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Trade Tales
Ask Us Anything: Ashley Hughes on how to level up your clientele
00:43:45
Ashley Hughes on the importance of auditing your existing clientele, how to create a rendering that reflects the client you want to attract, and finding the vendors that align with your ideal demographic.
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- [00:04]
A
Hi, I'm Caitlin Peterson, the editor in chief of Business of Home. Welcome to Ask Us Anything where we're tapping your favorite Trade Tales guests to answer all of your questions about building a better design business. Some weeks we'll be workshopping a crisis, and others we'll take a step back to talk about the big picture. Things like embracing change, hiring, or how to level up. No question is out of bounds. No question is too large or too small. And we're keeping it confidential so that this is always a safe space to air your frustrations and share your fears. This week we're hearing from a designer who launched her firm with a familiar strategy by casting a wide net and saying yes to everything.
- [00:52]
B
I started out in my professional career working for a small design firm, and when one of the partners left, I decided that I wanted to try to go design on my my own. When I went out on my own in 2021, I originally had kind of priced myself a little lower than like the industry standard just because I was newer and trying to build a portfolio. I started taking on really any job that came my way and I sort of pigeonholed myself into these, like, lower budget projects or just not exactly in my aesthetic or what I was looking to do.
- [01:22]
A
Though setting the bar low helped her secure early clients, she also never intended to make that work the mainstay of her firm for the long term. Now she's looking for a way to break the mold to reach that next level of clientele.
- [01:36]
B
I was doing a lot of local advertising, like Instagram boosted ads or like a nextdoor app, Yelp. Like whenever I would see things pop up that were local and didn't like, require a lot of ads or lead generation, despite the fact that maybe those.
- [01:50]
C
Weren'T the right aesthetic or quite the budget that you would want.
- [01:53]
A
What kind of portfolio have you built to date?
- [01:56]
B
I do have a lot of projects, but I would say a lot of them are really safe or very just like conventional and not really what I would define as my aesthetic or what I would like to work with. A lot of neutrals, a lot of just very, very safe. And my background is in studio art. I love painting, I love color, I love, you know, I want to do all the fun stuff and I just haven't found the right people that also want to do the fun stuff.
- [02:22]
C
I'm guessing that means you also probably haven't invested to photograph at a professional level.
- [02:28]
B
Yeah, definitely. I would say when the budget is relatively small on the project, there's not a huge profit Margin there. So then it just doesn't feel reasonable to then spend the money on professional photography.
- [02:40]
A
What does your own home look like?
- [02:41]
C
Is that something that could reasonably become the project that you use as an example of what's possible?
- [02:49]
B
So I'm really working on that right now. Before we were renters, and now we actually own a building, but it's like a work live building. So we, like, put down flooring. We created a bathroom. We're in the process of creating a kitchen. So I'm hoping to kind of turn this into a piece that I can then use. Like, each room will be portfolio chunks that are really out there and cool.
- [03:10]
C
That's awesome. So you are sort of thinking about that project through the lens of this is going to be the way that I show people what I'm capable of.
- [03:18]
B
Yeah, I think so.
- [03:19]
C
Where are you going these days to look for new work?
- [03:24]
B
Before, I was really just very scared, looking for any job that was coming my way. Like, literally anything. If someone just wanted new countertops, I was like, amazing. I can help you. Like, it was, yeah. Now I'm just. I'm a little burnt out of doing work that I just feel like I'm not creatively passionate about. I really want to find the right clientele. So I'm a little bit at a standstill just trying to, like, reevaluate what the right move is to, like, connect with these people.
- [03:51]
A
Our question asker is on the precipice of a seismic shift. She's realized that to have the types of projects she wants, she can't be available for everyone. But now she's stuck on the next step. Instead of searching for new work, she's got to find a fresh approach that puts her in front of the right clients. As we ended our call, I knew just who to connect with. Someone who has developed a clear idea of who she wants to work with and who's not afraid to build the kind of firm that it takes to reach them. All that and more in just a moment.
