#69 | Interior Design Entrepreneurship, Career Growth, and Client Relationships with Tina Guevara
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.
Tina Guevara
mean to you, like I found designers Oasis, I actually found your blog because I was looking for templates. And I I'm part of it was that I was struggling with consistency with the client experience for my clients. I knew, like I had a process down. But I found that it wasn't repeatable. And I felt like I was always tweaking it. And, and the tweaks were always kind of like, oh, well, that didn't work with our clients. I'm just going to tweak it here. But there was never, I was really looking just to kind of replicate what designers out there were doing. And I had this is before Facebook groups, this is before any of that stuff. So I was really, I would buy textbooks, textbooks didn't work, I would look at other, you know, templates, the templates didn't work. And I was really at my wit's end. By the time I got, I found your blog, and you had so many freebies on there that I just like, ate it all up. And that's how I how I met, you really essentially signed up for the the training program that you were running for E design. Yeah, that's what it was. Yeah. And I was like, I need to do that. That was the birthplace of just really.
Kate Bendewald
Today, my guest is Tina Guevara of Juliet Sebastian interiors in New Jersey. Tina is a longtime member inside the interior designers at business blueprint program, and I have had the pleasure of watching Tina's business grow into a wildly successful brand. Today Tina shares how her background in corporate project management has helped her develop a truly exceptional client experience, which keeps clients coming back and referring her to their friends. Tina really gets the value of client experience and today, she gives us a peek behind the curtains of how she does it. Along the way. She will also share stories of facing imposter phenomenon, dealing with tricky client personalities and overcoming many other challenges on her path. You're in for a real treat hearing from Tina today. Her warmth and authenticity transcends typical ideas of successful designers. Please welcome my friend, Tina Guevara. Hi, Tina, welcome. How are you today? I'm good. Thank
Tina Guevara
you so much for having me. Having you back. Oh, my gosh, Tina is oh my
Kate Bendewald
goodness, I know, Tina, I'm so excited to have you here today, you were a founding member of the designers Oasis membership. So we've known each other for about three years now. And you feel like a friend and I just feel so lucky to have been able to sort of see and watch you and your business grow and thrive. And I've also sat in with you through some really difficult conversations where you've, you know, had just like all of us gone through having to deal with a challenging client and now that it's just like so far back in the rearview mirror. And so you really are a special human to me and a special friend and I hope to get to meet you in person one of these days but I thought it was really important in to have you here because I think that you share you always come to the q&a s with a lot of really great questions but also you chime in and you help other designers who are maybe a little bit behind you they're not you don't have the kind of experience that you do. And you always give such sage and wise advice and ideas and consideration and you do it in the Facebook group too. And so I just wanted the world to to get to know who you are and shine a spotlight on you because I it really it's your you're a special person to me and I really wanted to be able to share some of this with with our listeners today. So thanks for being here.
Tina Guevara
No, thank you for having me. I am But it's funny because I can't believe it's been three years. I feel like it was just yesterday. I
Tina Guevara
Yeah. And it's, you know, it's funny, because I found so much more than the templates. Yes, the templates were wonderful. And they helped me fine tune really quickly, where I had holes in my process. To create all because I had, I actually had created a chart of all the content that I needed, in order to automate my process a little bit more, it would have taken me so long to do that I was so frustrated, I was still working, like I had clients, you know, that I was servicing. Plus, I was trying to fix all the back end problems. So when I came across your templates, it just it kind of it just, I don't know, like the wheels just started, like they got put in motion, and I started operating much faster. Oh, cool. And, and then when you announced that you were, you know that you were opening up this program, I was like, I'm in like a no brainer, I'm like, I'm in
Kate Bendewald
love it. I love it. This feels like the early days.
Tina Guevara
And, and it's funny, because I never would have imagined what you were going to create, you know, it's everything from the live the monthly live sessions to, to the, to the roadmap, you know, if I had had that, so I'm in this now a little over 15, I want to say more like 18 years, fine had had that at the beginning. I always think about like, Where would I be today? Like, I'd be so much further ahead. Today. You're
Kate Bendewald
right, where you need to be right where you need to be. Yeah,
Tina Guevara
and even the Facebook group, I was telling somebody recently, I forget who I was telling was talking to them about you, that you know, you I belong to a lot of Facebook groups, I've participated in other programs, and then they, you know, then they throw you into the Facebook group, but the person disappears, the lead person disappeared, they never really participate. That's not the case with with designers always it's like you're very active in there. And the membership is really awesome. But you still play a role in that and like you're still the leader of that group. And and I find it so much more helpful. And I and I think it created a culture where you feel safe, asking what you think are dumb questions, you know, which aren't dumb questions. Right? You are? Yeah, even 18 years in, I feel like, I'm gonna ask a stupid question here. Sure, oh, gosh, really safe place. And I belong to other groups that I'm like, not as comfortable asking questions in. And I'm there mostly as a, as a boy as a as a, as an absorber, not so much as a participant. So well, that is all you you've created this.
Kate Bendewald
Well, well, that speaks a lot. I mean, gosh, I'm blushing over here. It means a lot to me, though, that you would say that because I've had that same experience with other groups. And that has always been my intention. And sometimes you wonder if that resonates if that comes across, you know, like, what is the short what is the culture of this specific Facebook group and I set out very early on being very vocal about what this group was and what it wasn't. And I think that that is in a lot of ways been really successful. But but in a great number. I
Tina Guevara
do do that. So awesome. Because you I come to the live session sometimes with questions. Or sometimes I come even without a question just to attend and see and questions that I hadn't even thought of get answered and I think it's because you've created this like safe zone where you have all these different designers different stages of their, you know, development of their business development and and, and and you know, you're gonna get a good answer from you. But then everybody else is going to weigh in as well. So I love it. I mean, I love the live sessions. I try I try not to miss them. The
Kate Bendewald
other it's the always the first Thursday, and it's my most favorite day of the month. I absolutely live for it, because it's so energizing. And we do I learn as much from you guys, as I hope you take away from me. Well, let's get to you, Tina, because I want to hear your story. I love hearing from designers sharing kind of their, their path their road, because although no two roads for two different designers over the exact same, I know that you've had a lot of experience that are going to resonate with designers. And so I I'd like for you to kind of share how you got started and where that road has taken you over the last couple of years, almost decade decades, and, and where things are for you today.
