875: Window Treatment Friday: Vita Vygovska: The Straight Talk About Unstable Fabrics
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Release Date: 05/05/2023
978: Power Talk Friday: LoriAnn Kuntz: How to Love (and Understand) Your Interior Design Business Numbers
A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
Today With LoriAnn Kuntz Hi, welcome to a Well-Designed Business. It’s Power Talk Friday. Today I am excited to welcome LoriAnn Kuntz, founder of Profit Priority, a bookkeeping and financial management company for creatives. Understanding your numbers matters. But it’s equally as important to understand when and why to outsource your bookkeeping. Hear LoriAnn’s insights on why strategic bookkeping matters—and how you can take control of your numbers. Pick It Apart: [3:18] LoriAnn and LuAnn discuss why knowing your numbers matters—and what it means to “love” those...
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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...
info_outlineToday With Vita Vygovska:
Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. It’s Window Treatment Friday, which means I am joined by Vita Vygovska. Vita is the founder of Vitalia Inc. and a regular here on the podcasts. She is an expert in all things window treatments, and today Vita will share her knowledge of unstable fabrics to help us better understand the qualities of these linens, wools, open weaves, and anything viscose.
Window treatment professionals can’t guarantee the results when working with these fabrics, so neither should you as the designer. But don’t worry, Vita is here to eloquently help us navigate these temperamental textiles and give us the knowledge we need for better success.
Pick It Apart
[7:22] Vita and LuAnn discuss the battle of getting drapes to skim, or “kiss” the floor.
[17:53] Vita offers language to say no, without actually saying “no.”
[24:24] LuAnn talks about the importance of listening to the advice of your window treatment professional and passing the information along honestly to your clients.
[28:59] Vita advises interior designers on alternative fabrics to use in place of unstable ones.
[40:10] Vita suggests not only discussing the fabrics, but documenting the conversation and putting a disclaimer on projects with unstable fabrics because you can’t guarantee the outcome.
LuAnn Nigara and Vita Vygovska's Ah-Ha Moments
“We want to be good partners. We want to be there as your problem solvers, and as someone who brings value. But we also want to tell the truth, and we don't want to set anybody up for failure.” – Vita Vygovska
“These unstable fabrics‑being unstable because they're unpredictable‑whereas we don't exactly know as a workroomhow they are going to behave when we fabricate them… And so because these fabrics are so unpredictable, it is really difficult to guarantee any kind of specific result.” – Vita Vygovska
“Understand that once your window treatment professional confirms, or just tells you, for the first time that this probably isn't going to perform the way you and your client have the expectation to, then think of it as clear cut as the sofa blocking the walkway.” – LuAnn Nigara
“I'm going to tell you the truth over getting an order because I don't want just the order. I want the order and I want the project to be successful.” – LuAnn Nigara
“Tough conversations are always better had on the on the forefront‑up front‑before they become tough situations.” – Vita Vygovska
More About Vita Vygovska:
Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short!), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, and the LuAnn University instructor for Systems Driven Operations.
Connect with Vita Vygovska
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Other Shows Mentioned:
WTFP #134: Deb Barrett: Why Textiles Matter
AWDB #448: Window Treatment Friday: A New Series featuring Vita Vygovska and LuAnn Nigara
AWDB #456: Window Treatment Friday: Custom-Made vs Ready-Made Window Treatments
AWDB #462: Window Treatment Friday: Window Treatment Business Models, Part 1
AWDB #471: Window Treatment Friday: Window Treatment Business Models, Part 2
AWDB #748: Window Treatment Friday: Pricing Window Treatments: Understanding Margin vs. Markup
AWDB #761: Window Treatment Friday: Pricing Window Treatments: How to Ballpark the Numbers on the Fly
AWDB #775: Window Treatment Friday: Vita Vygovska: How Much Profit Can Designers Make on Window Treatments?
AWDB #815: Window Treatment Friday: Vita Vygovska: Mindset of Pricing Window Treatments
Other Resources Mentioned: