Designer's Oasis

In today's episode I have the pleasure of interviewing Jenny Karlsson of Financial for Creatives. Jenny is a certified money coach with a special focus on helping creative entrepreneurs. Jenny is the creator of the #moneycompassdeck (a powerful and practical tool that allows you to connect with the energy of money.) She is on a mission to help creative entrepreneurs heal their money blocks and manage money with confidence.

Today we're talking about how we can set up our business finances so that the naturally occurring ebbs and flows that happen both internally and externally don't shake the foundation of your business.

What I love most about Jenny is her compassionate yet no-nonsense approach to helping empower women to take control of their finance.

In this episode we discuss things like…

1. How you prepare your business for the ups and downs that are inevitable.
2. How to make your business more stable in the face of changes.
3. How to pay yourself
4. How to build an emergency fund for your business.

Here's a glance at this episode…

[6:22] Jenny shares her back story with us and how she got started working with creative entrepreneurs as a financial coach.

[11:48] Jenny shares all about her Money Compass Deck and how it helps to connect to the energy of money.

[17:20] I ask Jenny why she believes this is so important for entrepreneurs, specifically women to understand and control the finances for their businesses.

[26:35] I ask Jenny to share her top strategies for designers wanting to create the stability in their business. She shares how to make decisions that keep your business profitable. We talk through what accounts you need to setup, how to use them, and how to pay yourself!

[50:40] We chat about diversifying your income and how to create a ladder of services so that you are able to create structure and avoid hustling to do it all.

[01:01:00] Jenny and I chat about how to balance decisions related to hiring and help during busy seasons.

[01:10:00] Jenny and I wrap up with Jenny painting a picture of what it means to be successful with money in our business and personal finances. She shares what this looks like, what flexibility it can create and what emotions may surround this.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Annual Masterplanning Workshop - November 10th
• Episode #13 - Auditing your Projects for Profitability
• Financials for Creatives
• Money Compass Deck
• Follow Jenny on Instagram
• Jenny's Money Type Quiz
• Book: Profit First: Transform Your Business from a Cash-Eating Monster to a Money-Making Machine by Mike Michalowicz
• Book: Money Magic: Unleashing Your True Potential for Prosperity and Fulfillment

About a year ago I was invited to speak at the Designers On Social Summit and today I wanted to share this presentation with you because what I talked about is so near and dear to my heart.

You see, years ago I struggled with pricing my services because I thought I needed to compete with the online design brands who were at the time offering $99/room designs. What I started to realize is that I was focused on the wrong thing.

I didn't need to - nor should I - compete on price.

Where my competitive edge really lied was in my ability to provide killer service. And that was developed in my years working in high-end hospitality design.

So today, I'm sharing my presentation - Being Boutique - how to serve your clients so they become natural evangelists for your work.

In this episode we answer questions like…

1. How to provide excellent service to clients by doing ordinary things extraordinarily well
2. How to create natural evangelists from your client base
3. What it really means to "be boutique"

Here's a glance at this episode…

[04:12] I share a brief introduction of myself, my background, and my business (and the journey to get where I am today)

[06:00] I share a few of the key things we do to create opportunities to delight our clients that are not typically expected.

[10:23] I chat about prepping your clients for the inevitable delays that will happen.

[12:37] Want to learn how to turn your clients into real evangelists? I share how we go above and beyond with our project delivery and celebrate the end of each design project.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

🗓️ MARK YOUR CALENDARS 🗓️ Annual Master Planning Workshop on November 10th, 2022

Whatever it is, these are the things that matter. Leisure matters. Family time Matters. Time with friends matter. Travel matters. What are the things that matter to you? If we aren't intentional about our time and protect the things that matter, it's too easy to look up and be like, oh my god, I haven't had a proper vacation in 3 years.

In this episode we answer questions like…

1. How to prepare your business so that you CAN take the time off that you want
2. How to set expectations with your clients about time away and how that will be handled.
3. How to plan quarterly, monthly and weekly to set your business up for success while allowing you time away.

Here's a glance at this episode…

[06:17] I share how to communicate well with clients regarding your company holidays and time away.

[11:00] I share a little bit about how to do your quarterly review and plan for time away - when you want to take off, how long it may be and commit to a plan. I share how I am able to get clients to certain steps to allow for breaks or vacations for myself and my team.

