Why passion is a priority in Anissa Zajac’s hiring process

Summary

Trade Tales: Why Passion is a Priority in Anissa Zajac’s Hiring Process

Host: Kaitlin Petersen, Editor-in-Chief of Business of Home
Guest: Anissa Zajac, Founder of House 7 Design
Release Date: August 28, 2024

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Introduction

In this episode of Trade Tales, Kaitlin Petersen engages with Anissa Zajac, a seasoned interior designer who has navigated significant transformations within her firm, House 7 Design. The conversation delves into Anissa’s journey from a creative enthusiast in a small town to the leader of a thriving design business, emphasizing the critical role of passion in her hiring process.

1. Early Creative Foundations

Anissa Zajac begins by sharing her upbringing in a creatively nurturing environment where everything was handmade. This early exposure to creativity laid the groundwork for her future in interior design, even though she initially didn't recognize it as a viable career path.

“Your rates tell people how good you are. And I'm the same way. If I'm gonna buy something from somebody and maybe one's a little bit more expensive, I'm gonna be like, okay, well, it's more expensive because it must be better.” (00:02)

2. Discovering Interior Design as a Career

Despite her creative background, Anissa explored various paths, including liberal arts and retail management, before finding her true calling in interior design. A pivotal moment occurred when she started remodeling her home and documenting the process through a blog. This initiative unexpectedly attracted clients seeking her design expertise.

“What am I doing? Like, Eric had no idea that he would be dead this time last year... I was like, this is stupid.” (04:03)

3. Launching House 7 Design

In 2019, Anissa officially launched House 7 Design in Indianapolis. Moving to a preferred neighborhood and collaborating with House 8 Media to shoot a pilot for HGTV were significant steps in establishing her firm. Although the show wasn’t picked up, the experience enriched her skills and expanded her client base.

4. Adapting During COVID-19

The unexpected onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented both challenges and opportunities. Anissa opened a brick-and-mortar store just weeks before lockdowns began. Faced with the necessity to keep the business afloat, she swiftly transitioned to an e-commerce model using Squarespace. This move not only mitigated the impact of the pandemic but also underscored the importance of adaptability in business.

“We made a e-commerce site, like, really quick on Squarespace... I didn't want to do it until, like, the branding was perfect and everything was perfect. I was like, okay, I don't even know what we're doing, but we got to sell this stuff.” (08:57)

5. Managing Rapid Team Expansion

The shift to e-commerce led to a rapid expansion of her team, growing to 14 members. This sudden increase introduced complexities in team management, leading Anissa to reassess her approach to leadership and team dynamics. Recognizing the strain of juggling multiple roles, she decided to streamline her team to a core group of three talented individuals.

“I couldn’t do this. Like, I could do more. I could do that. So before, I couldn’t even think about expanding, now I can.” (31:01)

6. Revamping the Hiring Process

Anissa emphasizes the significance of hiring individuals who share her passion for design. She restructured her hiring process to involve multiple team members, ensuring a better cultural and professional fit. This collaborative approach has strengthened her team’s cohesion and enhanced overall productivity.

“We talk about design all day long because we love it so much... if you don't have that drive and you have that love, you're not the best fit for our team.” (35:17)

7. Transparent Billing and Communicating Value

A critical aspect of Anissa’s business model is her transparent billing system. House 7 Design bills clients based on hourly rates estimated by the project's square footage, with a minimum of 50 hours per project. She prioritizes clear communication through welcome packets and detailed contracts to set billing expectations and educate clients on the value of professional design services.

“Your rates tell people how good you are... we've established ourselves as a brand. ... it's worth what somebody will pay for it.” (46:01)

8. Building a Local Design Community

Recognizing the lack of a robust local design network in Indiana, Anissa co-founded a monthly meetup group with a fellow designer. This initiative fosters collaboration, support, and knowledge-sharing among local designers, alleviating feelings of isolation and promoting a sense of community within the industry.

“We can meet monthly or by, you know, monthly and just talk about like things we're experiencing... that’s been really beneficial.” (50:29)

9. Defining Personal and Professional Success

Anissa shares her personal definition of success, which centers on having happy children, financial stability, and a respectful, valued team. She strives to balance professional aspirations with family responsibilities, aiming to provide a legacy of passion and quality in her work.

“Success is having happy kids.” (55:53)

Conclusion

Anissa Zajac’s story is a testament to the power of passion-driven leadership in building a sustainable and fulfilling business. Her experiences highlight the importance of adaptability, transparent communication, and fostering a passionate team to navigate the complexities of entrepreneurship. By prioritizing what she loves, Anissa not only grows her business but also creates a positive impact on her community and family.

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Notable Quotes:

• “Your rates tell people how good you are. And I'm the same way.” (00:02)
• “What am I doing? ... I was like, this is stupid.” (04:03)
• “We couldn't keep up... now it's time to do some new things.” (31:01)
• “If you're not geeking out over, like, amazing plaid floral sofa, then, like, you're not the best fit for our team.” (35:17)
• “It's worth what somebody will pay for it.” (46:01)
• “Success is having happy kids.” (55:53)

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the podcast episode, providing a clear and engaging overview for those who haven't listened to it.

Transcript

[Anissa Zajak]

Your rates tell people how good you are. And I'm the same way. If I'm gonna buy something from somebody and maybe one's a little bit more expensive, I'm gonna be like, okay, well, it's more expensive because it must be better. So I'm gonna investigate why it's better.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Hi, I'm Caitlin Peterson, the editor in chief of Business of Home. Welcome to Trade Tales. We're back for season six of the show where I'll be talking to interior designers about the challenges p 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 pushed the reset button on her firm a few years ago, a staffing shakeup that taught her not only what it takes to build a team that fits her goals, but but also how to grow as a leader while she grows her business. I can't wait to share it with you. But first, a quick word from our sponsor. FourHance invites you to create a comforting space with their newest arrivals, all intentionally designed with rest and well being in mind. Look for the latest in the company's Power Motion collection featuring hidden reclining controls. Plus best selling pieces from the recently launched collaboration with Amber Lewis, which is now available available in new fabrics and finishes. Visit fourhands.com to see more than 350 new arrivals and to get inspired today, ready to build a better design business. As a BoH insider, you'll unlock complimentary access to weekly educational workshops with leading industry experts offering insights and best practices to level up your business. Plus, BoH insiders gain access to an archive with dozens of past courses that tackle your most pressing business problem. Meaning there's always an expert solution within reach. Learn more and join us [e-mail] Bo Insider.

