ļ»æMichelle Lynne 124
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: [00:00:00]
Hello everybody. And welcome back to the design for the creative mind podcast. I would like to introduce to you the duo behind Lima Stanley design, [00:01:00] which is a health and wellness focused interior and landscape design company based in Dallas, Texas. So welcome to Daniel and Rome. Thank you guys both for being here.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Oh, thank you so much. And so it's a pleasure to be here. Thank you for having us.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I'm super excited. And I just love what you guys do with the health and wellness focus. So I want to dig in like right away because I think our listeners are going to be super excited to hear about that. So how do you incorporate the sustainable and wellness practice into your business? Explain the overarching aspect of the business and then we'll probably drill down a little bit.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes. So yeah, that was March, 2020 COVID hit. And that was the big the big aha moment that we have with that company. A little background. When I went to college back in Brazil, my [00:02:00] thing was, I want to work with sustainability. So I did economics. I was about to do my master's in green economy.
However, I came to States and then that did not happen. And then there was when maybe a kind of like in lockdown here in Dallas in that first, like four, three weeks of COVID.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: So when did you come to the States?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Oh, I came in 2010.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Okay. So you'd been here for a while. 2020 happened. Okay. Gotcha.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: And then Dana and I, we are talking about, and one of the big things for us to be a, such a unique company, Ryan, Michelle, like to do like off interiors in landscape. They was like, Dana, I think we can kind of like bring the sustainability approach. For our project, something that I always wanted to work with.
And that was when Daniel said like, well, landscape is all about sustainability. From day one in school, it's always talking about how to take care of the land and [00:03:00] keep everything sustainable and thriving. And so when he came to me and told me, I was like, Oh, this is very in line with me. It's what I went to school for.
So it makes sense. I was excited about it.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: So you took a lot of the natural, uh, lessons that you were taught for the exterior and started implementing them for the interiors
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes. You know,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: or the theory behind it.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes, that's absolutely
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Obviously you can't recycle the soil in the inside. Let's just recycle that carpet. Y'all. Yeah, no, that's nasty.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yeah, on that time, I was like, Hey, Daniel, I think that we do have a good thing here to work with that. So that's when I went back to school, I went to the Parsons School of Design. And edification in health and materials and sustainable practice, they're like, pretty much blew our minds.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh, really?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh, interesting. I didn't know that. See, I love doing these podcasts because I always get to learn from such [00:04:00] interesting people. Okay, so keep going.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Okay, after the certification that we're kind of like, Hey, Daniel, we have way more work to do here. Right? So after we got the certification, we started for like some rules in like, , elements inside of our design process to make the approach better, right? To kind of like, look, some materials we don't work with, because we know it's toxic for environment, right?
So Establish some some conducts that we work when we are designing in our design process, there's so much you're not going to use, or we're going to bring knowledge to the client in terms like, look, we can use the materials, but that is the background of the material.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Education.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Exactly. Right now for our clients, a lot of education is a lot of. Explaining to them, look, we wanted to give you a healthy home, [00:05:00] however, to, to achieve that goal, come with it. So, that's when we kind of like deep dive in materials, deep dive in practices, in terms of, for example window carpet. For us to glue the carpet, we have to use some glue, right? So, however, some glues are non toxic, has low VOC, some glues have high VOC. So that's kind of like the elements that we bring to the design process in terms of like, look, we can use that, but let's use that one instead of that one, because it's going to be healthy for the environment. It's going to be healthy for your home.
So that's kind of like, we started bringing more ideas to the space. Indeed,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: lot of work.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: it is, but it's totally, in my opinion, it's totally worth it. Because I mean, it comes back to Our niche we're wanting to kind of create a healthy home inside the town and it is a lot of work and it does come, and I would have to say a lot of it is [00:06:00] education too. You know, this is sort of a new thing.
I don't think it's a new thing. I think it's, uh, the pandemic has kind of brought people. To awareness that
Marker
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: wow, I'm home. I'm gonna be healthy doing it. And it's not something that a lot of I never really looked at it. I know wrong didn't and people we work with, we realized that they don't think about that either.
Like, you know, they never thought about the pandemic. And now that they are, they still need that education. Like, okay, we know now this is actually important for us. But What are you doing to like, uh, implement these things? And Roman, I've worked really hard on, and actually mainly Rome is again, landscape was very, just, I was like, I already knew how to do all this.
