Thrive In Design

S3, E1: Keys to Thriving in Design

Every interior product company wants to thrive and make more impact in the world. But, what does it mean to thrive? According to the Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, “thrive” has three definitions. These are; to grow vigorously (flourish), to gain in wealth or possessions (prosper), and to progress toward or realize a goal despite or because of circumstances. Together, we will break down this definition and apply it to the interiors industry.

 

To grow vigorously requires one to set an achievable goal and pursue it relentlessly. As sales professional of an interior product company, you must determine your revenue goals you want to achieve and then share it with your team so that you can all be on the same page. That target without a strategy is just a dream, so what will be the ways you plan to achieve them?

 

Join this conversation with your host, Nicole Lashae Ben, as she shares the best ways to thrive in your interior product business. You will learn about two of the most important questions you need to answer if you are ever going to set the best strategies for your business. She also talks about the value of building authentic relationships and product specifications in the commercial interior design industry. Also, learn why you need to do a SWOT analysis for your business and the external & internal threats that may affect it.

 

Let’s jump in!

 

Key Highlights from the Episode;

[00:01] Episode intro

[02:04] What’s in for you on today’s episode

[02:20] What does it mean to “thrive.”

[03:54] #Growing vigorously and flourishing in your interior product business

[06:07] Set strategies to achieve and exceed a target goal 

[07:16] Two important questions that will help you develop growth strategies

[10:48] Why gaining authentic relationships and specifications is better 

[11:28] How to empower your team to continue making authentic relationships

[13:06] #Striving to achieve a goal despite or because of…

[14:04] Do your SWOT analysis

[14:59] External and internal threats that may affect your business

[17:45] A quick recap of what we have discussed

[18:22] Your takeaways from the episode 

Notable Quotes 

• In order to thrive, you should quote the number that you want your team to achieve.
• A goal without strategies is just a dream. 
• Understanding your customer journey can help you develop strategies that will help you hit and exceed your target goals.
• Over 80% of your sales in business are based on the authentic relationships and specifications that you have created with your customers.

Learn more about Thrive In Design: 

Website: https://www.thriveindesign.co/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thriveindesign/

Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/thriveindesign/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/thriveindesign/

Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here (link is: https://training.thriveindesign.co/)

 

Get your copy of "The Ultimate Guide to A&D Sales": https://www.thriveindesign.co/brand-reps

S2, E6: Mastering Sales Planning

There has been one common theme this season: relationship building and its tie into sales planning for architecture and design representatives.

In this episode, Nicole Lashae Ben, CEO of Thrive In Design, dives deeper into this topic. Nicole spent a decade as a brand representative for interior product companies. During her career, she developed and implemented human-centered sales strategies that led to her earning over two dozen sales awards. 

Nicole is super excited and passionate about today's topic. She'll be sharing her five best practices when it comes to sales planning, which she beleives every interior product company should be thinking about as they are equipping their teams for success.

Learn more about Thrive In Design: 

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here.

S2, E5: Behind A Magnetic Interior Design Business with Pamela Durkin

In this episode, Nicole Lashae Ben, CEO of Thrive In Design, and Pamela Durkin, Founder of Pamela Durkin Designs, discuss the business side of interior design.

Design is powerful and Pamela wants designers to step into that power. After 30 years in the high-end design business, she is now helping other designers create a business they love through her In Demand Designer Program. She teaches them how to be magnetic and attract the best clients. This method makes owning a design business easier and more fulfilling. Her book, Elevate! can be found on Amazon.

Over the course of her 30-year design career, Pamela has served as president of ASID Florida South Chapter and served on the Board of Architecture and Design in NJ. Currently, she lives in Naples, FL and in her spare time, loves spending time on the beach and learning new moves in her home dance studio.

Listen in for a chance to learn about:
- How to be Magnetic to your Perfect Future Client
- Leveraging your Network to create multiple highly qualified opportunities
- Techniques to Blow Potential Clients away before you're even hired

 

Guest: Pamela Durkin 
Email: pam@pamela-durkin.com | Instagram: @pameladurkin | Book: https://elevatethebook.com/

Learn more about Thrive In Design:

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here.

S2, E4: Connecting with Designers as an A&D Rep with Sasha Denisov

In this episode, Nicole Lashae Ben, CEO of Thrive In Design, and Sasha Denisov, Senior Sales Representative at Lutron, continue a conversation that they started in season one of this podcast.

In the initial conversation (see episode nine of season one), Nicole and Sasha discussed:
- Sales strategies for A&D representatives
- The best way to take a consultative approach
- 3 resources level up your interpersonal sales skills

Listen in as they divulge more on these topics from their award-winning sales careers in the interior product industry.

After graduating with her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design from Syracuse University in 2012, Sasha leaped into a career in the design and construction industry. In her current role at Lutron, her focus is on driving sales within the home automation market. Based in Toronto, Canada, Sasha works closely with the A&D community, builders, and contractors to offer lighting solutions in luxury residences.

 

Guest: Sasha Denisov 
Email: sasha.denisov@yahoo.com | Instagram: _sashadenisov | Facebook: Sasha Denisov

Learn more about Thrive In Design:

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here.

S2, E3: How Relationships Play A Role In The Design Process with Bob Habian

In this episode, Nicole Lashae Ben, CEO of Thrive In Design, and Bob Habian, Co-founder and CEO of Tect App, Inc., chat about how relationships play a significant role in the design process.

Architects and interior designers have complex design processes, which require specifying hundreds of materials. Those materials have technical information and nuances that, typically, only the product manufacturer and its sales reps are well versed in. When there is a solid and fruitful relationship between the architect/designer and manufacturer, commuication is essential and leads to great product decisions.