[Anissa Zajak]

I was always around creative settings. There were always people making something we were never allowed to have, like store bought baked goods. Growing up, everything was homemade, everything was handmade. My dresses for every wedding I went to as a kid was made by my mom or my grandma. You know, it was just, that was just kind of how I grew up as far as like interior design. It was a small town. People did not have interior designers. Your furniture came from the local furniture shop and you certainly weren't going to pay anyone to come in and design your home. It just wasn't that kind of place. So I didn't even know, in all honesty, that interior design was even a career choice.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's Anissa Zajak. Despite her creative upbringing, it took time to find her professional path. She tried out liberal arts school jobs in retail management, and even briefly ran her own children's clothing blog and business. Then her growing family made a move that would change everything.

[Anissa Zajak]

So we built this house and then completely started ripping it apart, and that became my creative outlet. Remodeling the kitchen, rearranging the furniture, rearranging, you know, rooms in the home and so on and so forth. And I really missed writing the blog, so I started a blog about the house. A weird thing happened. People that I didn't know know started contacting me and asking me to come to their homes and do design for them. I felt like a fraud, and I felt bad that I had represented myself as a designer when I was just looking for a creative outlet. And I told people, no, I'm, you know, I'm so sorry, I don't have a degree. I could never do this. That was kind of where I sat for a while.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Anissa continued to turn down design requests, but when tragedy struck close to home, she realized it was time to rethink her own future.

[Anissa Zajak]

I had a really, like, life altering thing happen. My cousin, who was like a brother to me, he ended up getting diagnosed with a brain tumor and non Hodgkin's lymphoma. From the time he was diagnosed to the time he passed was like five months. I just remember thinking to myself, what am I doing? Like, Eric had no idea that he would be dead this time last year. And I'm sitting here telling myself, I can't do these things that I really, really want to do and I really enjoy, and that could actually bring income in for my family because I don't have a piece of paper that's telling me I can do this. I was like, this is stupid. So I literally was like, okay, I'm gonna do it and see what happens. As people reached out to me, I started saying, yeah, you know, I'll help you. I started gaining a lot of followers on Instagram. People just really started engaging and liking what I was posting. And it gave me the confidence that I needed to keep pushing forward, that what I was doing was okay and that people liked it.

[Caitlin Peterson]

In 2019, Anissa officially launched her Indianapolis based firm, House 7 Design. I wanted to talk to her about the community building power of investing in brick and mortar, how she's implemented New systems to make hiring easier and why she's not afraid to let her rates communicate her firm's value. What was the arc from, you found me on Instagram and I'll come help you pick out that rug? To a business that looks a lot more like a full service design firm. How did that evolve for you?

[Anissa Zajak]

So there was a few things in between. I decided around the time that Eric had passed and I was going to do this business that we were living in a community that was north of where we wanted to be, and we didn't really want to be there, but we had moved up there because it was kind of like you followed the pack. That's what everybody did. You lived in this urban area, you had children, you moved to the suburbs. It's just what you did. And we really didn't love it up there. We loved the people, but we just didn't really love the area. And I just thought, you know what? If we're going to do this, we're going to really make some changes. So we sold our house, we paid off all the debt that we had, and we bought a smaller home in the neighborhood that we really wanted to be in. And during that time period, a production company, House 8 Media, reached out to me from LA via Instagram. I totally thought it was a scam at first, and then. But then I got to know them really well. And we ended up shooting a pilot for hgtv and it lasted for about a year.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Was that tracking your build experience in that new home or your renovation experience?

[Anissa Zajak]

You know, I talk about timing and, you know, and however you want to look at it, I think God had a large hand in this as far as, like, you know, the trajectory of our life and what I was choosing to do at the time and what I was asking for from, you know, just grieving. And we sold that house that I had started my Instagram with. And it was a little. People thought I was a little crazy. My husband at the time thought I was crazy. He was like, this is where all your content comes from. You're gonna. What are you gonna do? And I was like, I just. I know we have to do this. And so we sold the house and we moved into an apartment, and we were living in the apartment when the production company reached out to us and they said, you know, we. We want to follow you remodeling a house. And I said, well, weirdly enough, we.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Just need a house.

[Anissa Zajak]

Yeah, we just sold our new house and we're looking for a house to remodel and so, again, the timing was perfect, and they followed a little bit of that house. But then at the same time, we worked with a friend, purchased a house specifically for that pilot, and then remodeled that house. And it was. It was such a good experience. We never ended up getting a show, which in retrospect, I'm really happy about. But, you know, it was such good experience because I wasn't working for a client. I was remodeling a house just for us that we could film. And it, you know, I learned so much. The house flooded three times while we were remodeling it. You know, there was all kinds of terrible things that happened. But, you know, in this, at the same time, now I can speak to that when I'm working with clients. I've had experience in this. And we sold the house. And so it was my first kind of remodeled house that I owned and sold, and it sold really quickly. And I was like, okay. And then I just started acquiring more clients from that, you know, experience. And then I remember there was a period, I think this is like, kind of when it was like, I'm just helping people with their houses, like, on the side to, okay, I've got so many inquiries coming in, I can't manage my own emails. So I then hired. I thought, oh, well, I'm going to have to hire an employee. And this is scary how I'm going to pay this person. I probably shouldn't make clients start paying me since I have to now pay someone else.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Is that what changed, like, your approach to billing?

[Anissa Zajak]

Yeah, because I was like, I like.

[Caitlin Peterson]

To pay someone else.

