274: Business Inspiration for Your Design Firm 

Joining me today is Colleen Bennett of CBB design firm and Mimosa Home. Colleen has had a varied career in design working worldwide, and today she's going to share some of her story and how she's created a unique experience for her clients maintaining profitability in the process.

Topics Mentioned:

• Travel

• Profit

• Debt

• Intention  

Key Thoughts: 

• You control the sale with finishes. Because once you get into the finished department and the design department, you control every single aspect from there.  Colleen Bute Bennett 

   

• The beautiful thing is they're levers and we know what we need to make. So, you can go up and down, you can have a higher rate and a lower markup.  Michele Williams 

   

• We have now created this one-stop shop for our clients. So instead of you running around to every single place, you're in one location, and we get your house done in four to six hours. Colleen Bute Bennett 

   

• I love the idea that design can show up in so many different ways. You can reinvent certain things and it just feels like we're not as boxed in sometimes. Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Colleen:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: @DesignbyColleenBennett

• Instagram: @cbbdesignfirm

• Facebook: @mimosahomenc/

• Facebook: @butecouture

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today   

• Pricing Without Emotion course

My New 8-week Group Coaching Program Kicks Off in January!

Join the waitlist for my newest group coaching program, How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy. Over 8 weeks, you'll learn how to create a business strategy, set key results to track its success, and leverage a decision-making process to ensure every choice drives you toward your ideal future.

 

Register now to know when registration opens

273: Construction Management is Profitable  

Welcome to the podcast! Today, I’m joined by the talented Renee Biery, a luxury interior designer, construction expert, and the host of the Only Girl on the Jobsite podcast. We’re diving into an incredible conversation about expanding your design services to include construction management. Whether you’re already doing this or thinking about it, we’ll cover some of the common challenges—pricing, pitfalls, and the essential things to keep an eye on. Renee is an expert in navigating these areas, and we’re excited to share her insights with you. We hope you enjoy the conversation!  

Topics Mentioned:

• Project Management 

• Pricing 

• Confidence 

• Team Work 

 

Key Thoughts: 

• I think that's where designers can trip themselves up unintentionally. They see themselves as the outsider, as the only girl on the job site, and it's very easy to just stay in that role.  Renee Biery

   

• What's interesting is when we show up in a space, already personally aware that we deserve to be in the space, we don't feel like we have something to prove.  Michele Williams

   

• Even those who know what they should be charging, or they already are charging, they aren't charging what they believe they are worth because they're uncertain of their worth.  Renee Biery 

   

• We're looking for this fast track, and the truth of the matter is, we don't need to fast track our pricing.  Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Renee:

• Email: [email protected] 

• Facebook: @devignierdesign

• Instagram: @devignierdesign

• Website: www.deVignierdesign.com 

• LinkedIn: Renee Biery

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today   

• The Interior Designer's Guide to Construction Management

• Only Girl on the Jobsite podcast

Unlocking Financial Freedom with CFO2GO: A Journey Through One-on-One Coaching

One-on-one coaching is my main line of work, and for a good reason. I dive headfirst into my client's business, helping them become strategic with their finances and decision making to be able to lead profitable companies. My ultimate goal and reward is connecting with and helping incredible business owners in the interior design industry. So, I get very excited when my clients come back on my podcast to share their stories so they can, in turn, help others in the design industry.

With CFO2GO you can take your business strategy to the next level with our 4 step process that will help you know your numbers, understand your business position, create a path forward unique to your design experience, skill set, and dream life - plus help you grow your design firm. Click below to find out more!

Learn more

272: Ending the Year Well for Your Design Business   

Have you ever wondered how to end the year well? You'll hear us talk about this in multiple places all around, how do we end our year well? In this podcast, we will discuss how to define what ending the year well for you and your company looks like, how to plan in advance, how to be intentional, and how to create some time to rest and reset. It is so interesting that the fourth quarter of our year is spent not only making sure that we can wrap up the needs of the current year but also doing a lot of planning and heavy lifting so that we can start the next year off well. The way to start in a power position in the new year is to end this year in a power position. Listen in today and determine what that might look like for you and your company. 

