EP #57 | Leveling up: When Being Scrappy Doesn't Work Anymore

Welcome to the Designers Oasis podcast. I'm your host, Kate Bendewald. If you're tired of one-size-fits-all all advice to running your interior design business, you're in the right place. Join me each week as we dive into topics to help you run a thriving interior design business. Without the hustle. We'll talk about the business of design, but also mindset and mental health because I know when you thrive, so will your life and business. It wasn't that long ago that I stepped away from my corporate interior design job to build my own design business so that I could realize my own creative dreams, have more time with the people I love, and serve my clients at the highest level, while making more money than I ever could have working for someone else. It wasn't always easy, and I made my share of mistakes along the way. Fast forward to today. And I've learned a thing or two. Since then I've built multiple six-figure interior design businesses on authentic word-of-mouth referrals with many repeat clients. And I want to share it all with you the ambitious, inspired, and I get it occasionally overwhelmed interior designer who shares this dream of transforming lives through the art of interior design, You can do this. Thank you for letting me spend part of this day with you. Let's get to it.

Well, hello there and welcome back to season three of the Designers Oasis podcast. And when I say Welcome back, I do mean it because I took a little break over the summer, my team took a little break over the summer. While we were definitely working we had, we've been working on some really cool stuff that summer. But we were definitely able to take some time off. One of my team members, Jackie moved across country, Megan was off at the beach with her family. I did not go to the beach this summer. But I had lots of quality time with my family with my kids at the pool in the mountains. And it was really just a delightful and fun summer. And so I'm glad to have my kids back in school while sort of, we're in Denver, and a lot of the schools don't have air conditioning, including my kids. So as you know, the these schools were built back in the 50s. And were designed for passive cooling. But it's a lot hotter today than it was in the 50s in August. And so our kids are coming home at noon, because of the heat day. Yay. So I thought I'd try to squeeze in a couple of podcast episodes this morning before they get back and all you know what breaks loose. So we're back in the saddle, as my mom would say, but sort of, we're having a little bit of a false start to school. But we'll get there. And I'm just glad to be back in somewhat of a routine.

So I'm really excited for today's episode. But before we get started, I've got a couple of announcements I want to make sure that you guys are all aware of first on September 21, only inside the interior designers business blueprint program inside my membership program, we are I'm teaching a master class called hiring for success. Three steps to building a dream team. So we're going to talk about how to hire so that you can free up more time for yourself so that you can work in your zone of genius. And delegate the rest. I know hiring especially that first hire can always be the hardest. But it really is one of your big tickets to being able to do more of what you love. serve your clients at the highest level. And I am team hiring and hiring can look different for a lot of different people. So we're going to talk about it. We're going to talk about who you should hire. So help you think through and how to identify the right role for your first hire or your next hire, and how to write a compelling job description that's enticing and realistic. We don't want to oversell the job. And we're also going to talk about how to onboard your new team member so that they can be successful. So all that's coming up again, that's on September 21 only inside the interior designers business blueprint program. If you want to learn more about the program, you can go to designers oasis.com forward slash blueprint.

So just a quick note inside the program every month we have a Live either guest expert or I come in and I do a training and and in September, it'll be me. Every month, we also have a live q&a, we have a huge resource library for our members full of templates, scripts, those kinds of things. And of course, full access to the interior designers business blueprint program. And not to mention our incredible Facebook community of big hearted, kind, smart savvy interior designers. So we'd love to have you, we have a lot of fun in there. So again, that's designers oasis.com, forward slash blueprint, October, I'm going to high point and we're gonna do a meet up. So very informal, very casual. But if you're going to high point and you want to meet up with me or other designers, Oasis followers, podcast listeners, members, we'd love for you to join us. So what we're gonna do, and we'll, we'll, we're gonna iron out the details, but basically, we're going to create probably a WhatsApp group, chat group. So you're gonna go to designers voices.com, forward slash, high point, send us your details, just your name, phone number, and we'll add you to the group chat. And we'll send you information once we iron out the details. But we just wanted to create a really simple and easy way for you to be able to go to high point and not have to do it alone, because let's face it, high point is big, it's massive, it can be overwhelming. So we want to help you find a friend, maybe you can find somebody to share a room with maybe share travel with somebody to walk around the showrooms with, if you don't already, if you're not already part of some sort of some kind of a tour group, because those do exist. So we just want to help you along there. So go to designers voices.com For slash High Point, add your name to the list.

