[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
Today on the Interior Collective, we're talking about something that every designer eventually faces in their career. The moment when growth requires a leap of faith. Building a successful interior design studio is not just about talent or great projects. It is about mindset. And it's about trusting yourself enough to make big decisions before you feel completely ready. And it's about recognizing that the strongest businesses are rarely built alone. In this episode, I'm joined by Danielle Chipret of Danielle Rose Design company, a designer who has embraced that growth mentality in the most meaningful ways. We're talking about what it really looks like to bet on yourself, how to navigate the risks that come with scaling a creative business, and why building a strong support system outside of your internal team can be one of the most powerful decisions you make. From photographers and PR partners to the broader network of collaborators who help bring in designers work to life, we are exploring how those relationships shape not only the visibility of a studio, but its long term trajectory.
This season is presented by Laloy, the family owned home textile brand known for its innovative craft and meticulous design. At High Point Market this spring, Laloy just debuted Rain a rug collection with a new and rare construction along with a fresh season of rugs, pillows and wall art in collaboration with Rifle Paper Company. See everything new at Loloi Rugs.com, that's L-O-L-O-I rugs.com and follow Loloi Rugs on Instagram and TikTok. Today's episode is sponsored by DesignAssist, the staffing solution built for interior design firms starting around $12.50 an hour. It's professional production support with full time overhead. Scale smarter with designassist.com Ideeco that's design with a Z.
Danielle, welcome to the show. We were talking for like two seconds before hitting recording and like I already know I'm not gonna get through this without crying because I am so honored to have you here and I'm so, I'm so honored to be watching your story unfold. So thank you for joining the show.
[00:02:13] Speaker B: Thank you so much for having me. I have such a. My heart is exploding right now. I.
Not only has it just been such a pleasure knowing you and having you along the ride for my whole trajectory, seriously, since I was a teeny baby designer coming to you for our branding, our logo, our entire website, when we were just starting to get started, you know, really and, and just being there for design camp and my first panel, I feel like we. You've been a marker for Us throughout our whole journey.
[00:02:53] Speaker A: I. It was recently that you just shared, like, your signage going up in your actual studio with that logo that we did for you. I mean, it's been years now, and I just, like, got chills watching it. Like, nothing makes me happier than seeing our clients and our friends, like, just hit the next level of their own personal goals, whatever that may be. So I'm so excited to dig into that today.
But, Danielle, I'd love if you could start us off with taking us back to the beginning of your studio. What was the moment that you decided to take the leap and start your own firm?
[00:03:28] Speaker B: Okay, so, I mean, I, like many designers, I did not have a linear story getting here.
Everything evolved. I went to school for visual merchandising and store design, so I did that for the first, like, 10 years of my career.
I think I was set up uniquely for success when it comes to the way I grew up. I grew up in a home that my parents were. My mom was a creative. She was deeply, deeply creative, and my dad was an entrepreneur. So growing up, I knew I wanted to own something of my own, and I knew it had to be in the creative field. And that started with visual merchandising and being able to set up stores and understand how people move through spaces. And it was really, really wonderful and Fun for my 20s.
Hit that. Hit that 30 year old mark moved out of the city, moved out to Long island, as many do, as most of our clients do now, and decided that it was time to really dig into what my true dreams were and follow that entrepreneurial path.
We purchased a Tudor home out on Long island, and I designed it with everything that I knew.
And I look at it now, I'm like, okay, we're gonna get. We're gonna get back to you later in. In the next few years. But it really was.
It was me putting my heart out there to get started and photographing it. And then timing just kind of hit with COVID and everyone making the journey out from the city and looking for a designer to help create their new home. Right. Come from the city. What are we doing in the suburbs? We have no furniture that fits in these big spaces. And I had just done it right before then, so it was the perfect timing.
[00:05:24] Speaker A: Okay, so when you guys left the city, went to Long island, when you were designing your own house, did you know that, like, okay, this is my kickoff of a design firm. This is what's happening next? Or were you like, okay, I'm gonna document this and let's see what happens?
[00:05:42] Speaker B: Document and let's see what happens. I was still working full time for the company I was working for.
I was finding this love and, and it was like growing as I was doing it and decided, okay, I'm gonna keep working here. It was a slow transition, but I'm gonna keep working. I'm gonna do this, I'm going to document it and I'm also going to go back to school for interior design at that time and just get the basics. And I took a certificate program and loved it and just fell in love with it. And as I was documenting it, as I was learning, Covid started happening, our buddies started moving out to Long island and that's when they, that's when it
[00:06:26] Speaker A: all hit real quick. If you're comfortable sharing, where did you get your certificate and you said you loved it, you loved interior design or you were also happy with the program you were in?
[00:06:36] Speaker B: Both. So I, I did a program at Niced and then I went out. There's a, there's a little school out on Long island that I finished the certificate with and they just reopened, actually. They're, they're really wonderful. They're Long island based and, you know, we hope to continue fostering this relationship with them as they're, they're building their school back up.
