How Arianne Bellizaire stopped chasing the industry’s standard of success - Trade Tales

Summary6 min read

Trade Tales Podcast Summary: "How Arianne Bellizaire Stopped Chasing the Industry’s Standard of Success"

Introduction

In the March 26, 2025 episode of Trade Tales, hosted by Kaitlin Petersen, Business of Home's editor-in-chief, listeners delve into the transformative journey of interior designer Arianne Bellizaire. This episode explores how Arianne shifted her perspective on success, moving away from industry norms to create a more fulfilling and manageable design firm. Through candid conversations, Arianne shares her challenges, pivots, and the insights that redefined her approach to business and creativity.

Arianne’s Early Career and Transition to Design

Arianne Bellizaire's path to interior design was anything but traditional. Initially aspiring to be a lawyer, Arianne's passion shifted during her political science pre-law studies. At a pivotal moment during a job fair, she faced harsh truths about her career prospects, leading her to reassess her strengths and interests.

[03:13] Arianne Bellizaire: "I actually grew up wanting to be Claire Huxtable. I wanted to be a lawyer with five kids. And I was determined to go to school for law. Shortly after my second semester in school, I realized two things..."

This realization propelled Arianne into the field of communications, where she discovered her true passion—design. Taking a hiatus to focus on her growing family in Houston, Arianne began transforming her own home, which sparked her interest in interior design.

[04:43] Arianne Bellizer: "I decided to take a bit of time off to really get us settled as a family. We had a 12-month-old little boy and I was pregnant with our second child. That kind of blip in the road created the space for me to just say, okay, until I'm ready to go back into the workforce, what am I just interested in learning about or doing?"

Building and Scaling the Design Firm

Arianne's journey from transforming her home to launching a professional design firm was marked by relentless learning and overcoming imposter syndrome. Leveraging her background in communications and marketing, she officially launched her firm in 2013.

[05:22] Kaitlyn Peterson: "As Ariane transformed her own home and began taking on projects for others, she unlocked a new creative energy. Along the way, she realized it might be her next chapter."

Arianne focused on building a value-driven business, emphasizing the transformative power of design and the importance of proper positioning to establish her firm's worth.

[07:11] Arianne Bellizer: "I always understood that positioning was important. And so starting those early projects, I just wanted to cover the cost of the project."

Challenges of Expanding the Team

Initially aiming for an extensive team structure inspired by Michael Gerber’s The E Myth, Arianne aspired to create a firm with specialized roles to optimize workflow and client experience. However, rapid expansion led to constant turnover and operational strain.

[15:23] Arianne Bellizer: "There are two things that I noticed in the last two years that shook that foundation and allowed me to really just kind of let it crumble and rebuild."

Shift to a Nimble Team Structure

Realizing the unsustainability of her initial business model, Arianne pivoted to a smaller, more agile team. This shift enabled her firm to maintain high standards without the burdens of managing a large staff. She emphasized hiring strategically, focusing on quality over quantity, and implementing a probationary period to ensure team compatibility.

[19:03] Arianne Bellizer: "How small and nimble can we be to deliver an excellent product with the right people?"

Arianne now leads a "tiny but mighty" team of four, each member embodying a spirit of excellence and autonomy.

[21:14] Arianne Bellizer: "I'll build out the team and infrastructure. I'll do the thing because I want the clients to have the ultimate experience."

Redefining Client Experience and Hospitality

Arianne shifted her focus from extravagant gestures to meaningful, subtle touches that resonate deeply with clients. This approach not only reduced costs but also enhanced the personal connection with clients.

[39:48] Arianne Bellizer: "It's about that person feeling seen and heard in the smallest of ways."

An example of this refined approach is a project where Arianne integrated subtle elements reflecting a client's faith without compromising the homeowner's preferences, resulting in a deeply personalized and appreciated design.

[41:56] Arianne Bellizer: "By the end of it, he felt so seen that he teared up."

The Role of Mentors and Influences

Arianne credits her father, a wedding videographer, and influential business literature, such as The E Myth by Michael Gerber and Unreasonable Hospitality, for shaping her business philosophy. These influences underscored the importance of efficient processes and exceptional client experiences.

[16:09] Arianne Bellizer: "...The E Myth by Michael Gerber... Unreasonable Hospitality by... that is my favorite book because it spoke so much to me and what I aspire to have my clients experience."

Experience with the TV Show

A significant milestone in Arianne's career was her participation in a television show akin to Extreme Makeover Home Edition. This experience not only expanded her visibility but also reinforced the importance of clear communication and team synergy in delivering successful projects.

[57:32] Arianne Bellizer: "So the first is, you remember I talked about that questionnaire and the three things that drive a project. Scope is always the best case."

Through the show, Arianne learned valuable lessons about maintaining project timelines and managing client expectations, which she seamlessly integrated into her business practices.

Lessons Learned and Redefining Success

Arianne's definition of success evolved from aspiring to be an AD100 top design firm to valuing personal freedom, family time, and the ability to pursue creative opportunities without compromising her integrity or well-being.

[65:43] Arianne Bellizer: "Success now looks like me having someone call me and say, can you go to Italy for a week to an antique show... I have control of my schedule. I have a team that I know is competent, capable, and excited to do the work."

This redefined success emphasizes balance, creative fulfillment, and the ability to say yes to opportunities that align with her personal and professional values.

Conclusion

Arianne Bellizaire's story, as shared in this episode of Trade Tales, is a testament to the power of introspection, adaptability, and the courage to redefine success on one's own terms. By shifting from a large, structured team to a nimble, high-excellence group, Arianne has created a sustainable and fulfilling business model that prioritizes both creative integrity and personal well-being. Her journey offers valuable insights for interior designers and entrepreneurs seeking to find their unique path in the industry.

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

Arianne Bellizer [03:13]: "I actually grew up wanting to be Claire Huxtable. I wanted to be a lawyer with five kids..."
Arianne Bellizer [07:11]: "I always understood that positioning was important. And so starting those early projects, I just wanted to cover the cost of the project."
Arianne Bellizer [39:48]: "It's about that person feeling seen and heard in the smallest of ways."
Arianne Bellizer [65:43]: "Success now looks like me having someone call me and say, can you go to Italy for a week to an antique show..."

Key Takeaways

Embrace Change: Arianne's willingness to pivot from law to communications and eventually to interior design underscores the importance of adapting to one's true passions.
Quality Over Quantity: Moving from a large team to a smaller, highly competent group allowed Arianne to maintain excellence without the operational burdens of a larger firm.
Meaningful Client Interactions: Focusing on subtle, personalized touches rather than extravagant gestures can create deeper client connections and increase satisfaction.
Clear Communication: Whether through streamlined client onboarding processes or consistent team communication, clarity is crucial in managing expectations and delivering successful projects.
Redefining Success: Personal and professional fulfillment should guide definitions of success, prioritizing well-being and creative freedom over industry accolades.

Final Thoughts

Arianne Bellizer's journey is a powerful example for designers and entrepreneurs alike. It highlights the significance of aligning business practices with personal values and the courage to deviate from conventional success metrics. By fostering a culture of excellence, trust, and meaningful client relationships, Arianne has crafted a thriving design firm that not only delivers exceptional work but also sustains personal happiness and professional integrity.

