639: Mina Duque: Starting an Interior Design Firm in a Foreign Melting Pot
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Release Date: 02/09/2021
977: Katie Ryan Pluer:Strategies for Taking on a Business Partner
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Katie Ryan Pluer Today with Katie Ryan Pluer we are discussing what it takes to build a successful business partnership in the interior design industry. Katie brings a wealth of experience in business development, marketing, and advertising — along with a successful track record of buying and selling businesses. She has a keen understanding of what it takes to create a profitable business, and has spent the past few years getting settled in the interior design industry as Vice President of Natasa Jones Interiors in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. If you have a partner or are considering...
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976: On Air Strategy Sessions: Is a Disconnect Causing Your Ideal Clients to Walk Away?
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Melissa Fields Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Today we run an entire new segment! It's "On Air Strategy Sessions"! In today's episode, we have Melissa Fields with us. Melissa is the founder of Shades of Gray Design Studio, a boutique interior design studio based in San Antonio, Texas. So, let's meet her! More About Melissa Fields Shades of Gray Design Studio is a boutique interior design studio based in San Antonio, Texas. It was started in 2018 shortly after Melissa Fields, the Founder and CEO, retired from the United States Air Force after 20...
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975: Joyful Abundance: Thriving in Business with a Positive Mindset
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Jennifer Davis Today on A Well-Designed Business I’m with Jennifer Davis, the founder of Davis Interiors, a boutique design firm based in Minneapolis. Jennifer's story is proof that intention, manifestation, and a positive mindset can lead to the life and business of our dreams. In this episode, we discuss Jennifer’s strategies and beliefs that have helped her create a joyful client experience and a successful career. From setting intentions and aligning your actions with your goals to overcoming impostor syndrome and cultivating an abundance...
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974: Power Talk Friday: Katie McDonald: How to Prioritize Your Well-being in Your Interior Design Business
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Katie McDonald Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today, I’m excited to welcome back Katie McDonald, certified holistic health coach and instructor at b.nourished. As entrepreneurs, we do have a tendency to put ourselves on the backburner, focusing our time and attention on the needs of the business. But if we’re not creating something sustainable—if we’re heading toward burnout, are we really creating well-designed businesses? It can feel as if we need to justify rest, justify taking time for ourselves, Katie’s take is that we...
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973: Jamie Gasparovic: How Investing In Your Business Can Kick Imposter Syndrome to the Curb
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Jamie Gasparovic Hi, welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today, I am joined by Jamie Gasparovic, Founder and Principal Designer of Studio Gaspo, a boutique full-service interior design firm. Have you ever had imposter syndrome? Join the club. Jamie has a little secret to combating imposter syndrome, and that is to invest in your business. Jamie has spent thousands in investments for her business. Six figures in the last year, to be more specific. Before you drop your jaw, listen in to hear all of the value and advice Jamie has to give on investing...
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972: Power Talk Friday: Lesley Myrick: Profit Insiders: How Interior Designers Can Leverage Local Marketing
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Lesley Myrick: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. For today’s Sponsored Show, I am so happy to welcome back Lesley Myrick of Profit Insiders. Now, we all know that local business is the backbone of interior design. And yet, our focus often falls primarily or solely on online marketing. But local networking and marketing offer a lot of potential—if you know how to take advantage of opportunities (and measure your success). Lesley knows that local marketing is about more than joining BNI or your run-of-the-mill networking group. While those organizations can certainly be...
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971: Vicente Wolf: How to Bring True Artistry into Interior Design
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Vicente Wolf Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today, I welcome design icon Vicente Wolf to the show. Vicente’s name speaks for itself, as does his reputation. With more than 50 years of experience and wide-known fame, Vicente is a true artist who undoubtedly inspires upcoming designers on a regular basis. He has a true talent for design—and it begins with understanding the artistry involved. Today, Vicente shares his insights about creativity, design, and knowing the value you bring to the table. Pick It Apart: [1:29] Vicente shares...
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970: Power Talk Friday: Ali Stein: Strategies to Acquire New Clients
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Ali Stein Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. My guest today is Ali Stein, owner of Grabler Brand. This is the first time you have heard from Ali on the show, but not the first time you have heard about her on the show. Back when I had Regan Baker on, if you remember, she raved about Ali. Over seven years Ali helped grow the Regan Baker Design team from 5 to 20 employees and she helped increase their revenue by 1200%. Ali was the Director of Operations and she oversaw HR, Performance Management, Finance, Business Development, Marketing, Project Management,...
