Episode 91: The Intersection of Art and Interior Design with Liz Lidgett

podcast

Show Notes:

My next guest is Liz Lidgett, an art advisor and gallery owner based in Des Moines, Iowa. Her gallery operates differently than the traditional gallery. She wants to provide original art pieces at every price point and help people learn how to budget for, find their style, and incorporate art pieces into their homes.

Liz is here to share her insight with our listeners and help build confidence in finding the best art to incorporate into your client’s homes. She shares her background and how she got into this type of work, how to find out what style of art your clients will like, and her take on if the art should match the design space.

We also discuss how much of a client's budget you should set aside for art and the significance of original artwork versus mass-produced or printed versions. Liz represents many unique artists, both local and abroad, and believes your art collection should represent your personal mission and values.

Mentioned in this episode:

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Find Liz on Instagram @LizLidgett and @LizLidgettGallery. Visit www.lizlidgett.com to learn more about working with Liz and her team and see all of their art pieces available for purchase.

Text UPDATES to 214-380-1969 for all our DFCM updates.

About Michelle

Michelle Lynne began her interior design career after spending more than two decades working in Corporate America. She began in the home staging arena and has since built a successful, award-winning, full-service interior design firm, employing talented designers and serving clients across the country.

In the summer of 2018, Michelle began focusing on a big gap she saw missing in the interior design industry: teaching interior designers how to run the business of an interior design business. She now engages in private coaching and leads an in-depth, 12-month group coaching program, both options focus on teaching designers profitable processes, systems, strategies, and mindset needed to run a streamlined, profitable interior design firm.

Her motto is simple: we rise by lifting others.

Connect with Michelle

To stay in touch with Michelle, please follow her on Instagram and join our Free Facebook Community!

Have ideas or suggestions or want to be considered as a guest on the show? Email me!

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Transcript

Michelle Lynne: Welcome to Designed 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 Lynne.

Michelle Lynne: Welcome back, everybody. This is Michelle Lynne with Designed for the Creative Mind, a podcast for interior designers and creatives. And we're here to talk about business and I want to introduce you to Liz Lidgett. She is an art advisor and gallery owner based in Des Moines, Iowa. Her gallery operates differently than the traditional gallery. She wants to provide original art pieces at every price point and really help people learn how to budget for, find their style, and incorporate art pieces into their homes. She has worked with numerous interior designers to help them find the perfect art piece to accompany their clients' spaces. She's been featured in Better Homes and Gardens, Rue, Domino, and several art and design podcasts. Liz is here to share her insight with our listeners and help build confidence in finding the best art to incorporate into your client's homes. Welcome, Liz. Thanks for being here.

Liz Lidgett: Thanks for having me, Michelle. I'm excited.

Michelle Lynne: Oh my gosh, me too. I know that art is so subjective. And sometimes it's just overwhelming. So having an expert like you in our corner is so incredibly helpful.

Liz Lidgett: Oh, I'm here to help.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, so let's just dive in.

Liz Lidgett: Okay.

Michelle Lynne: I think as interior designers, we know that art is important. But can you give some, can you give some merit to why art is an important aspect of a space?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Michelle Lynne: Like, what's the why behind it?

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, no, I think that there's so many reasons for me why art is such an important part of the room. I don't think a room is finished without art in the room. I think it adds soul and character. And, you know, so many interior designers have access to the same ottomans and chairs and fabric and all of those things. And you see trends pop up over and over and over again. And I think what can differentiate a really gorgeous design from another is the artwork. Because when you're working with original artwork, no one else has it. Right? There's that exclusivity portion of it as well, in a way that you know, other designers could work with the same fabric or wallpaper or anything like that. So I think that it really shows the personality, both of the interior designer and hopefully most importantly, the client.

Michelle Lynne: Absolutely.

Liz Lidgett: And it really helps the client connect with the design in the room.

Michelle Lynne: And it makes it feel finished. It's like really good mascara.

Liz Lidgett: Exactly.

Michelle Lynne: Your makeup might be fantastic but if you don't have mascara on, you just can't see it.

Liz Lidgett: That's a perfect analogy. That's a perfect analogy. Yeah. So you know, I really do think that it's what helps set beautiful design apart. And original art is just so important. And then there's so much more that you can talk about, you know, whether it's like showing the type of artists that you're wanting to support, or the medium that you're interested in, or what can it say about the client? They love, you know, sailboats or whatever it is. But you know, it has a way to like, really bring them into the design as well, which is so important.

