758: Sallie Lord: Collaboration over Competition in the Interior Design Community

Today with Sallie Lord:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. I have said for some time that our business is only as strong as the relationships we build. Our relationships with vendors, partners, clients, and employees all play a hand in our success. But the relationships we have with fellow business owners, fellow designers or fellow window treatment professionals, can be extremely valuable as well. My guest today, Sallie Lord, knows that other professionals don’t have to be your competition. In fact, they can be collaborative partners and help empower your business.

Pick it apart:

[2:48] Sallie shares the story of how she and a group of local designers created a collaborative pod that helps each other’s businesses grow. 

[7:37] LuAnn and Sallie discuss how crucial community relationships can be to your business.

[19:36] Sallie and LuAnn talk about how to create collaborative relationships with fellow designers. 

[23:47] Sallie shares the way she builds the sense of collaboration within her own firm as well. 

[33:58] Sallie discusses the client experience GreyHunt Interiors is committed to providing.

LuAnn and Sallie Lord’s Ah-Ha moments:

“It is so healthy for us, for our businesses, and for our relationships. I love the opportunity for us to help one another. We all bring something to the table.” -Sallie Lord

 

“These are your friends that you lean on, but there is also a practical level. When you have a group that you know and trust, you can actually say, “How do you manage an hourly project? How do you incentivize your project manager to work in a timely manner…” You get to ask the important questions, not just have wine and massages. You get to grow your business acumen through these other people.” -LuAnn Nigara

 

“Is it really successful to climb to the top by yourself? Is that really the way the journey is supposed to go? That’s not the way it’s meant to be. We’re supposed to be in a community.” -Sallie Lord

More about Sallie Lord:

Sallie Lord is the award-winning designer and founder behind GreyHunt Interiors. A graduate of Marymount University, Sallie has worked in the interiors business for over two decades. She has amassed a loyal following of almost 75K people on her social media channels with a passion for design and an eye for up-and-coming trends.

 

This native Virginian spends her time between her home in Northern Virginia — where her business is flourishing and her new home in Indianapolis, which she shares with her husband, and two boys.

 

You can catch Sallie daily on her Instagram page, where she shares her latest designs, interior tips, and everything and anything that inspires her, including uplifting women in business!

Connect with Sallie Lord:

Website 

Instagram 

Facebook 

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Other Shows Mentioned:

#484 Laurence Carr: Design Your Business Plan

#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

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