201. Crafting Balance: Meredith Huck on Design, Process, and Personal Freedom

It’s so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of this time of year. We’ve got the holidays, year-end, projects in the works, and marketing for new projects. There are all sorts of things coming this time of year, and it’s really hard to take a step back and realize that you are not serving yourself, your clients, or your projects by getting caught up in that chaos.  As a whole, designers tend to be people pleasers, and while that serves us in so many ways, it can also hold us back. It can absolutely take time away from our lives, drain our energy, and it can definitely cost us money. Those are all things that we need to avoid to run healthy, profitable businesses that we love. So today, we are diving into how interior designers can thrive through the holidays! Find out more about my course, The Interior Designer's Guide to Construction Management at: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/renovation-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/how-interior-designers-thrive-through-the-holidays 

Today, we are tackling a topic that is so incredibly critical to the success of your project and, frankly, the success of your future projects, and that is the hidden costs of poor communication.  I think designers overlook this because they think they’re already great at communicating. This is what we do. We talk with our clients. We share our design. We explain our visions. Yes, yes and yes. But what I want to drive home is the power communication has on a project, both for good and for bad.  This is where I see a lot of projects fall apart because someone missed a detail, didn’t follow up, or assumed everyone was on the same page.  Miscommunication can be extremely subtle and often not intentional. But it can have an impact on everything. Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/costs-of-poor-communication  Find out more about my course The Interior Designer's Guide to Construction Management at: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/renovation-management-interior-designers 

Last week, I hosted a webinar titled Respected & Profitable, which has sparked such incredible conversations about how being respectful and respected on a project greatly impacts your profitability that I wanted to share with each of you! I also share how to approach negative comments you may hear with curiosity instead of judgment and how the client, contractor, and you, the designer, work together as equals.   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/curiosity-over-judgment 

If you've ever wondered if local marketing could make or break your business today’s episode is for you! Today, my guest, Nancy Ganzekaufer, shares valuable insights on marketing your interior design business both locally and online, reveals surprising industry statistics you might not know, and explains how to build a thriving business while enjoying a balanced and fulfilling personal life. Nancy Ganzekaufer is a sought-after Business and Life Coach, Body Language Trainer, Speaker, and Author. Previously named one of New York's top coaches, Nancy specializes in coaching interior designers with a focus on marketing and sales strategies, helping them maximize their profitability while identifying and serving their ideal clients with confidence.   Nancy guides her clients to develop the most straightforward path to higher profitability, visibility, and scalability through confident decision making, efficient systems development, and effective communication. She enjoys rolling up her sleeves and helping her interior design clients tackle the tough challenges in life and work, transforming them into happier, healthier, focused professionals.  With her no-nonsense coaching style, Nancy has empowered thousands to know and charge their worth and position themselves in their market with authority and authenticity.  Grab Nancy's free resources for Interior Designers here: https://nancyganzekaufer.com/free-resources-for-interior-designers/  Find out more about Nancy and all of her social media links here: https://nancyganzekaufer.com/  Join her Facebook Group here:  https://www.facebook.com/groups/interiordesignbusinessforum     Sign up for my upcoming webinar on Thursday, December 5th at  12:30 pm EST / 9:30 am PST >>>https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/respect-webinar   Find the full show notes here: https://devignierdesign.com/nancy-ganzekaufer-secrets-to-profitability 

Today, we’re covering a topic that most designers struggle with, including myself, and that is talking with your client’s about their budgets and having a clear conversation so that everybody's on the same page, right from the beginning. Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/budget-conversations-that-lead-to-success   

Ready you’re ready or not, we’re heading into the holiday season! Although the dates don’t change, this time of year tends to sneak up on me, and I’m sure a lot of you as well. But it’s also a time that makes me think of connection and appreciation. And that may immediately make you think of family and friends, and it should. But the connection and appreciation also ties back to the way we work as interior designers. And that’s what I want to talk about today - how you can head into the holidays with a plan to build upon your connections, show your appreciation, and set yourself up for success, not only with the projects you’re on right now but for future projects coming your way.   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/building-relationships-boosting-profits 

Today, I’m excited to share my conversation with Meredith Huck. Meredith is the owner and principal designer of House of Huck and a member of my course, Interior Designer’s Guide to Construction Management. House of Huck is a full-service Interior Design firm located in Coastal Connecticut. Their homes are the essence of coastal casual—textured accents, inviting spaces, high-end finishes and timeless furnishings. Their goal is to curate a tranquil and welcoming environment into their client's homes while not sacrificing the beauty within, just as the coast does for us. I often talk about the members of my course and how valuable our conversations are. So, I wanted to share that type of conversation with each of you. Meredith and I cover so many different topics in today’s episode, including profitability and how we gauge our profitability. Spoiler alert: it’s not always in dollars and cents! She’s also passionate about running an efficient and organized design business. Bringing her previous career in business forward into her design practice using repeatable processes that benefit not only her but also every project she’s working on.    You can find out more about Meredith and follow her here: www.instagram.com/houseofhuck  https://www.youtube.com/@houseofhuck/videos  https://www.pinterest.com/houseofhuck/  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/design-processes-personal-freedom   

No one’s mind is more blown than mine that this is my 200th episode! This podcast started out as a Covid adventure, and if you had asked me at the time, would I be 200 episodes in? I honestly would have laughed at you if you’d told me that I would have started a podcast, first of all, and secondly, that I’d still be doing it 200 episodes later.  So many of you are new listeners, so I wanted to reintroduce myself today, who I am, why I am here talking about construction management, and why I think it’s so important for each of you. And to all of you who haven't been along for the ride, I can’t thank you enough. It’s because of all of you, your DMs, emails, and encouragement, that I am 200 episodes in with no end in sight!   Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/200-episodes 

If you’ve struggled with setting boundaries, then today’s episode is for you! If you missed last week’s Episode 198, go back and listen to that one first. Today, we are taking the next step in how to establish respect and control of a construction project with the contractor and the client. And that’s all about setting boundaries– right from the start of a project to maintain the control, respect, and confidence you need throughout the entire process! So today you will learn why boundaries matter, how they can actually create more freedom in your work, and how to set and maintain these boundaries from the very first day! Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/setting-boundaries 

Today’s topic is something I hear about frequently from designers, so I’m changing things up starting today and will be doing a series on this one topic: How to gain respect and authority on the job site. In today’s episode, we are starting with mindset and how to shift your mindset from worker bee to becoming a project leader. This isn’t an overnight shift that you will be able to create, but I do know that small shifts in the right direction will be perceived and will shift the perception of your role with the other team members and your clients. And so today, we are digging into how to change your mindset, and what you can start implementing today.    Sign up for my weekly newsletter here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/from-the-jobsite    Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/worker-bee-to-project-leader