The Interior Design Business and Social Media Marketing Podcast: Wingnut Social: Recent Episodes
Darla Powell
The marketing and business podcast for interior designers, architects, decorators, stagers, influencers and creatives. Hosted by interior designer, Darla Powell.
After a career in environmental science Erica Reiner decided to marry her two loves—environmental science and design—and became an eco-friendly designer. Erica’s passion is to help people transform their space, health, and the planet. She does full-service and eDesign for both residential and commercial clients. She also has her own podcast called “Green by Design.” Listen to this episode of Wingnut Social to hear about her journey to niche until it hurts.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:16] Don’t forget to check out Wingnut Social!
[4:45] Mini News Sesh: Instagram’s newest feature
[7:24] All about eco-friendly designer Erica Reiner
[13:20] Wat eco-friendly design means to Erica
[17:09] Erica’s strategies for marketing
[20:50] Check out Build Lane for custom furniture!
[23:02] Don’t be afraid to niche until it hurts
[28:48] Did COVID ramp up the desire for eco-friendly design?
[30:48] How can the design industry become greener?
[34:10] The What Up Wingnut! Round
[39:34] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Erica Reiner
Eco Method Interiors
Connect on LinkedIn
Follow on Instagram
The Green by Design podcast
You Are a Badass at Making Money by Jen Sincero
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Resources & People Mentioned
Wingnut Social Premium Mastermind: 1pm August 25th
Episode #122 with Mike Peterson and Michelle Castagna
Visionary Design Marketing
What eco-friendly design means to Erica
Erica notes that eco-friendly is an umbrella term that can include human health and a deep look at chemical exposures and toxicity. It can also include the impact you’re having on the earth itself. It’s why Erica incorporates eco-friendly design into her entire method. She weaves in eco-friendly things that make sense in every project. Her goal was to make sustainability and eco-friendly design as accessible as possible.
Each client Erica works with is kept informed of what she’s doing with a customized “green guide” for their project. While she is careful to spend money on what’s important to the client, they are all aware that she incorporates eco-friendly sourcing. She works with vendors who strive to create sustainable pieces.
So is Erica’s design style considered Vegan? Listen to hear why Erica believes she can’t fall into that category. HINT: it’s about sustainability...
Don’t be afraid to niche until it hurts
Erica designs so many different types of aesthetics but it’s always classified within eco-friendly design. After Erica shifted to full-time design in 2018, she felt like she failed miserably. But when she stopped offering eco-friendly design as a separate service and incorporated it into her entire process, everything changed. The efforts she made with SEO started to pay off.
Darla never recommends that you do something you don’t love. If you’re passionate about different aesthetics, do it. Erica still has the thread of eco-friendly design woven in. Erica believes that if you’re afraid to niche, you’re embracing a scarcity mindset. If you niche into something you’re passionate about it will be enough to sustain you.
Erica also chose a niche because she desires to teach other home pros and designers about the importance of eco-friendly design. She launched a podcast that shares tips and tricks, how-tos, what to be aware of—anything green. It’s another piece of the marketing puzzle to become an authority in the eco-friendly industry. Erica emphasizes that environmental problems and human health problems are one and the same. There is so much improvement to come in the movement toward greener and cleaner.
Want to learn Erica’s client satisfaction process to not only end a project with happy clients but also get referrals? Head on over to Wingnut Premium!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Wingnut Social Podcast Sponsor: Build Lane
Looking for a great custom furniture option? Check out Build https://buildlane.com/
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Are you struggling to market yourself? Does the copywriting on your website leave something to be desired? Are you ready for a career change but struggling with self-doubt? In this episode of Wingnut Social, you’ll get a special two-part episode with Gregory Anne Cox—both coach and copywriter—covering how to be more marketable and how to overcome self-doubt. Don’t miss it!