[00:07:03] Speaker A: Yeah, a lot of people who are like, man, I would feel, I would just feel a little more comfortable if I had a level of, you know, formal education, not necessarily wanting to go back and like, read you their entire Bachelor of Arts or whatever that looks like. So thank you so much for sharing that.
[00:07:20] Speaker B: Oh, yeah, and that is exactly how I felt. I just wanted to know enough that I could walk onto a job site because our studio is really based heavily in construction. So I wanted to be able to walk into a job site, know how to read architectural plans, be able to make suggestions. And that certificate program gave me that foundation to, to move forward there.
[00:07:42] Speaker A: Okay. So I think that there are a lot of designers who are listening, standing at some version of that crossroads. They have maybe been dabbling, they've done their own house.
What did that leap actually look like for, for you in like, practical terms, as you're saying you still had your other job. Your friend started moving out to Long island as well.
What was like the actual technical black and white, as if there's ever a world that is super clear cut like that. But like, what did that look like practically?
[00:08:14] Speaker B: Okay. So for a while I was doing projects with no money or nothing coming in.
And, and once we had our Home shot professionally. It ended up being featured on Apartment Therapy, which was so exciting. Couldn't believe it. One of those things that, looking back, it was a really big deal for us, and it kind of made me feel like, okay, there's a place for me here. Even if it's just a small mention or a small feature in a publication, it was enough to give me a little bit of a social following and the confidence to make that leap. So at that point, I was like, okay, I'm packing in my corporate job. And right then I got an inquiry for a whole home, you know, full home renovation. That it was almost like you make the decision. And the answer came. Came knocking. And that project is still a keystone of our portfolio and something that we love so much. It's actually the project that, when we shot it, your branding that you did for us used that really as our banner image. And everything kind of fell off of. Off of that project. But it was truly like a sweaty palms moment because I had done, sure, I did a bunch of bathrooms. I've done, you know, furnishing I've done. Now I'm piecing these together. But this client came in, full home gut, remodel, adding a third floor, and they were like, all right, we love your style. Let's do it. And I had to figure everything out on the fly. I. I had to, you know, truly build the plane in the air and came out the other side with clients that refer us our biggest source of referrals to this day. And a project that's still five years later is one of my proudest accomplishments.
[00:10:24] Speaker A: When you look back at those early years of building the studio, what were some of the biggest mindset shifts you had to make to move from solely designer to designer business owner?
[00:10:40] Speaker B: I think that the biggest mindset set shift was I'm not going to know all of the answers, and I'm not going to be able to.
To do all the things I love and also soar with all of the technical side of things like the. From procurement and accounting to technical, technical, foundational drawings.
So what.
What I did was I really focused in on what I love to do, what I could do better, what my secret sauce is. And then I was able to really invest in the people that would help me get a fully formed foundation. Like, even right at the beginning, it was part of my mindset. I saw a designer on Instagram who I just loved what they were doing, and they were ahead of me in business, and they were doing all the things that I wanted to be Doing so, you know, month one of business, I reached out to them and I said, hey, I love what you're doing.
Do you ever do coaching or anything like that? And I just tried to lean in when I could, and she ended up coaching me for a year. I paid her consultation fee. We did a zoom consult. And it was just the start of my mindset of make the investment and let it pay off for you and make the investment and find someone who has what you want or knows what is the expert in that path, and let them teach you and trust them and push yourself forward that way.
[00:12:26] Speaker A: Yeah. Learn what you can from them in every opportunity.
I think the idea of mentorship and reaching out to people sounds amazing to those who are listening, but I think people are also really intimidated by it, by, like, oh, why would someone else stick their neck out to. To teach me things when I could be taking clients from them? I'm just wondering, logistically, was this someone who was in a region close to you? Were they someone in your direct market, or was it someone more aesthetically aligned and business aligned less so that, like, they were down the street?
[00:13:04] Speaker B: Yeah, no, they were.
They were regionally connected, but not, like, immediate. And I think it was more so. Our styles are in the same world, but what I saw was this woman who had a small studio who had just gotten the keys for their, you know, their brick and mortar studios with a small team, and they were doing full home projects. So their work and how they showed up on Social and how they.
How they elevated their team, it really resonated with me. And it made me feel like, okay, it's not just about how do you do what you do, Although that was part of it. It was recognizing that this is what I want, and let's see how someone's doing it down the street or across the country, but more so try and get as much as I can from them.
[00:14:09] Speaker A: So I'm hearing that it wasn't necessarily someone who's a direct competitor across the street, but it was okay that they were local. And was this the first studio you reached out to for this mentorship opportunity and you got a yes. Do you have any tips for people who would like to reach out to someone they admire?