Michelle Lynne: Absolutely. And it personalizes it so much. So which brings me to the next question is how do we anticipate or how do we discover, how do you suggest we find out what our client's style is? And another one, I created a little program recently. It's called Design from Scratch, and we're talking about art and finishing up some of the rooms. It's just kind of the basics of designing. But here's a question. Should the art match the space?

Liz Lidgett: Hmm. Oh, gosh, there's okay. Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: There's a whole lot loaded there.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, these are great questions. Okay. So first, how do we figure out what the client likes? I think for one thing, if you are working as many interior designers do, is at first kind of during that discovery process of showing them a lot of different colors and rooms and seeing what they are really reacting to and what speaks to them, actually including art in that discovery phase and putting emphasis on it. So I think that too often art is left till the very end. And the most successful rooms and the most successful projects that I've been a part of have thought about art from the get-go. So whether that's commissioning or finding an already created piece for an artist or having that idea in mind, but when I talk to clients, it's just at first about looking at a lot of art and seeing what speaks to you. And then from there, if you do have a friendly gallery, or art advisor, or something like that, that is in your back pocket, and you've got like this Rolodex of amazing artists at your fingertips then, they really can work with you in a really collaborative way to figure out exactly what that client is looking for. And then the second question, I think was, remind me what the second question is.

Michelle Lynne: Should it match? Should the art match the room?

Liz Lidgett: Okay, so this is controversial, right? Have you heard of the phrase OTC art, over-the-couch art? So that's kind of a derogatory term in the art world of, you know, we don't want art to be just OTC art. It needs to be more than just matching the drapes or the wallpaper or whatever. Yeah, sure, it can look beautiful in photographs. But for that room to stand the test of time for your clients, it needs to do more than just match. So hopefully it does. But honestly, I don't think it has to. I think that it's so important for a room to reflect the people that are living in it, and how they live. And art is a great way to do that. So as long as it speaks to the client, no, I don't think it has to match.

Michelle Lynne: Now, I think that's, like you said, it's very controversial. Some people are like, oh, no, it should all look like it came from the same cloth or whatever.

Liz Lidgett: Right.

Michelle Lynne: But at the same time, how can you like, really just interject some really fun personality? And maybe even create a talking point, like, whoa, that doesn't look anything at all like the room, but it works.

Liz Lidgett: Exactly. I think it speaks to my personal design style, just for my home as well, and for the gallery is that I like a little bit of quirk. I think that's what stands things apart. I like looking for trying to figure out like, oh, I wonder what that says about the client. I love it, especially when a client gets really excited about it. And then I hear them talking about the things that I've talked to them about, about the artist, and they're repeating it and they're excited about it. That to me shows that it's clicked. And I've really done my job that they're, they've connected, right?

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Liz Lidgett: They've connected with what's on their walls.

Michelle Lynne: And it's not just OTC art.

Liz Lidgett: It's not. Exactly.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah. And as I've, as I have grown up and matured, and not shopping for my OTC art at big box stores that shall not be named. It's so interesting how I walk into rooms in my home and the art just brings me joy.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Because it just connects there. So that is such a special delight that, you know, a chair can bring it, but art just has its own place in your heart.

Liz Lidgett: Mm-hmm. And you know, and I love it when it, again, I'm going back to that when it shows about the personality. But like, I want it to be different. I want maybe it to be a sculpture hanging off of a wall. I want to see, like the weird art. I want to see the art that like means something to you or makes you laugh or makes you smile. I want to, I just don't want to see the cookie-cutter stuff anymore. And that's really important to me when I'm talking to interior designers because I know that every interior designer would have access to the catalogs, right?

Michelle Lynne: Yes.

Liz Lidgett: The big old thick catalogs that you can look at print after print after print after print. You see it a lot in hospitality design and all of that. And I think it's just a missed opportunity. Right?

Michelle Lynne: I think that's a great point. You don't want to see your selection on somebody else's Instagram grid.

Liz Lidgett: Yes. Right? Right. And I think it's too bad because then how does your work stand out? How does the room stand out? How is that actually for that client specifically?

Michelle Lynne: That makes sense. And I think that as we elevate our design services and our design business, that that is a natural progression that we need to remember as designers. So baby designers, you know, depending on where you start, you may not have the clientele that's sophisticated enough to commission something, but it's definitely something to work towards because it really does continue to move your deliverables up.