And then once we have the details put together, we'll send you an email and we'll let you know how to how to get connected to the larger group. Okay, then in November, I am doing the annual master planning workshop for interior designers. And I can't remember the if this is the fourth or the fifth year that we've done this, but it's been wildly popular, and designers ask for it year after year. And so I'm excited to do it. Again, it is free if you're inside my program, the interior designers business blueprint. But what we do inside the EU, if you're not inside the program, there is a fee to join. And honestly, I don't know off the top of my head how much that is. But we'll have that information rolled out soon. Just put, put a pin in this because it'll if you're on our newsletter, if you're in our emails, trust me, you'll get all the information when it comes out. But if you're listening to podcasts, I'm just giving you a little bit of a sneak peek. So the annual master planning workshop is a way a guided way to help you look back at your past year and see what has been working and what needs to change and what needs to improve help you identify what do you need to focus on moving into 2024? And help we're gonna help you get clear on that plan moving forward, especially on what are your revenue goals? And how can we back in your services into your revenue goals and sort of reverse engineer that so that you really have a plan moving forward into the new year. It's really exciting. So again, that's in November, the exact date pricing registration, all that is coming out real soon, just make sure you're on our email list where she can find that at designers oasis.com. And if you're a member if you're inside our program that is free for members.

And then our last announcement is we have a new segment coming to the podcast called Dear Kate. And this is a new advice segment coming real soon. So this is listener submitted questions, so you can send me your questions. And we're gonna be having some guests coming on this fall, some interior designers coming to talk about their business story, the business journey, lessons learned. And so whenever you submit your question, we're going to tackle one or two of the listeners submitted questions. So think about mindset questions, dealing with challenging clients, whatever kind of question you might have, you can send that to us and we will answer it on the podcast. So if you have a question that you want to send over, go to designers voices.com forward slash, dear Kate, and links to everything are going to be in the show notes below. So we look forward to hearing from you and seeing you and all those good things.

A designer, I see you, you're working hard building your interior design business and you're doing okay, but things could be better. Am I right? Maybe you're struggling to clarify what makes you different. You know, that onus factor that sets you apart from other designers in your area. Maybe you have leads but you're squeamish when it comes to selling and you can't seem to move them from a prospect to a happily paying client. Perhaps every project feels like you're reinventing the wheel because your design processes aren't dialed in. Maybe you're eager to take on the big projects, but you're not sure how to implement full service projects without a team. So you keep playing small. Look, I get it. Running an interior design business, especially on your own isn't for the faint of heart. But it's totally doable and the rewards creatively, personally, professionally and financially, are so worth it. If you're ready for a fresh perspective on what it takes to grow without the burnout and overwhelm, I have a special invitation for you. For a limited time, you can catch my new masterclass the six part framework for a thriving interior design business, or I'm laying it all out for you, including the top three mistakes so many designers make and why they're stealing your time, your money and your joy, the secret to getting the best free marketing in your design business. And of course, I'll share my signature framework to building a profitable design business without constantly hustling for new clients. Here's the thing. When I say I don't believe in a one size fits all approach to how you run your design business. I really mean it. It doesn't matter if you want to run a business doing exclusively virtual design, or you want to build a business on a part time schedule. Or you really want to make a name for yourself working with high profile individuals with a buzzing team that supports you. Whatever your end goal may look like. My framework can help you look at your business with a fresh set of eyes so you can get the clarity you need to know what to focus on right now. And here's the best part. This masterclass is free. Yeah, free, head over to designers oasis.com forward slash thrive and register now, I'll see you there.

So let's get to it. Today we're talking about when getting scrappy doesn't work anymore. So if you are ready to really grow your business, but you're still running it like you did on day one, maybe you want to hire help to support you. But you're so caught up in the cost that you can't see how that investment is going to pay off. Maybe you want to join a course or mastermind, but you keep telling yourself, well, I'll only be able to do that once I insert arbitrary milestone. So if you are serious about leveling up your business so that you have a pipeline of client work that you can serve at the highest level systems that save you time and money and make you look professional and people supporting you. So that you have more time to focus on the work that lights you up, then I really want you to pay attention today because I want to help you check your internal belief systems and maybe shed some of those mindset habits that might be keeping you stuck. Okay, there comes a time when the only way to go to that next level is to actually invest in your business. And by the way, when we do the annual master planning workshop, we talk about how to look at investments more closely and how to really dial in those numbers. But today, I'm going to talk about kind of the big picture. But when it's time to stop being scrappy, and start investing in your business so that that's the only way that you're gonna be able to go further faster. And here's the thing, we need to be continually doing this investing in your business investing in yourself all the time, even when you reach new milestones. You never outgrow the need to invest in your business or in yourself. You never outgrow the need to invest in your business or yourself. So what do I mean? When I say being scrappy? Because I want to be real clear on this. This isn't about being cheap. Okay. I am talking though about being frugal or being resourceful, okay? I don't mean it in a negative or derogatory connotation at all. There are times when being scrappy, can serve you really, really well, especially when you're just getting started. I'll tell you, I'll tell on myself for just a moment, I used the student version of SketchUp as a professional interior designer for longer than I'd like to admit before I finally purchased the software outright.

