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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast

597: Power Talk Friday: Mary Pat Wallace:Designers, The Time Is Now to Grow Your Business

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

Design, Business, Arts

4.9810 Ratings

🗓️ 2 October 2020

⏱️ 66 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Today’s guest is Mary Pat Wallace, the founder of Chicago Luxury Beds, and today’s focus is the luxury client! Mary Pat shares important perspectives about the surprising  opportunities you have today in the midst of the pandemic, and not just how we can deal with it and accommodate it, but how we can truly serve our clients in a bigger and better way. She also shares her insights on how she’s managed to maintain an excellent client experience and continue to be a strong leader for her team, even in a retail setting, throughout the challenges of Covid-19. Listen in for an inspiring conversation! Mary is a 30-year veteran of the design industry. Committed to sourcing the highest-quality, bespoke mattresses and sleep products from across the globe, Mary Pat and her team of experts have spent the last 15 years helping clients transform their lives through sleep. Once she spent her first night in a Hästens bed, Mary Pat knew that mattresses should be viewed as a necessity in one’s life. Extensive experience in the design industry allowed Mary Pat to develop a perspective on value per use — we sleep a third of our lives, the mattress is the most important piece of furniture in the home. Restorative sleep is the foundation for optimum health. Having witnessed firsthand that the right mattress is critical to a deeply restful night of sleep she brought that experience and her unique expertise to the luxury market in Chicago, opening the first Hästens retail store in North America in 2005. Mary Pat eventually rebranded the business to Chicago Luxury Beds in order to expand her curated offerings. With the success and longevity of Chicago Luxury Beds, she opened a showroom in Dallas (Dallas Luxury Beds) furthering her team’s reach in helping clients get their best night of sleep. It is Mary Pat’s life passion to help clients create environments that are deeply restful and support transformational sleep. Show Highlights: As Mary Pat declares, “The time is NOW.” Due to the coronavirus, people are spending more time at home, and that is not likely to change. The luxury clients are working more from home, and they’re all considering how they can reconfigure their spaces to work more productively. Money from luxury clients is being reallocated and being refocused back at home. Mary Pat’s tips on how to revive your client list, even if it’s 15-20 years old. Mary Pat offers strategies for conducting your business virtually, while maintaining or increasing productivity. Being successful with the luxury client involves real expertise. Mary Pat expounds on this philosophy and what the luxury client wants from us. Listening to and understanding your client’s priorities within a budget is critical. Once a client and designer understand each other, the relationship is priceless. The collaborative buddy-system builds confidence with the client and reduces anxiety. Mary Pat explains how to do business with Chicago Luxury Beds. Connect with Mary Pat! Website Instagram Facebook Links : Design-Build For Profit Coming Back Soon! Increase Confidence, Increase Profits Coming Back in February 2021! The Profit Is In the Numbers Coming Back Soon! Process Leads to Profits - Returning November 2020! Learn the Four P’s of design from Sara Lynn Brennan: Processes, Partnerships, Packages and Profits…as well as the “secret sauce” that has doubled her business in the last year! Sign Up For Updates HERE! LuAnn Live - Coming February 2021 Join the E-Mail List to Get Updates! Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Get the Goodies! - For checklists, resources, and extra goodies! To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business - The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast - Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday A Big THANK YOU to These Podcast Sponsors: FREE Trial! A One-Stop Shop to Keep Everything Organized! Check Out Their Client Portal and Time Tracking Features! My Doma Studio A Well Designed Business Open Your Trade Account with ARTICLE.com Here! Be the hero for your clients, and be the solution they need right now with Article.

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:27.2

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0:35.0

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0:38.5

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0:44.5

hiring strategy effectively. Go to Luannigara.com forward slash store and invest in your success

0:51.7

by investing in the success of your team.

1:07.0

Welcome to a well-designed business. My name is Luann Nigara, and I'm so glad you found this podcast.

1:12.6

Together with my husband Vince and our partner Bill, we have grown our company Window Works from the ground up, so I know and I understand the challenges you face in running your interior design business.

1:24.6

I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your

1:29.3

success. So on this podcast, we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your

1:35.9

business. But make no mistake about it, we have our share of fun here too, mix in with those

1:41.2

aha moments that I love so much. This isn't fluff. Nobody has time for that.

1:46.5

Whether you are a new interior designer or a season designer, I am here to help you create and to

1:52.5

manage the kind of interior design firm that you dream of. It's straight talk and it's action.

1:58.1

Are you ready? Let's get started.

2:06.2

Hi, welcome to a well-designed business. It's Power Talk Friday. Today on the show, I have Mary Pat Wallace. She is the founder of Chicago

2:11.4

luxury beds. Mary Pat is a 30-year veteran of the design industry, and she called on that experience when she first

2:18.5

opened Haysens, the retail store, 15 years ago. It made sense for her to serve clients

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