Michelle Lynne 0:00
Music. 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 Woo, woo, 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, you
Michelle Lynne 0:49
hey. Hey everybody, welcome back to the podcast. This is Michelle Lynn with design for the creative mind. And you know, I say this, I just get so excited with a lot of our guests. But today I'm really excited for reels. I want to introduce you today to Crystal Reinert. She is the CEO and principal designer of old soul design studios, and I've had the pleasure of knowing crystal for a good few years now, at least, both on screen, on the Zoom. She went through our interior design business bakery, and then, more than once, we've had the opportunity to spend time in person, which is just such a pleasure. So I can't wait for you guys to get to know her. So welcome, Crystal, yay. I wish I was here to hug you.
Krystal Reinhard 1:32
I know we just saw each other in High Point, though. So yes,
Speaker 1 1:35
I know, holy crap, it was last week. I know it doesn't feel like it. It doesn't feel like it at all, especially Well, geez, since I saw you, we've had daylight savings and then this lovely election circus that has just been like so over, over, saturated. So it feels like we've lived a lifetime. It has. How are you today? What's going on?
Krystal Reinhard 1:58
I'm good. I'm excited. So I'm talking to you, and I'm just grateful to have this opportunity outside of that, like, you know, a little stressed, because we have a lot of projects going on, and, like anything, they're just little bumps in the road. So I have on few project sites today, before our call and and
Michelle Lynne 2:15
y'all, since this is all on audio for a podcast, you still look fabulous. Having been running around on project sites, I always look like a, you know, a trucker, by the time I'm done. So that works great. So let's start the conversation by your designer. Okay, also, what
Krystal Reinhard 2:37
is the name of your company? All soul design studio,
Michelle Lynne 2:40
and you have a design studio and what else? Let's set the stage.
Krystal Reinhard 2:45
Yes, thank you so much. So we are a full service design and build firm, so within our studio, we do have a showroom. It started out as a seven day a week showroom pre COVID, and I've learned a lot of hard knocks throughout the last nine years. So currently, our showroom is open to the public Friday through Sunday, and our office hours for design is Monday through Friday. Oh,
Michelle Lynne 3:07
that works well. So you're still making use of all of your square footage. It's just more strategic so that you don't have all of the, I would say, interruptions, right?
Krystal Reinhard 3:17
Absolutely. So it's a hybrid form for me, and the newest place that we took this is our third commercial space in the last nine, nine and a half years. Oh, my word, yeah. And it just made all the right boxes specifically because we could have our office and headquarters the showroom, and then there's sort of a bonus space that's an additional showroom that we kind of have overflow overflow for. Yeah? So if anyone wants to listen, I can give you some tips on retail and home decor. That'll be that'll
Michelle Lynne 3:43
definitely be something to cover. And you're located in Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. We
Krystal Reinhard 3:50
are so Philadelphia based, which is greater Philadelphia area. We are in downtown Westchester, which is a suburb. And our studio is right in town center, which is a really fun creative spot to be, all
Michelle Lynne 4:01
right, so if any of y'all are local to that location, you should swing by and meet this woman. Okay, so you specialize in now that you're doing design, build. Did you say you specialize more in renovations or in, how has that changed?
Krystal Reinhard 4:17
Um, I don't want to say it's changed too much, except for that, because we are offering it in house that I now have control as a general contractor. Previously, I was working with general contractors, builders, as a, you know, a designer. So the difference for us is that we're able to manage it ourselves, and it really hasn't shifted. I mean, right now we're probably 50% furnishings project and 50% renovations. Oh,
Michelle Lynne 4:43
that's a good balance, yeah, too bored on either side or too overwhelmed with either side
Krystal Reinhard 4:49
correct. And with that to be clear, we're not doing full custom new builds. That's not my wheelhouse, but we are doing, you know, renovations, modifications and additions. Yeah. Oh,
Michelle Lynne 5:00
that's amazing. That is amazing. So you've got the design, you've got the build, and you've got the shop, yeah, do you run the shop on the weekends, or do you have somebody
Krystal Reinhard 5:09
to do that? Oh, no. Boundaries. Boundaries, no. It has been several years we we pop in about once a month. We open up that second showroom. And again, I just don't want to lose touch with our our older client base when we have a seven day a week studio space. So now I have a studio manager who is here for us during open hours.
Michelle Lynne 5:28
Oh, that's fabulous, yeah, otherwise, you'd be running into the ground completely correct. Now, if I recall correctly, you have lived from California to New York, and just like you, you've had a well lived life, not that she's like a geriatric or anything, y'all, but you've had a lot of good experiences. How has that influenced your esthetic? Because you've got a vibe.
Krystal Reinhard 5:55
Thank you. Yeah. So I'm gonna back that up to I am a first generation American. And my parents immigrated from Germany. Half of my family is Romanian, half is German. So from that, that's amazing, yeah. So I just always had a passion more of a European influence based on my heritage. And so outside of that, with my father's work, it did have us travel a bit. So then to circle back to your actual question, I've just had the experience of being able to see multiple different, you know, architectures. And obviously West Coast, East Coast, is so, so different, especially just in each of, you know, architecture. And you'll see that in my work. So like from California, that Spanish, Mediterranean influence with the arches and, you know, the terracotta to being on the east coast with, I mean, 1700s is homes that we're working in. So everyone's always like, Oh my gosh, really? So yeah, you'll see those details. So anything from, like, our travels overseas, you know, to Europe, to over the US, you're going to see little nuggets of that throughout my design.