- [04:28]
Our episode today is all about figuring out what it takes to level up. That requires getting your work out there and sharing your vision to generate the right leads. But it also requires having the right partners. And if you're looking for a vendor you can depend on, look no further than FourHance. Whether you're building a mood board, placing orders, or tracking your shipment, FourHance has developed tools to ease the administrative lift of pulling a project across the finish line. And they're going to help you get there on time and on budget. They offer assets like high res product photos and lifestyle imagery which makes it easy to share your vision, real time inventory updates so you always have a clear picture of what's possible and features like guest accounts for your clients that put you in the driver's seat when it comes to sharing details like pricing. As a designer, you automatically unlock wholesale pricing with no order minimums and you can access deeper discounts the more you spend. Explore the benefits of shopping with Four Hands for your next project@fourhands.com Tradetales.
- [05:39]
Today I'm joined by Ashley Hughes as a guest on Trade Tales in 2022, she shared how she positioned her firm to attract her ideal client demographic. Since then she's rolled up her sleeves and gotten intentional about consistently refining what she looks for in a client and about building up the resources and systems it takes to service bigger, better, better jobs. I thought she would be the perfect person to answer today's question.
- [06:07]
C
Thank you so much for joining me today, Trade Tales listeners. Heard from you back in 2022, which seems like a lifetime ago. This is the time when everyone wants to finish their projects before the holiday. But what does that mean for you?
- [06:22]
D
This is so true. I was laughing at social media posts. I think it was John McCain who did this fake AI news broadcasting that like designers, designers all around the world are rushing to fulfill holiday requirements. And I'm like I wish a client would ask me for something right now. I just wish you would. Since 2022, businesses I guess booming, we keep floating back and forth between residential projects being our biggest go to versus commercial projects. And I think we're falling. 2026 will set us up for to come back into more commercial projects over residential. In the beginning I thought to myself like, oh, we're doing all these commercial projects. I didn't even know, you know I would make it this far honestly in the very beginning, 2019. So to be doing something that more people get to experience than just the handful of folks that like would live in a home is something incredibly beautiful to do. But I did at that time give me this like FOMO for but do people trust me in their home? Like don't people want me to do their home? And then when it flips, I was like okay, I'd really like a good commercial project next because they, they bring a different demographic.
- [07:47]
A
Does it also bring a different energy?
- [07:49]
D
Yeah, quick. It brings a hasty energy with commercial and I'm I've never owned a commercial property so I've just always leaned into the idea of Moving as quickly as creative will allow me to do because this person is paying, you know, Ren rent in this commercial space and also probably has, like, a mortgage and to take care of at home. So. But it is a mindset shift in how fast we work. So we are loading up to do a handful of return clients, and that's very exciting. I'm really glad to be at that point in my career because that's the biggest compliment you can have, right? Like, you can refer someone all day, but, like, for you to move properties and then be like, hey, we want to do this again is a huge accomplishment for me.
- [08:39]
C
What are you most excited about when you walk into work these days?
- [08:43]
D
Oh, my gosh. I think 2025 will legitimately hold a special place in my heart. I think many people are aware, like, I'm going from Ashley Ross to Ashley Hughes these days, coming up for air, post divorce being finalized, and 2025 for business. I incredibly proud to a still be in business and to be thriving and not just from, like, oh, my God, this was a tough personal year for me. But the accomplishment of, you know, making it happen without a safety net. Right. Like, I don't think that that's weird. Like, granted, you know, I've been in business for all this time, but you get to lose a certain kind of way when you're attached to a partner and, you know, both parties are financially secure. You know, if I wanted to make this big investment or whatever, or if I wanted to, you know, take an extra trip to cnex or something like that, it's like, oh, I can do that with the idea or the notion of, like, if, you know, if I'm short, then there's a safety net here for me. So I'm really excited to move into a year, year two of no safety net, and go, this is a business. Like, I'm. I've literally turned down probably 30 things by me just saying, like, hey, no, I cannot do that right now. Like, if it's not a paid experience, it's not for me right now. And just kind of moving differently, even in terms of us moving into a full year of markups for furniture. Like, we have not been charging markups, and we're now going into that space where it's like, okay, I'm done leaving money on the table. I'm done doing that thing. So I'm excited to implement all that I have just learned and sponged up in 2025, because the absence of a safety net for an entrepreneur really places you in this, like, Fight or flight. And it's been a beautiful fight for me in 2025.
- [11:00]
C
That's incredible. And I think perfectly timed.
- [11:04]
D
Yeah.
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C
Are you ready to give some advice?