Liz Lidgett: One hundred percent.

Michelle Lynne: And then you can charge more and then you have better pictures and portfolios and all the things.

Liz Lidgett: All the things.

Michelle Lynne: Right. It's a process.

Liz Lidgett: I do think that there, we see a lot of the same things that interior designers do as well, where there's some education that's needed to do for our clients. Because people feel like oh, gosh, an interior designer where it's custom, I can't afford that. And there are, as you just said, so many different levels of interior designers. And that goes for art too. So many different levels of original artwork.

Michelle Lynne: There you go. That's a great point, Liz, because I don't think that as a designer, I would look at artists the same way. But yeah, you're right. The assumptions the public makes about interior design, we shouldn't make about other artists.

Liz Lidgett: Exactly right. And there's so many different levels, or price points that you can come to. You know, we start artwork here at $250. So there's just such a wide range. And that's really, really important to me, because, you know, we have clients that come in all the time that are buying their first piece of original artwork, and they're dipping their toe in the water. And so we need to have those accessible price points, just as interior designers do, as well. And then as the client gets hooked, and they're excited about it, and they see what a difference it makes, just as they do with all of you, then they see what the value is there.

Michelle Lynne: And the significance of original artwork versus this mass-produced stuff, just elevates their room, elevates their mood. I mean, the client is the recipient of so much more joy.

Liz Lidgett: Yes. And you know, the stuff that makes the news are the pieces that at Christie's and Sotheby's have sold for $150 million. That I think is such a disservice to the art world, because 99.9% of the art world are artists that are selling pieces for $500, $1,000, $2,000. Right? And it is a much smaller percentage of their budget than people expect it to be. They think, oh, gosh, I can't afford that sort of thing. You can and the client can.

Michelle Lynne: So do you have, and I'm putting you on the spot here, do you have a suggestion of how much of your client's budget should you set aside for art? Like, is there a formula?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, it's hard, right? So it depends on what it is. Like when we're working on hospitality projects that are larger, we usually say between one and two percent of that should be going, almost like a percentage for art, what they would do for a city or something like that for those larger projects. But then when it becomes smaller scale, it really depends on like, you have to feel it out, right? And so many times, and I'm sure you guys see this in the interior design world, is that people just don't know even where to begin. So we suggest budgets all of the time. And that's after talking with the interior designer and the client and what they're interested, and what they value and all of those things. So, you know, if it's $100,000 project, then maybe the budget for art is five to ten thousand or less. It really is up to how the client feels about it. But we often do try and suggest what the budget is, depending on each project.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, that makes sense. Because we do the same thing with our clients and their furnishings budget and so forth. But a lot of it like you said, it comes down to what they value.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: I've told this story a million times. We had this client a few years ago, he had like three luxury cars in his garage, a party boat, had just bought this bazillion-dollar mansion, and did not want to spend more than $3,000 on a couch.

Liz Lidgett: Stop it.

Michelle Lynne: Right? I was like, Dude, you sit here playing your video games more than you do anything else, you need a comfortable sofa.

Liz Lidgett: Right.

Michelle Lynne: But he didn't understand it. So he had to replace it a couple times and more replacing it. So it's the same thing with the art. If you buy something that you don't just love, you're probably gonna move it into a guest room, just kind of shuffle it along, and then spend more money in the long run in the spaces that you love to live in.

Liz Lidgett: Exactly. You know, if you have a piece that you truly love and connect with, then I think that people always find a way. You know, as I've moved homes and I've moved styles and all of that, the pieces that I really connect with, somehow magically find their space and I've never outgrown them. Because they mean something to me about that point in time. That version of Liz that fell in love with it.

Michelle Lynne: Well, it's like a good handbag. You might spend a little extra on it, but you're gonna carry that sucker for a long time because it's a classic and it's gonna go with everything.

Liz Lidgett: That's right.

Michelle Lynne: Or you might have a few, but okay, not just one, I admit it.

Liz Lidgett: Same for art. Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, exactly.

Michelle Lynne: 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 stomachache. 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 designedforthecreativemind.com/business-bakery. Check it out. You won't regret it.

Michelle Lynne: So Liz, how did you get into this industry? And I want to know a little bit more about like, what your services also entail, because you've got, so let's just start with the first one. How did you get where you are today?

