I confess… my rebrand nearly ruined me

Summary

Confessions of an Interior Designer: "I Confess… My Rebrand Nearly Ruined Me"

Episode Overview

In this captivating episode of Confessions of an Interior Designer, host Caroline Turner delves deep into the tumultuous journey of rebranding within the luxury interior design industry. Featuring special guest IGA Soshinska, the episode unpacks the real-life challenges and triumphs that come with reinventing a brand, emphasizing the critical importance of authenticity, process, and resilience. Listeners are treated to a blend of personal anecdotes, professional insights, and valuable lessons that resonate with both industry insiders and design enthusiasts alike.

Guest Background: IGA’s Story

Caroline welcomes IGA Soshinska, the owner and principal designer of Designed by Sew based in Los Angeles. With a diverse background spanning multiple countries and disciplines, IGA shares her path from Poland to Germany, then Chicago, and finally Los Angeles. Her journey is marked by significant challenges, including cultural transitions, career shifts, and personal growth.

• IGA’s Origins and Education
  IGA recounts her beginnings in Poland, where she developed her passion for interior design and art. She pursued further education in Germany, earning a scholarship for a German course with aspirations for a master's degree at the Bauhaus University. This multidisciplinary exposure—encompassing architecture, graphic design, and event design—expanded her creative horizons.
  “I felt like I could learn all these different things at the same time. It truly shaped me and my future.” [04:12]

• Transition to the United States
  Meeting her fiancé, an American actor, became a pivotal moment that led to her relocation to Chicago. Starting from a humble position managing a material library at a larger firm, IGA faced the daunting task of proving her worth in a new market.
  “I started there. I just, you know, it was very stressful experience. It was very hard because I just had to constantly be on my top game.” [08:23]

Overcoming Industry Challenges

IZA’s tenure at the larger Chicago firm was fraught with high expectations and intense pressure, leading to burnout and health issues. The emotional toll of working with affluent clients contrasted sharply with her empathetic nature, creating internal conflict and dissatisfaction.

• Burnout and Realization
  The relentless need to adapt to the American market and the lack of genuine appreciation from high-end clients pushed IGA to her limits.
  “It's just ... because we are not saving lives. Like, it does not need to be this.” [11:06]

• Finding a Path Forward
  Recognizing the unsustainable nature of her situation, IGA made the brave decision to join a smaller firm. This move allowed her to reclaim her creative integrity and learn essential business management skills.
  “Take the risk. If you feel it, if you feel. Whether it's hiring someone or investing in something, if you feel it in your bones, like, this is going to make a change for me, do it.” [14:03]

Importance of Process in Branding

A significant portion of the episode focuses on the listener confession about a failed rebrand, serving as a cautionary tale. IGA and Caroline dissect the pitfalls of inadequate branding strategies and highlight the necessity of a structured, client-centric approach.

• Building a Robust Process
  IGA emphasizes that successful branding is rooted in a clear and collaborative process. She criticizes the lack of strategy in the confessed rebrand, underscoring that without a solid foundation, branding efforts can backfire disastrously.
  “You cannot just give someone the power of running your marketing and not be involved.” [50:33]

• Authenticity and Client Trust
  Maintaining authenticity is paramount. Designers must ensure that their branding reflects their true selves to foster genuine connections with clients.
  “If it's not you, it could have been anyone.” [51:22]

Listener Confession: The Rebrand Disaster

A listener from Seattle shares a distressing account of a rebrand gone wrong. Entrusting a flashy marketing consultant led to a loss of brand identity and client trust, ultimately jeopardizing the business.

• Case Study Breakdown
  The listener recounts hiring a consultant who delivered a minimalistic logo and a sterile website devoid of personality. This misalignment caused confusion among longstanding clients and a significant drop in business activity.
  “I ended up parting ways with her, and within a week, I completely ditched the new brand.” [45:04]

• Recovery and Lessons Learned
  By reverting to her roots and collaborating with a new graphic designer who truly understood her vision, the listener regained her clientele and restored her brand’s authenticity.
  “Sometimes less really is not more. And always trust your gut.” [44:53]

Lessons Learned and Advice

IGA shares invaluable advice on navigating the complexities of branding and marketing in the interior design sector.

• Continuous Improvement
  She advocates for ongoing refinement of processes to ensure that branding efforts remain effective and aligned with the designer’s core values.
  “It's as simple as that is. I am not an expert that doesn't improve their process. I am an expert who keeps learning from these things.” [43:31]

• Embracing Failure as Growth
  Viewing failures as opportunities for learning and growth is crucial. IGA encourages designers to embrace setbacks and extract meaningful lessons from them.
  “Look at all of your failures as wins at the end.” [18:38]

AI in Interior Design

The conversation shifts to the role of Artificial Intelligence in the interior design industry, weighing its potential benefits against inherent threats.

• AI as a Tool, Not a Replacement
  Both IGA and Caroline agree that AI should augment the creative process rather than replace it. AI can handle repetitive tasks, freeing designers to focus on their creative strengths.
  “It's a great tool to do some research to help you, like, boost your creativity by just adding some ideas into your head.” [57:00]

• Protecting Creative Integrity
  They stress the importance of safeguarding one's work from being exploited by AI without permission, emphasizing the need for collective action among designers to set industry standards.
  “If we can all work together on that and not take the deal, don't give them your work. They will not have anything to work with because we'll be able to sue them if we.” [55:43]

Personal Triumphs and Self-Care

IGA highlights the significance of celebrating small victories and maintaining mental well-being amidst the pressures of entrepreneurship.

• Self-Care Practices
  From hosting solo dance parties to incorporating somatic shaking for emotional release, IGA underscores the importance of finding personal rituals to manage stress and stay grounded.
  “I put my AirPods here where I am and I just like do dance parties because it just like releases all the crap that was in me.” [33:02]

• Celebrating Milestones
  Recognizing and celebrating achievements, no matter how small, is vital for sustaining motivation and acknowledging progress.
  “Take care of yourself and pat yourself on the back because no one else will.” [48:35]

Recommendations and Final Thoughts

In wrapping up the episode, IGA shares her favorite movies that have inspired her creative journey, recommending titles that resonate with her emotional and aesthetic sensibilities.

• Movie Recommendations
  “I'm Still Here” and “Honora” are highlighted for their powerful storytelling and stunning visuals, particularly their exceptional interior designs and emotional depth.
  “I'm Still Here ... it's very powerful. And I feel like any woman should watch it because it's very, very powerful.” [60:19]

How to Connect with IGA

For listeners inspired by IGA’s story and insights, she provides the following contact information:

• Instagram: @designedwe
• Website: designedbyso.com
• LinkedIn: Coming Soon

Closing Remarks

Caroline wraps up the episode with heartfelt appreciation for IGA’s openness and the valuable lessons shared, encouraging listeners to reflect on their own branding and creative processes. The episode serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of authenticity, resilience, and continuous learning in the ever-evolving world of interior design.

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Notable Quotes:

• “You cannot just give someone the power of running your marketing and not be involved.” – IGA Soshinska [50:33]
• “Sometimes less really is not more. And always trust your gut.” – Listener Confession [44:53]
• “Look at all of your failures as wins at the end.” – IGA Soshinska [18:38]
• “It's a great tool to do some research to help you, like, boost your creativity by just adding some ideas into your head.” – IGA Soshinska [57:00]

This episode of Confessions of an Interior Designer offers a raw and insightful exploration of the complexities of rebranding in the luxury interior design industry. IGA Soshinska's candid recounting of her experiences provides listeners with valuable lessons on maintaining authenticity, the importance of structured processes, and the resilience required to overcome professional setbacks.