- [11:06]
D
I am. This is my favorite time of year. So when I heard this question, I was like, yeah, let's. Let's jump into this.
- [11:12]
C
Yeah. So we have a question from a designer who launched her own business in 2021 and took anything that would come her way. And now she's looking at her business. She feels, I think, maybe like she's painted herself into the corner in terms of the type of work, the types of clients, and the opportunities that are coming her way. Did that impulse happen for you too, at the beginning of your career?
- [11:36]
D
Um, so I. I have to say yes and no. So yes to taking every single project, but no, because prior to design, like, I was a fundraiser, so, like, I knew a lot of design come into it. Really nervous about money. I think my. My disadvantage there was I didn't truly know the value of design, but I was a new mom, so I knew the value of time, and I knew my time. My time was worth a big, scary number.
- [12:10]
C
And you had that nice practice asking people for money.
- [12:14]
D
I did. I did. That makes things a lot easier, because I will read the room at the speed of light and figure out what means the world to someone, and then I speak to that and ask them for a million dollars with a straight face and maybe a little giggle, just to sweeten the deal. Yeah. So about that check. Yeah, but I am. It's not lost on me that that's not everybody's story. So it made. When I. When I listened to her question, it made me think of. I was just talking to Theresa Ory out of Atlanta. She was sharing with me that a product designer had said to her, hey, be careful, and don't be so hasteful with what you're trying to do and who you end up working with first. Because as a product designer, where you come into the market is where you will stay. Whoa.
- [13:08]
C
Okay.
- [13:09]
D
Yeah. So we did this whole deep dive about, like, damn, do we think this is true or not? And then we started thinking, and I'm like, oh, wow. Every person that I know that you know, has dibbled and dabbled in product design, they really stay in that pocket because they've create. They've created this community around what it is that they sell and at what price point. So that's what came to my mind first when I heard her question. And I was like, man, am I grateful that that's not true for interior design services because we'd all be so screwed, right? Like, it, it would be so bad. So, but to her point and to her question, I think we are in December. I'm sure at some point she's going to shut, shut down for the holidays. Like, this is literally the absolute best time on a calendar to get your shit together, like to literally switch it up to raise the prices to recalibrate and your voice to figure out a, you know, what's so different demographic wise from the people that I've been working with to the people who I do work with. And am I communicating on socials, on my website and articles? Am I communicating in a way that those people that I want to work with would hear me? You know, in what other ways can I literally show my work and show my worth? And I think renders, I think that's the most affordable way to show what it is that you can do. And more often than not, designers are using, you know, renders when you get the project. But I mean, thinking outside the box to show what you can do, render for the client that you're looking to attract.
- [15:01]
C
I love that, like before you have a portfolio you're excited about.
- [15:04]
D
Yeah, absolutely. Because, and this has worked for me in the past and I've literally rendered a thing and I mean shout out to AI. I don't really have a problem with it. I think everything has its place. But like, most of the times, clients can't tell the difference between a rendering and a photo if it's a really good rendering. Right. And so we've been using the same rendering software or rendering person for years. It's narrator renders and it's 3D, it's photorealistic, it's affordable. So now I'm like writing this into my, my marketing budget, right? Like, I'm going to spend X amount of dollars to render a couple of things that are just in my head. And you know what I do, Caitlyn? I literally go to Zillow, find a house, find a room. And I'm like, this is a house in a room that I would love to design. This is the caliber that I would love to be in. Let me snag these photos from Zillow. I'm gonna send it to the rendering company. I'm gonna put together, you know, all the bells and whistles. Here's a list of products I want in the space. Here's what I feel would look best in the dimensions. I want two views of this, you know, just to to make it realistic, to feel like a real project. And it's affordable because there's. There's a ton of ways to show your work and your worth, like a show house. But that's not the most.
- [16:34]
C
That's not affordable.
- [16:36]
D
The most affordable thing to do at all. It is not fast. So that's where I would start. Yeah.
- [16:44]
C
Well, so that's funny because you listed a couple of things, right? Like raising prices, showing your work, talking about your business differently. Where would you suggest that she start? What's the most impactful thing to do first?