Michelle Lynne 7:00
Is that how you came up with the name old soul?
Krystal Reinhard 7:04
You know, at the time, at the time, I'm gonna say no, however, it did kind of lead to the correct end point for me. So ever since I was little, everyone always referred to me as an old soul, so it was just something that kind of stuck with me. And also, I do believe woo, woo. I do believe that I've been here in past lives just based on experiences. And, yeah, I just always was sort of hanging around an older demographic and people who were entrepreneurs, and it just that felt in alignment with me when I had to come up with a name was, was old soul,
Michelle Lynne 7:35
it makes sense. And what? What do you think makes old soul stand out in the industry, in the design industry,
Krystal Reinhard 7:43
I think there's a few things for one, just that kind of travel and art background that I have. Design was not my first career. I actually went to fine art school, and I have an education degree, so I was a teacher previously, but that's heavily influenced in my work when you see it, so I think that's kind of number one. But two, the fact that we are a design driven build firm. And I say that because, first and foremost, we're designing, and then we're building. And so often do I see firms who do offer this not operate in that way. And what you're going to find out is budgets are completely off. You know, allocations for product is wrong. And with our tailored process, we're designing first and then we're kind of creating, you know, the design, the construction documents and moving forward. So you're getting more of a high touch process with my firm. That
Michelle Lynne 8:36
makes sense. So for for anybody listening who's not familiar with the process. Walk through how you go about designing before your building, sure.
Krystal Reinhard 8:47
I mean, in general, with reaching out to our company, we have an intake form on our website which gets sent to our office, and then one, one of the ladies in my office reaches back out. So we are having that first discovery call learning the client. You know, their budget, their timeline, scope of work. From there, you know, we're going to schedule an on site visit with the client and learning all about them, the projects, taking the dimensions and the images, and then we're heading back to the office and preparing our scope of work, which we then present to our clients. At that time, we are only in design phase. We're not really even, I mean, sure we know what we can and can't do, but not 100% yet. So we're creating their dream design, and then from that, once it's approved, we're, well, yeah, sure, let me back this up. We do have a trade day still, so I right. I am still meeting with my trades, you know, to see what is possible, what is not, for the most part, because of Tristram and I, we do know a lot, so that's extremely helpful when we do those site visits. So once that's approved, my client knows pretty well what that construction budget is going to look like, minus any contingencies. And by that, I mean we don't know what we're getting until we're open. Up walls and floors, and specifically, because each of the homes we're working in, you know,
Michelle Lynne 10:04
you find something that makes a difference. Yeah, yes, yes. I'm sure you've got some good stories on what you have found.
Krystal Reinhard 10:12
So to circle back to our process, our first contract is design, and that's strictly, you know, let's design a space, Make this your dream, and then let's talk about your construction contract and what those costs are. So from what I've seen, especially with my core values, the transparency on the financial, financial side is huge. Because again, and I'm not, you know, knocking anybody in any other company, but who, who wants to hire somebody where they give you a wide range of a budget, then you sign on legally, and then all of a sudden, you're getting change order after change order because they didn't take the time to learn exactly who you are, how you live. How do you mean? You know, there's so many details that we do as designers that are lost, you know, and other processes, if it's just more construction and not design first.
Michelle Lynne 11:02
I love that, and it's so true, because oftentimes the homeowner will hire the contractor first correct, and this is what I want to do. They gave me this bid, and then you come in with a kick ass design, and they don't understand why they don't match correct with the bid that they got. Yes, yes, it's because Bob the Builder was going to just put some plain old white subway tile from Home Depot on your on your back, splash
Krystal Reinhard 11:28
absolutely and because we have endearing this. You know, for a good while, these are things that I run through on my calls, like I run through numbers and Reason being, I don't want to waste anyone's time. And you know, I think, as a consumer and client, people appreciate that. So when you call me and say, is my primary bathroom gonna, you know, be 20 to 40k I'm gonna say no, and here is why. And what I love doing is just like that educational component, because I don't feel that everybody takes the time to do that. And like, I even appreciate that. Obviously, if I'm hiring somebody, and it's those conversations that gain trust between you and the client, because it's a long relationship, and everybody needs to be happy,
Speaker 1 12:07
yeah? And the only surprise they really need is how excited they are when it's done, correct? Yes, yeah, no, that makes sense. How did you how did you figure out how to have those conversations? You know,
Krystal Reinhard 12:19
I think I'm somebody. For my entire life, I've had to have difficult conversations and just environments the previous experiences. So my whole life, I worked for entrepreneurs, like I worked since I was 14. I had two jobs. So I think just being in environments where you're observing, you know, potentially another business owner or a mentor. So I do think I had that backbone. But also, I think working with mentors and business coaches were definitely some but like, that was just something that gave me the confidence to know those were the conversations I had to have. And, you know, while they are uncomfortable, it's the best thing that you're going to do for yourself, because it only leads to problems down the line. Yeah,
Speaker 1 12:58
if you don't have those conversations, agreed, agreed, agreed. Plus, it also confirms that these conversations need to be had. Yes, I love that, and you speak with such confidence, I love hearing that.