Transcript

[Caroline Turner]

Welcome to Confessions of an Interior Designer. I'm your host, Caroline Turner. Here we talk through the crazy stories that they certainly don't tell you in design school, because, let's face it, every space has its sins. Are you ready to hear confession? Hi, everyone. I'm so excited to introduce IGA Soshinska. IGA is the owner and principal designer of Designed by Sew, a multidisciplinary design studio based in Los Angeles, California. With over nine years of professional experience in the interior design industry, Eagle offers a variety of services for both private clients and creative businesses specializing in brand curation, marketing, and business strategy for interior designers. Welcome. Thank you so much for being here.

[IGA Soshinska]

Hi, Caroline. I am so happy that we joined forces here, and that we're meeting is great.

[Caroline Turner]

I'm so excited. This was kismet. It worked out so well. And, yeah, I'm just. I'm really, really excited to talk to you. How we always start the episodes is I ask, how did you get here? And you have a very interesting story, so I'm excited to learn more about your journey.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, gosh, it's a very long story. Before we get to that, I just want to say that I really love your podcast.

[Caroline Turner]

Thank you so much.

[IGA Soshinska]

We live in an epidemic of loneliness, and so many interior designers feel lonely in this business. So just having this outlet that you're providing for people to say how they feel and what they went through is so important. And so, like, part of my job is making sure that people feel supported. And the fact that you created this, I think, is very crucial for this community. And just, first of all, grateful for that and that people have that.

[Caroline Turner]

Thank you so much. That is so meaningful to me. That is so lovely. Thank you. That's exactly what we've been trying to do. And for someone like you to recognize that is really meaningful to me. Thank you very much. Thank you.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, of course. Of course. But, yeah, more. More about me. So my story is like a winding road.

[Caroline Turner]

Honestly, the best ones are.

[IGA Soshinska]

I started. Yeah, I know, right? So basically, I'm from Poland, and I lived. I was born and raised there. And so, like, my whole life, you know, I was Polish, and I was in that culture, and everything was Polish for me. I traveled a lot. But when I graduated, which was interior design degree, I decided I really wanted to live abroad and try something else. So I started by moving to Germany, where I got a scholarship to do, like, a German course because I really wanted to do my master's in Germany. That was like, you know what a lot of Europeans do is they just kind of naturally try to educate themselves for as long as possible to avoid going to work.

[Caroline Turner]

I don't blame you.

[IGA Soshinska]

Especially in Germany is like a big deal. And you always laugh that there's so many older people who are still in college. But anyways, so I. I moved there for a little bit and I started working for this multidisciplinary company that did interior design, a little bit of architecture, graphic design, and then event design. And that was super eye opening because I felt like I could learn all these different things at the same time. And I truly think that it shaped me and my future because it gave me this idea, you know, there are all these things you can do. You don't have to just do one thing. You don't have to profile yourself as an interior designer for the rest of your life. And so that's really where it started for me to start exploring who I am as an artist, because I considered myself as, you know, an artist. I went to art school. I did all these things in art school. I painted. I like, you know, I was. I did some sculptures. There's so many things they. They do for you. And I don't know if it's the same here in America when you go to an art school, but unfortunately not.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, there you go. I wish. That sounds perfect.

[IGA Soshinska]

I know this sounds like a dream.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, that is what I thought it was going to be like.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, I know, right? You just. You have these expectations and dreams and hopes, and then you walk in and you're like, oh, God, sure. But anyway, so, yeah, so that really shaped me up. And. And I think it also, like, messed up with my brain because my brain was like, I have all these options. What do I choose? So then, of course, I land at this company that does all of this, and it messes my brain even more.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

In the meantime, I meet an American guy in Germany who was there for an exchange semester, who is now my fiance, and.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, my God.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yes. Crazy, right? I don't know anything about the U.S. all I know about the U.S. is something about Civil war that they taught me during history class. And, like, that's really it, you know?

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

There's.

[Caroline Turner]

That's our only legacy. Yes.

[IGA Soshinska]

There's the Kardashians and, you know, great Kardashians.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, God, the Civil War and the Kardashians.

[IGA Soshinska]

Literally. That's all I know. So it's a little embarrassing, but.

[Caroline Turner]

No, I'm obsessed with that.

[IGA Soshinska]

He is this very charismatic actor and musician with, like, so much Energy and, you know, immediately fall in love. Of course. Because why not? Especially in Germany, you just have this contrast. And I'm sorry to all my German friends, but you guys are not like, your sense of humor is just not there. So you have this American guy who is just so excited about everything and like cracking jokes and Anyways, so, yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Very golden retriever energy, it sounds like.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yes. Till this day. Till this day. So we're definitely a perfect match. That's so great.

[Caroline Turner]

I love that.

[IGA Soshinska]

But yeah, so like with him there, you know, that has also shaped my future, obviously, because now I'm here and somewhere in the middle of my master's degree, which I did at the Bauhaus University in Germany, which was very, very cool experience.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, that's so cool.

[IGA Soshinska]

Ye. Yeah. Very traditional ways of teaching. They haven't really changed their curriculum that much since they started the school. So you just feel like you're kind of embedded in that history when you're at school. And that was really exciting for me. So that was another thing. Cause I picked product design, right. For my master's degree. And that's just another field. So I just kept expanding my horizons and sort of asking myself constantly, what is it that you want to do? So I won a green card in the meantime in a Visa lottery, which I actually don't know anybody else here that want a green card.

[Caroline Turner]

I was going to say. That feels very, very rare.

[IGA Soshinska]

I had never even heard of that.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, yeah, it happens. But it's pretty few and far between.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. I believe that the universe sends you signs and I think that was a sign. Okay, this guy is the real deal. I have to try to move with him and make it work. And so by the time we make that decision. He got an agent. He's an actor, so he got an agent in Chicago. And that was kind of a natural progression. We decided we're gonna move there and try it out there.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

Cause he went to Northwestern, so it just made sense. And so, yeah, that's where my journey started and my career really in interior design in the US started. And I got hired to work for a bigger firm in Chicago. Like a 30 plus people firm. And I started from nothing, Caroline. And I think that was the craziest thing when you move to a new country is that it's so hard to prove your worth because a lot of things are just not acknowledged. So, you know, I started as a librarian. I was literally managing a material library.

[Caroline Turner]

Even though you were more educated than the majority of the people that were working There. Guaranteed. You had to start as a librarian to prove yourself.

[IGA Soshinska]

That's. Yes. Yes.

[Caroline Turner]

Shouldn't be that way.

[IGA Soshinska]

So I started there. I just, you know, it was very stressful experience. It was very hard because I just had to constantly be on my top game and prove to everyone that I can do this and that I'm good at this and that I can learn the American market, and then I can freaking learn your system. That's that metric. The only one which was a challenge.

[Caroline Turner]

Right? Of course. Of course.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

I think about moving to another country all the time, and that is one of the things that keeps me from it, is having to learn another system. Because I'm like, I already.

[IGA Soshinska]

How many times a day are we converting centimeters to inches?

[Caroline Turner]

Constantly already. I feel like I'm already constantly doing that. It would just be better if I learned it. How long do you feel like it took you to master?

[IGA Soshinska]

Oh, my God. It could have been easily, like, six months. It was just, you know, because as an interior designer, you're just. You just know how tall a coffee table is.

[Caroline Turner]

Yes.