Like it was very easy to kind of create a green list, but like for Rome to have a green list for interiors of just. Specific materials that we use because it does lower your chances of being exposed to noxious gas, [00:07:00] gases and VOCs and chemicals. And so we use that green list for both interiors and exteriors.
To help educate our clients on, which direction we're going to go, what type of material we're going to use. And we also do a lot of our explanation of the why to like, why are we doing this? Why is it better for you? Why? And that's true too. So, yeah, our design process is very much not just like, most design processes, but I feel like.
We've installed a lot of spots in that design process for educational moments as well too.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Absolutely. So are clients coming to you looking for the more sustainable aspect, or is that an added benefit when working with you? Yeah, that, which,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: I would say at first It was us coming to them. Yes. And this is what we offer. And at that time, I think we noticed too when you're first starting out, especially with a very specific [00:08:00] niche, maybe that's something that doesn't always think about , We felt the obligation not to say, Oh, you have to work with us and you have to be sustainable to do this, but we're like, how can we, if we want to ask them to like sustainability, even an option, I've even thought about, and usually.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: ML interiors group and that's not even a question on our mind. So what you're offering is like a bonus. Because of the health and wellness aspect that's tied to it and all of the work that you did on the front end I'm sure just like determining what lines, what brands, what glue suggest and what to avoid.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Exactly. One of the big things a big goal of the year 2023 for Millennium Standard Design was to create the database, right? So it was nice to kind of like get together with the team and like, okay guys, [00:09:00] we need to figure it out, the materials that we're going to start using from now on. And with that, we started like very small, right?
I mean, we still like growing the team and growing the company. But we started with like surfaces, so flooring, painting, and countertops. Three elements, which material is going to have the certifications that you're looking for, which material is going to be healthier for the indoor air quality in terms of all aspects of the home.
So that's one of the things that we're kind of like putting in place every year that is growing and helping us in terms of like, one, the speed of design process, we don't need to be researching every material that you're going to put in a house.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Right.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: At the same time, we're going to create like the cohesive, the congruent materials that we are using, that we know for the fact, it's going to have a good warranty, it's going to have a good quality, in terms of every project that we have.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Dude, have you guys, or should I say dudes? Uh, [00:10:00] have y'all thought about selling that list, like creating something for other interior designers to access?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Look, we don't have the plane to sell. We have the plane to leave that available in our website. Why? Because first we don't want to, we don't want to capitalize on that because we want to create like an open source for designers that want to enroll, kind of like get in the group to do sustainable, healthy
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: love that.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yeah, it's just, you know, it's giving back to the community,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: So it's on your website.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: not yet, that's kind of like what we have in plans for like next year to create their database and put that in a website that would be like a database for anybody that works in industry.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: That's a lot of, yeah, that's a lot of content right there.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yeah, it is. It is. It's surprising. But yes, we've got the data and everything is just, as we mentioned, it's a lot of content to start throwing up on [00:11:00] the bus.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: But that would be really good for SEO eventually.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: It is. Yes, sure. Yeah. One of the big things that we do to, uh, Michelle is like, we always try to educate ourselves. So you're always learning. We are always getting one certification here. Like I'm awake. Well, AP certified to give you like the help on the health and wellness in buildings and interiors.
And like Daniel as well. He's always updating himself in terms of sustainability landscape. Just make us better in what we do, right? The skill that we do, and give that service back to our clients. So that's what we do to implement that in our design process.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I love that. And I think it's important that we all, we always have to be learning and growing and expanding otherwise you start contracting and dying. So
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: You know, exactly.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: entrepreneur, there's not much choice, either keep evolving or you're just going to get run [00:12:00] over. So speaking of evolving and growing in your business, we were talking earlier before I hit record about the entrepreneur operational.
entrepreneur operations system, which is also EOS, which I'm familiar with. And coincidentally, we have a Greg in common that I need to invite him onto the podcast. Um, but how has that practice of EOS helped you grow your company?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Oh, wow. That's a
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I want to dig into some of this business aspect of this a little bit.
Yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: because Rome has the background, the business background. I know he'll be able to give you some really good reading information. But from a perspective, I have, my background is a creative path. There's no business background behind there. And so coming in and saying like, Oh, I've got this urge, just create, just want to create a business and work with my husband and just do really [00:13:00] amazing work.
