Building a business during nap time - Rozanne De Villiers

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Transcript

Speaker 5: 0:26

Welcome to Designing Success from Study to Studio. I'm your host Rhiannon Lee, founder of the Oleander and Finch Design Studio. I've lived the transformation from study to studio and then stripped it bare and wrote down the framework so you don't have to overthink it. In this podcast, you could expect real talk with industry friends, community connection, and actionable tips to help you conquer whatever's holding you back. Now, let's get designing your own success.

Speaker 4: 0:51

Before I get into today's interview episode, I wanted to share with you a little voice memo I received this week from a lovely ex framework and someone whom I've private coached before as well. Veronica from alo.

Speaker 6: 1:05

I worked with Rhiannon from Oleander and Finch during a two week one-on-one coach and pocket session, and honestly loved working with her to go deep on a couple of aspects of my business. She was really generous with her knowledge and support and helped me to break down a couple of my larger. Business goals into more actionable steps. And what I really appreciate is Rhiannon's approach, which is no nonsense and down to earth, but she also makes you work. So these two sessions are great if you need a a friendly nudge to get moving or to get something done. So I definitely recommend.

Speaker 3: 1:51

It is a little known fact that the framework actually has international students. So we have some in the us, we have some in the uk. We've had Irish, we've had we have quite a few in New Zealand. We accommodate everybody's time zones, our weekly catch ups. There's one in the evening one week and it alternates the morning the following week so that everybody can join. And my guest today is one of my UK students. She joined the framework of very heavily pregnant with her second child she was wanting to start a business, but get that head, start that so that on her maternity leave, she could nut out all of the templates, all of the documents, work out her workflows and processes, learn AI and do all of the things that she needed so that she could hit the ground running and effectively return from maternity leave and launch her business, which is exactly what she has done. I am so thrilled to be able to speak to Roseanne today on the podcast because if you are an emerging designer. Even if you have memories of not long ago or long ago launching your business, I think you'll really understand some of these pressures and issues that you feel when you are starting out. Lots of discussion in today's episode about motherhood and business and, effective ways to ramp up your efficiency and all sorts of different things. Roseanne has a really interesting global take on design. Having lived in South Africa, having lived in London, I'm sure there's other countries that are thrown in there into the mix, so I think you're really gonna love her perspective. I certainly loved our chat so let's take a listen.

Speaker 2: 3:27

I am just gonna roll us straight into it I thought I might start with a bit of background around where you're located and even I know you've had a pivot from your former career, so the journey of how you found yourself in interior design in the first place.

Speaker: 3:41

It all started when I had my first son I was on maternity leave and we're actually in the process of building a house in South Africa. And that all stemmed during Covid, where we just randomly bought this plot of land and then decided to build a house. Come having Adrian, we are then pressing pause, having a baby. I'm on maternity. Finance in the background, designing a new place, we then go to South Africa, then design it all. And I just thought, you know what, this really is my passion. Like I really enjoy doing this. Even the firefighting, right? As a builder was building things. I'm there project managing from a distance as well. And I knew that plan off my heart, that was like my baby before my baby in a sense. I was in there doing my thing and one of the the guys I was working with said to me, do you know what have you thought about doing this professionally? And I never had, because when you finish school, you always taught to go to do accounting or be a lawyer or a doctor or something like that. Because A, you've got the security and you've got like the finances and all of that to support you. So the creative side was never really something that I even considered. Like I always loved doing it. Like when I went to university, I'd always do up my room whatever space I was in to make it homely. And then I just thought, do you know what, actually maybe I should consider this. I think I have an eye for it and people have said that I don't think they're all making it up. So I thought why not? So I went back to the UK after that and did a diploma. And just threw myself into it and just decided I want more. I don't necessarily want to go back to accounting again. I don't wanna do nine to five. I wanna have the flexibility around my kids. And that was really the main catalyst. I then fell pregnant again, so I had a little bit more time and that's when we obviously met and I just decided to, just start the business. So just went into the whole process of getting that all set up. Ava's now nine months old, so it is just, it's almost been like a baptism of fire in some ways, right? Like I always say I've had three kids because I've got Adrian, who's now almost three Ava who's nine months, and then my business is, similar age to Ava, just with all the processes getting it started. So yeah, so it's just basically just, I changed my career because I want more flexibility. I want my daughter also to see that, as women. We can have more. We don't have to do nine to fives. Like we could start something that, you're really passionate about. And you don't have to conform with, the mainstream, which is how I started.

Speaker 2: 6:16

What a whirlwind and what a compliment from that builder as well. I don't feel like our trades, even to the qualified designers often say, wow, you've got an eye for this, or You're doing a really great job. Have you ever thought about doing it professionally? I love that for you. And I also think, and we talk a lot about transferable skills and people who move from one industry to another, but it's a pretty brave pivot to walk away from a career in accounting because there is money to be made. Just as you say, it's the sensible choice that we do out of school where you can climb that corporate ladder and find yourself in a place where you're like, oh yeah, we can, build a house in South Africa and build over here and do these things. And we choosing a creative. Choosing a creative career and going in that sort of direction, it generally immediately says, okay, we value certain things over other things because it's usually not exact wage pr parity straight away, and there's a bit of a gap. What would those conversations like with your partner and with your family and just saying, I, I'm turning my back on that and I'm heading towards interior design.

Speaker: 7:18

I think most of'em are thinking I'm completely crazy, but they just see the passion. Like when I talk about accounting, I, it's just not even remotely like it is when I talk about doing design. So I think they know that it's something that I really want to do and I think they understand my reasonings behind it. The financial piece is. A really big piece because I'm stepping away from, a very good salary. And it's at the moment it's all falling on my husband, which, and he's amazing. He's really supportive. But there will come a time when we will have to make a decision to say is this really viable at this point? Or do I potentially have to go back to accounting for say, three days and then still pursue this on the side because I've put so much work in this, like into this right now that I just don't want to close it off. I just, even if I hope to go back to accounting for a bit, just whilst I build up, my client base and like projects and portfolio to the point where I have got the salary parity and then say, okay I'm done with accounting. Now I can fully commit to this.