Topics Mentioned:

• Strategic Planning 

• Business Metrics 

• Processes 

• Intentionality 

Key Thoughts: 

• Finishing well means to be proud of the effort that was put into these critical items knowing that they set us up for a better future.  Michele Williams 

   

• Take stock of where the company is right now and where you anticipate it being at the end of the year with regard to your financials.  Michele Williams 

   

• Ending well also takes advanced thought and planning.  Michele Williams 

   

• Don't overdo it and go into the new year exhausted.  Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today   

271: Buying a Commercial Space for Your Business 

Joining me today on the podcast is Paul Neal. He's a financial strategist and author dedicated to transforming the way entrepreneurs view commercial property. He has a book called Un-Lease Your Business: Unlock Wealth, Autonomy and Control by Buying Your Building and Firing Your Landlord and it is a very informative book. He is an amazing speaker who is going to help us understand more about the commercial buying process for our businesses. Enjoy the podcast.

Topics Mentioned:

• Purchasing commercial real estate

• Process

• Financials

Key Thoughts: 

• You don't have to be a world-conquering type of person, but you have to have stability. Paul Neal

   

• You cannot make decisions without your financials in order, or you're making it on a gut feeling and that doesn't always support us. Michele Williams

   

• We always suggest to get in with the least amount of down payment that makes sense, because then you've got your money that you're not putting into the brick and mortar you can use for other things. Paul Neal

   

• The goal here is that we have to be profitable with what we have, and then provide ourselves as a stable business, meaning stable sales, and stable profitability. Michele Williams

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Paul:

• Website: https://www.ownyourbuildingnow.com/ 

• Email: [email protected] 

• LinkedIn: @paul-neal-tea

• YouTube: @theEntrepreneurialAgent

• Facebook: @theentrepreneurialagent

• Instagram: @theentrepreneurialagentpodcast

References and Resources:

• Un-Lease Your Business: Unlock Wealth, Autonomy and Control by Buying Your Building and Firing Your Landlord by Paul Neal 

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

270: 4 Year-End Steps to Prepare Your Interior Design Business  

Join us as we revisit an insightful episode focused on empowering interior designers through creating a strategic business plan. This re-showing of our previous podcast, "Four Year-End Steps to Prepare Your Interior Design Business," is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their business strategy.

 

In this episode, we dive deep into effective strategies tailored specifically for the interior design industry. As an interior design business coach, I’m thrilled to share the exact processes I'm implementing in my own business right now. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, these actionable steps will help you set a strong foundation for the coming year.

Topics Mentioned:

• Planning

• SWOT analysis

• Setting goals  

• Energy

Key Thoughts: 

• Taking an in depth look and SWOT analysis at each element in our business really provides us with information and helps shine a spotlight in an area we haven't looked at before. Michele Williams

   

• By creating quarterly goals which are more streamlined and individually focused, we have the ability to get four really big goals completed in a year with attention placed on each one. Michele Williams 

   

• Think about what energizes you and what drains you. Michele Williams

   

• Make sure that the majority, if not all, of your products and services and processes are done in a way that moves your company forward with energy instead of draining it. Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today   

• Who's in Your Room: The Secret to Creating Your Best Life by Ivan Misner, Ph.D., Stewart Emery L.H.D., Rick Sapio  

• 12-Week Year - by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington  

Unlocking Financial Freedom with CFO2GO: A Journey Through One-on-One Coaching

One-on-one coaching is my main line of work, and for a good reason. I dive headfirst into my client's business, helping them become strategic with their finances and decision making to be able to lead profitable companies. My ultimate goal and reward is connecting with and helping incredible business owners in the interior design industry. So, I get very excited when my clients come back on my podcast to share their stories so they can, in turn, help others in the design industry.

With CFO2GO you can take your business strategy to the next level with our 4 step process that will help you know your numbers, understand your business position, create a path forward unique to your design experience, skill set, and dream life - plus help you grow your design firm. Click below to find out more!