[Anissa Zajak]

Yeah, If I'm going to pay them, they got to pay me. I mean, because I really wasn't charging people because I felt guilty. And I talk to so many new designers now, and one of the first things I say to them is, are you charging for your time? Because I think it's such a common thing in this industry when you first start out that I think it's because people really enjoy what they're doing. And there's this weird thing that people have this hang up about actually charging for their time. And it. It's crazy to me in retrospect, but I did the exact same thing. So I had to start paying that employee, and then I needed another employee because then that employee was overloaded with things. And. And it just happened so organically. And it started in, you know, the back room of that house that we moved into to remodel. And then the back room got too small and we moved to the dining room table. And then the dining room table got too small. And then I had three employees and we remodeled the basement and put an office down there. And we were all working down and that was had been over the, probably the course of a year. And we were doing like decent sized projects because the projects were just getting larger and larger. And a friend of mine that is a business owner in town came to me and said, hey, there's this spa open. Would you want to go into this, you know, retail space with me? And I thought, you know what, like, I love you, you're great, but I don't want to do that with anybody else. You know, I just, I don't want to share a space with another business. I just. And I'm not ready to take on owing rent at this time. And she was like, okay, yeah, that's cool, you know, whatever. And then a couple weeks passed and I messaged her and said, hey, are you still thinking about that spot? And she was like, no, I'm not going to do it now. And I said, well, would you be cool if I reached out to the owner? And I just did it on my own. And she was like, yeah, I don't care. So I reached out to the owner. So I signed the lease, we remodeled the space and I mean, I signed a five year lease. And I was like, okay, I better make some money, I better get some clients. I better, you know, really do this. And I'm not gonna lie. Like I was freaked out about it, but I was like, I'm gonna do this. It just feels right. I just feel like this is what I gotta do. And I thought, I'm gonna open a brick and mortar. I'm gonna have a shop in the front, I'm gonna have the design studio in the back, and I'm going to have the brick and mortar part of it, pay the rent. If the retail part can just pay the rent, then I don't have to worry about anything else. And we opened it on Valentine's Day, February 14, 2020. And I was so excited. And then literally we were open, I don't know, two weeks, three weeks, something like that. And Covid hit. I remember sitting at my desk at work and I remember getting the call that the kids school was closing and they didn't know when it was going to open again. And then everybody's businesses needed to shut down. I mean, it was wild. I remember thinking, okay, we got to figure this out. And it was just me and my assistant Rachel at the time. And I Said, okay, we have a store full of inventory that can't sit here because we got to pay the rent. And as far as I know, no one's telling me I don't have to pay for the building anymore. So we got to figure this out. And we got a white sheet of, like, construction paper. I got my phone and we sat at the front of the store with the natural light, threw the sheet of paper up and started. I started photographing every piece of product I had in my store with my iPhone. And we. We made a. We, like, made a e commerce site, like, really quick on Squarespace that attached to our website. I mean, it was crazy. I mean, I knew it was something I wanted to do, but I. I didn't want to do it until, like, the branding was perfect and everything was perfect. I was like, okay, I don't even know what we're doing, but we got to sell this stuff. And we sold so much stuff, like, so quickly, and it was amazing. And then literally my next words were, okay, we better figure out how we're going to ship all this stuff now. I mean, like, what in the world? Like, you didn't think about this before you posted it? So then we had to figure out, like, packaging and weighing everything and what shipping company we were going to use, and we literally did this within a few days. I mean, we figured all of this out. Now, I will say a lot of stuff was. I didn't. I didn't know so many wooden cutting boards could literally get broken in half in the mail. So that was new to me. But. But that's really. That's what launched my e commerce site. I mean, it was just hustling, you know, like, we got to do this. Let's just do it. So we started the e commerce site. So then I was like, okay, well, now we have a brick and mortar, we have a design business, and we now have an e commerce site. And that's just kind of how it started. And then, I mean, we worked. We never stopped working. I mean, we wore masks and we tried to be careful and everything, but we. We remodeled a 20,000 square foot house in 10 months during COVID And I will say I had a great team at the time who was very diligent. The clients were amazing, but the builder that we worked with was so good. And I think that made such a huge difference because he had an amazing team and they knew what they were doing and it was very efficient. And so, you know, we were able to get it done, but there was really no Stopping us during. During COVID your team grew really quickly.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Can you tell me a little bit about how that happened?

[Anissa Zajak]

I started out with, like, me and two girls in my basement. And then all of a sudden 2020, you know, comes. I had hired a couple shop girls and, you know, I had my main assistant who was with me, you know, for the longest time. And then we were like, okay, well, now we have an E Commerce and we're actually getting sales and we have to provide customer service. So I've got to hire some people for that. Well, now I don't have time to do my social media anymore, so I gotta find. I gotta hire a social media person. We need photography for everything, so I also need someone to do the photography. So we should probably have an in or house photographer. Well, now we've got money coming and going, and no one's keeping track of that, so I better hire somebody to do the money, you know, I mean, it just was like, it. It does. And there were so many people working here, I think. And at the time, my ex husband and I were running our businesses jointly out of this space. So he had people on his side, I had people on my side. And I think at one point, like, there was like 14 people, you know, in here working, which I'm sure for some companies doesn't seem like a lot, but for me, I mean, that was a lot of people, a lot of personalities to manage, a lot of, you know, direction. And I just felt like I was being pulled in so many different directions, and I just didn't have the mental bandwidth to manage. I was just managing people at that point. I didn't feel like I was really putting everything I had into design. And I had to take a step back and, you know, think, like, what am I doing? You know, what. What is this? What is it that I want to do? What prompted that chaos in my brain? Having three children at home. Something's got to give here. I can't do all of it. And I will say, you know, my assistant Rachel at the time, she would say to me, like, hey, you gotta, like. Like, it's okay to not do all of this stuff. And, you know, it's okay to let these people go or, you know what I mean, like, to get rid of this thing. And so her and I had a lot of talks. I mean, she was my assistant, but she was like my partner for a long time, you know, like, it was my business, but she was really somebody I leaned on. And she gave great advice and she just was like, kind of helped me figure out, like, what it was I needed to do during that process.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How far into, like, Covid or how far into launching that E commerce business was it that you started to say, you know, maybe this isn't sustainable?