[14:20] Time efficiency is KEY! I share how I manage business tasks on a monthly basis and how I use a calendar review to maintain efficiency.

[15:50] I share my weekly start up and shut down routines to help create boundaries around my week and/or day.

[18:30] I talk about task batching and how to maximize your workflow for efficiency and effectiveness. I also share about automating the parts of your business that you can.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• 🗓️ MARK YOUR CALENDARS 🗓️ Annual Master Planning Workshop on November 10th, 2022
• SHOP: Welcome Guide

Book: Clockwork: Design Your Business to Run Itself

My guest today is Carly Teigeler, owner and lead designer of Schematic Design Co, a brand and web design studio that specializes in "Human-Centered Design".

In my interview today, I ask her about what human-centered design is and how we can employ that throughout design.

But we also cover some other really exciting topics as it relates to braind like the 3 things, carly says your brand needs to communicate well - in order to position yourself well in your market. She also describes the palette of tools - way beyond a logo - that your brand needs.

Finally Carly understands that designers are in different seasons. Some brands may need a fully custom design. Other times, it may need a little glow-up. Today she shares some simple questions you can ask yourself to decide if a brand overhaul or a mini-makeover may be the right next step.

I think you're going to love the energy that carly brings along with her beautifully simple way of sharing her expertise.

In this episode we answer questions like…

1. The three things your brand needs to communicate [to position you well in your market]
2. Why you shouldn't settle for "just a logo" [i.e. you need more tools in your palette]
3. When to hire a brand designer - and when it's best to wait

Here's a glance at this episode…

[04:40] We dive into Carly's background and her move from a degree in architecture and dance to how she really got started with her own graphic design studio.

[09:45] Carly shares with us what "human-centered" branding means and how her approach is more centered around the end-user experience.

[13:10] How does playfulness work with professionalism in a great balance for clients on their website, branding, and how to really work your personality into your branding.

[20:30] Carly shares what design tools you need in your toolbox and why you shouldn't settle for just a "logo".

[28:58] We talk about the 3 things your brand needs to communicate in order to position yourself well in your market

[39:45] Carly shares the truth about when it's time to hire a brand designer (and when it's best to wait).

[50:30] I ask Carly about her unique services that she offers for clients who may not be ready for full service brand and website design via semi-custom brand kits, etc.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Carly's Website: Schematic Design Co.
• Follow Carly on Social Media:
• Instagram
• Facebook
• Carly's Semi-Custom Brand Kits
• Download Carly's Free Website Report Card

Download Carly's Free Branding Report Card

Today I sat down with one of the Designer's Oasis Members, Lauren Sullivan of Well by Design, a luxury virtual interior design studio based out of Tennessee.

Well by Design has been featured in multiple media outlets including Homes and Gardens, Southern Living, The Zoe Report and more.

After nearly a decade as a pharmacist, Lauren's two greatest loves—interiors and helping others feel their best—became more connected than ever with the launch of Well by Design.

Lauren helps homeowners nationwide create refined spaces that bring balance to their lives through a bespoke virtual experience. Never one to sacrifice style or substance and always finding the nuanced details.

Lauren seeks to prioritize the health of her clients and the environment by choosing safe, organic, and sustainable materials while working with artisans and small businesses as often as possible.

With an eye for timeless design, Lauren prides herself in tying together the tiniest of details that truly make a space feel unique to each client.

In this episode we talk about topics including…

1. 3 critical elements of working with clients virtually
2. Lauren's experience of building her own home and how that has helped prepare her own clients for the road ahead

Here's a glance at this episode…

[03:40] We start with an introduction of Lauren as she shares her story about going from being a pharmacist to an interior designer!

[11:10] Lauren shares with me how she came up with the name for her business, Well by Design and about the businesses' goals and intention.

[18:46] Lauren is in the middle of building her own home and she shares the process and what she has learned.

[23:57] We discuss how interior designers fit into the "team" of architects, builders, and contractors.

[27:08] Lauren shares how she came to the decision to do virtual design services. We also talk about how Lauren runs her design services. Communication is a a key and we jump into that.

[40:45] We talk a little bit about pricing tiers with virtual design services and how Lauren has set this up in her business.