Learn more

269: Delegating Begins with Hiring 

Joining the podcast today is Selina Johnson. Selina is a team operations strategist and go-to expert for reclaiming your time and embracing an enriched, peaceful life. Her mission is to empower CEOs to build efficient teams that don’t rely on them 24/7. We will talk about where delegating really begins and the best practices to get the outcomes you want with teams you enjoy working with. 

Topics Mentioned:

• Hiring 

• Trust in a team 

• Big picture  

• Preparedness 

Key Thoughts: 

• It's really important to determine what's your core focus in your role and, what could you start delegating every morning, even if it's a small task, to somebody else in your team.  Selina Johnson  

   

• Delegation really starts with the building of your team and having the right people in the right positions to do the job that you need to delegate to them because even if they understand it and even if they acknowledge it if they can't do it, it does you no good to delegate it to them.   Michele Williams 

   

• I feel that is detrimental to the business when you don't give all the key information when you're delegating.  Selina Johnson 

   

• It is important that we can help them understand how they fit in and that the job matters. It matters if it gets done. It matters if it doesn't get done. And it matters if it gets done well. Because if they think that it doesn't matter, then you're going to get, it doesn't matter work.   Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Selina:

• Website: www.selinajohnson.com 

• Email: [email protected]

• LinkedIn: @selinajohnson-teambuilding

• You Tube: @ilovemyteam

References and Resources:

• Aim With Intent Coaching

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• Selina’s Ultimate Hiring Blueprint

Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele’s Keyboard to You

Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success.

Learn more

 

268: Pricing Your Work Without Emotion 

On today's podcast we're going to hear a pre-recorded podcast that I did with Ceil DiGuglielmo of the podcast "Sew Much More". Ceil interviewed me and spoke with me about the Pricing Without Emotion course that I have been teaching since 2010. I am so excited for you to hear this as we are getting ready to launch our Pricing Without Emotion course on September 5, 2024. As Ceil says in her intro, even if you are not looking to buy the course or participate in it, there is a lot you can learn from listening to this podcast. So, I invite you to sit back, to think about your pricing, your journey, and your relationship with money while you listen and enjoy. 

 

Topics Mentioned:

• Pricing

• Strategy

• Profit

• Value 

Key Thoughts:

• Let's price without emotion. Let's work with the emotion. Let's work with passion, but we don't have to price with it. We can price with more the logic brain, and then we can work with that feeling and emotion brain so that we pour that into it. So, it's not that we're separating it. We're just kind of putting it into place. Michele Williams

   

• The first time I took it, it was a question of, can I get the money together to take this course. I knew it was worth it, but did I have the money for it? I made sure I did. And the second time, like, okay, I'm ready. I am putting this money out because I will get it back quickly. Ceil DiGuglielmo

   

• If I can get to the point of understanding it, then I can get to the point of ownership. When I can get to the point of ownership, then I have a power. And that means I have the power to make decisions with information. Michele Williams

   

• The best time to take this is early on. The next best time is now. Ceil DiGuglielmo

 

Join our Pricing Without Emotion, Group Coaching Program

Understanding your pricing is crucial for business success. Pricing isn't just about numbers—it's a balance of math, time, expertise, and value.

Beginning September 5, 2024, this 8-week course teaches you how to confidently set prices that align with your revenue goals and reflect the true worth of your products or services. You'll learn to remove emotion from pricing decisions, establish a scalable structure, and effectively communicate your value to avoid bargain-seeking clients.

The goal is to master the financial aspects of your business and price with confidence.

  Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

• Pricing Without Emotion Coaching Program 

• Price Your Work with Confidence by Kitty Stein 

• Profit First by Mike Michalowicz  

• Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz 

267: The Role of Tech in Your Business 

On the podcast today is Jen McFarland founder of Marit Digital. Jen partners with small businesses and teams as they plan, assess, and improve the digital solutions that help them succeed. She helps with implementing AI to setting up web hosting and digital experience design. Today’s topic is all about tech. 

