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Trade Tales
Ask Us Anything: Georgia Zikas on staying nimble amid a business slowdown
00:36:53
Georgia Zikas on the importance of conducting regular assessments on a firm’s financial health, tips for curating a network that produces potential clients and the importance of conducting regular assessments on a firm’s financial health.
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- [00:00]
Georgia Zikis
Foreign.
- [00:04]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Hi, I'm Kaitlyn 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. In 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, were 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 whose firm is experiencing a slowdown in new business.
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Designer Question Asker
I started to see sort of a shift in client mindsets in the last couple months, just given all of the tariff conversations and the economy and just a lot of unknowns.
- [01:06]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Our question asker isn't alone amid economic uncertainty would be clients all over the country are putting their projects on hold. But if the phone isn't ringing, where does that leave her firm?
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Designer Question Asker
I feel like people who want to work on their homes intend it to be a joyous experience. And it's been hard to sort of separate reality from an exciting project. And I think a lot of people have decided, you know what? I think I'm just going to, I'm going to wait a little bit, I'm going to hit pause, I'm going to regroup and I'm going to just see where the chips may fall. And doesn't necessarily mean that we're not going to move forward. It's just right now it doesn't feel right. And I really respect that and I think that's important.
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Trade Tales Host
How much was that happening in projects that were sort of in the works already versus sort of just slowing down the rate that new business is coming in?
- [01:56]
Designer Question Asker
The rate of new business coming in has slowed down a lot of honestly, I mean, I want to be honest. I have, you know, a group of designers and we talk about it all the time. We're all friends, we're all honest with each other. And I think there's power in admitting that. It's not easy. I don't think that anyone becomes interior designer because they want to worry about their workflow and their finances. But it's the reality of owning a business. And I do think that I'm trying really hard to not let the stress of what's next and what are we going to work on next, drain the excitement and the joy of what's we're working on right in front of us right now.
- [02:27]
Trade Tales Host
That's a really interesting and beautiful way to think about it. But as a business owner, you don't really get to separate those two things.
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Designer Question Asker
No. And I'm always like, I do not want to lose sleep over this, but inevitably I do. And I think that, like, I've assembled a great team and we're such capable people and they rely on me to bring in work. And so I want to use this time to sort of regroup and think about the relationships that we have and how we want to position our business in the future and think about growth at the same time.
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Trade Tales Host
What would be most helpful as you sort of look inward during this time about how to change that cadence of work coming in.
- [03:04]
Georgia Zikis
Right.
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Designer Question Asker
I mean, I think it's honestly something that is going to sound so irritating because I'm constantly telling our clients to trust the process. And my husband tells me, just trust the process. He's like, every single time you sit here stressing and concerned and worried that nothing is going to come up the quote unquote pipeline, it always does. And it's so hard to listen to that and to understand that. And I think that because we've worked really hard to, you know, build a business that's sustainable, I think that we deserve to get new projects. But that's sitting around using the trust word is a really hard pill to swallow.
- [03:40]
Kaitlyn Peterson
I love that our question asker had the perspective to acknowledge that there can be upsides to getting a break from being so busy. She isn't panicking, at least not yet. But if business is going to be slow, she's looking for guidance on how to make the best use of this time. And as we ended our call, I knew just who to connect with. Someone who has experienced years of industry expansion and contraction and who's learned how to roll up her sleeves and pivot when the calls stop coming in. All that and more in just a moment. Plenty of brands will tell you that they want to be your one stop shop. Four Hands actually delivers on that promise with more than 6,000 pieces in its line across living, dining, bedroom, office, outdoor accessories and art. Now, with the company's new made to order upholstery program, you can customize your favorite silhouettes with a vast fabric selection, including an assortment of Krypton's durable performance textiles. Even better, most of the items are in stock and ready to ship with a designer portal for real time inventory. So you're never caught by surprise and rushing to reselect. Take the stress out of specifying and explore the benefits of shopping with Four Hands for your next project@fourhands.com Tradetales today I'm joined by Georgia Zikis as a guest on Trade Tales. Early last year, she shared how she built a network from scratch after opening a second design office in a new city. She also has a thoughtful, upbeat approach to authentically marketing her business, and I thought she'd be the perfect person to weigh in on today's question.
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Trade Tales Host
Well, hello, thank you so much for joining me today. TradeTale's listeners heard from you last in early 2024. At the time, we talked a lot about how you were balancing offices in two cities. How's that going today?