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[0:45] check out Desi Creswell's “Out of Overwhelm” program
[2:30] Learn more about Gregory Anne Cox
[4:40] How to crush your inner doubt
[9:40] Crappy copywriting: How to Be More Marketable
[16:25] Turning crappy copy around (no names named)
[24:13] Gregory’s last bit of copywriting wisdom
[25:11] The What Up Wingnut! Round
[28:42] Check out Wingnut Premium
[30:19] Blooper reel!
Connect with Gregory Anne Cox
Rebellious Wellness Over 50 podcast: https://rebelliouswellnessover50.com/rwo50-podcast/
Gregory’s copywriting business: https://bemoremarketable.com/
Connect on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/gregoryanne/
Resources & People Mentioned
“It's Not Too Late, You Actually Just Started” video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_8jSIRlZ_g
The Overstory by Richard Powers: https://www.amazon.com/Overstory-Novel-Richard-Powers/dp/039335668X
How to crush your inner doubt—at any age
Gregory believes that you get to decide to be relevant or not. There’s a lot of space in culture for new conversations—like how to start a business at any age. Where you place your focus is the path that you’ll take. Gregory chooses to help her listeners find their inner rebel to stand up for whatever they want to at whatever age. What if you’re struggling with inner doubt? Gregory suggests you go back to a time in your life where you’ve felt that way before. You’ve made it to today, haven’t you?
Gregory always wanted to go back to school and complete her degree in Psychology. She had been a chef for 30 years and suddenly she couldn’t cook anymore. She couldn’t go back to school, so she found life coaching. It allowed her to use the same type of skills to help people transform their mindset. She loves the mantra, “Where your attention goes your energy flows.”
Look at what you might want to do. How will it make you feel if you don’t do that? Or at least try it? You only have so much mental energy every day. What do you want to put that energy toward?
Crappy Copywriting: How to Be More Marketable
What do you do for your clients? Is that portrayed in your copywriting? Gregory notes that copywriting is less about your capability as a writer and more about finding out what your client wants and what you do for them. Then you put words on paper that express that and helps you stand out. You have to differentiate yourself and speak to your ideal client.
Gregory sees the “I” problem a lot. People’s copy reads like it’s all about them: “Welcome to my website. I am a coach, I welcome you to my website.” You only have so much real estate on a website—don’t waste it. You want to drop people into their problem as soon as you can. Don’t fill up the page with features, descriptions, benefits, etc. But you need to speak to the prehistoric reptilian brain in someone’s head.
Secondly, she recommends you use fewer, more powerful words. Tell a story. You need to bring yourself into the picture—and not try and please everyone. The people that are your people want to see your quirkiness because they have it in them. Darla didn’t find success with her interior design firm until she fully embraced who she was.
How does Gregory turn crappy copy around? Why does Gregory ask clients about their favorite jelly bean? How does she make a boring process fun? Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
Looking for premium content including extra takeaways and bonus information? Check out Wingnut Premium for four extra podcast episodes a month, access to a private Facebook group, and access to me 24/7.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Wingnut Social Podcast Sponsor
Ready to stop being overwhelmed? Check out Desi Creswell’s new “Out of Overwhelm” coaching group
Desi Creswell’s Daily Planner
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn
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Are physical product libraries dying out? Are they even necessary? Are digital product libraries becoming the way of the future? Rex Rogosch—Darla Powell Interiors’ very own Creative Director—shares where he thinks the space is moving. If you need some tips and tricks to start building your own digital product library, don’t miss this episode of Wingnut Social!
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:00] How to maximize video on Facebook
[9:50] Rex Rogosch is back on the podcast!
[11:48] Building a product library digitally
[15:15] Is it more important for some designers?
[17:04] How do you get inspired?
[18:33] Your projects are your library
[19:47] Trade shows + markets
[27:10] How to organize your library
[32:22] The What Up Wingnut Round!
[35:39] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Rex Rogosch
Darla Powell Interiors
Connect on LinkedIn
Resources & People Mentioned
Wingnut Social Episode 190 with Rex Rogosch
Material Bank
Mydoma
Physical product libraries are dying out
When Rex worked commercially or in large firms, they had hundreds of square feet dedicated to product libraries. They were always working to keep the space up-to-date, clean, and organized. Rex would use the library for inspiration and direction or to make last-minute sample switches. But most of his work was already online ordering new samples.