Tina Guevara
So my entree into interior design was like not straightforward, even though it probably should have been. And it was very obvious from a very young age that that's what I should have been doing. But my mom was not going to have a creative. She would support it as like a like a side thing. But that was you were never going to make a living out of a creative career. So she wanted a doctor and I went into college pre med, and I dropped out real quick. As soon as I got there. She didn't talk to me for two months. And I was like, I'm gonna be a lawyer came out of college. And I was like, I should probably work at a lawyer's firm, just to make sure I worked there for a summer realized, nope, not me. That's so
Kate Bendewald
boring a square peg in a round hole.
Tina Guevara
We just wither away. I ended up going into corporate where I withered away for about 18 years. But I went in as a writer, and I quickly realized that I wasn't that person that could sit at the desk and just work all day. I'm too. I'm just too dynamic. I need to talk to people, I need to engage with people. Eventually it morphed into a project management role. But all the while I was doing interior design on the side, my husband is also creative. He's a graphic designer, and his first job out of college was Elle Decor. And he came to me come over, he's like, I can get you hired, I'm in with, with the editor in chief, I could get you hired. And I was like what do I have to offer other than, like, my love of the glossy pages, you know, like I don't have, yeah, and the way it works in the, in the glossy page business as you everybody starts out as an assistant to the editor in chief. And then you move up. And then you become a writer and all that stuff. So he was like, this isn't an easy win for you like you come in. You'll work for her. I know her she's wonderful. And, and and you're a writer. So that's what you blend to. That's what you bring to the table. I chose not to do it. But then I regretted it forever. I couldn't walk away from the corporate salary to go start as an assistant like that was just going to me it felt like going backwards. So I just kept going forward. I kept. I mean, I would buy textbooks. I was just educating myself. Yeah, just for fun. It wasn't really like I had an idea that I thought I could actually run this business one day. And then fast forward. I
Kate Bendewald
had a pause. Real quick with a question. What were you doing in corporate as a writer?
Tina Guevara
I so I was writing. I came out right in the tech world writing manuals, operations, manuals, I mean, super boring, dry stuff. Then I evolved into marketing, writing, and then eventually training and coaching, executive coaching, which that kind of lit my
Kate Bendewald
fire. Oh, my gosh, all of this is making a lot of sense. Now, Tina, I knew you're a writer. I knew that you were in corporate, but I didn't know specifically that that's the kind of writing you were doing. But that dad checks out. Okay. Exactly. Yes. I love that. I love that. Because those are skills that are that I can clearly see how that's helped you developed in the way that you have. So it makes it makes a lot of sense. Yeah.
Tina Guevara
You want to hear something funny before I left corporate I actually and this is before I found out I was pregnant with my second child. I was gonna go back to school graduate school to become an executive coach, because I thought I'm like, Oh, this pays God. I'll just do that. And then I found out I was pregnant. My second child and being a corporate gal and trying to climb up the ladder with one child was challenging enough and no support I had I had no support. My husband worked the crazy job. So it was almost like I was raising a child by myself. Now I'm pregnant with this. Yeah, like the wheels were coming off. So I started thinking about actually stepping away and I was about to put in my resignation and then I found out I was pregnant, so I was like, I'll just stick it out. The market blew up the realest State market blew up. And they wouldn't let me go, my my projects, everything got canceled. I was literally going into the office after I'd had my second baby and just sitting there. So I sat there and designed my son's bedroom. Because I had no work. I'm gonna keep myself busy. So I did that. And then they finally after four months, let me go, I got a huge package, because I'd been with them for eight years. And my husband said to me, it's now or never, like, it's now or never, you can't use the excuse that you don't, you know, the money because you're getting paid. So you just got to do it. And so actually, a gift I dove in, I like I went straight in, I was like, I'm gonna go back to school, I'm gonna get my degree in interior design. And I started taking classes. And I actually the classes I was taking, I felt like they were, too like I just, I was already further ahead in terms of what I knew. So I didn't really feel like I was learning anything, but I was doing it just to get the degree. And he said to me, because you should have business cards because he's a graphic designer. So he made me business cards.
Kate Bendewald
I just have to pause for a second I have a similar husband who is my biggest cheerleader, and he was the one that was like, you could do this one even before I believed in myself being able to do it. I'm so grateful that we that we had I still want to kill him on Sundays, but I love him to the ends of the earth. Just to be clear, like, this is not like rom com. Okay, go ahead. Yeah,
Tina Guevara
that's so funny. He actually created all my all my templates, like all my branding templates.
Kate Bendewald
What a great asset to have with your business. Yeah, he's
Tina Guevara
a he's a good egg love that was running. I started a little blog called chic delight. Because I thought I was so chic. Yeah,
Kate Bendewald
you were shaking, you are shake.
Tina Guevara
And it was a interior design blog. And I was like loving it. I was just like, so happy. I was staying home raising my babies going to school for interior design running this little blog. And he makes me these business cards. I go to a baby like a kiddie birthday party. And I run into this woman, a local mom who was an executive, a former executive. And she's like, So Tina, what do you what do you do? What do you do? So it's funny because she's actually also an executive coach. And so I so I was like, you know, kind of dancing around the answer. But I told her, I said, I'm in between careers. I'm starting interior design. I'm in school, I decided to go back to get my degree in interior design. Here's what she's like, Do you have a business card? I said to her, she's like, I'm looking for a designer. I just did an extension on my house. And I'm looking, I'm looking to hire. She's like, I'll give you a call next week. And I thought, Oh, she's never gonna call she called. The following week, I ran into her at a basketball game at the girls basketball game. And she came over to me, she goes, I lost the business card. You have another one?
Kate Bendewald
Oh my gosh, that was the world saying Nope, this is meant to happen.
Tina Guevara
And not that single job. It was a huge job key. I was not prepared for it. Like, I did a great job. But I didn't have any of my systems in place. I didn't have templates. I didn't even know how am I going to do a presentation. So I got I got just thrown in. I want to say that was like a $50,000 job. I mean, it's crazy. I did a whole kitchen like a great room. I did the living room, the dining room, her office, her master suite, which was huge. Her son's room I mean pretty much the whole house so it was yeah, it was I don't met him was probably more than 50 But anyway, that job. Yeah, such a she's such an she's such like a girls gal. She just kept pushing me. She was like, I'm telling everybody about you wish she would tell all her friends and and that led to more jobs and more jobs. And I got so busy. I had to like not finish school so that I could focus on on work. Yeah, so that was really good. I
Kate Bendewald
love it. I love it. So
Tina Guevara
talk was a project that changed my like the direction of my life and my career. It was a job it was having like a female that was so supportive, but also just having this big of a job where I could really showcase what I could do.