Liz Lidgett: Okay. Well, I won't go too far back. But I was always the art kid. Right?

Michelle Lynne: So back when you were two years old with your crayons.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, exactly. I was always the art kid. But I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. And so my parents told me if you could write and you can communicate, then you can do just about anything. So I went and got a journalism degree and an art history degree, always kind of feeling like, can I actually make art my living or is that something that people just have as a hobby and an interest? And I really decided to double down because of the joy that it brought me and went and got my master's at USC in curatorial practice, and then moved back to Des Moines, and I wanted to be in Iowa. And so people really gave me a lot of push and pull about that as well. Like, okay, well, can you do what you want to do in Iowa? So I started my business 10 years ago as an art advisor, because I was seeing that there was an absolute, just a niche, a hole in the industry here in the Midwest, specifically in Iowa. And then three years ago, we started the gallery, and we decided to do a couple of things. I think anytime anybody goes into business, they feel like they can do it a little bit better, right? Or you wouldn't go into business.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah. Guilty.

Liz Lidgett: Guilty, right? But I think that there were a few things that we really decided to focus on. One of them was that we represent at least 50% women artists, the industry standard is something like 13.7%. So it's, unfortunately, it's so disproportionate.

Michelle Lynne: Oh wow. That's ridiculous.

Liz Lidgett: Yes. And then we also put an emphasis and a focus on education, and affordability, and all of those. So we've got artwork that starts at $250, that goes up to $10,000. So there's a wide range. And it's something that we work with our artists really a lot on, because there are artists that are always in that $5,000 range. But I challenge them to work smaller or a little bit differently on a few pieces, so that we have kind of like the gateway drug of art. So we've got that education piece, we have the representing female artists, we also put a lot of focus on underrepresented artists, no matter what the background is. So those are things that we want to kind of bring those issues to the light. And we also believe that your art collection should represent your personal mission and values. So if you think it's important to represent and collect female artists, then you should be coming to us because we've got a great selection. Now, that's not all we represent, of course, but those are things that we put emphasis on. And we do a lot for our artists because we understand that they are putting just, like a little bit of their soul into every single piece. And it's important for me too, I'm kind of woowoo about it, where I believe that an artist creates a piece for one specific person or home. And it's my job to get it, and then it finds them and it's my job to make that connection. And when I do it feels so good. I really, really do love this job. Because the way that somebody, their eyes light up when they find the piece that they've been searching for and they connect with it, and it means something to them, there's no other feeling like it.

Michelle Lynne: I can absolutely hear that enthusiasm in your voice. And I think that our audience will too because I think that's just that passion. You know you have found your calling, when it works you up like that. So how do you make that connection? Let's say one of my designers at ML Interiors Group has this project and they’ve worn out their standard paths to finding art. I say, hey, call Liz. How does that work?

Liz Lidgett: Right. Okay, so we represent 50 artists from around the world. We have a variety of styles and mediums and all of those things. Sizes, price points, the whole gamut. And that's really important to me that we can try and find something for a lot of different types of people. So from there, the interior designer sends us either dimensions, photos of the space, their design board, just so I get an idea of color and all of that. And then from there, we give them a whole roster of artwork. Tear sheets, mosaics, the whole thing, on all of the artwork. And then they have all of that information in a really beautiful package to then share with the client. So we try and take that guesswork out of it for the interior designer, and we really think of it as this amazing collaboration. Because when we are furthering what the designer's concept is, what their end goal is as well, gosh, those are the really successful projects. We're not trying to one-up an interior designer or anything, like this is a real collaborative partnership to make the best possible design.

Michelle Lynne: So it sounds like you basically just hand the designer a beautiful, like, product

Liz Lidgett: We do.

Michelle Lynne: of solutions and it elevates the service that we give to our clients.

Liz Lidgett: Yes, yeah. And that's where we really want to be seen as this asset in your back pocket that makes you feel like, you know, you know, in your town, like who is the very best at hanging or installing wallpaper, right? Like you've got all of those contractors that you know are going to do the very best work because it's going to look so good on you as the designer and product and all of that. And we want to be a part of that. So we really think that depending on like a quick conversation, all of that, sometimes we just get a quick email, what can you send me back? I'm about to go into a meeting with a client, all of those things, it doesn't have to be a lot. But if we build up that rapport, then I know what you're looking for and we have designers that come back to us project after project.

Michelle Lynne: You just become an extension of our business.