- [16:59]
D
I think the most impactful thing because don't completely give up on the people who have been your bread and butter. Right. Because even when she was speaking, I was like, oh, I hope she's not going to leave these people completely in the dust, because you will need them. Right. Like, we all have had our dream clients and dream projects, but you still have to pay staff. You still have to pay your bills. Yeah, you have to pay your bills. So I would start figuring out who were the absolute best people to work with in a demographic that you already have. Who do you want to keep and who do you not want to see ever again? Right. I mean it when I say the people. Like, I'm not saying the project. If it's a matter of, hey, I don't want to do the countertops and backsplash and replacing the. The front facades of a kitchen. Okay, we'll pass that. Work off the project work off to, you know, a junior designer, that's fine. But are the people going to make it difficult for you to continue doing this work? So figure out, like, what that demographic is and what characteristics they have that you absolutely love, that you want to carry on within. Oh, I'm looking for that in the next higher end client.
- [18:17]
A
What are some of the characteristics you're.
- [18:19]
C
Looking for in clients that carried over from early work to what you're doing today?
- [18:23]
D
Oh, my goodness. I am looking for communicators. I want to wholeheartedly work with the person who has been to therapy because as. Listen, because at some point we're going to disagree. And I need to know that respect does not leave the room. And I need to know that you can see people beyond yourself because we're doing this really intimate work. And I know people say that all the time, like, oh, we're all in your business because we're designing your home, but it's true, right? Like, case in point, we had a client a little while ago. This is maybe two years ago, we had done her project kickoff, which we get her measurements and we talk about aesthetic. And this is where we start to get enough information to kind of start building her, you know, the client's aesthetic for them. And then we get into the layout and logistics meeting, which is our second meeting, and we're showing her the design. She's like, she loves it. Boom. We go to press forward to start to render it so that we can close her out, because it was a virtual project. And then she sent us a note, and she goes, hey, I'm thinking about these things. And she had sent something that looked completely different from what we designed and completely different from her Pinterest board that she showed us in the beginning. And I was taken aback. I was like, what is going on here? First of all, you've already signed off on this stuff, so I could be. I could play hardball if that's where I need to take it, and say, like, no, we're not making any changes because you've already signed off on it. Or I can be a human being and figure out, like, what's up with her. And I was like, hey, do you think that this, you know, illustrates what you shared with us at first? Because I'm not sure that it does. I'm fine making the pivot, but I want to make sure that we don't end up coming back to where we are right now. Right.
- [20:30]
C
Like, let's please confirm that these don't feel the same to you.
- [20:34]
D
Yeah, for sure. And you know what she sent? She sent the sweetest email two days later, and she was like, I'm sorry, I just got up this morning that I emailed you and decided to choose me, and just abruptly sent, like, this is what I really feel passionate about, or whatever. So she was like, so what would it look like for us to take a break so I make sure that I'm not wasting your time? And I was like, that, ladies and gentlemen, is a master class in human to human communication. And her being able to see herself and to be like, yeah, I'm being rash. You know what I mean? And I was able to see her, too. But so one of the things that we're working on in this break is generating video content for that. So we're taking our handbook and making it visual, and people will have to watch it and sign off on, hey, I watched this thing.
- [21:38]
And they will take. Will. Will take it from there.
- [21:42]
To the designer asking the question, you can make this business look, feel, and work, like, look and feel the way that you Want it and need it to work for you and your personality and the personalities that you want to work with. But I think a lot of that work starts with understanding who those people are.
- [22:05]
C
Did you have a clear sense of what that would be for you early or is it pretty normal to get to a certain moment and say, okay, I need to make some adjustments so that this feels more true to the business I want to build for myself?
- [22:17]
D
It was a journey in the beginning. I was like, I work with anyone. If you come to me and you want rockstar chic and I will figure out how to make it, I'll just focus on elevating your thing. And that was short lived. I don't, I don't think it made it past 2020. Yeah, it didn't make, it didn't make it past the first year full year in business. But it was because it became incredibly clear to me that the more authentic I presented as on, on social media, in the articles that I respond to and my website, like when I say we want to work with communicators, you too need to be a communicator. So all of the language and the voice and the tone, all of that needs to be the same across every platform that you show up. I don't care if, you know, BOH is calling to ask me about, you know, tomato red or, or tariffs or, or yeah, or tariffs. Oh, that, I love that. Tomato red or tariffs.