[IGA Soshinska]

Right. Yeah. And like, that's like. You just know that height and everything else just kind of corresponds with that. So I just use that example. But you can make it whatever you want. And so this whole time, I just had to keep learning to think that way. And I think for my mind, it was just like, whoa, what is happening? Culture shock.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. That's so much to take on.

[IGA Soshinska]

It took a while. And at the same time, you know, we are living in this, like, dungeon apartment. We don't have money. Like, you know how it is. You're starting out, and he's trying to be an actor. So it was just a crazy time in my life. But, like, now that I think about it from. From that perspective of years that went by, I realized, like, I couldn't have gone. I couldn't have been here if I didn't experience all this.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

If I chose a different company, if I didn't choose a bigger company, I wouldn't have learned all the things that I'm teaching interior designers right now. So the journey only takes you where you want it to take you. And so it's really. It's hard to remember some of the things I had to go through. It's hard to remember some of the conversations, some of the feelings, you know, of, like, feeling like you're less than. And ultimately, you know, it did lead me to a problem, like a health issue. I'm not going to talk about it too much, but it's basically just to show people, hey, you have to know where your limits are. And when you have to ask yourself a question, is this worth it? And what is this bringing into my life? And so that's pretty much when I made a decision. I need to find a smaller firm where I can show my worth and also have less of a crazy schedule.

[Caroline Turner]

Well, and just that constant feeling of having to prove yourself and having to. And, I mean, I felt it in a much lesser scale, even, like, early on in my career as an intern or what. Like, I was first one in, last one out.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Even though I had less work than most of my bosses, it was just. That's what you're supposed to do. I was in bigger firms. And you're right. I would do things so, so differently if I did not have those experiences to teach me, oh, that doesn't work 100%. And I don't want to make other people feel that way. In fact, that's my biggest goal, is to not make other people feel that way. And so having those experiences, you're then able to have empathy and pass it on. Which, to your point, is your whole career now is teaching designers how to do this career in the best way possible. That's oversimplifying, and we'll get into it. But burnout is such a thing in our industry, and we talk about this all the time, but at the end of the day, we are not saving lives. Like, it does not need to be this. You go home and cry because you made a mistake. And I have been there. Like, I mean, my first three jobs, I was crying in the bathroom two days a week. So I feel like that constant. Just, like, being on it can translate to health problems. It can translate to, you know, totally wanting to switch careers. Even if you love it. Like, it can really spin out of control if you don't handle it.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. Yeah. And, you know, part of it was, too, working with very wealthy people. Like, very wealthy. And it was just such a high contrast for me because you just don't see that disparity as much in Europe. And so I never really had that experience. I worked with people who were like me, you know? Yeah. So just. Just seeing. Just walking into a house of gold, it was just not. I couldn't handle it emotionally because I am. I am a very empathetic person. And I. I just couldn't handle the wealth. It was making me mad.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

You know, I totally get that.

[Caroline Turner]

It can be gross. It can be. Especially when you feel like you're killing yourself. For these people and the ones that you're happy.

[IGA Soshinska]

And they still don't appreciate it.

[Caroline Turner]

And they don't appreciate it at all. No, that's the worst feeling.

[IGA Soshinska]

And then, you know, and you have a boss who, like, caters to that and, like, praises this. So it was. I still. I very. I have a lot of respect for her, for them, but it was not my place. And I think she ultimately knew that.

[Caroline Turner]

A value mismatch.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. We, like, said goodbyes on very good terms and.

[Caroline Turner]

Great.

[IGA Soshinska]

It was also at the time when my boyfriend, at the time, he got a theater contract, he was going to go on tour. That was like 2019. And there it is. Covid. Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Poor guy.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. So his big break turned out to be him laying on the carpet, just being like, what do I do with myself yet? Me working, like, you know, 24 7.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep. Mm.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. So at the time, you know, right before COVID happened, I found this interior designer in Chicago with a smaller firm, much smaller firm, one and a half person firm, to be exact. And it was like a breath of fresh air because I was like, this is a challenge, you know, this is somewhere where I can show my worth and show my skill and everything I learned at the bigger firm and feel like it matters, like I'm making a change.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely. You're making a difference. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. So she couldn't really afford first to hire me full time. And like, we were talking about this, but ultimately she also took that risk. And that's what I want to say. Like, take the risk. Take the risk. Because every time I didn't take a risk in my life, I regretted it.

[Caroline Turner]

I completely agree. I'm the same way. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

So take the risk. If you feel it, if you feel. Whether it's hiring someone or investing in something, if you feel it in your bones, like, this is going to make a change for me, do it. And so she did it. She took a risk, she hired me, and I stayed there for, like two and a half years. We grew from, you know, we doubled our revenue in the first year.

[Caroline Turner]

Beyond impressive, that is.

[IGA Soshinska]

Obviously, I don't wanna take all the credit because Covid also helped us with that. Weirdly, you know, the market was just crazy.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. It's changed everything. I feel like for so many designers. Covid. Yeah. I mean, it was horrible for everyone but our industry. I mean, it was definitely. There was a positive effect for sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

But, you know, also, she didn't have a process. She didn't have anything. So we built all of this from the ground up. And I think ultimately that created a very robust system and firm where we were able to hire more people. Sure. And now she has like seven people on her team.

[Caroline Turner]

Crazy.

[IGA Soshinska]

And she has a potential book deal coming up. Like, there are all these things that happen in the meantime. But she understood, okay, process is key. Like, good process is key because people are not going to want to work with me if I'm messy.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely. The best compliment we can get is you're so organized. I know where everything is. You have all your documents in a row. And I mean, when we hear that, I'm like, team, gather round of applause. That is the best thing we could hear because that is the thing that gets you rehired. That is the thing that gives you, like, people start talking about, if you can under promise over deliver and be organized about it, you'll work forever. And I mean, to your point, the laying the ground, groundwork for that is the most important piece.

[IGA Soshinska]

It is. And anything. You know, obviously there are all these other pieces in the business, like your marketing. Sure, there are so many things that go into success, but marketing is not going to solve the mess that you made.

[Caroline Turner]

It's just like, if you can get clients, great, but if you can't keep them because you're so disorganized or people aren't referring, you know, whatever. I think that, that, yeah, you have to. I always say you have to be prepared to get lucky. And it feels like that. Like, you have to have your process. You have to have your ducks in a row. Sometimes you have to hire before you should. So that way when you, your marketing works and you get that massive job, you can actually do it.

[IGA Soshinska]

You're ready to go.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. I mean, I've lost out on jobs that I think about now, and I'm like, I would not have done a good job at that. Like, I would have done a good job at it now. And I know that. But then I would have been a mess. And something saved me from taking that on because who knows the repercussions of taking it on before I was ready.

[IGA Soshinska]

Absolutely. Yeah. I stayed there for two and a half years. It was a great experience for so many reasons. I learned so much about running a business, managing employees. And that's the beauty of it too, is that I didn't just bring everything that I learned and then didn't learn anything. It was just implementing. I learned so much, of course. And I think, again, this was an experience that brought me to where I am now. I can run my own business. I know how to do it. I've done it before for someone else, and that's so beautiful. So always encouraging people to not regret anything they do, to look at all of their failures as wins at the end.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because they learned something. And I try to do it in my coaching because people forget and beat themselves up. And, like, I didn't get this project. You know, I could have done better. And I'm like, yeah, but you wouldn't have known if you didn't go through this, Right?

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely. Rejection is redirection.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yes. Absolutely. We have to remind ourselves.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. I mean, every single time I look back on something I didn't get or I did, it's like, yeah, it couldn't have gone another way. How could it have even been the way that I wanted it to be? That's one of the fun parts about life.