That was really kind of the thought process I wanted to go in, but it never occurred to me as like, Oh, you're an entrepreneur. You've got to understand the creative part. And you also know how your numbers are going to affect you. If you do this, and this, and how to review them. And So for me, that was extremely overwhelming.
Uh, where I was like, Rome, you have added, you, you love numbers. These are your numbers do it. And it quickly realizes unfortunately I'm doing myself a disservice if I'm not knowing those numbers, I'm not knowing the business. So EOS just reading the book that, you know, allow
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Traction is the book.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: traction is so good.
And Roman, I have the book on each one of our desks at any point of the day. But it was so great in just breaking things down and making it in a very simplistic form for people like myself who don't have a business background to understand like, okay, these are the [00:14:00] accounts I need to set up.
And these are the reasons why I need to set these accounts up. These are the numbers we should be looking at. And these are what these numbers mean and how you should be moving forward with the rest of the business. So just from the perspective, not having that background and having, read that book has
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: And I love that because the audience of the podcast for the most part are going to be relating more to you, Daniel, because of the creative background and the, I don't want to say the fear, but the not so much love for numbers.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes, exactly. Yes.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: and y'all, the book is called traction. it is it's the foundation of the entrepreneur operation system, which is EOS. And Rome, do you want to expand on that a little bit? Just, I love giving the Oh, we don't have to teach on it or anything along that line. Obviously we've got a limited amount of time, but I love giving the resources to [00:15:00] the listener and maybe just a little bit of an outline as to how it's impacted your business. They can go buy the book.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: perfect. EOS gave us the process of how to run the business, right? So that was the fascinating thing about EOS. For me I have my background in business administration, went to college for that, studied like five years for it. And I can tell you that the traction book is five years in 150 to 100 pages.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah. And it's applicable in like real life, whereas schools just kind of theoretical and stuff.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: exactly, you know, traction breaks down the process that we need to run a successful business. To engage, give us tools to make us grounded and center on that business. Right. Like for example, the [00:16:00] VTO or like the vision of the book that the book says. I mean, that's what we say when they say like a vision, a dream without vision, it's imagination, right?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yes. Yes.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: The traction, get the vision, it puts on paper, it breaks down, how are we going to achieve the vision?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Mm hmm.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: since we started, like, I believe when we apply traction EOS end of 2019. Yes. Yeah. It was about,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh, good.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: yeah, we put that in place. And Michelle, I'm not going to lie, it took us about one year and a half to understand and see the system working.
So it took us
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: then it took you a year and a half to implement or it took you like a year and a half to really start seeing the track, the traction. Okay.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: about one year and a half to start seeing the results in terms of, for [00:17:00] example Dan and I mean, our team just started growing this year. However, since that time.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Mm hmm.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Our quarterly meeting, it's the one day that we separate office, it's right here in our office, or like a co working spaces that we separate like a day, so that is the time for us to talk about business.
And those eight hours, like every quarter, we talk about everything, Michelle. Like, what is doing right, what is going wrong, like what we have to change, how is the numbers, like how is it goes for the year. Even, it goes as far as having, do you have the right people in the right seats. Exactly. Which is really great.
And to be able to focus on that on a quarterly basis just, it not only makes our lives happier, but also Notice even to bring, uh, you know, our new assistant, everything in on it too, it allows us to go to them and see like, are you happy? Are you in the right spot? Are you doing this for like what? Some things that just never would have [00:18:00] even thought or, yeah it's really good.
I mean, the book just want to say force you, I mean, it's not like, uh, it's a tool and honestly, I think you're You know, with every entrepreneur who has that passion to do something like it's a really valuable tool because it gives you the road map.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah, why wouldn't we? Why wouldn't we want to increase our effectiveness and our efficiency and our profitability and things along that line?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Exactly.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I love that.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: In the book, it's not like the thing like you're not gonna, you're not gonna learn how to like read a balance sheet or profit loss report. It is not, it's not that so central numbers. It is more like, how can we have a, like a better macro vision, macro view of
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Mm hmm.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: your company in where you want to go?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: And I think we all have to step back and really think about that. I was just talking to one of my colleagues Debbie, her daughter. Her daughter is amazing. She's in her twenties, but she has [00:19:00] such a great ability to step back and look at a situation from like a high level and then assess it. And I'm just like, Dude, I can barely do that.
