1213: Overheard: Being a Great Interior Designer Won't Make You a Great CEO

Today with Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario:

Being a great interior designer and being a great CEO are not the same skill set, and Kathleen Reynolds and Lauren Vallario both learned that the hard way. Kathleen has run Kathleen Reynolds Interiors in Greenville, South Carolina for eighteen years. Lauren has run Lauren Vallario Designs in Stamford, Connecticut for over ten. Both built real, busy firms. Neither one had actually learned how to run a business until they got coaching.

Kathleen carried a bad feeling about one client for nine months, calling it "the client that will not be named" in her own office, before a single five-minute phone call resolved what nine months of worry never could. Lauren was pricing every flat fee project based on nothing, her words, until a simple tool gave her what she calls confidence on paper. Nine months later, she landed the biggest design fee of her career.

Both women are actual clients of business coach Nancy Quinn, and what they share in this conversation is their own experience, not a pitch for her program.

This episode is about the specific moment every designer eventually hits, when the talent that built the business isn't the same thing that runs it, and what it actually takes to close that gap.

More About Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario:

Kathleen Reynolds is the founder of Kathleen Reynolds Interiors, a full-service interior design firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, now celebrating 18 years in business, handling everything from furnishings and styling to large-scale construction projects. Her team of four takes an organized, personality-driven approach to each client's home. Their motto: your home, uniquely yours. Kathleen opened her own studio in 2008 to bring an organized, streamlined approach to a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming, and that mission hasn't changed since. As a mom of four herself, she knows what it takes to manage a lot of moving pieces at once, which is exactly the energy she brings to every client's project.

Lauren Vallario:

The most rewarding part of the job for Lauren is knowing her clients live better and love their homes! Lauren steps in as the calm, friendly, knowledgeable, and collaborative Interior Designer ready to take the overwhelm of the design process off your plate entirely as she creates liveable luxury.

With a systematic and creative approach (she’s got a spreadsheet for just about everything!), Lauren will help bring your vision into reality while handling all the details. Her clients love being a part of the process as the design comes together with floor plans, elevations, 3D renderings, mood boards, and flawless execution.

Based in Stamford, CT, Lauren Vallario Designs was established in 2013 and provides Bathroom and Kitchen Design to clients located in New York and Connecticut.

Connect with Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario and Nancy Quinn:

Kathleen’s Website: kathleenreynoldsinteriors.com

Kathleen’s Instagram: @kathleenreynoldsinteriors

Lauren’s Website: https://laurenvallariodesigns.com/

Lauren’s Instagram: @laurenvallario.designs

Lauren’s Docuseries:

Episode 1

Episode 2

Episode 3

Nancy Quinn on Boardroom for Creatives: https://boardroomforcreatives.com/board-member/nancy-quinn/

Profit Insiders Academy: https://profitinsiderscoaching.com/profit-insiders-academy/

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Boardroom for Creatives

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⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

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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

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