Designer's Oasis

EP #27 | What Waiting Tables Taught Me about Running a Business


Listen Later

The experience a client receives and great service is so important. Lucky for me, that comes pretty naturally based on my experience working in fine dining. The goal at the end of a meal is to leave the customer with a full belly, and a dopamine hit from laughter and being with people they love. My goal was to make it feel like an effortless and seamless experience, which is the same goal I carry into my interior design business!

Today I share all about how I feel that my experiences working in a few fine dining establishments helped shape me to be a better manager of projects and clients and to help me understand what high end clients want.

In this episode we answer questions like…

  1. How your past experiences have/can shape your interior design business
  2. How you can use these experiences to create your unique selling proposition
  3. What I learned from waiting tables that helped me craft my business

Here's a glance at this episode…

[04:40] I share how previous experiences (waiting tables or not) have shaped your ability to create a unique selling proposition for your interior design clients.

[08:26] Experience is everything, right? I share how to figure out the experience a client is after and help to provide that in your service. The goal is to do the ordinary things extraordinarily well.

[11:55] I jump into efficiency when providing service and how to create efficiency in your business. I share how to handle billing, emails, and correspondence to streamline your time.

[14:39] I share how important it is to truly know your audience when relaying information. From contractors to clients to vendors, it matters how you relay information related to the interior design project.

[17:24] Anticipating needs of our clients is KEY! I share how you can anticipate common needs for clients.

[20:48] I jump into how to mitigate mistakes, those that are in your control and those that are not in your control. I share when and how to share those mistakes or delays and how to relay this information to your clients in a positive way.

[26:40] I share how to make friends with your back of house staff, your contractors, etc in a way that can help your business thrive, help with mistakes and concerns along the way, and how to nurture these relationships.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Designers Oasis Shop

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Designer's OasisBy Kate Bendewald

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

58 ratings


More shows like Designer's Oasis

View all
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast by LuAnn Nigara

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

770 Listeners

How I Built This with Guy Raz by Guy Raz | Wondery

How I Built This with Guy Raz

30,231 Listeners

How to Decorate by Ballard Designs

How to Decorate

832 Listeners

The Daily by The New York Times

The Daily

112,597 Listeners

Business of Home Podcast by Business of Home, Dennis Scully

Business of Home Podcast

434 Listeners

Resilient by Design with Rebecca Hay by Rebecca Hay

Resilient by Design with Rebecca Hay

49 Listeners

Only Girl On The Jobsite by Renee Biery

Only Girl On The Jobsite

77 Listeners

Trade Tales by Business of Home, Kaitlin Petersen

Trade Tales

77 Listeners

Deep Water | Tortoise Investigates by The Observer

Deep Water | Tortoise Investigates

3,376 Listeners

The Interior Collective by IDCO Studio

The Interior Collective

287 Listeners

The Mel Robbins Podcast by Mel Robbins

The Mel Robbins Podcast

20,247 Listeners

The Interior Design Business CEO by Desi Creswell

The Interior Design Business CEO

107 Listeners

Damn Good Interior Designer by Cheryl Kees Clendenon and Liz Lapan

Damn Good Interior Designer

30 Listeners