How do you work as a designer? How do you find inspiration? You have to find your own comfort zone. Are you comfortable moving into a digital platform? Or do you have to feel and touch everything? Rex grew up sourcing digitally and he’s comfortable with digital catalogs.
If you want or need a physical library, make it more about your favorite things and what inspires you. Personalize it with your go-to items and then use digital sample libraries and material banks. Hold on to the samples until the project is done and then offload them.
Now, instead of relying on a product library, Rex gets inspiration from talking to the clients and seeing their inspiration photos. Do they have blue in every picture? Limestone in every photo? He takes those notes and builds upon them. Someone else may have images or photos you’ve never seen or interacted with.
How to organize a digital—or physical—library
Rex notes that your digital library lives in each project that you have saved. He doesn’t necessarily recommend archiving photos because you’ll end up with another library. If Rex ever has to refer to a product, he can go pull it from a project. With a quick google search, finding stuff digitally is pretty quick.
If you still want a physical library, it needs to stay organized. How large is the library? Can you have specific sections for tile, glass, fabrics, etc? Then you subset it from there. For example, Rex organizes fabric first by vendor. Then he organizes by color. Why? Because a color scheme is one of the first things designers know after a consultation.
Sometimes designers get complacent with the vendors that they work with. Suddenly all of your designs look the same. Organizing by color instead of vendor is one way to vary who you work with.
Expert Tip: If you have a good rep, they will come update your library and clear out outdated products. They don’t want to do it, but they will to get back in front of their customers.
For more of the conversation around digital libraries, listen to the whole episode! It’s packed with useful strategies and tips.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn
Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com
What is intuition? Is it the same thing as a gut feeling? Is intuition the same for everyone? After making a series of bad decisions that led to the death of a friend, Sunil Godse spent thousands of hours researching how to help people stop making poor decisions by sharpening their intuition. Intuitionology was born.
In this episode of Wingnut Social, Sunil talks about how to define intuition, the science of intuition, the four intuitive hurdles, and the four types of intuition. Whew. The episode is jam-packed with fascinating science and intuition-based information. Don’t miss it!
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:30] FREE visibility training
[3:08] The dos and don’ts of Instagram
[8:53] The science of intuition
[9:23] All about Intuitionology
[16:34] How accurate is a gut feeling?
[21:47] The four intuitive hurdles
[28:26] How to differentiate fear
[33:27] The four different types of intuition
[39:41] Intuition is a two-way street
[45:27] The What Up Wingnut! Round
[51:41] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Sunil Godse
Sunil’s TEDx Talk
Intuitionology Seven Day Challenge
Follow on Twitter
Connect on LinkedIn
Resources & People Mentioned
FREE visibility training on March 3rd at 1 pm Est. with Amanda Berlin
Amanda Berlin’s Wingnut Social Episode #190
The Brain-Gut Connection
BOOK: Power vs. Force
Intuition is defined by individuals
How do you view intuition? When Sunil was 5, he wanted video games, which his Dad said were expensive. A voice in his head told him to go door-to-door to raise money. Other times, he had “things” in his mind telling him what not to do. What are these “somethings?” How do you define it? For some people, it’s a voice from God, spiritual manifestation, etc. But that didn’t resonate with Sunil. He refers to these “somethings” he felt as “signals.”
Sunil started interviewing people about intuition. He went to a neurologist and talked to him about the science of the gut and neurons. More and more research shows that intuition happens before we’re even conscious of it. Intuition hits you at the amygdala—the fight or flight portion of the brain.
All the amygdala knows is fear. There is no language in that part of the brain. If there’s no language, how can you give the experience a definition? Because you can understand what it feels like. Because of this, you get to construct your own language and definition of intuition.
How accurate is a gut feeling?
