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The Stories of Small Businesses in America

Katie Dykstra and Ron Warsaski

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Join cohosts Katie Dykstra and Ron Warsaski on "The Stories of Small Businesses in America" podcast, dedicated to showcasing inspiring business owners. Explore the journeys, influences, and family roles that nurtured their entrepreneurial spirit, and gain wisdom from their experiences to ignite your own journey and pursue your own dreams.
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As an interior designer, do you struggle with balancing your passion for creativity with the practical demands and hopes of running a successful business? Whether starting a new venture or scaling an existing firm, the complexities can be overwhelming. Welcome to “Success by Design: Mastering the Business of Interior Design,” a podcast designed to bridge the gap between creativity and entrepreneurship. This masterclass is hosted by the dynamic Katie Decker-Erickson, a seasoned expert with ne ...
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show series
 
Send Katie a Text Message!! Even if you are a company of 1, it’s critical to think about the company culture you want to build! Which includes way more than just values and beliefs you post to your About page. But maybe you have questions like… how do you design a company culture? And how do you actually put it into action? Welcome Josh Dykstra bac…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! For art to not remain an afterthought with interior and commercial designs, we must incorporate art into the conversation early. As designers, we have a unique ability to propel up-and-coming artists forward while also inspiring more clients to bring incredible pieces of art into their spaces. But art isn’t just an impor…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Whether your design firm is new or not, it’s high time you learn how to make money and run a profitable business! No more free consultations. No more asking for permission to raise your rates. And certainly no more burying your head in the sand and not looking at your numbers. Award-winning designer and fellow podcaster,…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! It’s Las Vegas Summer Market recap time! Our favorite visual merchandiser, Diana Rushton, is here to tell all. From textures and color palettes to furniture and lighting—we’re talking all about what’s trending. Is gray gone for good? How about Farmhouse style? And when it comes to choosing which market you go to for your…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Your design business will grow faster, go further, and be more successful when you embrace 2 things: collaborations and technology. You may not want to admit it, but AI is here to stay! It can even have a positive impact on your firm—if you let it. And that’s just one collaboration you can engage in! There’s also the opp…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Digital marketing strategies like SEO and social media are critical to the success of an interior design firm. But which platform should you be on, what metrics should you monitor, and how can you stand out in a crowded industry? As you’ll hear in today’s roundtable discussion with Aaron and Kari, people are longing for …
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Summary: We speak to Nicolas Laing, a doctor from New Zealand. Nick has managed rural Health Centers for 10 years in Northern Uganda through his charity, OneDay Health. He first became passionate about unreached areas after seeing the huge numbers of rural citizens in Northern Uganda not covered by either the private or public healthcare system. Ni…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Systems and processes are likely not the first things that come to mind when you think of scaling your design business growth. It’s much more appealing to dream of luxurious Tuesday mornings spent sipping coffee and being creative. But—those “boring” systems and processes are the real movers and shakers that get you more…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! We’re here to tell you the next big interior design trend to look for in 2024! Our very own Diana Rushton recently visited the High Point Market and is here to tell all. From how to merge sustainability and trends to updating a space designed with a previous decor trend to all that’s new in color, lighting, and textures—…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Networking as an interior designer can be intimidating—but it doesn’t have to be. Not if you’re armed with the perfect questions to ask, a plan of action, and all the rest of the advice LuAnn Nigara shares with us in this insightful and inspiring conversation! Hear from one of the most connected women in the industry jus…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! One of the most critical aspects of business is the sale—and your body language could be killing your close rate. An interior designer’s nonverbal communication to clients must exude calm and confidence from the very beginning. But how exactly can you do that? Nancy Ganzekaufer is a body language trainer who specializes …
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Your brand identity captures everything about your design firm. From the fonts and color palette you use to the intangible pieces like brand voice—it all works together to draw in your ideal clients. But where do you begin creating a brand identity? Do you need to hire a professional brand strategist? And how can you tel…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! A business series wouldn’t be complete without talking about pricing for interior designers. Pricing and project estimation can be such a touchy and intimidating topic, but it doesn’t need to be! How can designers turn what they love into a profitable business quickly? How do you make the jump from hourly to value-based …
