Only Girl On The Jobsite

Ready you’re ready or not, we’re heading into the holiday season! Although the dates don’t change, this time of year tends to sneak up on me, and I’m sure a lot of you as well. But it’s also a time that makes me think of connection and appreciation. And that may immediately make you think of family and friends, and it should. But the connection and appreciation also ties back to the way we work as interior designers. And that’s what I want to talk about today - how you can head into the holidays with a plan to build upon your connections, show your appreciation, and set yourself up for success, not only with the projects you’re on right now but for future projects coming your way.

Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite 

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/building-relationships-boosting-profits 

Today, I’m excited to share my conversation with Meredith Huck. Meredith is the owner and principal designer of House of Huck and a member of my course, Interior Designer’s Guide to Construction Management. House of Huck is a full-service Interior Design firm located in Coastal Connecticut. Their homes are the essence of coastal casual—textured accents, inviting spaces, high-end finishes and timeless furnishings. Their goal is to curate a tranquil and welcoming environment into their client's homes while not sacrificing the beauty within, just as the coast does for us.

I often talk about the members of my course and how valuable our conversations are. So, I wanted to share that type of conversation with each of you.

Meredith and I cover so many different topics in today’s episode, including profitability and how we gauge our profitability. Spoiler alert: it’s not always in dollars and cents! She’s also passionate about running an efficient and organized design business. Bringing her previous career in business forward into her design practice using repeatable processes that benefit not only her but also every project she’s working on. 

You can find out more about Meredith and follow her here:

www.instagram.com/houseofhuck 

https://www.youtube.com/@houseofhuck/videos 

https://www.pinterest.com/houseofhuck/ 

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/design-processes-personal-freedom 

No one’s mind is more blown than mine that this is my 200th episode! This podcast started out as a Covid adventure, and if you had asked me at the time, would I be 200 episodes in? I honestly would have laughed at you if you’d told me that I would have started a podcast, first of all, and secondly, that I’d still be doing it 200 episodes later. 

So many of you are new listeners, so I wanted to reintroduce myself today, who I am, why I am here talking about construction management, and why I think it’s so important for each of you. And to all of you who haven't been along for the ride, I can’t thank you enough. It’s because of all of you, your DMs, emails, and encouragement, that I am 200 episodes in with no end in sight!

Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite 

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/200-episodes 

If you’ve struggled with setting boundaries, then today’s episode is for you!

If you missed last week’s Episode 198, go back and listen to that one first. Today, we are taking the next step in how to establish respect and control of a construction project with the contractor and the client. And that’s all about setting boundaries– right from the start of a project to maintain the control, respect, and confidence you need throughout the entire process! So today you will learn why boundaries matter, how they can actually create more freedom in your work, and how to set and maintain these boundaries from the very first day!

Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/setting-boundaries 

Today’s topic is something I hear about frequently from designers, so I’m changing things up starting today and will be doing a series on this one topic: How to gain respect and authority on the job site.

In today’s episode, we are starting with mindset and how to shift your mindset from worker bee to becoming a project leader. This isn’t an overnight shift that you will be able to create, but I do know that small shifts in the right direction will be perceived and will shift the perception of your role with the other team members and your clients. And so today, we are digging into how to change your mindset, and what you can start implementing today. 

Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite 

Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/worker-bee-to-project-leader 

An often overlooked component is referral marketing—and I don’t mean just with your current or past clients. You need to start looking beyond them and building specific relationships that will drive construction projects to you and fill your pipeline. So today, we’re going to break down why that’s so important and how to best go about it!

As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot me a dm on social media!

Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/master-referral-marketing  

Last week, we talked about how you can expand your services by moving into construction management. And I heard from many of you how you found the episode really helpful, so, thank you for reaching out! I always love hearing what resonates with each of you.  So today, we are going to expand on that conversation, and  I want to walk you through how you can showcase your expertise both in design and construction in social media and throughout your content!

As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot me a dm on social media!

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/showcase-your-skills 

There is nothing I love more than hanging out with fellow designers and my recent webinar gave me that opportunity.

What I love about it is realizing the commonalities that we all face - the good and the bad. 

One of the things that came up was expanding your decorating business to include construction management. Why that’s important and how to take the first steps. So today, we’re going to break that down! 

As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot me a dm on social media!

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/expanding-your-services 

Whether you are a new designer or seasoned, there is something to learn from today's conversation with my guest, Rebecca West!

Today, we are going to dig into the marketing messages that we are projecting not only to our clients but to our industry partners. And yes, there are lots of side conversations that are really valuable for you to hear in this episode as well!

Two decades as CEO of Seriously Happy Homes turned Rebecca West into the go-to business coach for residential interior designers who create happy homes for regular people (rather than the wealthy 1%). In 2023 she closed her business and moved to Paris, France. Now she’s here to help you master your marketing message and establish professional practices that’ll keep your clients - and your accountant - Seriously Happy. 

You may know Rebecca from the many webinars she’s done with the NKBA and IDS. She’s also been a regular TV guest on New Day Northwest, served as a judge for Best in Show at KBIS, and is on the board of Heritage Design School. 

In addition to 1-1 business coaching, Rebecca offers a signature course called “Nail Your Niche” that lays the foundation for becoming the only designer your clients will call. She’s also working on her next book about the “DECIDE” method, a process that helps clients make quick, confident design decisions and keeps our projects on track.

But Rebecca’s not all business—she can’t resist a costume party or a cat video, loves sipping whisky and eating stinky French cheese, and dances tango with her hubby. 

Grab Rebecca’s free Nail Your Niche starter kit PLUS direct feedback from me on their niche at https://seriouslyhappy.ck.page/aec00a8bb8 

Find out more about Rebecca and follow her Parisian adventures on Instagram at @beseriouslyhappy

Check out her podcast, "Stuff Interior Designers Need to Know.”

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/rebecca-west 

As the name of this podcast states, being the only girl on the jobsite can be difficult, and I know I’ve mentioned the challenges of this before, but I don’t always dive into the topic as much as I’d like to. Well today, we’re diving all the way in! 

As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot me a dm on social media!

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/role-of-women-in-construction