Sunil interviewed over 1,000 people and found that there are positive and negative signals associated with intuition. Those signals are unique to each person. Positive signals are there to help you decide a decision because the decision is the right one. For Sunil, it feels like dots connecting or being in flow. Others refer to it as a gentle pull. One person referred to it as an omen. What are your positive signals?
Negative signals warn you that a decision you’re about to make is a bad one. For Sunil, a gut feeling is a negative signal. Negative signals can be subtle in nature. Everyone has gotten an instant “something is wrong feeling.” It can be so subtle that we tend to ignore it. But those signals get louder until they can’t be ignored. In some cases, people get headaches and one person heard the words “get out.”
That gut feeling may be signal #3 for Sunil. If it’s signal #3, that means he missed two signals—two opportunities to make the right decision. We need to take the time to figure out what our signals are. Or the consequences can cost you.
What are the four intuitive hurdles? How does this impact your decision-making? Keep listening to learn more!
The impact of listening to your intuition
In his research, Sunil found that infants as young as 2 months old have intuitive capabilities. Intuition takes experiences and puts them in your subconscious. It’s like a library. When you make a decision, your intuition goes into that personalized library and sorts through past decisions. You may think it’s a split-second decision, but your brain tells you that you’ve been there before.
Sunil knows a man with cerebral palsy who finally got a chance to sink his toes into the sand on a beach. It was a lifelong dream of his. His friends wheeled him up to the sand and he fell flat on his face. He had two choices: he could succumb to fear and sit back in his wheelchair and leave. OR, he could trust his intuition, face the fear, and step into the water.
So he walked in the water until the water got to his neck. Then he turned around. When he looked back, he saw how far he had come. That’s what happens when you listen to your intuitive signals. You take steps to battle the fear. If it’s a positive signal, take it. You develop confidence and shed fear. Anything you do is driven by intuition. If you start trusting your intuition, life will be great every single day.
What are the four different types of intuition? How do you know if a gut-feeling is negative intuition or you simply staying in your comfort zone? We’ve barely scratched the surface on this post. Listen to the whole episode to learn more about the power of intuition!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn
Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com
Things are crazy in the Wingnut world, so this episode is a throwback to a popular episode: Betsy Helmuth’s Guide to 10x Your Influence. If you missed it the first time—don't miss it this time! Betsy Helmuth joins Darla in this episode to share exactly how she broadened her reach and got local and national exposure—and how you can too. Check it out!
Why should you never say “no” to a small project? How can you walk away without leaving money on the table? In this episode of Wingnut Social, Sean Castrina shares how he lands the clients and projects he wants—which means saying a lot of “yes.” If you’re ready to level-up your business, don’t miss this episode.
Sean Castrina is a serial entrepreneur, having started more than 20 companies over the last 20 years, and still seeks to launch a new venture annually. He is the author of 8 Unbreakable Rules for Business Startup Success, The Greatest Entrepreneur in the World, and the World’s Greatest Business Plan. He hosts one of the most popular business podcasts on the planet—The 10 Minute Entrepreneur.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:57] A Well-Designed Business Vol. 2
[3:24] Shoppable posts on Instagram
[10:48] All about Sean Castrina
[12:55] Don’t leave money on the table
[14:12] How to upsell your design services
[19:05] Vetting high-end interior design clients
[22:12] Why you should never turn down a yes
[28:47] The relationship with the designer
[31:40] Employ the right advertising
[35:25] Should you list pricing online?
[37:02] Sean’s genius marketing strategies
[41:24] What Up Wingnut! Round
[43:19] Learn more about Sean Castrina
[48:38] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Sean Castrina
Get a FREE book from Sean: The 8 Unbreakable Rules For Business Startup Success
The 10-Minute Entrepreneur Podcast
Advantage Home Contracting
Connect on LinkedIn
Follow on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
A Well-Designed Business: The Power Talk Friday Experts Vol. 2
LuAnn Live
Facebook Guidelines for Merchants
BOOK: Rich Dad Poor Dad
BOOK: Think and Grow Rich
BOOK: The Speed of Trust
Upsell your design services with these simple steps
80% of the work is out of the way once you meet with a client. The cost to acquire a customer is the heavy lifting. Why wouldn’t they want to give you more business? It’s more convenient for them to use you in the process. It’s not to their advantage to have five different contractors in this process. Wouldn’t they rather have him control the project and be responsible for it?