Liz Lidgett: Exactly. Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: That's genius.

Liz Lidgett: And then of course we do the trade discounts and all of that just like you would with any of your other contractors.

Michelle Lynne: Why don't more galleries do this, Liz? It seems like a genius business model.

Liz Lidgett: Well, they should, they should honestly, they should. But you know, I think that unfortunately, there's like this, Sharks and the Jets thing sometimes between galleries and designers, and they feel like we're trading on each other's turf. And I just don't see it that way. I see it as a partnership. And I think we should be working together because that's when the magic happens.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, and I think that that's, one thing for designers is oftentimes we feel like we should know everything. We should be the best at all facets of our business. And in all reality, we just need to be like the circus, center of the circus, juggling everybody who's better than we are.

Liz Lidgett: Right.

Michelle Lynne: What do you call that, the circus master, the ringleader, something like that?

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, yeah, all of that. Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Exactly.

Liz Lidgett: You know, yeah. It's like that business advice of like, do only what only you can do, and you can't be everything. So if you have those partnerships, and those people that you trust, and maybe you do have us in your back pocket or a few galleries that you really trust, if you open yourself up to that in your project, we're going to be saving you a lot of time and headache too.

Michelle Lynne: Absolutely, it's just like, so this is very much like us using our vendors to go out and find us, hey, I need this type of dining chair. What do you have with your fabrics, blah, blah, blah. And they'll go do the hunting for us. Or I need this tile for the backsplash, bring me 16 selections or whatever. It's the same thing with art. It's just like going to the expert.

Liz Lidgett: Absolutely, absolutely. And we take, this is what we do, right? Like we look at art all day long. We look at potential artists all day long. And sometimes I recognize that the most perfect piece of artwork for a specific project is not an artist that we represent currently. So there have been plenty of times where I have worked with a friendly gallery or things like that to then bring in a piece for an interior designer. So there's all kinds of different things that we can do, but use our connections right?

Michelle Lynne: Yeah, and we have no clue.

Liz Lidgett: The same way that you would use your own. Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Absolutely. We're just perusing other vendors. I love that.

Liz Lidgett: And I think it really does make a difference.

Michelle Lynne: It absolutely does. I'll be talking to my team here shortly.

Liz Lidgett: Oh, good. I can't wait.

Michelle Lynne: I know. Hey girls, I've got another resource. Call Liz. So personally, are you still involved in creating art?

Liz Lidgett: I am. I think I always will be. It's not something that I sell through the gallery because I think it's a weird competition thing and then I also kind of feel like this is for me to do, but I'll always create. I love painting. I love doing those things, but I think my calling is doing this, is making In these connections for other artists.

Michelle Lynne: Right. That's the intersection between art and design.

Liz Lidgett: Mm-hmm. And, you know, we're in this weird world where like, everything has to make you money and have to be a side hustle and all of that. And there's, for me, this is just my thing that I've decided is for me.

Michelle Lynne: Well, you know what? It's like, you find the joy and the money will follow.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, that's true. That's true. I can't imagine doing anything else. And there were a lot of people along the way, I think anybody feels that sometimes when you're an entrepreneur, and it's, it can be a lonely road, and people are like, you're gonna do what and where?

Michelle Lynne: From Des Moines?

Liz Lidgett: Yes. From Des Moines? But then, you know, one thing that has happened for us is that we ship 80% of the artwork that we sell out of the gallery. So it's not walk-in traffic that we're working with. It's interior designers that we're working with, and individual clients and all of that. And people felt like, well, why couldn't I do that from Des Moines, Iowa? We're centrally located, we can get things to everyone quickly, all of that, there's a lot that goes into it. This is just where we choose to live. Because we love it.

Michelle Lynne: Isn't it, technology is beautiful. Couldn't have done it a couple of decades ago.

Liz Lidgett: It is, yeah. And, you know, and the art world isn't just in New York and Los Angeles anymore. Certainly, there is a certain level that is based there and focused there. But we can be anywhere now, and our artists or anywhere. They're in Europe, and they're in South America, and they're all over the United States. And they're in little, teeny tiny towns because that's where they choose to live and work. And that's where they're inspired.

Michelle Lynne: But what a blessing that you get their art out from those teeny tiny towns on their behalf.

Liz Lidgett: It's amazing. It's amazing that we get to be this central hub, and walking into this bright, beautiful space and having different artwork on the walls, and getting to unpack it and see it first and all of that stuff. It's just the high, I love it so much.