Kate Bendewald
It's it's like you're looking at my questions, because one of my questions was, can you talk about a memorable project that played a significant role in shaping your career business? So we got that? Yeah, well, I mean, I think I'm hearing not only was that specific project really important and impactful for you. But just the importance of having clients who believe in you clients who trust you clients who are going to rally for you because you have a common goal, right, versus working with you know, clients who are going to drag you through the mud or nickel Question everything are not trust you like that is so important. And, and that's something that I think young designers think they have to earn over time. Like they have to prove something first. And I call bullshit. I'm like, No, you can you can ask for and have the audacity to expect really good clients right out of the gate now, are there gonna be some, some foul balls that slipped through the cracks? You bet. Sorry, that was a sports reference. And I don't know anything about sports. And I may have like, multiple sports references there. So it's very good, me. But anyway, my point is, like, I'm so happy for you that that was your experience, because it it clearly set a true set your career and in a different trajectory that has been really powerful for you. So
Tina Guevara
yeah. And you know, what's funny, by all measures? There were red flags with one client. She was I mean, you know, she's a former executive, she's like, you know, like a very put together woman. She said to me, my sisters can't believe I'm hiring a decorator because I am a control freak.
Kate Bendewald
And I was like, yeah.
Tina Guevara
Right. Yeah. Her husband, date when they first bought the house. They took they rented a truck, and they went up to Brimfield and bought, you know, antiques, but except that it was just a bunch of crap. It's really what they bought, like, antiques, because when you don't know how to buy empty, sure. Crap, right. And he was very proud of how she had decorated the house. And she hated it. She was like, that's not what I wanted. But like he took the lead. So now that they had done the extension, she wanted it done the right way. And he was like, No, we don't we can do this ourselves. We don't need to hire nicest person on the planet. But when whenever I would, like walk in the room, he would say hi, chat for two minutes, and then leave. So he was like an absent stakeholder. I swear, had I not had the project management experience. That would have been, that would have been a terrible client experience. But it worked out. So good. It worked out. So great.
Kate Bendewald
I love that so much. Right? Yeah. Because they're, you know what I will, if you've listened to this podcast long enough, you've probably heard me say that, when you see red flags, it's not necessarily a deal breaker, it's, it's your opportunity to get curious what's behind that, right. And you can, you can sometimes get a lot more information and decide, you know, make a decision based off of what you uncover through that curiosity rather than just Yeah, steamrolling and saying, Nope, not going to do this, because I saw a red flag. So it sounds like that was how you you might
Tina Guevara
first quality is one that I like to scare myself a little bit like, and so that's what I found when I worked in corporate was that I would get bored with my job. So in the beginning, I was switching jobs, like every six months, because I would get bored every six to eight months. I'm like, Oh, I master this. Gotta go. Yeah, I've discovered, incorporate that I'd like to scare myself. And I like to create chat. And I like and so it made sense that I would end up in this career, not really knowing how to, like what to do, how to run a business, all of that shaking on a huge client. Without having even as much as like an idea on how to price that was the first thing I had to figure out was how to price. And then as I was getting through every phase of the of the of the design process, figuring out how I was going to present the like, how am I going to present a concept to her how they're going to present design. And it was exhilarating. And I think that that's why I you know, I stayed hooked. I like the fact that every project that comes into the door is different. Every client is different. So it's, it's a challenge every single time. So it keeps me engaged. So there's no room for getting bored at all.
Kate Bendewald
Yeah, and here you are, however, many years later, I actually think that that is a key skill set of anyone who wants to run their own interior design business, you you cannot be so risk averse that you it paralyzes you right there, that you have to have some sort of a relationship with risk and the unknown and be willing to fail and try something and it doesn't work. Right. And it's like, not let it frustrate you. Yeah, because that is that is I was listening to a podcast, the Chelsea Handler's podcasts recently. And there was she does like life advice and callers call in and she has a celebrity on with and then together they give this life advice to someone and there was this girl who was wanting to have a career change and was looking to pursue a career in interior design and but one of the things she said was she's she struggles to make decisions like she just can't make decisions and I'm like girlfriend If that is all this is, you better get comfortable with it. Or else this is not for you because like, not only think about the business decisions you have to make, like 1000s Hundreds, you know, in a week, but then on top of that the decisions for clients and the selection process and it's just like you have to be a decision maker for sure. And
Tina Guevara
the confidence so that your client who's lacking in decision making abilities Pintrest Yeah, amen. Amen. I always say it's not for the faint of heart. This is no
Kate Bendewald
no know, I've, I've developed a little bit thicker skin in the last couple of in the last couple of decades myself because, you know, you make a mistake, and you have to own up to it and fix it and move on or you deal with somebody who is unsavory. Or you, you know, have someone tried to mansplain something to you and you're so Anyway, okay, you exhibit one of the most key features, or keys, sort of traits, I think of a successful designer is your ability to be okay with risk and try something even if you don't know the outcome and and go go through it. Go with it. Anyway. I want to I want to ask you, you mentioned your very first project came you were it sounds like you were at a kid's birthday party was fun fact kids birthday parties is for me one of those things, it's up there with like, getting a head, a drill a your head split up and like brain surgery like that my kids have maybe had like one birthday their whole life I go, I'm sorry that my kids are out of the stage where you have to deal with them. Anyway, that's just a side note. Okay. So but but, but this is where we meet people. That's where we find people, I want to talk to you, I want to hear a little bit about the role that your network has played in your business journey. And what suggestions do you have for designers who are looking to grow their network?
