0:02
Welcome to design for the creative mind, a podcast for interior designers and creative entrepreneurs to run their business with purpose, efficiency and passion. Because while every design is different, the process should remain the same. Prepare yourself for some good conversations with amazing guests, a dash of Jesus and a touch of the woowoo and probably a swear word or two. If you're ready to stop trading your time for money and enjoy your interior design business. You are in the right place. I'm your host, Michelle Lynn.
0:49
Hey, hey everybody. Welcome back to the design for the creative mind. I want to introduce you to Nicole Hirsch. She is the owner and principal designer of Nicole Hirsch interiors. Nicole. Hello. How
1:01
are you? So good. So happy to be here. Thank you. Don't miss this. Oh
1:06
my gosh, I absolutely am looking forward to our conversation. I've been a little bit of a I don't want to say stalker, but like a friendly stalker just like cruising your Instagrams and the website which by the way, freaking beautiful work.
1:22
Thank you so much we what we do, so it kind of makes it easy, right? I have
1:28
Yeah, absolutely. And I'm looking forward to talking to you today about processes and communication and things like that, because, well, the images always look like it's effortless. We definitely all know that. That's not the case. So let me start with the from the beginning. And how did you get started in this business? Yeah, so
1:46
it's interesting. My My background is actually in marketing. I went to undergrad at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana. And after I graduated, I always knew I had a passion for interior design. My mom was an interior designer my whole life. And I was literally in your blood in my blood like I you know, but that was when you know, when I was growing up, she would have to go to the Design Center to source everything because right she couldn't source online, there was no worldwide web. So I kind of grew up always going to the Design Center, going through the racks to the fabrics and knowing how fun it was just always a passion for me. But after college knew that I really needed to get a business marketing background if I was ever planning to, you know, start my own business one day. And so I worked for a long time for big companies in product and brand marketing, eventually, knowing that I would I would kind of launch my own firm one day. So what a great strategy. Yeah, so I kind of got the business acumen. As I always tell my design team, I feel like 50% of my job is design and 50% of my job is knowing how to work with clients and vendors and the kind of the business piece of it. And I think you have to go hand in hand.
3:08
I so totally agree. I was having our monthly or monthly or weekly meeting with my team today. And I was like, just give me this information. Because I will figure out how we need to present it in order to sell it. And it is it's it's just delivery, it's totally sales.
3:26
Yeah, cuz at the end of the day, we as designers, right? We know what's going to execute the best and what's going to work but a lot of times it's it's getting our clients to be on the same page as us and isn't getting, you know, trades people to understand what we want. And so communication to me is like paramount in this business for sure. I
3:47
wonder if so my it's funny my degree, of course, it was back in 1902, not 2002. But it was like 1902. It's also in marketing. And I never really did anything related until this and I was like, oh, okay, God, he knew what he was doing when I was studying that back in, you know, the Flintstones age
4:09
or something to you know, when I would have to get up and do marketing presentations in front of rooms full of hundreds of people. It kind of prepared me for I know it's on a simpler level, but being in front of clients present us the plans for their new home
4:24
and asking them for all the money. Yeah, it's not always easy.
4:28
Yeah. Not inexpensive these days. No, I don't know if it ever
4:32
if good design ever really has been. I think. So. What are some things? Okay, so we're talking about let's say clients are going into a large project. What are some things that you wish all clients understood? As you kick off the process? Yeah, maybe even when they just call you.