Speaker 2: 8:21

I do think that's a common story. I think people do say, I've still got this skill and it's quite. Nice to have a safety net where you could pick up a freelancing role where you are doing one day and that's guaranteed ticking over money. And I think, we should never like maybe double down or dig the heels in too hard to be like, I'm actually only doing design.'cause they have a lot of people maybe speak to me and feel like they're a failure if they have to go back to something that they've previously done for one or two days. And I'm like, it actually is subsidizing you still following your passion, but you're not gonna start a business and have just this epic run of clients. It takes time. Yes. Not everyone has time or such a supportive husband who can, carry that. And I think the timing was probably quite good for you in some ways because of those maternity leave gaps that you were going to be on a break anyway. And, I know when you reached out to me when you joined the framework, our group coaching for emerging designers whilst heavily pregnant, like pretty much joining, saying, I'll give you nine good weeks and I'll get stuck. I can't remember how long it was, but it was like a short time and then it was like, then I'm gonna have the baby. Then I'm just gonna, do what I can when I can and then I'll pick it back up, a few months after that. Were you, was it what you were expecting that period to look like? Did that align with the reality because you worked really hard? I was so impressed to be like, oh my gosh. By that stage I was like, can I just have a day nap? Like I just can't remember actually. Or I can't, yeah. I can't fathom how hard I was watching you like get all these documentations in place and get your head around your processes so that you could go off and have some time with her. Yeah. What was that like? Reality versus expectation?

Speaker: 9:57

I think in some ways like it was hard because she's not nearly as easy as Ada was as a baby. So at the beginning she was sleeping a lot, so that meant that I could pretty much have a nap on me and do things. But as that sort of stopped, she is just so demanding. So there were definitely times where I just thought I just had the real mum guilt because I felt like I know she's my last baby as well. I really wanna just take everything in because they just grow up so quickly. And then I just don't wanna get to a point where I look back and think, oh my goodness, I didn't take advantage of being at home with her. So I took my foot off the pedal slightly. Only slightly to the point still, I'm like, maybe I should have done it a little bit more. But I guess just because I want this to work so desperately, I was really trying to have time with her. So I would go and do little classes where I really had to focus on just being with her because I knew if I was just being at home all day, I would still do work and the other things, and I mean there's the business, but there's also running our household. So I still have to do everything else at home. You think, I've gotta look after the baby, spend valuable time with them, I've gotta work on the business and then I still have to do everything else at the house. You can't always just running around, there's that saying where. You are karma collected above the water like a duck, and underneath you are paddling like crazy. That's literally my life.

Speaker 2: 11:22

Then you add motherhood to anyone who's listening who hasn't, it isn't having children or hasn't had children or, wherever you're at in that journey, if you're even going to pursue that, it's you're adding a lot, you've got a lot more legs, I don't know, like more ducks, more legs. I don't know how to say it exactly. It's three ducks. Yeah. Stapled together. I dunno,

Speaker: 11:40

it's like a lot. Yeah it's really, it's been crazy, but I'd like to think, I'd like to think that I'm coming through the other end of it now, so she's now sitting and crawling and things, so I can almost just zone out an area in the house for her to just explore that's safe and I can keep one eye on her and do things on the other side. Yeah.

Speaker 2: 12:02

I found it interesting that you talked about, because obviously mum guilted thing doesn't matter which way you would've done it. If you'd taken the pedal to the floor, you would've had regrets if you took the pedal completely off. You'd have regrets. It just doesn't matter. No, exactly. But I was talking about in light of the new AI generation tool and being able to create renders in seconds that, I recall spending hours pulling together these things and those were hours when banjo was six months old and cooing on the floor and the hours I'll never get back that I can now just blink like a genie and out it comes and I just, I don't think we can look backwards. I don't think it's like helpful for anyone for us to go back once we know more and the technology advances and, maybe. Very soon AI is gonna support you in a way where you can work two to four hours a day and or two to four hours a week, whatever you need that to look like. And I just don't think there's, any place for us to sit back and think about our Monday to Friday, 60 hour a week corporate jobs. We'll just all dive devastation. Like just looking back and all the regrets, but I think it's just fantastic because quite a few times we've had calls and we've had conversations where even just having the emotional intelligence and awareness to be like, I actually am at work when I'm at work. I'm a mother. When I'm a mother. I'm a cleaner. When I'm a cleaner. I'm gonna do the things that I need to do. But stay in those particular pockets is really helpful.'cause I think when you try to blend your time into a triangle of all three focuses all of the time, that's where the resentment sits. It's in that pocket of just constantly going, I'm a mediocre mom, I'm a mediocre business woman. And I'm also like. Side eyeing that grout and feeling really crappy from over here. All my skirting boards haven't been vacuumed in days or whatever it is. Yeah. So I think it's been, when you set yourself into zones and times and a daycare day is a workday and a workday or, and a non daycare care day is a child day. That changed everything for me in my business when I actually gave Marley Wednesdays with Marley and people message me and voicemail me and email me and almost all of those messages start with, I know it's Marley's Wednesday, but, and I think that's fantastic to be able to, I've obviously trained that boundary into people and then and to hold it for myself obviously.'cause if I don't do that, I would just answer all the questions and do all the things. And I think knowing that from very little, you'll have so much more time with Ava in the five years until she goes to primary school or anything like that because you are being like, this is your particular time with me and I'm all in. We'll go to the zoo, we'll go and do the things. So I think that's great. Yeah.

Speaker: 14:36

Don't get me wrong, it's still very blood and you throw and be a wife in there as well. Sometimes you just go, oh gosh, yes. It's like another ball. Yeah. But I definitely the childcare bit is it's keep it, having that and then having that time to zone out just for this is, yeah really important.

Speaker 2: 14:54

And what made you choose to do an Australian group membership? Because I always find it really interesting with,'cause there are a few girls within the framework that are international and in all of my courses that's a possibility. It's just like a little juggle with the time difference. But yeah, when I speak to the Americans, New Zealand, like anyone else, I always think Why on earth wouldn't you just do a group program in the UK and meet up with the other people and stuff? Was there a specific element of the framework that stood out or a reason you wanted that Australian community around you?

Speaker: 15:23

Do you know, it's so strange. So most of the courses I've done are all Australian based, and I don't know if that's just because, I think now that I'm connecting with more interior designers in the uk I am finding those particular avenues, but I just didn't have them at the time. I did obviously the IDI, which is Australian, so that's, we, I think we connected during that time or in and around there, found you and I was listening to your podcast and bits, and then I did Natalie Walton's styling course as well. Like obviously that's an Australian one, so just most of the ones somehow just connected it. And it's on the groups that I'm part of. Like it's mainly Australian people. So as, and when people ask questions like recommending tutors or courses I did Claire's SketchUp course. So all of those were always. Prioritize Australian courses. So that's, I think where I then got into that sort of network. And just all the reviews and everything just looked really good. Now I've got the UK one so I know where to go to, to get more local insights, but that's basically how it all started. It just was, it was just better set up and I think more widely communicated in those groups.