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Georgia Zikis
Well, first of all, thank you for having me. It's always a delight. It's a podcast that I listen to regularly. So I'm just so honored to be welcome back. So thank you.
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Trade Tales Host
Yeah, of course.
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Georgia Zikis
Oh my goodness, Caitlin. Like everything has changed wildly for me. So. Okay, this is really exciting. So when I spoke with you last time, we had opened an office in Boston and as I kind of describe it, it was like a beta test office that I'm proud report was really wildly received. And so the, the kind of larger change is that I moved to Boston physically. And so kind of the role reversal has happened where the Boston office has indeed become our HQ and the Connecticut office, still lively and and well maintained, has just become a little flip flop of the two. So it's really like happy to report, you know, a year and change later, it's, it's, it's really been a terrific expansion effort.
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Trade Tales Host
Where does the work come from right now? Like what percentage is based out of which office or do you, do you even measure it that way?
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Georgia Zikis
So all the work is done by one team, regardless of kind of where we are. And if you remember at our last conversation, that's the way I always set up my team and our workflow. We've always super quick recap on kind of my career, but started in New York City and then opened the firm in Connecticut. But then as I say, I'm from Boston, so we've always had work in the northeast, so we've always had a core team that manages and maintains and works on projects in any location. So that's, that's really been the consistency. But in terms of the work and where it comes from, I mean, that's the million dollar question everywhere, right?
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Trade Tales Host
Totally.
- [07:26]
Georgia Zikis
But it's been terrific. I mean honestly, like kind of a 50, 50 to be honest, in terms of, in terms of where the locations Are and size and scale.
- [07:34]
Trade Tales Host
When you have two offices, how much do you care about kind of the return to work movement? How important is it to you that your team is in the office together?
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Georgia Zikis
It's actually really important to me. And I know you hosted a topic on this or what? Maybe this is one of the questions at the. What's new? What's next?
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Trade Tales Host
It was.
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Georgia Zikis
Yeah, yeah, yep, exactly. And I was definitely in the camp of in office. So that, again, has always been our process. You know, after. I don't know, was it March of 2020? We were, you know, remote for a few weeks, and then it was really kind of back to. Back to business in a modified way. And then, you know, pretty quickly after that, it's been back in the office full time. So all of our people are in the office full time.
- [08:16]
Trade Tales Host
What else is going on at the firm these days? Or what are you most excited about when you walk into work?
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Georgia Zikis
With this larger kind of studio space that we have, we have a private furniture collection. And so that has been really terrific for us because we've set up, like, these vignettes in our studio space that we can showcase how our upholstery items sit and feel and we can tweak. And so clients have been able to come in and make adjustments and as I call it, the Goldilocks test, you know, to really say a little bit more firm or a little softer arm height, you know, back height, the pitch, you know, kind of all these details. So. So it's been a really exciting kind of expansion year and also transformation. And I think that's where that flip flop came from, was literally having more space to kind of spread out a bit.
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Trade Tales Host
That's amazing.
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Kaitlyn Peterson
Are you ready to give some advice?
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Georgia Zikis
Yes, always.
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Trade Tales Host
Well, this week we are fielding a question from a designer who's experiencing something that I've been hearing about a lot lately. And it's the fact that the phone just isn't ringing like it used to. There are fewer inquiries. And as our question asker said, you know, that's okay for now, but she's starting to get worried about what that means.
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Kaitlyn Peterson
In the months and even years to come.
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Trade Tales Host
When you heard this question, what did it surface for you?
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Georgia Zikis
You know, it's. It's funny, Caitlin, because I have experienced sort of expansion and contraction years, you know, the whole time I've been in business, which is almost 15 years now, to be honest. You know, I don't feel like things are wildly different from other points in, you know, recent history. You know, is our phone Ringing a little less. Sure. But also some of the inquiries that we would get, particularly even in Connecticut, wouldn't really be the right fit for us. Right. So I am. I'm not heartbroken about some of the. The. Some of that quietness, because I think that, you know, what's supposed to be for you is supposed to be. So I do think that maybe some projects that weren't meant for us, you know, maybe our phone is ringing a little less in that. In that arena. But I do feel like the quality of inquiries that come through for us now are really good and desirable. But, I mean, it's not to say I'm not noticing it. I mean, I think. And also, I'm on the beat quite a bit. I mean, you know, as we were in New York last week and. And conversations, you know, both with the DLN and other. I'm in a couple of other national Mastermind groups, so we're talking frequently about this exact topic. And even at the highest level, you know, designers are having a lot of feedback on this. So it's certainly not like no one's going crazy. This is actually.