4:51
You want yeah, when they call. So I think the most important thing is that you Designing a large project is, is there's a process to it right. And you have to go through the process to really have a successful end of the day result. And when I say the process, we have to first have a conversation about what your goals and expectations are for each space and roughly where your budget lies. And also that communication and understanding that Rome wasn't built in a day. And as much as you would love to have everything done in the next four months, because that's when you really want it for the big party or having it there is no world and no designer on this planet that can make things appear out of nowhere. And, and so really understanding both the timelines, the expectations, the type of contractors that need to be brought in to really execute a project successfully. And then kind of sticking with the process in terms of let's make decisions. Let's get orders placed. Let's have everything sent to a receiver so we can have an efficient install day, right? As long as the clients are on the same page with all that minutia, which sounds really unfun dirty, you know, it's not the sexy
6:19
stuff, the sexy part Exactly. But those are the parts
6:23
and pieces that at the end of the day, create really successful projects for us which happy clients
6:30
absolutely, because it's already sometimes just so taxing. Even just if things are backordered, if they were broken, or whatever, if you don't have a standard operating procedure, absolutely. It just it can, it can take on a life of its own, we I always say that every design is different, but the process should be the same process
6:49
should absolutely be the same. And I think certain designers and every designer in every major city has their their person, but there is no one more valuable than a receiver, that receiver warehouse that you trust, and they trust, you have this amazing working relationship. Because they are like our backbone, they are in taking every single piece of custom furniture that we are having made for our clients and looking over it with a fine tooth comb and letting us know if something's not right. And then they're there on the day of install to like, help us bring a whole like years and years of work Yes, into fruition in one day,
7:31
and willing to move a rug a quarter of an inch to the right, because it's just not centered. And that's gonna make you crazy. And they smile,
7:39
and they smile. And they're so in there. So great. We Yeah, we really love our receiver that we work with in Boston, and we've been through a bunch of them, and finally have found the one that is just our they're close to our heart. But it's an important part of the process. Well, they're an extension
7:55
of your business. And they represent us when we show up to the project site as well,
7:59
under percent and that's the day right that really makes or break you all there's always going to be twists and turns throughout the design process, we order something and it's no longer available if they can't make it. But you know, and there are things to pivot with throughout the process. And clients work with us back and fourth. But when it gets to that day where we're at install day, there's no more oops, you know, it's everything's got to be exactly perfect. But
8:28
that's also why so for the audience, I think I tend to generally attract newer designers. And that is the key importance, just here's the takeaway is use of receiver. Because if you have if you have the item shipped to the receiver, and they inspect it, you're not going to be on site receiving a Pink Velvet sofa when you ordered a purple silk one
8:53
and never want to you never ever ever. And there's just also, you know, when things come, they're created so heavily and I don't know how to open a crate. And plus all the cleanup, the cleanup and all that it takes. It takes the whole process to this level at the end of the day where your clients, they the day is over and they look around and they're like they feel like it's like, oh look what is that one was in one day. So they're they're a very integral part of of the process for us. And I think as much as clients want when things are ready, they would like them to arrive at their doorstep. It's just not how a cohesive project, large project can work or some
9:34
absolutely, and sometimes you can't. If a piece arrives and they don't like it, it's because they're not seeing in the proper context
9:41
and the context piece of furniture is never good. You have to like us all design together. All part and parcel so
9:50
absolutely. That makes such a difference. Yeah, when I first learned about roto receiver was because I came to this industry completely like clueless.
9:59
Not only knew what I was doing, but we're all learning all the time. It was the
10:04
I was like a receiver. Oh, that's a fantastic service. I don't have to hang the art. I don't have to do any of that. I don't have to do any furniture moving?
10:11
No, I mean, listen, we all and it's this, it's the same case for, you know, your general contractor, your architect, all the subs that you work with. We're not all experts in everything. Right. And so that is so true. It's it's about having trusted partners. And I think that's a, you know, we've kind of finally come to this point in the lifecycle of our firm, where we just have these trusted partners, these painters and our drapery ship, you know, where work room, wallpaper hangers and all these people that like, we know that they're going to capitalize on it, and they're going to they're going to get it done for us the way that our clients would would want it. So
10:56
absolutely, it makes you sleep a lot easier as the business owner. Yeah. jobs. So you've touched on the relationships, like with the trades, and with the receiver and so forth. What would you say are the key relationships and if I can be so bold, say ingredients between a designer and a client that makes a project ultra successful? Yeah, I
11:18
think there's there's a few factors. But and I this sounds like such a generic answer, but it for me, it really is communication, communication, communication,
11:28
what you can't read minds, know, hey, wait a minute, hold on. I thought that was what I thought that's what we're gonna talk about today is how to read minus, which I
11:36
really do. But I think that is one thing when my team and I are sitting down and we're reviewing, you know, where we're at with a particular project. I am a firm believer, whether there is good news to share, or bad news to share, I always like to be transparent. I'm not doing anyone any favors by you know, not telling them that something was executed incorrectly, or that the dining the custom dining table that we ordered six months ago, I just got an email saying that even though it's supposed to be delivered next week, we're still another three months out.