Krystal Reinhard 13:10
Thank you. I appreciate hearing that. Because women are the minorities pretty much still on job sites, and even with my team growing, I think that it's nice to hear or for them to observe, and kind of mentor. And I was saying mentor said that the wrong way. But you know what I mean? I think that is something that I want to give to my team, or even other women who are unsure of being, you know, on construction sites or in the industry. And I will say it's been a dream, because I'm able to vet my sub so we work with the best, and they are true craftsmen. They are artists. And I have worked with some excuse, my language, really shitty contractors, where I have gotten in flights on sites, I've had to fire two GCS client who was remote, half out of the country, half out of state. And I, you know, I was her advocate. And it was just, unfortunately, she had hired again those people prior to bringing me on board. So, you know, I don't want to say, put your big girl pants on, but, but you have to Yes,
Michelle Lynne 14:11
and you sometimes, like I've said it before, sometimes you have to step into a different persona when you don't feel comfortable having those conversations as yourself, yes, or at least that's like, Michelle Lynn was born of that because I was too much of a wuss to have those conversations as Michelle pant is my married name, but I had to. I had to go into character. I think that's what it was. It's like I had to go into character in order to have those conversations until I could grow up and be her. Right? So kind of, kind of bass backwards, but it did the trick,
Krystal Reinhard 14:41
yeah, oh, I was just gonna say, I also think I my father to thank for that. So being a daughter of two immigrants, just, you know, for when, when you come to this country with not much are working, you know, as a trade, and you don't have a formal education, you know, I do have two sisters, so as having three daughters, he just. Really instilled in us to stand up for ourselves, always ask the questions and have that confidence, no matter you know what your background is and where you came from, so right? It
Michelle Lynne 15:08
doesn't make you any less. Yes, I love that. Yeah, way to go, Dad. What did I know? What did he do?
Krystal Reinhard 15:15
So after high school, he went to sort of like a trade school, and his formal, I guess, position would have been a service sales engineer. So for the majority, I actually think almost all of his life, he worked for a company called Avery Dennison. For those of you listening, if you could go to staples like, they still are in business. It's the orange or red triangle that's typically on the back of, like, paper products, but they did a lot of labeling. And so even for, even for, like, makeup, like Estee Lauder, like, you know, it was almost like Christmas morning. So some of the companies he went to, he'd come back with, like, a box full of makeup and creams and nail polish, fun, but then he'd worry be working at the New York Times, like, you know, doing the graveyard shift, because that's when the machines were running, and he had to be there, yeah. So that is what he did, was work on, you know, machines, and did like the sales calls for them, which is also what brought us to the West Coast, because he was brought out there for the company, and then we came back again. So
Michelle Lynne 16:11
yeah, so you were just witnessing the hard work and diligence and follow through that he had. Yeah, absolutely. What a cool example. So how did you land in design? Specifically, like, Where did your Where did you create? How did you know you were creative? And then why did you go down the path to interiors?
Krystal Reinhard 16:33
I love that question, Michelle. So I think for anyone out there, it's hard to pinpoint, but I think about it. Chip was a really funny story. So it brings me back to California, being in a school where a lot of you know, we were outside was almost like buildings, right? Like out California, it's, it's more of that outdoor experience, and it is on the east coast. And a friend and I, we like, have these leaves, and all of a sudden we're like, drawing on mastika wall. And, you know, I created my first mural. However, that was not well taken by the school, and I got major trouble, and I had to clean it off, and I was reprimanded. But I think ever since I was a toddler, I was extremely hands on, and again, with my dad being in the trades, following him around, and we were a family where my Dad fixed it himself, or to learn how to do it himself. Like, you know, maybe we couldn't afford to hire out the the train. I had
Michelle Lynne 17:26
to learn how to change my spark plugs when I was in high school in order to get my first car. So I had a dad who was similar in regards to the fact, like, you can do this stuff yourself. Woman, yes, oh, well,
Krystal Reinhard 17:37
I was the one following him around with a hammer. Like, let me, let me do this. So it was two folds. I was very hands on. And I loved being on like that, like learning how to build and create with your hands, very tactile. And then, as you know, you take our classes and you have these projects, all of a sudden, everyone's like, Oh, that pretty good. And then that led up to almost Middle School, where I started replicating Georgia O'Keeffe. For those who don't know her, you know, she was a very big New York based artist, and she lived by coastal she was in Santa Fe, which I just got to see at the conference. So anyway, I was essentially reproducing her art on a smaller scale, and everyone, holy shit, like, Yeah, looks like the original. Okay, I'm giving myself a pound on the back. But it was very quickly that I realized I could draw realism and kind of copy artists. Your old
Michelle Lynne 18:28
school really lost out on some talent for this mural.