- [10:56]
Trade Tales Host
This is happening. Yes.
- [10:57]
Georgia Zikis
Yeah. But I just. I feel like the mindset shift has to also be something to consider. I mean, you know, I also. I feel that I am truly, you know, a dedicated hard worker, and I'm always kind of pivoting to ingenuity and creating some things that might be out of the box, and so I think you just have to continue that. But really, it's like, it's always. You have to be kind of marketing and pulling up your sleeves and ready to do the work, you know, even in the slow times. And I think that for whatever reason, the universe has prepared me for, you know, again, like, building. Building my business in the middle of Connecticut wasn't as easy as some of the other markets. And I do feel like it's prepared me, you know, to work hard and be a mainstay and really put that effort in, to be a little scrappy and get out there.
- [11:48]
Trade Tales Host
What is that effort? I feel like there is that sort of steady drumbeat, that industry advice out there where people are like, always be marketing. But what is the actual work that you're consistently doing to make sure that inbound leads are coming your way?
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Georgia Zikis
You know, one of my business coaches early on always said, you should be marketing when you're the busiest. And so I've just done that for the last 10 years. I've been constantly taking meetings and inviting people into our office and hosting and When I say that, I mean realtors and builders and architects, professional organizers, professional chefs, you know, various fashion stylists. Like, I'm kind of all over the place with people that are also in touch with a high net worth client.
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Trade Tales Host
When you first made that outreach, what did that look like? Was it just like, hey, I'd love to know someone in your line of work. Do you want to come see what we're doing in our studio?
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Georgia Zikis
Yeah, okay.
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Trade Tales Host
Just like, hi, let's be friends.
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Georgia Zikis
Yeah. And a lot of it happens so organically at events or it could be something very strategic where it's a builder's conference or, you know, so I'm kind of, I, I think that, you know, lucky for me, I. I do feel comfortable socializing and kind of, you know, being in, you know, attending events or, you know, some kind of charitable situation. You know, like, I'm always just very comfortable with that. And I think, you know, if I'm looking at like, pros and cons, I mean, energy level, that has to. That has to be something that you have to maintain. But I think it's like, it's like anything in life, Caitlin, like, when you're, you know, if you're looking to get healthy or do like, you've got to do something every day, you know, it's not just going to happen when you want it to. You know, it really has to be six months in the making. And so I think that's where, you know, I look at, at different events or different meetings as like, I'm not going to get something out of it tomorrow, but I'm maintain that new friendship or that new relationship in a very meaningful way. Like, not in a sleazy marketing way, but in a very meaningful way, because that's who I am. But I do think that it's like that consistency that it's just like when you want to save money or you want to invest, like, you've got to be consistent.
- [13:56]
Trade Tales Host
What else counts as marketing for you?
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Georgia Zikis
So I actually, we just talked about this with a new team member that we added on last week. And so we kind of went through all the. On like the particular new employee onboard onboarding. And we talked about how everybody's an ambassador to the company, you know, so I kind of look at like, everybody that works for me is also an extension and a potential marketing opportunity. So, for example, one of our designers just went down to the Ryder cup and she had a ball with her. You know, she went on her own time, but we actually talked about it in advance she's like, oh, I'm bringing business cards and I'm going to, you know, talk to, you know, new people and it's exciting. And so I even look at, like, everybody I interact with, whether they're an employee or not. You know, if they have something nice to say about us and what we do, like, that's an awesome marketing opportunity too.
- [14:46]
Trade Tales Host
You said, you know, you've weathered slowdowns or kind of contractions before. In that moment, before you're worried about it. What are the right steps to take? Like, what are the first steps that you would take in that situation?
- [15:00]
Georgia Zikis
So one thing that I, I don't really waver on is, is our marketing budget. You know, so that's one thing. You know, we might, we might contract in other areas of spend. You know, we do a. I have a CFO and we have a really good financial support team on my, on my business. And so I do like a year in advance. You know, we have an operating budget and we create, you know, the different things for my travel and, you know, different opportunities that we know are coming. And marketing is one of those. And so, you know, we might trim, if you will, you know, some things, if it's advertising or, you know, but there's other marketing efforts that I feel like we'll always keep in our top tier. That has a lot to do with some of our print materials that, you know, when I'm meeting new people, we have these really great process documents and different that have changed along the way, you know, and tweaked over time. But like, we're just about to do a print run because we have really great new photography and then of course, our new office in Boston. And so we're highlighting that a bit more this year than in our previous print. So we definitely will trim. Some travel gets a little bit shortened, but for the most part, we really try to keep the marketing budget adhering to what the intention was.