And I'm in my fifties,
but the book definitely allows you to step back and look at your business from a very neutral perspective. So y'all it's by Gino Wickman.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: It's called traction, get a grip on your business. I've got it up on my Amazon here by Gino Wickman, and it is a black and orange book. And I'll see if we can get that linked in the show notes as well, because I've read it.
Y'all are talking about how Cause I kind of implemented it. I kind of just read it. I was like, Oh yeah, I'm doing that. I'm doing, Oh, I need to do that. And I haven't like settled down and done it. So I should take my own damn advice. Do it.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: So the big thing of the book or the EOS system, it's traction, right? So the traction is like, you meet every, every week with your team, like for you to understand how the [00:20:00] business are, how, where the business is going, it's like, how you control your business, looking for it.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yes. And also just like your core values. So everybody's on the same page and just the, it seems very basic, but it's so very important.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: It is because it reflects to you, right? That's what your company is going to be seeing by other people like who you're going to attract to
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Mm hmm.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: So it's all right on that. It could be like directed to a client. So it's directed to your people that you work with. Like, for example, it has some tools on the system that, that like see, right place, right see, right?
We even do that exercise with contractors that we work with. Like after that, let's see here, they get it, they want, like how That is working without combatants, without mission. So it's a very nice to kind of like see how everybody, every one they work with [00:21:00] is aligned with their mission. Wow. And even done it to ourselves, right?
See, I just want to make sure we're in the right seat and the right place to, you know,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: yeah. That makes
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: we, yeah, everybody. I mean, for us, we are luckily, I mean, we are married in. Work with each other. It's really nice. It has some moments, of course, but
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: next. So
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Before EOS
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: before EOS, okay, let's talk about that before and after EOS, as you guys, um, work together, live together, all the things, let's talk about before EOS and then after EOS.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Right. So before EOS, both of us, we wanted to be everything. To everybody. To everybody. To all the seats of the company. So at the same time I was doing numbers, then it was doing numbers. I was doing a sales, then it was doing sales. And then after EOS, [00:22:00] we kind of split everything up.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: So I don't take care of sales anymore in marketing.
That's all Daniel, like my side is like all the finance operations. Like that's what, uh,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: You say that, Rome, but you've been doing all the talking on the podcast. But
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: No, he's not
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: kidding aside, I do love the fact that you were able to identify each other's strengths and play to that instead of potentially like stepping on each other's toes. Trying to do all the things all the time. So yeah, my husband and I, what we do with everything is literally like, we learned this in the kitchen, like we were both trying to be the chef.
And so now we literally have to define who's the chef and who's the sous chef, like, or who has lead with the kid, like who's in charge to make sure she's not going to die on this shift of the day.[00:23:00]
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: important conversations to have
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah, you have to define those things. We didn't have a book for that. But I do want to ask you guys, which I'm actually like looking at y'all on screen. So y'all, when we record these podcasts, I like to do it on zoom because I like to see your faces, but I'm also noticing that you guys have on basically the same shirt today, just in different colors.
So
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: literally just five minutes before the.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: it's a good sign though.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Thank you,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Now how do you guys run a business? Being partners in life as well is that I'm sure we have quite a few people listening that are in a similar boat. How does it work for you?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: I would say honestly, creating boundaries. I, I, I mean, it's kind of just, you know, getting married and moving in with somebody, to kind of create those boundaries. Like,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: you know, this is what I like to do. This is what I don't like to do. Or gimme a to-do list or an errand list or something like that.
Just making everything kind of work and you feel it out at [00:24:00] first and then maybe. I'm being rocky at the beginning, but then once you create those, boundaries of like, oh, this is what I like to do, or, you're better at this, or
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Mm hmm. Mm
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: sort of thing. So I would have to say boundaries is number one, and I would have to say the number one boundary, we didn't even learn, I can't take credit for this, I took we got this from some good friends of ours Katie Gutierrez and Ruben Gutierrez of Paris Design, so it's, Not quite, they're just really good friends of ours.
But they're also too, they've been doing this for about 12 years, 13 years. And, they kind of, we're just talking to them and they kind of tell that, between Rome and I, things were a little uh, on the quiet side. And that, they could tell something was going on. And we're like, Oh, they're
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: We call it a speed bump. Yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: I like that. I like that. We were getting a big speed bump at this moment. And friends were like, is everything okay? And so we just kind of told him like, hey, things are just not meshing well. We're just not, we're arguing and just, it's just not. It's not a good, [00:25:00] fun time right now in the business, which is kind of translating into the, personal life, or vice versa.