[00:14:29] Speaker B: I think that I had a true. Like, we started building a relationship together, and it wasn't just like a cold mentorship. I think it's something that you build over time. Like, I had been following her for a long time, seeing her projects, and being really authentic with that connection.
So that when I. When I did reach out to help. It wasn't like a cold email or a cold message. It was more of a, We've been building this foundation. I've been a cheerleader for you for this whole time and I'm excited to learn from you and, and, and, and, and grow. And I think it really does need to be mutually beneficial. Like I wanted to make sure that I was paying for that time so that, that she wanted to show up and, and really understand.
And I think it was a, it was a beautiful thing.
[00:15:24] Speaker A: One of the themes I'm so excited to talk to you about today is, is growth mentality.
The, the mental perspective you as a business owner have put into play in your experience. What does the concept of growth mentality really mean to you in the context of running a design firm?
[00:15:45] Speaker B: I think it's forever.
Well, I think it's ingrained in our DNA as a studio, our growth.
I don't know, maybe it's just like my unbuilt inability to sit still and to be okay with just like being.
I'm working on that. Renee is helping me. But what I, I just have always had this mindset of let's, let's set these amazing goals for ourselves, let's think bigger, think forward and, and I know we're going to hit it. So I think the growth mindset is trusting yourself, believing in your ability to figure it out and taking big leaps in order to get there. Some things that are feel like very outside of your comfort zone, either financially or again, like the big projects that you may not feel ready or set up for or we did a show house very early on that ended up truly changing the trajectory of our business or hiring a coach like that will shake things up and maybe a big investment.
And so really honing in on that and valuing that as a studio.
[00:17:11] Speaker A: I love that so much. I have so many follow up questions. I'm like, I want to hear about the show house. But one thing is you were talking about that. I'm sure you've seen it. It's been kind of trending lately on Instagram reels. But like this concept of you worry too much for someone who's always figured it out up until this point. And I think that that's so true. When we're talking about this growth mindset, you will always figure it out. It might not always be the way that you pictured it, but there will be a resolution to it.
[00:17:43] Speaker B: It's so incredibly true. And it, I think that like defines what I, what I truly believe and and it's not something that I believed always. Right. Like, that is something that I tried to believe. I started. I wanted to believe it. And then each time it shows itself that it is true.
And each time I get that little taste of, okay, I did that, and it paid off. I did that and paid off. It feels like this reassurance that now I can look back and say, okay, I can make this big swing. I can get, you know, sign a five year lease for our studio because I know that I won't quit and I'll make it work. And I have that.
You know, I. I kind of have that in my pocket. Mm.
[00:18:33] Speaker A: Okay. Before we move on to the additional questions, I do want to backtrack a little bit and talk about how you feel like doing that show house early in your career did really set you on a new trajectory. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Why you decided to do it when you did, and also how the opportunity came up? Because I think that people could also be like, yeah, I'd be willing to figure it out in a showhouse. But, like, how did I even get into a show house?
[00:18:58] Speaker B: Great question. And I have to tell you that I got the email to. To be part of the show house while I was at Design Camp. Yeah. Yep.
So good. Okay. So I worked with Design Assisted, who they helped me before I was ready to really, truly make my first hire.
And Dalia connected me with a PR person who helped me out at the beginning. And.
And they. They kind of championed me into this. The Hampton Designer show House out in Southampton at the time.
And I was the last one in, so I had no choice in the room. It was like, you got the outside patio. You. You good with that? And I was like, I am so good with that. And I just said, okay, I am going to be unapologetically myself here. I am going to tap into all of my trades. I had been in business for about two years at that time, so it's not like I had a huge arsenal. I definitely didn't have a lot of money to put into this, but I decided I am going all in here. I am going to spend what it needs to be. I'm going to make this big investment. I'm going to try and tap into anyone who will help me.
And I think the fact that it was here in the Hamptons. I'm on Long Island. I'm a very local designer. Right. Comparatively speaking, to a lot of the designers that came from around the country.
And I took a big swing. I Did an outdoor space, and I made it colorful and jewel tones and vibey and really did some. Took some risks with some marble tables that we custom designed. So we didn't play it safe.
And we ended up really trying to make that really special there. I went out and we were there during. During the time that it was being shown, and we were talking to all of the wonderful people that came to support and truly came out the other side with three of our biggest projects. So I think the fact that we were there.
We got our first real publication, Press Features in Print, and Architectural Digest ran an article about it. We were the header of the article. It gave me a lot of incredible.
I don't know, just like, the fun that came along with it. And also the clients followed suit. So we still are seeing that payoff.
And one thing I didn't really even expect was the vendor relationships that we created during that. So, you know, we started.
We went out to all of our favorite vendors, and one that stands out is Four Hands. We ended up connecting with our wonderful, amazing Four Hands rep. And she. They. They helped us out with things for the show house. We. We gave them a lot of love, and now they're our biggest champions. You know, we.
