1036: Karen Post: A Personal Conversation on Turning Setbacks into Success

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

Business, Design, Arts

4.8 • 786 Ratings

🗓️ 15 November 2024

⏱️ 71 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Today With Karen Post: Today with Karen Post, we dive deep into her journey of transforming Home Frosting from a staging company into a thriving interior design firm. Karen shares her experience of making a major business pivot while managing complex personal and financial challenges, including significant business loans and partnerships. As a former member of my Chairman of the Board program, Karen offers candid insights about finding the courage to change direction when your current path isn't bringing you joy, even if you've invested heavily in it. She discusses practical considerations like negotiating flexible lease terms and managing inventory, while also sharing how this business transformation ultimately strengthened both her professional success and personal relationships. This episode is a masterclass in strategic pivoting and the importance of aligning your business with your true passions. LuAnn Nigara and Karen Post's Ah-Ha Moments “You can’t change anybody else, you can just change your reaction to it.” - LuAnn “When [you’re] getting funding, you need to think about the worst case scenario. If the story changes, do these details impact you?” - Karen “When you sign your lease, make sure if you're committing to a big space that you've got flexibility and if you change course, you're not stuck with that.” - Karen More About Karen Post Karen Post – president and lead designer of Home Frosting. Karen is an ever evolving, forever learning entrepreneur. She started her career in visual merchandising, then developed into marketing as an agency owner, international speaker and twice published author and today is an accomplished designer and thought leader. As a design professional she founded Home Frosting as a luxury staging company in 2016 (without any formal training in staging or interiors) and in 2021 pivoted, twirled and found her true happy spot as a top design firm leader in Tampa, Florida. Connect with Karen Post Website Instagram Facebook Pinterest Houzz YouTube What’s new with LuAnn Nigara The Power Talk Friday Tour Watch the Docuseries! http://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Resources: This podcast supports the Savvy Giving Design Coalition. Learn more about it here! AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design Kravet Workspace in Basking Ridge, New Jersey LuAnn University - Registration Open! Other Shows: WTFP #43: Peggy Morgans: How Do I Get My Business Ready to Sell? AWDB #271: Power Talk Friday: Husband & Wife Teams- This Week is LuAnn & Vin Nigara AWDB #973: Jamie Gasparovic: How Investing In Your Business Can Kick Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

Transcript

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0:00.0	Have you heard about the exciting new exhibit by the Black Artist and Designers Guild, which was commissioned by the Cooper Hewitt's Smithsonian Design Museum in New York City?
0:11.0	Big news, right?
0:12.5	The Cooper Hewitt's exhibition is called Making Home, Smithsonian Design Triennial.
0:18.1	Now, the batch designers exhibit is titled the Underground Library,
0:23.7	inspired by the Underground Railroad. The Underground Railroad is the clandestine network
0:28.5	established in the early 19th century through which many enslaved African Americans
0:33.6	traveled in search of freedom. This library installation represents a 21st century sanctuary
0:40.5	surrounded by art, objects, artifacts, and books of black legacy. In reimagining and repurposing
0:49.6	the Andrew Carnegie Personal Library, Badge invites you to examine the power of home libraries
0:56.0	and the significance of literacy, remembering that African Americans were denied the right to read
1:02.2	under slavery. I'm honored to share that Window Works in Livingston was asked by badge to create
1:08.6	the flat panels for the windows. We used a custom design fabric
1:12.4	by badge members, and the fabric was fabricated by Stacey Garcia's team at Libatex. So please make
1:19.8	a point to visit this inspired space the next time you are in New York City. The exhibition
1:25.0	runs from November 24 all the way through August 10th,
1:30.0	2025. So you have plenty of time to get this on your calendar. We will put links in the show notes.
1:49.8	Welcome. Welcome to a well-designed business.
1:53.7	My name is Luann Nigara, and I'm so glad you found this podcast.
1:59.7	Together with my husband, Vince, and our partner, Bill, we have grown our company Windowworks from the ground up, so I know and I understand the
2:02.1	challenges you face in running your interior design business.
2:05.6	I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your success.
2:10.6	So on this podcast, we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your business. But make no mistake about it,
	...

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