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Transcript696 lines

[00:02]
Ariane Belizer
This journey as a designer has taught me that there's so much that we don't control.
[00:07]
Unnamed Team Member
It takes the trust of my team.
[00:09]
Ariane Belizer
To make sure that it gets to the finish line.
[00:10]
Unnamed Team Member
It takes the trust of my clients, and it takes the trust of our.
[00:13]
Ariane Belizer
Trades and manufacturers, people who don't work for us.
[00:15]
Unnamed Team Member
But we have to lean on them.
[00:17]
Ariane Belizer
To get the vision to the finish line. That is the hardest part of this job. It really is.
[00:26]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Hi, I'm Kaitlyn Peterson, the editor in chief of Business of Home. Welcome to Trade Tale. We're back for season seven of the show, where I'll be talking to interior designers about the challenges, pivots and perspective shifts that come with growing a design firm. My hope is that you hear your own why echoed in these stories, or an idea, or a way of doing business that sparks your own breakthrough. I hope it helps you realize that even when times are tough and entrepreneurship feels lonely, you're not alone. My guest today is a designer who was working hard to build a large firm, only to realize that the pursuit of what she thought success was supposed to look like had taken the joy out of the work. She let her old dream go and started working on a new one, a nimbler team, fresh opportunities and reclaiming her love of design. I can't wait to share it with you, but first, a quick word from our sponsors. This podcast is sponsored by Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams, now a proud member of the Surya Inc. Family of brands and available exclusively to the trade. Mitchell Gold and Bob Williams upholds a legacy of American craftsmanship, creating heirloom quality furniture that blends timeless style with modern sensibilities. With more than 300 fabrics and leathers available for customization, each piece is made by hand with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring lasting beauty and comfort. Open your trade account today@mgbw.com this podcast is sponsored by Regina Gina Andrew, a luxury lifestyle brand specializing in lighting, furniture and decor. Born in the Paris of the Midwest, the company's roots run deep in a city it calls Home Detroit. The city's singular style and character have shaped who they are, what they make and how they make it. With a deep commitment to soulfully crafting heirloom quality items, their pursuit of inspiration has taken them across the world to discover materials and forms that drive their designs. Crafted with passionate attention to detail and a quest to deliver the unexpected, Regina Andrews products, much like the journey that inspired them, each have a story. Start shopping for your next project@reginaandrew.com market. You'll save 15% off your next purchase by using the code TRADETALES15 at checkout now through July 1st. Start shopping today at reginaandrew.com market.
[03:13]
Ariane Belizer
I actually grew up wanting to be Claire Huxtable. I wanted to be a lawyer with five kids. And I was determined to go to school for law. Shortly after my second semester in school, I realized two things. One, I was not passionate about my political science pre law classes. And I went to a job fair with my best friend who at the time was majoring in computer science. Everyone wanted to talk to her and no one, absolutely no one wanted to talk to someone who had a political science pre law major. Until one brave soul, he looks at me and when I introduced myself and he said, what are you going to.
[03:46]
Unnamed Team Member
Do with yourself if you don't go to law school? Like, what's the value of a political.
[03:50]
Ariane Belizer
Science pre law degree? And I had nothing. Like, nothing. I remember my, my face just kind of fell and my heart was like in my shoes. But also the power of someone speaking the truth and not just what you want to hear. I left that job fair. I cried. The next morning I was in the library researching careers. The two things I knew I was good at was communicating and being of service to people. And so I landed on the field of communications.
[04:19]
Kaitlyn Peterson
That's Ariane Belizer. She went on to earn two degrees in communications and set off on a decade long corporate career. Before long, she got married and moved with her growing family to Houston where a work hiatus gave her a chance to recalibrate.
[04:35]
Ariane Belizer
I decided to take a bit of time off to really get us settled as a family. We had a 12 month old little boy and I was pregnant with our second child. That kind of blip in the road.
[04:44]
Unnamed Team Member
Created the space for me to just.
[04:45]
Ariane Belizer
Say, okay, until I'm ready to go back into the workforce, what am I just interested in learning about or doing? I just fell passionately in love with the idea of creating a home for my family. Everything from picking the paint colors to.
[04:57]
Unnamed Team Member
Shopping for the furniture and accessories and.
[04:59]
Ariane Belizer
Like, I just loved doing it so much and I didn't realize that I had a T. I thought that my eye was what everybody had. And it wasn't until I was meeting new moms and friends in Houston who would come to my home and say, can you come help me pick paint colors? As someone who is very like charted, I have a plan for everything. It was the most accidental way to fall into my passion.
[05:22]
Kaitlyn Peterson
As Ariane transformed her own home and began taking on projects for others, she unlocked A new creative energy. Along the way, she realized it might be her next chapter.
[05:34]
Ariane Belizer
When I figured this was something that I would not mind, you know, exploring as a career, I just don't write it. I started researching conferences that I could attend and I started reading every blog and every coffee table book and like, what courses can I take? I took a correspondence course to learn drafting. Like, the thirst for information, I just couldn't quench it. And that was a really great tell for me coming into it secondarily, I did have a bit of imposter syndrome. And what I used to overcome that was a constant need for information. Just making sure that I could respect my clients as well as the industry. As I was entering these unchartered waters for me, fast forward, here we are 12 years later. You know, I just have never looked back since I got that indication that this was the right thing for me.
[06:17]
Kaitlyn Peterson
In 2013, Ariane officially launched her firm.
[06:21]
Unnamed Interviewer
I wanted to talk to her about.
[06:23]
Kaitlyn Peterson
The books that helped her imagine a new future for her business, why she no longer hires out of desperation, and how she finally abandoned the idea that she needed a large team to achieve her dreams.
[06:37]
Unnamed Interviewer
How long was the gap between this could be my career? Like, I'm going to look into this to, like, I have a business, I am taking projects, I am charging for my work. What was that transition phase for you.
[06:49]
Ariane Belizer
For probably about two to three years. I would not make money. I would just say, look, you know, if you've got a budget for the products, let's, let's just use that. And I use that as kind of my case study. I understood, you know, the great thing about having a background in communications and marketing and quite honestly, the corporate work environment, is that I always understood that.
[07:10]
Unnamed Team Member
There had to be a value proposition.
[07:11]
Ariane Belizer
I always understood that positioning was important. And so starting those early projects, I just wanted to cover the cost of the project.
[07:19]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Right?
[07:19]
Ariane Belizer
It was just me. I didn't have a salary, I didn't have a team. And you can be that nimble when you are not responsible for people's livelihood as you grow. You know, when I just decided to.
[07:28]
Unnamed Team Member
Formalize my business in charge, it was.
[07:30]
Ariane Belizer
Because, one, I wanted to be taken more seriously. Two, I understood that I did offer value. I understood the transformative power of design. I could see the change I was making in people's lives and I knew that there was value attached to that. And if you continue to do it.
[07:42]
Unnamed Team Member
For free, you will devalue what you're doing.
[07:45]
Ariane Belizer
So there's that tipping point, right yeah. Of not just I need to get my foot in the door and prove myself, but now I need to establish a value. Figuring out how much to charge, obviously was different story. Different story for sure. But, you know, that is the iteration of the design designer's journey that I think all of us can relate to is just figuring out that sweet spot. And it always comes back to what you're offering versus what it costs to offer that.
[08:09]
Unnamed Interviewer
As someone who had your sights on a corporate career, did that pivot to, like, entrepreneurship or decorating scare you off a little bit? Was there fear in that? Or, like, was there? Did you second guess that piece of it?
[08:23]
Ariane Belizer
In the beginning, I never once doubted.
[08:27]
Unnamed Team Member
The entrepreneurial route in this thing.
[08:29]
Ariane Belizer
And I think the reason for that is because I had a really great model in my father. I talk about the fact that and you, you know me and my background in video. And so part of my way of communicating when I really started to launch my business was I would blog, but I would also do videos for YouTube. Video has always been a part of.
[08:46]
Unnamed Team Member
My brand because my dad was a.
[08:48]
Ariane Belizer
Wedding videographer when I was growing up. And every weekend, me, my brother, and.
[08:53]
Unnamed Team Member
My sister were his staff, his assistants.
[08:55]
Ariane Belizer
And we would help set up for the wedding. We would see him spend the whole.
[08:58]
Unnamed Team Member
Weekend editing the videos and creating these.
[09:00]
Ariane Belizer
Really great products for these clients.
[09:02]
Unnamed Team Member
He always had business.
[09:03]
Ariane Belizer
He understood how to market himself.
[09:05]
Unnamed Team Member
He was a salesperson by trade, so.
[09:06]
Ariane Belizer
He sold janitorial products. But watching him sell and watching him be an entrepreneur on the weekend was such a powerful model that I didn't realize as a child I was internalizing.
[09:16]
Unnamed Team Member
And so my dad showed me that.
[09:18]
Ariane Belizer
Running your own business is possible and you can create time for it. He had a full time job during the week, but he would spend all weekend doing his passion projects of these weddings and never complained about it. And so that's kind of the. The way that I decided to roll into my business. But then I realized I do also have so many assets that I bring to this industry because of the, you know, long, meandering route that it took me to get there. So never had any doubt that entrepreneurship was the way to go. I definitely know that mentorship has been instrumental and, you know, conversations with peers.
[09:52]
Unnamed Team Member
About how they do things and them.
[09:53]
Ariane Belizer
Being willing to not be gatekeepers has helped for sure. But. But charting always felt like the right thing to do.
[10:00]
Unnamed Interviewer
I want to talk more about the videos and how that fueled some of your early growth or how that shaped the. The way that your career has unfolded. What Was the first video. What was sort of the impetus for you to say, I need to just get out there and talk about the work I'm doing?
[10:17]
Unnamed Team Member
Everyone at the time when I was.
[10:19]
Ariane Belizer
And I would say when I was launching my business in Houston, it was 2012. Ish. So I had missed.
[10:26]
Unnamed Team Member
I had missed the big push of blogging. Right.
[10:29]
Ariane Belizer
I had missed that 2008. Everyone who did that was now riding the wave in 2012, and I was now watching what they were doing and going, oh, my gosh, like, I wish I had known to be doing this. Right, Right. And so I decided to start my own blog. And I'm telling you, the perfectionist in me is why video came to play, to sit and format a blog in 2012. I don't know if you guys can remember this. I'm dating myself. But it was not.
[10:54]
Unnamed Team Member
I mean, to format it correctly, to insert photos, to take really great photography.
[10:58]
Ariane Belizer