- [16:21]
Trade Tales Host
You referenced that a healthy business really can withstand a slow period here and there. What are the signs that you actually, like, need to start worrying or need to take more drastic measures?
- [16:31]
Georgia Zikis
I think if you have a healthy operating budget and you have a healthy grasp on cash flow and some other like, sort of, you know, high level key points that, you know, not only are you taking a look at, but you have other, you know, other people on your team helping to guide kind of, you know, like taxes, don't go away, you know, things like that.
- [16:52]
Trade Tales Host
No, no, I just don't feel like it this year. Nope.
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Georgia Zikis
And even Estimated tax, taxes on things you haven't earned yet, you know, so I think you have to have. And again, I feel very passionate about this because I've been a good student of, like, being an entrepreneur and kind of getting things, systems and processes, like, in place. Which one of those is the financial health of the business? And so having a finger on the pulse kind of all the time. I have a weekly meeting about it, and then we have a monthly meeting, and then we have quarterly with my accountant. So we're really kind of, you know, always checking in on where we stand. But I think, like, if things. If things took a turn for the weird, you know, then you have to really narrow in on. On some of the bigger things, which. Which I would imagine would be, you know, maybe human resources, because you've got, you know, those are big ticket items.
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Trade Tales Host
Is the. The shift in kind of client mindset that our question asker referenced this idea that, you know, they're really trying to square what they see in the headlines versus sort of how optimistic they feel about their project. Is that something you've run into in.
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Kaitlyn Peterson
Recent months as well?
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Georgia Zikis
Yeah, I would say, you know, in. In kind of all the markets that we're working in. I would say that clients in general have always. I mean, I don't know if I have always, like, been. Been pretty careful, you know, with spend. And I don't know, maybe that's the client I'm. I'm attracting that just isn't giving me a blank check, you know, for a lot of things. But I think that. I think kind of now more than ever. I mean, we know that an election year always is gonna create some kind of ripple, and we know that to be true. And we know that, you know, other things that roll out kind of as a result of that will always have a ripple. I can say, yeah, some of our clients have reduced scope, you know, where we might come out to the house and it's the whole house. And then, you know, it's like, oh, well, let's do three quarters or let's. You know, so that happens. But that's nothing new to me, you know, and I even. I even talk about phased approaches, you know, in. In our work anyway, because I. When I'm onboarding a client, I really want them to be comfortable with our process, how we work, you know, rather than kind of leaping into the unknown, you know, maybe. Maybe we start a little smaller. And then it's always grow, like the scope always grows. So I don't. I don't ever Mind that. But I do, I do understand that that's happening more now than ever, you know, or, or a project maybe doesn't get off the Runway, you know, for three months and you're hoping that it, you know, is well into underway. So I do think there's a hesitancy. I think people are, you know, at a high net worth level. You know, maybe they're not as, you know, Pennywise, but they also understand like, their investments are changing kind of as the stock market changes and things. So, so it's, it might not be or might not be direct, but it certainly affects them. And quite frankly, like, I like to work with people that are, have like their, their ear open and knowing what's going on. I mean, I've got a lot of questions about tariffs. Yeah, we all have. You know, so that's another thing that's. Interior design is a very hard business. Yes. I think it, I think it gets like underestimated a lot. I mean, my husband certainly has, you know, a bird's eye view to all of this and he's always in awe of kind of what we're navigating at any given point.
- [20:16]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Hey, Texas designers, we've got a special event coming up just for you. A live recording of Ask Us Anything later this month at the Four Hands flagship showroom in Austin.
- [20:28]
Trade Tales Host
That's right.
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Kaitlyn Peterson
We're taking this show on the road. I'll be sitting down with designers Jean Stouffer and Grace Start of Jean Stouffer Design and Heather Fuji Code of house Sprucing to answer some of the real questions that we tackle on the show. And if you register now, you can submit a question of your own too, and then hear our designer guests give their advice on stage. Mark your calendar and plan to join us on Wednesday, October 15th starting at 9am There will be coffee and breakfast to get your morning started, a chance to explore the new showroom arrivals at Four Hands, and a ton of unfiltered business advice. Sign up now@fourhands.com podcast. I can't wait to see you there.