We really cultivated that relationship from there, and I think that was really special.
[00:22:13] Speaker A: I find that growth often requires making decisions before you actually feel ready. I feel like sometimes if you wait until you're ready, the opportunity's already passed.
Can you share an example of a moment that you had to trust your instincts and take a leap of faith in your business besides the show house, when you were like, I know that we are not there right now, but I'm not going to say no to this.
[00:22:45] Speaker B: My gosh. I think this is. This is truly the key to our success. Like, even from just hiring a photographer that we loved from the.
That was more money for the photography than I made on the projects. Hiring a stylist that was incredible to take that little project that we made no money on, but make it look ten times better. So I think every step of the way, we kind of done. We've done that. But the most recent, I would say, is our studio space.
So I think, you know, I remember we had this opportunity, take this space, and I said, oof, this is a huge lift. This is. This is no joke. This is five years we are committing to this space.
This is the most amount of money I'm putting out each month.
And we're truly creating overhead for us and well beyond what I had ever expected. The payoff of it is just like leaps and bounds from our team and the love and the community that we're building here and the client approvals that we're getting from just. I call it the studio magic. Now clients are coming into the studio and, and we're presenting full homes and we're getting approvals on site. And I truly believe it's because we've created and cultivated this environment here that people want to be a part of and they want to, that they have this innate trust with now. And I truly think it's moved the needle from our business times a thousand.
[00:24:39] Speaker A: Wow, that's so interesting the difference you're experiencing just in approvals from clients getting to come in, see the full presentation in the space. Because not only do you have that monthly overhead, I know you guys really built out your studio.
There was a sizable initial investment as well.
How do you personally navigate the tension, if you will, between staying creatively fulfilled but also pushing the business forward in a strategic way?
[00:25:12] Speaker B: Such a balance, I think the creativity that is the joy, that's what keeps you going.
But I think the way I've done it is, is I bring in, I bring in people who can do the things that are going to take away from the creativity and moving the business forward and can handle that middle chunk.
So the things that are like the procurement, the proposal writing, the technical design, things that live in that middle space so that I can really continue to be that creative director on the design side and that high level business owner and the way that I've managed that is on the design side we have two designers that one of them has been with me for two and a half years and she has grown and grown and grown and has had exceptional growth, growth in the last year or so. So she's allowed me to step out of that day to day minutia design and allow me to really grow as that creative director and leader.
And then also having an operations maven on our team that can handle all things that are truly business operations and she can soar on her own and my, my job really has become with them to let them soar where and give me an opportunity to think high level about the business.
[00:27:04] Speaker A: That middle ground you just talked about is such a poignant thought that I think even just this season on the show that I'm currently recording, we've talked so much about like okay, handing over the business side of things if you really want to stay in the creative or vice versa because you're really the business visionary. But I think it's a really intelligent concept that actually for a lot of people is if we've gotten this far in business, we really are on those two bookend scopes, but there's everything in between that actually makes the business run.
Danielle, I have always been. I'm gonna do this without crying. I have always been so impressed by and truly fundamentally grateful for your commitment to, like, investing in experts and trusting in experts. And you've done that, as you said, from the very beginning. I'd love to hear some of the ways that you continue investing in your own growth as both a designer and as a business own Cause you've mentioned you set up that mentorship. You obviously, you've been to Design Camp. You're working with Renee at Tandem.
You worked with Design Assist at the beginning before you started hiring your own team. So you have been kind of an expert outsourcer. But at this point, when you have your own studio, what are things that you feel like you are still investing in to continue that growth and, like, renew that education?
[00:28:41] Speaker B: I think this is. This is my core tenet, right? Is not only investing in all of these wonderful, such smart, incredibly talented women, but also now doing that for my team as well, which is really exciting. But, yes, like what you said, I've done Design Camp. I've done Haven Retreat. I am. I've worked with everyone who has something to share, because I really.
I take all of that and I truly implement it. I want to learn. I have this in. I think what I've learned and what I've loved so much about this industry is that there is so much to learn. I have a lot of curiosity, so I can't quit it on that.
And really what I have netted out to is I know that I can spend, you know, a quarter every quarter with Renee talking about strategy and making sure that that is consistent throughout my year. So that is very consistent and something that has propelled me forward times a million. One place that we continue to invest as a company is pr, which has been a massive change for us and was something another thing that we did that was a leap forward, a leap of faith, something that we didn't necessarily have the budget for when we first started to have a monthly retainer for PR or the projects truly to back it up.
But what they did and what I get from all of these people that we work with and all the wonderful contributors and really people that are standing by our side throughout this whole process is a lot of internal work also.
So it's hiring our PR team before we were ready. And before I had projects that really thought that could stand up to this was, it helped me feel confident in that and it helped me feel like, okay, I do have a voice in this industry and I can be here. And that was surprising.