Speaker 2: 16:33

Australian marketing represent, we've gone global. I know just getting in there early. No, it's really interesting. I just do always think'cause there's, you take on almost different views and opinions from the Australian industry going into each. Core hemisphere and place has very different ideas and also different design aesthetics. Like I think about clients that I've worked with in the UK and I haven't actually worked with that many, like a handful over seven years. And I've always gotten to explore more layered aesthetics, more wallpapers, more color, more, it, it's always been more about warmth and coziness and homeliness. It's always had this kind of feeling. And then my American clients again, have different type. They have very standard sort of granite countertops and there's certain things that are quite American. When they send the floor plans, I'm like, oh yeah, the great room, the this and I know what they're looking for. And Australian design is very different again. So I just think it's great when you get to be in a group, but I guess you're all learning as well. Like at this point you're not actually all about the deliver delivery of the projects so much as learning to set the foundations of your business and make sure that you're ready to take on and attract the clients. You're based in the uk you have ties to South Africa and the course community is largely Australian. So do you think that international element shapes your experience though, makes you more of a global designer or that you understand a lot more about just all the corners of the globe?

Speaker: 17:59

Yes, I definitely think so. Because South Africa, so our house, I think our design styles, I probably a. Like the Australian design style a lot more, which is probably also why I'm drawn to it like that. Like airiness, the openness space, glass, like just bring the outside in. Which is very similar to South Africa. So I like that. And then like you mentioned before, in the UK you've got a lot of sort of traditional homes, a lot more like Victorian Georgian, so you've got the wallpapers, you've got the moldings. There's just a lot more kind of a mix between the traditional and contemporary and things like that I really like. Then having, so I lived in the Middle East as well for a couple of years. So you've got that side of it as well. So I think living and having connections to different places definitely just brings a little bit more I guess of diversity to your design. Like knowing like how to combine different elements as well. And knowing the people where they come from. And what they probably like as well is ultimately we are creating a home for people. So knowing, them as people, their backgrounds and things like that will hopefully help me marry the design with them, creating a lovely home to live in. So having those connections definitely, I think will help bring that all together in the designs.

Speaker 2: 19:16

I think it's such a good value to call out when we are thinking about AI and the sorts of things that it can do. And I know I mentioned a lot'cause I'm like in the middle of all of it, but it's moving so fast and the things that it offers I just don't think it truly curates a global perspective the way it is to have lived in those different countries and to spend time with different designers in different communities and things. I think that's allowing you to really showcase the personalization and humanization of interior design and the craft of design.'cause it isn't just the science of pulling it together based on the prompt through ai. There's so much of it that is the art and just knowing when to break the rules, when to push just so far, when to pull back and, all that sort of stuff. That's very intuitive and I think it's, important to remind ourself why we are better than the AI tools that are around us. And that they're supportive documentation, but they're not the, they're not the main or what is it they say? They're not the main character, energy of your life like you are, and the AI is just in the background. So I think for you specifically, it's really exciting to be able to call out some of those references and experiences that you've had and how you bring them into design. Yeah. What have you found the toughest right now? In terms of where you're at with your business, so you've got a nine month old baby, but you've had to pause obviously, to have her and have a little break and pulling together those foundational stuff. So the biggest challenge, client acquisition, pricing, balancing motherhood, something else. What are you finding hardest?

Speaker: 20:47

I would say definitely client acquisition. Because obviously being an emerging designer and having a couple probably proper, new build and a renovation and then just doing little bits here and there, I don't have an awful lot of experience. Yes. And it's getting people to trust me. Because they could easily, London is, there's a designer around every corner. So you know, what sets me apart from somewhere else who's got 10, 15 years experience? Okay. They'll charge a lot more. So there'll be an element of, my, on my entry level price will be a lot less than theirs, but they'll have the experience. A lot of people, because I'm going into that luxury space as well, they would probably prefer to pay more for the experienced designer because they're busy and they wanna be able to trust that the outcome is something that they would enjoy. And they don't have that trust with me yet. You're trying to put things out on social media to showcase that, you know you're talking about, and there will definitely be a learning curve for me. That's Sure. But it's trying to find the clients that are willing to trust me. So you're going out to friends and family people that know you and more likely to trust you. But that's the hardest bit. You feel like it's crickets out there. You put things out and nothing really comes back. So you get some inquiries and then it's do they need anything else? Or you ask and it just, and that's where the self-doubt comes in a lot of the time because you just feel like you're not getting out to people, they're not coming to you. And it's okay, is this actually going to happen for me? So that's really the hardest bit for me.

Speaker 2: 22:18

The hold your nerve months. I know I always say it. You get to a point and you're just so close when you're at the point of giving up and you're crying on the shower floor and you're actually like thinking, this is just, I've fooled myself. I've tricked myself into thinking I've got an eye for this. I've wasted my energy and time. I've done the framework and nothing's happened. That's when you're like, you have to almost. Have that grief experience where you actually cry it out and feel like I am hopeless. This is nothing like, what have I, I'm wasting, that whole feeling. And then it's so cathartic and I feel like you get your discovery call on your first big project the next day. That's how it was for me. That's how it is for so many frameworks that I support through that hold your nerve. You're so close, your magic is around the corner. Like you, if you start to feel like that, you're getting so close. So when you have the breakdown, normally then there's someone dms me to be like, I had my breakdown. Like I'm, or I get a photo of you, obviously not crying in the bottom of the shower, but still red rim eyes and being like, I've just had it and so this better work. And yeah, lo and behold it's something in the universe. It's like when you just think it's time to give up, it has to show you a reason to step forward and continue.'cause you can't keep banging your head against a brick wall and it is the hardest part. It's interesting what you said about, getting people to trust you and take that there's also an element of your readiness to actually agree to be the person that will take that project on as well.'cause those big projects, like when we pitch for work, we have to have a level of confidence that says I have capacity to take this work on and take it on at this level. And that doesn't always come through at the beginning. It's not like any criticism. I knew I'm talking vaguely, but that doesn't always come through straight away.'cause we are practicing on our discovery calls and we are practicing our processes and so we can stumble over words and, I still do, I can't get my words out to save myself, especially recording at night instead of in the mornings. I'm like, oh wow. Tired. There is an element of that where our self-doubt creeps in to give our client, like they can smell fear almost. And so we can be a bit like that. And I think as well to that point that you made is that sometimes you feel like there's crickets or things aren't happening. But that can be because we are very keen as entrepreneurs to try everything in the first year, do a sale, do a discount, do a and a marketing activation. A marketing activation is for boardrooms with marketing budgets. Like I feel like what is. Do you know what activation are we doing to who we just would need to keep it very signature and simple and be like, I'm gonna learn to do this one thing and do it well. And I just need to get that one. Yes. So everything I do needs to almost be focused on does it move me towards the Yes. Does it move me towards the Yes. And we collectively, I did this definitely in my first year, was lots of shiny things. I wanna try Google my business, I wanna try email subscriptions. I wanna try'cause I was so hungry to learn like I want, I was loving setting up my business. Hence it's become like a massive passion to let help people do that. And I found that first year I thrived in the learning curve and the baptism of fire that you spoke about before. Yeah. I live in a baptism of fire. If I'm not, if I haven't said yes to something that I'm so not sure I can do, but I'm working it out on the way, like I'm not alive. Like I feel like I'm a very. Not a risk adverse person. I definitely need to be like, of course I can do that. I'll see you there Googling in the corner. How do you do that? in a healthy way. Not in a way where I'm saying that to clients with houses and things, I think that can be some of our biggest, you, we're our toughest critics. We're so hard in us ourselves. We wanna do all the things that we could possibly do. I think I've mentioned this before, but the framework effectively is a support tool for your first five years of business. There is so much content in that resource library is, no one is supposed to be like I'm done. I've done everything that there was inside of that course. I would be draw on the ground if anyone said to me, I've watched every like webinar, I've watched every guest special, I've done everything in the 12 months. Because I'd be like, what else did you do? But the framework yeah, exactly. Did you sleep? And so yeah, I just think. To your point about that, I think we are just trying so many things. It can almost make us feel like we've tried everything and nothing works, when in fact you're actually just learning a whole lot of new things at a enormous rate. Every minute of every day. You're absorbing a technique, a tool, a tactic, and a strategy that you've never seen before in your previous role. So yeah it's a lot. Plus, throw in a second child, just a few other