[50:13] Rapid fire questions with Lauren!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Lauren's Webiste
• Follow Lauren:
• Instagram
• Pinterest
• Like to Know It Page
• Facebook

Dani Haas is the founder of Dani Haas Design, a Denver-based interior design firm focused on creating layered, sophisticated, and comfortable spaces. While carefully balancing function and aesthetics, Dani's interiors are known for being warm, textured, and inviting.

Before founding Dani Haas Design, she spent a decade in NYC working with prominent firms like Pappas Miron Design and the renowned AD100 and Elle Decor A-List firm Cullman & Kravis Associates.

During her 8 years at C&K, she had the privilege of designing notable residences in NYC, the Hamptons, Connecticut, New Jersey, Miami, and beyond. Her projects have been featured in prominent shelter magazines such as Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Veranda, New York Cottages & Gardens, and Luxe magazine.

Today, Dani shares her remarkable journey of rising through the ranks at C&K from an Administrative Assistant to Lead Designer and then deciding to move back to Denver and launch her eponymous Company Dani Haas Design.

Her story is a testament to the importance of being willing to do and try anything, even when you don't know the outcome. Alongside resourcefulness and creativity when it comes to getting to where you want to be in life and business.

Dani graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Interior Design.

Her passion for travel, food, and art influence her work, from the color palette to composition to unexpected textures and forms. In her free time, you can find her testing out new recipes and hosting friends and family or shopping for vintage ceramics and furniture.

Dani resides in the West Highlands neighborhood of Denver, CO, with her husband, Patrick and their beloved goldendoodle, Jones and soon-to-be baby girl, coming in early October.

Here's a glance at this episode…

[05:17] We jump into the interview talking about who Dani was as a little kid! What she was like as an artistic child and how that developed into her current passions.

[08:22] Dani shares about her experience with Cullman & Kravis in NY and how she rose through the ranks. She shares about the rocky moments and the growth she experienced.

[22:20] Dani shares how working on the project management side of the interior design helped to create the confidence needed to start her own design business.

[29:00] Dani and I chat about her transition moving back to Denver and starting her business.

[48:00] Dani shares with me how she's preparing for maternity leave while running her business and how she is preparing the business.

[59:50] I ask Dani to share how she finds inspiration and what her go to way to tap into her creativity is.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Dani'sWebsite: www.danihaasdesign.com
• Social: @danihaasdesign on Instagram

Guest Info:

Bio:

Dani Haas is the founder of Dani Haas Design, a Denver-based interior design firm focused on creating layered, sophisticated, and comfortable spaces. While carefully balancing function and aesthetics, Dani's interiors are known for being warm, textured, and inviting.

Before founding Dani Haas Design, she spent a decade in NYC working with prominent firms like Pappas Miron Design and the renowned AD100 and Elle Decor A-List firm Cullman & Kravis Associates.

During her 8 years at C&K, she had the privilege of designing notable residences in NYC, the Hamptons, Connecticut, New Jersey, Miami, and beyond. Her projects have been featured in AD, Elle Decor, Veranda, NYC&G, and Luxe. Her unique works reflect the client's personality while exhibiting incredible craftsmanship, attention to detail, and elegant practicality.

DHD prides itself on realizing our client's vision and needs while adhering to any budget. Grounded in traditional principles, DHD strives to create unique and inspiring spaces that are as livable as they are beautiful.

Dani graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Interior Design. Her passion for travel, food, and art influence her work, from the color palette to composition to unexpected textures and forms. In her free time, you can find her testing out new recipes and hosting friends and family or shopping for vintage ceramics and furniture. Dani resides in the West Highlands neighborhood of Denver, CO, with her husband, Patrick and their beloved goldendoodle, Jones and soon-to-be baby girl, coming in early October.

Website: www.danihaasdesign.com

Social: @danihaasdesign (instagram)

Some months we have Design experts such as Porcelanosa who came and taught us about using their XTONE large format porcelain slabs which make beautiful and durable countertops, flooring and wall finishes, or Surfacing Solution who came and talked about tambour wood - a flexible wood paneling product that is so popular in design right now. We learned how to specify it, different applications for it, and more.

We also have experts in business who have come to discuss everything from money and finance, to wellness and mental health, to art curation.

Today I'm taking just a few of these experts and sharing with you some of my favorite moments and insights from over the years.

Consider this montage a sneak peek, but my HOPE for you today is that you find these excerpts to be powerful little nuggets of actionable knowledge YOU can take with you. And of course, if you like what you hear and want to catch the full episodes, you can always join the Designer's Oasis Membership. When you do, you'll not only get access to all the archives but access to join future LIVE guests where you can submit your questions to the experts in real time.