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Send Katie a Text Message!! The target persona in your marketing is maybe the most critical piece of your business foundations. It’s just like the old adage says, if you’re speaking to everyone, you’re speaking to no one. But how are you supposed to determine your target market when you’re just starting your design business? How do you discover the…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Insurance should grow alongside your business—it’s not a set it and forget it situation! So let’s talk about the insurance needs of interior designers. What insurance must you have as soon as you open your design firm? How do your insurance needs change as your firm grows? And what rates can you expect to pay? Stephen Wi…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! How are you supposed to know which CPA to hire? Or when to hire them? Can you ask them questions before becoming a client? What qualifies as a business expense? Which expenses do business owners commonly miss? And do you really want your CPA to ask you potentially awkward questions? Don’t you already have enough on your …
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Have a question you want Katie to answer on an upcoming episode? Submit your Colorful Question now! When it comes to color and textile trends, Europe typically is ahead of the U.S. market—but what if you could finally walk alongside European designers? What if you had access to the same trend forecaster and color consult…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Wondering what happened at the 2024 Las Vegas Market? As a designer, it’s important to stay on top of the shifts in trends—it makes your designs relevant, brings them up-to-date, keeps you current, and moves you forward even beyond that. Our very own Diana Rushton went to market and shares the details of the design trend…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! How do you build a portfolio when you don't own the intellectual property rights? What questions should you ask an attorney before working together? What do you really need to know—legally speaking—about starting and running a business? I'm thrilled to have David Adler in today's episode, part of our Creating a Design Bu…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Have you found yourself wondering how to start an interior design business? Curious about what qualities and skills you need to be successful? The truth is—there are some really fun things about entrepreneurship… and there are some less than glamorous things you should know about. Fellow interior designer, business owner…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! If you had the chance to shape what your days, weeks, months, and life looked like—would you go for it? Becoming an entrepreneur is perfect for when you want to do something differently, do it better, and just be who you are! It gives you such freedom. But, truth be told… it isn’t the perfect fit for everyone. Mark Bernh…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Our world is rapidly evolving. We’ve got AI and a whole host of other innovations coming on board and shaking things up. If we're not evolving in our business, we will be left behind. Instead of being fearful of the uncertainty that lies ahead in 2024 and beyond, what if we could hear predictions from someone who studies…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Wouldn’t it be nice to have a step-by-step guide to the construction process (AKA the construction story)? Once you have your contract and are well on your way (especially when working with an architect), you must understand what comes next. It’s about approaching the design process with humility and looking at this as a…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! What exactly is corporate social responsibility? Ever heard of Humble Design? This organization furnishes and decorates up to 13 homes each week in five cities across the country. Back in 2009, Treger Strasberg created a nonprofit and established a system that helps thousands of veterans, women, children, and families st…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Have you ever wondered what goes into selecting the color of the year? Who picks these trends? Do these colors have any longevity to them? What are we supposed to do with the color choices as designers? And will we ever be done with gray? I am thrilled for you to hear this roundtable discussion with Susan Wadden of Sherw…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! What if I told you that you could improve your employees’ productivity by over 200%? Yes, you could actually have energized, happy, thoughtful, and super-productive employees by getting clear on just one thing! It’s something that greatly differentiates you from your competition. Your company culture. Josh Dykstra is wit…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Wondering how entrepreneurs and people who are self-employed are taxed? Does that just make you want to curl up in a ball for the rest of the year? The thing is, if you’re paying money to the IRS, then you’re making money. That’s supposed to lessen the blow, but financial planning as a business owner can be a sensitive a…
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Summary: In this episode, we speak to Liz Hixson. Liz works at New Incentives, a GiveWell top-rated charity that provides small cash incentives to caregivers in order to increase childhood vaccination rates. And it works. In Nothern Nigeria, New Incentives has saved thousands of lives from preventable diseases like whooping cough, measles, and pneu…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! What is the importance of branding? Whether you’re a solopreneur or part of a design firm, having a brand makes you memorable. But good branding doesn’t happen by throwing spaghetti at the wall and hoping something sticks—it’s strategic and thoughtful. My friend and branding expert, Corey Fuller, is sharing that with us …
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Summary: In this episode, we speak to Rose Gottemoeller, the first woman to hold the position of Deputy Secretary General of NATO, the highest-ranking international civil servant role within the organization. Rose is known especially for her role in negotiating the 2010 New START Treaty, which led to a significant reduction in deployed nuclear weap…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Do you let the natural environment inform your designs? How does color affect your designs? And how can you adequately share what you do when you explain color to your clients? It’s a lot to think about. Lucky for us, my dear friend, Jason Bemis joins us on this episode to talk about nature, psychology, physiology, and c…