Sean emphasizes that “Customers want convenience, deadlines, and adhering to a budget more than any other thing.” They perceive that it will be simpler to hire multiple people or that they’ll save money. But speed and the right outcome will override money any time. Sean establishes a budget they can bet their life on. He will guard their money like oxygen.
He’s giving them the convenience of having only one person to be accountable to. Once you bring other people in, it becomes a nightmare. So Sean uses his own subcontractors/employees. What if the client insists on using their own contractors? How does Sean vett his clients? Listen to hear what Sean thinks you should do.
Never turn down a “yes”
Sean implores you: Never turn down a “Yes” of a target customer. The customer is saying “We want to see how this goes.” He knows he will exceed their expectations so he’ll gain all the money later anyway. What do you gain by leaving? You’ll lose a customer indefinitely. If they only want a small project completed and you’re still getting your hourly rate? Just say yes.
There is no job too small if you have your target customer. You are trying to collect the most people that like and need what you offer. Sean loves having small jobs in-between large jobs. It’s a great way to introduce your business to a target customer and develop a relationship that can lead to more work down the road.
Why you need to employ the right advertising
Sean knows that their advertising lets people know that they’re not cheap from the get-go. That’s the point. They run regional super-bowl ads and radio ads. They have brand new vans. They have a huge corner office. You can define your credibility from the beginning with the right advertising.
His target customer needs to understand that every purchase won’t be the least expensive thing. If they’re going to buy everything from Wayfair, they don’t need Sean. The image you put out in your advertising can project pricing. You can frame your ads to make yourself look the next tier that you are.
What are some more of Sean’s genius marketing strategies? How does he continuously deliver value for his clients? Listen for more of Sean’s expert business advice.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn
Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com
Are you familiar with the concept of time blocking? Will it make you more productive and efficient with your time? Or are you set in your ways and happy with your current routine? Wendy Woloschuk knows that blocking her time makes her more efficient. In this episode, she shares her tips and tricks for optimal time-blocking success. After all, time is money—how much are you wasting?
Wendy Woloshchuk is the owner of Details Interiors. In addition to running a busy design firm, Wendy is a frequent speaker on Market panels and tele-summits and is now teaching other designers through online courses. She is one-third of the Design for Today Collaborative, a group committed to educating Interior Designers and Home Stagers.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[3:04] Mini News Sesh: The Instagram Algorithm
[9:45] Who is Wendy Woloschuk?
[11:54] What is time blocking?
[16:43] How to handle time-sensitive communication
[19:55] How to track your time-blocks
[22:00] Self-discipline will lead to habit
[24:00] How Wendy handles sourcing for clients
[27:42] Should you schedule a break each hour?
[28:45] The Design for Today Collaborative
[31:07] What Up Wingnut! Round
[35:24] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Wendy Woloshchuk
Details Interiors
Connect on LinkedIn
Follow on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
Unleash the Power Within
Design for Today Collaborative
Wingnut Social Episode 36
Book: Unleash the Power Within
mydoma
Wendy Woloschuk’s version of time blocking
Time blocking is a way of intentionally planning out every minute of your day. It forces you to manage your time efficiently and helps you focus on what you’re doing. If you are multi-tasking, you are focusing on a million different things and not doing any of them at 100%, right? The premise of time blocking is that when you give one task 100% of your attention, you’re more effective.
At Wendy’s firm, they break down each specific day into a time-block. She starts every day with a cup of coffee, time on Facebook and Instagram, exercising, showering, and getting to the office. On Mondays, her assistant blocks time for social media, their blog, and the newsletter. She has another block for emails. They block in lunch and move on to client work. They check email and social media one more time at the end of the day.