[Anissa Zajak]

So it was probably two years after we started it that things really just started being like. And, and I will say, you know, a lot of it had to do with my personality of, well, I can do it and I can do it better. So we can, you know, we can sell all of these small decor items. Now we're going to drop ship furniture because, you know, I'm going to figure this out. And, you know, I also would like to do my own custom stuff that's made in town that then we can ship. I mean, it just, you know, like, I will say I'm never short on ideas, but then sometimes that just clouds, you know, my brain and I need to kind of like get rid of all of that clutter and just get back to basics. And so I remember we sat down and said, okay, where are we at with the E Commerce? Like, it's, it's a giant headache. There's so much, you know, that's the, the drop shipping. It's just really not working for us. We're not big enough to, you know, to compete with other people selling similar items. You know, what, like, what do we want this to look like? And, you know, we're making money, but is it enough money where it's worth this? And so I just said, you know what, I think we're going to just shut down the E commerce and I don't think we need it right now. And I just really want to focus on my clients. And literally the girls on the team were like, yes, thank you so much.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Had something changed about the design business to help you get over the fear that you needed retail to pay the rent?

[Anissa Zajak]

Yes. At that point, I mean, I felt pretty secure. I mean, I will say I have been lucky enough that I've not ever had to think about the rent. It's an automatic deposit every month to the, you know, the owner. And it's. I've never thought about it. I mean, so that to me is a massive blessing and I am humbled by that because I remember standing in my kitchen, you know, my black house, and people that follow me, like, they know which one it is. And like, I remember standing in that kitchen when we bought that house and kind of getting ready to do this pilot. And my husband was working in the restaurant business at the time, and he was Like, I can't, you know, manage restaurants and then also do this pilot. Like, there's not enough time in the day for this. And I said, you know, do you really. Do you want to be in the restaurant business anymore? And he was like, no, it's awful. And I said, is this what you really, really want to do? And he was like, yeah, that's what I want to do. And I was like, all right, well, then we got to take a leap of faith. You know, like, they always say, like, can't fly if you don't jump, right? So I was like, we gotta take a leap of faith. And I remember we just prayed, God, please just let us keep food on the table for our kids and be able to pay a roof over their head. That was it. That's all we asked for. And I didn't do things because I felt like I had to do them. I did them because I wanted to do them. And it felt right to do it because I remember shutting down the E commerce and thinking, you know, people. Some of the responses were like, oh, I'm really sorry that you had to do this. And I was like, no, it's really okay. Like, this is something I want.

[Caitlin Peterson]

I want you to do this.

[Anissa Zajak]

Yeah, I want to do this. And it. I didn't look at it as a failure. I think it's okay to change the trajectory of your life. It doesn't have to be a failure. If anything, it's like you moving towards what you want and away from the things that are keeping you down. And I'm a huge believer in, if you don't like your life, change it. And you gotta hustle. You gotta be willing to put the work in and do the work.

[Caitlin Peterson]

There's something so interesting you said, you know, that people on Instagram started commenting like, oh, I'm so sorry you had to. And so much of how we define success or how we think about what the next step is supposed to be, I think these days comes from social media. How have you navigated around that? Or how have you shut that out? How have you, you know, stayed true to what you think is right for. For you and for your business?

[Anissa Zajak]

So I won't say that I've not fallen victim to that. Right. You know, if I was being completely honest with myself, I will say that probably the reason I wanted to have all the furniture and have all those things is because I saw other people doing it, and I wasn't. I wouldn't say I was jealous of their success, because I am like, a Huge cheerleader for people that are self made entrepreneurs, successful. I'm like, that's amazing. But I will say I, I wanted to do what other people were doing. Like, I was almost like, I will say that probably pushed me to do more than I probably really needed to be doing or should have been doing at the time. And then I realized, well, don't do it because everybody else is doing it or, you know, like now you're, now you're just following the pack again. That's why you left the suburbs, right? It's just a different, just in a different way. So, so yeah, I mean, we closed the E Commerce and I was okay with it and you know, but I will be honest with you, I'm a couple years out of it now and my business has changed. The people that work for me have changed and I have the itch again, you know, like, I'm like, I gotta do more. I feel like there's something else coming and I do have some fun stuff, you know, happening and I can feel things changing. Like, there's definitely a shift happening right now for me, but I went through a lot of personal growth this last year. I mean, my marriage of, you know, 24 years ended and I just, you know, and it's, it's all okay. Like, it's, you know, a lot of people are like, we're sad for you. And I'm like, you know, like obviously anything that, like that, that ends, it's, it's devastating and it's sad. But you know, we're good and you know, we're moving forward and I just, I can see a shift happening for me personally in my personal life, but also my professional.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Is the itch E Commerce or is it just expansion?

[Anissa Zajak]

You know, like, I have so many ideas. I mean like, yes, E commerce is definitely an option, but different than what I was doing before. More curated, I guess. Not so blown up. And you know, like, I just, I like the idea of being more of a boutique E commerce site. And this is the thing, everybody's getting everything from the same people. You know what I mean? Like for the most part it's all coming from like the same places. So you can only be so unique with the things that you're, you know, you're selling on your E Commerce, right?

[Caitlin Peterson]

There's only so many drop shippers, right.

[Anissa Zajak]

You know, and that's not a bad thing. But it's like, okay, the market is oversaturated as far as like certain things that are being sold and I'm like, I Don't. I don't want to do that. I, I want to. You know, why would, why would you buy something from me when you could buy it from a larger e commerce site that clearly purchases more quantities and can give you a better price? I wouldn't even buy it from me. I'd buy it from them to save the money. You know what I mean? So, like, like, so I, I'm aware of that and. But I'm trying to. I'm just trying to think of other things. I get bored really easily. You know, I'm sure there's some add like there with like any. Anybody that's creative. You know, there's a little attention deficit issue and I just, I think it's time that I start doing some other things. And. But, but I will say this. Every step that I've taken thus far. I mean, my lease is actually up in October here. I've been here for five years and I remember thinking, how in the heck am I going to make rent for five years? And now I'm like this, oh, my God, my lease is up in two months. What are we going to do?

[Caitlin Peterson]

Will you stay?

[Anissa Zajak]

I don't know. I don't know what I'm going to do. I know this is like, I'm going to figure it out. I've got some ideas.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Has the storefront piece, the re. The actual brick and mortar retail been rewarding for you?