Tina Guevara
So you know, it's funny, because I got that, that that first job not because I was openly telling people what I'm doing. It was because somebody asked me somebody took an interest in me, and then I shared something and it just so happened. So it was it was luck. A lot of it was luck, right? My personal I'm like I'm bubbly. I'm very outgoing, I'll talk to but I never talk about myself. It's such a hard thing for me, I feel very uncomfortable. I feel almost like it's boastful. So it took a while I was take I had started taking those classes and only my immediate friends knew that I was taking classes I wasn't out there telling everybody, all the moms at you know pickup which I should have been, or at the birthday parties, I should have been telling people. So my my name got around because my friends were taking care of me my friends were like, oh, Tina is doing this, you need to talk to me, oh, Tina is doing this, you know, so people started finding out, but not through any effort of my own, which now in retrospect, that kicked myself in the butt because I should have been out there gets handing out business cards, like going out of style. Even social media is hard for me, it's still I've had to like my, my Instagram, I have to think of it as the arm of the business, like the marketing arm of the business. And now like it's my Instagram, because if I think of it in those terms, then I can paralyzed and I can't engage. So I would say advice to anybody. That well actually, I didn't tell you but I joined this. This year this summer, I joined a local business networking group, because one of the one of the goals I had set for myself at the beginning of the year was to start to do more marketing and networking was one of them. But I had done it was like already what like June I'd done nothing towards marketing. And this person posted something on one of the local Facebook groups looking for businesses for for net for networking, right. So I'd like texted or a message the guy knows, okay, I'm an interior designer. I'm, I'm, I'm interested. So I joined and turns out, it's just one pod. So there's a local pod. And then there are all these other pods in the you know, surrounding towns. And I'm the only designer in all of these networking groups. Cool. So yeah, so that has gotten me out there, giving him my business card engaging with these people we meet every other week. Now they're doing a social media pod. So every other week, when we're not meeting we're doing this like social like a group social media blast, where we support each other and so I've started to get like new followers through them and so the networking is starting to feel a little less daunting, and, and kind of fun, actually. So I will start with a networking group. And everybody was saying that to me a while ago, I just didn't know how to start with a networking group, tell everybody and their mother that your what you're doing. Show them what you're doing now I'm like, I'm at a party or whatever. I'm like, Oh, let me show you my latest project. Look at Yeah,
Kate Bendewald
yeah, I love that. Well, you know, I, I guess I could see both sides of it. The book, I love the book, The Art of people. And I can link to that in the show notes. I'm trying to look at the book over my shoulder, because I'm spacing on the author's name. But I can't quite see it from where I'm sitting anyway. You know, you mentioned like, I never talked about what I did. And I do think that we need to get comfortable with talking about what we do in an authentic way. And, in fact, that's what we're getting ready to do in our next CEO corner is really come up with that authentic sort of cocktail party explanation of what we do something that feels natural, and that is engaging. But also, I think there's a real tremendous benefit when you are out there networking. I'm a lot like you, Tina, I am much more comfortable asking questions and learning about other people than I am talking about myself. I think that has merit to I think in this this is what I think is a miss Dave Kirpan, maybe I should know this. But anyway, part of people, this is what he talks about in his book is like, show interest in other people, learn about them, and what they do and what lights them up. And, you know, if you have opportunities to share something with them, that might be helpful, or connect them with somebody, or teach, you know, share an app that might be helpful with something they're talking about, or whatever, like any little way that you can help them, but the only way you can do that is to learn about people and what lights them up, and what's exciting, you know, even if it's their kids, right? But the point is, is that's a part of relationship networking. And the only way you can get to that is by truly getting to show genuine interest in other people without any strings attached. And then relationships, all relationships build, and that's how you'll naturally, you know, it'll turn to you and you, you, eventually do get an opportunity to share what it is you do. And at that point, they feel so close and connected to you because they feel like they know you because they do because you've had this conversation in authentic relationship, that all of a sudden talking about yourself doesn't feel so like you're trying to pitch anything, it's just sharing what you're passionate about and how you help others. So I would argue that there's, there's a lot of merit to if you know, if you're in that space, where you're still trying to figure out like, how to talk about what you do. Keep working on it, keep practicing. And don't be afraid to talk about what you do. But also don't discount the value of just getting out there meeting people and connecting with them. Staying connected with them, asking lots of questions, learning about them and show a genuine interest. I do believe in playing the long game. We are farmers when it comes to business networking. So I think that really does hold a lot of value when it comes to building a business. But But then, like going out and joining a networking group, the first time you went talk to me about that? Were you nervous? Were you excited? We ambivalent would like for
Tina Guevara
us. I was so nervous. I don't even know why I was nervous. But Sure. So I had. So I worked in in coaching and training. So I had this little trick. Whenever I would go in I part of what I started doing the last few years was I would go out to roll out these huge training programs all around the country. So on any given day, I would be walking into a room of men, mostly brokers that I didn't know. And so it's very intimidating. And I'm a little person. So I would give myself a pep talk before walking in. And I learned that I would just like be like an actress. I like I would just get up in the morning, put the lipstick on, put the high heels on the business power suit, and I'd walk in and start shaking hands. So when I had a little bit of a panic attack outside, I was like, Okay, go back to what you know how to do right, you got to go and you got the high heels. Just walk in and start shaking.
Kate Bendewald
Yes, those things matter if you asked me
Tina Guevara
that there were a whole bunch of people there and standing around networking. And I didn't know who I was gonna say hello to first but I've just put on a big bright smile. I walked in and I was like, Hi, I'm Tina. I'm an interior designer. And I just went around the whole room and they were such great people. You know that we're all in the same boat, right? Yeah. It's like what I used to tell my daughter when she started freshman year like we're all you guys are all in the same boat. Nobody knows everybody started from scratch like just just know that you're not alone. And so so every other week we meet, we kind of do the same thing. Every time you go around the room, and you present your business, you talk about who you are, what you do, what you offer your clients, and what kind of clients you're looking so ideal client, Who's your ideal client? Yeah. So it really these meetings have helped me hone in on that language on the elevator pitch, and who my client is and what kind of projects I'm looking for. So and then also, they asked you to tell your group, your networking group, you know, what, like, like keywords, they should be listening to, like, you know, someone who's doing a renovation project is somebody who just bought a house, and they're going to need a paint job. You know, things like that. So, it's been awesome. Like, at least for my ego, it's been a little bit awesome, because it's, I keep practicing over and over again, I think they do is each person. At some point, they have to get up and put together a 15 minute presentation of their business. This is for years I've been hearing you had to join a networking group and or you gotta go call the Women's Club and do a presentation for them. And I was always stuck on like, what do I present? Like, what the present? So I'm the head person reached out to me the night before our next meeting. And he was like, okay, Tina, you're presenting tomorrow? I was like, what? Oh, my God, we can't present I don't have a presentation. It's like, no, no, no, it's fine. Just like just show up. So being an extra person that I am, I don't I can't just wing it. Of course. No, of course not. So I was up to like three o'clock in the morning putting together this presentation. And it was fantastical, like, and now I'm like, Well, I'm gonna use this presentation for other things. Yeah, it was really good. And it got really great feedback. And it was very professional. So I think for them, it was the, you know, you're just a decorator, right? You just like buy things, and you make them pretty. And I walked them through, you know, everything, the whole process and what it looks like and everything. So I don't know, I felt like they walked away with a certain kind of respect for for the, for the work.