Just a quick note before we get into these sessions - These were not recorded with podcasting in mind, so you'll have to forgive the audio on some of them. I hope you can still take away some great insights from today's episode.

Here's a glance at this episode…

[03:20] Molly Bird Casey - Nine Dot Arts - Curating Art for Your Clients

Molly Bird Casey is the Chief Curator and Co-founder of NINE dot Arts, a full-service art curation and installation firm in Denver & Seattle but with projects all over North America. Their work has been featured in Architectural Digest, Forbes, LA Times and nominated this year for the Colorado Top Companies in Architecture and Design.

We brought Molly in to talk about how to Curate art for your clients. You can find out more about Molly on her site at https://ninedotarts.com/

[12:07] Tracy Harwood - Is it Time to hire a VA in your business?

Tracy Harwood, the founder of Rock Solid VAs, a Virtual Assistant Matchmaking service (one that I use) that helps pair busy professionals with a virtual assistant who can help them manage the seemingly endless daily to-dos.

In my interview, I asked Tracy what she encountered over and over again from small business owners who are struggling to take that first step to hiring? You can find out more about Tracy and Rock Solid at https://www.rocksolidassistants.com/.

[24:50] Morgan Boudreaux - How to Create a User-Friendly Money Management System

Morgan Boudreaux is the COO of Business by the Book, who offers Professional bookkeeping & accounting services for interior designers, home professionals, & other creative entrepreneurs.

Mogan shares how to create a user-friendly money management system. Their team works with many interior designers and they have seen it all so they really are experts when it comes to understanding the nuances of the interior design industry. Find out more about Morgan and Business by the Book at https://www.businessbythebook.money/.

[30:39] Heidi Taylor - Ask like an Expert

Intro: Next up I want to introduce to you a woman who has niched down so specifically, that her entire career is built on helping business owners craft the perfect intake form; one that qualifies buyers BEFORE the sales call. I'm going to bet you've thought about, maybe even agonized over the questions you ask on your intake form? These are really important questions to ask, especially when selling high-ticket services such as interior design.

To find out more about Heidi, you can head over to https://www.heiditaylor.ca/

[35:34] Natalie Norcross - Power of Public Relations

Natalie Norcross is a public relations expert for interior designers. Her firm is called A Design Partnership. She and her team have an unwavering passion for building brands in the modern design, architecture, lifestyle, and consumer markets.

Natalie shares her definition of what a Brand is, as it relates to public relations. I love this definition. She then goes on to explain about the benefit of creating a Marketing Ecosystem and how the benefit of doing this on autopilot helps designers to achieve more work-life balance. You can find more about Natalie and A Design Partnership at https://adesignpartnership.com/.

[39:48] Chris Thomas - Successful Brands are Never an Accident

My final guest that I'm sharing with you today was one of my favorite conversations with my friend, Chris Thomas, Creative Director at Cohn Marketing, a full-service branding and marketing agency. Chris's fresh perspectives to marketing is heart-centered and authentic and is a refreshing approach to branding and marketing. To find out more about Cohn Marketing head over to https://cohnmarketing.com/.

I want to quickly just give a special thank you to the guests that I've shared with you today, Molly, Tracy, Morgan, Heidi, Natalie and Chris. We'll link to a list of ALL the amazing guests and topics covered that are available ONLY in the Designer's Oasis Membership. We've had more than I can mention right now, but you can see all of them on our website and we have some more incredible names lined up for the rest of this year and beyond.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Molly Bird, Nine Dot Arts
• Tracy Harwood, Rock Solid Virtual Assistants
• Morgan Boudreaux, Business by the Books
• Heidi Taylor, Ask Like an Expert
• Natalie Norcross, A Design Partnership
• Chris Thomas, Cohn Marketing
• All Guest Experts - Exclusively inside the Designer's Oasis Membership
• Membership: Doors are open! Join Today!

Regardless of where your lack of clarity is coming from, it can truly get in the way of your business via burnout, indecision, lack of success, lack of vision, etc. In today's episode I want to share with you my story, plus methods to use to break free of the feeling that you are "stuck".