And you know what, I felt really good about that knowing that I was using legitimate software to run my business, but it's what I needed in that moment to get me through. And as soon as I was able to pay for it. That was one of the investments I made is software that I knew would be able to unlock more features so that I could deliver really professional looking drawings for my clients and for my projects. So, look, I've done it and there is a time and a place for being scrappy, but being scrappy can only get you so far, for so long. And at some point being scrappy can go from being resourceful and frugal to becoming a mask for playing small which means you behaviors are actually going to start to hold you back and keep you from where you're trying to go. So how do you know if you've crossed that threshold from necessary frugality and resourcefulness into playing small and operating with a limited mindset? So let's think about some examples. If you're in your early days of ms of business, these might be some things that are happening to you that you may want to think about outgrowing. Okay, so first, if most of your business is running on free downloads from the internet, that might be a sign that it's time to start investing in your business. If you've yet to invest in any kind of paid software, such as a customer service, a CRM tool, or project management software, that might be a sign that that's one that's one of your next steps is to invest in some software that's going to help you keep your business more organized, make you look more professional, to your clients, those kinds of things. Anytime you run into a snafu or a question about your business, you turn to a free Facebook group for advice, which let's be honest, there's a time and a place for that. And I certainly have done my fair share of that.

And there are some really kind and well meaning and smart people in those groups that can help you out. But they don't know your business, they don't know your journey. They're really just strangers that happened to be in the same industry as you. So you can get sort of a mixed bag of well meaning responses, but they're not always tailored to what you need in your business. So those are some examples of some areas where you kind of be in scrappy at first, but maybe it's time to maybe invest in a in a coaching group or mastermind where you can go to people who know or a person who knows your business and knows the unique business that you're trying to build and can help tailor response to your situation that is customized for your business. Or investing in software. That's that's going to help you do things faster, make you look better, all those good things. Now, maybe you're a bit further along in your business career, and as an interior designer and your business journey, you know, we can still find ourselves playing small, right, we have to continually be investing in ourselves and in our businesses. So do any of these maybe sound like you? Do you ever run into limitations and what you can do, technically, because you don't have the time, the training this or the willingness to pay someone else to do that thing you can't do? Maybe that's renderings, if that's something that you offer, maybe that's something to do with your drawings, maybe that's something to do with creating automations in your business, so that you're not doing a bunch of back and forth emailing with clients, everything's automated so that they have a really beautiful, seamless client journey. And so you keep finding workarounds, that end up taking you more time than it would if you were to just have these things in place. Perhaps you're turning down projects, because either they feel too big, or you don't have the time because you don't have a team in place to support you. And it's like, oh, I would love to take that project, I just don't feel ready for it. Right? That could be another some way that this shows up, or you're playing small.

And if you just had the team in place, or you had the support, or you had the tools, you would be able to take on that that next big project, you gotta be ready for them when they come, okay. Sometimes it feels like you're building the plane while flying it, meaning you're just trying to get through what's on your desk right now. And you don't have time to look up. There's no bigger plan or strategy for your business. And that's typically because you don't even know where to start, right? You're doing the projects, you're doing work. And that can feel good, right? That's the goal. We want that right. But if that's all you're doing, and there's no larger strategy, and all of a sudden, you find yourself in that feast or famine cycle, then this might be an example of playing small or just not really looking at your business through the bigger picture lens, we've got to be able to zoom out and zoom in, at times in our business. So those are a couple of examples. But I want to be clear on what I'm not talking about. I'm talking about investing, I'm talking in your business, I'm talking about spending money, but I'm not saying that you need to go out immediately and start paying for all the software or ramping up a big team doing any of this frivolously, without any kind of strategy. That's not what I'm talking about. I want to be real clear about that. Whenever you need whenever you want to make an investment in your business, you need to be thinking about how quickly you might see a return on it. And this is always most often speculative, but you can at least have an idea of how long is it going to take for me to see this money back because an investment that's the whole idea is it's not just money going out the door. It's money that's going to help You earn more money earn that money back. And sometimes it's a real clear return on investment. And sometimes it's a little bit more vague. But you know that overall, this is a, this is an investment that's going to help raise your business to that next level. Sometimes those investments are going to have really quick turnarounds that are real clear. And those are usually no brainers. And others, it may take a long time for you to see a return on the investment itself. But it's much more substantial. In terms of the gains you see. I'll tell you, for my for myself,