And she they both immediately came to me like, you have to adopt the pajama rule. I'm like, okay, we're all in, what is this pajama rule? And they're like, our rule is that anybody who, anyone of us that's in their pajamas cannot talk about work any longer. So, if you see me in the kitchen and I have my pajamas on, no more work.
Can not be spoken about at all. So
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: at first we kind of laughed like, Oh, that's kind of fun. That sounds like a fun idea. And then we're like, we've actually implemented it. And now we get, it works because, Oh,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: genius.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Oh yeah, actually just last week. Cause I have a tendency of bringing work into a home. Uh, because Alvin, oh, did you see that project?
Da da da da, you know, what do you think we should change on here? And Rome was like, Daniel, look, in my pajamas, do not talk to me. Let's [00:26:00] watch a show, let's watch a movie. Let's, I don't want to talk about work right now. And I I respected that. I was like, oh, you're absolutely right. We'll talk about it tomorrow.
Uh, I even made like a little note on my desk so that way I wouldn't forget. And then we went off and just kept on watching our TV and movies.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh that's a fantastic rule.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yeah it's benefited us a lot. We had to pull some boundaries, because if you don't, things gonna get wild,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: But you know what? You don't even have to work together to have that pajama rule.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: No, no, you
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: seriously thinking I'm gonna go home and put on my pajamas right away. Like, I mean, seriously, y'all don't even wear a bra. Like, you get in your jammies really fast.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: It does motivate you, though, to get very comfortable really quick, like you just said.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: that's genius. Yeah. Please tell the Gutierrez's.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Thank you.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: From myself and probably a lot of the audience as well, because it's true. My husband comes home and talks about his day and I'm like, I don't want to hear about it right now. Like I'm in the middle of dinner and a child [00:27:00] and my own shizzle at the office. [00:28:00] Oh my gosh. So going back to like the roles that you guys have, um, and you know, I've known y'all, you know, not closely, but enough to know that you're authentic in, in regards to like who you are here, who you are in business and so forth. How do you guys, um, how has that. Let me, what am I trying to ask?
Like one of the things that I'm a really huge advocate of is like, just be your [00:29:00] freaking self, right? Like don't try to be all designery or don't try to be whatever, blah, blah, blah. And you guys really embrace that. How has that impacted your business? Like just the authenticity of Lima Stanley.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: I, this one. Yes. Okay. So I love that question because We came into, uh, into the industry and into the associations that we had to present in a certain manner and demeanor. And, um, when we were doing that, uh, we were also realizing that it was attracting clients that weren't really, you know, aligning with us and who we are on a more authentic level.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Mm hmm.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: It wasn't until we kind of had this moment. It's like, Oh my gosh, like I can't, I like, I just need to be myself when you let my hair down and just have a good time and joke. I mean, you know, and tell a joke from time to, [00:30:00] I don't know, just laugh and not take things so seriously, um, is helped out a lot because then us finally just being authentically us has allowed us to attract the clientele and the clients that we work with that love, right?
Us being authentically us. Um, and honestly there was like a landscape design project I'm thinking back on, um, where we had, uh, homeowners and they were just They had theater backgrounds, they were just very lively, over, just had fun and just didn't take things serious. And they, you know, had theater background, they were doing theater, they also had their own business as well, too, and they never necessarily, I don't think they ever came out and said it, but just witnessing them be fun and authentic and just wanting to hang around.
Like, Roman and I wanted to be their best friends. Even outside the project, like, I was like, wow, [00:31:00] so cool to just be around people like that. And I think witnessing that pulled that out of us as well, too. And then, my gosh, it just made our design process, our expectations with the client and their expectations with us just to seem so easy and so fun.
And I mean, don't get me wrong, I mean, real world, I mean, it's not always easy and all this fun, but 90 percent of the time, we're having fun, we're laughing, if we make a mistake, oops, okay, we're going to fix it and we're going to keep moving on. And not only did that help to track those clientele, but also that helps with, um, the trust that they have in us.
Like, it's just a win win win situation. So, I think just finally shedding the layers of this idea of who we thought we needed to be, and finally just being really, truly,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yes. Because you're really good at being yourself. It's much harder to be somebody else.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: don't want to do it. I don't want to do it. I [00:32:00] think to add on that too, even because you focus a lot of clients, but even with like a lot of people that we work with. So like the three people that's going to help us deliver the project, like when we, we kind of like started being ourselves, you know, like people kind of like was attracted to us.
