Only Girl On The Jobsite

Today, I have my friend Lesley Myrick joining me in today’s episode. Lesley is a recognized design media personality and the CEO of Lesley Myrick Interior Design, a full-service boutique interior design firm based in Macon, GA.

Having lived and worked internationally, Lesley specializes in designing personality-driven, playful, and function-forward “forever homes” for professional families.

Media outlets including Architectural Digest, People, Forbes Home, Insider, and InStyle magazine have celebrated Lesley for her signature aesthetic of bold, colorful, and collected interiors that offer a fresh take on Southern design.

Today, Lesley and I are breaking down a topic I am often asked about, and that is the best practices of pricing a project and what it actually looks like to be profitable through margins, hourly, or flat fee rates.

Lesley shares her experience of participating in a panel at HighPoint, where experts discussed the challenging aspects of pricing interior design and construction management projects. Lesley emphasizes the absence of a one-size-fits-all pricing formula and the importance of finding your perfect approach. She highlights the significance of not only establishing upfront pricing but also analyzing the numbers on the back end to ensure profitability.

Lesley shares essential insights on pricing strategies, including the benefits of educating clients about project duration, the transition from hourly rates to flat fees, and the art of confidently stating your price. She dispels the fear of profit and the reluctance to walk away from unfit clients, stressing the importance of leading the design process and choosing the right projects.

You’ll definitely want to grab a pen and paper and get ready to take notes! Enjoy!

Find out more about Lesley, as well as resources mentioned in today’s episode, here:

https://nancyganzekaufer.com/free-resources-for-interior-designers &

https://www.instagram.com/lesleymyrick

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/lesley-myrick-pricing-a-project

Have you ever had an overly enthusiastic client take over your project? You may think that clients being involved is not what you want, but the truth is their involvement is often essential to creating a space that truly reflects them. In today's episode, I share strategies for managing overly involved clients on construction projects and how to navigate this dynamic of challenges and opportunities effectively.

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/managing-over-involved-clients

It is critical to build confidence for your success on construction sites. But after reading a book recently, I realized I am skipping a step, and that is that courage is the precursor to confidence.

Join me in today's episode to explore how courage can be the transformative force in your career. Let's redefine our approach, embrace courage, and let confidence naturally follow suit.

Mel Robbin’s book mentioned in today’s episode: https://www.melrobbins.com/5secondrule

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/role-of-courage

There are many unique challenges interior designers face when managing construction projects during the 4th quarter, particularly around the holiday season!

Today, I want to share how we need to start talking about the holiday season NOW with our clients! And this goes beyond Thanksgiving and Christmas meals….There will be parties being thrown, new projects being proposed, deadlines needing to be met, vacations being taken, and more! Proactively planning and communicating effectively NOW will ensure a smooth and much more enjoyable experience for both designers and clients during the holiday season.

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/holidays-4th-quarter-deadlines

It’s hard being the only girl on the job site. I know. I’ve been there. It can rock your confidence whether you’re new or seasoned.

But there is always someone rooting for you on a project site.

On every project you are going to come into contact with the contractor, the glass shower door installer, the tile installer, the plumber, the electricians, and the flooring guy - there are a lot of guys you’ll come into contact with, and at least one of them will be rooting for you.

How does this happen? It starts with building rapport with your team members.

Whether that’s through shared interest or discussions on our ever-evolving industry, building relationships with team members will not only brighten your day, but enhance your skills and confidence as well.

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/allies-start-with-rapport

I’ve been talking about interior designers’ superpowers on job sites, and today, I want to talk about a really practical one and why it is critical for you to be involved in your projects very early on, long before you’re specifying the decorative items. Today, we’re going to dive into the topic of lighting. Find out how to elevate the lighting in your clients’ homes to transform their space and quality of life.

Find the full show notes at: https://devignierdesign.com/elevating-lighting-superpower

Vetting potential calls, explaining yourself and the work we do, and the value we bring to each project over and over can lead to overwhelm and be exhausting!

I want you to know that I get it and have heard from a lot of designers lately about how to prove themselves and their value to various industry partners and various clients or potential clients.

It is normal to experience overwhelm, stress, and anxiety when we are being questioned about our value and our services. But I don’t want you to shy away from it or ignore it.

You will learn in today's episode how you can stand firm, lean into your strengths, and explain your services and your value, and why their project would be better served and elevated to a custom level they are seeking by having you be a part of the project.

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/proving-our-worth

Today, we’re talking confidence.

There is no good that comes out of panic, wondering if you messed up, and anxiety. All it does is make you fearful of your own decision-making powers. And that is something I want you all to avoid at all costs.

Confidence is a topic that every designer, regardless of their experience level, grapples with at some point in their career. In a profession where decision-making powers are paramount, self-assurance becomes your best ally. Today, you will learn how to build your baseline confidence you will need to take on any challenge that comes up on a construction project, how this kind of confidence arises from an appreciation of your own abilities and qualities, and how to tackle common confidence crushers like imposter syndrome and overwhelm.

Find the full shownotes at:https://devignierdesign.com/developing-confidence

In the world of interior design, there's a superpower that often goes unnoticed but plays a crucial role in creating functional and comfortable living spaces. It's the ability to understand how people live in homes. In today’s episode, I talk about why this superpower is essential, how it can be honed, and why it should be marketed not only to clients but also to industry partners. We'll delve into real-life examples that highlight the significance of this superpower and how it can make a difference in the design of spaces where people live and elevate custom projects.

Find the full shownotes at:https://devignierdesign.com/podcast/designers-superpower-elevate-projects

Today, I want to talk about some of the frustrations I hear about from other designers, such as if you're on construction sites right now and you aren't confident in your skills, the stages and steps to take, or you're unable to take a pretty significant pay cut from your current position and go back and work for an interior designer, or if you went to school and you weren't taught the basics of running a project.

In today’s episode, you’ll learn how to resole these frustrations so that you can move forward in your business successfully!

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/podcast/knowledge-and-skills-for-construction-management