Michelle Lynne: That is so cool. Well, check out some of the Dallas artists, we have some badasses around here.

Liz Lidgett: Oh my gosh. You do. We represent six or seven Dallas-based artists.

Michelle Lynne: Do you really?

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, we do.

Michelle Lynne: You'll have to tell me that offline.

Liz Lidgett: I will. And we went down there last year and got to have a dinner. And one of the coolest things was that they had all been emailing and texting because they were all our artists, and they got to know each other through Instagram and a variety of ways.

Michelle Lynne: I love that. Yes.

Liz Lidgett: And we got to have a group family dinner where we all got to meet for the first time, and it just felt so good. And we just had the best time in Dallas.

Michelle Lynne: Oh, that is so good. I love hearing that. I've got local artists all on my first floor and I was just thinking about it, they're all women.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah. Yeah. We'll have to share names.

Michelle Lynne: That's awesome. So fun. Okay, so Liz, I could talk about all things like interior design, business-related, and so forth. And I love hearing what you've done with your gallery in Des Moines.

Liz Lidgett: Yes, thank you.

Michelle Lynne: Which is so awesome.

Liz Lidgett: Thank you.

Michelle Lynne: But I also like to have fun, in case you couldn't tell. So the next segment is a rapid-fire Q&A sesh, just so that the audience can get to know you better. You ready?

Liz Lidgett: Okay. Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Okay, softball. What's your favorite ice cream?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, I put Nerds in it. I do vanilla ice cream with Nerds.

Michelle Lynne: Those little candies?

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, those little candies. You just dump them right on. Oh, man. Michelle, please go home and try it.

Michelle Lynne: That's hilarious. Note to self. I love that. Okay, what was, I already know your favorite subject in school. So let's ask, what is your favorite productivity hack?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, gosh, like just throwing my phone out a window.

Michelle Lynne: Amen to that.

Liz Lidgett: I know. I wish it was something better than that. But it's such a distraction.

Michelle Lynne: Okay, what is your favorite book?

Liz Lidgett: I love The Alchemist. by Paulo Coelho. I love it. I love it. I feel like there's so many wonderful lessons in it. And it's a book that I come back to once a year and love it.

Michelle Lynne: Girl that was a game changer. That was gifted to me.

Liz Lidgett: It was, right?

Michelle Lynne: Yes.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, it's amazing.

Michelle Lynne: And you're right, it's time to go back and read it. You can pick it up at a different place in your life and find it.

Liz Lidgett: You can, yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Love that. Okay, what is your biggest failure, and what did you learn from that experience?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, gosh. Um, you know, as I was an art advisor, I started a website called adore your walls. And I really felt like I could basically work with clients across the United States. And it took me a long time to realize that I had to be the one like with the artwork, and I had to be able to like, really let my passion show. I couldn't stand behind just a website. I had to like, really put myself out there and sometimes go against things that felt scary and putting my face forward and all of that. But my business has really begun to succeed when I am connecting with a client. Whether that's through Instagram, or in person, or whatever that is. And it took me a little while to like, feel like I could step up and be the face of the business. Now I feel a lot more comfortable about it. But I think my business is successful today because I've put myself forward.

Michelle Lynne: I love that. And it's so true because oftentimes, we play a little bit small.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: And that's just because we need to step into our power and step into our space in our own business.

Liz Lidgett: That's right. That's right.

Michelle Lynne: I can totally relate to that. If you could have one superpower, what would it be?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, God. If I could be invisible, so I could walk through everybody's homes. Is that creepy?

Michelle Lynne: Just want to see the art on their walls.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, I just want to see how they're designing, how they're living. Like, it's like, when I'm at home, my husband's like, we're not moving. And I'm like, I'm looking through Zillow because I'm interested. I want to see how they’re designed, right? Like, how many of us probably do that?

Michelle Lynne: Oh, I totally get it.

Liz Lidgett: I just want to see people's homes.

Michelle Lynne: In fact, after about seven or eight years of doing that, I finally took my husband to an open house.

Liz Lidgett: Oh, yeah.

Michelle Lynne: And we bought the damn house.

Liz Lidgett: Oh no.

Michelle Lynne: Be careful. It's an expensive habit.

Liz Lidgett: Oh, Michelle, that's so funny. And I'm never telling my husband that.