Like, it was a labor. It was. It was so much work for me. And I think it's because I was so hard on myself and I was so particular about the product that came out of it. I couldn't. It was never going to be a point for me where it was like, look back at my first years and, oh, that was rough. No, no, no. I wanted to come out the gate like, that girl has always had it together. And so after a couple of weeks of writing a blog and doing the photograph, learning how to, you know, shoot.
[11:23]
Unnamed Team Member
Photography, you did all the things, all the things.
[11:25]
Ariane Belizer
I was like, this is not sustainable for me. I have two little kids. I am crying at the. Because you had to be consistent as.
[11:33]
Unnamed Interviewer
Well, like daily to post every day. And.
[11:36]
Ariane Belizer
Yeah, yeah.
[11:37]
Unnamed Team Member
And I didn't have a team or anyone.
[11:38]
Ariane Belizer
And so I said, you know what?
[11:40]
Unnamed Team Member
Let me tell you what feels a.
[11:41]
Ariane Belizer
Lot more natural for me. I could so easily take this DSLR camera, plug it up, get some, turn it around and talk to the camera. Yeah. And that is what I did.
[11:51]
Unnamed Team Member
So my YouTube videos were literally me talking.
[11:54]
Ariane Belizer
And then what I would do is take that video, edit it, because, again, I watched my dad do it.
[11:58]
Unnamed Team Member
And I loved video editing.
[11:59]
Ariane Belizer
It was a creative outlet for me.
[12:01]
Unnamed Team Member
Figuring out the titles and the transitions.
[12:03]
Ariane Belizer
And the music and the bells and whistles I loved. I could do that for hours. And I was putting out so many more videos than blogs because I was passionate about that medium. So I would take the finished product, I would transcribe it, and that was the blog. So I got a two for one. That was really the genesis of the.
[12:22]
Unnamed Team Member
YouTube era for me.
[12:23]
Ariane Belizer
And it was me talking about my passion for learning, learning to love design. And because I was doing it so.
[12:29]
Unnamed Team Member
Confidently and naturally and.
[12:31]
Ariane Belizer
And I was an outlier at the time, right? Brands noticed me.
[12:34]
Unnamed Team Member
And so very early on, I had.
[12:36]
Ariane Belizer
Brands sending me all over the world. I went to Germany, I went to Spain, I went to Vegas for Cay. But, like, I went to all of these really great design events because I was the video girl where everyone else was the blogger. I was the girl doing video. And it opened the door for opportunities.
[12:52]
Unnamed Team Member
For me to make relationships with brands.
[12:54]
Ariane Belizer
And people that I would never have made in my early years as a designer. And that is what strengthened not only my credibility as a designer, but also.
[13:02]
Unnamed Team Member
The projects and what I could bring to those projects. I was seeing more of the world.
[13:06]
Ariane Belizer
And so I had a different perspective that I could bring to my projects.
[13:09]
Unnamed Interviewer
How did that translate to Instagram? I feel like I remember in that era seeing you seeing those videos on Instagram, and I feel like you were really able to grow an audience quickly there then as well, by kind of talking to the phone.
[13:26]
Ariane Belizer
I feel late to the game on Instagram as well.
[13:29]
Unnamed Team Member
I was at the Design influencers conference.
[13:31]
Ariane Belizer
In 2014, and I was sitting at a table with a friend of mine, Cheryl, and she was like, what's your Instagram handle? And I was like, what is that? And she goes, you're not on Instagram. I'm like, no. And so she's like, you have to get on it. And I remember that day creating a profile and starting to post on Instagram and just doing short forms of my video. And again, I felt so much like an outlaw because Instagram at that time was very much photos, curated photos, but I was doing video on it. And again, I think that's one of those things that made me different. I think that the overarching theme that you could probably take away from my journey is, you know, being okay with being the outlier, being okay with being the one who's different.
[14:09]
Unnamed Team Member
Because even though it feels uncomfortable in.
[14:10]
Ariane Belizer
The moment, it becomes your superpower when others are looking at a sea of people who all kind of look the same, and you're the one person marching to your own beat. And again, it's scary, and you are doubting yourself in that moment. But.
[14:24]
Unnamed Team Member
But if you just stick to the courage of. But this is what feels right to.
[14:28]
Ariane Belizer
Me, and I'm going to do it confidently, it becomes a great asset for you as you grow your business.
[14:33]
Unnamed Interviewer
So many people I talk to on this show and Elsewhere, talk a lot about this idea that there's a sort.
[14:42]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Of driving narrative of what your business.
[14:44]
Unnamed Interviewer
Should look like in the design industry. How have you kind of kept that at arm's length or what have you intentionally done to say maybe that's not for me?
[14:53]
Ariane Belizer
It is absolutely for me in full transparency. I have bought into that at a time. So I. You know, when I decided to go all in on this thing, I realized that I wanted to aspire to be an AD100 company. I wanted to be a firm that was known internationally for the great work that we did. I wanted a team. I mean, a huge team that allowed everybody to work in their own zone of genius. So, you know, that means we're not doing overlapping work. I want the person who's hired to.
[15:23]
Unnamed Team Member
Do this one thing to be the.
[15:24]
Ariane Belizer
Best at that one thing.
[15:25]
Unnamed Team Member
And that means a team of 20.
[15:26]
Ariane Belizer
Is going to be map out. And so for, I would say, years, I built toward that. I built toward having the ultimate team because I wanted the ultimate experience for my clients. And there are two things that I noticed in the last two years that shook that foundation and allowed me to really just kind of let it crumble and rebuild.
[15:48]
Unnamed Team Member
One, observing other designers who looked like they had it together, and they always.
[15:51]
Ariane Belizer
Had an entourage or team. And that's a very powerful. That's a powerful visual.
[15:55]
Kaitlyn Peterson
That's a powerful visual.
[15:56]
Unnamed Interviewer
Yeah.
[15:57]
Unnamed Team Member
But I'm also someone who reads and studies business and personal development, and there.
[16:01]
Ariane Belizer
Are books that have informed the way that I wanted to run a business. The first was the E Myth by Michael Gerber. I loved that book. And the idea of really kind of.
[16:09]
Unnamed Team Member
Creating a franchisable business that could function.
[16:12]
Ariane Belizer
Without you and having processes in place and people in place to do that. That was number one, the book that kind of went, okay, well, let's start.
[16:19]
Unnamed Team Member
Building out this whole team and this.
[16:21]
Ariane Belizer
Whole operating manual and do the thing. And then the second book that really resonated with me was Unreasonable Hospitality by thank you. That is my favorite book because I.
[16:33]
Unnamed Team Member
Feel like it spoke so much to.
[16:35]
Ariane Belizer
Me and what I aspire to have my clients experience, you know, the ultimate experience.
[16:40]
Unnamed Team Member
But that requires a team and people.
[16:43]
Ariane Belizer
To give them that. And so there's one part of you that says, okay, I'm down.
[16:47]
Unnamed Team Member
I'll build out the team and infrastructure.
[16:49]
Ariane Belizer
I'll do the thing because I want the clients to have the ultimate experience. But then you realize there's a price tag that is associated with that experience. You have to charge a whole lot.
[17:00]
Unnamed Team Member
More to deliver to Your clients, that.
[17:03]
Ariane Belizer
Value proposition, if it is wrapped in an experience, because that experience costs money. You know, our clients, when we were really all in on this, everything from.
[17:11]
Unnamed Team Member
Learning their favorite snacks to have in.
[17:13]
Ariane Belizer
The office when they came in for meetings, to giving them surprise gifts, you know, when they would show up, or just dropping them a little happy, or you know, providing like fresh flowers throughout the house when we did the inside, all those things. Again, nothing's wrong with that. But there is a cost to that.
[17:29]
Unnamed Team Member
That you have to build in and sell. And so it makes the selling proposition.
[17:33]
Ariane Belizer
Of what you do a little bit, you know, more niche, right? You have now instead of a pool.
[17:38]
Unnamed Team Member
Of clients that's a hundred, now you've.
[17:40]
Ariane Belizer
Got 10 who value that experience and can afford what you want to provide. And let's not also talk about the team, the salaries, the benefits that it costs to provide said experience. So building that out, I remember when I was deep in it, I had hired a consulting firm to work with me and I said, look, this is the year that I really just need to take this thing to the next level because there are so many things I want to do. I want to let my business kind of be running on its own, make.
[18:04]
Unnamed Team Member
Sure that the clients can have the right experience.
[18:06]
Ariane Belizer
But I want to go pursue these.
[18:08]
Unnamed Team Member
Other things that I feel like I'm harvesting. I'm harvesting brand partnerships and licensing.
[18:13]
Ariane Belizer
I worked hard for that, but I.
[18:14]
Unnamed Team Member
Can'T do that and be in the.
[18:15]
Ariane Belizer
Weeds of the day to day. And this very expensive consultant firm spent months with me. I mean, we would have all day meetings and they would basically tell me, you have to, you have to ascend.
[18:26]
Unnamed Team Member
To the role of CEO and you.
[18:27]
Ariane Belizer
Have to move a certain way and work a certain way and have these.
[18:30]
Unnamed Team Member
Meetings and have this space between your team and you have to build out your team.
[18:33]
Ariane Belizer
And I was never more exhausted in my life. It was almost how I felt going to those pre law classes. The joy that I had in design was taken away because what I was.
[18:44]
Unnamed Team Member
Learning was to do that and provide.
[18:46]
Ariane Belizer
That experience, I had to lock in on being the business administrator and not the creator. And that was when my foundation was shaken. That's when I, to your point, you.
[18:56]
Unnamed Team Member
Know, separated myself from this need to.
[18:59]
Ariane Belizer
Have this full scaled team to, okay, well what can we do?
[19:03]
Unnamed Team Member
How small and nimble can we be to deliver an excellent product with the right people?
[19:09]
Ariane Belizer
That is a fair cost and allows me the freedom to explore opportunities like television. And that's where we are now. And again, it took that grieving of what I thought the dream of my.
[19:20]
Unnamed Team Member
Design firm would be.
[19:21]
Ariane Belizer
But I. I have to tell you, standing in it today, I've never felt so light and free and properly aligned and positioned with where I'm going. But it took stepping back and noticing the cues, right? Noticing what my body was telling me, noticing how much I would dread going to the office because I was like.
[19:42]
Unnamed Team Member
Oh, my gosh, when I walk in.
[19:43]
Ariane Belizer
I have all these people who need me.
[19:46]
Unnamed Interviewer
For people to meet the mission, you have to define the mission. Did the mission you had before serve you, or did you have to find sort of a new purpose as you were making this change?
[19:57]
Unnamed Team Member
There were times in the attrition, the ebbs and flows of, you know, someone working and then someone leaving and trying.
[20:03]
Ariane Belizer
To hire a new person to come in. I would almost feel bad and feel like, well, am I unreasonable to the.
[20:09]
Unnamed Team Member
Point of the book?
[20:09]
Ariane Belizer
Unreasonable hospitality? Am I unreasonable in my standard that. That I need to really let things go and be comfortable with good enough in some instances? And I have in the last three years, come to the conclusion that my.
[20:25]
Unnamed Team Member
Spirit of excellence is one of my superpowers.
[20:28]
Ariane Belizer
And what I need to do is really be bold and loud about it so that it attracts the people who want to work with someone with that type of spirit. And because of that, we have a team of four. It's a tiny but mighty team. But because everyone has that. That internal spirit of excellence, I'm not moving them, I'm not pushing them up the hill. And so that makes this small team feel right, because I know that I can trust that with me not being looking over their shoulder every day.
