A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Welcome to the show! We have Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto, the founders of Park and Oak Interior Design Studio, located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with us today. These ladies work on new construction, renovation, and furnishing projects across the US, and you may even know them from their Instagram, with 130 000 followers. The way that they handle themselves and speak about their firm really conveys the confidence that they have in what they’re doing. And the success they’ve had in their first three years in business is not at all typical. In today’s episode, Renee and Christina pull back the curtain and boldly share with us their experiences and the lessons they have learned over the last three years. Listen in today, to find out what they have to share.

Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto founded the Park & Oak interior design studio in 2015. They are known for creating homes that are visually stunning, yet functional and comfortable. Their work, rooted in the art of timeless style, is driven by the belief that design can be used to create feelings of comfort and happiness. It combines the best of their individual aesthetics for a unique look. Christina and Renee have a creative energy that is engaging to work with. Using beautiful and unexpected sources of inspiration, they work collaboratively with clients to create spaces that thoughtfully honor the spirit and traditions of their owner. Tune in now for more!

Show Highlights:

Renee and Christina talk about what each of them brought to the table when they started out, and about what attracted them to each other, as business partners.

Some of the one-year and five-year goals that they established when first starting out.

Renee and Christina’s approach to the individual roles that they have in the business.

Renee describes the really special way that she and Christina work together.

From a park bench to a studio.

The first person that they hired was a bookkeeper.

What kept them powering through in the beginning, when they were sacrificing a lot and there were many challenges to face.

Struggling with balancing family life and business.

It took some time to bring their really awesome team together.

In year two, they experienced a turning point in the business.

They use a finite system to prevent problems and execute their projects efficiently.

Learning from their mistakes and gaining the courage to stand up for themselves.

Creating the right systems, in order to protect themselves.

There’s really a lot going on behind the scenes too.

How they find the time to keep their systems in order and their projects running smoothly.

Renee is behind their really impressive Instagram following.

Links:

Park And Oak

Facebook: Park And Oak Design

Twitter: Park And Oak

Instagram: Park And Oak Design

Pinterest: Park And Oak

Today With Josh Cooperman:

Josh Cooperman and I have been crossing paths at trade events for years — waving at each other across the hall, meaning to sit down, never quite making it happen. We finally did, live at KBIS in the KB podcast studio, and this conversation was worth every year of waiting.

Josh is the host and publisher of Convo by Design, a platform dedicated to exploring what he calls sublime design and the creatives who make extraordinary spaces a reality. His background is anything but conventional — degrees in journalism and social sciences from Washington State University, followed by a career that ran through CBS Radio's motorsports division in Dallas, music promotion at KDGE-FM, and a stint as General Manager and Program Director of Playboy Radio. Yes, really. He started Convo by Design in 2013 because he wanted to do what he always wanted to do when he grew up, tell stories about the things he loves. Sound familiar?

What makes this conversation different is that Josh and I are both long-timers in this space. We started our shows within a year of each other, when most people didn't know what a podcast was. We've watched this medium grow, get crowded, get noisy, and get commoditized. And we have a lot of opinions about what that means for anyone thinking about entering it now.

We also get honest about what we're each building next and why the next chapter looks nothing like the last one.

In this episode, we talk about:


Why most designers who want a podcast should pause and answer one question before they do anything else


What your "why" has to be — and why lead gen from an industry-only audience is not a strategy


The real reason 90% of podcasts die before episode 10, and what separates the ones that don't


Why "award-winning" and "luxury" have lost their power as positioning language — and what to say instead


The editorial calendar mistake LuAnn made for seven years (and what she finally did about it)


Why the trade publications seeded thought leadership to podcasters — and what that opened up for all of us


The MBA format: what it is, why it's coming, and what it means for how you use this show going forward


Josh's new venture, Shelter Republic — a closed-end, invitation-only community for designers who want peer connection, thought leadership development, and real conversation outside of the once-a-year trade event circuit


Why the best idea Josh has had in years came from his son — a computer engineer with zero background in design who spotted a gap the industry couldn't see from the inside

If you've been listening to this show for a while, this one will feel like a conversation between two people who have been doing this work long enough to tell you the truth about it. And if you're newer here, welcome. This is a good one to start with.

Connect with Josh: Convo by Design: convobydesign.com Shelter Republic inquiries: [email protected]

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

⁠luannuniversity.com⁠

⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠here⁠.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

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Today With Helen Bygraves:

It’s easy to look at massive design firms and wonder how they could have possibly done it. When you’re growing your business, it can seem like top-tier firms must have a secret roadmap or a crystal ball that tells them what decisions to make when. 

But more likely, the success of a firm like that comes down to something much simpler: the discipline to show up and the guts to say “yes” to the right opportunities, even when they’re daunting. That’s exactly how my guest today, Helen Bygraves, has built Hill House Interiors over the last 28 years.

Today, she breaks down the reality of scaling an international empire, surviving the tough times, and coming out on the other side.

More About Helen Bygraves:

Helen Bygraves’ unique perspective on interiors draws on her singular background as a professionally trained dancer. From an appreciation for proportions, volume and movement to her sense for narrative and theatre, Helen’s experience on the stage has given her an inherent understanding of how to present interiors to their best effect. 

Her aesthetic choices are further enriched by a passion for travel, which she indulged during a period in her 20s working in the airline industry. Her insatiable curiosity for other cultures led to a period of several years exploring the world. Even today, Helen relishes working on overseas projects, where the local architecture, fashions, aesthetic traditions and culture are a constant source of inspiration. 