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Trade Tales Host
Our question asker is, you know, so willing to take this time to get intentional about her business, to use this quiet period sort of for good. What kind of work should she be doing on her business, on herself, with her team? When the work does slow down like.
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Georgia Zikis
This, I think that the internal reflection is, is really important. And you know, we always called it on the team like a rainy day list. Like we always had a rainy day list of things that, you know, we needed to accomplish or things that we could get better at. So I personally have focused on two major things, which is the marketing intention and really getting clear about, you know, which arenas do I want to spend more time and money in and who, you know, do I want to spend time and money with? And so marketing definitely as like a larger umbrella has gotten more intentional for us in the last six months or so. But that also, I mean, remember, I'm coming from the mindset or the lens of expanding in a new city. So that was something that was on my radar. But, you know, in so many ways I do feel like expanding to a new city is almost like starting the business over again. I mean, down to like all the materials that have the address on it, you know, like.
- [22:32]
Trade Tales Host
Right, right, right. You're like, oh, we have to print new business cards. We have to print.
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Georgia Zikis
Yeah, I mean, yeah, everything. And kind of going back to my playbook of 15 years ago with like, how do I, how did I get the business up to where it was and I need to do that again.
- [22:45]
Trade Tales Host
Totally. When you talked about your marketing intention, where are you spending your time and money when it comes to marketing today?
- [22:52]
Georgia Zikis
Oh my gosh. I mean, I can't tell you all my secrets, but what I can say is, you know, having that intention, like we hired a full time marketing person and that I've never had, you know, that's an, that's an exciting idea that I've always wanted and I've always had a consultant, you know, an external team member. But now this is in house. So what you'll see from us a lot more is, you know, video content and you know, things like that that are going to be displayed on all, all different platforms, so not just Instagram. And I'm very excited. It took me six months to find her.
- [23:30]
Trade Tales Host
Okay.
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Georgia Zikis
And that's the other thing. I mean, I know when I talked to you last year, you know, our hiring and our onboarding process is very deliberate. And so, you know, we were very close, but then some things didn't work out. And so for one reason or another, here we are. And I'm delighted. And again, this goes back to that whole thing of, you know, what's meant to be, yours will be, and, you know, what it's supposed to be will happen. And so I do really feel like that mindset has. It sounds a little hokey, but I gotta, I mean, what else do we have if not optimism and hope and positivity?
- [24:04]
Trade Tales Host
Well, trusting the process, I think, is what our question askers has been told her to do.
- [24:10]
Georgia Zikis
Yes. And that is very true. Trusting the process. And if you have a good process, you know, and if you don't, now's the time to make it better. And listening, you know, attending, you know, all of these different things. I mean, you're. I will go anywhere you're hosting. Oh, thank you. They're always so good, and they're always so thought provoking. And I always. I sit in the front row with my notepad, and I'm. You know, I'm always.
- [24:32]
Trade Tales Host
That is true.
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Georgia Zikis
It is very true. I mean, I even ditched my friends. They teased me because they're like, you're gonna sit in the front row? And I said, yes, of course I am. Like, I like to. I like to be part of the. Almost feel like I'm part of the conversation, because why not? You know, you're not just there to eat little cookies, even though that helps. But, you know, it's. It's. I'm really there to. To take in, you know, what. What people are serving out. And so many of your guests have such great things to say, and so many of my friends now, too. So then we can have sidebar conversations of, you know, can you expand on that? And I think that's what I love about our design community in general, is it's just such a nice, open group, and I don't know if other industries are like ours, but I don't want to find out.
- [25:16]
Trade Tales Host
Totally. I want to come back to something you said at the beginning. You were talking about the fact that in some ways, maybe the phone is ringing less as a byproduct of the fact that the right people are calling. And it's funny, because we're literally about to ship an issue of the magazine to the printer. That's all about finding your ideal client. And so I feel like I've been thinking a lot about that in the last couple months as we worked on it, but how do you know when it's that? Right? How do you know? Oh, the phone is ringing less, but it's because I've done a good job of putting out there who's right for me, what's right for me. And I'm getting good leads, not just all the leads. Like, how does that feel different than, oh, this is slow, and, you know, I should worry or I need to change something about what I'm doing. How do those feel different?