[20:57]
Unnamed Team Member
They're going to do the work that's required because it's important to them. It fuels them to do it right.
[21:02]
Ariane Belizer
It's not an external, you know, motivation or recognition that they need to be able to do the work the right way.
[21:10]
Unnamed Interviewer
How do you hire for that?
[21:11]
Ariane Belizer
You know, there is something to hiring slow and firing fast.
[21:15]
Unnamed Team Member
Yeah, there is really something to that.
[21:16]
Ariane Belizer
And so, number one, I no longer hire out of desperation. I don't hire someone that I need yesterday because I want to make sure that I can be very thoughtful, intentional about the questions I'm asking in the way that we enter this working relationship. That's number one. Number two, I am very, very, very clear about, like, we just do what it takes to get it right. When we tell a client we're going to do something, it's our word.
[21:38]
Unnamed Team Member
Our word is important. When we work with a contractor, we.
[21:40]
Ariane Belizer
Expect them to and honor and respect our time like, we respect their time, like. And I'm very, very. I give lots of scenarios and case studies about why it's important in that initial conversation, because I wanted to be so clear that it is not just lip service.
[21:55]
Unnamed Team Member
It is absolutely the expectation of what.
[21:57]
Ariane Belizer
It takes to work for our firm.
[21:59]
Unnamed Team Member
The third thing is a probationary period. That's something I learned recently.
[22:03]
Ariane Belizer
So I used to. Again, I, you know, drank the Kool Aid too. And that person would come in and say all the right things, and I'd be like, oh, my gosh, my life.
[22:10]
Unnamed Team Member
Is going to be changed. I'm going to be.
[22:11]
Ariane Belizer
Have someone who can help me, and it's gonna be great. And then they would come in and, you know, first couple weeks, everybody's excited. But then the first time we hit a roadblock and you really are tested.
[22:22]
Unnamed Team Member
You see how they respond to pressure or how they respond to feedback, or.
[22:26]
Ariane Belizer
You know, and you go, man, I kind of missed those red flags. So now the probationary period is really.
[22:33]
Unnamed Team Member
Communicated in a way where it's mutually beneficial.
[22:35]
Ariane Belizer
The way that I present it is because we're both dating and not sure we want to be married yet. We're gonna have a period of time where you are interviewing me and I'm interviewing you.
[22:46]
Unnamed Team Member
You're seeing how I am as a.
[22:47]
Ariane Belizer
Manager and as a leader, and I.
[22:50]
Unnamed Team Member
Am seeing how you are as a team member.
[22:52]
Ariane Belizer
And we get to come back in.
[22:53]
Unnamed Team Member
90 days and really be honest about.
[22:55]
Ariane Belizer
Whether or not we think this is the right fit.
[22:57]
Unnamed Team Member
And it has worked.
[22:57]
Ariane Belizer
I had an executive assistant come in, and we did a 90 day probationary period.
[23:02]
Unnamed Team Member
I thought she was amazing.
[23:04]
Ariane Belizer
She for herself, she couldn't handle feedback.
[23:07]
Unnamed Team Member
Because she was a perfectionist. And she felt like she was. She felt like she was letting me down.
[23:11]
Ariane Belizer
And I'm like, girl, that's like, we all make mistakes.
[23:13]
Unnamed Interviewer
It's how we respond.
[23:15]
Ariane Belizer
And she, at the end of 90.
[23:16]
Unnamed Team Member
Days, is like, it's not the right fit for me.
[23:18]
Ariane Belizer
I just feel like I could never live up to what you need. And I'm like, that's such a miss. But I get it. Like, I would have stuck it out for you, but you would have been uncomfortable. And this 90 days gave us both a chance to say, does this feel right? And I know that that's going to be the plan that we use moving forward as we decide what's the right role to expand into. Right now, we've got the right amount.
[23:41]
Unnamed Team Member
Of designers for our workload. Again, wanting to make sure that the.
[23:44]
Ariane Belizer
Experience we Create is fairly priced. It doesn't knock us out of the market, but we can deliver an excellent product.
[23:50]
Unnamed Team Member
The two designers, the one project manager and the creative director who's also a.
[23:53]
Ariane Belizer
Designer, that is working really well for us. And so we will have to decide when we feel like it's appropriate to bring someone else on and what role, what gap would they feel?
[24:07]
Kaitlyn Peterson
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[24:46]
Unnamed Interviewer
How did your team have to change as you moved into this new phase of business? I'm guessing you were bigger.
[24:53]
Ariane Belizer
Yes.
[24:54]
Unnamed Interviewer
How did that evolve?
[24:56]
Unnamed Team Member
We definitely had to shed and it.
[24:57]
Ariane Belizer
Was really me rethinking again the experience and process. So in 2022, I spent a month documenting this e myth process. Going to be a franchise, right? It was going to be a book and it was like a thousand page book. And it was every step that it took from the time that a client.
[25:14]
Unnamed Team Member
Called with an inquiry, potential client called.
[25:16]
Ariane Belizer
With an inquiry to we were offloading a project. And within that process I had identified 20 roles. At the time we had seven.
[25:24]
Unnamed Team Member
Seven roles.
[25:25]
Ariane Belizer
And so for me, I wanted everyone who worked to be able to work in their zone of genius on their singular role. And that's why it was 20. So I needed if it were do multiple projects.
[25:36]
Unnamed Team Member
I wanted three designers, each designer to.
[25:38]
Ariane Belizer
Have design support and then a project.
[25:40]
Unnamed Team Member
Manager assigned to multiple projects.
[25:43]
Ariane Belizer
I wanted a customer service person who could make sure that that we were.
[25:46]
Unnamed Team Member
Delivering excellent customer service to our clients.
[25:49]
Ariane Belizer
I wanted an executive assistant who can make sure that my life was being lifed and managed and had new sounds. Yes, it does. So by the time I had identified all of these roles, it was about 20 roles. And I was like, okay, well we're going to have to start building this train as we go. Well, as I was trying to build.
[26:06]
Unnamed Team Member
To 20, one person would leave and get another opportunity.
[26:10]
Ariane Belizer
Another person, you know, a couple of them were the interns who were aspiring to be in that adaptive design assistant role.
[26:15]
Unnamed Team Member
Well then they were graduating, deciding to move to a different city.
[26:18]
Ariane Belizer
And so it was almost like I couldn't get traction. I couldn't, you know, continue to grow because I was having to backfill the original roles that were spreading and sharing the workload of this 20 person system that I wanted. We were also doing a lot more projects, projects per year to bring in.
[26:36]
Unnamed Team Member
The right amount of revenue for the seven people I had.
[26:39]
Ariane Belizer
And it was way more work than.
[26:40]
Unnamed Team Member
Any of us wanted to be doing.
[26:41]
Ariane Belizer
We were literally exhausted. So again, stepping back and saying, well, what is the end goal? Is it to make money and have enough money to support a multimillion dollar.
[26:52]
Unnamed Team Member
Operation a year, or is it delivering really great design to people that we love working with?
[26:58]
Ariane Belizer
And how many projects does that take and how many, how much steps does it take to support that? That was the question I had to ask myself. And that is when we started going, okay, well, when that last, you know, when we had three designers, we lost one. Okay. Instead of going, I gotta fill that designer role, I went, okay, well now we're down to two.
[27:15]
Unnamed Team Member
But we have less projects.
[27:16]
Ariane Belizer
And then the other designer left and now we're down to one. Okay, so I do need two prop.
[27:20]
Unnamed Team Member
Two designers at least.
[27:21]
Ariane Belizer
But I don't need to. You know, it's like it was that constant what is needed versus what can I let go of and just adjust?
[27:29]
Unnamed Team Member
And.
[27:30]
Ariane Belizer
And that has been the secret sauce in making and refining and iterating the.
[27:35]
Unnamed Team Member
Vision for what the org chart looks.
[27:37]
Ariane Belizer
Like and why you hear me so.
[27:39]
Unnamed Team Member
Confidently and comfortably talk about the four we have.
[27:42]
Ariane Belizer
Because I know we're getting the work done.
[27:44]
Unnamed Interviewer
Can you tell me about sort of what that org chart looks like? You said creative director, designer, designer, project manager. How does work filter through those team members?
[27:54]
Ariane Belizer
So our org chart right now looks.
[27:56]
Unnamed Team Member
Like me as the CEO and creative director. We have a project manager who manages all of our residential and commercial projects and really serves as the design support.
[28:04]
Ariane Belizer
For, you know, once that project is in execution phase. From procurement to, you know, scheduling, installation, status checks, and anything that has to be done at the end of a project to make sure we make good, that's what the project manager role is, is right now. And then we have two designers who support all of our technical design functions, all of our renderings, all of our anything that it takes to communicate the concept and intention of the design, they.
[28:30]
Unnamed Team Member
Are supporting me in the day to.
[28:31]
Ariane Belizer
Day to that we learned to outsource and contract the other things.
[28:36]
Unnamed Team Member
So we no longer have a headcount.
[28:38]
Ariane Belizer
For an accountant because we outsource that.
[28:40]
Unnamed Team Member
We have a law firm that looks.
[28:41]
Ariane Belizer
At all of our Contracts outsource that.
[28:43]
Unnamed Team Member
We have an answering service that answers all of our calls very professionally and sends us messages.
[28:48]
Ariane Belizer
So now we don't have a person.
[28:49]
Unnamed Team Member
Who'S just a receptionist.
[28:51]
Ariane Belizer
So it's rethinking and being very conscious of what needed to be an in house, true headcount versus what could be contract based and outsourced for the work.
[29:01]
Unnamed Interviewer
Was there other stuff you outsourced as well?
[29:04]
Ariane Belizer
So we also outsourced our renderings, which used to take a long time. We had invested in the computers and.
[29:11]
Unnamed Team Member
The programs and the softwares in our office to do the renderings.
[29:14]
Ariane Belizer
And between. It's not working. No, not just the time that it takes, but what I figured out is.
[29:20]
Unnamed Team Member
There are people who. That's all they do is render.
[29:23]
Ariane Belizer
And when I tell you, I compare.
[29:25]
Unnamed Team Member
Their renderings to what we did.
[29:26]
Ariane Belizer
We were very proud of our renderings. But when I would get the output for these outsourced companies, it was bells and whistles above and beyond what we could do. I mean, so again, it was really being smarter about all of the resources that we had built into our value proposition. When we presented a proposal to a client and we said with good faith.
[29:44]
Unnamed Team Member
It takes us this much money to.
[29:46]
Ariane Belizer
Deliver you this experience, what I realized was I was absolutely correct and I was not, you know, blowing smoke.
[29:53]
Unnamed Team Member
It cost this much money to give you this experience.
[29:55]
Ariane Belizer
But. But is that really what's required to.
[29:58]
Unnamed Team Member
Give you good design? That's the tension point.
[30:01]
Ariane Belizer
That's where we go from.
[30:03]
Unnamed Team Member
I love unreasonable hospitality so much. I love the E myth so much.
[30:06]
Ariane Belizer
I love no rules so much. But what can we glean from it and apply in the real world that.
[30:12]
Unnamed Team Member
Doesn'T put us in a situation where.
[30:14]
Ariane Belizer
We are over producing, overselling? And in this market, it's really important.
[30:19]
Unnamed Team Member
To make sure that we are as nimble as possible, to anticipate the unexpected.
[30:25]
Ariane Belizer
The things that we don't even know how to prepare for. If we've got a huge train and it takes, you know, we need three to five business days to redirect that train, that is not going to serve us well in this current climate and market.