12:18
I think those are so tough.
12:21
Oh, I'm dealing with one of those right now. But it's really that like flow of communication, where I want my clients to let me know if like they're having trepidation about some element of the design, and I want to let them know if there's something that is is not 100% going as planned. And there's always a solution. Like, not only not saving lives, we're designing homes. So, girl,
12:53
you took the words right out of my mouth, like nobody's gonna die on our shift. Like, no, we're not in the ER, yeah.
12:59
I mean, listen, I understand when people are spending a lot of money I understand. And maybe I'm stressed at some point, or passionate or worried or I get it, it's it's money and people work hard for their money. And by no means do we take it lightly. But I want one thing I've learned rather than getting like so worked up about something that's not going completely right, there's always at least two solutions to have free thing like there is a way to work through it and pick it and still come up with kind of with a plan that will make our clients happy. So
13:37
it'll get to the end result. Now, how many people do you have on your team? And how do you teach them to communicate with the client? Or are you the main communicator?
13:48
So I have two designers on my team who are both very, very seasoned in the industry. One has an architecture background, and the other has been working in the design fields for ages. They're incredibly talented, meticulous type A we keep everything like this.
14:09
Wait, wait, so they're right brained, but they're organized and meticulous,
14:13
like roll up Council uniform? Oh, they're the greatest? Yeah, we're big fans of spreadsheets and you know, saying extremely furniture, schedules, dates, all of that. And I do encourage them very, very much like once in a while, if they'll come to me with a question about something, I will kind of position it back. Why don't you shoot an email to XYZ client and tell them what your thoughts are and give them two options and we'll go from there. I if it's a sticky situation, I will always insert myself and I will present it to a client. But for the most part, they're both such fabulous designers. They have insane design aesthetic. They know exactly what's going on at all times. And their input and communication with the clients is as good as mine. I know
15:10
that's perfect. Yeah, that's just the sticky ones where if your name is on the door, you kind of need to get involved.
15:16
Yep. And there are there are those situations where the client wants to hear from me? And I have no problem. You know?
15:23
Yeah, you take the good with the bad as the owner. Yes. And that sounds like when you when you have the right processes, procedures and staff. Thankfully, the sticky doesn't come up that often.
15:35
Yeah, no, it really, it really doesn't. And I do feel like, again, like we, we have certain vendors and, and custom upholsterers, and drapery work rooms and all of us that we've worked with for so many years, we're in across hundreds of projects, really at this point. And everyone is so amicable and like in terms of wanting to help us and never say no, there's always a way that, you know, people are willing to help us and go above and beyond to get get us to where we need to be. So our clients
16:12
are out and probably because you're generally not assholes to them.
16:15
We try. I really, I don't think we are I really, we really do. We continue to work with the same people over and over and over again. And I need these relationships to be strong. And I I count on these people, so for us to be angry or unkind and benefit anybody?
16:37
Well, that Yeah, and it takes so much more energy to be mean than just to be generous. Gracious. Yeah, great. Totally,
16:43
totally. Again, there are some times where we, you know, get to the point where, okay, we've been really, really kind and we keep saying, you know, you keep saying to us, I'm figuring we're figuring out what figuring out where the dining table is. We're gonna get to the bottom of it. And then when we get to a certain point, then we're not
17:01
that nice. And yeah, cuz, well, you can't be a pushover. Because they're gonna be like, okay, this person over here barks, so I'm going to answer them. But Nicole and her team, they're so sweet. I don't need to get back to them. And they take advantage of it. So yeah, you have to have
17:12
your boundary, we get unsweet for sure. Like unsweet tea.
