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I was interviewed on a podcast recently, and not just any podcast, Kimberly Seldon’s Business of Design podcast! Check it out here if you want to listen!
If you haven’t heard of Kimberly and Business of Design, you are seriously missing out on an incredible avenue of advice on how to run a successful interior design business. For years I have been plagued with the urge to launch an interior design business, but being a full time financial controller in my day job and well cemented in one career, switching to another just seems utterly impossible. Kimberly provides incredible knowledge and insight into running a successful design business, which is seriously SO amazing. Surprisingly interior design isn’t a field with a lot of knowledge share. Kimberly shares her experiences in growing her firm, and how she pivoted and improved her firm over the years AND how she started coaching others to do the same, which turned into Business of Design. Kimberly’s message easily applies to multiple service oriented businesses, but I swear she’s the fairy godmother of interior designers! She empowers her listeners to improve processes and harness the strength to be professionals in their field. If any of you are looking to launch, or even improve upon, your design business, you must check her out.
Those who know me already know this, but I am a serial goal setter by nature, like – it is imperative to my happiness that I have a goal to work towards. Sometimes that goal is saving for a pair of expensive jeans, other times my goals are business oriented like securing a new client project, or house oriented like remodeling our kitchen (ugh! such a lofty goal right now). At any given time I probably have a couple hundred goals of all shapes and ranges causing a tornado in my brain, and you guys, it can be debilitating sorting and prioritizing them all. I recently listened to a podcast, it could have been Kimberly’s, or it could have been LuAnn’s A Well Designed Business (another go-to design biz podcast!) and the message of the podcast was to write down your goals. Plain and simple, write them down. Once you write down a goal, something magical happens! The goal becomes tangible, almost like something you can touch and see, something you will work harder to achieve. Try it for yourself! Although be reasonable about it, don’t write down “I want to be a billionaire” unless that is a reasonable goal for you.
While listening to that podcast (I was probably on the train commuting home from work), I pulled out my notes app and wrote down a few top-of-mind goals, one being “to be interviewed on a podcast about design”. I’m not kidding you, the very next day I got an email from Kimberly’s team requesting that I be interviewed! It still sounds fake when I tell this story, but you guys, there is something inexplicable about taking those intangible goals swirling around in your head and putting them on paper and how it impacts the world and the actions you take to achieve these goals. Tell me you’ve experienced this before!
On another exciting note, my friend Carly Waters and I are will be headed to High Point Market this April, and are joining Kimberly in learning the inside scoop on how to make the best of High Point Market. We’re super excited to meet Kimberly in person and soak up as much business goodness as we can!
YES! I completely agree with writing down your goals. I have a vision journal where I lay out my goals, the why behind it, and simple steps I’m going to take towards that goal. Its a game changer.
I can’t wait to tune into the podcast, this is so exciting. Congrats on being interviewed!
-Courtney
YES! I call this the “sticky note strategy.” The name sort of makes fun of it, but the power of writing exactly what you want down on a sticky note should not be underestimated. It’s amazing what can be realized! I think it has something to do with having to get really clear and specific about what you want in order to fit it on a piece of paper the size of a sticky note. Clarity makes a world of difference — especially if you have numerous & competing goals swirling in your brain all the time like I do.
Thanks for this reminder about how important clear goal setting is! I love how you said it is imperative to your happiness to have a goal to work towards. I think I’m the same, but I never really realized it or articulated it in that way. Awesome insight! Love your design work and your blog!
Yes! Thank you, this is a great strategy! I always have sticky notes within reach too. Thank you for commenting, I’m glad there are others like me :)
Congrats with achieving one of your goals and good luck with the interview :-)
Best
Thomas
Good to hear that your goals came true. Yes, writing down your goals brings out the action from within. When actions are constant, the result is explicit. “Writing down” is the best strategy one could follow to achieve short and long-term goals. Good post, Brittany. Keep writing your goals :)