[30:39]
Unnamed Team Member
We need to be nimble.
[30:40]
Ariane Belizer
And I'm grateful that I started making.
[30:42]
Unnamed Team Member
That transition because I think in this.
[30:44]
Ariane Belizer
Day and age where we are, it's.
[30:45]
Unnamed Team Member
Going to serve me well to have.
[30:47]
Ariane Belizer
Really slimmed down our operations.
[30:49]
Unnamed Interviewer
How have you redefined your role? Where does your team see you? Where do your clients see you?
[30:56]
Ariane Belizer
So much of my initial value proposition was me. We were building a business around me and what that meant was the clients.
[31:03]
Unnamed Team Member
Needed me, the team needed me, everyone needed my face, my voice, my input.
[31:08]
Ariane Belizer
In order to move forward.
[31:09]
Unnamed Team Member
Right now we've evolved to.
[31:11]
Ariane Belizer
I really have bought into the mission.
[31:13]
Unnamed Team Member
Of being the creative director even more.
[31:14]
Ariane Belizer
Than CEO because I think the CEO moniker for me was when I wanted to be established as the leader of a team. Team.
[31:21]
Unnamed Team Member
Right, right now I am the creative director.
[31:23]
Ariane Belizer
I want people to know that anything you get out of our firm has my creative blessing.
[31:28]
Unnamed Team Member
I have led the creative direction of that.
[31:31]
Ariane Belizer
I just have really great people who support the mission of delivering that to you. I also am now really leaning into the idea of being the brand ambassador and so thinking about what is the lifestyle brand that could come out of Ariane Bella's interiors. What is my unique perspective if I want to partner with brands on licensing deals, what's the gap that I would feel? That's really where my role is today.
[31:54]
Unnamed Team Member
I spend much less time managing, which.
[31:56]
Ariane Belizer
I, again, fun fact, learned that I hated. I'm not a great manager because I don't like to be managed. So I'm not a great man. I'm like my, in my view look, no rules. Rules is me. You come to work, do your thing, I'm not bothering you, you don't bother me. But, but I also realize some people.
[32:11]
Unnamed Team Member
Do need a little bit more guidance than that.
[32:13]
Ariane Belizer
So I am not, not managing day to day. I am the creative director. My team, my two designers, they really solely, they interact with each other on projects, but they also manage themselves really, really well. And then my project manager is a.
[32:27]
Unnamed Team Member
Great support for all of us tying up the loose ends and making sure.
[32:29]
Ariane Belizer
Our projects are executed to completion.
[32:33]
Unnamed Interviewer
Does this mean you have mostly sort of senior level staff?
[32:37]
Ariane Belizer
That would be the way I categorize it. And it's great that you notice that because it's definitely another difference in the way I was building up my business. You know, I wanted to be the Google of interior design. I wanted to be the fun, cool place to work for the young people because I felt like young people weren't cynical and they were malleable and they were, you know, teachable and they didn't come with all these hang ups. But what I found is a couple things. One, with young people, there's lots of turnover because they don't know, they don't know what they do with their life. They don't know.
[33:05]
Unnamed Team Member
Number two, they need a lot more.
[33:07]
Ariane Belizer
You like, they need, they want to.
[33:09]
Unnamed Team Member
Learn and you have to be available to teach them.
[33:12]
Ariane Belizer
And if you are Aspiring to be someone who's not, you know, tied to every detail, then it's going to be tough for them if they're looking to you for guidance.
[33:21]
Unnamed Team Member
You have to have infrastructure in place.
[33:22]
Ariane Belizer
Hence the 20 people, because you now.
[33:24]
Unnamed Team Member
Have to have a design director who reports to you.
[33:28]
Ariane Belizer
So that was part of my, my.
[33:29]
Unnamed Team Member
My org chart when I built it.
[33:31]
Ariane Belizer
Out and it was 20 people deep.
[33:32]
Unnamed Team Member
It was a design director who would be that point of contact.
[33:35]
Unnamed Interviewer
Contact like that mentor, kind of like offering guidance.
[33:38]
Unnamed Team Member
Yes, the mentor, the day to day management, the, the task managing. That would be a design director, not me.
[33:44]
Ariane Belizer
I would still be able to be the creative director. So it was also, you know, out of fairness to a young team, building.
[33:50]
Unnamed Team Member
Out the infrastructure and level so that number one, they had the support and.
[33:53]
Ariane Belizer
Guidance on a daily basis, but also.
[33:55]
Unnamed Team Member
They had something to aspire to.
[33:57]
Ariane Belizer
It wasn't a flat plane, it was like, oh, I'm a junior designer today and then I can aspire to be.
[34:02]
Unnamed Team Member
A senior designer and I can aspire to be a design director. So you have to have a path.
[34:05]
Ariane Belizer
I understood business case for design that I think a lot of designers struggle.
[34:11]
Unnamed Team Member
With as they're trying to get help.
[34:12]
Ariane Belizer
It's like not understanding all of the.
[34:15]
Unnamed Team Member
Infrastructure you have to build out to.
[34:16]
Ariane Belizer
Really have a sustainable large, mid to large firm.
[34:20]
Unnamed Interviewer
What happened to that giant business plan you wrote out, the one that required 20 employees? Like how much is what's in there still driving the firm today?
[34:30]
Ariane Belizer
First of all, a lot of pride in that, you know, 150 page document frame that is. Yeah, exactly. It's sitting on my bookcase because of the work that I put into it. But in large part it's been, you know, really calling out the things that we can keep. So there are a few things that we are able to keep from that massive project that serve us well. One thing that we learned in the exercise of creating that operating manual and communications plan was the effective way to.
[34:57]
Unnamed Team Member
Communicate to the client what they can.
[35:00]
Ariane Belizer
Expect on the journey. And that has not changed. We still use the same language and we talk about the milestones that they will achieve as they work with us.
[35:08]
Unnamed Team Member
We talk about the phases of work.
[35:09]
Ariane Belizer
You know, the onboarding process, the initial.
[35:12]
Unnamed Team Member
Concepting process, the detailed design process. All of those things we still use as really powerful communication taglines so the.
[35:19]
Ariane Belizer
Client knows we're constantly moving. We also talk about, you know, giving us the space to do work without being forward facing, client facing. So again, I think what I gleaned out of that book, that manual that we are able to keep is when it comes to the internal operations. We know we can be very nimble.
[35:40]
Unnamed Team Member
But externally we have to be very.
[35:42]
Ariane Belizer
Consistent in how we present the case to the client. We have to always know what phase we're sitting in and how to communicate.
[35:50]
Unnamed Team Member
That phase to the client externally so that they feel comfort and security and.
[35:54]
Ariane Belizer
Stability in our process. And those two things have worked well.
[36:00]
Unnamed Team Member
It's again, I think, marrying the concepts.
[36:02]
Ariane Belizer
Of the E myth, which is what.
[36:05]
Unnamed Team Member
The client needs to feel safe, secure.
[36:07]
Ariane Belizer
And that this is not a fly by night operation. So to the extent that we can without being totally rigid, these are the phases of work. This is the journey you can count on. And it is true that journey largely.
[36:19]
Unnamed Team Member
Does not change for the client in.
[36:21]
Ariane Belizer
Terms of what they're experiencing.
[36:23]
Unnamed Team Member
But internally it's no rules rules, it's.
[36:25]
Ariane Belizer
Hey, you guys know, these are our targets. It might on our outline, original outline.
[36:30]
Unnamed Team Member
Say it takes four weeks to get to design concept, but if you get.
[36:32]
Ariane Belizer
To it in two, that's great, you know, or if you feel like we need another two weeks on the back end, we revert to how we communicate to that client, client the impact to their timeline. And so those are the ways that we kind of are able to keep a little bit of the work that I did on the front end, but also evolve to adjust to where we are right now as a business.
[36:52]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Who talks to your clients in this.
[36:55]
Ariane Belizer
Setup, we go back and lean on the superpower of me. So my clients, primarily when it is onboarding, when it is concept development, and when it is positioning for the handoff to project execution, know that I'm going.
[37:10]
Unnamed Team Member
To be their primary contact in terms of meetings.
[37:13]
Ariane Belizer
So support staff, you know, they still will, they're able to dialogue with our designers via email, phone call if they've.
[37:19]
Unnamed Team Member
Got questions in between.
[37:20]
Ariane Belizer
But I'm, I've gotten really good at positioning what is worth the conversation with.
[37:24]
Unnamed Team Member
Me versus what they can fully trust.
[37:25]
Ariane Belizer
My team to handle. When it gets to project execution, they know I will not be their point of contact. It's really important and here's why that was really important. I auditioned for the TV show in 2023, thinking it was a one show special. And then we got the pickup for a whole season. And I knew I was going to.
[37:46]
Unnamed Team Member
Be out of the office for three.
[37:48]
Ariane Belizer
Months, the majority of three months filming a show. I knew I couldn't have my clients going, well, what about my house? I mean, that's nice for you, but what's going to happen? I couldn't do that. So it was really important for, again, that team to understand the and for.
[38:03]
Unnamed Team Member
Us to work diligently toward anything that needed to be.
[38:06]
Ariane Belizer
My communication to the client. August 1st was our cutoff because August through October, I was filming project management. It was.
[38:14]
Unnamed Team Member
We communicated six months before that to the clients. Hey, when we get to this point, you're not going to see me, but it's okay, because you will have seen.
[38:22]
Ariane Belizer
The project manager and the team and that and the contractor. And then. And so we didn't spring it on them, but we.
[38:28]
Unnamed Team Member
We sprinkled that communication and repeated that over six months.
[38:31]
Ariane Belizer
And when it was time for me to leave and shoot, I didn't have.
[38:34]
Unnamed Team Member
Clients going, where are you?
[38:36]
Ariane Belizer
I had clients going, oh, yeah, that tracks. She told me that I wasn't going to see her. So I have really felt comfortable with.
[38:42]
Unnamed Team Member
Being there on the onboarding, communicating the design intentions, selling the designs as the creative director.
[38:47]
Ariane Belizer
So they know that my thumb is all over it. Giving them the confidence that the contractor.
[38:52]
Unnamed Team Member
Team and the project manager are going.
[38:53]
Ariane Belizer
To be their point of contact during execution. And they don't expect me again until the reveal, because that's our gig.
[39:00]
Unnamed Team Member
Right. So I come back and I do the finishing touches, I do the walkthrough and reveal to them.
[39:05]
Ariane Belizer
It's important to me that they feel.
[39:07]
Unnamed Team Member
They hear my gratitude and their trust.
[39:09]
Ariane Belizer
In me and my team to deliver.
[39:11]
Unnamed Team Member
This product to them.
[39:12]
Ariane Belizer
That's how we've hallmarked it, and it has worked really well for us.
[39:15]
Unnamed Interviewer
I want to talk a little bit about that tightrope between giving that client the ultimate experience and realizing, well, we could also just give you really great design. How did you grapple with that? What does it feel like to sort of say, well, maybe we can peel back some of these layers? Maybe not all of this stuff is essential.
[39:38]
Ariane Belizer
Yeah, no, it has definitely been an experience of just testing and listening and what I realized that creating an experience.
[39:48]
Unnamed Team Member
The ultimate experience, is really about being responsive.
[39:51]
Ariane Belizer
It's about. About that person feeling seen and heard.
[39:54]
Unnamed Team Member
In the smallest of ways.
[39:56]
Ariane Belizer