[00:31:11] Speaker A: Also when the studio really began scaling, it can feel like everything is happening at once.
And I'm wondering how you feel like you stay grounded while making so many decisions without getting overwhelmed.
[00:31:35] Speaker B: I would say I, I still get overwhelmed, but I am.
And I, I have no quit, so people know. I, I don't stop. So I don't stop until I figure it out, which I don't know if that's great advice, but it's true. It's real.
But the idea was scaling. And something that I'm learning time and time again is that it doesn't all have to happen at once and that things can happen in stages. So you may be ready for a senior designer, but that doesn't mean. Or you may need it, and that may need a lot of growth and a lot of changes, but that doesn't happen overnight.
There's, there's a lot of time in between that has to, that has to come. And I think if I can settle in on this decision, I know it's the right decision. I can give myself a little bit of time to understand what that, what that looks like. I will always tap in my experts to help guide me through those situations. And when I feel like things are about to take another big leap, I make those, I reach out to those, those consultants and say, like, this is the leap I'm about to make, or these are the things that are coming up. And right now in our studio, we're kind of in that, that growth spurt stage and I, I'm equal parts cautious with it and equal parts free flowing and, and I want to make sure that everyone feels really protected during those transitional stages and also want to go full force in. So it's always a balance. And I'm always thinking, how do we make these, this feel structured and, and how do we tap in the right people to help us support throughout that transition?
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[00:34:20] Speaker A: This year, Laloy is pushing beyond what's familiar. Each new textile collection starts with an exploration of materials, crafts, textures and pattern and is championed by passionate family led team. A new season of rugs, pillows and wall art is in stock now, a testament to Laloy's belief in the power of original, enduring design. See them all and connect with your local Sales
[email protected] L O L O I rugs.com this episode is brought to you by Design Assist. If your firm is busy but your team is maxed out, Design Assist connects you with highly trained junior designers who support your projects behind behind the scenes from CAD and renderings to sourcing and procurement. Founded by Reed Humphrey of Alder and Tweed Design, this model was built to help firms grow without adding massive payroll. With professional design support averaging just $12.50 an hour, you can take on more projects and increase profitability without sacrificing quality. Ready to scale Smarter? Go to DesignAssist.com IDCO that's Design Assist with a Z. Are you running your design firm with a patchwork of tools? Material brings it all into one intuitive system. Finally, try it free at getmaterio.com and get 50% off your first month as an Interior Collective listener. That's G-E-T M A T E-R-I-O.com your studio grew at the same time frame that so many of these like new generation of designers did during COVID when the need was just like so hefty.
But I think that what has made your story so successful is your willingness and intention of asking for help in these outside collaborators and looking to consultants and experts beyond just who was on your team, even though at the beginning maybe it wasn't a team that you were referring to.
In hindsight, what do you think were some of like the most pivotal experts or like the roles of those experts that you confided in that have contributed to the trajectory that you've seen? I know you mentioned pr. I know you have a long list of people so it's not about excluding anyone. But I'm just wondering in hindsight when you're like that definitely was something that moved the needle very obviously.
[00:36:40] Speaker B: Yeah, I think the first one that comes to mind is that design assisted design assisted role. So that was when I decided I was going to be working with, with, with them on all procurement. So all of a sudden I had this, you know, full home and multiple projects that were needing full scale procurement, receiving warehouse.
I had never done any of those things before. So I really tapped in on to Dalia and her team to help me learn how to do that and to guide me through it. So even if I had that person on my team doing that for me at that time, I still wouldn't have known how to do it or I would have relied on them. So having an expert come in at that early stage and help me learn the process right from the beginning and have it executed in a way that designers across the country that they work with are doing, it really, really set us on a strong path and their, their knowledge base and, and tapping into that was, it was so beneficial in so many ways. Not just that hours wise, you know, they're fast and very like, they can move quickly. They also teach throughout the process and I think their goal is really to be that, be with you as long as you need and also gear you up to hire your first employee.
I think that's one that really sticks out. And also I worked with a technical designer who I still work with today, who has been a true collaborator with us since the beginning. And she, she'd be able to, she helped me feel safe in my designs where I knew what I wanted it to look like and wanted to communicate it. And my, you know, technical skills weren't there. So she, she always made me feel safe throughout that whole process.
[00:38:45] Speaker A: Can I ask where you found your technical designer? Because I know that that's one that people are often looking to outsource.
[00:38:52] Speaker B: Yes, I found her name's Sonia and she's absolutely the most amazing woman.
Um, and I found her through a Facebook group.
[00:39:00] Speaker A: Okay, fantastic. Thank you so much.
[00:39:03] Speaker B: Give all of her information. Although I, I still protect her now.
[00:39:08] Speaker A: Okay. I'd love to talk specifically about photography. You've mentioned it a few times that even when you did your own home at the very beginning of this whole story, that you really invested in the photography.
