Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson chats with the author, award-winning Producer and Strategist, Kim Kuhteubl.

Kim founded MeByDesign, an idea boutique for the home industry a decade ago. She has worked with design entrepreneurs in the United States, Europe, and Canada. Her clients have been featured in publications like Architectural Digest, New York Times, Elle Decor, House & Garden (UK), and featured on network and cable television. 

• Visibility is not all about having a great website and a brand logo. It means having an intangible aspect of being available. 
• Expand your reach, consider collaborations with other designers. 
• With experience, you will be able to hone in on what you like to do. This will help you focus in and niche down
• Your particular type of leadership style, structures your business and influences how you interact with the people around you.
• Critical point in visibility strategy for designers is to choose psychographic instead of demographic only. You need to know who your ideal client is and where they get to know you. Focus on clients that you love to work with.

So, join Crystal and Kim as they discuss visibility strategy to sustain your business and start building your legacy.

Then “Do something today that your future self will thank you for” and get Kim’s latest digital offering, to strategically structure your business to earn more.

If you enjoyed the episode, show your support by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/TPDpodcast

How to reach Kim:

Website: mebydesign.com  ↔   Instagram: @mebydesigntv

Recommended podcasts : On being  ↔  99 percent invisible  ↔  Voice Lessons

Resources mentioned: Designer Smartcuts – 30 days of transformation designed to help interior designers strategically structure their business to earn more

NEED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for your interior design business? Get it in the show notes of Crystal’s episode Why you need SOP’s in your Interior Design business.

Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson chats with the owner and lead strategist of Growing Your Team, Jamie Van Cuyk.

Jamie is an expert in hiring and onboarding teams within small businesses. Drawing from over ten years of leadership experience, Jamie teaches her clients how to hire their first team members, including employees and long-term contractors.

• Having the right support is crucial to growing your business
• Jamie’s HIRE Framework. H – hiring details, I – initiating the advertising process, R – reviewing the candidate, and E – expectations and evaluations for success.
• Setting clear roles and responsibilities, be honest & realistic about your expectations
• Hiring process and finding the right candidate takes time.
• As the leader, you must guide & lead in order for your hire to be successful

So, join Crystal and Jamie as they discuss hiring process and finding the perfect candidate.

Then “Do something today that your future self will thank you for”. And clearly define the job role in order to have a successful hire. 

If you enjoyed the episode, show your support by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/TPDpodcast

How to reach Jamie:

Website: growingyourteam.com I Facebook: GrowingYourTeam

Instagram: growingyourteam I LinkedIn: jamievancuyk

Recommended podcast/book:

Your Sales Maden podcast / Quiet by Susan Cain / Turn the Ship Around by David Marquet

Resources mentioned

The hiring checklist

NEED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for your interior design business? Get it in the show notes of Crystal’s episode Why you need SOP’s in your Interior Design business.

Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson chats with Realtor, Owner and Creative Designer at House of Huck Interiors, Meredith Huck.

Meredith and her husband live in coastal Connecticut with their two young children. She is also a licensed real estate agent in the state of Connecticut. And enjoys supporting her clients to turn average houses into spectacular homes.

Crystal and Meredith discuss transitioning from a corporate job to her passion project. Watching her colleague succeed with his interior design inspired Meredith to scale up her passion into an interior design business. 

Meredith shares that starting your own business can be challenging, it requires you to learn as you go and keep on learning. 

Meredith mentions that being organized and having a plan are essential in keeping your business processes. A to-do list will also help you visualize where you want to go, as well as keeping all your projects on track. And constant communication with your Clients keeps them updated on the project as well as demonstrating your professionalism.

Meredith continuously networks with other Designers and reaches out to potential customers. Building a portfolio is a significant factor in getting your first client. You can also do pro-bono design projects for friends. It is a great way to showcase your skills when you are still building your business. In addition, you can post on social media to build awareness of your design skills. And with the hopes of reaching your target customers.

So join Crystal and Meredith as Meredith shares her transition from corporate job to doing what she loves most. Then “Do something today that your future self will thank you for” and follow your passion.