Michelle Lynne: Because I was doing the same thing. I was always like, we're not moving, we're not moving. I was just like, no, I want to see what the price is, or the value of our house, blah, blah, blah.

Liz Lidgett: Famous last words.

Michelle Lynne: One time. Yes. Okay. What scares the hell out of you, Liz?

Liz Lidgett: Oh, gosh. You know, I think if I'm gonna get real with you right now, it's like anything surrounding my family. My family is like this precious, perfect unit. Our two babies and my husband and I just like, I want to protect them and put them in a safety bubble at all times.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah.

Liz Lidgett: A lot of people feel that way.

Michelle Lynne: I think so. How old are your babies?

Liz Lidgett: Four and two.

Michelle Lynne: Oh, yes.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, they're just teeny tiny. And, you know, the world is an interesting place right now. And I just want them to be their joyful, happy selves forever and ever. And I don't, you know, want the world to get to them.

Michelle Lynne: I have a four-and-a-half-year-old, so I completely understand.

Liz Lidgett: You do?

Michelle Lynne: Yeah. I just want to hold her dear and keep her safe.

Liz Lidgett: Yes.

Michelle Lynne: Never crush her spirit.

Liz Lidgett: Exactly.

Michelle Lynne: Go out and rule the world, little one.

Liz Lidgett: Yes. It's amazing how my son who's four and a half, you know, he goes out and he's not self-conscious. He never gets, you know, embarrassed. He will talk to anyone and I'm like, this is this like amazing spirit because the world hasn't done anything to you. You are so, you're so privileged that you live in this little happy bubble. And I want that for him. Yeah, I want him to know what the world is like, of course, but it's like this joy. I just want him to have it forever.

Michelle Lynne: I understand that. Protect their little hearts too.

Liz Lidgett: Yes.

Michelle Lynne: You're never allowed to date. You're never gonna have your heart broken.

Liz Lidgett: Oh gosh, his future girlfriends or boyfriends, oh man, I'm gonna, yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Got some good stories for that.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, I know.

Michelle Lynne: Okay, so this seems like a decent segue. What's one piece of advice you would give your 20-year-old self?

Liz Lidgett: Um, oh, gosh, I think it goes back to that, you know, when I was talking about my failure is that I didn't see what made me special early enough. And so I think that when you really tap into that, and like, let yourself shine, it is your biggest asset. It's not something to hide away. And I think I would tell my 20-year-old self that, you've got something, girlfriend. Show it and share it.

Michelle Lynne: I love that. Yes. And everybody should have that.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: It's that little voice inside them.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, it's different for everybody. But once you decide to do it, it's pretty special.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah. I think and it's so true. We all bring a level of uniqueness and a level of beauty that nobody else can compare to. And we just have to own that.

Liz Lidgett: Yep.

Michelle Lynne: That's yeah, I think that's really great advice. My little dog is running around wanting to go outside. Sorry, Sampson, you're gonna have to wait. I don't know if you can hear the little paws in the background. Thank you so much for being here.

Liz Lidgett: This was wonderful.

Michelle Lynne: I know the audience has loved everything you've shared. So fun. And I love learning these new things. So tell the audience how can they find you? How can they connect with you?

Liz Lidgett: Okay, well, we're really active on Instagram so you can find me at Liz Lidgett and at Liz Lidgett Gallery. And then we're lizlidgett.com. And we have everything that we have in stock on the website. So you can shop us all the time.

Michelle Lynne: No joke?

Liz Lidgett: Yeah.

Michelle Lynne: Oh, that's awesome. I noodled around on the website, but didn't have time to go too far, but it might save me some money.

Liz Lidgett: Oh, I'll be back.

Michelle Lynne: Yeah. So Liz Lidgett, that's L-I-D-G-E-T-T, y'all. And all of this information will be in the show notes so you can find Liz. So for those of you who can benefit from even more resources surrounding the business of running your interior design business, join the growing community on Facebook's private group. It's the Interior Designers Business Launchpad. And yeah, I know it's Facebook. It's not the most fun, but it's the best place to have a private group. And this is a badass private group, y'all. So come and join us. Liz, thank you so much for being here.

Liz Lidgett: Thank you.

Michelle Lynne: It's been such a joy, and we will definitely be in touch.

Liz Lidgett: Yeah, thank you. Bye, bye.

Michelle Lynne: 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 the 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 feed. 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.

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