Krystal Reinhard 18:33
I know they need my autograph, so very quickly did our teachers take notice? Okay, hey, you have a talent. I will say I'm somebody who would have categorized myself as not book smart. I didn't do very well, you know, in the other courses. But like anything, photography, you know, pottery, fine art, that was my jam. And it was sort of like, all right, what are we going to do for career paths? Sadly, even though I'm not that old, I'm in my 40s, nobody talked to us about architecture, nobody talked to us about interior design. We did not have one single school visit us. Everybody that we, you know, spoke to were fine art school. So that's what I did. I applied to art schools on the East Coast. And that's sort of like the beginning of where my creative start. You know, creativity started to then going into a formal education, and then leading up to design, I just, I never really thought I could be a professional interior designer, since that was not the degree that I held
Michelle Lynne 19:35
right. I think there's so many people that have believed that, yeah, but you broke the rules. I did your own set of rules and pursued it anyway. Yes, I love that. I love that. So how did you get introduced to interiors? Like, I didn't even know that was a thing until maybe, like, when the when it started coming on TV back in the day. Yeah, so
Krystal Reinhard 19:57
I think I was always aware of it subconsciously. But. Really never at the forefront. And because I had gone to school for fine arts, and I had that degree, and I had my education degree, because everyone does it like, you need to make money, you know, you can't be the artist. So when I graduated, I was, I was an art teacher, and then when the recession hit in 2008 I got, you know, I was working in a private school at the time, when they send out your letter for the next year. And I was like, and I was like, there's no raises for next year. And I was like, Oh, also at that time, I was just feeling I had built my art program up to the best it was going to be. So I sort of hit a ceiling, if you will, right? And I was like, All right, I needed, I need to pivot here. Like, what am I going to do now? I did go back to grad school for fine art. Kind of interesting again, because it was like, Okay, I'm not going to recreate the wheel here and go to interior design school, but I did go to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in Philadelphia. And after that, it was like, Okay, what am I going to do? Because, again, I just knew professionally wasn't going to stick myself in a studio. I also didn't want to continue to continue into education, and that's when I was like interior design. And how am I going to get to interior design? I don't necessarily think anyone's going to hire me with my resume, but what I did do was just launch a company on my own, you know, brew caution to the wind, and that's how old soul was born. I took a massive space. I was a 3000 square foot showroom.
Michelle Lynne 21:26
Oh boy. I was gonna ask you how you got involved in the in the showroom space, but, yeah, you've been off a lot. Not
Krystal Reinhard 21:34
a good idea for anyone out there listening. Um, give me, send me an email. I'll help you out. So took a massive space, filled it with furniture. And was like, okay, home decor first, and then I'm going to launch the interior design, and it's going to, you know, I'm going to do it in phases, so that everything is a well oiled machine. And that did not happen. Instead, I started doing design, also home staging for realtors, and I was the woman working 12 hour days,
Michelle Lynne 22:04
probably driving the U haul with inventory correct
Krystal Reinhard 22:07
seven days a week. And yes, it was. It was a very difficult time because I did not have a financial plan. I really didn't have any sort of plan, and just felt like that hamster on a wheel? Yeah,
Michelle Lynne 22:22
I think a lot of people listening can probably feel that. A lot of people imagine trying to bake a cake without a recipe. You kind of know what the ingredients are, but you don't know how to put it all together. After lots of hard work and trying different combinations, all you are left with is a sticky situation and a stomach ache. Babe running an interior design business can feel exactly that same way. That is why I created the interior design business bakery. This is a program that teaches you how to bake your interior design business cake and eat it too. If you don't want to figure out the hard way and you want guidance to follow a recipe that has already been vetted, someone that has already been there and done it and will help you do it too. Then check out the year long mentorship and coaching program, the interior design business bakery, if your interior design business revenue is below 300,000 or if you're struggling to make a profit and keep your sanity, this is the only program for you. You can find that information at, designed for the creative mind.com. Forward slash business dash, bakery, check it out. You won't regret it.
Michelle Lynne 23:52
So how did that 3000 square foot space go?
Krystal Reinhard 23:56
Um, it went well in the regard that I am the type of person who does not give up.
Michelle Lynne 24:01
So, right? So those, yes, seven days a week, 12 hour days,
Krystal Reinhard 24:06
correct? I am resourceful. So it went well in the sense it was very well received in my in the area that we live. However, people loving you and your location doesn't equal financial success. That makes sense. Yeah, HSI was continuing to take on project after project, you know, not charging appropriately. And I was in that space for five years and knew that I wasn't going to continue the lease for many reasons, also, specifically just the overhead. I was like, This is crazy. Oh, gosh, yeah. And we found a new location in the same area, like three blocks away, really excited about it, and we were making all of our construction plans, and then COVID Hit the you know, and it's interesting, because the realtor never gave me the lease, like it was just kind of this interesting. Like everyone was like, you have an angel on your shoulder. Why? Because at five. Years, my lease ended right when we were shut down as non essential, and then I hadn't signed the new lease as it was, like, what's happening? And I said to them, I'm like, if this is two weeks, Sure, no problem. We're good. We'll look at what that ended up to be. So they were like, We understand if you're not going to continue in a space. And I chose not to.
Michelle Lynne 25:18
Boy, that was dodging a bullet. Yes, how did that? How did that pivot your career?