Speaker: 26:46

things. Yeah, I know. Just, all these little things, but I fully agree with you and that's so one of the reasons I started the blog that I write now as well is, trying to think about what my ideal client is struggling with as well, and then writing for them. So everything I do, I'm basically thinking what does my client need? What information would be really useful for them? And then I'm writing it and like I say, you're actually learning as well. So every time I write a blog, I'm thinking what would be useful for them that I also need to know. Then I just go in and research it and write it. So it's all, everything we do is for the end goal, like nothing's lost. And I just keep that in my mind, just thinking, okay I haven't got a client, but I'm now gonna learn rendering and just get really familiar with SketchUp in the meantime because I want to be able to do all of that. And like we spoke before, if I can get very good at the rendering side, that could be another element where I can support other designers. In the meantime, whilst I wait for clients, then I could help them. This, it's just a potential revenue stream, so just keeping all my options open, so it's not all at all my eggs in one basket sort of thing. So I'm just seeing it as if the client comes along, great. If not, I'm just gonna keep working on it. I'm just keep chipping away at this business so that as, and when I get that client, I am. Ready to fly and they will be. That's nothing wasted

Speaker 2: 28:04

learning is it. Like everything you learn is in the realm of what you wanna offer, what you wanna do, what you wanna upskill in. So it's not like you've thought, oh, that was, three months of my life, I'll never get back. And you're actually building foundations again, foundations, frameworks, building blocks. So that, exactly as you say, when that project comes along, you don't have to go back and be like, I am working with a lot of people. Specifically this year, in the first quarter of this year, I would say over 70% of the private coaching clients that I've supported are three years or above in business and haven't perfected that framework and foundation from the beginning and it coming back and going, look, it all took off organically and I've just been reinventing the wheel and making it up as I go along. And I really want someone to tell me how to actually like. Unpick that for myself and go forward. And I think you'll never have that problem. Like you'll actually be the other way where when it's busy, you have the capacity to take on more work.'cause you're organized. Yes. And you know what you're doing. So it's never wasted. Yeah. Would you have ever done it alone? Would you mean alone? Like without a course? Without it would you have considered just going on maternity leave and thinking, I can Google stuff and create things Like, was that ever on the cards?'cause it's always an option.

Speaker: 29:16

Absolutely not. I think coming from my finance, background, I got, I'm qualified and everything, right? I just feel like if you're going to go into a career, you need to have the backbones. I don't, I would never just feel confident just Googling something. Yeah. Like I would want to have that insight from someone who's done it. There's definitely an element of me that sort of says, oh gosh, maybe I should do an internship with interior designers for, six months a year or something like that. But I just haven't got the time, which is why I want to try and do this, and, okay, it may not be perfect and it probably won't compare to them because they've got years, but we'll just work it out as we go. But no I think it's really valuable and there's probably people who haven't done it, but just having the insights and. Looking back as well, right? Because you'll have access to materials and things like that and you won't remember all of it, but it's just having that fountain of knowledge in terms of like your networks, the communities the documents and things that you have. And it just gives you a leg up as well.'cause if you start from scratch, you have no idea what it should look like. At least I have some idea of what something should look like and you tweak it to make it your own. But you're not starting from zero. And I think it would take you so much longer if you didn't have access or decide to do a course. So I would. 100% have done it exactly like I have. I would not go back. I've pretty much entered my savings on all the courses and stuff that I've done, but I feel more confident because of that. And to your point, like speaking to clients you wanna come across as confident. So if you haven't done all of this, I think you're always going to question, oh my goodness, is that actually right? Yeah. Do I just need to go and confirm that? Whereas you're

Speaker 2: 31:02

speaking to first year, second year, and third year. Me, where I'm like, what are other people put in a wealth? What's a welcome pack? Quickly Google.

Speaker: 31:09

Yes. Don't get me wrong, right? I've done my welcome pack, but I'm still, I've still put it in chat, GBT to go, am I missing something? Is there something else that would be useful? Percent? And I feel like you're always going to probably add to it as you go. Yeah. And your clients are gonna

Speaker 2: 31:21

inform your frequently asked questions. Those Exactly. Like 600 of my own clients. Your first four clients could ask the same question four times in a row. And you're like, I think Mypac needs to say this. Yes,

Speaker: 31:32

exactly. And, I feel like it's going to, it will always change as you go. And I think my business will also change as I go, but at least it's, you've. You've set it up. And I think just having those networks and access is really valuable. So you've saved me probably about three years. Yeah. In terms of that's the point. Setting myself up.