Kate Bendewald
Oh, I love that part so much. And I want to dig into this a little bit because I recently had an experience where I was meeting with someone, a man who doesn't know anything about design doesn't care about design, he thinks right? I actually was just reminded of the scene from one of my favorite movies. The Devil Wears Prada, where, you know, there's the intern who thinks she's not a part of the fashion world, and she has this like, heart like this, come to Jesus moment, just like you think that you don't, you're not a part of this, don't you realize all these people that are picking out these things that are done on the discount rack that you now purchase? Like, we develop that anyway? A side note. So like, that's just what popped in my head. But in because our next CEO corner, we're talking about this specifically like uncovering your impact, right, uncovering your value, and how do you talk about that? And what it really stemmed from this conversation with him because what we were talking about, we kept coming back to my work, and I kept coming back to designers responsibilities, to, you know, from a sustainability standpoint, and like, our role and how we can like how we have such a great opportunity to impact that aspect of our work thinking about art and how much we have an opportunity to say no to mass produced art and start to find those emerging artists and those local artists. There's, there's no shortage of really cool art that is not going to break the bank. Right. So it's like just thinking about all of these different ways and thinking about trauma informed interior design and how spaces can have a healing effect on people. And in this conversation, it by the end of it, he was just like, it's like Kate, my mind is blown. Yeah, I had no idea how important the work is that you guys do. I was like, Yeah, it's really fucking cool. And then we were just going off about it. And so I'm in this I'm really deeply in this headspace right now about exactly what you're talking about. And we have a responsibility like people don't know what we do. They have such misunderstandings about what we do and I read an article recently. Oh gosh, I'll see if I can pull it up. And if I can only to the show notes, but it was just about how film and movies gets it wrong talking about what interior designers do and they have they they sort of display this kind of hate these word bimbo but that's I think that's the word they use, like sort of airhead sort of girl that just walks around with color swatches. It's it's such a diluted perception or perspective of of what we actually do and how we help people solve, you know, really meaningful problems, meaningful, meaningful problems. I cannot talk today. Anyway. So I love that you have this opportunity this to really, even if it was like, you know, under the gun to be able to put together this presentation to showcase not just what we do, but what you Tina do and how you do it differently than any other designer in your area. And so I can see how not only was that really empowering, but you're like, Well, this is really good. I'm going to use it in my marketing. And in my conversation, though, like everybody shouldn't have to do that, myself included.
Kate Bendewald
Hey, designer, are you tired of wasting precious time with prospective clients who are not the right fit? Do you experience imposter syndrome because you know, the back end of your business is kind of a hot mess. Perhaps you're experiencing growing pains, and you don't have the tools, resources or team to support you. I get it. I've been there. As an ambitious interior design business owner myself, I know the roller coaster ride this can be over the years I've learned a thing or two about running a profitable word of mouth design business. And I want to help you find success to How would it feel to wake up and face the day knowing exactly what to focus on next, having a roster of enthusiastic clients, including a paid waitlist, and having the space time and creative energy to develop projects that you are proud of, and our portfolio, if not press worthy. I want to invite you to learn more about the interior designers business blueprint, a business coaching program designed exclusively for interior designers who want to serve their clients at the highest level while making good money. But without the burnout and overwhelm. If you're ready to get off the roller coaster, you don't have to do it alone. Join me inside the interior designers business blueprint and get the tools teaching and community you need to pave the way for an interior design business your clients love and you are proud of to learn more, grab the link on your audio player or head to designers oasis.com forward slash blueprint. That's designers oasis.com forward slash blueprint.
Tina Guevara
It's funny because one of the other members, she's a copywriter, and she was talking about how she did this job, this small job, she really wanted to help this woman. And then she didn't get paid. She was like, you know, and she was really upset about it. She's like, I know, it's not a lot of money. But I'm really excited about it. And sure I said, you know, she was like, and I'm just trying to figure out. And so she wanted feedback from the group. And I was like, Oh, I know what that is. I said it's a process problem. What is it process problem? You needed to have collected your money before you submitted your last, your last deliverable. And I blew her mind away. And I was like, See, I knew that from designers oasis. Well, that designer that like didn't get paid a couple of times, because I submitted my my, my design presentation before I collected the design fee. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
Kate Bendewald
Well, this is a good example of how you are such a critical member of this group. Because obviously, I can't be in there every day answering all the questions, I wouldn't have time to be sitting down doing stuff like this. And so it very much relies on the wisdom and intelligence of designers like you who do have more experience and it can help those other people along. And so it is it is a really cool community from that aspect. And I do think that like there is a tone, we're all kind of on the same page. In terms of like, what should we be doing, which I think is unique from other other groups. But anyway, yeah, I love that you were able to do that. But yeah, it is a process problem. And process is the backbone, I believe, of your brand. And even though like the the general steps of like how we get a client from point A to point Z is typically similar. There's so many ways that you can add your own little light touches to make it special and different and unique. And so you got to you got to have your process down. That is like that is yeah, you gotta number one thing.