In this episode we answer questions like…

1. What causes your lack of clarity and stress with your business?
2. Why do you feel like you're on the edge of burnout so often?
3. What can you do to help get you out of this "stuck" feeling?

Here's a glance at this episode…

[02:00] I share why lack of clarity and lack of focus with priorities can contribute to feeling stuck and really affect your relationships and lives. We talk about how this leads to indecision and how that can affect how we feel.

[07:20] We go through why this discomfort can be a good thing and how it can help us progress forward and make strides leading to momentum in our business.

[09:50] I dive into my own struggle with burnout and feeling stuck. I share about how I overcame my indecision, burnout, and how I wanted to rebuild my business.

[19:20] I share the 5 ways to move forward and get unstuck!

[45:21] I wrap up with information on how to join our community of interior designer's within the Designer's Oasis Membership.

[52:30] Quick wrap-up of the episode with a few action steps to take today!

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Designer's Oasis Membership
• Fire Starter Sessions
• Worth Every Penny
• Rocket Fuel
• $100 Startup

Spotify - Beta Waves

Full Service is a high-end or luxury service designed for clients who are typically busy individuals (robust professional career or lifestyle - kids, volunteering, traveling, etc.)

Today's episode is all about how to attract the right kinds of clients for full-service interior design projects. It can be challenging to find clients who are wanting to commit full-service so I am going to share a few methods and tips for attracting these types of clients. We are also going to dive into the benefits of full-service design (for clients and designers), how to attract the right clients and how to actually manage a full service project.

In this episode we answer questions like…

1. How do I attract full-service interior design clients?
2. What are the benefits of full-service design?
3. Who is a good fit for full-service design?

Here's a glance at this episode…

[3:33] What can we doing in our businesses to attract the full-service interior design clients that we really want to work with?

[5:40] I jump into the benefits of full-service projects (for you and the client!)

[11:04] I share who is a good fit for full-service design projects and who this typically works well for. I share a few comparisons between a more DIY minded client vs a full-service client.

[14:20] I dive into the customer journey and how to get a potential client from a lead all the way through to becoming a full-service client.

[33:20] I want to share all the details on my upcoming masterclass - Project Management for Interior Designers LIVE on September 9, 2022.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Masterclass: Project Management for Interior Designers
• Podcast: Episode #2- 5 Types of Interior Design Services to Consider Offering
• Blog: 12 Tips for a Rock-Solid Consultation
• Membership: Doors Open September 8th!
• Masterclass: How to Sell your Interior Design Services with Confidence.
• Shop: Services & Investment Guide Template
• Shop: Welcome Packet Template
• Shop: Proposal

Have you ever dramatically underestimated how long a project would take?

Maybe you were so far over on hours you couldn't bring yourself to invoice the client every hour of work you completed,

Perhaps you were so far in the hole that you just stopped tracking your time b/c you couldn't bear to know exactly how far off you were.

If so, this is the perfect episode for you! This is a 2 part series called "How to Increase Project Profitability with Time Tracking"

In this episode we answer questions like…

1. How do you correctly audit your time when you look back on projects?
2. How do you make sure you are seeing 40 - 60% profitability in your projects?
3. What do you do if your projects are NOT profitable yet?

Here's a glance at this episode…

[05:15] I dive into a simple overview of how to track your time and what information you need to know for every project to truly audit your time and calculate your profitability. [15:20 ] If talking about money makes you a little queasy, I share my story of working with Money Coach, Jenny Karlsson to change my mindset and help build a business that would last.

[17:50] What do you do if your projects aren't profitable? I share a few strategies to help with this.

[27:30] I share my challenge for you this week on auditing your projects to make sure you are able to increase profitability and build your own business that lasts.

EDIT: In today's episode I used the term Total Project Cost but what I should have said was Total TIME Cost. The reason is, Total Project Costs would include additional costs such as client gifts, meals, paying for mistakes, etc.

When you are auditing a project's profitability, you're going to also want to look at sales for products as well as project related costs.

But Since in this episode we are only focused on TIME, I should have said Total Time Cost or TTC vs TPC. The calculations are all still the same but I wanted to correct my terminology here. When you download the PDF you will see the correct term, "Total Time Cost or TTC" in the formula.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Book: Money Magic by Deborah L. Price
• Jenny Karlsson - FInancials for Creatives
• Episode 9 - How hiring can help your bottom line
• FREEBIE: Project Audit PDF