Like, it's just like, I want to work with you. How can we collaborate? You know, and that's been like, since, I mean, no stop, I mean, we are very grateful to, for all the associations, the organizations we're a part of because That was the change of business, you know, because of that, we're still in business, we've been meeting a lot of people, like, we work with a lot of people, those organizations that only make us, our business better.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: So the networking, the networking ties in with that authenticity because they meet you and they're just like, oh, I want to hang out with these dudes.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Which is why I wanted to have you on the podcast because it's just fun. It's like, let's just chit [00:33:00] chat and you know, we have aligned visions and so why not hang out with people that are cool?
We should have had a cocktail. We should have had a cocktail.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: I know. I know. Great
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I'm unprepared. I'm unprepared. Oh my gosh.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: wait.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: So have you, I know it was a missed opportunity. Um, we'll just have to do it again. I think that's, that sounds like a good plan. Um, so. Let's see, what else do I want to ask before we wrap this up?
Well, when in your day, and this is like a question that I like to ask business people in general, is when in your day And, oh, you might have already answered this, or in your business, do you think about your business strategy? Like, I know you, you get together quarterly and, and then you meet with your, your people on a regular basis, but do you carve out and do like a, um, a retreat or, you know, is it just when you're laying in bed and you can't sleep?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes. A lot of that happens too. [00:34:00] So, , once a month, we, we meet, we meet, uh, like with the team, like every Monday we call like the, uh, the Monday. That's why we going to talk about numbers, like what is in, what is out, what we have to do to kind of like get those numbers in place. Also to at least once a month, we call the credit break.
Mm-Hmm, . So
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: The
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: hour day. Clarity, Clarity Break.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: break. Gotcha.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: So I mean, it's about like two hours there, then it's gonna be out of the office somewhere. I mean, the last time that you did, you went to the arboretum, right? Yeah, my last one was, uh, about six hours long, but You know, we don't put like a time on it, it's just not for much time, but I did, I started at the Arboretum, I'm very, you know, just coming with a landscape background and understanding how, you know, being outdoors and being around nature and everything can help with zoonoclarity.
Uh, so, so yeah, I've spent, um, most of [00:35:00] the day out there, but it was also like, uh, it was also in August too, so it wasn't the most cool
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah. Y'all were in Dallas, Texas and it is not cool or comfortable August.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Transferred to a coffee shop later that day and, you know, sit there and, um, you know, meditate and think about the business. That's all kind of like, it's out of the office, you know, it's two hours, three or six hours. It depends. But once a month we get out of the office and then I'm like, okay, let's, let's think about the business.
Let's think if we still together with the vision that we want that we have for the business. Right. What we can bring in terms of processes or opportunities, you know, like, do like a SWOT, like the strength, weakness, and all the
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Opportunities and threats.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: going to say. To think about that in those hours.
And then on the next meeting, kind of like, hey, I have my clarity break. That's some things that I want to [00:36:00] talk about. How do you feel about this idea? What, how we feel about that? And then we can kind of like start discussing on that.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Hmm. I love that. How, what, so if you were solopreneurs, if you guys were not business partners, life partners, all the things, how do you think that would change if you didn't have somebody to bounce those ideas off of? I'm asking for a friend.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: yeah. I think that when it comes, I think that comes the networking, right? I
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: industry, you know, people that has more experience than you, or even people that has less experience than you, but they have like another point of view,
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: that things they have in mind. So I think, I mean, that's why we always love to go to the network events because they're all like change ideas, you know, like, how do you feel about this?
I mean, I have the issue with the project, you know, so I think that's when the networking is so important, you know, to, to, to have those, those associations that are going to help elevate [00:37:00] your business.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: just kind of opening your opening a different perspective.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Exactly. I agree. I totally agree, especially just putting yourself in like a solo, I can just see how. Sometimes a lot of, sometimes, you know, somebody being a solopreneur, um, could be almost, uh, feel like you're by yourself. Yeah. It can be better alone, it can be kind of lonely. Yeah. Like . So, uh, you know, at these events I see these solopreneurs that are coming in and talking and hanging out and you can see them just kind of relax, but you can also see in their face they're very like, I need to know this information.