[IGA Soshinska]

So anyways, when I was around, like, two, a little bit more years in, I sat down with my boyfriend, and we were like, we just. We don't want to be here. It was a very daunting thought. And it wasn't because we hated Chicago.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

I think we just didn't feel at home.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

Our lifestyle and our needs just, like, didn't fit it.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

We love being in nature. We just, like, loved the high energy. We couldn't handle the winter. I mean, it's so cliche, but, like.

[Caroline Turner]

No, but it's fair.

[IGA Soshinska]

It's a different type of winter right.

[Caroline Turner]

Now, and we're living it, so I understand. Completely understand that.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, it's hard. It's hard. And I, like, take energy from the outside world. And he is an extrovert. I'm a bit of a mix. But we just needed a change, and we knew that we had people that would help us. You know, it's not an easy city to move to.

[Caroline Turner]

No, it's not.

[IGA Soshinska]

You have to have support systems. So at the time, we were like, okay, what can we do? How can we make this happen? It's gonna be very expensive. It's gonna be hard. He is still a starving actor.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure. Well, there's no acting happening, so it's like, there's no acting happening. But, yeah, everyone was a starving actor at that point.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. And it was just such a difficult time. You know, it was like, right after the pandemic, and we were just. We were just unsure about everything. We were trying to buy a house, like, in the middle of all this. We were like, oh, let's buy a house in Chicago. That's a great idea. You know, and then obviously, you get outbid by 20 other people.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep. So you're like. And then you're like, I'm not gonna buy a house.

[IGA Soshinska]

Maybe not. No, no. Like, not meant to be. Move on. Yeah. So then I started talking to my boss, and I told her, listen, I. I think I need a change. I need something different. And I'm not sure what's gonna happen to me, what I'm gonna do, but I just need it. And she was like. She was very upset, and I don't blame her, because just imagine losing someone who is like, your right hand.

[Caroline Turner]

Right hand. Yeah. I'm looking at her, and I'll put her in jail before I let her go. So, yeah, I get it. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

This sounds very familiar. And yet it was just a natural progression of life.

[Caroline Turner]

Of course, growth is necessary for everyone.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, exactly. So we made that decision. In the meantime, I hired a career coach.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, wow.

[IGA Soshinska]

And that's something I really want to talk about because I think, you know, people just think about it. Oh, you can coach. What is a career coach?

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

And the truth is, it's not a magic wand, but it's someone who's going to lead you through this mess that you're in. And the mess in your brain is, is this what I really want? Is this exciting? Is this going to lead me somewhere? Is this going to, like, help me reach my goal? And ultimately, she helped me answer those questions and helped me understand what I'm really good at. And I realized, as much as I loved interior design and I felt like I was talented, you know, I was able to call myself talented in it by that time, and I heard that from other people. So, you know, it was very reassuring, but it just didn't feel like it was enough. And so I reached a point where I realized my strong suit, my biggest strong suit in life. And what I've always wanted to do is help people and improve things, build things, grow things. Like, it just gives me so much dopamine. It's crazy. It's unhealthy.

[Caroline Turner]

I love that, though. I mean, and you channeled it. It's the smartest thing you can do.

[IGA Soshinska]

Well, without help, I don't think I would. Because that's the thing. You need a person in your corner to someone who's a total outsider, who's going to show you all the things that you don't see.

[Caroline Turner]

Hold up that mirror. Yeah, absolutely. That's so valuable.

[IGA Soshinska]

So really, really, that is my story. That's how my company started. And obviously, with my crazy life, I started it at the Same time as I was moving to la. Props for me. Why not?

[Caroline Turner]

Very brave of you. Which I love. I mean, I think it's what makes people successful.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, yeah. I mean, it was a learning curve. It was like, oh my God, I'm building my own. It's so exciting. Here I am in a subleasing situation in an apartment that I like will not live in in the next two months. So it was like trying to find a permanent spot to live in la, building my business, trying to find new clients, trying to build structure, navigating my cat, getting fucking flea infestation on her. Because God, I didn't know that here fleas live like all year round.

[Caroline Turner]

Right. And you don't really have to worry about it in Chicago because of the cold. Yeah. Oh my God. So yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

So I'm dealing with all those things and trying to navigate.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh my God.

[IGA Soshinska]

And I got my first client and till this day, it's my favorite client. It's my favorite client because she just trusted me and I'm grateful. Actually, I'm going to have a call with her probably next week and I can't wait for it to like catch up with her and see how she's doing. But yeah, she really trusted me and she was just someone that really understood the process too, you know. And that's so beautiful because it's hard to find a client that understands the process so well and that supports you through this.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because you still feel like such a newbie. Even though, you know, even though I've done this, I just felt like I was a newbie and I had to prove myself.

[Caroline Turner]

Some imposter syndrome flaring up a little bit. Yeah, yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Just cause the company is new and it's under your name. Of course.

[Caroline Turner]

Of course. It would be a little sociopathic if you weren't.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

You know what I mean? Like it would be concerning if there wasn't some concern. I think so.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. That was beautiful. And then, you know, then it started slowly rolling and the journey of self doubt, the journey of should I really do this? The journey of going on LinkedIn and trying to find a job because you think that your company is not gonna be successful, not gonna make it.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep, yep. We've all been there.

[IGA Soshinska]

Constant worry of what's gonna happen in the next three months, where are the client is coming from, what should I do? And I just. The first year and a half of building the business, it was just that. Yep, it was very hard, it was very toxic, it was difficult and I didn't have Anybody to run it through except for my fiance, who is not in the business.

[Caroline Turner]

So he doesn't get it. He's like, I don't know, babe. I don't know what to do for you.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, it's just like, stop stressing.

[Caroline Turner]

You know, it'll be fine. And you're like, I'm gonna kill you with a gun. Like, I know it will not be fine.

[IGA Soshinska]

Exactly.

[Caroline Turner]

Exactly.

[IGA Soshinska]

So, yeah. So it was a path to realizing that perfectionism is not gonna lead me anywhere. And I can honestly say the past six months have been fantastic because I finally let myself off the hook and.

[Caroline Turner]

I was like, amazing.

[IGA Soshinska]

You've got this. Just be yourself, don't be afraid, Trust your gut and be confident because you have the skill.

[Caroline Turner]

And by the way, you do. Like, you are incredibly impressive.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Just in the 30 minutes we've been talking. I mean it. Really. I understand why, because we've all been there with self doubt. But you're walking the walk, in my opinion.

[IGA Soshinska]

Thank you. Thank you. It means a lot because again, if you're doing it on your own and I don't have any employees, I've been doing all of this on my own for a reason. Obviously, I'm trying to save costs. I'm just doing all those things that are smart for right now. But I am getting to the point where I'll be able to hire someone hopefully next year.

[Caroline Turner]

So exciting.

[IGA Soshinska]

And that's really exciting. Yeah, absolutely. So that's my journey, and I'm very proud of it because I took the time, I took effort, and I really worked on finding myself and realizing what it is that I want and what kind of lifestyle do I want to live. I remember Kimberly Swedelis was talking on your podcast about having the freedom and choosing when you work. And that was so important to me because I just. I can't just do a 9 to 5 and do my work and be creative in that time frame. It just doesn't work. Some days.

[Caroline Turner]

Me either.

[IGA Soshinska]

I want to freaking go, you know, for a hike in the morning and then start working at noon and then.

[Caroline Turner]

Work until 8pm yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

And like, that's the freedom that I was missing that was creating that, like, knot in my stomach, you know? Yep. So realizing that was. Was very powerful for me.