Tina Guevara
You got it? No, it like the back of your hand. Yeah. And you got to believe in it as your structure right? Because I no longer deviate from it like yep, in the beginning. I did and then I go shoot that happened because I didn't but now I'm just so I learned this phrase from another designer and another group and she uses the term and I'm sure she learned it from some coach. This is how I work. Yeah, Yeah. And so if I know I borrowed it, I'm like, This is how I work, or this is how the process works is actually like, what I what I do, because if if I say, this is how I work, then there's the potential for Whoa, you know, we can, it's negotiable, right? But if you say, this is how the process works, it's just, and I tell you, Kate, I've had a full year of like a full slate of projects that have all gone successful, from beginning to end. And by end, I mean, getting good testimonials, Google reviews, I just had one client reach out the other day, she was like the one that like, had hadn't done the Google review and hadn't responded. I'm like, oh, man, Cheryl damage. And she's like not she's also an executive. And she's not good with responding to emails. And I had nudged her the second time. And that was another thing, right? Like the the confidence it built up in me, I would would have been very embarrassed to reach out to a client for review, I would have just hoped that they would send it now because like, I have that template. I send out an email, it goes out. It's professional, it sounds lovely. was able to get all my other reviews except her. She just responded. She said, sorry. I had. I had a medical thing that went on. I'm good. Now. I'm sorry. It took so long to get to it. Oh, goodness. And she posted a she's like, I'm working next on my office. And I'm definitely telling everybody about you was like, yeah, so every client that I've had this year, it's gone the same way. Like I've just gotten great reviews. I've had clients come back. I had a client that I worked with earlier this year, she just came back for the fall, I'm doing her whole first floor, including the kitchen. So it is how filing just that it's the client experience. Once I got back kind of really tweaked in, yeah, it just works. And I don't really have to make any any changes to it now. They just want to
Kate Bendewald
Yeah, I love it. And this is such an important lesson that you know, sometimes there's going to be trial and error and you do have to tweak some things until you kind of know what works for you and your kind of clients. But once you know something works, it's really important to to make that a pillar, a pillar. So I'd love to hear Do you have can you share a couple of your non negotiables that for you are just like this is something that I will not deviate from? Um,
Tina Guevara
well getting paid is one. I mean
Kate Bendewald
but how and when and
Tina Guevara
like, yeah, exactly. Well, I used to be this person, I'm no longer that. But I used to be this person, even in corporate like negotiating a salary negotiating or what to call a bonus. We're even talking about the bonus in terms of money. I never did like I just was always I took this huge promotion at one point and the salary increase should have been $50,000 You know that I didn't get it the the woman did not give me the promotion and I was too chickenshit to have the conversation I had the conversation about the job what I could do the credentials all that stuff never never addressed the money so she must have been lying Well she didn't bring up the money so we're just so it really became a lateral financial lateral move meanwhile my job got a bigger Yeah
Kate Bendewald
and actually challenging
Tina Guevara
I was so mad at her and it took me years to realize that I should have been mad at me I didn't advocate for myself I didn't you know so it took me a long time to get comfortable with well and
Kate Bendewald
I want to I want to pause though but there is for women a long cultural history of be sweet be kind get in your lane and Michael and girls and ya know and and so that is a that is a cultural aspect that I think we're really working hard we have a long way to go still but don't beat yourself up over that because that is a that is a long standing cultural absolute that we have have a lot of work to do on so but you know and and shame on her for not saying by the way abacus this is this another woman this additional responsibility deserves this financial you know payment so I don't know if I don't know if I'd be mad at yourself but But it sounds like you learned something from that I'm so now today you getting paid? It's a non negotiable right? Yeah. And so you always get paid
Tina Guevara
up front when I'm gonna get paid. I determine what I'm gonna get paid and I'm gonna get paid that period. That's yeah, but you know, that didn't come to me. I can't until I want to say maybe this year the year before you did. You did. What's it called? I call it a webinar with wasn't a webinar with a financial woman. I can't remember her name. Oh, we had a short series on Jenny Carlson. You As Jenny Carlson, one of my dear friends love her. Yeah. And that was, that was monumental for me because it made me take accountability of my, of what I made. You know, it's not a client's not just gonna offer me money I have to set I have to set the standard for what I'm worth. And I have to ask or not ask, actually, I have to tell them. Yeah, what it is, and then I have to collect it. And so the collecting became a big thing with sending in the invoice before I send out the schedule or for the presentation, so you don't get the schedule, or if you haven't paid the invoice. And that resolved everything for me, because there were a couple of clients that got away with presentations, they suddenly changed their mind on not going to do the project after they seen the presentation, taking photos of it, and hadn't paid. Thanks, good luck trying to get them to pay. So um, so that was that was a that was a big one that was a big pillar, I would say that's non negotiable. Asking I had a client asked me for a discount. And I did it. This was a few years ago, this was two years ago, I did it. And then what it left me with was as I did the project, like it left me resentful, because I felt like if, if I was going to give that discount, I should have had it in my mind. Like, I should have updated the fee or the fee, so that I would have still been made whole, right? So I don't do discounts that I was gonna say
Kate Bendewald
or or, you know, what do you when you create one discount, then you create a discounting culture. And that's where I'm going to go back to one of my other favorite books worth every penny by Sarah Patty, I'll link to that in the show notes. You know, you're you're not trying to compete with on price, like you're combining on experience in service. And that's the only way you can stand apart. Well, I mean, service and experience is a big part of it isn't the only way. But that's a big part of it. Yeah, yeah, you're right. My
Tina Guevara
I have a friend who was hot was hiring an architect. She brought in this woman, fantastic. So talented, she wanted to hire her. She'd interviewed a couple of other architects coming in a little bit less. And she actually a lot less and she asked the architect if she could do the job for less. And the architects said no, she said, No, I just I really would love to, but I can't. I'm a mom. I think she was like in the on the cusp of getting divorced. So I'm basically a single mom, I have two children that I have to provide for. I can't I would love to, but not
Kate Bendewald
to, not to mention your education and experience, years of experience has gotten you to where you're paying for the experience. You're paying for the knowledge, the brainpower, the creativity that's in between your ears, and nobody else has that. So yeah, yeah,
Tina Guevara
I mean, $100 $4,000. And, you know, I just know. So um, so that's the other thing, that's a non negotiable for me. And then, um, and then being asked to do so the last non negotiable. And I learned this one with that client experience that I shared with you. That was that terrible, awful experience. I, oh, man, that one that beat up my ego a little bit because, well, first of all, the project came out amazing. And she did end up loving it, but she was a hateful person. But if that should not have happened to me, because I'm assertive, I'm an NYU certified project manager with years of experience that should not have happened. That happened to me, because there were changes to the design plans that were made, that I didn't write up work order changes for. And I should have done that. And that is a whole process, right? Especially when you're doing a renovation. You it forces you to sit down and evaluate what impact this has and this has and what the monetary impact will be. So she would just she was a big personality, she would barrel through me, I allowed the barreling, I allowed these changes to go through on document that because I thought okay, we'll just do it. And then in the end, you know, it bit us in the ass. And it was her fault. But it was my fault for not having documented it. So. So now that's that's a non negotiable. We sign off on a design plan. If you're going to make changes to it. I'm going to put you through the word change process. Yeah.