Krystal Reinhard 25:24
So for those out there who thought it was the worst thing ever, for me, it was a blessing in disguise, and that, and the reason being, is that Tristram and I were working 80 hour plus weeks, 12 hour days. We we laugh, because I think that we're nice that we were sitting down and eating dinner at 1111, 30 at night, like we did not go to weddings. We didn't pause for, you know, for anything, and being forced to physically shut down because he was in construction and, you know, I had the the design and the retail. We both were, we were at home. And let's
Michelle Lynne 26:00
back that up just a second. So true. Strum, yes, is your partner Correct? Who you had mentioned it before? So you got Are you guys are working together? Yes, you weren't working together during COVID, no, but you're both working your tails off, uh huh. And then all of a sudden, you are forced to be face to face. Hello, honey, and slow down, yeah.
Krystal Reinhard 26:25
And also, just like, oh, this is what time off feels like. So, I mean, we were like, getting you willing. This is what days off feel like. So we didn't experience what most did. Also, we were fortunate enough to have our home with outdoor spaces, which sort of then all of a sudden we did go stir crazy, and we were like, Let's rip off the back of the house. Let's rip up the floor. So we actually picked up the time to continue to renovate our own home. I can remember, kind of towards the end we took a vacation, and we were just like, what makes us happy? Like, we need to change our life, and what does that look like, and what does that mean? And that's really what shifted our mindset to like, something's gotta give. We gotta change, you know, all the things, yeah,
Speaker 1 27:17
you can't run at this pace any longer. Yeah, oh, that's amazing. So yeah, COVID really, is really healthy for you. It was, Oh, I love that. I absolutely love that. Yeah, that's good, that you were. It's funny how God works, and it's just like you're forced to stop. And I think the smart people stopped and listened to them, yeah, to themselves, absolutely, your body can't keep doing that, sanity, all the things. Well, what's it like? No, so now you and Tristan are working together right now, correct?
Krystal Reinhard 27:49
So for everyone listening, he is my spouse, not a partner in my company, but I There we go. Thank you, no. And I say that because, again, like blood, sweat and tears, I've had people put like, print, you know, articles where they're like, and I partner, and I'm like, but he's not, I mean, he is in some ways, but not in the other so it is my company. And Trish, from has been in construction since he was a teenager. He has worked for numerous builders in our area. He is a general contractor. He is a fine carpenter. So he actually is trained in furniture building. That's kind of, we don't need to get into that. But he went down that path and realized that was not financially stable, but like that, influence is huge on a job site. Like you're not gonna sign a trim carpenter like anyone else you know, like him, we also build custom pieces. So two years ago, he left the company he was working for, and we had always had this dream of, can we do this together? Because at that time, I was outsourcing the construction, or, like, hiring and subs for my clients, and yeah, so as of two years ago, we have joined forces, and we are now able to offer the build component to our firm. What's
Krystal Reinhard 28:59
that like? Well, that's a little
Krystal Reinhard 29:05
there's good days and bad days. I'm being funny. So it's interesting when people, specifically our clients, or even our team CS, everyone is like, you guys should have your own show. You're amazing. We do, we complement each other very well, like where my weaknesses are, are his strengths and likewise, however, there are moments so because of his formal background and sculpture and design, he's actually a contractor who has an opinion on the design esthetic. And then V, who's somebody who grew up around carpenters and engineers and trades, I'm always more heavy on the construction side, so we sometimes butt heads when it comes to like, you know, a final concept, what's possible, what's not, what's translated to the client when it shouldn't be. So the short answer is, it's really great. And. And there are obviously, like, any moments in any relationships where you have, you know,
Michelle Lynne 30:04
oh yeah, fights, yeah, little, yeah, disagreements. But I bet you, it elevates the design in the long run.
Krystal Reinhard 30:10
It really does. And honestly, I couldn't be where I am today without him joining the team. You can see it in our work, and it's meticulous, like we are both perfectionists on our job sites, and that from site protection to the final, you know, implementation of our designs. And
Michelle Lynne 30:29
I'd like to just kind of circle back on that talk, you know, anybody who's listening that when you do have people that you work with, like even So Debbie, who's been on my team for 11 years now, you know what? She and I pick her like old married people sometimes, yeah, and I think that that is just when you develop that trust and you know that the relationship is not going to suffer, that you still respectfully disagree, that it doesn't matter if you go home and, you know, share the same bed, or if you just work together on a regular basis, because your partners at home and your partners at work, it's still, like you said, it's that relationship,
Krystal Reinhard 31:07
yeah, and, I mean, I think genuinely, our clients appreciate it, because it does bring in, in my opinion, a large trust factor working in your home. And you have a small, you know, a company that is family oriented, I think it's a bit more relatable. And it's also, again, our core values are carried on to our projects.
Krystal Reinhard 31:26
That makes sense, and that's what makes it so seamless. Yes, that makes it so seamless.
Michelle Lynne 31:33
Okay, perfect. Okay, so crystal. So I love the fact that you've stayed true to your original vision, because you first had the furniture, and now you've brought in all of these other smaller size aspects, and you don't have to deal with the huge overhead in regards to a lot of case goods and whatnot. Yes. But what was, did you have a strategy behind your staying in the showroom slash studio space, yes.