Topics Mentioned:

• Technology

• Audit

• AI 

Key Thoughts: 

• It's the same with your tech. You have to reevaluate that from time to time. You have to make changes, you have to assess, go back and look and see what's working.  Jen McFarland   

   

• All of us are running technology businesses; it's just what product or service you're using technology to sell. Michele Williams 

   

• It's already past time where when you're talking about investment in tech and budgeting for tech, AI needs to be a line item, and it needs to be something that you're thinking about bringing into your stack.  Jen McFarland 

   

• ... I think there is something to being able to engage with the technology in a way that actually makes you feel empowered. I think that is super important when we're looking at tech is it empowering us to do the next things.  Michele Williams  

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Jen:

• Website: https://maritdigital.com/ 

• Email: [email protected] 

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncsumarit/

• You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@maritdigital  

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• AI Cafe on LinkedIn

Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele’s Keyboard to You

Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success.

Learn more

266: The Sales Process Doesn't Have to End  

Dr. Nadia Brown is the founder of the Doyenne Agency, a global sales and training agency dedicated to educating and equipping women business leaders to pursue their passion, own their power and increase their profits. She is the host of the “Straight Talk About Sales” podcast and is the author of Leading Like a Lady: How to Shatter Your Inner Glass Ceiling and Sell Like a Lady: How to Master Sales with Dignity, Class and Grace. Today we will discuss selling with integrity, how the entire company is involved in the sales cycle, and how not to be a bully in the process.

Topics Mentioned:

• Sales Process

• Integrity

• Team 

 

Key Thoughts: 

• Sales is a learnable skill, and everyone on the team should understand their role in supporting the sales process.  Dr. Nadia Brown  

   

• Whether the founder or the CEO is the one that's still doing the majority of closing of the sales, it's still important that everyone on the team understands sales, how it works, and their role in supporting that process.  Michele Williams 

   

• Sometimes we only think of sales in that financial exchange when you get to that stage, but you're selling all the way to that stage and you're continuing to sell even after that person becomes a client.  Dr. Nadia Brown 

   

• Even if the product's great, it's the sales system that's not great. It's not about the product. It's not about the person. Nine times out of ten, I like the person. But the process starts to make me feel like I've lost my own agency in it.  Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Dr. Nadia:

• Website: https://www.thedoyenneagency.com 

• Email: [email protected]

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnadia/

• Instagram: @IamDrNadia

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• Michele’s 3 courses:  Pricing Without Emotion, Understanding Your Financials, and Master Your Profit 

• Leading Like a Lady: How to Shatter Your Inner Glass Ceiling by Dr. Nadia Brown 

• Sell Like a Lady: How to Master Sales with Dignity, Class and Grace by Dr. Nadia Brown 

• “Straight Talk About Sales” podcast 

Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele’s Keyboard to You

Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success.

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265: Managing Your Team Effectively 

Today's podcast is a conversation with Shelly Warren. Shelly is a women's leadership advisor, and she's the host of the “Stacking Your Team” podcast. Her expertise is in helping small business owners develop and nurture a leadership team so that they can take over the day-to-day operations, giving you, the owner, more time for growth, conversations, and decision-making. I hope you enjoy the podcast.

Topics Mentioned:

• Career path

• Management

• Team building  

 

Key Thoughts: 

• Defer to your experts, ask them for their point of view, and then you can take that one step further by making sure that you showcase that individual to your clients and your customers.  Shelli Warren 

   

• The company could be terrible, and the manager could be great. We're going to stay because we are somewhat tethered to that manager. They're watching out for us, they're caring for us, they're leading us, they're growing us, but they're acting like a coach for us, and they're moving us around.  Michele Williams 

   

• A players want to work with other A players, and they want to work alongside an A player leader.  Shelli Warren 

   

• The team that got you here may not be the team that will get you there.  Michele Williams 

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Shelli:

• Website: www.stackingyourteam.com/  

• Email: [email protected]  

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelliwarren2/

• Instagram: @StackingYourTeam

• Facebook: @Shelli Warren

• YouTube: @StackingYourTeam

References and Resources:

• CFO2GO

• Work with Me

• Metrique Solutions

• Michele’s 3 courses:  Pricing Without Emotion, Understanding Your Financials, and Master Your Profit 

• It's Okay to be The Boss by Bruce Tulgan

• Necessary Endings by Dr Henry Cloud

Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele’s Keyboard to You

Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success.