So when I first started rolling this out, I had. I mean, when I tell you I had big goals.
[40:00]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Right, right, right.
[40:01]
Ariane Belizer
Big goals. I'm like caviar champagne at the first meeting, you know, iPads for each of.
[40:07]
Unnamed Team Member
The clients to look at their design.
[40:09]
Ariane Belizer
Concept individually as we go over it, even though it's on the big screen as well. I mean, over the top as I am. And as we started to roll it out, I'm like, okay, we don't need to invest in that we don't need. Like, nobody's exactly expecting that. But what I noticed was that the.
[40:22]
Unnamed Team Member
Things that the clients would respond to and actually give us a reaction to.
[40:26]
Ariane Belizer
The most were the smallest things. So one time we had our client. The husband is very, very, very committed to his faith.
[40:35]
Unnamed Team Member
He has had a sobriety journey over.
[40:37]
Ariane Belizer
The last 20 years. And he, like, every morning does prayer and meditation. And he, you know, is very devout.
[40:44]
Unnamed Team Member
Catholic and has been to Rome.
[40:45]
Ariane Belizer
And like, he mentions those things and the wife very, very quickly says, yeah, but I don't want my house to look like rope. I mean, that's just that' that's not for me. Exactly. I don't want to do that. And so we noted that. And instead of just going, okay, that's a fun fact, but the wife is.
[41:01]
Unnamed Team Member
The one who called us and we're.
[41:02]
Ariane Belizer
Going to design this, this, you know.
[41:04]
Unnamed Team Member
Home for her dreams. We intentionally started to research how we could give Easter eggs to him of things that were important to his faith.
[41:12]
Ariane Belizer
But were not overt for her. And so when we did the detailed.
[41:16]
Unnamed Team Member
Design presentation, we literally walked from the.
[41:18]
Ariane Belizer
Front door to the back door and.
[41:19]
Unnamed Team Member
Every room had a nod to him.
[41:21]
Ariane Belizer
So in the foyer, we painted the.
[41:22]
Unnamed Team Member
Ceiling for you this really beautiful blue.
[41:24]
Ariane Belizer
And we talked about how blue is.
[41:26]
Unnamed Team Member
A color that was important to his faith and it reminded us of the Ascension and the sky.
[41:30]
Ariane Belizer
But nobody would walk in and know.
[41:31]
Unnamed Team Member
That'S the reason that that ceiling was blue.
[41:33]
Ariane Belizer
It was just a beautiful nod to his faith.
[41:36]
Unnamed Team Member
And by the end of it, he.
[41:37]
Ariane Belizer
Felt so seen that he teared up.
[41:39]
Unnamed Team Member
He was like, I have never been.
[41:41]
Ariane Belizer
So impressed with the detail of your presentation. I thought design was about my wife being happy with a pretty house. It's a gorgeous house.
[41:49]
Unnamed Team Member
It is a gorgeous house.
[41:51]
Ariane Belizer
And she can appreciate the beauty, but.
[41:53]
Unnamed Team Member
I appreciate the subtle details. Those are the ways I see that.
[41:57]
Ariane Belizer
I'm able to hold on to the.
[41:58]
Unnamed Team Member
Things I loved so much about that.
[42:00]
Ariane Belizer
Book without blowing it up into this.
[42:02]
Unnamed Team Member
Experience where, you know, we get him picked up in a Ferrari, brought to the office.
[42:06]
Ariane Belizer
Right?
[42:07]
Unnamed Team Member
We don't have to do those things.
[42:08]
Ariane Belizer
That are an expense. We can do things that are meaningful in their own way.
[42:12]
Unnamed Interviewer
How did kind of pulling away from some of the expensive gestures change the way you thought about charging for your work or kind of pricing the firm's fees?
[42:22]
Ariane Belizer
You know, we basically compromised and said, we can't just have this open door policy of whatever works for that client for this particular category because we can't price that. But if we price in A budget and the team's job is to figure out the most creative ways to spend or implement that budget, then that is a great compromise.
[42:43]
Unnamed Team Member
And again, it might be that we're.
[42:45]
Ariane Belizer
Spending that money or it might be.
[42:46]
Unnamed Team Member
That we're spending more time researching.
[42:48]
Ariane Belizer
Right?
[42:48]
Unnamed Team Member
We now have, we have some time.
[42:50]
Ariane Belizer
That we could build to that gift fund because that's the gift. And so us really taking the time to now have a budget and then have a creative, basically be creative with how we spend that budget has been a great compromise for us.
[43:08]
Kaitlyn Peterson
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[43:55]
Unnamed Interviewer
Can you talk to me a little bit about where you did land in terms of approaching fees and what works best for for the value proposition you're presenting to clients.
[44:06]
Ariane Belizer
So we have landed in a really great place for our fees right now. We, and I'm sure many designers can relate. We have tried every business model, every pricing structure. You know, we've done hourly, we've done.
[44:17]
Unnamed Team Member
Flat rate, we've done a combination.
[44:19]
Ariane Belizer
Where we are now is we still.
[44:21]
Unnamed Team Member
Do a flat rate based on historical.
[44:23]
Ariane Belizer
Data and because we know our team is an optimal team. So everyone is clicking at all cylinders and is very efficient in their work. That is the only reason that we could do a flat rate. Otherwise we would lose our shirts. So we know we're efficient, we know how much time our process typically takes in weeks. That's why we kept that part of our operating manual and our E myth process of being able to tell the.
[44:48]
Unnamed Team Member
Clients it's going to be a six.
[44:50]
Ariane Belizer
Month journey because we build to that six months, right. So we know all of our team.
[44:54]
Unnamed Team Member
Members, every way they touch that project.
[44:57]
Ariane Belizer
How much time they're putting into that six months. And we're able to provide a design fee for that based on the square footage of the space that we are designing in most, in most cases we're doing multiple rooms or whole homes.
[45:09]
Unnamed Team Member
So that's very Easy for us to do it.
[45:11]
Ariane Belizer
And that is just for the design phase. The project management is something that we will not. No longer do we offer that as a flat fee, because that is where we lose our shirts, right? There's so much that we don't know.
[45:23]
Unnamed Team Member
At the beginning of the concept about.
[45:25]
Ariane Belizer
What it's going to take to execute the project. We can't offer that as a flat.
[45:29]
Unnamed Team Member
Fee at the very beginning. But what we can say is when we get to the design presentation, the.
[45:33]
Ariane Belizer
Detailed design presentation, where we have had.
[45:36]
Unnamed Team Member
The time to map out what the.
[45:38]
Ariane Belizer
Design is going to look like, how much time it's going to take, we've worked with the contractor to get estimates. We have asked them about their timelines. We know how much time our project.
[45:46]
Unnamed Team Member
Manager is going to be taking again.
[45:48]
Ariane Belizer
In weeks or months to evaluate your.
[45:50]
Unnamed Team Member
Project and move it forward. We know the products that we're ordering and procuring and storing and managing.
[45:55]
Ariane Belizer
Then there's a different proposal presented, and that is based on the scope of work that is going to take to execute that particular design.
[46:05]
Unnamed Team Member
The project management is hourly because, again.
[46:09]
Ariane Belizer
You know, we have so much that.
[46:11]
Unnamed Team Member
We have to trust and that we.
[46:12]
Ariane Belizer
Don'T control in the execution process, whether it's products showing up on time or, you know, contractors being able to finish.
[46:18]
Unnamed Team Member
Their work based on the timeline they communicated.
[46:20]
Ariane Belizer
There's so much that we don't control within that.
[46:23]
Unnamed Team Member
So we've learned that to do a.
[46:24]
Ariane Belizer
Flat rate at the that and then still be two to three months exposed because the project ran behind is not a good business model. But any rational client understands that you.
[46:34]
Unnamed Team Member
We'Re billing you for the time it takes for us to get this project.
[46:36]
Ariane Belizer
To the completion, and that's it. And in no other world would you expect to be able to get that.
[46:41]
Unnamed Team Member
For free or at a discount.
[46:43]
Ariane Belizer
It cost us what it cost us to make sure that we are holding your hand through this project and this process and making sure that it's done efficiently and effectively. And so that has been what's landed well for us. Again, the key to that has been.
[46:54]
Unnamed Team Member
Communicating effectively at the very beginning how.
[46:56]
Ariane Belizer
That that works, talking through all the scenarios of, you know, what that might look like, what that might feel like, you know, making sure that they have the confidence of knowing that as soon.
[47:06]
Unnamed Team Member
As we get to that detailed design, we have such a clear picture of.
[47:08]
Ariane Belizer
What the design is going to be that we can at least give them, you know, an estimate for all the products, materials we can provide, the quotes.
[47:16]
Unnamed Team Member
From the contractor for the labor and then we can provide an estimate for the project management based on the timeline given by the contractor.
[47:23]
Ariane Belizer
And when we get to that execution.
[47:25]
Unnamed Team Member
Phase, we've had, remember, we've had four.
[47:27]
Ariane Belizer
To six months of trust building. I'm very intentional about showing up well in that four to six months. Because you know what, it's not important to me in the four to six months. Where I need that grace is in the execution phase because so much of that is outside of my control. And if I haven't done a good job managing the four to six months, that was only me. I don't even have any hope when it's outside of my control. Right. But the client, clients that work with us continue to say, even if they've had terrible experiences with their contractor, running behind schedule or whatever, they still have a commitment and loyalty to us because we are consistent in the way we.
[48:03]
Unnamed Team Member
Move from the very start of the.
[48:04]
Ariane Belizer
Project through the end.
[48:06]
Unnamed Interviewer
How do you communicate when a client is sort of weighing this financial commitment? Are you able to at least estimate your all in budget or your all in spend will be about here? Is that something you're like, how do you articulate that piece of it?
[48:19]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Because that must come the front.
[48:21]
Ariane Belizer
It absolutely comes in the front. And there's a, there's a couple ways to do it. The first way we do it, people don't really have a grasp, a grasp of how much things cost.
[48:29]
Unnamed Team Member
They have a preconceived notion of how much they feel comfortable spending, but that.
[48:33]
Ariane Belizer
Often doesn't align with the scope of.
[48:35]
Unnamed Team Member
Work they want done.
[48:36]
Ariane Belizer
Right. They are constantly seeing, and they see.
[48:38]
Unnamed Team Member
A barrage of images and photos and.
[48:40]
Ariane Belizer
Videos of these really great, high quality.
[48:42]
Unnamed Team Member
Projects that are published.
[48:43]
Ariane Belizer
And those projects are not done on a budget like that is not the driving consideration for those projects.
[48:49]
Unnamed Team Member
In fact, most times, times the scope.
[48:51]
Ariane Belizer
Of work and the unique quality of work is what drives those projects. And so it's kind of unfair to come to a designer and say, I would like this, but you only have $150,000. What can you do? Right? And so what we do is we.
[49:04]
Unnamed Team Member
Start the conversation without putting the onus.
[49:06]
Ariane Belizer
On the client and saying, well, how much do you want to spend? That is not going to work. We say, hey, you're interviewing designers.
[49:11]
Unnamed Team Member
We understand that you're doing your due diligence.
[49:13]
Ariane Belizer
We're so grateful to be one of the top designers that you're interviewing. Let us walk you through our process. Number one, our strengths, our superpowers, number two, and let me show you some of our projects. And what clients have invested in those projects.
[49:26]
Unnamed Team Member
So we can help calibrate you on.
[49:27]
Ariane Belizer
The type of projects that we do.
[49:29]