[Anissa Zajak]

I mean, we're in this, like, community. It's actually in the neighborhood I live in and like, we have a small, like shop up in the front because let's. I mean, our design business is kind of like, it was in this back room of, you know, kind of like our meeting room of the shop at the beginning. And it's just, we've just progressively like, moved out into what was the store part of the, of the space.

[Caitlin Peterson]

And the store footprint kept getting smaller.

[Anissa Zajak]

It kept getting smaller and pushed towards the door. And so we do have still like a small shop. Like, we actually had two people come in yesterday and purchase some items. And I was like, I miss that. I miss, you know, people coming in and then they inquire about the design business and just knowing people in the community. And I'm an extremely social person. I mean, I'm sure you can tell just from this podcast I've talked the majority of the time. I just really enjoy people and I like hearing their stories and I like engaging. I just really like it. It just fills my bucket. So I do want to always keep a little bit of that retail, because it's more of a community aspect for me than anything else. I'm not using it for a revenue stream. Although, I'm sure, you know, a business coach would tell me that that's what I should be doing, but it's just really more just to keep, you know, that engagement with the people in our community neighborhood.

[Caitlin Peterson]

You alluded to this a little bit before, and I want to revisit it, but in a lot of ways, you pushed the reset button on your firm a little bit less than a year ago.

[Anissa Zajak]

I did.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Can you talk a little bit about what led to that change?

[Anissa Zajak]

So Rachel, that I mentioned a few times, she was. You know, I called her my assistant because that's, like, what I hired her to do, but she wasn't. She was like a project manager, vice president. You know, I mean, like, she. Like, she wore, like, all the hats, right? She did everything. And she had a baby, and her baby was premature, and so her baby spent a lot of time in the nicu. So, you know, long story short, she decided once the baby got out of the NICU and he got a little bit older and just with childcare and things like that, she was like, you know what? Hey, I'm gonna. I'm gonna stay home. You know, I'm gonna stay home and raise them. And I thought, you know what? That's what you should do. You know, I want what's best for you and your family. So she put her notice in, and I will say, I was like, okay, what am I going to do now? You know, like, I gotta find somebody to replace her. And, you know, hiring's hard. It's really hard to find good designers. It's hard to find people that are creative, but then also have all the other skills that they need to go along with the position and the maturity. And, I mean, there's so much involved when you're working in people. People's homes, with them personally. And I hired some people, and, you know, she left, and the team that I had hired, they were. You know, it has nothing to. It has nothing to do with them as individual people, because they're all lovely people, and I think they'll all be very successful in what they end up doing. But it just was a really bad fit for me. I mean, to the point where I was on vacation and I was just getting emails after emails from builders that we were working with in different states and companies that I was working with personally on projects and things that were just, like, crazy, where I was like, what is going On.

[Caitlin Peterson]

You were on vacation, and stuff was starting to go off the rails, or.

[Anissa Zajak]

Yes, 100%. Like, off. Like, off the rails. And I had to tell them, listen, you guys can't answer any more emails. Like, no one can send an email. No one can answer an email. And there were three people in my office at the time, like, working. And for me to not be able to trust, you know, anybody, to be able to have the wherewithal, to be able to answer this stuff or, you know, respond, I just. I was like, I can't do this. Like, I would rather not answer these people and then get back to them when I can personally get back to them than have them answering it. And I was like, I'm going to. I'm going to lose these jobs that are, you know, these major design jobs. Like, I'm going to make these clients upset. I'm going to make these builders upset. And I need this. I need these. These jobs. And it was too much. It was just kind of like, too much. And I was going through divorce at the time. I probably wasn't the best mentor during that period of time, but again, I was like, I have to do something to change this. And what ended up happening is people, good or bad. I feel like I tried to give people the option to leave before they're let go, you know, kind of through discussions and things like that. So it wasn't the best situation, but I needed. Nobody on the team was. Was gonna be able to stay. Let me just put it like that.

[Caitlin Peterson]

So you didn't, like, come back the next day and say, you're all fired. That was sort of the end result, right?

[Anissa Zajak]

Yes. I mean, within a few weeks, everybody wasn't working here anymore, so I was alone. I was like, I have no employees. I am all by myself. This is really interesting. What am I going to do? So I hired a couple people, and they did not work out. And, you know, it just. But the difference was. And I think this was, like, one of those learning curves. I had been really lucky with the people that had worked for me prior, so I didn't really have to experience, you know, this situation. But when I got the, you know, some new employees right after this happened, I realized immediately, like, this is not working, and then let them go. So I now, thankfully have a team of three people. Two are my two lead designers, and they're amazing. Like, amazing, like, where I'm like, oh, my gosh, my business is better now than what it was, you know, way back when. I thought it was really good and so I think that's. Well, I don't think. I know. That's why my brain now is like, oh, I could do this now and I could do that now. Where before, I couldn't even think about any kind of expansion or any kind of E commerce or anything like that, because they're just. It never would have been able to happen because I was literally like, I was carrying the load. So now that I have a really strong team and I feel like we're in a better place and now it's time to do some new things.

[Caitlin Peterson]

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[Anissa Zajak]

I will say I am a horrible, horrible interviewer. I. It's not my strength, you know, And I. And I know I'm a big believer in staying in your lane. And so I've now employed other people to help me with the interview process. So now I have somebody in place that does the initial interviewing. You know, we go over the resumes and whatnot, and then she does the initial, and then we have them come in for a second, and then I sit in on that one. And then we have. I have another woman on my team, actually. It's funny. I. I have more than three people that work for me, but they don't work in my office all the time. So sometimes I forget and I kind of like subcontractor. She does all my. My billing and she does all of my, like, all my money, everything. And so she is great. And she will do a final zoom with them and then give Me, her input.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Wait, so your contract bookkeeper is the final interview?

[Anissa Zajak]

Yeah. I mean, because she's not really, like. I wouldn't call her a bookkeeper. I mean, she does, yeah. She. She's more operations, I would say, than anything. But I highly respect her. I think she has a great team of her own, and she has great input, and. And she's also one that tells me how much we're going to pay them. So she. She's my final. She's the final, like, zoom call with them, and then we, the three of us, discuss, and then we either make or don't make the hire.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Are you. Are you looking for different things now? Are you asking different questions, or what does it take for you to want to say yes to a new hire now?