17:19
I'm here in the south.
17:21
Yeah, exactly. No, we do we, at the end of the day, I want my clients to be happy. And they're my priority. And
17:28
and you're the clients of whoever you hired to fulfill that as well. So it is a there
17:33
are always extenuating circumstances that come up. But it's even in extenuating circumstances, there's always a way to make it right. And we like to work with the vendors that will figure out a way to make it right quickly.
17:45
I think that's really good information for the listeners, is that sometimes we take a back seat, and it's important for us to push because we are the advocates for our clients, it's our job to be good stewards of their money, it's our job to be the advocate in sticky situations, because that's what they pay us for is to be that middleman is it and protect them from all the shizzle that goes on behind the scenes.
18:09
Absolutely. And I didn't you know, for the most part, I think we when we are first engaging with clients who have come to us about jobs, like we get a pretty good sense about that are kind of their, their personality, we try and kind of match ourselves with clients who we know are going to be great partners with us. And so for the most part, like the clients that we work with are like incredibly patient and kind, and so kind to my team and grateful for all the work we do, even though they're paying us for it. And it's like you don't want them to be bummed or upset or you want them to be feel like these guys are really kicking butt for me, you know? Absolutely. We want them to feel so whatever we can do to create that is important.
18:57
What are some of the non negotiable steps in this process that really kind of have to be in place in order to make the project work smoothly? Let's let's focus on that. Because any project you can get through and it can just be a nightmare, and you get to the end. But what are some of your non negotiable steps? Yeah,
19:18
I mean, to the design process for us, and this is kind of I'm talking to you like your new clients that we're you know, we're just getting rolling. And, you know, after we kind of get a really strong understanding of hearing from them, here's the scope of the project. You know, we already have a builder lined up which is great. Sometimes clients have their own builder or architect already sometimes we recommend, but once all that is kind of thrilling, we understand the scope of the project. For us. We have to start with a really thorough design presentation out of the gate because clients hire us because a lot of times they really don't have this same vision, they don't have, they're not coming. They know exactly what they want everything to look like. And so the first part of the process for us always has to be based on each space that we're going to be building, renovating designing for you, we're going to show you a really thorough presentation of what some of those design elements might look like, whether it's from a furnishing standpoint, from a millwork standpoint, we need to have that initial Kumbaya, where we really hone in on what the overall design aesthetic of each room is, before we can move forward, the
20:38
sound like a pre designed, designed like a mood board presentation, it just kind
20:43
of sets Yeah, each so we make sure like, we know I'm, you know, making this up, but we know that you want all neutral textures, rich wood finishing at all details, we're going to show you and we're just going to make sure that you're visually on the same page with us. So we don't go down off this crazy tangent that you're gonna have to redo it and have to redo it, we like to like to have really these benchmarks to make sure we're constantly on the same page. That's really important. And then the next step, and this is like, our big thing at Nicola Hirsch interiors is we're all about scale, for any room for any project for any anything, you may find the most amazing sectional or coffee table or whatever it is that you have ever seen. But if the scale is not right, for the space, it's never going to look well, ever. So Amen. We are really big on either getting, you know, CAD drawings, if they're if they exist already in terms of the actual footprint of the room, or going in and take measuring measurements ourselves. But we don't do anything until every floor plan is looked at to scale appropriately with each piece of furniture. And then we can source gorgeous things. And most of what we do is custom furniture anyway. So having those floor plans in place is like an approved by our clients is very important.