Speaker 2: 31:51

Yes. That's the point. That's the sort of, that's what I think it's probably does.'cause I can only reflect on my own sort of hi history and where I've come from. But I didn't really feel like I had that for the, I, it took me all the time to gather the clients, to hear the feedback, to know what they needed to know what to put in the documents.'cause I didn't have someone to ask. There wasn't that sort of thing back then. Now it's more transparent I think. Or even chat to be teachers, it didn't exist. You could just yell it into the void. I could go outside and be like, what goes in a welcome bath? But no one would come back to me. I dunno, it's such a safety net. It's funny that you say that about I just feel like there's something behind me that, it's an always reference and I can go back, but I had an in-home consult. Maybe six months ago or so, and I hadn't done one in over a year. I'm an e designer, like I don't go to them very often. And I sat in the car at the front of that consult and I went to the framework, to the whole section that's like what to do in the first in-home consult and what don't forget this and what to pack beforehand. And I used my own course to calm me down into the consult and I was laughing because I was thinking, that's a pretty good resource that if you don't need it very often, but you just know it's there and you know the support's there. Once you graduate, I don't explode. And I have people that are ex frameworks that will pop in and just say, this opportunity's come up. Like they're never like. Coach me for free or do anything. But they will pop by and say, Hey, this is the opportunity, this is my proposal. Can I have a thumbs up or thumbs down about whether or not like I'm undervaluing myself or I'm happy to go off and do the work or book something with you, but just those first eyes and knowing there's someone out there, even if I'm asleep when you're awake and I have to see it later knowing there's someone out there. The answers that I think I would've died for that kind of like just con confidence or reassurance because I just was such a winging it everywhere I went all the time, just felt oh God, someone's gonna know. Like I've no idea what. Yeah, it's crazy. Has there been a bit of a pinch me moment for you so far in your business?

Speaker: 33:50

So recent, we've got an Airbnb, so that's what I designed in South Africa and I think. Just, there was a guest recently asked, so what do you do like for work? And rather than say I'm in finance now, I just always say I'm an interior designer. So I said, oh, I'm an interior designer. He is I can really tell, he is just your house is beautiful. Everything is so well selected and thought of, and that was like a little bit of validation even though it's not like a new client or a project like that for me was, that was just so lovely because I just thought, okay, yes, great, I can do this. Just that little bit of self doubt then just goes, go away, you've got this so that, that's probably. Like the pinch me moments, still a small moment. I mean I've had a few inquiries but I haven't converted those yet. So yeah, I think my big pinch me moment is still yet to come.

Speaker 2: 34:41

Do you know what I love about that answer so much is that property in South Africa was featured in print media, and that's not your pinch me moment, but it's the actual person's experience inside of the home and how they felt in there that you referenced straight away. And I think that's so beautiful.'cause I think. More often than not, I would usually ask that question of someone at your level who would immediately go, I've been featured in a magazine in South Africa and the whole house was, photographed and it looked beautiful and it did look beautiful and it is a big pinch me moment. But that shows so much the difference between, I don't wanna say like the ego attachment to business, but the focus being on like the you experience versus the people in there. And it's so obvious to me which one your business is really focused on.'cause it's would've been way easier for you to be like, I've been in a magazine.

Speaker: 35:32

Yeah. Ultimately, I want to create a home for people. I want people to walk in and just, I. Basically not wanna leave. That's what I wanna do. I want someone to go, my house is so amazing, I don't want to go anywhere and I want everybody to come in here and share it with them, and like that's my dream and that's my passion. And why I am hopefully one day walking away from accounting entirely to, invest into this. Because I feel like your home, especially during Covid, right? I feel like that really has made people think about the environments where they wanna be, like the layouts of function, all of that, and just make it work for them so that they're really happy in the spaces that they're in. I feel like wellbeing. All of that is such a hot topic right now. Like that you need to be super happy in the environments that you're in. So that's, for me, is just like the best feeling, like when I, so I did a renovation for them, for my husband's family. So it was kinda my first project that wasn't for us. And even now, they always say to me, oh, we've had people come around and they love the house, and we're so grateful for everything that you did. Because I didn't charge'em for that because I hadn't even had my diploma or anything. So that was all for me, just learning experience to, to see if it is something that actually I want to pursue. So that was really nice that they'd still come back to me now and just say, oh, people love the nursery, or, this or that. So that is for me, I. Hands down flexibility and people just loving their homes. That's why I'm doing this.

Speaker 2: 37:03

Yeah, you're in the right spot.'cause as soon as that sort of client wheel starts ticking, it's really nice. Yeah. Being able to see the projects out to the end and actually see people experiencing living with that. And it does get you mentioned a few times throughout our chat, but it does get really full on in this area around, will that happen and all that self-doubt that you're saying,'cause you, you internalize that as your fault when it's not happening straight away and it's actually there's so much that comes into it. You mentioned Covid, but like the market, just designers everywhere and there's enough space for all of us, but we also still need to have the skill to ask, to make space. And we have to have everything set up in a professional way that, so you're doing all the right things. So it's getting to a point where it's yes, website tick Yes, blog tick. Yes. Social media growing. Yes. People starting to see what I can do and ask me questions and and even the algorithms probably like. Where do you live? You've got like people following you from this country and that country and so it's, as a local area marketing sort of approach.'cause you obviously wanna work with homes in and around London, but then you've got Australian designers going, love this all night long while you're asleep. And then you know, people in South Africa that have stayed or whatever. But I think, it's a little bit of a hardest slog because it is about getting out there and getting that local area targeted and understanding. I'm here and I don't know about you, but I found that very hard with babies strapped to my stomach to feel professional and to feel like going. I don't feel like hitting the pavement when I'm puffy and postpartum and I don't know it, it felt like that for me. It was very hard to go out and take the space that I needed when I. Just wanna take a shower like,

Speaker: 38:41

yeah, no, definitely. I took Ava, I've taken it to so many exhibits and, trade fairs and things like that, and it's been amazing actually, I've really enjoyed having along with me because it, the first one, if you remember I went to Decor X last year and I was really worried, I was saying to you all, should I do this? Am I a little bit crazy, like taking a baby to decorate? But actually it was great because it was such a talking point and I think people almost remembered me because then afterwards going to another event, they're like, oh, hi, how are you? You are back. She's grown so much, so I always feel like she's already my assistant, so I'm already got, an employee working for me. So I'm growing. It's great. But it was lovely because so many moms, and I feel like I hear this every day, pivot when they go on maternity. Everybody has a career before and then they have a baby and they just I feel like you reassess everything. Like you have to rediscover yourself as a person A, because you go from, let's just say most, for me personally, I went from a corporate environment where I was working very long hours and I was working hard to stopping, and then you're in googo lala land. Yeah, I like this. What am I doing? Overwhelm. It's just you go, what am I doing with myself? All I'm doing is like feeding nappies, all of that. And I, you don't have a professional outlet or anything like that. You're like adult time. You're just in. And you just, it forces you to think about what you actually want, because I didn't wanna go back to that because I wanna have the time with my kids and it just feels like it's just so many stories. Like I did a post the other day'cause Ava's now nine months. It's nine months. In and nine months out. And then I've had like messages personally as well, just like moms just saying, yes, I, that's what I've done. You go away, you go on maternity leave, you rediscover who you are and you just want something different. You want something for yourself.'cause I feel like you give so much during maternity to babies and stuff that actually you want something more that you can resonate with as a person. That encompasses your family flexibility, like everything. So yeah, no, it's how you