[Anissa Zajak]

I've got to like their personality. They have to be. It's just so funny to me. Like, people interviews. It's just so. I think it's hard because I think sometimes interview or people interview great, and then they end up being, like, not great employees. And then there's people that have not interviewed, like, the best, but then they end up being, like, my favorite employees. So I just. I don't know. I wish there was a. You know, that's why I have so many other people or two other people, I should say, involved in the interview process, because I think it is really hard trying to figure out if they're going to be good for us or not. But now, like, one of the questions we always ask people are, so tell me who your favorite designers are. It is so surprising to me how many kids out of school have no one. They don't know anyone. And, I mean, I want somebody that's going to come in and say, like, you know, I love, you know, this designer or that designer, and, you know, I love this about their work or that about their work. Like, that's what I'm looking for. And if they can't tell me anybody or they don't know who they are, I'm like, okay, moving on. And I think because today's day and age, I tell people, listen, us as a team, we talk about design all day long because we love it so much. And I feel like if you don't have that drive and you don't have that love and you don't geek out over, like, amazing plaid floral sofa, then, like, you're not the best fit for our team.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How are you thinking about your role or where the clients see you or where you're involved in each project? And then how is Your. How have you organized your team to support that work?

[Anissa Zajak]

So the great thing is that I have such a strong team that I, I will say this is the. Except for Rachel, this is the first time since I've started this business where I have a team that can take control of the design and then I can approve what they're doing or make edits to what they're doing and I don't have to design the entire thing myself. And it's not that I don't want to design it myself, but with multiple projects going on and site visits and phone calls, and then I also have other things that are design related but not client related that I have to do. You know, they're capable of doing this. So, you know, for instance, like, we had a full bedding textile presentation for a client that we did yesterday. I do the presentation, but Genevieve, that's on my team, she did all the bedding, you know, and then I went through and approved it all. And we made some tweaks of things where I was like, well, let's change this or let's change that. But it's very collaborative now and I'm able to act more like a principal instead of just a lead designer.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Do you feel the difference?

[Anissa Zajak]

Oh, my gosh, yes. Because I feel like, I mean, I went to Italy for a month with my kids and they stayed here and ran the business. I mean, I was, I participated and I did zoom calls with clients and I, you know, I like approved things and, you know, I was still available for them, but, you know, it allowed me to take this time with my kids and go to a different country, whether it was a six hour time change and I didn't have to worry about someone answering an email and us losing our client during that trip. I own this company, but we are a collaborative team. It takes everybody on the team. And I've always been very sensitive, in all honesty, about designers that don't show their team because I know they're not doing it all on their own, you know, So I just, I think it says more about them as an individual and I would hope people think that about me. When you're including the people that are doing all the hard work behind the scenes. I mean, everybody knows It's Anissa from House 7 Design. Well, they don't know Kissna, they don't know Genevieve, and they don't know Christina. You know what I mean? Like, but those are the people. Like, that's what keeps this company rolling. It's not just me on my own.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Do clients interact with your team members quite heavily?

[Anissa Zajak]

Always. And I, and I'm a big advocate for that. Like when we're on a zoom call, you know, like yesterday she wasn't a big. I mean, they don't always want to get on the zoom call, like in the office, you know what I mean? But I was like, you're the one that put this together. You have to speak to it, to the client, and they have to be, you know, a presence within the company. The clients have to know them. The clients need to know that, you know, it's not just me doing it, but it's the whole team. And I will say probably part of this comes from just maybe years ago, like when I was first starting out and really just trying to figure things out. I had a lot of clients, not a lot, but enough, who were dissatisfied with the fact that there were people on my team doing work that they were paying for and it wasn't just me doing the work. And I felt like I had to educate them to say, like, hey, nothing goes into your house without my approval. But I can't do all of this on my own and I certainly can't run a business as a one man show. So there are other people here doing the work. And it seems so obvious. But then, you know, again, you don't make assumptions, right, because it's not to a lot of people. And I think that's been a big part of, you know, my growth of my business is educating the clients that we work with and just kind of teaching them like what it's like to work with a designer. I mean, I almost would love to put like a booklet together. Like, here's what working with a designer looks like. You know, you can't hire them on Tuesday and they start demoing on Thursday. Like, it's just, you know, that's not how this works. And I don't blame the client because I think everybody has a skewed idea of how things work because of social media and television. And. But that has been a big part of, you know, not just educating the client, but like getting the team involved in everything on site visits, on zoom calls, email communication, phone calls, everything. So they know, like, yeah, you hired me and you're going to get the design that I put out, but there's a whole team of us working on it.

[Caitlin Peterson]

I want to make a big pivot and talk about money. How do you think about what design should cost today? How do you bill for the firm's work? And how do you talk about it with clients.

[Anissa Zajak]