Born and raised in London, Helen fell into her calling as a designer almost accidentally, by renovating her own properties, which caught the attention of friends and led to her first clients. With her trademark enthusiasm, passion and exceptional organisational skills, she began her career in interior design while working in the travel sector and raising her daughter, Daniella. Never daunted by any challenge, Helen fervently believes in pushing boundaries, maintaining that progress comes when you venture beyond your comfort zone. This mantra applies as much to her creative process and life choices as to the design decisions she encourages her clients to explore.

Helen met Jenny in the early 1990s when they were both starting out in their creative careers. Their instant friendship was a meeting of two creative minds, cemented through shared aesthetic values, convictions and a sense of humour, and it quickly evolved into a business collaboration that now spans 25 years. Hill House Interiors has grown organically through word of mouth over the years, and continues to evolve. With her nurturing personality, Helen takes particular pleasure in furthering the careers of her staff and watching them flourish. 

With a beautiful new office in Dubai to better service clients in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, and the launch of an exclusive range of furniture, rugs, cushions and trimmings, Helen is relishing every moment in the continuing evolution of Hill House Interiors.

Ah Ha Moments with Helen Bygraves:

"Always surround yourself with the very best you can afford because they are going to take you to the next level." -Helen

"The day you think you know it all is the day you shouldn't be doing this job." -Helen

"It’s only a failure if you can’t correct it, right? It’s only a failure if you can’t figure out how not to do it again." -LuAnn

Connect with Helen Bygraves:

www.hillhouseinteriors.com

www.hillhouselifestyle.com

Instagram

LinkedIn

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Watch the Docuseries!

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Shows Mentioned:

AWDB #1100 Best Of Show: Erika Ward: Identifying Your Transferrable Skills with Erika Ward

AWDB #519 What Would Lu Do?: In Light of the Coronavirus

AWDB 790 Rick Campos: Design Biz Survival Guide- The Answer to All Your Business Questions

AWDB 774 Rick Campos: Design Biz Survival Guide Celebrates 4 Years!

AWDB 1059 Rachel Usher: Creating Community and Strength in the Interior Design Industry

Today With Kate O’Hara:

As you grow your business, you inevitably hit a point where you just can’t force more projects into your pipeline. So…what happens next? Do you bring on another designer? Are there other options? Do you have to let go of creative control if you do bring on another designer? How do you make sure it’s a successful process? 

In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kate O’Hara shares the answers to all of these questions. She breaks down the three options you have in terms of growing or scaling your business, and how to make sure that each one sets you up for success. 

(Then in Part 2, she highlights how to take the space you create as you scale to diversify your income and create more revenue opportunities.)

LuAnn Nigara and Kate O'Hara's Ah-Ha Moments

“Now you’re letting go of what happens to those clients when they’re in the hands of your other designers. So you have to have a strong team and people that you really trust to the moon and back.” -Kate

“It’s all of the little, tiny little touch points that are coming out on your website, that are coming out in social, that are coming out in the magazine opportunities, the publication opportunities that you have, where you are literally saying we, us, not just the words we us, but all the different ways that it actually is we, us.” -LuAnn

“I think we sometimes we forget in our efforts to create really strong company culture and to be this type of firm people want to work for, it doesn't mean we have to be the type of firm that everyone and anyone can work for.” -Kate

More About Kate O’Hara

Kate O’Hara grew up in the world of design. After a decade with the company, she stepped into the role of CEO + Creative Director, expanding the family design firm into new regions of the U.S. When she isn’t traveling between our Minnesota and Texas offices, you can find Kate speaking at conferences, working with our design team, and connecting with new clients and furniture lines.

Connect with Kate O’Hara

⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Houzz⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

⁠⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠http://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Today With LuAnn Nigara:

You’re talented.

You’ve built something thoughtful, elevated, even exceptional.

So why isn’t it landing?

That’s the real question behind today’s What Would Lu Do.

In this episode, I answer a question from a creative entrepreneur who offers highly customized, luxury-level products designed in collaboration with interior designers.

Her question?

Do designers even want this level of custom work… or do they prefer established brands with systems and structure?

But that’s not really the question.

The real question is:

If what you offer is so good… why isn’t it getting traction?

What You’ll Learn in This Episode


Why talent and quality are not the deciding factors in getting hired


How market fit determines whether your offer lands or gets ignored


The difference between being visible, distinct, and discreet (from my conversations with Kate O’Hara)


Why high-end clients expect custom… but demand it be effortless


How designers actually discover (and specify) vendors and partners


The role of relationships vs. visibility in growing a high-level business


What both vendors and designers must do to reach the next tier

The Big Takeaways

1. Not every great offer is for every client If you’re trying to appeal to everyone, you’ll connect with no one.

2. The higher the level, the narrower the audience Luxury, custom, and bespoke always mean a smaller, more specific market.

3. Discovery might get you noticed. Relationships get you hired At higher levels, opportunities come through trust, not chance.

4. Custom is expected. Effortless is required Your value isn’t just what you create. It’s how smoothly you deliver it.

5. Whether you’re a designer or a vendor, the path is the same Find the right rooms. Get in them. Stay in them long enough for trust to build.

Referenced Episodes

To go deeper on client tiers and positioning, listen to:


Episode #1148: A Framework for Understanding Luxury Interior Design Clients


Episode #1157: Marketing to the Three Tiers of Luxury Clients and How to Attract Each One

Mentioned in This Episode

In this episode, I reference a creative entrepreneur who submitted today’s question.

While I typically keep the focus on the lesson rather than the source, in this case, seeing the type of work we’re discussing may be helpful.

You can find her information in the show notes below:

Trisha Patel

Website

Instagram

Have a Question for WWLD?

Head to: 👉 luannigara.com/WWLD

Submit your question and it might be featured in an upcoming episode.

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Talk Friday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2