Bob Habian, AIA, today's guest, is an architect and entrepreneur, who is often referred to as a "licensed puzzle builder and problem solver." He has dedicated the majority of his career to solving one of the most important challenges facing the building industry, and that is, communication between product manufacturers and design professionals, particularly at the earliest stages of a project, when important product decisions are being made.

Listen in for some great insights on how Bob approaches this problem with Tect App, Inc. and how product manufacturers can position themselves to be a resource rather than just aiming to make a sale.

 

Guest: Bob Habian
Email: bob@tect.com | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bobhabian

Learn more about Thrive In Design:

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign 

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here. 

S2, E2: #DESIGNCHAT Integrating Tech Into Interior Design & The Client Experience with Jessica Mann-Amato

In this episode, Nicole Lashae Ben, CEO of Thrive In Design, and Jessica Mann-Amato, Design Principal and Co-Owner of Mancini Duffy, chat about integrating tech into the interior design process and client experience.

Jessica leads Mancini Duffy through transparency emphasizing company culture and technology. Mancini is a 100+-year-old tech-driven design firm in NYC whose clients include Peloton, Soho House, Boqueria, American Airlines, Brooklyn Nets, and NBC Sports. Mancini’s co-owners run the firm like a start-up with technology as the key driver of all initiatives. Mancini is a diverse firm — 51% of the firm is female — nearly twice the industry norm.

In 2020, Mancini’s designers revolutionized the design process by inventing the patent-pending The Toolbelt, a software that allows Mancini’s clients to explore and manipulate the 3D models of their spaces using Virtual Reality to explore and make adjustments to the designs in real-time. Utilizing The Toolbelt, Mancini’s designers can do in 3 hours what it takes most architects 3 weeks to do. Jessica has layered technology into every facet of Mancini’s design process. She utilizes The Toolbelt to lead clients through proprietary 360 Design Sessions, immersing them in their spaces and allowing for a truly collaborative, interactive design process.

Listen in for some amazing insight on technology, innovation, and how interior product companies can integrate into the emerging design process.

Guest: Jessica Mann-Amato

Company: Mancini Duffy

Email: jmannamato@manciniduffy.com | Instagram: @mancini_duffy | Facebook: @ManciniDuffy 

Learn more about Thrive In Design:

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here.

S2, E1: Why Your Marketing Budget Isn’t Leading to Specifications

In this kick-off of season two of the Thrive In Design podcast, Nicole Lashae Ben, CEO of Thrive In Design, dives into the reasons why your marketing budget isn't leading to specifications. So often, interior product companies think about increasing their marketing budgets to lead to more brand awareness. But, what happens when you have more eyes on your brand without a proper system in place to convert awareness to sales? 

In this episode, Nicole will share:

• An overview of the Thrive In Design proprietary method for interior product manufacturers
• The top strategies that interior product companies should consider when spending their marketing budget
• Building a sales funnel that leads to ROI

 

Learn more about Thrive In Design:

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here. 

S1,E12: #DESIGNCHAT: Spec’ing Products Based On Environmental Psychology with Deon Bent

Today, we have Deon Bent, who is an interior designer and owner of Noed Interiors. Her firm is a design haven that focuses on the environmental psychology aspect of design as well as curating a unique space for every client. 

 

After obtaining her BFA in Interior Design from the Art Institute, traveling the world, and experiencing other cultures, Deon quickly realized the need for a design service that focused on fostering an in-depth relationship with the client and developing an understanding of their relationship to space before beginning the design process. 

 

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Get in touch with Deon Bent, Principal Designer of Noed Interiors

Instagram: @noedinteriors 

 

Learn more about Thrive In Design

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

 

>>> Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here. <<<

S1,E11: How Color Influences Product Development with Peggy Van Allen

Today is going to be an exciting conversation about color. We have Peggy Van Allen as a guest. Peggy is the President of Color Marketing Group, which is an international association for color design professionals which identifies the direction of color and design trends and translates them into salable colors for manufactured products; she is also a designer and color anthropologist.

 

Peggy’s educational background in graphic design has been the foundation for a very interesting career. She’s been able to do trend research, visual merchandising, and color palette development. Peggy’s unique skill set allows her to visually communicate the complexities of color in a way that is both inspirational and educational for her company Colorfuel. 

 

Peggy is motivated to de-mystify color while keeping the magic so that her clients can go to market with the right color at the right time.

 

***

 

Guest: Peggy Van Allen

Color Marketing Group: https://colormarketing.org/ | Color Fuel: https://www.color-fuel.com/

 

Learn more about Thrive In Design

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

 

>>>Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here. <<<

 

S1,E10: Elevate Your Brand Image & Strategy with Rena Williams

Today, we have Rena Williams as a guest on the show. Rena Williams is a brand image coach and consultant with over 15 years of experience in strategic  branding and marketing. Through her company, Rena T. Williams Consulting, Rena helps professional,  high-achieving women elevate their brand so they can increase their pricing and attract their ideal clients.  

After co-founding her own lifestyle brand, SoRen Tea, Rena knew that other entrepreneurs needed help  with positioning their brand to attract the right opportunities. Rena focuses on infusing personality into  brands, enabling them to be more authentic and relatable. Her coaching and consulting techniques are  driven by data, strategy and innovation, positioning her clients to be the premier and obvious choice for  their clients.  

Today, Nicole and Rena discussed:

• The definition of brand strategy and why it is important for every business
• Rena's signature framework to elevate your brand image and experience
• AND... Why it's important for A&D sales reps to consider their personal brand 

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Get in touch with Rena Williams

Website: https://renatwilliams.com/ | Instagram/Clubhouse/Twitter: @renatwilliams

 

Learn more about Thrive In Design

Contact: thriveindesign.co/contact | Instagram: @thriveindesign | Facebook: @thriveindesign

>>>Register for the next Thrive In Design live training here.<<<