22:11
Oh, okay. So that's, that's interesting. So basically, what you're saying is they've signed the contract, you're gonna go ahead and do a pre design, concept presentation. And then you map out the floorplan, and then kind of back the furniture into that. So instead of saying, Oh, I like this, and then finding out that it's not right, but you already built the room around it. It's like, I need this size coffee table, it needs to be five by five square. And
22:40
then yeah, yeah, cuz a lot of times really, at the end of the day, again, we have these millwork partners that we've worked so closely with the end of the day for us, it almost really saves a lot of time and money. We end up just having things custom built, because our clients see a coffee table. They absolutely love the scales not right. And we just have it built for them.
23:03
That makes sense. Yeah. And it's one off. Yeah, nobody else has it. Nobody else
23:07
has it, we are able to approve the most perfect stain, finish paint, finish whatever the case may be. It's combination sometimes. But we feel like getting everything to scale. And then creating the pieces in that perfect scale
23:24
is paramount. That also goes back to the sales process of it. It's like that, yes, that is the perfect table in style. But the skill isn't right. But here's the solution. Let's make one just for you. And we can make it darker, lighter purple, blue, whatever. Yeah.
23:40
And I think there's the stigma when I say to clients who have never worked with a designer before. Well, we're going to just make the sofa custom and they're like, that's going to be triple the price. So what I could get it RH Sure. Yeah. Yeah, you know, somewhere and it really isn't the case any at all. Isn't that crazy? It really isn't aside from the fact that you have to obviously purchase SEO, you know, you have to purchase the materials separately. There really is not at all a vast difference between some of these, you know,
24:18
big bookstores. Yeah, like the quality is better.
24:22
Quality is better. And we always try and work with local showrooms. So if a year from now there's an issue, they can pop back and fix it or like the other day, we a client got her beautiful, gorgeous new sectional and went to like kind of sit back and she's like, I feel like I want like a little more support in the back cushions. And so the company is 30 minutes away. They came they picked up the back cushions they put put in, you know, a firmer fill.
24:58
They do what they do. And you don't have to figure it out. You just give them a call and say this what she's looking for. That's awesome.
25:04
And they're so happy to to do that. So yeah, so custom pieces. And floor planning is also like, the floor planning piece is non negotiable.
25:14
That makes perfect sense. I like that. We do that for some of our projects. But again, we're in Texas. So the scale of our rooms are different. I would imagine that in Boston, for the for some of the houses. Yeah. And it does, it makes a huge difference. Yeah, I have to back into that.
25:33
It really does. It just makes the whole process clear. We're I mean, even for when we're doing outdoor furniture to award right now where we're not only figuring out the layout of the furniture outside, but also, we are designing a custom like firepit table. And so we need to kind of make sure that that nice long length of the firepit pairs perfectly with the sofas. So we do nobody gets
26:01
their knees burned. Nobody gets any little details there. But maybe they do end up in the operating room on our shift Exactly. If you don't have the dimensions proper on your fire table in your furniture. So Nicole, what is the favorite part of the work that you do?
26:18
There's so so many favorite parts I, I would say, presentation days are just as the greatest, like, when we've kind of worked and figured out these pieces that we just know, we get to know our clients so well. And we were gonna fall in love with them. And that day where we like, finally come into our office, and we have all the boards up on the screen. And yes, you know, we were going room by room and they were looking at all the pieces. And then we have flat lays of all the fabrics and the metal finishes in the wood. And that's and they like kind of walk in and are just awestruck and are like it's like a kid in a candy store. Like a couch and that fabric with this drapery and this wallpaper. And there's like, there's just such an excitement
27:06
to absolutely the giddiness of it.
27:08
Yeah, yeah, it's that's definitely our favorite. Oh,
27:12
that's fun. And on the flip side, what would you say is the most difficult aspect of your job?
27:20
The most difficult aspect of my job, or those few months leading up to install day where the date is approaching. And we are constantly we have we keep a very detailed furniture schedule for every project. Absolutely. Or is placed, right. It's by room. It's each piece with all the details of that piece, the date, the order was placed the lead time and all of that and having to chase those pieces of furniture. Oh, yes, as the install date is approaching and we keep hounding them. We need this we're we're here, we're four months out. We're five months out now. And when being shipped I need this for install they those are the days that give me acid reflux.