- [23:29]
A Coffee Table Book, 2025. No kidding. But it doesn't matter what, what someone's asking you. You need to be able to show up your full authentic self. And I, and I say that wholeheartedly. And I remember like last year, Architectural Digest asked us to do their. A part of their trend report and to do commentary on this trend report. And you know, like, AD is like this super serious, buttoned up, like, thing. Everybody wants to be taken serious. And I was like, is AD too serious for my personality? Because I really do laugh and joke all day. And I was like, you know what? I'm gonna take a chance and really like shoot the shit here in the commentary. Like, I'm gonna be a little play. I'm gonna be myself.
- [24:21]
C
Yeah, instead of editing yourself for what you think someone else wants.
- [24:24]
D
Yeah, Like I don't want to give them some ChatGPT response when this is literally giving people an opportunity to get to know who I am and if they would work with me. And I did it. And I remember getting an email back from the editor and she was like, oh my gosh, thank you so much for like just being cheeky, like saying what you really meant, what you really thought and all the things. And I was like, okay, if I can do this at ad. Yeah, like, I can do this anywhere. Because let me tell you, I had a backup. I was like, you know, here's the.
- [25:00]
C
They were like, hi, excuse me.
- [25:02]
D
Yeah, yeah. Like, this is not a comedy show, Ashley. Like, please calm down. But every opportunity to be yourself is an opportunity for you to sign a new client.
- [25:17]
A
Designers tell me again and again that their ultimate goal is always to create beautiful, functional homes that are a true reflection of the clients who live there. Fourhands created its latest collection with exactly that ethos in mind, introducing a thoughtful range of silhouettes and layers of patterns, textures and materials expressly designed to let you take your creative expression to new heights. Fourhands believes that every space has a story to tell. And with the new decorated home collection, they've passed the imaginative reins to you. There's only one rule. Make it personal. Let self expression lead the way. And explore the benefits of shopping with Four Hands for your next project. @4hands.com Tradetales, you were talking about sort.
- [26:06]
C
Of the roadmap to kind of making these changes and the work that you need to do on your business, kind of. I think this is our question askers to do list for the month of December. So if she's looking at like her website copy and her social media copy, she's rendering a few things that she would love to do and starting to talk about those on social media. What else is sort of in that early to do list to start to put yourself in the right conversation or put yourself in front of the right people.
- [26:35]
D
Yeah. I think she should also take stock of the vendors, the businesses that she's been a patron to, so that she can see which of those companies, whether it's like your stone supplier or you know, your tile person or wherever you get your tile, like, are these the products that you'll be using in these higher end projects or not? Right. Because now what needs to happen is you need to. You may not have professionally photographed all of these things, but those businesses, they want to see it still. They want to see it. And they may not be your client, but they will aid you on this journey and rising to a different X bracket of clients. Right. But it also introduces you to the idea of, hey, so it's like, oh, maybe I don't want to go to the big box store to get tile anymore. Who else is out there? Right. So now you need to connect yourself to those businesses because, hey, the moment you secure a bigger client, if you don't know where you're going to get their materials from, it's going to be a shaky start to that project. So prepare for what you're praying for, what you're, you know, putting out there in the, in the atmosphere. So I would say, and executing the work, figuring out the demographics, who they are, how you guys work well together. Make a. Basically a client demo. This, this is Susie. She's between the age of 30 and 45. Basically a list of what, what characteristics your ideal client has. Right. And then figure out who they're following. There are literally AI for this type of stuff, like who they're following, what their interests are, how they align organically with what you have going on. And then she's on track with, you know, is the copy correct and cohesive in alignment with where you're going on all of those platforms? But then if you go ahead and take a step back and say, oh, my demographic is completely into ours, or whatever the case may be, are there articles that you can contribute to in those demographics to put yourself in front of them? But then also think about your renders, your sponsored brands, how you continue to take on those smaller projects. And you mentioned something about photography and it being costly. After my first paid project, we've been rolling photography into the design fee since. Since day two. I don't say day one, but like since day two, because that's a part of it most of the time. In the beginning, I was making a little bit of money on the design fees, but my bread and butter was the photography. I'm going to get two or three projects from this. So here's like, that's where the money for me was coming in at, because, you know, we ridiculously were not charging markups at that time. So I was just excited to whatever it is, you know, get it out there to pay the bills. Because even if it's something small, like she mentioned, you can still get vignettes of what you've done. You know, like, don't take for granted that there's a designer out there that has not mastered the thing that you've mastered. Right. So don't take any of those small projects for granted.