[Caroline Turner]

It's beautiful. I mean, you should be proud of your story because I don't think many people can say that. Like, I think a lot of people in your position, you know, they're like, well, I just didn't like that job. I need to just move to a different job. That'll make it better. I need to do this. Cause that'll make it better. Instead of actually taking the time to really think through what is it that I, that I don't like about this? How do I change that? And I mean, often the answer is becoming an entrepreneur. It was one of the things that really pushed me. I felt like we are a creative industry. We don't need to be like this strict about getting there at 9am and staying till 7pm for no reason. It just all felt superfluous. And so I feel like that also drove me to do this myself. To be able to start at 10am and work until 8pm like you said, if you're in the flow or if you're not, it's a four hour billable day and you move on with your life. That ability, because the buck stops with me. And if I don't bill my hours, it's on me. While that's stressful, it's also freeing.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, it's so freeing.

[Caroline Turner]

Like it's beyond freeing. And that's such a feeling that, I mean, I definitely have gratitude for that because I feel like not everyone can say that.

[IGA Soshinska]

Well, I feel like it's so important too. Cause it's so easy to get in that rut. And you know, that's the thing about life too is you realize there's not a perfect solution ever. Cause it comes with so many sacrifices, it comes with so many issues. And yet the freedom of being able to navigate those things on your own time, it is so worth it.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

And let me tell you a funny story. When I was working for that designer, my previous job, she had a career coach or like a business coach. And he would come to us twice a year, I think for like a summary session where we would sit down as a team. It was very good. I think it was very good for the team and for the company to just like realize what you did well and so forth.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

And I remember very well this moment when he was trying to prove a point and he did it in such a bad way. He was just saying to my boss, like, listen, you know, you're the entrepreneur, you're the creative, like crazy side. And you needed someone like IGA who's just going to sit you down and like tell you how it is, like be very down to earth. And you know, like, IGA didn't choose to start her own company because she didn't have what you had. And I was like, what?

[Caroline Turner]

Whoa.

[IGA Soshinska]

Why would you say that? And I Remember I even said it out loud and I'm like, that's not true. It just stayed with me for so long because I thought, of course, you know, the fact that I'm helping someone build their business right now doesn't mean.

[Caroline Turner]

You did do it.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. Doesn't mean that I don't have that bone in me or the, you know, the means or the motivation.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

So that I think sometimes you can hear something like this from someone's mouth, and that could be an even bigger.

[Caroline Turner]

Driver for you to be like, oh, my God, absolutely not true.

[IGA Soshinska]

Spite, I will prove you wrong.

[Caroline Turner]

Drives me constantly. Same people say that you shouldn't, like, waste your energy on being mad at people. It's not wasting my energy. I have plenty of energy. It's giving me more energy. I have no concerns. And spite really helps. It's one of my biggest motivators, I would say, for better or worse, because it's gonna be there, so I may as well be there to my advantage, personally.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yes. It's gonna be there no matter what.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, my God.

[IGA Soshinska]

Now, you know, all these things are coming through my mind, just reminding me what happened, what I've heard. Like, when I was working at the first company, we had these questioners. We had these, like, summary questionnaires that we would do for ourselves and then have these sessions with our bosses to again, talk about our accomplishments. And there was a question like, where do you see yourself in five years? And I've always seen myself as, like, a leader.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

As someone who is leading a team. And then it happened, and they were like, well, yeah, if you want to be a leader, you have to be a little bit more stress proof. And I'm like, not true. You know?

[Caroline Turner]

Nope. I can use that to my advantage. That can be a strength if you use it correctly.

[IGA Soshinska]

If I can tell someone who is younger than me something, that is the lesson. People will tell you stuff. Don't think that that's your truth. Don't think that that's your path.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

Just explore and keep trusting your gut. Keep trusting yourself, because people will try to tell you who you are.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

That's not the way to go.

[Caroline Turner]

I think that is beyond smart and something that I need, like, tattooed on my arm or something so I can remember. Oh, my God.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. I mean, people love defining, you know how it is. You know how it is. You know how it is.

[Caroline Turner]

Before we get into confession, question for you. What is a vice you partake in?

[IGA Soshinska]

I don't know if it's a good answer, but I Think it works? It's.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

I love European club house music. So I will do like dance parties with myself.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh my God.

[IGA Soshinska]

At the end of the workday.

[Caroline Turner]

So good.

[IGA Soshinska]

I love that because my fiance works the way our house is, is kind of like Chicago. So he is on the other side of the house and he's a tutor. He has this tutoring company and so he like tutors there. And I put my AirPods here where I am and I just like do dance parties because it just like releases all the crap that was in me.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

From the day.

[Caroline Turner]

Well, to get a little woo woo. It's called somatic shaking. Like your somatic nervous system. And if you. They sometimes say just to like shake it out and that's what dancing is like. You're just doing it to music. But you're releasing all that. We'll put a clip. Cause I'm shaking as I'm talking right now for no reason. But like you can feel that energy release and it's so. Yeah, it's so lovely. I love that.

[IGA Soshinska]

It's powerful. It's so powerful.

[Caroline Turner]

We should start doing that at the end of the workday. So a quick little mini dance party before everybody leaves.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. I love that. When I have a kid, I want to do this with my kids.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

I just want to like embedded in them that this is okay, this is great and it gives you so much.

[Caroline Turner]

Freedom and it's one of the ways that you can work through things. Absolutely. I wish, I mean, I. No offense, mom, I know you're listening. I love you, but like we were not taught how to regulate our emotions and I feel like that is an easy way. And I mean, you know, I was definitely having dance parties as a child, but like, I didn't realize it wasn't having the same effect. Exactly, exactly. And so I feel like teaching your kids how to move through emotions is like the most valuable thing you could do.

[IGA Soshinska]

So important. It's something I've learned in therapy and like, I did not have that at home.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, same.

[IGA Soshinska]

And it's also, you know, it's funny because if you don't have something at home and you realize down the road by going to therapy, of course, that it is something you really need and you just want it so bad in your life and you do everything possible to get there.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely. Therapy is worth every penny. Every penny. It's changed my life. Absolutely. No, genuinely. Okay. Well, speaking of therapy, hopefully this person that we're about to hear from doesn't need it. Hi. Loving the podcast. So far. Thank you. I'm based in Seattle and have been in business for a few years, building up a solid client base. But like many entrepreneurs, I hit that moment where I felt like my brand needed a refresh. I wanted to step up my game, get a more polished, professional vibe that reflected my growth and experience. So I hired a marketing consultant. Huge mistake. Here's the thing. I should have known better. The consultant was flashy, recommended by everyone in my network and came with rave reviews. She promised me a full quote, rebrand experience, new logo, new website, new color scheme, the whole nine yards. I was ready. I wanted to be known as the go to designer and thought a sleek new image would do just that. The first sign of trouble came with the logo. The consultant's team sent me a mock up and I hated it. It was too minimal. Just some abstract shapes and my name in a fancy font. It didn't feel like me. I told her this looks like it could be a logo for a high end candle company, not a designer. But she convinced me that it was modern and timeless and that my clients would love it. I trusted her. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yikes.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep, my thoughts exactly. Then came the website. The consultant insisted on a clean, all white design with zero personality. I know. God, I'm sorry, but no, like hurting me. Yeah, exactly, exactly. No interesting graphics or colors, no behind the scenes shots, just lots of past project imagery on a white background. Ew. It felt sterile. I felt like I was being suffocated by all the white space. But again, I was told it was professional and high end. Sounds like this person's lazy and is using their laziness and like, trying to convince you that their boring design is cool and professional and high end.