28:09
Do you do all of that in house?
28:11
Yeah. Yep. Do
28:13
you have an admin who does that? Or is that one of your designers, one of our
28:17
designers like to stay on top of their projects. They kind of know the minutia behind it. And they have, you know, contacts with whom they ordered through. And so we every kind of, in the weeks leading up to installs, we are very much on top of them. Now, if that
28:40
makes sense. Yeah. That can go sideways quickly, if you're not paying attention. And
28:45
you know, those are the things where it's like, we try and order things in plenty of time to never have something not there for install day. But it does happen sometimes. And we are grateful when our clients are a little understanding and realize it's only going to be another two or three weeks, and the receiver will bring it and place it and it's not going to be a big deal. But it it's not the way I like to see things go. Yeah, I
29:14
totally understand that. It's like I want it and I want it now. But again, it's not Amazon where you can just place an order and have it show up a few days later.
29:21
Oh, and then there's you know, not everything we're making is in Massachusetts, right? So gotta we've got to account for shipping time and
29:30
all that. Do you have a good design resource in Massachusetts in Boston area?
29:36
So Design Center. Oh, Design Center? Yes. So we have a Boston Design Center, which has like a lot of our Go twos in terms of we do a lot of you know carpets from Stark and we do a lot of fabrics from Roma Oh, and designers Guild and we have all those, like, always excited. I don't wanna say He said, Yeah, basic, but they are core. They are our core people, Phillip Jeffries that we go back to over and over and time and time again. And then, you know, we also though for the most part, like we have our specialty people like we work with, I don't know if you've heard of art and loom out of Miami, they do the most exquisite squid that like art for the floor, custom rugs are fun. They're phenomenal. And so we do a lot of rugs with them. But we, for so long, we know we've got it down with them. Yeah. And then we we really heard from everywhere, they're the south end of Boston has a lot of cool showrooms cost of design, and where they demand a lot from Italy and MQL. And we do a lot of really modern pieces. So we kind of have our showrooms that are a bit more modern,
30:55
which is also what gives you the look that you have for your firm. Yeah, it's a combination, it's not just going to be cookie cutter.
31:03
Yeah, so we are a little bit different in that New England, you would think of right? Most people are very traditional in terms of their homes. And that's kind of where our firm has set ourselves apart. We are leaning much more to the transitional to contemporary to modern. And now with all these new, more modern high rises going up in Boston and younger families moving out to the Metro West suburbs of Boston, we have become kind of a sought after, because we provide a more contemporary aesthetic that a lot of designers in the area don't specialize in.
31:43
That's perfect. And it's nice that you have your little niche there. Boy, Nicole, we could sit and chat. I love just talking about like how other designers are, are finding their way and sharing the success and the ideas there as well. So I hope that our audience has got some good takeaways. But I want to ask you a couple more questions like yeah, then do you think about your business strategy? Then the CEO, like when?
32:11
When do I think what do I think about it? Whenever I have a spare second three in the morning, four in the morning? Yeah. Yeah, you know, I always try and take stock of kind of our strategy a couple of times a year, sometimes, honestly, I find myself so in the throes of day to day, like getting things done for projects. We have so many large projects right now, like seven storey townhouse in Beacon Hill, and massive new construction homes in the suburbs. So like our projects are very all in the same space. Now.
32:53
That sounds amazing. So it's a good problem to have. And this sounds like your projects are Texas sized.