- [30:24]
C
You know, I think she's also sort of in the progress of working on her own home. How would you recommend she think about that and sort of deploy that as sort of a showcase for what's possible?
- [30:34]
D
I was making for a client project in Charlotte, a Custom bed. And the guy who was making it for us, he shocked me with the price. And I was. And it was. It was a good shock, right? And I said, how are you? How are you able to do this at this point? And he was like, well, it's not what you sell it for, it's what you buy it for. And that has sat on me since he said it. And to that point, any projects that we get ourselves into, especially show houses, because she's designing her own home, essentially this is the show house, right? Like, then nobody's buying tickets. But essentially this is, you know, your time to show what it is that you can do. And I think the biggest miss for designers in doing this is we spend too much of their own money. Like, brands are literally dying for fresh photography for their products. And as long as you can show the work and show that you can execute it clean, which comes back. Which brings me back to those smaller projects that she was doing. Like, you might not be specifically proud of, let's say the design aspect, but do you know how many designers are great designers and terrible executors? So, like, show that you can do the work is half the battle of landing the client and landing free products or discounted products. So my biggest thing would be like, make a wish list for the things that you want in this home. And a lot of them are going to maybe new introductions to companies. Because go back to what I said about, hey, maybe I don't want to use, you know, this big box flooring company. Let me show you that I know who you know, the next person, you know, the next big brand is and reach out to them because the worst they can say is no. But now you're on their radar. And if they say yes, that's one less thing that you are having to foot the bill for. But this thing, this thing lives on. And you need to be able to tell that story that, like, hey, I will be shooting content, content in this space for X amount of time. And these are, you know, some potential deliverables. Most big brands have their own PR people and they're already looking for, you know, finished projects and things of that nature, the post and to pitch. So she has to use that to her advantage so that she can spend her dollars that she saves elsewhere. And I think specifically for creatives, it's really easy to digest information but get held up on the execution of changing things for your business. So don't, I would say, do not push this off until January.
- [33:34]
C
This is truly her December to do.
- [33:36]
D
List. This is truly your December to do list. If she's a family woman and she needs the time, take a two day staycation, get out of your normal, your normal schedule. But if you have to push it back into January like we used to close from the week of Thanksgiving to the second week in January, that's how dead serious I was about like taking the time and not having any interruptions. But that also takes a lot of like hey, communicating with clients. And my go to is, hey, we charge our flat rate for design fees. We are able to do that because we have a process that we follow. If I go outside of this process, I will have to charge more. Part of this process is us being able to shut down for the holidays. So I love that your mother in law thinks that you should choose a different color with us. But talk to me about it in January.
- [34:38]
Just, you know what I mean? Like give me the space that you would want your. You know what I mean? And that goes back to us dealing with humans, you know, have, who have, who have done the work. So yeah, I would say don't, don't push it off and don't be afraid to tap into your community because you may get to a point where you're like, okay, here's all the things that I need to do. Do not have the time to execute them. Whether it's a business coach that's going to walk you through executing it yourself or if we like, I think we're going to hire an expediter to tighten up some of the digital things for us. Somebody that they don't need to be here. But once I finish this on the 20th, I'm going to pass this off and then they will create all of the systems. I don't have time to implement the systems in a computer. I can tell you what it's supposed to be and then I'm going to hire somebody to do it so I can do family time. But it's an investment. Taking the time is also an investment.
- [35:39]
C
I think one last big avenue I want to explore is just how you put yourself in the room with the right people. You've developed this profile of sort of who you think this ideal client is going to be. How do you find them?