[IGA Soshinska]

Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Now I'll admit I should have pushed back more. But I didn't. I wanted to look legit and high end. So I went all in on this new brand and launched it with a big social media announcement. And that's when it all started to unravel.

[IGA Soshinska]

I feel better. Ready.

[Caroline Turner]

Almost immediately, I started getting weird feedback. Clients I had worked with for years, the ones who knew me as someone who loved bold colors, eclectic textures and quirky details, were confused. Are you still doing the kind of design we love? They asked. And worse, people who had been following my work on Instagram, started unfollowing me.

[IGA Soshinska]

Oi. Oi.

[Caroline Turner]

They didn't recognize the brand anymore. The logo was too sleek, the vibe was too sterile, and people couldn't relate to the new look. The worst part, the phone stopped ringing.

[IGA Soshinska]

Wow.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, I really feel for this person. That is so disheartening, especially after spending all that. I know.

[IGA Soshinska]

You know, it's like the classic, I hired the wrong person. Yeah. Wow.

[Caroline Turner]

And I've been there where. And you were too far in. And you're like, I just have to keep going. Because now we have this dead and now we have this launch, and we have all these things planned. And maybe they're right. I should trust the person I hired. Cause that is something I feel like clients struggle with. And maybe you see this, like, from your designer clients, that they'll look at your work, they'll hire you, they'll think you're gonna do a good job, but then there'll be some trust issues in the middle. And it's often because they've worked with another professional that they trusted and it didn't work out to be fair, like, to those people. So it's an interesting conundrum to try to figure out how to your clients to trust you. In the same vein, if it doesn't feel perfectly right, because you often know more. But it's like, how do you determine who's legit and who is going to turn you down the wrong path like this?

[IGA Soshinska]

Well, I think the answer, unfortunately, I'm going to be very boring.

[Caroline Turner]

It's the process.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

And clearly this designer, whoever, the marketing person, they did not have a good process because.

[Caroline Turner]

No.

[IGA Soshinska]

To even start the design process without getting into the strategy is absolutely ridiculous. Because you're just creating something that doesn't have any merit. There's, like, nothing. There's no background.

[Caroline Turner]

There's no meat to it. There's nothing to it. It's just empty.

[IGA Soshinska]

No, she's just creating. She or he, I don't know, is creating a project that fits their aesthetic, and that's it.

[Caroline Turner]

That's where it ends.

[IGA Soshinska]

That's not the way to approach this. And I. I guarantee this was a lot of money, too. And that's also annoying.

[Caroline Turner]

I was gonna say, I'd be willing to Bet this is 15 grand that she spent to do all of this. Plus. And she hates it. And the phone stopped ringing. I mean, that is the nightmare scenario. You finally take this leap to be legit, you know, in your eyes and other people's eyes, and then it's not only makes you less legit, but, yeah, it hurts your business. That's.

[IGA Soshinska]

You start looking like everyone else. And that's another thing that just bothers me so much. You know, I know who my competition is, and I look at their Stuff, and it's beautiful, but everything looks the same. And I just don't operate like this in my work.

[Caroline Turner]

We talk about that all the time.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. Like, I want to work with a variety of clients because I don't want to get too comfortable.

[Caroline Turner]

I don't want to be too stale.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. And, like, only do the things that are, you know, only my aesthetic. It's not the way to go. If you're trying to work with interior designers, especially because you're not working in beauty, for example, where. Oh, yeah, you can differentiate a little bit, but it's still kind of like the same minimal aesthetic. No, with interior designers, you have to look at so many things. It's their projects, it's their approach, it's their personality. You can't just, like, have a blueprint and follow it for everyone, because what is gonna be the difference between all these designers, you know?

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely. And then it devalues you. Like, if. If you're working with 10 designers and you're giving them all the same strategy and all the same branding, they're gonna turn around and be like, what the fuck?

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

It's the same as if we have 10 clients and all their houses look the same. Clients come to us because they don't want what everyone else has. And, I mean, we make an effort to really try not to use the same specs and the same details, because that's what they're paying you for. It's.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, it's just work ethic. It comes down to work ethic. And, you know, I had a project lately where I feel like the client didn't really trust me fully, and I was trying really hard to prove them that they should trust me because I know what I'm doing. But they still were very set in their ways. They just wanted a certain look. They were sending me inspiration that I just didn't think that were good for their brand. And at the end of the day, like, I did what they wanted. I'm not happy with it, but I did what they wanted because. Cause you can only do as much to convince someone.

[Caroline Turner]

You can only push so much. And then eventually. And we've felt that too, and it ends up being the projects we don't photograph because it's like you had to make concessions to the client. And, fine, if you wanted to pay me all this money and then not let me do my job, okay, fine, that's on you. But at this point, it's on you. And, yeah, I'll do what you want because you paid me. And I want this to be done, but, God, those are the worst ones. The worst ones.

[IGA Soshinska]

It's hard. And also, you have to just remember. I know I already said that, but I'm just gonna repeat myself. Cause I want people to know you are learning from this experience. What I've learned through this process was that my strategy questioner did not have one question that needed to be there for it to be more successful. So now the question was added.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep. Always improving the process.

[IGA Soshinska]

And, like, it's as simple as that is. I am not an expert that doesn't improve their process. I am an expert who keeps learning from these things.

[Caroline Turner]

And that is so key. Absolutely. Especially as an entrepreneur. It's the only way to do this and get out of the house.

[IGA Soshinska]

It's the only thing that sets you apart.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, exactly.

[IGA Soshinska]

Absolutely.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

There's no other way.

[Caroline Turner]

Okay. I spent weeks wondering if I'd made a terrible mistake questioning my entire business. Did I change too much? Did I lose the essence of what made my designs unique? I was starting to panic. In the final straw, I got an email from a longtime client who was asking me if I could do something more fun. Cause they didn't feel like they could work with the new me.

[IGA Soshinska]

Hmm.

[Caroline Turner]

I went into damage control mode immediately, calling the consultant and asking if we could revise everything. But she just doubled down, claiming the brand had to, quote, evolve for long term success. I ended up parting ways with her, and within a week, I completely ditched the new brand. Oh, gosh. So difficult. I went back to my roots, hired a new graphic designer who really got me. We brought back the bold colors, the personality, and the warmth that made my design stand out. The new website reflected who I was, not who I thought I should be. Slowly but surely, I started winning back my clients. And I'll never forget the day I got an email from a client who said, I'm so glad you're back to being you. That's what we loved about your work in the first place. So, yeah, lesson learned. Sometimes less really is not more. And always trust your gut.

[IGA Soshinska]

Mm. Yeah. And, you know, I'm so proud of her that she just said, you know, this is too important for me. Yes, absolutely not invest.

[Caroline Turner]

I have to do it over again because there's no other option.

[IGA Soshinska]

I have to do it over again, and I'm going to do it better. I'm going to do it better. I'm going to find someone that fits my personality, that understands me, and I'll give them a go.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

Even though I'm So burned, you know? So, yeah, kudos to her, honestly.

[Caroline Turner]

I completely agree. Getting back on the horse, because it could have been easy to just be like, yeah, well, I spent all my marketing dollars on that, and I can't do anything. And the phone's not ringing, and I'm like, it could have been that. But she said. She. I think she. She said, I'm gonna keep going and I have to make this better to be able to do this for the rest of my career. And it's. Yeah, yeah, that is really impressive.

