233. The Real Cost of Being "Too Nice"

If you've been wanting to break into the luxury market, or even if you already are there, today's episode is for you! Today, I am sharing a conversation with my friend, Vitalia (Vita) Vygovska. Vita grew her business from grass-roots marketing strategies that all of us can employ immediately in our business, and no one knows the luxury market like Vita. Vitalia (Vita) Vygovska is the founder and CEO of Vitalia Inc., a distinguished custom luxury window treatment atelier serving AD-featured designers, renowned architects, and leading hospitality groups. Through meticulous attention to detail and signature turnkey approach, Vitalia Inc consistently delivers magazine-worthy results, while helping clients realize 20% margin gains.  Vitalia Inc.'s skills have been deployed on award winning projects, including Palm Beach estates, Philadelphia & NYC Penthouses, ocean-front villas, and boutique hospitality gems. Today, you will learn:  Why relationship marketing is essential to attracting and keeping high-end clients How to approach networking to trades that position you as a valued collaborator How to clarify your values and align your marketing to attract your ideal clients Find out more about Vita and connect with her here:  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vitalia_inc/  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vitaliainc/   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/luxury-marketing 

I tell people all the time that no answer is an answer. No boundaries allow a free for all. No structure allows someone else to create it for you. All of this can be prevented by being clear on what you want, the values you bring, and the relationship you want to establish. Today we’re going to talk about how we train people in our lives, whether it’s clients, contractors, or architects, and how we are accidentally training them to undervalue us. The good news is that this can be stopped by you, because it’s completely under your control. Join the waitlist for my course here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/cost-of-being-too-nice 

If your schedule is feeling tight, or your fall is filling up way faster than you’d like or feeling pressure to take on just one more project, then today’s episode is for you!  Scheduling can have an impact on the success of your projects, the health of your business, as well as your sanity. It’s all about scheduling, no matter how experienced you are or how many systems you have in place. And how you handle it and lead your clients through it, how you protect your calendar, that is where the real skills lie.  Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/busy-booked-burned-out 

There is a powerful, yet overlooked question that you should ask yourself every time you start developing a proposal for your client: “So what?” Whether you’re listing deliverables, defining construction roles, or setting your fees, this question forces you to clarify the purpose, value, and outcome of every line in your scope. If you've ever had a client question why you’re needed on site—or why your fee is what it is—this episode is for you. Learn how to build trust, eliminate confusion, and finally land the jobs you want. Join the waitlist for my course here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/one-question-to-transform-proposals 

I often talk about the importance of industry partnerships for growing your business and keeping your project pipeline full. But today, I want to take that conversation deeper. In this episode, I’m sharing how truly powerful these relationships can be — not just for business development, but for your own growth as a designer and leader. From managing construction with confidence to navigating complex projects, the right partnerships—built on respect, clear communication, and transparency—can completely elevate your experience and outcomes. I'll also share a personal story about a contractor who became one of the most trusted collaborators of my career — and why partnerships like his are rare but absolutely worth seeking. Join the waitlist for my course here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/collaborators-you-dont-forget    

Today’s topic hits home for so many designers. It honestly doesn’t matter if you’re new to construction or you’ve been around for years. Today, we’re talking all about confidence, and specifically that gap between experience and confidence. This seems to trip up so many designers, and the two don’t always go hand in hand. Confidence is not performative; it is built. And you absolutely have the ability to build that confidence to create more profitable projects that bring you joy.   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/confidence-and-experience 

Today’s topic is another one that I don’t think gets enough coverage or attention, and that’s what happens after you get your contract signed.  We focus a lot on getting the signed contract, which makes sense because without it, you wouldn’t be getting to this step. But I want to cover what you do after the client hires you. Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/you-got-the-job-now-lead-it 

This wasn’t my plan. This wasn’t even close to my plan. I never set out to build a course, I never set out to be a podcaster. I certainly didn't imagine I’d be coaching designers or building a program like The Designers Edge. But somewhere along the way, I realized that every experience I’ve had, ever woman I worked for and the lessons I learned on their job sites, the lessons I learned on my own job sites as the owner of my own firm and every coverseation I’ve had with a fellow designer was all leading to here. So in today’s episode, I’m sharing the full story - how it started, what changed everything for me, and why this next chapter is about delivering something deeper, more transformational, more supportive than ever before.  Join The Designer's Edge here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/wasnt-the-plan-but-became-the-purpose 

Today, I want to discuss the elephant in the room - and that is the economic unease that we’re all feeling, and particularly, how it’s impacting our industry. We’re going to talk about what’s behind the economic unease and how it is impacting both the construction and decorating worlds differently. It’s not just about the rising tariffs, it’s about who the buyer is that you are targeting. I’ve been in this industry long enough to have weathered storms like this before, so I want to reassure each of you that there are ways to protect your businesses, your profits, and your bottom line, so that you can come out strong on the other side. Join my upcoming workshop, How to Price Construction Projects When You’re More Than Just the Designer: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/pricing Join the waitlist for my course here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/the-projects-are-out-there 

Today, we’re going to have a little bit of a wreckoning from something I hear all the time from designers, and it starts something like, “Renee, I use square footage pricing to develop my fees for construction management.” Or, sometimes it’s a tiered flat fee, or per number room, or a percentage. While I'm not here to tell you that pricing formulas don’t ever work, I am here to tell you this: the formulas you are using for your decorating projects are holding you back and underpricing you for construction. If you’ve ever gotten to the end of a construction project and wondered where your time and, therefore, profit went, today’s episode is for you.  Join my upcoming workshop, How to Price Construction Projects When You’re More Than Just the Designer: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/pricing  Join the waitlist for my course here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers  Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/formula-thats-failing-designers