So we bill hourly on an estimated cost, if that makes sense. So we've done this long enough where we can pretty much tell a client based on the square footage of their house, because we know how we design. We know the level of, you know, finishes that are going to go into the home and how much we're actually going to be, you know, doing to the home. We can base the square footage, like, roughly, with a price attached to it that tells them over, you know, the course of a year, this is how much you'll pay in design fees, completely separate than your remodeling fees or your sourcing, you know, your source cost, things like that. So in. The crazy thing is, we've done it enough where if you take our hourly rate and you compare it to, like, what we take the square footage by price per square foot, they basically come out to about the same. So that's what we tell clients. Now, we do have a minimum of 50 hours to take on a job. So depending on the scale of the project, they're either paying the minimum of 50 hours to start the project to reserve their spot on our calendar, or they're paying a percentage of the estimated total cost for a year's worth of design work or to finish the project, depending on what, you know, the timeline is. That's been very helpful because I really, really believe, and I will say, you know, we've struggled with this over the year, and we haven't always been great at it, but I think we've always been diligent in trying to be better in the billing part of the design, because this is the thing design. It's fun. It's, like, exciting. People get lost in the process, and then they get a bill, and they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Why would it take you this long to source a light? You know what I mean? Like, it does take a long time, all those specific details for each home and things that make that home unique from this other home. It takes a lot of time sourcing new wall coverings and textiles, you know, so that you're not just seeing the same thing repeated over and over again. And your design is unique from your neighbors. I mean, it takes a long time to do that stuff. So we've. I have tried diligently to explain that to my clients, and we have a welcome packet. So if somebody reaches out to us and inquires about our services, we send them a welcome packet. And it's, you know, just a pretty little packet of, like, here's how our design Services work. This is how, you know, we run a job. This, these are what our rates are. Because I, I always say this. Listen, it all comes down to economics, right? We can all want everything, but it's the price that's going to keep us from doing it. So that to me, I always tell people right up front, here's what our costs are, here's what we require from you as the client. You know, we set our guidelines. No, you can not go out and purchase a bunch of furniture, you know, during your project. You know, just things like that. And we explain why, you know, it's not just because we, we want you to buy from us because we want the money and we're just money hungry and that's all. No, it's, it's about, you know, the project and getting the best result at the end of the project. Like we're doing this actually for you, the client, and we're your insurance. So let like lean on us and let the money you're paying us do the work, right? So that's a big part of it. And then after the welcome packet we send over our contract and that has, you know, all the nuts and bolts of here's, you know, what we require from you, here's what you should require from us, you know, or here's what we will deliver to you. And I think it, you know, I tell my, the girls that work for me, like, hey guys, like, listen, once these people sign this contract, we are married to them probably for at least two years. Like, like we're in a relationship now and if we break up, it's going to get real messy. So like, we better make sure we like these clients. And honestly, if there's any red flags that, that you're seeing or I'm seeing, we got to communicate about this because from experience, being afraid to turn down a job because I don't know when the next job's going to come. I have not listened to instinct and taken on clients that I then regretted and then had to part ways with in the process. And then, you know, when it comes to the billing process, we explain to clients like, you know, if, if they're on a 50 hour retainer, you know, sometimes months can go by because we haven't started the job yet, or it's really slow in the beginning. And we send them a monthly invoice, you know, here's how many hours that were used this month. This is how much you have left of your invoice. Because what I don't want is somebody Paying me a retainer. And then four months go by, and then all of a sudden we drop a bill on them, and they're like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Where'd this bill come from? You know, then I tell the team all the time, like, set expectations. People are always okay with everything. In my experience, if the expectation has been set from the very beginning and if the job. If the scope of the job or, you know, it changes. Communicate, you know, like, good communication can solve 99% of all problems. I would be, you know, I'd be lying if I sat here and said, like, oh, we totally have a system down. It works perfectly with every client. Like, you know, like, it's just. You know, it's foolproof. Like, no, it's just not. Because in this industry, no job's the same. No contractor slash builder is the same. Your subs aren't the same. You know, like, it. You know, it just. It depends. Everything is so individual to that job, and you have to be able to pivot to be. Be able to create the best work environment and client relationship that you can.

[Caitlin Peterson]

How do you know when it's time to raise your rates?

[Anissa Zajak]

When I have so many jobs coming in that we can't keep up. I will say the difference in that was years ago. When I first started out, I was, you know, charging, I'll charge $25. Now I'll judge $50. Now I'll charge $75. You know, not making any money, and I'm like, schlepping crap all around town, going to Home Goods, and my, Like, I had a mentor who we had dinner one night, and he said to me, you got to raise your rates. You're too good for what you're making. And I was like, oh, but if I raise my rates, like, what if I don't get any jobs and people will think I'm too expensive? And, you know, here's somebody else tell me you can do it, and you're telling yourself you can't, right? And this is advice that I give other designers. Your rates tell people how good you are. And I'm the same way. If I'm going to buy, you know, something from somebody and maybe one's a little bit more expensive, I'm going to be like, okay, well, it's more expensive because it must be better. So I'm going to investigate why it's better. I'm not just going to go with it because it's more, but I'm going to investigate why it's better. And I think that we've established ourselves as a brand. People know what House 7 design is, they know what the look is. And I think we are justified in what we charge people. And ultimately at the end of the day, you know, you know, what is the saying? It's worth what somebody will pay for it.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Right, Right.

[Anissa Zajak]

So, you know, if, if I raised my rates and we couldn't get a client anymore, I'd have to reevaluate like, okay, maybe it's because we've, we're, you know, we've out priced ourselves and also like the, you know, geographically that plays a lot into it too. You know, I pay attention to other people in the, the city. You're charging for the quality of work that they're putting out. Another local designer and I last year started like a meetup group because we live in like a design desert. I mean there's just, there's no place to source stuff in indie. There's, I mean we're in Indiana. It's really not, not the best place for inspiration and, and even just knowing other creatives and I thought, you know, I have all these friends in LA and Nashville and they all get together all the time. There's always like parties and pop up shops and you know, just a lot of camaraderie between the designers and we don't have anything like that here. So her and I just happened to be talking one day and I said, you know, let's get some designers together. And you know, she agreed, like, let's get some designers together. Just a handful. We can meet monthly or by, you know, monthly and just talk about like things we're experiencing. Like maybe one meeting. We'll talk about how we're billing one meeting. We'll talk about how to deal with like, you know, clients that have gone off the rails or you know, whatever it is. And that's been really beneficial.

[Caitlin Peterson]

Did you have a big network before locally?

[Anissa Zajak]

No. I mean there was no calling other designers and asking where they were getting things from. I mean there was no, you know, sharing sources or samples or. There's none of that.

[Caitlin Peterson]

I've done a couple events around the country and it's always shocking when I get to certain markets where you kind of say where someone comes to an event and asks you, oh, who else is here? I'm like, these are all fellow designers and they kind of look shocked and they're like, well, I've never met anyone else who is a designer in this area before. I have no peers and how, how lonely that must be or how scary that must be too.