If you enjoyed the episode, show your support by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/TPDpodcast

How to reach Meredith:

Website : houseofhuck.com     I     IG : houseofhuck

Recommended podcast/books:

Design Biz Survival Guide podcast I Well Designed Business podcast I Homebody by Joanna Gaines

NEED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for your interior design business? Get it in the show notes of Crystal’s episode Why you need SOP’s in your Interior Design business.

Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson chats with fellow interior designers and founders of EA Home Design, Kevin Kamali and Ali Meshksar.

Kevin and Ali quickly found a growing need for their services as the home renovation space began to evolve. Offering bespoke design solutions to homeowners that want to take their interiors to the next level, the two entrepreneurs have become leaders in their field, creating transformational designs including kitchens and bathrooms that have luxurious finishes.

They share that excellent customer service is one secret ingredient in growing your business. In a congested industry like home renovations, how you treat your customers impacts client retention and business growth. Kevin and Ali ensure that they’re able to be transparent with customers. Knowing what your customers want and having consistent communication are essential to making your project run smoothly.

Systems and Social Media

Kevin and Ali continued to discuss another thing that’s relevant to any business’s success which  is leveraging the power of social media. They emphasized that building your social media presence is vital to attracting potential clients and engaging with them. In turn, potential customers will get to know and trust you. And, when the time comes that they’ll need your service, they will remember you as a figure of authority.

They have also created a system where customers can set their consultation schedules online. Providing them with project estimates will determine if they’re interested in proceeding or not. You have to set specific criteria on what type of clients you are willing to work with. Kevin and Ali also assure us that they may not be the cheapest home renovation in the area, but they’re the best price for the quality of work.

So join Crystal, Kevin and Ali as they discuss how they grew their multi-million dollar home renovation company. Then “Do something today that your future self will thank you for”. And level up your customer service skills in order to retain and attract new clients.

If you enjoyed the episode, show your support by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/TPDpodcast

How to reach Kevin and Ali:

Website : eahomedesign.com/     I     IG : ea_home_design     I     YouTube: EAHomeDesign

NEED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for your interior design business? Get it in the show notes of Crystal’s episode Why you need SOP’s in your Interior Design business.

Featured in this week’s episode of The Productive Designer, host Crystal Collinson chats with fellow interior designer, Racheal Hageness.

Racheal is a creative professional with proven success in high-end residential design and hospitality design. Daughter of a successful construction business owner and a wildly creative mother. This proud Midwesterner has been around construction and interior design all of her life. Racheal continues this family tradition with nearly two-decades of award winning luxury environment design under her belt.

Racheal started out in this industry in hospitality interior design. Then, she shifted to high-end residential design. This switch has helped her to become a well-rounded interior designer by ensuring that the property is aesthetically beautiful, and personalizing each individual residence she works on.

She states that the goal of hospitality is to make everyone feel at home. Her business emphasizes the importance of providing a high level of service. Involving the homeowners in the planning and the operations will ensure that your design complements their way of living without compromising the functionality of every custom piece in their homes.

Racheal’s business model has always been to empathize with clients’ individual needs. She wants to assure them that their homes are not someone else’s but their own. And though Racheal has a team supporting her, she wants to be the main person of contact with her Clients. Building solid client relationships is her top priority which is facilitated through her exemplary level of service. 

So join Crystal and Racheal as they discuss her journey from hospitality design to a residential design. Then, “Do something today that your future self will thank you for” and put a little more time into building your Client relationships. 

If you enjoyed the episode, show your support by buying me a coffee buymeacoffee.com/TPDpodcast

How to reach Racheal:

Website : aspenjamesdesign.com     I     IG : aspenjamesdesign

Video podcast : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doNXgRzVdpA

Related episode : Creating Emotional Homes and Retail Environments

Recommended podcast/book: 

Think and Grow Rich book I Productivity Straight Talk podcast I Armchair Expert podcast

NEED STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE for your interior design business? Get it in the show notes of Crystal’s episode Why you need SOP’s in your Interior Design business.