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Georgia Zikis
I think I've done a really good job, to be honest, figuring myself out, you know, more than. More than even the client, because, you know, I love everybody. And that's the. That's always been a good and a bad.
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Trade Tales Host
Right, Right.
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Georgia Zikis
I really, like. I want to work with everybody. I want to hire everybody. You know, I just really love. I love people, and I really believe people are pure and, you know, and have. And well intended. However, I can't serve everybody and then also have that be, you know, have everything align in terms of, you know, time and scope and investment range. You know, oftentimes one of those things is off, you know, and so I think I've done a really good job with that. And I do like the, you know, identifying the ideal client, but also just being really honest with myself about who I'd like to work with and what projects I'd like to spend time on and, you know, being sort of deliberate about aligning myself with those people. But it also starts with the builders, too. I could keep myself busy kind of all the time, but it's not. I don't want to be busy and tired. You know, I'd like. I'd like to be busy and energized. And so I. I do feel like we've hit a good stride with that, and I'm okay, but this goes back to mindset and kind of all the work I've done, you know, on that is I'm okay. I'm okay with accepting that, you know, not everyone is meant for me, and that's okay, too. And I'll be honest, like, I declined a project last week that I had a hard time because, you know, when it is slow or slower, I should say, you know. Yeah. You're like, oh, man, you know, should.
- [27:47]
Trade Tales Host
We pass on this? Yeah.
- [27:48]
Georgia Zikis
But you know what, Caitlin? I went back to kind of early days of red flags or identifiers that didn't feel quite right, and I ended up having a conversation. Here's the other thing, too, is all that, you know, in the past, I would put everything in writing, and we would, you know, be talking about or talking over email about some of these specifics. And so I picked up the phone and I called him, and I just said, hey, can. Can we have a quick conversation just before, you know, honestly, before I go down a rabbit hole of putting together a scope of work and putting together the proposal. So I. I got him on the phone, and I really just kind of level set a little bit to say I totally. And they really liked me, and I really liked them, but I just wanted to align with time and money, and time was a problem. Like, they want to do things fast and you know, and I love to do things fast, but I also love to do things the right way. And so I felt like I was being pushed a little bit and that it. You know, and that I. I didn't know if they were aligned with the investment range. And so we talked about it, and ultimately, I sort of provided them an opportunity to say, well, maybe this isn't the right time right now. You know, And I said, I think that's great. But I Actually. The door is completely open, and we. And we left it at that. Where, you know, six months later, something could. Absolutely. The conversation could pick right back up. I think the. The more I focus on myself and kind of what my intention is. Yeah. The clearer it gets about who's coming in the door. And I'm okay with fewer calls, but more qualified. Value of project work.
- [29:23]
Trade Tales Host
That's amazing.
- [29:24]
Georgia Zikis
I just sort of refuse to, like, go negative because I love it. I just do. I think, like, I don't think there's enough of the positivity that everybody needs, like, that kind of hope and faith and, you know, and the knowing. And knowing, like, your own ability, like, don't get kind of. I mean, you got to almost, like, put the blinders on. Yeah, yeah. And keep going and. But it's like, I can't get on. Like, I just got to stay the course and, like, keep doing what I'm supposed to do today, and I'll catch up on the weekend.
- [29:53]
Trade Tales Host
I want to talk about that for a second, actually. You said you put the blinders on and focus on kind of what you have to do today instead of giving into negativity. Have you always been that way, or did you train yourself to be that way in this work and in this role and with the firm that you have?
- [30:10]
Georgia Zikis
Oh, my gosh, that is such a great point. So I think that I have had to mindset shift tremendously in this arena, this work. I think I've, like. My friends that have known me for my whole life would say I've always been this way, but I'll be honest. Like, entrepreneurship kind of kicks you in the teeth sometimes. So, you know, and the comparison game and kind of all that stuff, and, like, I'm definitely not immune to all of. I'm a human being, you know, So I think that my natural state is there. And honestly, I had to, like, reconnect with her. And I think that the older you get, the better you do at connecting with who you kind of are to the core. And the lack of distraction or the, you know, the Deliberate eye on the prize kind of mentality. But I think that it is. I could say to everybody out there, too, like, really getting a mindset shift. And I. I think that we all have the ability to kind of go down negativity road, but you have to really deliberately stop, you know, and. And I think I've done. I've done a lot of things this year, one of which, like, I was on a podcast in Boston, and she reached out to me. She. She records for Female entrepreneurs in Boston. And Caitlin, I just say yes, you.