32:59
They are we the homes out here are in the suburbs west of Boston. Homes are large. They're expansive here. So we're we are doing fabulous. Yeah, most of the homes are that we're doing now. 10,000 square feet 12,000 Square. They're their you know, their large. Hear that. But that being said, to answer your question, I do try and kind of take stock and evaluate in terms of where we are now versus where we are heading. And I think as our company has evolved, it used to be like, you want to hire us to do to really beautiful rooms in your house. That was like super exciting when we were first getting going. And I think our expectations for the type of project we take now are much greater. And I and I think that that's kind of been a real shift in terms of you know how I'm running our firm. No, I
34:02
think that makes sense. And it's it's easier. Let's just do the whole damn thing instead of piecing it together.
34:07
Yeah. And I think now I think we've kind of hit a point where we don't even get the requests anymore for baller jobs which is which is great because when we come in now we have such fine tuned our expertise in home building, renovation, all of that, that it's very hard for us to come in and just like do Interior Design in a house with furniture and paint wallpaper because people always walk in and want to affect the millwork in some capacity or if it's dated and and so I think that that's kind of been for the past a year or so we've been on just a different trajectory in terms of the type of work we're taking.
34:51
I love that and I think that once you start getting that momentum that attracts more
34:56
100% like ours, you know, we are looking for projects that will build our portfolio we, you know, from a press standpoint, we like projects that we can really photo shoot, yes. And show up in the press in a meaningful way and be in, you know, big spreads in modern luxury interiors. And, you know,
35:19
I saw a lot of that on your website, do you find that that brings you business? Or is it just let me ask you. So from a press standpoint, because I know a lot of our audience are aiming for that. Is it? How does it What am I trying to ask? How does it does it bring you business? Or does it just, like solidify the business like, Oh, and by the way, here we are, or do they call you from those publications? Okay, good. Can you expand on that just a bit? Yeah,
35:49
yeah, no. So I didn't know the answer to this question. When I, when I started working with our PR firm, who I absolutely love. And I think it's when you get to a point in your business where you have enough really juicy projects that you have photographed with a, I've worked with the same photographer since day one and the same photo stylist I think having that's awesome, very important. But once you get to the point where you have enough of these really substantial projects, I think having someone help you with press is incredibly, incredibly important. Because it elevates your brand even more. And so there are a lot of times like we've been in lately, The New York Times and The Seattle Times ad, all these magazines, and I showed you, like get calls from people just saw your project in XYZ publication would love to speak to you I get calls from builders when they see our stuff and trade publications. So that's awesome. That's great. Yeah. And, you know, if you're, if your projects are good enough to be in some of these publications, that also warrants the hourly rate that you charge a little bit too. Right. It just kind of in all respects l it helps you elevate your business and people understand what your words Yes.
37:27
I love that. I think that's a good and you can own it. Yeah, that makes sense. That makes sense. So what would you be doing now, if you were not in the design industry?
37:39
That's such a good if I were not in the design industry, I always when I was little, I always thought that I wanted to be in broadcast journalism. I love I when I remember when I was in high school, I interned for a while at a local news station. And I just thought I love sharing news with people I always just thought I thought was such like, a really super cool profession, I would really have to dial back in time because I feel like but I just always thought the idea of broadcast journalism in some capacity would have been really cool career
38:17
that I understand that I wanted to be a journal written journalist. Yeah, like no broadcasting for me, but I wanted to write all about what was going on.
38:26
But I feel like you host this very amazing podcast and you kind of you like, you know, put together your, your various interests. That's interesting.
38:36
Yeah, for sure. And the listeners have heard this, I came into the podcast kicking and screaming, I really did not want to do this. I would not trade it for anything. Because I have so much fun just meeting new people. And learning things selfishly, I get to learn things I
38:50
do. I really, I'm one of those people. It's been a little later to start listening to podcasts and by but I like so informative. And I just feel like when I'm walking, listening to a podcast, it's actually more than so much more inspiring than listening to music for me.
39:11
No, I totally understand, especially when you're passionate about whatever you're listening to, whether it's design, or it could be you know, about gardening or whatever you call it, you know, it's true. It's a whole different perspective. Okay, so last question. I think is is there any piece of wisdom or advice that you would want to leave with the listeners or audience?
