LuAnn will be gathering all twelve of her co-authors to do live discussions.
  • In addition to the twelve experts, LuAnn has also invited twelve savvy interior design principals that have appeared on the podcast.
  • The insane, intense, invigorating, and absolutely amazing book launch event that has been planned.
  • The ticket price, and what the VIP experience is all about.
  • Why the third day will be limited to only 50 or 75 designers.
  • LuAnn is bringing the exact podcast format to her live event.
  • Some of the incredible designers that have already committed to being at the event.
  • You can get onto LuAnn’s email list by texting 444999 and putting design biz into the field.
  • You can get early bird tickets for the event for only $395 from today until January 8th. After that, the price will go up to $595. (The VIP ticket is $200 extra.) If you sign up between December 21st and January 8th, your name will go into a draw to win a one-on-one coaching session with LuAnn, her husband, Vince, or one of the co-authors of the book.
  • About the VIP experience. (Go back and listen to episode #14 with Malene B)
  • Why LuAnn invites the sponsors to be part of the VIP experience.

The twelve experts who each wrote a chapter for the book:

Fred Berns, Sarah Danielle, Nancy Ganzekaufer, Eileen Hahn, Nicole Heymer, Claire Jefford, Peter Lang, Marc McDonough, Stacy Brown Randall, Shawna Lynne Simon, Kaye Whittaker, and Michelle Williams

Some of the sponsors that are supporting the event are:

Designer Inc.

Kravet

MyDoma Studio

Wingnut Social

Schwartz Design Showroom

Previous shows mentioned in this episode:

Malene B #14

Links:

Luann’s website, to sign up for the event: Luann Live