Speaker 2: 40:53

shift so much and as if you're gonna go back and be like, okay, I'll have this thing needing all of me and everything from me. And then if I could just go and work for that boss who will want everything and need everything from me as well. Yeah, I think I'm quite fine with that. And I'll clean in the spare time and then I won't ever sleep. And, you don't have a lot of pockets of, back to what we talked about, that triangle at the top of the call. Yes. At the top of the chat. It's I don't have a lot. For me, it's exactly what you said. It's one shot, one life, get it done, race towards the thing that you're passionate about because there's nothing like you'll never regret giving it a go. And what's the worst thing that could happen? You find yourself in two years time working back in accounting on your terms because you've changed and grown so much just in personal development. Even since I've known you, you've changed and grown. So it's I'll never be that same, yes, girl, or I'll never be this, and I'll always bring these different experiences, yeah, it's really interesting and nearly every conversation of moms specifically, or people that I've met that have, it always starts with, I studied design on maternity leave with I studied on my second maternity leave.'cause and on my first maternity leave with Atticus, I was working 60 hours a week. Same thing. Senior leadership, corporate beforehand, had him stopped everything. And then I was like, I can't sustain that. There is no way. And I refuse to leave this little bundle that I love so much for 60 hours a week. And I got myself a job working as a wedding coordinator for 10 hours a week. I just did one wedding and one Wednesday night meeting with my bride for that weekend. And I was so happy for three years doing that. Before I studied design, while I thought about what I wanted, I was like, this is brilliant. I'm just with him all the time. And then his dad would come home and I can go do the wedding,'cause the weekends and we just made it work. They were probably years definitely. There's nothing like, like it's, I wasn't even building a business, I was just being like, I just play with the baby and do a wedding a week and it's all good. And eventually things worked out in our favor, but and they were half years'cause he was a graduate teacher then too, I remember. So it was like first year teaching me not doing much, but we were happy and it was working and it, it was just actually, I think it was decompressing from such a senior role and from and then into motherhood, which is the most senior role you'll ever have. Count all the ways you're gonna mess him up. Okay, cool. Today or this year, what do you need? I think, yeah, it was one of those things that it's really nice to see people reassessing properly and then going in their direction that they want to be in.

Speaker: 43:21

Yeah, no, definitely.

Speaker 2: 43:23

What keeps you motivated or like what mantra or support system? Big picture, dream, like what's going on in your head when it's oh, the clients aren't coming. The, the baby's screaming, the dinner's not cooked, the things are going on. What keeps you keep going?

Speaker: 43:38

I feel like a mom, you just have to keep going. You've got no choice,

Speaker 2: 43:42

but fake it till you make it. As

Speaker: 43:43

in you're still doing

Speaker 2: 43:44

it, but you might not be enjoying it, but you're momming. So that's it.

Speaker: 43:47

Exactly. Look, I think every mom will say they're kids. Just, I. Bring so much joy to their lives. Which is why you have more than one and like they are amazing. But definitely like in terms of the business that keeps me going when it's, I'm doing all these other bits on the side and like you said, and the clients aren't coming. What stops me from throwing the towel is when agent has little events on at school. Like he had a couple last week and it was great. You had like little singing morning was so sweet and then you did a Easter bonnet parade. And the fact that I could go to those that was basically that keeps me going because I was thinking if I was in a well, I probably would never be able to do nine to five again or nine to whatever, because I've got kids now. But being in a corporate role, you would not have that flexibility. I don't care what people say. They. Working moms just, it's not ever going to be flexible because A, you have a, you have responsibility to your employer as well. If you're a team

Speaker 2: 44:46

and to what's going on, you're at work to work like you're not at work feeling oh crap, banjos forgot his sandwich. I have to drive 45 minutes back and make sure he is got a hot lunch from the bakery. Like I can just walk from my studio eight minutes and just be there at lunch bell because I know you don't have a lunch.'cause someone text me or messaged me. But yeah, absolutely that flexibility is not real.

Speaker: 45:07

Yeah. That really. Just solidified it for me this week, just because you had two things in one week, I would never have been able, excuse me, to have done that in a corporate role. Maybe like one, I could have winged like a little bit, but if you have a 9:00 AM meeting, you've got a 9:00 AM meeting, you're not going to get out of that. So that's what keeps me going is these little things and the older they get, the more of these they will be. And I don't wanna miss out on that. And so that really, every time it gets tough and I think about throwing in the towel and just going right. You've had a good go. It's just not gonna work. I just, no, it will work. It has to work. And I want it to work because I want this to my kids. I want this myself.

Speaker 2: 45:51

I think about that all the time too. If you do give up, you're gonna have to drop them at daycare at when it's dark and pick them up when it's dark.'cause you've got a 45 minute train trip each way and then working all day. You won't see, you'll be cranky when you do see them because you're so overworked.'cause you'll be working these big days and big commutes and then you're mothering all night and it's ah, it's a lot. So the flexibility is also for your brain. If it's sunny here and I just decide I'm gonna do my Friday email, but I'm gonna sit on the balcony of my studio in the direct sunshine and just get some vitamin D and fit. That's like me time. That's proper time that moms never get. I'm working. No, but I'm also living my best life. Like I'm really doing. And you talk about that flexibility thing, and I couldn't help but think of a funny story that. I wanna do that with my boys as well, and I have managed to do that. And then my eldest son is in grade three, so he's nine. And he said to me the other day, mom, why do you never come to assembly? And I said, he's you work from home. I thought it was so that you could do these things and you've never been to my assembly. And I said, Atticus, I've never missed one of your assemblies. Like I finished work on Fridays at two 30 so I can just, walk down to the school leisurely and be at assembly. I'm five foot tall, so I'm at the back behind the parents and he just literally didn't know that I'd been there. So he seen me after assembly. So he figures I've come to pick up, but I've sat through, I cannot tell you how many, like grade four plays and like kids explaining our excursion to the MCG and it's this really long-winded thing. Love them, love the assemblies dearly. But every parent who's listening, who has a primary school age child know I get up and sing Advanced Australia Fair every single Friday. And for nothing I could have, I literally could've watched none of them for the last three years and then go oh, okay, you're gonna have to

Speaker: 47:40

get signed. Get a big sign. I'm here mommy there with his name on a sign

Speaker 2: 47:45

that's like championing him. I just found that so funny.'cause I was like, are you telling me I didn't have to be at any of these? But they're for me more than him, yeah. That's an experience and joy when he gets a little certificate or he's standing up there, and I think that's what you're talking to is those moments, like they'll be excited anyway and they'll come home and be like, we had the Easter bonnet and this happened and that happened. But it's standing on the side and watching their little grim and they catch you watching them. That is why you do the business the way you do it. Oh,

Speaker: 48:12

exactly. Like he, when he saw me, he's come, mommy. And it just, it melts your heart and you just go, that is exactly why I am doing this.