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In this episode, we speak with Jason Dykstra. Jason is a jack of all trades. He has experience in the medical field being a medical doctor and a radiologist. On top of that, he runs a house church network called World Wide House Church. He also founded Blessbig, a charity evaluator founded on Christian principles, which has advised GiveWell and Cha…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, we sit down with Jason Mews, Construction Management and General Contractor at Lippert Bros., Inc., to explore the critical partnership between general contractors (GCs) and interior designers. Jason emphasizes the collaborative nature of this relationship, highlighting how designers bring creative visio…
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In this episode, we speak to Brian Green. Brian holds a doctorate degree in ethics and is currently the Director of Technology Ethics at the Markulla Center for Applied Ethics, at Santa Clara University in California. His work is focused on the ethics of emerging technology. Some things we touch on in this episode: The relationship between Christia…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, we sit down with Wesley Rutledge, licensed Architect at Beck Design. Our conversation explores the dynamic relationship between architects and designers, emphasizing the value of a collaborative approach from the very beginning of the design process. Wes sheds light on the essential role designers play i…
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In this episode, we speak with Caleb Watney. Caleb Watney is a co-founder of the Institute for Progress (IFP) which aims to accelerate technological, scientific, and industrial progress. On top of that, Caleb Watney holds a Master’s in Economics from George Mason University and has spent the last seven years working in policy in Washington DC. Some…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! She’s back! In this episode, we reconnect with the lovely Diana Rushton once again, Project Manager and Assistant Designer at Color Works Design, as she recounts her captivating observation of the much-anticipated Las Vegas Market 2023. With Diana as our guide, we traverse the vibrant landscape of the latest interior des…
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In the debut episode of "The Stories of Small Businesses in America," co-hosts Katie Dykstra and Ron Warsaski share their inspiring journeys as entrepreneurs. They discuss their motivations, challenges, and the role family played in shaping their businesses. Listeners can expect more valuable insights from diverse business owners in future episodes…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, we sit down with Becca Ellison to discuss elevating your brand. Becca is a remarkable brand strategist and photographer who shares invaluable insights on crafting a compelling personal brand as a solopreneur or entrepreneur. Join us as we explore the significance of authenticity, leveraging unique streng…
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In this episode, we speak to Paul Niehaus. Paul is an economist and entrepreneur. He is the co-founder, director, and former president of GiveDirectly, the leading international NGO specializing in cash transfers, and rated one of the most impactful ways to give. He also works at the University of California, Sandiego which works on anti-poverty pr…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, we sit down with Susan Wadden, Director of Color Marketing at the Americas Group, to discuss the color trends of 2023. Susan shares her expertise and insights into the captivating world of color and its impact on the design industry. An exclusive announcement is unveiled: the highly anticipated 2024 colo…
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In this episode, we speak to Joy Bittner. Joy Bittner is the founder of Vida Plena, an organization invested in building strong mental health in Latin America. Vida Plena does this by training local communities to provide mental health care for depression. Joy majored in psychology in her undergraduate degree, then proceeded to do a master’s in soc…
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In this episode we speak with Ed Michaelson. Ed lives in London and directs 500k, an org with supports 800 church planters in rural India. Ed shares his story of why he went from ER doctor to non-profit founder, and which missions careers are most effective in furthering God's kingdom. Some things we touch on in this episode... The value of mission…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Katie and Diana discuss their experience and lessons learned at NeoCon 2023. NeoCon serves as the hub for the commercial design community, uniting its designers, architects, end-users, manufacturers, dealers, service providers, associations, educators, students and media each year in June. Full Show Notes Here Expand You…
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Welcome to Success by Design, Mastering the business of Interior Design. Learn from my mistakes, as this is your masterclass on getting where you want to be. Whether that is elevating in your current interior design firm, starting your own firm, or moving your existing firm up on the ladder of success and profitability, …
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In this episode, we speak with Katie Fantaguzzi. Katie lives in Texas and transitioned from work in private healthcare consulting to measurement and evaluation for global health nonprofits. She is now a Senior MER advisor at the SCI Foundation, which treats millions of people suffering from parasitic worm infections. Some things we touch on in this…
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Bruce Friedrich is co-founder and president of The Good Food Institute, a Y Combinator-funded non-profit that promotes plant- and cell-based alternatives to animal products. Some things we touch on in this episode: How animal agriculture harms animals, the poor, and the climate. Why Bruce loves Dorothy Day’s Catholic Worker movement. Why alternativ…
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In this episode, we speak with Brian Fikkert, who is an economist and professor at Covenant College. We speak about his influential book When Helping Hurts and how Christians can make the greatest possible positive impact in the lives of the poor. Some things we touch on in this episode: Why short-term missions often make things worse for the poor.…
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