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969: Pure Salt Interiors: Aly Morford & Leigh Lincoln: Licensing Partnerships
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Aly Morford & Leigh Lincoln Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today, I have a two-for-one as I am joined by best friends and business partners Aly Morford and Leigh Lincoln, co-owners of Pure Salt Interiors. If you have ever been interested in partnering with another brand, this episode is for you. I couldn’t wait to have Aly and Leigh on today to pick this apart because I know that a lot of designers are interested in forming partnerships, but have no idea how to find them, how to start them, who to start them with, all of the things. Today, Aly...
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968: Overheard: Charles Pavarini, Leyden Lewis, and Maria Viola: How to Harness Creativity in Interior Design
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With Charles Pavarini, Leyden Lewis, and Maria Viola Hi, welcome to a Well-Designed Business. On today’s Overheard episode, I’m joined by Charles Pavarini III, Leyden Lewis, and Maria Viola. We rarely talk about design itself on the podcast—we’re much more focused on the business sode of things. But the conversation about creativity has popped up several times over the years in discussions I have had with many of you. I have often wondered, is creativity something you just have or you don’t? And if you do have it, how do you know, and how do you channel...
info_outlineToday with Mina Duque:
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business®. Can you imagine starting your firm in a foreign city—one where you have no connections, no network, and where you haven’t even visited? That’s exactly what Mina Duque ended up doing. Today, she’s sharing her story of how she started her business in Tulum, the unique challenges presented by working in a major melting pot, and how she grew her business even without a community and network.
Pick it apart:
- [18:00] Mina shares the challenges and triumphs of working with different cultures and communication styles.
- [36:24] LuAnn and Mina discuss the value of mentorship and how to set parameters within the relationship.
- [44:38] Mina discusses how 3D renderings not only changed the landscape of her business but gave way to her husband starting his own rendering design company.
- [52:54] LuAnn and Mina talk about the book Rocket Fuel and the importance of intentionally scoping out business goals.
LuAnn and Mina Duque’s Ah-Ha moments:
“We do that all the time in business...we say to our vendors, ‘Just give it to me straight, I need to know.’ But you’re saying as a culture, that’s not likely to happen. It’s so deeply engrained...and to them, there’s a level of respect in not saying a boldfaced no.” -LuAnn Nigara
“I always tell my vendors, I so prefer that if you think that something is going to take two weeks, tell me it’s going to take four weeks, because if you deliver sooner, I’m happy, but if you deliver later, I’m not happy.” -Mina Duque
“We get really good at visualizing, but that’s not everyone’s forte. So something that sounds really good or looks good on paper, when you see it in real life, you’re like, ‘I’m not really crazy about that.’” -Mina Duque
“It builds so much more trust and confidence in my client when I can show them everything in advance before they start spending money.” -Mina Duque
More About Mina Duque:
Mina, the principal designer at Interiors Tulum, founded the firm in early 2019. Her style is influenced by her unique background growing up between Casablanca, Morocco and Los Angeles, California. Mina grew up between Casablanca, Morocco and Los Angeles, California. Her degree from USC, along with her world travels and experience as a property manager for Airbnb’s, influence her design and decision-making process every step of the way. Her Moroccan background adds a unique accent to her designs blended with the relaxed, Caribbean bohemian vibe that she works with so often. She is an ambitious, driven woman, enjoys research, suffers little risk adversity, and celebrates exploring new cultures and ideas. Now with her business expanding she has a few employees and is striving to create a company culture that reflects her values of honesty, reliability, authenticity, and passion. Working with people from different backgrounds and celebrating their cultures energizes Mina as she loves to learn about their history and discover ways that she can help them enhance their lifestyle by designing relaxing and luxurious living spaces. Currently based in Tulum, Mexico, Mina lives with her husband, Fernando, and their high-energy rescue pup, Lulu.
Connect with Mina Duque:
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A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:
Revel Woods: Revel Woods is dedicated to providing premium hardwood and resilient flooring curated for your design and needs. They offer a wide range of perks for perks we offer interior designers, contractors, & industry professionals. Visit revelwoods.com today to get started.
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Other Shows Mentioned:
#291 Cheryl Luckett – From Side Hustle to Full Time Interior Design
#267 Rasheeda Gray: A Pipeline With Over 20 Interior Design Projects in Under 2 Years