I think it is like the most important thing that someone can invest in, in their business. It's like all that matters for anybody else coming along to work with you.
But how have you approached building relationships with photographers and how, you know, you mentioned bringing PR on before you actually had like the money to do so. How, how were you able to make those investments shooting projects that you're like, it cost me more to shoot it than I actually made on the project.
[00:39:50] Speaker B: I think that we knew like I knew right off the bat that again, like that's the only way I'm going to get future clients is if we invest big in these projects. And most of the projects at the beginning had no business being shot, but maybe a corner of the room did or maybe the way the light came in on those, you know, those new velvet chairs like was beautiful enough that we'd get a great shot in. And that's exactly what we did. We worked with our photographer who we still work with today and, and brought her in and the numbers were scary.
I was very.
And I just knew if I invest this money into photography it's going to pay off in, in the end. And I think that falls in line with our full mentality in the business is let's build, let's put the investment in and then once and then we'll enjoy the fruits of our labor at some point. Well, I'll let you know. But it's, it's really always been a core tenant for us. So putting that, putting that time out there, putting, making the, the investment early on and making sure that, that it was a, working with a photographer that really was invested in us. Also. I, I think that what is so beautiful about investing early on with someone who maybe is a reach for you to work with, it's they, they can be there for a really long path of your career and they can be champions for you also.
Now when I have our photographer on, on at a project shooting, we just are such champions for one another and same thing with our stylists that we bring on that they just want to see us shine and then we, we in turn get even better photos and all of the buy in because they've been with me throughout this entire process.
[00:41:59] Speaker A: How strategic are you when planning for a shoot these days? If you've been working with the same photographer and same stylist, I know that you can kind of have this flow and it makes the project easier because you know, you know that they're going to get the kind of shots that you want.
Do you feel that to be true or are you still pretty process driven of like we have a specific shot list, like things are planned out ahead of time, we know what the stylist is bringing.
Or do you feel like you're able, that investment allows you to kind of step back from all of that pre production planning because you have this flow.
[00:42:38] Speaker B: I think a little bit of both. I think we set the tone with we put together a little PDF of site shots and Inspiration and the tone of the shoot and the tone of the project so that they have that initial framework. But we definitely allow space for magic to happen. And I think when you have that trust in your collaborators, that's when magic truly happens. It really becomes something that.
That is better than I could have thought of on my own. And I. And that is the best part of all of it. And that, I think, is what creatives do, right? It's. We come together and we elevate each other's work, and we.
Our stylist comes in, and I'm like, wow, I never would have thought of that in here.
And I can't unsee it. And now it has to be here.
And so really, I do. And I do this throughout the business. We set a framework so that.
That we can have that magic.
[00:43:42] Speaker A: Okay, let's talk about PR a little bit.
[00:43:44] Speaker B: We.
[00:43:44] Speaker A: I know we've touched on it already. You said you got started with it sooner than you would have thought was appropriate.
And you mentioned specifically that you feel like you got started with it not only, like, before you had the budget for it, but before you felt like you really had the projects for it. Can you talk us through your experience of, like, some of those placements that you were getting at the infancy that you're like, oh, I didn't realize I could be quoted for things without necessarily having to have a whole project to support it. Talk us through where that value really came.
[00:44:21] Speaker B: So, you know, at the beginning, we were getting little quotes into places and seeing our names in publications, and that was so exciting. And I think that that is such a great way for designers to get their name out there and get started.
That was even before we started working with the PR team. So I think we were reaching out to different online publications and finally connected with some writers that are looking for quotes, right? So they're frequently looking for quotes so that they can interject those into their articles. And we just happened to meet up with. With one that. That used us a lot. And I saw the benefits coming from. From there. And I know there are PR firms that just do that or have a package where you can get quotes into different publications. And I think that that's a great way to get started where you're getting those lists or you're putting a quote in there, and you're starting to get that social proof. And I think that social proof really does connect you with clients. It doesn't.
I don't think PR necessarily directly is the reason we're getting the projects that we're getting, but it helps create that social proof and that social, like, connection to. For clients to say, okay, these publications are our ones that are, you know, this designer is connected with, which is cool.
Then when we started working with our PR team, we really did put together a list of our dream publications or our dream aspirations. And year over year, we've just been watching them chip away at art and making our dreams come true. Like, case in point, being on your podcast.
[00:46:16] Speaker A: Okay, I want to talk about strategic partnerships and creative collaboration outside of.
Of service providers in the industry and more so vendors, artisans, and like creative partners such as that. How intentional are you about cultivating those partnerships, especially now that you do have this, you know, brick and mortar, actual physical studio space.
[00:46:45] Speaker B: Oh, it's such a huge part of what we're doing right now. I think we deeply believe in bringing in people into our orbit that have our same point of view and, or same philosophy and then bringing them in as our extended design family. Whether it's artists that we're using in our studio that now we can amplify on our social or, or creatives that just.