Kate Bendewald
What I love about what I just heard is, is something that I really want to put a spotlight on is that it's one thing to experience challenges, hardships, difficult people, things that get fucked up, it happens. But it's one thing to go through that and then just keep the bus moving. Like just keep it right, just keep going ahead. But what Tina does being the NYU certified project manager that she says hold the phone people, we need to take a minute we need to take a beat and figure out how did we get here? take accountability, accountability, your your, you know, I used to drive some of my staff nuts when it would come to accountability because I do believe in extreme accountability. Even if you have a client who is awful, just a terrible, terrible human, there are a few out there. It doesn't matter how terrible they are you, as the leader of your business, have to have made decisions to things that got you to where you are. And you must take accountability for it so that you can learn from it. And do it differently next time. When you don't do that. And you always put accountability on someone else, on the shipper or the receiver or the furniture company, or what I mean, now sometimes there's just stuff that's just out of your control, it's honest. But you know, there is nothing to be learned when you're constantly pointing fingers, and blaming. And that accountability piece is I think one of the most important aspects of being a business owner and knowing when you own when you have responsibility. Most of the time there is shared responsibility. So it's not to say that every time there's something wrong with you, and you screwed up, and it is an error. So it's not it's not that you shouldn't attack yourself personally, right? You're just like, oh, shoot, I really screwed this up. How do we fix it? And how do we talk to the client about it? How do we make it right? Or how do we explain to my team like, look, I let, it's my fault for allowing this toxic personality to get through the cracks. This is what we have to do to peacefully cut ties, make sure that our reputation is unscathed. And then they're gonna walk away feeling okay about it, right. We can move on into our other, you know, our other jobs, but it's this idea of like, let's just not steamroll past opportunities to learn from mistakes, let's find ways to integrate those learnings in a deeper way into our business. And it sounds like you've really done that beautifully. And that's how you have these beautiful processes that you know, like the back of your hand, that are non negotiable, and your clients fully respected because they see this as somebody who has done this so many times, that they know what works. And I've got to trust that. And if they're not willing to trust you, trust for me is a really big one. I have to work with clients who are inherently trusting people. If they're not, that is an uphill battle. And I'm just not interested. And yeah, that's a non negotiable for me. But I love hearing how you've integrated all of these, you know, every opportunity big and small has become a part of your process a part of your system a part of your contract, I'm guessing.
Tina Guevara
Yeah. Really. I mean, you know, the thing with that whole experience, when I walked away from it, and I mean, she just emotionally discombobulated me for weeks. She was a bully, you know, and so she would attack me on email. But what I what killed me the most about the project wasn't even not getting to do the photos and all that stuff was that, that she was walking away somehow feeling like she had had a bad experience with me that that killed me. And it brought me to the term, the client experience, which I had learned in my corporate life, when I worked for this brokerage house. Every so they would they had what was it seven pillars for the year, right. So like seven key components that we have to focus on for the year. And all of those seven pillars needed to somehow tie up into the client experience, because that's the major, the major key focus for the firm. And I mean, we heard about client experience out the wazoo every day, all the time. And everything led me to the point where I was like, you know, like, just stop. And I left that firm, started my own company, and never used the term never thought about it never, like just I just assumed that clients were having a great time because they liked me because I'm Cuban, and we got a good time or whatever. And it wasn't until 15 years later I
Kate Bendewald
have and because of that,
Tina Guevara
you know, I have this terrible experience with this woman and I then I begin to do the, you know, the soul searching and I realized she had a terrible experience. And that shouldn't have been the case. And it brought me back to the client experience. And now that's like top of mind at all times, whether it's an email but I'm writing or the prot the Friday status reports that I do. It's client experiences, I want them every interaction that they have with me or you know, with my my firm, to be something positive and you're I mean, you can avoid the negatives and negatives are going to happen. I just, you know, delivered a $5,000 mo hair so fun. Three weeks ago, one week later, she calls me she's like the mole hairs losing color. Like, oh my god, what are you doing and and it was how this how I handled it that, you know, I just finally went in this week we fixed it. It wasn't losing color, it was just pressure points. But anyway, she was so happy. She was so happy, you know, she felt heard. She felt like we handled it, we addressed it. So client experience. So for any of you starting out there, take the client experience and make that a pillar of what you do. Yeah. And I think just tie into it,
Kate Bendewald
I will, I will just put a plug in for interior designers business blueprint right now we have a whole masterclass on the design process and onboarding your clients and all of that. So if you if you want to learn the way that I like to teach, which is flexible, because I think that you should be able to be the one that puts in your own unique touches. But it's a really great building block, that I it's one of my most favorite master classes to teach. And that's available inside the interior designers business blueprint. But you said something that I want to, I know we need to wrap up. But I want to, I want to just I'm reminded to of just how important it is when you screw something up or even if you don't screw it up. But that's the clients perception that the way you talk about it, the way you talk about it with your client, the way you frame it can have an enormous impact on the outcome of that relationship. For example, one of my own experiences with one of my my last a huge, huge, huge project back in Texas, in whole home renovation and like no surface was untouched. And long story short, we had been working on this project. Through the pandemic, there was the ice storm that caused the house to flood mid construction right after the all the custom cabinetry had been put in it was a whole thing. And big shout out to Melissa, who took the lead on that project and really managed most of this but we got to the end and the client decided that they wanted at first they needed to just put all their money into the interior. They weren't even though we had sourced everything for the full wraparound porch, like four sides, like the clients came back almost two years later. And we're like, now we want to buy that whole package that furniture packages say what they liked what we did, and we were like, Well, okay, but we got to check stock and all this stuff and blah, fast forward. We were that was it's a whole thing, right? So we but we did the best of our ability, but they were so burned out because it was a remote project, they were so burned out on paying for the receiving Company, which was almost two hours away from where they were to have the furniture inspected, and sent out and paying for the storage and all of that which I understood that they didn't want that. But this is where I screwed up. I made an exception to using a receiving company, because they asked and I didn't fully think through the ramifications of not using a receiving company. First of all, this is our client's second home, that's not their primary residence. They don't live there to receive packages, or or deliveries that come. And they it's because they lived in a city three hours away. And so the idea was to have all of the anyway, we thought we had figured it all out by having all of the parcel deliveries shipped to their home and they would just drive them out when they came but have the freight shipments arrive on a scheduled delivery and we would coordinate with the client seemed easy enough. And it turned out to be one of the biggest nightmares. The client who we had previously had beautiful