Have you ever heard of Sir Roger Bannister?

He was the first runner to break the 4-minute mile. A feat that was previously perceived as "impossible" by fellow athletes and so-called experts in the field.

What does running fast have to do with your interior design business?

Everything. Because the mind is where success begins.

Let's review some lessons you can take from Roger's record-breaking pace:

You have to believe it's possible to even attempt something great.

Roger believed he actually had the chance to break the record and prove everyone wrong. You see, people who don't try, or make excuses WHY they can't, or just put in very little effort ... reflect their beliefs about themselves. If you don't believe in yourself, you won't even try. You have to have an unwavering belief in your ability to put yourself out there to try something great. And believe me, running your own business IS SOMETHING GREAT.

You actually fail or succeed before you even start. 

Experts do not...

#FOYERTALKS Interior Design 2020

A talk by Michelle Lynne Pant Creator, Designed for the Creative Mind

Stop trading your time for money! Create processes that allow your business to operate in your absence and work for you.

In this video, I will cover my seven steps:

1. Identifying your unique-ness
2. Attracting clients that align with your style & personality
3. Creating services that align with your zone of genius
4. Pricing your services transparently + repeatably
5. Creating repeatable revenue streams within your zone of genius 
6. Delivering an EXPERIENCE
7. Don't become a distant memory

I hope you enjoy!

Secrets of the Business Behind the Creative Mind Revealed

Recently, I was asked to join Karen Briscoe on her 5 Minute Sucess Podcast which interviews industry leaders and reveals their key to success. In each episode, you'll hear information and inspiration that will transform your success in business and life!

To listen to the full episode, click here.

Karen Briscoe is the creator of the 5 Minute Success concept. She regularly speaks on a national and local level on the best of  5 Minute Success. Furthermore, she is the host of the weekly 5 Minute Success podcast which has an amazing array of guests who achieve success at a high level in business and life. She has completed the John Maxwell Team Certification Program for Coaching, Speaking, and Training. You can say, she's a pretty impressive lady!

In this episode, Karen and I discuss:

• My Success Story 

• Commit to Get Leads

• You have to get out and network,...

Priority Setting: The Urgent vs. Important Scale 

In July, we talked about 6 tips to lessen your stress as an interior designer - if you missed it, click here. 

This month, we are going to talk about the "URGENT VS. IMPORTANT" model that I use with my design team.

As you can see, there are four "quadrants", so I broke them down as to when they happen, examples of what causes then, and our goal to get out of the ones who do not feed our joy. This is a great model to use in your interior design office when focusing on productivity and efficiency! (Ditto for teaching your kids how to cut through all of the noise and get productive.)

(1) Important, Not Urgent

This is the quadrant where you get the "juice" out of your job! These are the elements that matter the most in your work and in life. This is where you are fulfilled and what provides you with happiness. This is the ACTUAL interior design work and creating those details.

In an ideal world, we would...

7 Action Items To Add To Your To-Do List

Whaaaat??? ADD items to my already full to-do list? 

YEP. That's exactly what I'm saying.

Warren Buffett once said that it is wise for investors to be “fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful."

Michelle, why are you telling us what Warren Buffett said?

I know that this crazy pandemic has made a lot of us want to curl up in a ball since the future is so unknown - but now is NOT the time for interior designers to hide under the covers and wait for things to get better...

You need to focus, get busy, and start grabbing all of the business that is out there. I promise you, it IS OUT THERE!

It might seem like (1) there is SO MUCH TO DO that you don't know where to start, but it also might feel like (2) there is nothing to do.

Either way, I've put together a list of action items that will give you a place to start!

(1) Refresh your website.

Go through each one of your website pages and look at your SEO...

Many Imagine. Few Do.

Isn't that a crock of truth? If you're like me, you've listened to all of the podcasts, read the books, reposted the inspirational quotes, and dreamed up plans to conquer the world (or at least design it). Yes, having that mindset is EXTREMELY important - but that mindset alone isn't making you money. 

The reason you make sales is because you actually followed through and DID IT. You did the work. You sat for hours working on your processes. You followed through on what those mindset books have been preaching to you. You stressed over getting it done. You did the things you didn't want to do.

Don't get me wrong, mindset is HUGE - but it was the actions you took after reading that Tony Robbins book or attended that random free webinar. 

You Have The Mindset. Now What?

Okay, if you are at the point where you've heard it all and you are officially operating (at least most of the time) with the right mindset to drive your business, here are some...

Every day is a whirlwind when you own your own interior design business.

Your "To Do" list could have legs and get a name because you carry it around like your child.

• Consultations need to be scheduled.
• Fabric needs to be pulled.
• You need to view incoming inventory.
• Your client is fighting with her husband over the living room wall color.
• You have a delivery that needs to be scheduled.
• You need to follow up to get some decisions from a client who is just too busy to meet with you.
• Bills need to be paid.
• The desk that showed up with a scratch on top needs to be returned.

You can't be in five places at once. You aren't a therapist - but it sure feels like you need one (maybe on payroll). I get it. In fact, I just stressed myself out writing that introduction.

We've all been there. Being an interior designer can be STRESSFUL. There are a thousand and one moving parts that need to be handled at once. 

Take a deep breath. INNNNNNN. OUTTTTTTTT. 

I have good news for you -...

The Power of Community in Interior Design

Being authentically YOU in everything you do is a huge foundation for attracting the clients that align with you!

Be Yourself. Seriously.

When I say be "authentically you", that goes beyond the basics - this is everything from web copy to social media posts, to your interactions with clients.

I often say that "like attracts like". When you are being authentic and real to yourself - potential clients will LOVE AND TRUST YOU FOR YOU! 

Who Do You Want To Work With?

I started my firm positioning as "glamorously functional interiors for the busy professional" but the hell if I was going to get all gussied up every day!! (FYI for those don't know me yet: I'm more comfortable in jeans + cute shoes and blouse + jacket....not so glamorous.)

Most of our clients are busy too! The mom is often busy with the kids and all of their activities while the dad is a busy professional. Our clients don't have enough time in the day to create the gorgeous home that they deserve!...