Speaker 2: 48:20

Love it. If you could go back and give your pre framework self a piece of advice, what would it be?

Speaker: 48:27

This is probably something that I should still follow. It's that messy action because I am such a perfectionist and everything has to be perfect. And I think because I have the time now, like a little bit more, I can do it, but I really am gonna have to let go of that as when I get clients. And time is a lot more limited because yes, at the moment, like I tweak things and I just wanna make it perfect. So

Speaker 2: 48:56

I like to being into you anyway. In accounting, isn't it? Because you can't make a little mistake. A decimal can't move. Like you can't just accidentally. It's not right. Look, mate, 35 cents is the same as 55 cents when it comes to balancing the books. It's it's not really though.

Speaker: 49:10

Yeah, no, exactly. Like it's just, and it's just my, it's who I am. I'm so structured and organized and tight and everything. So that's probably something that I will have to let go. Like it's some stage just to move it forward. Obviously still have everything

Speaker 2: 49:25

Sorry, that con control feeling is such a common designer thing. I, I don't know where it comes from.'cause other creative industries, I feel like artists can be messy and things can be everywhere and like potters can just be covered in clay and all these sorts of things. But I feel like every designer I speak to is I'm just gonna do this myself and I'm not gonna outsource because I wouldn't want, they wouldn't know how to do it anyway and it's not gonna be right. And I need to be like, we almost create this huge rod for our own back in, in the like inability to let go and to share the load and to ask for help and to move forward before it's perfect. And I think. Maybe it is like the measurements and the details.'cause the details matter. They're everything that we do. Yes. And then, I think we have to be so careful in this way. It's very hard to be a bit scrappy over here, like the making of the business or the putting out of the social media.'cause at the end of the day, that's the place I'm scrappy.'cause I'm like, ugh, spelled it wrong, whatever. Yeah. Like it or don't like it. Move on, get the message or don't get the message. I have to be like that.'cause you could just tweak that mess, post it and move forward.'cause otherwise all you're doing is playing.

Speaker: 50:30

Yeah. I guess in my, in the back of my mind, I'm thinking my clients ideal clients, like they will notice these things and I don't want them to go, oh my gosh, you can't even spell. Because they, yeah. I think English people are quite picky with things like that sometimes, oh, I think too, I'm just not.

Speaker 2: 50:49

I think it's all around, everyone listening is yes, we can see that. I pick up on typos all the time because I'm constantly editing documents and things inside of the framework. So it's if I got something wrong, I'll pick it up in three months when I I'm rewriting everything in a constant cycle anyway, so I'm like that typo got corrected and I made two more further down. So there you go. It's like an ever evolving what do they call, like Easter eggs in there, in the Notion Resource Library that you can go through and find where I've let it go where it's been 10 o'clock at night and I'm coming up with some random way to support you. And I just like,

Speaker: 51:18

yeah, I do tell myself, I'm like, messy action. Messy action. Like just, keep going. And it's just, I really that I need to work on so much or not like

Speaker 2: 51:28

it can work in your favor too. It you'll find a way to move forward regardless, but it's, it is nice to sometimes, almost. Most importantly, not so much about what we're presenting to clients and putting forward into the world or that sort of professionalism, but also sometimes in how far you are on yourself and how high you hold your own standards. Like I think that's a great place to start to be like, if I could just get progress over perfection.'cause I'd rather get the client and learn and it's okay to make a mistake or to say I'm not really sure I'm gonna go and find out, rather than trying to be this like polished end result.'cause we're not, none of us are in this life, that's for sure. And randomly, what is your favorite module or lesson in the framework and why?

Speaker: 52:12

Probably like the marketing bits, just because that's what I'm the weakest at. So like that is for me is the most useful because I am. Obviously being in finance, you're so focused on things like it's not creative or anything like that at all. There's not a lot

Speaker 2: 52:28

of time, but TikTok during No,

Speaker: 52:30

exactly. Yes. So definitely all the marketing stuff has been great. And actually the AI stuff, oh my goodness, that has been a game changer for me. You haven't

Speaker 2: 52:42

been on that journey with me because it's so evolving all of the time and it's I think you specifically, you started before I made custom GPTs, and so you met the team halfway through, but I'm sure you came back from maternity leave, like I'll take it. All these like army of support. I'm here.

Speaker: 52:57

It's great. Like Marius and Anno, we're like best buddies. So I talk to'em pretty much every day. And then Sylvia at the weekends, we have our catch up on Sundays. Like it's great. It's just I just feel like it's such a game changer. And AI just in general now is amazing. I saw something the other day where you could get, so furniture pieces, like for SketchUp, you could get a 2D. So the actual piece of furniture that you want to use, you can now get like a 2D image of it and it will convert it into 3D that you put into your models. This is, I just feel like we're in such a progressive time that for designers it will just help us so much in putting forward like our visions to clients because a lot of people can't, envisage a space at all. So presenting it in a way where they can actually see it will make a huge difference. So I think in the framework all of that is. Really valuable. Like the marketing, ai, all of that sort of stuff. Huge, hugely valuable to us.

Speaker 2: 53:56

So interesting what different people think or what they get out of it because then somebody could come across and join the framework and be quite strong in marketing, but be quite like clueless when it comes to processes and workflows and documents and systems and that sort of stuff. Yeah, I'm not gonna sugarcoat it. Everyone who comes to the framework is clueless about AI because it's just so new and it's like I was clueless two years ago. And I think being able to test, adopt and learn it before implementing it into the course was really important to me because I do think. It wasn't quite learn it as I learn it.'cause then we could all just be like, oh no, we followed you into a cave. It's a bear. I feel like I had to be really careful to be like, I'm gonna design everything with your needs in mind so that it matches what we teach. So you will have noticed, as you go along, it's like now we do our services and Mary sets the services up and then we do pricing and Percy does your pricing. And then so they're all set up. Originally they, the first couple were really mapped out based on the different modules and being like, this is gonna help our framework is get through. But yeah, I do think it's quite funny if I had have been in a place where I was like, come on, we'll just experiment. It's oh, there was enough in the framework to just leave you to work.