We had a wonderful woman come into our studio the other day and, and ask if she could do florals for our studio and bring in a new floral arrangement every week that falls in line with our, our aesthetic. And she brought one, you know, for free, just to show us what, what she can do. And I think things like that and forming the community is so, so deeply important to us right now. And yeah, it's not just about sourcing. It's about building those relationships with, with, with trades and with vendors that we, like, really, really admire and, and then having a genuine connection with them so that when we bring them into projects or we use them for photo shoots, it really feels authentic to us.
[00:48:06] Speaker A: Have there been collaborations with other creatives that have opened unexpected doors for you and your business?
[00:48:16] Speaker B: I think that besides flower arrangements, because
[00:48:20] Speaker A: that sounds like a lovely perk.
[00:48:22] Speaker B: I know that sounds pretty good. I think that we've.
This is kind of a roundabout, but we, we had this interesting experience and, and I'll get to how it, how it opened doors for us, but we worked with this company who was doing some social media for us. They were going to be doing some reels and putting things together, and we would send them all of our assets, all of the photos that we take or all of the things, and we just weren't like, truly connecting on what the output was because what we were giving them just wasn't enough. Right. It wasn't that's not who we are. We're not like social media savvy doing videography and all of that. So from that experience we really took that and said like, okay, what, you know, maybe it's not an outside, outside person that we need. Maybe this is actually the time that we pull someone in to do this and, and think of, think of bringing in someone that could really be part of our team to cultivate that, that growth. And you know, it opened a door for us to find our person in that, that area. And sometimes when you, you know, hire someone out, although it's brought so much growth to us, it also helped us realize what we needed to bring in house, which I thought was pretty, a pretty interesting full circle moment too.
[00:50:02] Speaker A: Thank you for the absolutely perfect segue to my next question.
How do you feel like, how do you, how do you assess when it's time to bring in outside experts instead of trying to handle something internally or vice versa?
[00:50:18] Speaker B: Wow, we did nail that, huh?
[00:50:20] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:50:23] Speaker B: Okay, so I think for.
This has just been like such a balance for us. From the time that we started working with design assisted. I knew the end goal was to have, you know, a team in house to handle, handle the business the day to day. Our first hire was our, our junior designer at the time. Now she's our interior designer and she helped me pave the way for delegating and, and designing and all that good stuff. And then we have our other hires that followed. But really realizing that when you are working with, with outside vendors, you don't own their time, you don't own that through, you know, they are kind of fitting you into their puzzle and when you need more than that, that's when I found that it was time to bring someone in, in house. So we've always worked with an outside vendor for a little while, created that little bit of Runway financially to bring in the full time person and then made the leap to bring the full time person in. So using those, those people as a bridge to get to the heart of our studio.
[00:51:47] Speaker A: Okay, that is such good advice. I'd love to now get a really clear understanding of where Danielle Rose is currently from a studio perspective. Let's talk about the internal side of the studio for a moment. How many people are currently on their team, on your team and what are those roles?
[00:52:07] Speaker B: Okay, so we have myself, we have a designer, a social media manager slash designer. She's a multi talented, amazing woman and an operations manager. So we have four on our team full time who are absolutely the most Amazing rock stars in the, in the entire universe, we have just a team full of amazing, amazing women who love working together and it's been pretty special.
[00:52:43] Speaker A: Of those four people, are they all in office with you every day? Is there like a hybrid breakdown now that there's a studio space? How do you manage that?
[00:52:51] Speaker B: Yes, so we have a hybrid breakdown. So the whole studio is in on Mondays. Design is in Monday, Tuesday and Thursday ops Monday and Wednesday. And then I'm pretty much here on my good old lonesome on Fridays, which is quite lovely also.
[00:53:10] Speaker A: Perfect. And then how do you feel like your role has shifted since getting to that team of four?
[00:53:18] Speaker B: I think that I've learned that design is something that I love, but what is even more powerful for me these days is watching our team grow and evolve and giving them the space to do that. So I think that my role has changed into a little bit of a cheerleader and a little bit of a, like being amazed to see what these ladies can do and how they can take our design studio from a Danielle to truly a business and how much love and support and buy in they give every single day. So it is shocking to me actually how much that my role has changed into this, I don't know, cheerleader role. Excited to see what they do.
[00:54:15] Speaker A: The visionary. You set them on their path and you cheer them on as they go.
Um, outside of your like core employed staff, I know you said you have a technical designer you still work with. Who would you say is like on your team that are still in that contractor position?
[00:54:31] Speaker B: Yep. So we have the technical designer. We also have our PR team.
We have our, we work with Renee for constant coaching.
We have our, our photographer and stylist who I feel like is part of our team.
And we have a full on bookkeeping and accounting staff.