Krystal Reinhard 32:01
So again, I learned a lot over the last nine years when we took this space, it was very strategic. Because again, like we've discussed already, I have my office here. We have two showrooms. I didn't want to lose our following in our community, so that is why we have kind of that hybrid model, so that our clients walking off the street can still have the same product we're putting into our full service designs. But I'm gonna say, on top of that, was just financially, I needed the studio to cover our overhead genius. There's one more genius than that. And you know, who's to say in a few years, this may be just a functional design studio, and I cut out the retail, but because we are young in the sense of just offering design and build. I'm going to call it free advertisement. So when those clients are walking off the street, not only are they getting a sense of our design esthetic, because they see the way that I've designed, the space we style, the vignettes, they see the products. They feel it. They see it. It's very sensory. They smell it like I have my signature scent going. I have how I've designed the studio. We put a large monitor behind our cash wrap, so you on a real are seeing our professional work, examples of testimonials, Team imagery. So that kind of then generates that, oh, this is what you do. And then, you know, we have our literature throughout the studio space. And then our manager is trained on how to handle talking to clients who may be interested in design, and we have gained projects from somebody walking off the street. So, I mean, for me, I think for advertisement is really, really difficult. Obviously, social media is huge, but what else is better than somebody walking in your door and getting the vibe? Yeah, so that for me also then, like, the three components of why we took the space. It's freaking
Michelle Lynne 33:43
genius. And I love the fact that you have the monitor up that just has the loop to really make them talk.
Krystal Reinhard 33:49
Oh yeah. I mean, it's an instant conversation starter.
Michelle Lynne 33:54
Okay, so let me ask you, if you weren't doing this, overall everything, what would you be doing?
Krystal Reinhard 34:02
Hmm, it's interesting. You say that, because we always do the like, what if we won the lottery today? What would we do? And to be honest, for everyone listening, I mean, I'm the type of person where I wouldn't not work. I would probably pick, like, a two month hiatus to Bora. Bora with a chef and a yoga instructor. However, like, I can't stop my Tristan.
Krystal Reinhard 34:24
Would you take him? Yes, he'd become,
Krystal Reinhard 34:28
yeah, these are, these are conversations we're both having. So, yeah, I don't, honestly don't think I would be doing anything differently. I would still have my design build firm. I think the scope of what we do would change. For me, it is a goal that at some point I'm able to acquire properties and renovate them myself. And I will not use the word flip because that I hate that word, but i It's the biggest frustration that I see locally. These people who, you know, have the money, and they're buying these properties, and they're doing a shit job. The craftsmanship is horrible. It's a white box. The product is crap. And, you know, I would love to be able to do that myself and hand over a quality product to where I could design it right and then furnish it. And if that person would love to buy that as is great. If not, I'll pull it out. But I would like to be at a part where I would have 50% of my own projects and then 50% of clients. Oh,
Speaker 1 35:30
I love that. I love that. I'll have to introduce you to one of my former private coaching clients. She is a builder and designer, and that's what she does. A lot of it amazing, not for historic homes, not for historic homes. So you've got a, you've got a whole new twist. Um, yeah, I think you were just born a designer. It sounds like so, yeah. What else would you do?
Krystal Reinhard 35:53
Yeah, I'm, I mean, definitely created now, if I had, if I could dance like, I always like, grew up thinking I would love to be like a professional dancer. Like, I love J Lo. I do not have a rhythm. So
Michelle Lynne 36:05
little details there, honey, right. So what would you tell your if you could go back and talk to your 25 year old self, what would you tell her?
Krystal Reinhard 36:18
Oh, shit, don't take life so seriously. Yeah. So, yeah, not to harp on my upbringing, but as an immigrant child, you know, it's you came from nothing, and they want, like, education was very important, and, you know, setting a better life for you was so important, and it was very rigid, and not in a negative way, but just like, This is what you do. This is how you do it, you know. And I can remember, like I was the one who paid attention to in college where it's like, if you miss a class monetarily, this is what it equates to missing. And I was like, I'm not missing a class, you know, yeah. So, like, I didn't party. I stuck my head in the books I did, you know, I got my degree while if I could redo my 20s, I would tell my younger me, don't take life seriously. Uh, date more people. Because, again, like, just that, like, you need to be in relationship. And it's this, yeah, I would, I would do things very differently. That makes
Speaker 1 37:18
sense. I think a lot of people listening would really appreciate that too. That's, yeah, that's, that's understandable. Would you say you're an introvert or an extrovert? Whoa.