Speaker: 55:09

Yeah. And

Speaker 2: 55:10

not need to actually do that.

Speaker: 55:12

Like per Percy was great actually because of the pricing. Being in London, obviously that was, that's difficult because you guys are all in Australia, so you know the pricing in Australia, but not really London.

Speaker 2: 55:23

No, and I never spoke to that either. I was like, there's no way I'm talking to that market. Work with Percy. Let's do some deep research. Let's talk to other designers in the uk. If I know any, I'll do some research. Yeah. I just think it's it's crazy for someone to think that they can intimately know every industry market. Yeah,

Speaker: 55:40

no, exactly. And that was a huge help because I could brainstorm and talk about it with Percy, I love this. We're talking about like bots as if they're like people, like they're real people.

Speaker 2: 55:50

I know.

Speaker: 55:51

Yeah. Person come in here, we need to have a chat. But that was great because it just meant that I could just double check some of it as I was going through my pricing. No. Yeah. Very helpful.

Speaker 2: 56:01

I did a website review today in one of my other courses and this website I was showing what excellent looks like and they had this like most beautiful page of the principal designer and then meet the team and who they all were. And I said, how creepy it would be if my webpage had me and then all of my team,'cause I have 16 working custom GPTs, but they're all like Posy and Percy and Clancy and and they're AI generated people. Yeah. And be like, this girl is off her head if she thinks all these people work in her design firm. But I work with them all the time daily. Like I've worked, yeah. I've worked to implement them into my day-to-day workflows that they are teams in my, as you say, Sunday night, Sylvie seven day content strategy, Marius, go do your Pinterest thing. So knowing, I just think that would be so funny if you had that on a website and tried to like claim they are part of my team and we're this huge design firm, but I sit in this tiny little studio and they're all imaginary. Oh, I'm gonna wrap us up then. I really appreciate some insights into that first year of business and I just did wanna say, I think it's obviously it's brave to leave your industry and go in and pursue something else and then take all these risks and be doing it during, these big trence and such a huge, amazing shift in your life. But even just coming onto a podcast that, other designers listen to and just being honest about the fact that, clients are still in the future. You've had some, you're still looking for some, you're still setting things up. Designing success is almost two years old and I've interviewed quite a few frameworks and I think most of them have just scurried over that idea that, the reality is I'm still like piecing this together and trying as we said, we're at that kind of hold the nerve point and we're just about to get busy with clients to how you can make that work for you. And Aidan and Ava and Iman, thank you for that and that honesty.'cause I think so many people will be helped by just hearing someone go, there's a bit of doubt. Will it work? Won't it work? Everyone will be watching your progress. Your details have been in the show notes so they can follow along and chat to you while you're asleep. If they're Australian or we've got a big listenership in the US as well, so maybe they can bridge the gap between the UK and Australia. Definitely for time zones. Thank you so much. I'll pop all the details in the show notes, as I said, and I'll chat to you in the framework on Wednesday. Thanks for having me. All right. Bye for now.

Speaker 7: 58:08

Hope you enjoyed that interview. As much as I enjoyed having it, it was actually one of those interesting ones that I did late at night so that we could accommodate the time difference. So hopefully I didn't come across too tight'cause I remember it was quite a long day. But I really loved it and I'm glad that I was able to share it with you. And hey, while I've got you, I thought I would mention the fact that the framework for emerging designers is actually having a big shake up. Originally when I created the framework, it was 1 99 per month plus GST. And in we go, we have our weekly catchups and we did all of our things. And then somewhere nearing the end of last year, around October last year, I thought, you know what? Emerging designers are really struggling to invest, right? They're always that point of the market that just don't have the money. So I thought, what can I do to strip it back a little bit and reduce that cost? So I created an enrollment fee and a$99 per month model. However, I. I also created a bunch of amazingly helpful AI assistance that sort of support their movement and their fast tracking through the framework. But I made them an additional add-on. So I was like, you can have any assistant at 99 US dollars plus GST, and you add them on. Which I'll be the first to admit in business, sometimes things just fall flat and it just didn't work. And the reason it didn't work is because, yes, they were paying the 99 per month and the enrollment fee, and they were coming along and they were building the business, but they were doing it manually because they couldn't see the value in the AI assistance because they hadn't. Purchase them and they weren't making that next step to additionally invest in themselves. Some were, and those are the ones that were getting through the framework fast, and they were like getting assistance on pricing and service setting and standard operating procedures and processes and workflows. They were having my team help them, but they had to pay for it, and it's just a much harder message. So I thought. What can I do? I wanna have more impact. I wanna make sure that emerging design is really nurtured and cocooned in that first year, like the girls in the first 18 months of the framework felt. So I have gone back to 1 99 per month plus GST effective from the 15th of April. So if you were listening to this before the 15th of April, 2025, you can swoop in, pay the 4 47 enrollment fee and the$99 per month, and then add on any assistance you want. Or if you would like every one of the 15 assistants to just smash your productivity and save you hours and hours of time that you'll never even know you've saved because you haven't done it the other way. But trust me on this, this is an complete. Army of staff members from day one in your business, you will pay simply 1 99 per month plus GST for 12 months. That's 12 months of coaching, 12 months. The AI assistance are yours forever. The videos are yours forever. The resources are yours forever, and the community is available to you for 12 months. So I wanted to let you know that big change. It will only affect those of you who are wanting to set up a business and to work with me in that way. But please, if you do wanna get on that$99 and the enrollment fee and then buy your own assistance. You only have a few more days left, so you'll need to reach out in my dms, come and see me over on Instagram at Oleander and under Finch, and I will hook you up. All right, that's it for me this week. I have a big solo episode for you next week, and I cannot wait to share it. Okay, I'll see you then. Bye for now.

Speaker 8: 1:01:30

That wraps up another episode of Designing Success from Study to Studio. Thanks for lending me your ears. Remember, progress over perfection is the key. If you've found value in today's episode, go ahead and hit subscribe or share it with a friend. Your feedback means so much to me and it helps me improve, but it also helps this podcast reach more emerging and evolving designers. Just like you for your daily dose of design business tips, and to get a closer look at what goes on behind the scenes, follow at Oleander and Finch on Instagram. You'll find tons of resources available at www.oleanderandfinch.com to support you on your journey. Remember, this is your path, your vision, your future, and your business. Now let's get out there and start designing your success.