[00:54:53] Speaker A: Okay, perfect.
Can we talk about fees? Can we talk about your pricing structure? Are you hourly? Flat rate combination? Where are you guys at right now?
[00:55:04] Speaker B: We are hourly. So I used to do flat fee when it was just me.
I felt once we started bringing on team members, hourly has been a little bit easier to manage. And just to really get all the data, maybe we'll do flat fee in the future. But hourly is really working for us right now. We give our clients a full, a full proposal based on how many hours we think it's going to take so they're not really in the dark with how long we think it's going to be. And we usually end up somewhere in that, that range.
And then we.
[00:55:45] Speaker A: Yeah, you're hourly all the way through.
[00:55:47] Speaker B: All the way through.
[00:55:48] Speaker A: Even with procurement, that's just charged hourly as it's happening.
[00:55:52] Speaker B: Yep. Charged hourly as it's happening. But we do charge retail pricing for all of our furnishing.
[00:56:00] Speaker C: Perfect.
[00:56:01] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:56:02] Speaker A: And then, Danielle, as the visionary entrepreneur that you are, is this size studio, not the physical space, but the. The size of the team. Does this feel like the right size for you long term? Do you feel like you see yourself having a team of 12 people? Like, what is the ultimate, grand, supreme goal today? Because I know that it changes every day.
[00:56:24] Speaker B: We are currently hiring, so we are looking to bring people on. So we are actively looking for a senior designer, someone that can take another.
Basically a full. Another pipeline.
I think that our goal would be to have two pods of a design team and really run both of those pods with two senior designers and intermediate designers. So I see for us being a team of six by the end of this year, maybe six to seven. So that's the goal.
[00:56:59] Speaker A: Amazing.
So for designers listening who feel ready for this next chapter of growth but are nervous to take that leap, even if they know what that leap is, they just aren't ready to step that foot out.
What advice would you offer them?
[00:57:16] Speaker B: I think that, like, truly in my heart, it's, believe in yourself. And I think that starts the process, trust that you've made. You've done the first step of starting this business, and you've done each step of the way. Just look back at what you've accomplished from when you first started, when you first decided to be out on your own or getting ready to be out on your own, and how much faith you had to be in your on with yourself at that time and.
And take that next step, that next step forward with confidence, knowing you figured it out that first time, and whatever that investment is or that risk is that you're feeling, play it out in your head with how far can that take you down the line? You know, I. That's generally how I think about it. Okay, this may be a risk here, but the payoff is so exponential that if I just trusted myself and take that first step, the payoff's going to be worth it.
[00:58:30] Speaker A: As we wrap up, I always love to ask this, do you have any exciting projects, collaborations, or just upcoming plans that you're allowed to share with us?
[00:58:40] Speaker B: Oh, my gosh. I have some. We are so excited that our finally, our Roslyn historic project, one that we've been sitting on for a very long time, that is a true project that is, like, so near And Dear to Our Hearts is finally coming out in print in the next month and we'll be able to get to share those images very soon, which is very exciting. And then we're going to have some amazing activations at High Point this year that hope I'll be able to see you at.
[00:59:11] Speaker A: Yes, well I definitely, I do know that I get to see you for sure and I'll make sure to swing around as much as I can when I'm not working on my other clients projects. But that is so exciting. Danielle, I have loved getting to catch up with you. Like I said, watching you grow in exactly who you are is just like the biggest privilege and honor and it's just so exciting to to be able to watch someone like start to finish. You're nowhere near fin, you're nowhere near done. But to to have been able to say like I've watched every step of the way is so exciting and it's such an honor to have you here on the show today.
[00:59:51] Speaker B: Thank you so much and I feel this exact same way and I'm so thrilled that I've been able to do this journey with you and can't wait to see what the future brings for
[01:00:00] Speaker A: both of us so much and I guess I'll see you in like a month. I can't wait to see you in a month.
[01:00:09] Speaker C: For more in depth analysis of this interview, including exclusive downloads, examples and more, don't forget to subscribe to the Interior Collective on Patreon. We are building an amazing private community of interior designers and industry experts open to candid conversations and answering questions. Join us on Patreon in the show notes
[email protected] the Interior Collective thank you so so much for tuning into this episode. Producing this show has truly been the honor of my career and I cannot believe I get to have these conversations.
A big huge thank you to our production team at IDCO Studio and Quinn made. Your contribution literally makes this podcast feasible and the biggest thank you to you our listeners. Your sweet notes, DMs and reviews mean so much to us as we work to keep our show free and always accessible.
Until next time, I'm Anastasia Casey and this is the Interior Collective, a podcast for the business of beautiful living.
[01:01:08] Speaker A: A very special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Laloy, the makers of beautifully crafted rugs, pillows and wall art, and to our episode sponsor and seasoned partner, Design Assist. The staffing solution built specifically to support and scale interior design firms.