How do you know where to start? Wendy shares these simple steps:
Start with a list of your regular weekly tasks
Plug in the most important tasks first
Fill other tasks in around those
What’s the key to optimal success? Listen to find out!
How Wendy handles sourcing for clients
If you’re taking 3 hours to find something that should take you half an hour, then you’re losing money. So Wendy gives herself a set amount of time—half an hour—to find a certain product. Why? If you can’t find it in half an hour, your brain needs to move on and you come back to it.
Sourcing takes time and practice. It requires knowing your vendors. Giving yourself half an hour helps you get it done more quickly. Once you’ve found something that will work perfectly, don’t keep looking. You can always go back and adjust if necessary.
She always works on one client at a time. While she’s sourcing for one person—if she sees something that’s a good fit for someone else—she makes a note and moves on.
Self-discipline becomes habit
When you have a schedule set and you’ve ben time blocking for a couple of weeks, Wendy notes that it will become a habit. It’s saved her many hours a day. When you get lost in a rabbit-hole, it’s hard to get refocused. But time blocking gives you something to reference to help you get back on track. She notes that it does get easier—and is 100% worth the effort. Hear the rest of her time blocking tips by listening to the whole episode!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn
Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com
Should you add eDesign to your portfolio—if you haven’t already? 2020 was a hot year to embrace eDesign. If you haven’t already jumped on the bandwagon, Richard Tarity shares WHY you need to in this special bonus episode of the Wingnut Social podcast. He also shares how Foyr is changing eDesign with its groundbreaking capabilities.
Richard Tarity has been a technology thought leader for over two decades. He is a self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur and the President of North America for Foyr—the world’s fastest-growing online cloud-based design software.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:17] Who is Richard Tarity?
[3:46] Richard’s background with Foyr
[6:07] New and experienced designers are on board
[741] Are you leaving money on the table?
[9:37] What is a “down and dirty” render?
[11:20] Does Foyr have a learning curve?
[16:00] WHY you should offer eDesign
[23:55] The product catalogs that Foyr uses
[25:41] What makes Foyr better than any other platform
[29:40] Foyr’s gift to Wingnut listeners!
[34:42] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Richard Tarity
Connect on LinkedIn
Foyr Neo
Foyr Talk Series
Fory on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
Use Promo code DARLA35 for 35% off your quarterly or annual FoyrNeo Subscription!
Wingnut Social Episode #150
Are you leaving money on the table?
Designers are still not necessarily offering eDesign as a standalone service. Should that change?
Richard has noticed that “The designers that have aggressively pursued getting themselves into a position to offer eDesign are taking advantage of a much wider audience.” You don’t have to stay niched in your community or region. eDesign gives you reach.
You will need to market differently. You have to watch how you’re presenting your brand and your style because it becomes about attracting the right personas to you. It’s opened up a new revenue stream for some interior designers. If you’re not taking advantage of it, you might just be leaving money on the table.
How does Foyr work? How is it different from other rendering programs? Does it come with a learning curve? Does this work for high-end interior designers? Listen to learn more about it!
Why should you offer eDesign?
Richard emphasizes that with eDesign, you aren’t limited by geography. You aren’t tied down and can work with anyone, anywhere. What does that mean? More potential revenue. When you design with a signature style, you want to attract people in your spectrum wherever they are.
Before the pandemic, many high-end designers would have to travel somewhere OR the consumer would only find someone local to them. Now, you can do work around the world without physically being there. You can still engage at a higher level.
eDesign is a collaboration tool that allows you to change things on the fly. Richard also points out that“As we go forward, you have to think more about what the consumer is going through and less about how we want to function doing the actual activities.” How do they want to consume design?
It’s not all or nothing. You can offer eDesign and in-person design. You can still provide a high-end luxury service. Why not embrace a hybrid method?
Foyr Neo in action
Richard redid his basement last year and did the design himself in the Neo software. The company that he hired to complete the basement did designs in SketchUp. After he finished up Neo, he asked them to look at the software and test it out. They still use Foyr Neo today. Not only that, but they’ve signed 11 basements because of it.
