Profit Is A Choice

287: The Hidden Costs of Winging It in Your Design Business In this episode, we unpack the hidden costs of winging it in your design business. Michele shares why flying by the seat of your pants can lead to burnout, missed opportunities, and financial messes. She dives into the power of intentional planning, strategic hiring, and clear marketing—all rooted in a strong, future-focused vision. If you're ready to stop guessing and start growing, this one's for you. Topics Mentioned: Missed Opportunities Peace Process Being Intentional Key Thoughts:  When I was winging it, I realized there was a huge cost to me, to my peace, to my time, and certainly to my money. Michele Williams   We're working on the wrong initiatives, the wrong plans, and things that might support us in the short term, but not in the long term. Michele Williams   I would like to work with an intentionality on where I'm going, what I'm doing, who I'm doing with, and how I'm going to show up in the world, because that brings me peace. Michele Williams   The goal here is to really be able to have an intentionality in what we are doing so that as we do it, we know that we are checking off those tasks and those goals that are moving us closer to the business that we want to become. Michele Williams   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2Go Metrique Solutions How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy course beginning August 2025 sign up now! FREE Step-by-Step Guide to Mapping Your Business Growth

286: Profitability of Working with a Family Member On today's episode, we're joined by Beth Meyer and Abby McLane of Beth Meyer Design, a mother-daughter team specializing in luxury residential interiors. Featured in Southern Home and LUXE, they've built a trusted brand through elegant design and smart business growth. We'll explore how they started working together, their approach to profitability, and the benefits of running a family-based interior design business. If you're looking for real strategies to grow your design firm, this one's for you. Topics Mentioned: Strategy Organization Technology   Key Thoughts:  That was the whole reason I started the coaching practice as having come from burnout myself. When I get those calls, my heart feels for that, because I've been there, and I know what that feels like. The exhaustion and the mental load and the emotional turmoil, it's real and it's heavy. Michele Williams   I went back to the strategic plan where we are in structuring the company and roles and SOPs. You're giving them the tools they need to do their job well. You're not just giving them expectations that they really can't meet. Beth Meyer   There is something about your daughter or your mom in the business having your back in a different way that gives you the courage to continually push forward. So not only does iron sharpen iron to keep each other accountable and focused and better and growing and all the things, but there is something about the courage that one person lends to another person to move forward. Michele Williams   Our goals are the same and we have done a deep dive into our missions, our values, and all the things. When we are both pushing each other, it's built-in accountability to reach those goals. Abby McLane   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Beth and Abby: Email: abby@bethmeyerdesign.com Facebook: @bethmeyerdesign    Instagram: @bethmeyerdesign    Website: https://bethmeyerdesign.com/  You Tube: Beth Meyer Design   References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2Go Metrique Solutions How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy course beginning August 2025 sign up now! Click here to read the transcript for this episode.

285: The Top 5 Profit Drains in Your Interior Design Business   Welcome to the podcast! Today, we're diving into the five biggest profit drains that can silently sabotage your interior design business. If you've ever wondered where your money is going or why your profit margins aren't where they should be, this episode is for you. Grab a pen and paper—because you'll want to take notes on how to boost profitability and take control of your money management starting today.  Topics Mentioned: Pricing   Financials  Ideal Client  Managing Cash Flow Effectively  Key Thoughts:  You cannot sell more of something at a really bad price and continue to make money, a bad price is a bad price.  Michele Williams    An ideal client is somebody who has the same value statements that we are coming in with as the company and there's a value continuance between us and that client.  Michele Williams    The more we're fighting people, processes, or not knowing what the numbers are, the more it's going to cost us the profits and the money, but also the profitability of peace in our lives.  Michele Williams    Know how money comes in, know how revenues are recognized, know how profit is recognized, and know when you need those funds.  Michele Williams    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2Go Metrique Solutions Metrique Solutions - Free Month Promo Code How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy course beginning August 2025 sign up now! Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