How do that? So it's nice to have that, um, ability to talk to people in a nice, safe space. Also, to being a solopreneur, to know that, like, I do have a support group. I do have a support team, and I can go talk to these people, and I'm not by myself. And, you know, um, even with Roma and I working together, there's times where, uh, I have to come with [00:38:00] Roma.
Like, I feel so isolated at this moment. Let's talk. And so it's, it's So, you know, have that support, having some mentors, like some coaching, help us help us a lot. For sure. That's something that really, really elevated business. It
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Thanks y'all. That was a great segue. Interior Design Business Bakery. Interior design business. No, but I think it's so important that, um, like we met through our local IDS chapter. So the interior design society is a great group, wherever you guys are listening. Hopefully you have a local chapter or something close, but it's, it doesn't, it doesn't have to be lonely.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: doesn't
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: to, you have to be open to [00:39:00] receiving other people's. Input, but also offering your perspective because like you said, Rome, we all have a different perspective. We're all coming from a different place.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: work. Exactly. Yeah. I mean, one of the big things that you always say, it's right, Michelle, like, you know, The process could be the same, but you have another, uh, perspective and
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Yeah. Yeah.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: right? So why not be part of a community, right? We are human beings. Human beings are made to be part of communities.
So, uh, one of the big things for us, it was those associations. They help us a lot to, to be where we are right now. And it's such a show that, that has a really big, uh, Part of it. It was those associations that are part of it.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I love that. I absolutely do. Cause I, I've, I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times, there's enough ugly houses for all of us.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes! Yeah!
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: So, you know, it's community over [00:40:00] competition just because even if we had the exact process, your personality. You and your team's personality, myself and my team's personality, they're different.
People are going to hire people that they, like you were saying earlier, they want to hang out with. You know, it's just nice. We're well paid friends.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Yes, perfect!
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Oh gosh. So last question for y'all, what do you want to spend more time doing? Personally, professionally, like, what do you want to spend more time doing as we go into, we're wrapping up, we're recording this, the week of Thanksgiving, I think it'll air sometime in December ish. So, if you could hang Right.
You're 2024. What would you want to spend more time doing?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Anything personal? Um, I don't know. Uh, I guess for me, it would be on a more personal level. Uh, which I think would translate into the business. But, um, really honing in [00:41:00] into my craft of creativeness. I, I, I, I'm, like I said, I'm a creative background. And I absolutely love it. I love the, the, uh, the, there's no limits at all to creativity.
And I feel like once I'm connected with that, I, uh, become more authentically myself and which then allows me to connect even more with the company and also my products that I'm doing as well. So, um, I see that happen all the time and I tried doing it. Of course, I realize that it's not going to be able to do it for the entire year as many times as I would like, but to connect to that would allow me to connect to myself a bit more.
So that's what I plan on doing, or I
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: I like that.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: least. I think for me, I want to, DZ was one of the big areas for me in standard design. We grew 7%. That was the goal.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Rock on y'all.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: So it was phenomenal. It [00:42:00] was really nice to achieve that at the same time. It kind of put me a little bit outside of that. What I love to do is like give you the strategies and grow the company. So I'm focused to kind of like get the CEO. And then like put the company another level again. So that's what to, to focus on next
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: We're strategizing. Love that. What a great balance y'all are. Strategy creativity.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Exactly. That's why by, that's nice.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: good. Yeah. Another six hour tour of the Arboretum this week would be much nicer weather. No, y'all, um, for anybody who wants to learn more about you, connect with you, potentially follow up with that database and the future on your website. How can the audience, um, how and where can they connect with you?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: So our website is, uh, designer.com. In our social medias like Instagram, [00:43:00] TikTok, Facebook, it's at. A link standard design
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Lima Stanley, is there a hyphen or is it just all one word for your socials?
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: all one word link standard design.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate1: Awesome. Well, I will make sure that those are in the show notes. So if y'all are driving, you don't have to write that down. It'll be in the show notes for you. So, um, thank you guys both so much for being here. It has been such, such a treat.
Good to see you guys again. Um, oh, and y'all, if you, um, if you want a business bestie. For those of you listening that will send you business tips, encouraging words, and event updates directly to your pocket. You can text Bestie to 855 784 8299. Again, that's 855 784 8299. And you'll hear from me on the regular and I promise no spam.
So choose to be great today and every day. [00:44:00] We'll see you next time. Thanks guys.
GMT20231120-210352_Recording_separate2: Thank you. michelle