Krystal Reinhard 37:32
People are gonna say both. I'm gonna say 80% introvert, which I think would shock people, but yeah,
Speaker 1 37:39
that's just because you turn it on when you need to. Yeah. Okay, just a couple more questions. When do you think about business strategy? So that's
Krystal Reinhard 37:50
something I'm working on, because I'm still somebody who's in my company too much. I'm working in it, not on it, so it's always on my mind, but that actually is a 2025, goal, to put business strategy at the forefront. And again, I think just working with different mentors and business coaches, also being a part of design societies have been influential of how I'm looking at that now. But yeah, I mean even to the point of like, forecasting and quarterly and what does that mean? So I would like to say I've been good at it, and I'm not that's definitely something that I still need to I love that. Yeah,
Michelle Lynne 38:30
you've done really well being in the business. But now I think as your business gets more sophisticated, you get more sophisticated, and you become more of the leader of that, and not just the operations,
Krystal Reinhard 38:45
yeah? And just today I got your email. I loved it. The headline, like, when to delegate, or how to delegate, and I'm like, yep, still need a big damage. Well, better at that. Like I'm I'm doing it. And it's so funny, because there's always like, is that something you could pass off a majority of the answer. I'm like, yeah. And then there's other times I'm like, No, I can't it's me, it's my brain. It's a goal of mine. Um, kind of percent, like all those bullets that you rattled off. I was like, yep, yep, yep, yep. Need to do that. It's
Speaker 1 39:10
easier said than done. It is, but yeah, and that's the, I mean, that's the joy of being an entrepreneur. It's like, there's always another project, always something new to learn and something to do. Mm, hmm, okay, my last question, is there any good books that you've read recently? They don't even have to be business specifically, but any good books that you've read that you would recommend,
Krystal Reinhard 39:31
nice, uh, putting me on the spot. So there's a few. And now I can't think of the titles, maybe I can message you afterwards. Rocket fuel was one that Fernando had suggested, because he was like, it was funny. He's like, Are you a vision? Visionary? Are you or whatever? And I was like, Oh, good question, so that I can't say that I read the whole thing, but immediately I was like, I know what I am, um, from there, and then, oh, I'm gonna have to message you what the other book was. But, yeah, really, eye opening again. Just on our like, our ritual, like our daily habits and our mindset and, oh yeah, themes. And you know how that translates financially? And a lot of these books I'm reading, I'm always telling Trisha I'm like, and honestly, he's been great. Like, I'll pass it off to him, If I'm being truly honest to those of you listening, like reading was never something I loved as a kid, because again, I get throwing it out there. I am dyslexic, so it was just a challenge for me. I was a kid who read like several paragraphs ahead in the classroom if I had to read out loud. So really wasn't until college when I had the choice to be involved in subjects that I was interested in that I was like, Oh, that makes sense. Yeah, you know what I mean. So I'm gonna have to tell you who the books are that I just read, but there are a few great ones. No, that's
Michelle Lynne 40:45
awesome because I collect them from my list so that I can just, literally, if I'm wandering through the bookstore and somebody says it was a good book, it's triggered. And I remember,
Krystal Reinhard 40:56
they've all been business oriented, though, because it's like, I like, I'm like, you know, I can't read it fast enough.
Michelle Lynne 41:04
Yeah, which is funny, because since you didn't grow up loving to read, now that you have the chance, it's like, there's no test over it, but you're still reading to educate yourself, versus just for sheer get, you know, escapism or whatever. Yeah. And then
Krystal Reinhard 41:19
there's another book I'm going to send you a link to, but we had to do it for IDs and for IDs. And it was like, so great. Finder, yes, yeah, everybody as a team, yeah. Need to do it. Or if you have a partner or spouse or whatever, you need to have the both of you do it. Because true at first, when they were like, You need to read this book. I was like, here we go. And then I started reading. I was like, Oh, this is so great. And then all the questions, when I was taking the test, I was like, This is so cool. And I have to be honest, as much as she said, you know, your answers would change from like 510, years ago to now, they totally do. I call it bullshit, because I will tell you all of my answers. I was like, I've worked on this. Like, I've worked on my mindset. So a lot of it. I was like, yeah, yeah. Like, I it just, I, the way I'm thinking now is so different than three years ago. Yeah,
Michelle Lynne 42:05
I can just see it in this conversation, but it's so true because you've been intentional about doing it, whereas a lot of times that's how people stay stuck, is they don't work on themselves. Yes, we did that book, gosh, back before the so it was when Megan was still with me, and then Debbie, and then a previous employee named Lori, and I, we did it. And it was interesting, because we could say, Okay, well, this is where you excel, and this is where I excel. So now what we can do is you do this and I do that, and it was really interesting. So, yeah, Strengths Finder, so crystal, I am just so tickled to see what you've been able to accomplish, like, for real.
Krystal Reinhard 42:43
Thank you. It's been life changing, and most of that because of you.