Unnamed Team Member
Then we pivot from that conversation and.
[49:31]
Ariane Belizer
We give them the space to say, does that feel like the range within your project is. Because that's the kind of work where we shine. And if it's not, we actually are really happy to give you recommendations for other.
[49:44]
Unnamed Team Member
Other designers who might do smaller scopes of work.
[49:47]
Ariane Belizer
That's important to me. So if they say in.
[49:50]
Unnamed Team Member
Nod their head and say, yep, that sounds good. That sounds right.
[49:53]
Ariane Belizer
Then we say, okay, now tell us.
[49:55]
Unnamed Team Member
More about your scope of work.
[49:57]
Ariane Belizer
Does it align with one of the. Now we have a great jumping point. Oh, so you're building a house like our project number two that we showed you.
[50:02]
Unnamed Team Member
So that was a $1.5 million house.
[50:03]
Ariane Belizer
Is this what you're thinking? Then I can also say, but remember.
[50:07]
Unnamed Team Member
That house was built in 2020.
[50:09]
Ariane Belizer
So there has been some cost adjustment.
[50:12]
Unnamed Team Member
Are we good?
[50:12]
Ariane Belizer
Have we. Have we thought about contingencies?
[50:14]
Unnamed Team Member
Or do we have to take your.
[50:16]
Ariane Belizer
Scope down to meet the. The $1.5 million budget? Again, every conversation is positive, but it's rooted in reality. It's concrete. It's not allowing the clients to drive.
[50:29]
Unnamed Team Member
With their gut of what they think.
[50:30]
Ariane Belizer
They should pay because we all know.
[50:33]
Unnamed Team Member
They don't know how much things cost.
[50:34]
Ariane Belizer
And they have really, really high expectations.
[50:36]
Unnamed Team Member
Again, that's great.
[50:37]
Ariane Belizer
If you're working with a team that has a spirit of excellence.
[50:39]
Unnamed Team Member
As long as you have the resources.
[50:40]
Ariane Belizer
For us to achieve X, that's what we're working towards.
[50:45]
Unnamed Interviewer
How much vetting or sort of pre filtering are you doing before clients get to that conversation with you? You know, do you have a questionnaire that has them do the budget dropdown? So they've sort of filtered themselves out if they aren't, you know, ready to invest at the right level. Is there, is there any sort of weeding out before you get to that initial phone call?
[51:06]
Ariane Belizer
Absolutely. And learn this the hard way way. I mean, your time is precious, right? So every inquiry call, you get on the phone with, you know, and. And I'm the worst.
[51:15]
Unnamed Team Member
I'm the worst.
[51:16]
Ariane Belizer
Because it would be someone's. Yes, it'd be someone's grandma calling me like, I just need. Baby, baby, I just need you to come and paint my liver. And I'm like, how do I tell grandma no? Even though I know you don't do that. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. So there's absolutely some bedding. And what I always say is the job of my Wealth Website, your website and Instagram and whatever. However you have yourself out there, that is your first, that is your sales team. Because people will stalk and follow you.
[51:43]
Unnamed Team Member
Way before they have the courage to call you.
[51:45]
Ariane Belizer
And if they feel like you might be a good fit, then they're going to summon the courage to call you. And they don't want to be embarrassed when they do it. So for us, we did a couple things.
[51:54]
Unnamed Team Member
We took our phone number off of our website.
[51:56]
Ariane Belizer
Controversial take, I know, but we did.
[51:58]
Unnamed Team Member
We took our number off of our, our website. We have a questionnaire on the website.
[52:02]
Ariane Belizer
Site that even though our, our site does a good job of telling you who I am and our sweet spot and who we work with and the projects and all those things, then if it says, you know, hire Abi, and when you click on that, there's a questionnaire and it asks you to fill out things like. And here the important questions we've learned are helpful.
[52:19]
Unnamed Team Member
You know, who's the key decision maker?
[52:21]
Ariane Belizer
You are someone else.
[52:22]
Unnamed Team Member
If you are not the key decision.
[52:24]
Ariane Belizer
Maker, you are not the person we're trying to call back because we don't want to waste time with you.
[52:28]
Unnamed Team Member
And you have to be the translator.
[52:29]
Ariane Belizer
Of what we said over the phone. We want that person to hear it firsthand, number one.
[52:33]
Unnamed Team Member
Number two, we ask them very specifically.
[52:36]
Ariane Belizer
What their driver is for the project. So we used to say, you know.
[52:41]
Unnamed Team Member
What are the, what is your budget range?
[52:42]
Ariane Belizer
And we would have this range of, of, you know, from 75,000 to, you know, 1.5 plus. Right.
[52:49]
Unnamed Team Member
What we learned is that's not a really great question. If you have someone who's a renovation.
[52:52]
Ariane Belizer
Versus a new home build. If it's a new home build and your budget is 75,000, that didn't help us. If it's a bathroom renovation, and 75,000, that's more appropriate. So we took that question off and now we say, as you are making your decision to hire a designer and to start your project, which of these.
[53:11]
Unnamed Team Member
Three categories drives your decision making process?
[53:14]
Ariane Belizer
Cost, time or scope? That is the direct question.
[53:20]
Unnamed Team Member
And the reason that's important is if someone says, as they often do, cost.
[53:24]
Ariane Belizer
It tells me they're kicking tires. It's not that they're a bad person, it's that, that that is what's important to them right now. No, I have a specific budget and I want the world for that budget. We are not in the business of doing that. So that's what that tells us. When you say cost.
[53:38]
Unnamed Team Member
2.
[53:39]
Ariane Belizer
Timeline. When you say timeline, we Say, tell us more, and often is someone who says, I am hosting a dinner for my, my mom next week. I need my home refurbished for next.
[53:51]
Unnamed Team Member
Week or Christmas or some arbitrary date that they, they have found.
[53:55]
Ariane Belizer
And although that doesn't necessarily knock you out of the park for us, if we have the bandwidth, which, you know, if it's, if it's next week, no, we don't. But if it's like in three months, I need to have my, you know, my house restyled, then what we ask is, does that mean that your time and your need for that time outweighs the budget and scope?
[54:18]
Unnamed Team Member
Something has to be the priority.
[54:20]
Ariane Belizer
If you have unlimited funds, as I've shown you on the show that I'm.
[54:23]
Unnamed Team Member
On, we can build a house in five days.
[54:25]
Ariane Belizer
Okay, but only if the scope or.
[54:30]
Unnamed Team Member
The time is the driver.
[54:31]
Kaitlyn Peterson
Right?
[54:31]
Ariane Belizer
The ones we love are the people who say scope. That tells us it's about getting it right.
[54:38]
Unnamed Team Member
It's about being responsive to their needs.
[54:40]
Ariane Belizer
It'S about being creative, it's about the design concept and what they want, and they are open to what it's going.
[54:47]
Unnamed Team Member
To cost and how long it's going.
[54:49]
Ariane Belizer
To take to do that scope. So that question is one of only.
[54:54]
Unnamed Team Member
Four questions we have on our questionnaire.
[54:56]
Ariane Belizer
Are you the key decision maker?
[54:58]
Unnamed Team Member
Which of these drives you? Again, there's a, there's the secondary.
[55:01]
Ariane Belizer
If the time is the scope, what is the timeline? And then we ask them for the best form of contact for that. And then my business manager, slash husband, he does the first vetting call.
[55:13]
Unnamed Interviewer
Okay?
[55:13]
Unnamed Team Member
He does the call and he just gets the preliminary information.
[55:16]
Ariane Belizer
He knows the types of projects that would excite my team. He knows what types of budgets that we need that are worth us adding.
[55:24]
Unnamed Team Member
To our project load.
[55:25]
Ariane Belizer
He knows our bandwidth.
[55:26]
Unnamed Team Member
He can very.
[55:27]
Ariane Belizer
He doesn't have to go back to me and say, hey, they want a.
[55:30]
Unnamed Team Member
Project in three months, can you do it? He knows the timeline because he's got.
[55:33]
Ariane Belizer
The Gantt chart and the Excel spreadsheet.
[55:34]
Unnamed Team Member
So he does the vetting call and only the calls where someone is a.
[55:38]
Ariane Belizer
Really, really good candidate. Does that get bubbled to me for an initial zoom call or a meeting? It's always either a zoom call or face to face meeting if they're local. Because I believe that there's so much that gets lost in translation of a phone call and I want to be.
[55:52]
Unnamed Team Member
Able to look at your face and.
[55:53]
Ariane Belizer
You look at my face to start establishing that relationship, to see if this is a.
[55:58]
Unnamed Interviewer
How else does your husband show up in the business, as a business manager. Like is that a full time thing? Is that just like on the margins of the firm or like what is his role within the business?
[56:09]
Ariane Belizer
He is, I like to call him Mr. Oz.
[56:11]
Unnamed Team Member
He's in the background.
[56:12]
Ariane Belizer
You rarely see him. When you do see him, it's because you have an invoice due, you are signing the contract. So he allows me the space to.
[56:22]
Unnamed Team Member
Do as much of the creative work.
[56:23]
Ariane Belizer
As I can without getting bogged down in the administrative tasks, which are his love language.
[56:28]
Unnamed Team Member
He loves a spreadsheet, he loves a Gantt chart, he loves forecasts, he loves.
[56:32]
Ariane Belizer
All of those things. And he also is very much unemotional about it where I am. So again, we used to. Our process looked a lot different before.
[56:41]
Unnamed Team Member
Where I was the point of contact.
[56:43]
Ariane Belizer
And I was saying yes to everyone. I mean I was like, oh my gosh, but she's so sweet and oh my gosh, this couple is so cute. And like the wife's pregnant with our.
[56:49]
Unnamed Team Member
First child and of course we had that.
[56:51]
Ariane Belizer
And then we'd have like 15 projects and my team would be overwhelmed and like we weren't making money because it was like not enough of a scope to get traction. And I mean just so much so he has kind of brought the analytical part to our business that helps me.
[57:06]
Unnamed Team Member
Actually run it as a business.
[57:08]
Ariane Belizer
And there are challenges because again, I'm that unreasonable. Hospitality. Give them the world. And he's like, yeah, but here's your budget. So. So that's how he shows up in our business and really just helping to create the space for a creative to, to be creative. Creative.
[57:24]
Unnamed Interviewer
I want to talk about tv. We've talked, we've mentioned it a bunch. But tell me about your show. What made you want to do it? What has it brought to you and your firm?
[57:32]
Ariane Belizer
I was mentioned to one of the casting producers by one of my. The person I hired to do my brand revamping a few years ago. And when we did my website revamping and my brand and my bio, my headshots, you know, we talked about my aspirations and she said, hey, I got.
[57:49]
Unnamed Team Member
An email from a friend who's a casting producer. She's looking for someone to audition for a TV show.
[57:54]
Ariane Belizer
And she asked me if I knew.
[57:55]
Unnamed Team Member
Any designers who not only were good designers but would be really good on tv.
[57:59]
Ariane Belizer
And she said, your face popped up because I remember us having the conversation about you wanting to do more appearances.
[58:05]
Unnamed Team Member
And be a media personality.
[58:06]
Ariane Belizer
And so I showed them your website and they're like, oh my Gosh, we'd love to take a call. And so I finally get a call and they say, we'd like you to.
[58:14]
Unnamed Team Member
Audition for a chemistry test because we really love you. We think you have a good shot at being the designer on the show.
[58:19]
Ariane Belizer
And I'm not getting an agent. We get a contract and then I do this chemistry test for what I now know is Extreme Makeover Home Edition with Clean Joanna from the Home Edit. And I am like, I can't even believe in.
[58:30]
Unnamed Team Member
In what world is this real?
[58:31]
Ariane Belizer