[IGA Soshinska]

But you know what's also crazy is that, like, I always include a revision.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

My process is always. It starts with inspiration. Like, I start with the strategy questioner, then I do, like, an inspiration board where I show a very clear direction and I have a call because I want the client to be able to say, oh, this doesn't feel like me.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

We have to keep going. And, like, if you don't start with this, you get yourself. You as a designer are setting yourself.

[Caroline Turner]

Up for failure, because failure, absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

The client. Well, what if they don't like it and you already went so far in and you designed a whole logo set. That's just not how it works.

[Caroline Turner]

Well, and your clients then thinking about how many hours you spent on something that they don't like at all. Like, and I mean, we're the same way with our design process. We do a vibe presentation at the very beginning, and we talk through everything. Like, we set up all of the important details. And I will often do multiple different Vibes per room, so we can really hone in on exactly what they're looking for. And then. Yeah, generally speaking, we don't have. People need to change things because we were so clear from the beginning.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. And I can tell the same thing. 90% of my projects, I get, like, one or two tiny revisions. But that's also why I can offer affordable pricing.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because I know that I have a really good system and I can work with these smaller designers who have smaller budgets that are not gonna just, like, make this. This giant monster and make me lose money.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

So, you know, it's a win.

[Caroline Turner]

Win. Yeah. It works for both sides. Which, by the way, if this podcast has not. Not convinced you to call iga, I mean. Oh, my God. Seriously, we're going to be. After this.

[IGA Soshinska]

I was about to say we're gonna.

[Caroline Turner]

Give you a call.

[IGA Soshinska]

Love it. Thank you.

[Caroline Turner]

Of course, penance for. Well, I'm gonna get. We'll do penance for the designer, but. And I should have said Very early on. Penance, I think, in the Catholic Church has, like, a negative connotation, but it doesn't have to. In my world, I think the penance can be treating herself to something that is maybe meaningful to her. Like, for me, it's jewelry. When I do something hard or we get something important or whatever it is, I like to wear it because I look at it every day, and I can remind myself that milestone. But it doesn't have to be that. It can be like, you know, taking a day off to rot in bed, if that's what you need. But really giving yourself what it feels like you need because you were able to overcome this thing, you deserve a Reward, I think 100%.

[IGA Soshinska]

I agree. I always tell my designers that too. I'm like, you just have to know when to take care of yourself and pat yourself on the back because no one else will. Nope, I will do that for you, but you have to do it for yourself.

[Caroline Turner]

You know, it's the only way. I mean, in hitting those milestones. We know we were talking about this yesterday in the office. It's easy once you get pretty far into your career to be like, oh, yeah, the Wall Street Journal called or whatever. That sounds flippant, but, like, it is easy to be like, I don't have time to do that, or, I can't do this, or it's not as big of a deal as I used to think it is. And to be able to keep that.

[IGA Soshinska]

Energy and excitement, you should still celebrate.

[Caroline Turner]

The little victory from when. The very beginning. I mean, when apartment therapy called me for the very first time, I lost my mind. So I feel like trying to hold on to that and celebrate yourself and remind yourself that those small little things are really. Are worth celebrating. They're not small. They're big. But it can feel small because you're just like, well, I got to do the next thing right. Like, I got to going. And so to pause and celebrate is important.

[IGA Soshinska]

Oh, yeah. We're just in this. In this soup. In a big soup just boiling.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep. The frog that the water's getting hotter and hotter and hotter. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And penance for the. For the graphic designer or marketing person is that they need to rethink, potentially, their career. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Maybe go back to school. Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

It seem. It's reflecting that they don't really like their job. Job.

[IGA Soshinska]

They don't have the passion for it. Maybe they should get a career coach.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, they need a career coach. Exactly. Yes. Take IGA's advice. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. They don't Have a passion for their. For their work. They do need a career coach so bad. That's.

[Caroline Turner]

That will be their penance. Oh, my God. I love it. Love it, love it. Questions? What is one thing every designer should know about marketing themselves?

[IGA Soshinska]

One thing.

[Caroline Turner]

Okay. It can be a couple of things. It doesn't have to be just.

[IGA Soshinska]

No, no, no, no, no. Let's. Let's. We gotta. Yeah. We gotta profile this a little bit. So.

[Caroline Turner]

Okay.

[IGA Soshinska]

One thing that came to my mind immediately. You cannot just give someone the power of running your marketing and not be involved.

[Caroline Turner]

Ah, yes. Interesting.

[IGA Soshinska]

Period.

[Caroline Turner]

I completely agree.

[IGA Soshinska]

It's a powerful sentence, but. But no one will take over and do it without you successfully. It is a lesson that I've learned so hard by working with some clients at the beginning who just thought that I was gonna take it all over.

[Caroline Turner]

Take it over. Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

It's not. No, it's not the case. You have to be involved. It's gonna immediately show. First of all, it's not gonna look authentic. Second of all, it's gonna show as if you don't care about your business.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. If it's not you, it could have been anyone.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

And that's the last thing you want.

[IGA Soshinska]

No.

[Caroline Turner]

That is so smart. I also think to that point. So when you're looking for someone to help you with your marketing or help you, you know, in business, make sure you find someone who wants to collaborate. Like, I have had people who are like, just let me do it. And I'm like, no, this is my brand. This is my baby. I've been building this for five years. We're gonna work together, and I will value your opinion, OB but, like, I need to be as involved so that. Because we are really our brand.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yes, you are.

[Caroline Turner]

Social media has turned us into the brand, and so it. You're completely and totally right. I can automatically pinpoint when someone just sent the brief to a graphic designer and didn't do anything else.

[IGA Soshinska]

And it's. You know, it applies to all those things, but it really applies to social media. And I think you can immediately tell when someone just hired a social media manager and they're not involved or they don't want to do it.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, it feels like a Kleenex. Like, when they go on, like, Instagram and comment stupid shit. You're like, this is not what we're supposed to be doing here. It's. It's like, not. It doesn't align with the brand and. Yeah, I think that's a great point. Okay, second question. What are your thoughts On AI in our industry right now.

[IGA Soshinska]

Whew. Okay. Another hard one.

[Caroline Turner]

It's a big question, I know, but.

[IGA Soshinska]

I think I am myself slowly learning it, slowly researching, trying to not be upset about it.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Trying to understand it, you know, because I think that's, that's the mistake that we're making as designers. We think that it's going to steal our jobs.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

We're thinking about it as like this super negative thing and it's obviously part of the fear. And I think we should look at it from that point of view, but we should also look at it from a point of view of an opportunity.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because it can help. It really can. And so there are ways that it can support the business and like visualizing your ideas, for example, as one, I don't have exact, like, I don't have examples to give you of like apps or things that I think you should use.

[Caroline Turner]

No, you don't.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because I'm still researching that.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

But. But just out of curiosity. But also, yeah. To help my designers who are working with me, it could be a time saver. So I think we need to just keep our minds really open to the idea of AI being a part of interior design world, but also protect your work as much as you can.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because yes, that is a threat and it will always be a threat.

[Caroline Turner]

I completely.

[IGA Soshinska]

But you know, it's not gonna be more of a threat than people just like literally coming and stealing your designs.

[Caroline Turner]

Right. Absolutely. There's always the threat out there. It's interesting because you hear, and I'm sure you hear this all the time, I'll speak for myself. As a designer, the thing I am worst at, I would say is like day to day bullshit of like writing this long email to explain something or, you know, those are just always the things I put off. So I think we have to think about AI as helping us be able to focus more on the creative, not using AI for the design aspect of it. That's our job. And if you're good at your job, you'll always be necessary. I think.