Michelle Lynne 42:49
Well, it's because you just took some time to invest in yourself, like what you've accomplished. A lot of people, most people can't, and like you said, a lot of it goes back to when you were a child, you know, and just some of the core, you know, tenants that our parents taught us, but your parents how they how they raised you. But this is amazing. Thank
Krystal Reinhard 43:12
you. And it's interesting. When I remember that book that I need to tell you about, I think there was, like, all these statistics, and I think one of them was like, how much time we spent in a vehicle, and he related it to how many degrees we would have if we were all educating ourselves, like books on tape or podcasts. And I always my team laughed at me or even my clients, because I refer to myself as a dinosaur, and I only say that because I do feel like there was such a technological shift, like I didn't even know what a podcast was like. There was like podcast, podcasts and like COVID. Podcast and like, COVID podcast. I was like, oh, and like, I could kick myself that all of those days and hours, like, even when I was working on our home, I could have been educating myself. So that was one thing again, when I relate it like, for me, my money mindset, like, I'm always equating things to money, but that's huge is like, okay, like, what can I do while I'm in my vehicle? Like, how can I, you know, help myself? Fast forward that. And I think your company, you did it. Well, you targeted me somehow, whether it was Facebook or Instagram, but I didn't even, it's sad to say, I didn't know what a business coach was or a mentor. Like, I it just wasn't something I knew about. And I saw you and I was, like, it just resonated. I was at that point in my in my life, personally, my career, it was at the end of COVID, and I've just said to myself, like, if this is something I'm gonna do, I need to invest in myself and learn how to change my business model moving forward. And I couldn't have done that without the business bakery, because while I have the talent like that's in my blood. I did not have processes and procedures. I did not have a way of pricing out projects. While I am a confident woman, I still needed the confidence in a lot of different areas of the company, yeah,
Michelle Lynne 44:56
and you, I mean, girl, you sucked it up and you run. It out, and then you, you went on to bigger and better. Well, it even just
Krystal Reinhard 45:03
like, I think I said it on one of our calls, I was like, this is something that I don't want to stop. And I think for those of you out there listening, this was a mistake I made. I thought, you spend the money, you do the like, and it's like, a one and done. Like, even with the studio, I
Speaker 2 45:16
sunk all this money into the studio, and I'm like, Oh, we're good. And it's like, no, you gotta keep doing it like
Krystal Reinhard 45:23
so I've just come to the realization, and it's a good one, that you need to continue to invest in yourself with mentorship and business coaching. You know within your company, you're going to have to continue to invest in your team and the spaces that you're in as well. And like I keep forgetting about ourselves, but then also investing in ourselves. And I always, I'm a recovering people pleaser. I always put myself last. I put everybody and anything above me. And it was like, nope, not doing this anymore. And that was life changing for me.
Michelle Lynne 45:51
Oh, good for you. And for those of you in the back say that again, Crystal,
Krystal Reinhard 45:54
oh, I don't even remember what I said. Either way, you need to invest in yourself. Yeah, you need to invest in yourself. And like you know, for me, and I think this for those of you listening, not that we grew up poor. We did not but my parents did come here from with nothing and did not have formal education. So I am the first to have a degree in my family. And technically I'm a single woman, so like so point is, it was me. Everything was me. It was my car, it was my house, it was my company. I'm the one paying to invest in myself. So when people say like, oh, I don't have the money, the reality is, if you don't spend that money, you are never going to level up. You're never going to take it to the you know, where you want, if that's what you want. And for me, I have always been a dreamer. The sky is the limit. And I was like, let's get this shit started. And so that's why I was like, yes, please sign
Michelle Lynne 46:48
me up. That was rocket fuel.
Krystal Reinhard 46:51
Well, that came afterwards, but you came first,
Michelle Lynne 46:54
yeah, but yeah, no, I'm so proud of you. I'm so excited for you. I could talk to you for like, another three hours. We would need a cocktail. But thank you for being here. Thanks for having I love getting caught up, and I love you sharing your story and just some of your background and experience with our listeners. Um, where can they follow you and find you?
Krystal Reinhard 47:14
I you well for the most part, because we did rebrand. Um, all of our handles are the same. My website is old soul design studio.com, you can follow us on Instagram because that handle was taken slightly. We're old soul, underscore design studio, and that's the same for Facebook, Google, business, LinkedIn, I'm on there. Yeah, all the things,
Michelle Lynne 47:36
yep, that's awesome. Well, I will make sure that all of that is in the show notes as well.
Krystal Reinhard 47:42
Thank you. And for those of you guys listening, if you are not a fan of Michelle's podcast, I certainly am. And I think you didn't ask me this, and I was prepared for it, but Michelle Williams episode that you did, like, well, so like, yeah, that's my next actually, I that is my next thing that I get. Look
Michelle Lynne 48:01
at what I wrote down. No, you did it down. Michelle Williams, because as soon as we get off of here, I was going to tell you, that's you need. That's, that's the your next step.
Krystal Reinhard 48:09
I mean, I haven't, yes, I with a travel schedule of October, I haven't reached out to her, but like that, it was like, that's the component I'm missing. Yes, is Yeah. CFO to go,
Michelle Lynne 48:19
yep. She's been fabulous and just so sweet to work with. So I don't know what episode that is, but we'll link that in the show notes as well. So if you guys did not catch that one, go back and listen to scarlet thread with Michelle Williams. She's fabulous, and so are you. Girl. Thank you so good to see you last week. I'd love to give you another hug, spend some more time together. But so y'all, if you think this free content is good on the podcast, imagine what you get when we actually connect and we work in either a mentorship or coaching program. We've come up with a variety of different ways if you want something, anything from private coaching, we have the interior design business bakery, which is my signature program, and then we've actually brought that signature program down to a diet level, and we call it the key ingredients. So that's basically what we started with. And there's there's other ways. So if you're interested, please don't hesitate to reach out. And finally, if you have any topics that you want to hear about, or any specific questions that you have that you want me to address in your podcast, please go ahead and email us at podcast, at designed for the creative mind.com and I'd love to hear from you. So thank you, crystal for being here, and for those of you guys listening, choose to be great today and every day, we'll see you guys soon. 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 launch pad. Yeah, I'm. 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. We're all about community over competition, so let's work on elevating our industry one designer at a time. See you next time you.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