I made one of the biggest investments I've ever made for myself in my business, and it was a $15,000 upfront investment. And at the time, it felt it might as well have been a million dollars, it just felt like a huge chunk of money. But I knew that the return on investment was going to multiply 10 acts if not more, what I wasn't clear on was how long that investment that return on investment was going to take. I thought it was going to be three, four, maybe six months, it ended up taking nine months for me to see a return on that investment. But I did it and it came back. And the return on investment was it far exceeded my expectations, it really did. And so this was one of those scenarios where I knew I was gonna get it back. I wasn't sure how long, it took longer. But the return on investment was way, way way beyond what my expectations were. So you have to think about this strategically. And know that whenever you're putting this money into your business, it's an investment in your future. It's an investment in your legacy. It's an investment in your success, okay. But when we continue to play small, or feel like we can't see the possibilities, all we see as the money going out the door, then you're going to stay stuck, okay. But when you're ready to move away from being scrappy, and move toward a business owner that is strategic, and it's not afraid to play big, here's some things that can happen. First of all, you have a plan, you know who you are, you know, who you want to serve, and how you want to serve them and why it's important. And you can articulate it clear as a bell, you have a vision that goes far beyond your fiscal year, you can see how the efforts you make today plays into the future self that you want to become, you know how to discern what projects are right fit for your company goals, and you don't hesitate to politely turn down the ones that are not a good fit. And I know that's a real hard one, especially when you're just starting out. But having discernment and projects is a really big milestone, that that you you, you know can pay off when when the time is right when you're able to do that. And you're willing to invest in the right coaching program software team member course because you know, that it can help you go further, faster, you understand the value of having a team, even if it's a small one, even if it's just one person, because you can see the math and it tells you that a team, even if it's a team of two, you and one other person, it's your greatest asset to the built business because they will help you grow it widens and increases your capacity to be able to serve your clients at the highest level.

Okay, so those are just a couple of the things you can expect to start to feel when you start to have these shifts in your business and start to move away from being that scrappy designer to a real budding designer who is ready to show up in a really big and meaningful way. And I just want to I want to, I want to take a moment here to just acknowledge that when I talk about in a meaningful way, we get meaning out of our businesses in a lot of different ways. And it's it's different for a lot of people, sometimes it's the money that you make, you can be really proud of the earnings that you have to support your family to travel to do whatever you want with really. And that's a legacy that you have. For a lot of people, it's the impact on your clients lives. And it can be all of these two, you don't have to pick one, you know the impact that you have when you see your client be able to enjoy the space that you helped create tailored custom for them. Right, that is incredibly rewarding. And so the more people you can help, the more people you can have an impact on. It's a really freaking good feeling. Okay, so this is all worth it right. I believe. One of my favorite books is playing big by Tara Moore. And I want to point out a quote that she says because I think it really applies here. She says playing big doesn't come from working more, pushing harder or finding con fidence it comes from listening to the most powerful and secure part of you. Not the voice of self doubt. Oh, I just got goosies i That is so good. It doesn't come. It doesn't even come from confidence. And I first read that I was like, Whoa, where's she going with that? It comes from listening to the most powerful insecure part of you, not the voice of self doubt. I love that book. So, in closing today, I want to ask you, are you ready to stop being scrappy, and start operating your business by listening to the most powerful and secure part of yourself? Are you ready to quiet that voice of self doubt? And get quiet and ask? Okay, where do I need to invest next? What is going to be the thing I need most in my business right now? In order to take it to the next level? Is it coaching? Is it training? Is it hiring? Is it automating? Is it outsourcing, think about the aspects of your business right now that feel the hardest, and start there and look there. And it's going to be different for everybody because everybody's in a different place in their journey have a unique set of circumstances. But my advice to you is to always think about what part of running your business feels the hardest and stickiest right now and look there and that's probably the best place to start. Okay, so before we wrap up, I want to share one opportunity that may be the missing link for your business. And right now I want to invite you to my masterclass the six part framework for a thriving interior design business. And inside I will share with you three common mistakes designers make and why they're stealing your time, your money and your joy. I'll share my secret for getting the best free marketing in your design business. And finally, I want to help you have a 360 degree view of your business. So I'll share my six step framework to build a thriving interior design business on your terms. And did I mention it's free? It's free 99 I don't know why I don't know where I heard that from but I thought it was funny and now it's even my kids say it's free 99 So you want to learn more a six part framework for thriving interior design business, it's free. You can watch my masterclass, go to designers oasis.com forward slash thrive. Alright, thank you for joining me today. I hope to see you at High Point I hope to see you in my masterclass on September 21. And then the annual master planning workshop in November. I want to see your your beautiful face. All right. That's it for now. Have a great rest of your day. Bye. Hey, friend, thank you so much for letting me spend a part of this day with you. I'm so passionate about helping designers like you. And I believe in a rising tide that only one of us does. Well, we all do better. So if you share this attitude of abundance with me, I want you to do just one little thing.

Please share this episode with someone using might love it. And if you're feeling extra generous today, go ahead and take just 30 seconds to open your podcast app and leave us a five star rating and review. It's free for you to do and it helps me to be able to keep making more episodes and resources for you. However you choose to help please No, I appreciate you so very much. Thank you, my friend. Have a wonderful rest of your day. I'll see you soon.