The software has been a game-changer for them. They show people what their spaces could look like, they collaborate, and then they share their pricing. All of the other contractors in their region still use a paper board. The value add—by integrating their software—has paid off exponentially.
What product catalogs does Foyr use? What makes them different from any other platform? Listen to the whole episode to learn more!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Check out the Wingnut Social Media Lab Facebook Group!
1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Wingnut Social Podcast Sponsor
Foyr Neo
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How do you make your first hire? What processes should you have in place to avoid making mistakes? Should you simplify the process and use a recruiting agency? Jessica Harling shares her expertise in hiring in this episode of Wingnut Social! If you’re running a small business ready for growth, do not miss this practical and oh so important episode.
Jessica Harling is a 4th-generation window treatment specialist and founder of Behind the Design. She is a leading expert in employee engagement for design organizations. She specializes in recruitment, training, and process development that drives results.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:09] Mini News Sesh with Shana Heinricy
[13:29] What makes Jessica an expert in hiring
[15:19] What you want versus what you need
[18:12] Where to start with hiring
[20:13] Should you put an ad on Indeed?
[23:03] Should you use personality assessments in hiring?
[31:15] Having the conversation about money
[32:45] The legalese: non-competes
[35:33] The advantages of using a recruiter
[42:06] The importance of following a process
[43:03] What Up Wingnut! Round
[44:44] How to connect with Jessica
[49:31] Blooper Reel!
Connect with Jessica Harling
Go Behind the Design
Connect on LinkedIn
Resources & People Mentioned
BOOK: Traction by Gino Whitman
How to Fascinate Personality Test
The Predictive Index
Indeed
ZipRecruiter
Where do you even start with hiring?
What are you good at? Where are your weaknesses? What thing doesn’t bring you joy? Jessica recommends hiring people that fill your weaknesses. If you’re awesome at the books, don’t delegate the books. For most interior designers, they need admin support. Look at your day-to-day. Of all the tasks, which can be delegated?
Jessica recommends utilizing your network to look for candidates. You have clients, contractors, and vendors that you can leverage to help you find what you’re looking for. Let your network know that you’re actively looking to hire. Indeed, ZipRecruiter, and LinkedIn are great resources to use.
Jessica suggests implementing some sort of hoop to jump through to weed out those who aren’t serious, such as requiring them to submit a cover letter with the application. If you get 1,000 applications but only 100 have a cover letter, it immediately helps you narrow the search.
Should you use personality assessments in hiring?
Jessica believes that it is critical for you to use personality assessments. You want to learn about someone’s characteristics and whether or not they’re capable of doing the role. If you’re hiring an admin who’s going to be making 20 calls a day and they aren’t good on the phone, they won’t be a good match. Jessica likes using the Predictive Index and How to Fascinate, but there are numerous other personality tests that you can try.
Want to weed out more candidates? You can have them do homework along the way as part of the process. You can even ask someone to bring a portfolio or a resume with them. It’s a test that they follow instructions. If you aren't sure they’re cut out for it, bring them in and have them shadow you for the day. It’s like a ride-along. Jessica wouldn’t recommend doing more than 3–5 steps in your recruiting process. You should know by that point if someone is a good fit.
The advantages of using a recruiter
Recruiters could be on the phone with 20–30 people a day to find the one person that you want. Because of that, recruiters know more about candidate responses and how to cut through them. Jessica knows when someone will be wishy-washy. But what would Jessica need to know about your business to find the best match?
Jessica will dig into the brand and how they operate. Is the owner present every day? What is the culture of the company? What are the benefits, compensation, and schedule? From there, she aligns the company with the best prospect. She won’t give the company a candidate that could be a great salesperson but won’t work in the company culture.
How else does Jessica’s business fill a missing gap in recruiting? What legalese do you need to know to protect your small business? Listen to the whole episode to take advantage of Jessica’s expertise!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
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On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
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1-877-WINGNUT (connect with us for your social media marketing needs)
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn
Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACKhttps://www.podcastfasttrack.com