relationship with was no longer returning our phone calls or emails for a very long time and had an outstanding balance. So here we are feeling like we screwed up we're not getting paid for definitely doesn't feel like we're getting photographs. And it became one of those things that I couldn't stop thinking about at all. I finally got him on the phone. Only because he accidentally called me back. And I ended up getting him on the phone and had this conversation. And it was finally at this point where I learned that their frustration was on the coordination of the these deliveries. And I had to just be honest and say, look, I can see now now that we've gone through this exactly how frustrating this was for you, especially trying to raise two kids and you've got to really like huge jobs to do to carry out. We did this because this is what you asked us to do. And it was our responsibility. We should have looked at this a little closer and ask ourselves is this really a good idea? Here's the pros and cons and in retrospect, I never would have said no to bypassing the receiver because this is all of this could have been avoided if we if I had stuck to what I knew. And so I have a responsibility to you now to get this right and to fail. Sit, I need you to give me the opportunity to fix this. Which means returning my phone calls in my emails, can we move forward? Let me finish this for you. It has my undivided attention. So I acknowledge that I screwed up, I acknowledged that it was part of the request, I acknowledge that. I could see it clearly now, right? I wasn't, I was I was sort of sharing the blame, but not pointing the finger at him like, Well, we did what you told us to, you know, it was like, Oh, I wish that I had really thought about this differently before we got and that hit because the initial first half of the phone call, he was like, firing some like fiery words. And I did have to say, like, if we're gonna have this conversation, I need you to not because he like mimicked me or something, I said, you may not mimic me, that's not going to work. And then by the end of the conversation, the tune had completely shifted. He said, Okay, I get it, I need your help. I want your help. I know, you can do this, let's turn it around. Not only do we get paid for every outstanding invoice, but we got the most beautiful shots in our portfolio to share, and the relationship is salvaged. And everybody was okay. But it was this idea that if you didn't take a minute to reflect back on how did we find ourselves here, how did we get here, it wouldn't have been obvious, it would have been easy to point fingers and blame them. Not shown any empathy to the fact that they're busy trying to have these two careers and raise two kids, and the logistics and all of that. And so I think, you know, empathy, accountability, all of these are really are characteristics of a good business owner. And, and I see you doing that. And I just want to reiterate that to anybody that's listening, that it's not just taking ownership, it's how you how you handle these, these situations, when they come up, that it can really change the trajectory and protect your brand and your, your, your reputation and all of that. And you know, that's something we don't have a whole lot of room. You know, if Coca Cola makes a misstep in branding or message marketing, they've, they can rebound. Right? Is this Yeah, this this owner, in a cynic community, it's not as easy, it's not as easy to do. So you have to work extra hard to be more diligent about it. Not not to say that, you know, you're not gonna let somebody steamroll you. But taking ownership and accountability, showing empathy, being respectful, that's gonna get you so much further. Oh, my gosh, I could talk to you all day, I want to wrap up with one last question. We're talking about so many different aspects of running a business and you've done so much of that so beautifully. And you you have used so much of your prior experience in corporate plus your education and your experience working with your clients, but what advice would you have for emerging interior designers who are looking to start their own business or to take their career to the next level? What would you say to them? Do I do this sooner? Or do this now? Or do this better? What What would your advice be,
Tina Guevara
I would say, take the time to set up the business properly, and not just the you know, set up your, you know, your, your LLC or your resale certificate, all that stuff. But yes, do that. Definitely have that so that you're able to open up all your trade accounts and all of those things, right? Have your website. But more importantly, set up all your back end, so that you're not flying by the seat of your pants as as clients and projects start to come through, take the time to do it. If you're able to dedicate the time, say you dedicate two days a week or three days a week to it. So you're like me, I was a mom with two young kids splitting my time between you know, having you know, taking care of the top of the baby and picking up the toddler I have like little pockets of time throughout the day that I could work. But my work had I was I was already running a business and I didn't have the business so it was really hard to go back and try to set up the business retroactively. So I would say do that first. Once you have your whole business set up then you can then you can start thinking about your branding and how you want to go out and get clients where are you going to get your portfolio pieces right your your own home your friend's homes, whatever. But but setting up the prop the back end the process I think is the most important thing so that you know it you know like the back of your hand. Now you get your first client and you're able to walk through it so a it'll build your confidence be it'll help the client experience and three year results will be so much better so that you're able to get photographs and whatever and referrals because that's the most important thing when you're getting started. It's those referrals.
Kate Bendewald
Yeah, and I would say Your process is your brand, because it's how people experience you. Yeah,
Tina Guevara
exactly. Um, yeah, I would say. And it's, you know, like, we say we say the word process. And it's like, it's such a big umbrella, right, because there were so many different processes, there's a, there's the design process, but then there's also your back end your like your operations process, then there's also your process for how you're gonna get your clients and, but I would say, work through all of them. Don't take a whole year, you don't even try to try to you know, in other words, don't get so paralyzed by not having everything finished that you never launch. But do take the time, I would say, three to six months to get yourself fully set up, if you're not working on that full time. If you're doing it part time, I think that that's probably a good, a good number. I think if you're finding yourself at 12 months, and you're still setting up, then thing you need to revisit, maybe you're not allocating enough time, because
Kate Bendewald
a lot of the a lot of the process gets iterated as you work with clients. So it doesn't need to be perfect, right out of the gate. Because it's never will be it's not it's not going to ever be perfect. You do have to iterate through the act of doing projects. But I agree 100% You can get you can think through a lot of it prior to ever having a client so that you can start talking about how you work with with more confidence, just exactly as like what you said, well, and designers Oasis offers every template under the sun, every lesson under the sun for helping you get those systems and processes up to speed or
Tina Guevara
you're not having to do it yourself. Yeah, well, yeah. Yeah.
Kate Bendewald
Yeah. Well, and then you've got folks like Tina inside the community there to help help cheer you on and answer questions and provide some some really great insights. Tina, I feel so lucky to have had this chance to sit and chat with you again, today. You are such a such a light and so fun. And you're so smart and good at what you do. And I mean, all of that. And you are a huge asset to this community. So thank you for your time. Where can people find you online?
Tina Guevara
Online? Well, I'm on Instagram, Juliet, Sebastian. Or you can even look me up on my name, Tina Guevara. My website, Juliet sebastian.com. Facebook. Same thing, Juliet Sebastian. But yeah, I'm out there. And we
Kate Bendewald
will link to all of that. Yeah. Well linked all that in the show notes. I love it so much. All right, Tina, have a wonderful rest of your week. And I look forward to seeing you again real soon. Bye for now.
Tina Guevara
I'll see you on Thursday. See you.
Kate Bendewald
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.