- [35:55]
D
We too, Muse Nour have been trying to figure out how we go. I don't want to completely leave my clients who need the education and the dust, but one and us opening an office in Dallas. The one thing that the biggest like difference between Charlotte and Dallas has been they know the value. You don't have to tell them the value of design. They already know it. Because there's a whole design center and it's a neighborhood, it's a whole part of the city and it's huge here. And I don't know who to credit that characteristic to, but I think it has something to do with there being so many high end designers in this area. And it's taken serious. Like, it's taken so seriously. And so to that point, I am still trying, I was still trying to figure out, okay, but where are my people in Dallas and beyond? Because we work all over, right? And a part of that is I'm going to continue taking the clients that are first generation, experiencing interior design as a first generation luxury that I still have to educate. I'm just going to make it a little easier for me to educate them. So I'm going to automate a lot of this education. We're not getting rid of anybody. How we level up. For me right now, I'm big on showing up to the places where I have a clear understanding that the people in the room know the value of design. So that meant at a wedding Monday, flew back right after the reception Tuesday, I said, do I have the capacity, the social battery, to make an impromptu trip to Miami for Art Basel? Right? Like, do I have the capacity? You know what, let's make capacity. Schedule this trip. I'm like downloading myself on all things Basel. But the point of me taking the risk, the time, the resources to make this trip is that if I'm standing next to someone who is fully prepared to spend X amount of dollars on this piece of art, that person surely knows the value of culture. That person surely knows the value of design. And this is an easier push for me to get. So for me, what that looks like is, oh, they're having like an education piece. The founder of Kickstarter is on stage listening to what he's saying. I'm also on my phone going, let me scroll through his Instagram to see what his story is. What is his journey? Okay, cool. Hmm. Where is he about to exit this stage? Is there an exit on the left? Does he come right into the crowd? Does he? Oh, there's a little back entrance. Okay, cool. The moment the man says, oh, we got one more question, I moved to the left side of that stage and I was the second person in that man's face and did a quick elevator pitch to say, hey, I saw your journey about mental health. I thought, you know, I listen, I'm listening to you. Speak on. On this grand stage about how important culture is and where you want to be. But are you coming home to a space that makes you whole against for you to be able to do the work that you do out here? If you're not, we should talk like people talk about, oh, I knocked on, you know, a couple doors in my neighborhood. No, I'm in Miami.
- [39:46]
And I'm pitching the founder of Kickstarter, and I'm pit. You know what I mean? Like, I'm putting myself in a room that is easier for me to sell the work that I do, because this entire week of events is about the preservation of culture, which is about. Which is literally what Muse no More is about. Right? Like, we journey our clients to the intersection of culture and interior wellness. I had no idea when I thought, I'm going to pitch this man that he talks on his platform about mental health. Like, I had. You know what I mean? Like, it was. It was just that quick and intentional. But put yourself in the room and then see what kind of magic you can make in that room. But I only understood that Art Basel was going to be a place where I could thrive, because I know who my client is, and I know the evolution of my client. The more information you have about where you're going, the easier it is to get there.
- [40:51]
C
I have one more question for you. What is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
- [40:58]
D
The outgoing CEO of Essence Ventures, he does a beautiful talk on becoming a failure recovery specialist. Okay. For your own life, I swear. And it's this idea that, like, we're going to make mistakes throughout the course of our day, but are you going to allow it to ruin your day completely? Like, yes or no? The answer for sure should be no, right? Unless you're my seven year old. But.
- [41:33]
But in that space, she's like, I've gotten really good at giving myself enough grace to fail throughout the day and keep moving. And so when she does this talk, it's. She digs into, like, okay, but how do I do this? Right? And she says something super simple. It's like, I give myself seven fails. Like, if I fail seven times in one day, then sure, I get to have a bad day.
- [42:06]
But if I'm at three, two, six, like, okay, girl, get up and dust yourself off again. Like, where's the. You know, where's the solution? I mean, and I'm true Pisces lover girl, Emo. You would never really know know that of me. Unless you're like a super, super close friend of mine. But like, I used to waste a lot of time whining, crying, complaining, and now it's like I literally will take a deep breath. That is all I have to give. And I'm like, is there a solution for this? Is the solution within reach for me? Can I solve this by myself or do I need to call somebody? Okay, let's go.
- [42:57]
A
That's our show for today.
- [42:58]
D
Hi.
- [42:59]
A
Thank you so much for being here. And for everyone listening with a question of your own, I'd love for you to ask us anything. Don't worry, we'll keep it anonymous. Please start the conversation by sending me an email@tradetalesusinessofhome.com if you're enjoying Trade Tales, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show. And if you're looking for even more great business advice, head on over to businessofhome.com Trade Tales is produced by me, Kaitlyn Peterson and Caroline Burke. This episode was edited by Caroline Burke and Michael Castaneda. Our theme music is by Kyle Scott Wilson. Thanks again for listening, and I'll see you here next week.