[Anissa Zajak]

I mean, I always say this to my team, and maybe I'm wrong, you know, but I. I say it anyway. I say, you know what, you guys, we literally have to do all our design online. We don't have anywhere where we can go look at furniture or lighting or art or anything. I said, imagine if we had those items tangible. You know, we could go in and sit on a chair or look at a piece of art in person or see the scale in person. I was like, you think we're good now? Imagine how we could be if we could actually see this stuff before it arrived in a box, right? You guys gotta pat yourself on the back. Like, you're really good at what you do. Because, I mean, anybody that's ever sourced, like, lighting, it looks completely different most of the time in person than what it does look what it looks like online. So having the skill to see something, you know, a picture of it digitally and then knowing what it's going to look like visually in a home, I mean, that's. I mean, there's a lot of skill involved there.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What did meeting up with other designers change for you about how you approach your firm?

[Anissa Zajak]

I think it gives us more confidence, you know, like, we. We can all. Because we're all real, like, supportive of each other's businesses. It's not. I feel like. And I don't feel like this as much anymore, but I do feel like when I first started out, and I know there's younger designers or just other designers I've talked to that felt like. Or feel like this. It's like this speakeasy kind of like business, right?

[Caitlin Peterson]

Like, that's a great way to describe.

[Anissa Zajak]

It, you know, like, you know, it's there, but you don't know really how to get in and, you know, like, know who's. You know, I mean, it's just so I. I feel like there's a lot of gatekeeping. I felt like, you know, people didn't tell. It was always like, you got to fill out three forms to find out how much these people charge. You know, I mean, like, you're sending spies into, like, find out how much they charge, what are they charging, you know, like, what. What are they selling? Where are they getting their sources from? Where did that light come from? You know, things like that. You know, I feel like it, because there was kind of this feeling of, well, you didn't want to share your sources because then somebody could steal your sources and then steal your business, really. Because it really comes down to, like, you're gonna. People are gonna steal your business. Well, I firmly believe if you're really good at what you do, you shouldn't worry about people stealing your business. And it's the same with employees. I've, you know, I've seen designers get really salty about young designers leaving and going off on their own. And I kind of have the feeling. And maybe it's because of where I started out. Like, isn't that kind of what they're supposed to do eventually? Right. You know, like, I mean, it's kind of like, ultimately, isn't that the goal? Like, you don't want to work for anybody else. You want to have your own design firm. So, I mean, why would you want somebody that's so skilled and had been with you for a long time and contributed so much of themselves to your business? Why would you not want the best for them to go out? And if you're worried that they're going to take your business or a client's going to leave you to go to them because maybe they don't charge as much. Well, a, you don't want to work with that client, in my opinion, anymore. And B, like, be better. Be better at what you're doing. But I feel like we're all. We're very specific. We know what we're doing. We're not, you know, gunning for each other's jobs. I feel like. It's just. I'm such a big believer in when you are, like, when you are cheerleading other people on. They cheerlead you back and you. Everybody benefits from it. It just. I don't see how you can be any other way, especially in a town this small.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What part of running your firm has tested you the most as a business owner?

[Anissa Zajak]

Time management weirdly comes to my mind. Trying to balance, I would say, like, the balance. The. The. The family and work balance. I have daughters, and I just. I want them to grow up knowing they can do anything they want to and they can be successful at it, you know, and they don't just have to follow this, like, mold of, like, here's what you're supposed to do. Because, I mean, I give this example. When I was living in a small town in upstate New York growing up, I remember thinking, you know, I just want to get married and have kids and drive a red Volvo to soccer games and watch my kids, you know, play soccer. And that was like. That was it, like, period, you know, stop. Like, there was nothing else. And. And I say to my kids, I'm like, this is what Like, I thought about, like, I thought that's what it meant to, that's what happiness looked like. And like, dream bigger, girls dream bigger. And I also, I just want to build something that they get to have, you know, like whether they want to be in the design business or not. But I just, I want to have something that, you know, like when I'm, you know, dead and gone or whatever, you know, like, my kids can be like that house, my mom did that house. I'm leaving something behind that I've done. And it's affecting not just my life, my kids life, but like, you know, like the people that live in those houses. And, and so when does it get to be too much? Right? Like, like how, how big is too big and how, what do you have to achieve to be the level of success that you want to be? And, and I think that's something that I think about a lot. You know, I've gone through a lot in my personal life. Like, you know, my husband and I, you know, now ex husband, like, we work together, like we owned, you know, we did this together and now we don't do it together anymore. And you know, trying to balance how that shakes out with me and him and then how it affects my kids and you know, like, there, there's so much involved in that that I think like, just trying to balance all of it is probably, I don't want to say it's a challenge, but it's definitely something I think about constantly because I'm providing for my kids financially and you know what I mean, Like, I, I, you know, where does like providing enough but also having enough time for them and being there for them. Like, you know, like what, what is that balance? And I think any, any mom that's working or any parent that's working, you know, they're dealing with the same stuff. So I would say, I don't know if it's a challenge, but it's definitely something that's constantly on my mind.

[Caitlin Peterson]

What does success look like for you?

[Anissa Zajak]

I think for me, success is having happy kids. I think, you know, my kids being able to think, you know, my mom really, like, I came first, I, I, my mom put me first and my mom did all this stuff so that I could have the life that I have and I could have the opportunities that I have. I think having employees that feel needed and wanted and respected, that is success for me. And I think honestly, like, success for me is not having to worry about, like, things, not having to worry about. I'm going to pay my bills, not having to worry about putting food on the table. I mean, I didn't have a ton of money, you know, years ago. Like we lived paycheck to paycheck. Like it was stressful. And I don't have to worry about that. I mean, if I want to buy something, within reason, I buy it. And if I want to go on a vacation with my kids, you know, I get to do that. Like that. I don't need a private jet and a yacht and house all over the country. I just need to feel content. And I think that's success. Contentment for me.

[Caitlin Peterson]

That's our show for today. Thank you so much for listening. Before you go, if you'd like to keep up with the latest design industry news, more great podcasts, check out new products, or browse job openings. Head on over to businessofhome.com 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 [e-mail] finally, if you're enjoying the podcast, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts to help others discover the show. Trade Tales is produced by me, Caitlin Peterson with Fred Nicholas and Caroline Burke. This episode was edited by Caroline Burke and Michael Castaneda. Our theme music is by Kyle Scott Wilson. Thanks again for listening and I'll see you again in two weeks.