But okay, so I go through this eight hour chemistry test on Zoom and I am like just showing up, being myself. That's all I got. I'm being myself. And a week later I get the call that I was chosen to be the designer on the show, which at the time was going to be a one she show. Like, like it was gonna be like a special during holiday. Yeah, that was gonna air in 2023. And I go, I have this amazing experience. I am on the set. I am the newbie who doesn't know anything about doing actual television production. But I have to tell you, my training in, in communications and my practice on my own YouTube where I understood lighting, I understood positioning, I understood, you know, like the mechanics of a camera. And I wasn't afraid of the lens, Right. It allowed me to show up so.
[59:16]
Unnamed Team Member
Naturally that I, I fell in love.
[59:19]
Ariane Belizer
With doing that work and also the.
[59:23]
Unnamed Team Member
Ability to be a creative director on set.
[59:25]
Ariane Belizer
So your job is not to be.
[59:27]
Unnamed Team Member
The one at the paint store.
[59:28]
Ariane Belizer
Like, you don't have time for that. You have to create, set the vision, bless it. And you have a team of people who are ready to make it happen. And so I felt like what I was doing on the show was such a natural, natural extension of how I.
[59:42]
Unnamed Team Member
Want to show up in the real world. Think about what we've talked about today.
[59:44]
Ariane Belizer
Unreasonable hospitality, making sure that I show up with excellence, making sure that I am elevated to create a direction, that.
[59:51]
Unnamed Team Member
I trust my team and give them.
[59:52]
Ariane Belizer
The freedom to do what they've got to do to make it happen. That is what you see happen every week on that show. And so we did such a great job with the, the pilot that the network said, you know, people are going to want more of this once we.
[60:05]
Unnamed Team Member
Air it, so let's go ahead and give you a full season.
[60:07]
Ariane Belizer
And. And they called us back and said, hey, are you willing to go and shoot seven more episodes in 2024 so we can air it in 2025?
[60:14]
Unnamed Team Member
And so now our show has aired live on ABC. It now lives on Hulu and Disney.
[60:20]
Ariane Belizer
It is one of the best experiences I've ever had in my life and I am so honored to have been a part of it.
[60:26]
Unnamed Interviewer
Did you have hangups about being on a design show on tv about offering a realistic portrayal of what your work and your role role is on a job site?
[60:38]
Ariane Belizer
Yes, that was my biggest hang up. What I will tell you is having done the experience, there are a couple.
[60:42]
Unnamed Team Member
Things I'm grateful for.
[60:43]
Ariane Belizer
First, I was very clear with the production team that this would be the.
[60:47]
Unnamed Team Member
Question of anyone who's ever worked in this field. This would be their question and how.
[60:50]
Ariane Belizer
Can we present the story in a way where it does not discount the work of people in the field doing.
[60:56]
Unnamed Team Member
This work, facing very real challenges who are never ever able to deliver a.
[60:59]
Ariane Belizer
Home from scratch in five days. And so them allowing me to talk about my perspective in my interviews and, and you know, and the story that was a part of what allowed me to show up with confidence to do that.
[61:13]
Unnamed Team Member
The other thing was there are some really beautiful nuggets that I took away from observing the process of the show.
[61:18]
Ariane Belizer
That absolutely translate in real life. And I am excited to try to apply them. Okay, so the first is, you remember I talked about that questionnaire and the three things that drive a project.
[61:28]
Unnamed Team Member
Scope is always the best case.
[61:31]
Ariane Belizer
Scope means that you're going to align.
[61:32]
Unnamed Team Member
Whatever time and resources are necessary to.
[61:34]
Ariane Belizer
Achieve that scope's goal. And if you watch the show, it.
[61:37]
Unnamed Team Member
Is not a design show.
[61:38]
Ariane Belizer
Right? It's not a here's how to build cabinets.
[61:40]
Unnamed Team Member
The house is a vehicle for the story of the transformation of this family. And so what the show does is it positions the value of the design industry so beautifully.
[61:51]
Ariane Belizer
What we do helps people's real lives.
[61:54]
Unnamed Team Member
We transform lives. And to see that so clearly in.
[61:58]
Ariane Belizer
A family that is so in need. You know, typically when people hire us, they're in a different position in life.
[62:05]
Unnamed Team Member
Right.
[62:05]
Ariane Belizer
It almost feels like what we do is, you know, superficial and it's only.
[62:09]
Unnamed Team Member
For people who have access or resources. But if you take it back to.
[62:12]
Ariane Belizer
What we do, at its heart, we really are helping improve the lives of our clients. We want them to have a great.
[62:18]
Unnamed Team Member
Experience in the place that is the.
[62:19]
Ariane Belizer
Most sacred place for in for them in the world. And so that is what we do on the show. And so I look at the show and I take away way that if.
[62:28]
Unnamed Team Member
We keep our North Star of the.
[62:29]
Ariane Belizer
Family or the client, and we have.
[62:31]
Unnamed Team Member
A great team of people who have.
[62:33]
Ariane Belizer
Excellence in their DNA, who are aligned.
[62:36]
Unnamed Team Member
Around the mission, the timeline and resources.
[62:39]
Ariane Belizer
That are needed, then they, they can achieve miracles. And when I'm, I'm telling you, had I not been there to see it, I wouldn't believe it. But I'm telling you, there's no house. The day, the first day we start, there's a slab. That's, that's what I'll give you.
[62:50]
Unnamed Team Member
A slab has been poured.
[62:52]
Ariane Belizer
We have approval on the permitting and.
[62:54]
Unnamed Team Member
The scope of the house, the size.
[62:56]
Ariane Belizer
You know, it's one store, two story. We have cleared hurdles.
[62:59]
Unnamed Team Member
There is no house.
[63:00]
Ariane Belizer
And in three days we have a.
[63:03]
Unnamed Team Member
House that's painted because on day four.
[63:05]
Ariane Belizer
I'm moving furniture in and on day.
[63:06]
Unnamed Team Member
Five, they're getting keys.
[63:08]
Ariane Belizer
The only reason that magic happens is because never once on that job site.
[63:12]
Unnamed Team Member
Do you hear someone complaining, blame shifting.
[63:16]
Ariane Belizer
Not showing up on time, not like there.
[63:18]
Unnamed Team Member
That is something that we can take into our conversations internally as our team.
[63:23]
Ariane Belizer
Our conversations when we talk to our.
[63:24]
Unnamed Team Member
Contractors about just the way we show.
[63:26]
Ariane Belizer
Up and what is our North Star.
[63:27]
Unnamed Team Member
And if we are aligned on our North Star, being that this family and.
[63:31]
Ariane Belizer
This client deserves our very best, these.
[63:33]
Unnamed Team Member
Are the ways we're going to work. This is how we're going to resolve conflicts.
[63:36]
Ariane Belizer
This, let's talk about it before we get into it.
[63:38]
Unnamed Team Member
That's when I can take away from observing what happens on the show.
[63:42]
Ariane Belizer
That is what happens.
[63:43]
Unnamed Team Member
It's such synergy. There's also, you know, the extra benefit.
[63:47]
Ariane Belizer
Of, again, donated products, all the materials being on site and having, you know, the inspector on the job site be.
[63:54]
Unnamed Team Member
Able to clear in, you know, package.
[63:56]
Ariane Belizer
Through our, our little milestones so we can keep going.
[63:59]
Unnamed Team Member
But there's never ever a moment that.
[64:01]
Ariane Belizer
That house is unmanned. So 24 hours around the clock, rain, sleet or snow, there is a team working.
[64:07]
Unnamed Team Member
And when there's time for, there's a 15 minute crossover between team A and B. So there's never a moment when no.
[64:12]
Ariane Belizer
One'S working on the house.
[64:13]
Unnamed Team Member
So what can we take away from.
[64:14]
Ariane Belizer
That in our, in our real world? Well, we're not going to expect someone.
[64:17]
Unnamed Team Member
To work 24 7, but can we.
[64:18]
Ariane Belizer
Talk to the contractor about the timeline?
[64:21]
Unnamed Team Member
Are there going to be weeks of.
[64:22]
Ariane Belizer
Time when no one ever goes to the job site?
[64:25]
Unnamed Team Member
And if that's the case, is there.
[64:27]
Ariane Belizer
A way we can communicate that to.
[64:28]
Unnamed Team Member
The client so that they don't drive.
[64:30]
Ariane Belizer
Up and just call me and say.
[64:32]
Unnamed Team Member
Well, what's going on with our project?
[64:33]
Unnamed Interviewer
What's, why is that one working?
[64:34]
Ariane Belizer
Yeah, right, right. And so, you know, again, Communication, aligned, shared mission and this innate spirit of excellence.
[64:43]
Unnamed Team Member
That is the magic of the show.
[64:44]
Ariane Belizer
That is why as, as wild as it is to watch is from my.
[64:49]
Unnamed Team Member
Perspective as someone who works in the.
[64:50]
Ariane Belizer
Industry, absolutely real what you're seeing, but.
[64:54]
Unnamed Team Member
Also in some ways achievable.
[64:56]
Ariane Belizer
Maybe not. Well for sure, not in five days.
[64:59]
Unnamed Interviewer
Right, right, right.
[65:00]
Ariane Belizer
But it doesn't have to be this.
[65:02]
Unnamed Team Member
Long meandering road that some of our.
[65:04]
Ariane Belizer
Projects get to just because we haven't set expectations. Our contractor maybe you know, is, is overbooking or double booking and hasn't communicated to us or the client what's happening.
[65:13]
Unnamed Team Member
I mean, there are so many things.
[65:14]
Ariane Belizer
That are self inflicted wounds in our experience as we do the execution of a project that if you watch the show, it just takes having a plan.
[65:23]
Unnamed Team Member
Before we walk into it and being.
[65:24]
Ariane Belizer
Able to all be on the same.
[65:26]
Unnamed Team Member
On the same page.
[65:27]
Ariane Belizer
That means that even if it comes up, we can communicate it effectively and appropriately to the client.
[65:33]
Unnamed Interviewer
How has that experience, and also just the experience of transforming your business in the last few years changed your definition of success? What does success mean to you today?
[65:44]
Ariane Belizer
What I used to see success AS was an AD100 top design firm doing.
[65:51]
Unnamed Team Member
Projects all over the world with teams.
[65:53]
Ariane Belizer
In multiple locations where, I mean we were just like everywhere and we were iconic. That's what I wanted to do. I wanted to, you know, to have that type of. I just don't know how to, how to be anything other than excellent. And when I see success as now, I'll be very honest. It's so different. Success now looks like me having someone.
[66:15]
Unnamed Team Member
Call me and say, can you go.
[66:18]
Ariane Belizer
To Italy for a week to an antique show as a brand partnership to get inspiration and excite other designers about going and me saying yes I can because I have control of my schedule. I have a team that I know is competent, capable and excited to do the work. I can go and show up as my full self unapologetically and know that I'm gleaning things that will help me.
[66:43]
Unnamed Team Member
As a designer, as a creative, as.
[66:45]
Ariane Belizer
A leader, as someone who works on projects. And I have the freedom to say yes. And also when I come back from that job, have the freedom to have a day or two to get over the jet lag without feeling the need to be in a three piece suit in the office at 7am that is the ultimatum. Success to me.
[67:04]
Unnamed Team Member
Being available to my family, being available.
[67:06]
Ariane Belizer
For opportunities, being able to say yes to things that feel right without compromising my integrity on what I've already committed to my clients. That is what success feels like for me.
[67:19]
Kaitlyn Peterson
That's our show for today. Thank you so much for listening. If you'd like to keep up with the latest design industry news, check out new products or browse job openings, head on instagram over to businessofhome.com and if you're enjoying Trade Tales, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show. If you have a note for the show or a story of your own to share, I'd love to hear from you and you can email me@tradetalesinessofhome.com Trade Tales is produced by me, Kaitlyn Peterson and Caroline Burke. This episode was edited by Caroline Burke and Michael Castanier. Our theme music is by Kyle Scott Wilson. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you back here next week.