39:35
Um, I wouldn't, I wouldn't say never let kind of the the bad days of business deter you from moving forward because what feels you know, there can be really bad days in this industry. Yeah. Um, where you just sort of like, Oh, how did fun If bad things just happen all in one day, none of them are that monumental, and they're all gonna pass and they're all gonna resolve themselves. Whether you're the client, or a designer, or whoever you are, I just think they're everything is like you can you can tackle any problem and get through it. And you've learned so much from that process, it makes you a better designer, so just don't let the bad days get shut down.
40:29
I love that it's so true. And I think is it Marie Forleo? She says everything is figured out double. Yeah, yeah, everything is figured out double.
40:38
Yeah, it's, it's absolutely so true. And, and, you know, the first, you know, the first steps can be hard. And but every day of this job is a learning process. So ever no think there ever won't be you know, the more you challenge yourself with murder in bigger and more substantial projects.
41:03
And that's the case is it you have to lift more weight to get stronger?
41:05
That's a great actually. That's a great. It's, I love that. And I think that that's been my biggest kind of lesson is, is on the really, really bad days. I'm actually learning so much more than I am on the on the smooth sailing days.
41:21
Yes. And as long as they're peppered.
41:25
Like interspersed a little bit, that's not back to one penny yaki day, and then like two months, really great day. Exactly.
41:34
Can we schedule that, please?
41:36
That's the ratio. That's the
41:38
ratio. Oh, no, Nicole, I know that the audiences loved everything you've shared. And I think it's so relatable, but it's also aspirational. How can the audience connect with you? Where can they find you?
41:52
They Oh, that's easy. You can Foshee many places, you can always find me through my Instagram. We are very active on our Instagram page, and also very responsive to DMS. When reaching out for potential projects, always best to email through our website, there's an email address that comes directly into my inbox. I never miss them, and I never don't respond to them. And so it's easy either way to to connect with our teen rock
42:31
on and the website is Nicole Hirsch interiors.com. What is your handle for Instagram?
42:38
It's just Nicole. Dot feroce dot interiors.
42:43
Perfect, perfect. Perfect. I will make sure that those details are listed in the show notes for our audience to reference. And I want to leave the audience with a quick little. I'm going to say commercial because I'm going to invite you all to the interior design business success summit. It is April 2 through the fifth of 2024. So depending on when you're listening to this, it may be applicable it might not. We are holding it and at Dallas Market Center. And we have our y'all should just see the venue we we confirmed at Dallas Market Center we're gonna be on the 15th floor with this badass view. We have some amazing speakers coming through the theme for the interior design business success summit this year. This is our fourth year. It is whipping up success in uncertain markets. And all of our speakers are going to be taking their specialty and addressing it towards whipping up success in uncertain markets. So we've got whipping we've got ingredients. It all falls in line with the interior design business bakery, which is our paid program. So I'm inviting you all if you want more details there go to design for the creative mind.com and click on the submit button and you'll get all of the details and information there. And if you have any other questions, you can also DM me on Instagram the word Summit. So there's my little commercial. Thank you guys for listening. Nicole, thank you for being here.
44:06
You so much. This was so lovely. You are wonderful to speak with I really Oh, it's mutual.
44:11
So y'all, we will talk to you soon. And also, please don't forget to drop us a review. Wherever you catch your favorite podcasts. It really does help. So thanks for being here. Love you mean it. Bye. Hey, y'all. If you love the show and find it useful, I would really appreciate it if you would share with your friends and followers. And if you like what you're hearing, want to put a face with a name and get even more business advice. Then join me in my Facebook group. The interior designers business Launchpad. Yeah, I know it's Facebook, but just come on in for the training and then leave without scrolling your feet. It's fun. I promise you'll enjoy it. And finally, I hear it's good for business to get ratings on your podcast. So please drop yours on whatever platform you use to listen to this one We're all about community over competition so let's work on elevating our industry one designer at a time see you next time
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