[IGA Soshinska]

I agree.

[Caroline Turner]

I do think there are apps and things. We've been approached actually not recently, maybe like a year and a half ago or so of a company that is launching, was supposed to have launched. I don't know if it's ever gonna launch at this point, but it was like a AI that they wanted us to give them permission. They were gonna pay us for my work, my photos, to then be able to train their AI with our photos. So that way people could go on. And they were targeting designers as, like, the end user. It was very strange. And I would never sign over my work to anyone. It's just not going to happen.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

Pretty much. No matter how much money you give me, I am never going to give you my work to feed to an AI.

[IGA Soshinska]

I feel like that just never ends well.

[Caroline Turner]

It's just. It's not. It's just not gonna happen. I mean, that is on the horizon and that is a thing. But personally, I think it's up to us as designers to band together and not give in to that.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

And if we can all work together on that and not take the deal, don't give them your work. They will not have anything to work with because we'll be able to sue them if we. You know what I mean? Like, there's. There's avenues for that. So I feel like if we can all.

[IGA Soshinska]

You have to be like a unit. It has to be like a union of designers that you just create where the rules are set. You know, we don't do this because it's going to cut our lives ultimately.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

And cut the profits and cut the creativity and just sabotage.

[Caroline Turner]

It's also just gonna make the world uglier. Like AI, There's a place for it, but it is not in creating spaces for humans to live in. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Like, I feel like it's more for, like, the business part of it.

[Caroline Turner]

We've used ChatGPT to be like, okay, we are trying to say this. Say it in an eloquent way.

[IGA Soshinska]

And that's how I use it as well.

[Caroline Turner]

Sometimes we use it for the podcast to anonymize. Like, someone will write a story and I'll be like, anonymize this. So no details are. And I mean, that feels like that's a great way to use it. Like, that is not worth my time. It's not coming for creativity. You're letting it in, you're learning, you're growing, but you're not. It's not going to come for our jobs at the end of the day.

[IGA Soshinska]

Absolutely. And, you know, ChatGPT is a great example of what you can do to enhance your marketing but not replace it.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

Because it is a great tool to do some research to help you, like, boost your creativity by just adding some ideas into your head. As long as it doesn't replace your creativity, you're okay. And then it really helps. Helps to automate certain tasks. And I think that's what AI is honestly the best for. And I really want it to Be successful in areas like healthcare, for example, where it is going to automate things so it's easier so you don't have to sit on the phone with the health insurance person 2 hours to get something done. Like, you know, this is the sort of stuff we need help with. So I don't think even interior design is the first market to use AI in. It's like somewhere there. But yeah, we need to focus on the things that I can improve in our daily lives. The things that are really bothering us.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

And they're preventing us from being creative. That's what AI needs to do and.

[Caroline Turner]

That we don't like. Like, great, let the robot handle the stuff that we don't even like to do.

[IGA Soshinska]

So you have more time.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely. And I think you're right, as long as it's not replacing. But it's in addition to, like, if you had the original thought and you're having ChatGPT help you, you verbalize it in a different way. That feels clean to me. Otherwise, I mean, you know, I do know. Like, I have a friend who is a teacher and she's saying that kids are literally using ChatGPT for everything and they don't have an original thought.

[IGA Soshinska]

Right.

[Caroline Turner]

That's when we get to a point where we have to back up a little bit.

[IGA Soshinska]

You can immediately tell.

[Caroline Turner]

Absolutely you can. Yes.

[IGA Soshinska]

My fiance's running a tutoring company. The kids are writing their academic essays to, like, get into college. And he literally says the first sentence. I know.

[Caroline Turner]

Well, because ChatGPT uses the same phrases over and over again. We've noticed that. And like, I've. We've never had ChatGPT write something that I didn't have to edit. Like, it's just gives you almost like another entity in the room. I shouldn't go there, but you know what I mean, it's another. Another thing that's giving ideas, brainstorming, and then you're able to work off of that. I think it's exciting. Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

It gives you a little bit of a blueprint. It's like an email template. If you wrote an email TEMPL template, which I always encourage for, you know, different phases of the project. So it's just easier because you're automating things. Just use CHAT GPT to help you change that, you know?

[Caroline Turner]

Yep, absolutely.

[IGA Soshinska]

So it's not the same for every client, so that if they ever meet for coffee, you know, they can't tell.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah, Stuff like that. Genius. I think that is. Yeah, we're gonna start implementing that. That's for sure, for sure, for sure, for sure. Okay. Well, I can't believe we're at time. This has been so fun. I know.

[IGA Soshinska]

I want to keep talking.

[Caroline Turner]

You are beyond impressive and just lovely. And I've had the best time talking with you. Genuinely, the best time.

[IGA Soshinska]

Thank you. Thank you. Feeling is mutual.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, thank you so much. Before we go, CTI's tagline is interiors that make you feel what is something that made you feel recently. It doesn't have to be about design. It can be about anything.

[IGA Soshinska]

You know, living in la, I see so many movies. Part of why I moved here.

[Caroline Turner]

Sure.

[IGA Soshinska]

There's just so many, like, movie events and you can see celebrities all the time, everywhere, constantly.

[Caroline Turner]

Yep.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. In movie theaters, too. Which is so fun because you, like, get to talk to them.

[Caroline Turner]

Oh, that is so fun.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, they do these Q and A's. So fun. And so recently I saw this movie is nominated for an Oscar. It's called I'm Still Here. Here. I'm Still Here. And I think it would be great movie for a designer to see because not only it is set in Brazil.

[Caroline Turner]

Cool.

[IGA Soshinska]

Not only is this movie visually so beautiful, it also shows some amazing interiors, beautiful Brazilian furniture. Oh, my God. I was like, give me all that. But the story of it, just, like, so powerful. And I, as an emotional person who is very connected to their emotions. I actually always wanted to be a therapist for that reason. It is. And I feel like I'm kind of doing that.

[Caroline Turner]

I would say that you're an interior design therapist.

[IGA Soshinska]

Truly.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah.

[IGA Soshinska]

For real. So, yeah, this movie is very powerful. It really, like, talks about the regime in Brazil and through the lenses of that, like, big family. And also shows the strength of a woman. And I think any woman should watch it because it's very, very powerful.

[Caroline Turner]

I'm putting that on my list immediately. That's perfect. Right up my alley. Wow, that is lovely.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah. Very, very good. And another movie, if I can add to it, Honora.

[Caroline Turner]

I loved Honora.

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah.

[Caroline Turner]

I loved Anora. That was great.

[IGA Soshinska]

That last scene has left me literally sobbing. I had to stay at the theater.

[Caroline Turner]

Mikey, Madison is. She is incredible. Like, wow, what an actress. I was beyond impressed.

[IGA Soshinska]

So good.

[Caroline Turner]

So, so good. Well, everybody watch both of those. I think those are great. Okay, last thing. Where can we find you? How can people get in touch with you?

[IGA Soshinska]

Yeah, so best way, depending on what you prefer. Instagram, designed by Sew. And then my website, designedbyso.com.

[Caroline Turner]

Perfect.

[IGA Soshinska]

I also started exploring LinkedIn lately. Cause I heard it's a pretty good social plat. So as I do more research, I will let you guys know if it's worth the hype.

[Caroline Turner]

Yeah. Worth our time. Amazing. Well, I can't thank you enough for making the time to talk with us. This was beyond. I'm so grateful, so grateful to all of you for listening. Thank you so, so much. And until next week, peace be with you.

[IGA Soshinska]

By.