- [31:28]
Trade Tales Host
Know, like, Right, right.
- [31:30]
Georgia Zikis
I'm, of course, I have no idea what we're going to talk about, but I have a good time. I'll have a good time. And we'll. We'll speak organically, and we definitely did. And I shared with her some of the mindset stuff that I've worked on in the last handful of years. But definitely it has helped me get clear. And I, you know, and I can say that, like, meditation, visualization. I mean, I tell my kids this, too. When you get up in the morning, let's visualize the day. Like, let's walk through how it's going to go. And I do that to this day, even with a project and a client meeting. Like, I did it this morning. I had a new meeting, and it went really beautifully. And I said, you know, we're going to have a great time. I'm going to share with them how I work. And. And, you know, we're going to get right to it in terms of, like, fee structure. Everybody wants to know that. Let's get that. Let's talk about that right out of the gate. And, you know, and they're going to laugh, and I'm going to laugh. You know, I. I really walk through, like, it's a movie. And I know that. I know that professional athletes do this all the time, too. Is like, visualize winning, you know, and so I do that every day, you know, and even when I go into these quasi marketing opportunities or we were talking about, like, events and things like that, you know, I. I really like to go in and say, like, I would like to meet, like, two new people tonight that I don't know what they do. And I'd like to have meaningful conversations. I don't need to work the room. I just need to have some meaningful conversations and hope, you know, that I get something and I give something, you know, so it's like having those intentions. So all of this stuff has helped me be a better person in so many ways, but also Just, like, continue to be positive.
- [33:04]
Trade Tales Host
Before I let you go, I wanted to ask, what is the best piece of advice you've ever received?
- [33:11]
Georgia Zikis
Wow, that's a toughie. So, you know, does not. This is not related to design, I would say. I think the best or the most important decision that you can make in your life is who you choose to spend it with. So I think your partner is the biggest decision you'll ever make. And I know friends who have chosen wisely and then friends who haven't, and I think that having somebody that's there. And I know you just got married, so this is.
- [33:40]
Trade Tales Host
I did.
- [33:41]
Georgia Zikis
This is really exciting. But that is, like, truly. And you don't always know it, you know, when you're young and you're on the dating scene and so forth. But I do feel very strongly whoever you choose to spend your life with and marry is ultimately going to help or hurt, you know, whatever goals and intentions you have. And so I'm going on 20 years this year. It's going to be really good.
- [34:03]
Trade Tales Host
Well, congratulations. Thank you.
- [34:04]
Georgia Zikis
Thank you. And. And we were just talking. We always go out, you know, not. Not like organized date nights, but we always go out. And we were talking just this weekend about kind of like we're planning something for our 20th and, you know, a trip of some kind, because that's what. That's what fuels our. Our systems. But we were saying, like, what if somebody young asked us, you know, what's the secret? And there's no secret, but, you know, adventure and communicating and. And really, like, thinking about that person more than you really even think about yourself, you know, and. And I would say in 20 years, Caitlin, like, we've yin and yang. Like, I left New York City because Jonas got a job in another city. And did I want to leave New York City? No. I was in, like, you know, working. Working in the best place I could at that point in time. But I knew that, like, he wanted that or even needed it.
- [34:53]
Trade Tales Host
Needed it. Right?
- [34:54]
Georgia Zikis
Yeah. And, like, that is, like, such a selfless act. But also I know that I can. You know, there's sunshine everywhere. I can. I can make it, you know, so. And then he. Conversely, like, when I said, I need to move to Boston, he's like, okay. And then, you know, the bugger got a job super quick. And I was loved that. That was also supposed to be. Evidently. But, like, definitely, it's who. Who you're going to spend time or who you're going to spend your life with. I think is the single most important decision you'll make. And that was the best piece of advice that I got early on when I was young and my Aunt Lisa had, had told me that. And I remember her joking, like, you want the bad boy and this and that and, you know, all that, but it's like, not who you're going to want to marry. And she's not wrong. You know, she's not wrong. I somehow ended up with kind of a perfect blend of all the attractive features, you know, that I would want, but, but, like, in this wonderful package and, and he's a great dad and he's a great friend and he's a great son. And, you know, like, all of those things are great markers for, like, who, who he's going to be to you, you know, and in my case, that's just, that's magic.
- [36:05]
Kaitlyn Peterson
That's our show for today. 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 TradeTales is produced by me, Caitlyn 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.