284: The Hidden Costs of Employment s    Joining me is Jessica Harling, founder of Behind the Design. Jessica is a seasoned expert in employee and process development, specializing in recruitment, training, and change management for design organizations. Her work helps businesses streamline costs, increase productivity, and develop high-performing teams.​ In this episode, we'll discuss practical business strategies for interior designers for effective hiring, onboarding, and retention to ensure your team thrives.​ Enjoy the conversation! Topics Mentioned: Employment Strategy Accountability Employee Training Key Thoughts:  Fears are normal. How we analyze them and deal with them is determinate based on the strategy that we have for our business.  Michele Williams   You still need, as the manager, the owner, to be able to either prepare or have an oversight over that plan and not just delegate or dump it to another person and not know what they are covering.  Jessca Harling    We're not executing with success. We're executing within the moments of the day, and what feels good today, but today's feel good might not line up with tomorrow's plan and goal.  Michele Williams    Look at the strategy of the process, the finances and things like that before you make a reactive decision to jump and add someone on.  Jessica Harling    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Jessica: Email: jessica@gobehindthedesign.com  Facebook: @BehindtheDesign Instagram: @GoBehindtheDesign Website: GoBehindTheDesign.com LinkedIn: @BehindTheDesign References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2Go

283: Implementing Profit First with Success    Welcome to the podcast! Today, we're talking about Profit First—a powerful money management system that is proven to boost interior design business profit. If you're making money but never seem to keep it, or constantly juggling funds, you're not alone.  We'll show you how Profit First helps you separate money with purpose, avoid the “robbing Peter to pay Paul” cycle, and make smarter financial decisions. Whether you're just launching or scaling your design business, this episode is packed with strategies to help you pay yourself first and grow a more profitable interior design business.  Topics Mentioned: Profit First Money Management Sustainability  Financial Strategy Key Thoughts:  What Profit First is really trying to do is put you in the mindset that we want the business to live within the means of what the business can afford to live in, so that we're not spending money that the business truly doesn't have. Michele Williams    It is being able to separate out your money into bank accounts where it can then be looked at in smaller chunks with a purpose in mind, so that we're not overspending on the wrong things.  Michele Williams    The more that we can plan for profit and be very clear on where the money is coming in and going out, the more that we have the power to actually use those numbers to move us forward.  Michele Williams    The very first thing is to truly understand how money flows in and out of your business, and that means the amount, the timing, and the revenue recognition.  Michele Williams    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Master Your Profit course Profit First by Mike Michalowicz Profit is a Choice episode 248: All Roads Can Lead to Profit Profit is a Choice episode 189: Reviewing Your Profit First Strategy Profit is a Choice episode 092: How to Start Profit First with No Profit in Your Design Business A Well-Designed Business-The Power Talk Friday Experts by LuAnn Nigara

282: Design Mentorship for Beginners     Welcome to today's episode. I'm thrilled to have Rebecca Ward with me. Rebecca is an award-winning interior designer based out of Sacramento, California, and she's truly dedicated to nurturing emerging talent in the design industry. Not only does she host the Design Curious podcast, but she also runs a mentorship program called My Design Mentor. Rebecca focuses on answering those essential early questions for anyone looking to build their business in interior design. In this episode, we'll discuss the many paths people take into the industry and the common questions new designers face as they start their careers. Tune in for valuable insights on how to kickstart your journey and make smarter business decisions in interior design. I hope you enjoy our conversation!  Topics Mentioned: Mentorship  Community  Sharing information  Support    Key Thoughts:  Those hard lessons sometimes are the best lessons that are getting our attention. They're sometimes painful along the way.  Michele Williams    I see mentorship as this is something that I'm still actively doing. I'm still learning in my business. I'm still learning the best way to do things, and as I do it, I adjust, and I share that information.  Rebecca Ward   I think when you really love people, it's easier to be willing to want to help and to give than to say, well, I fell, so it's normal you fall.  Michele Williams    There are a lot of hard things and I want to make sure people are aware of going in with their eyes wide open before they get into the career, but I also talk about the great parts of it, but I want them to have a realistic view.  Rebecca Ward    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Rebecca: Email: rebecca@rwarddesign.com Instagram: @rwarddesign Facebook: @rebeccawarddesign Website: https://rwarddesign.com/  LinkedIn: rwarddesign Pinterest: rwarddesign X/Twitter: rwarddesign You Tube: @rwarddesign References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2GO Design Curious Podcast E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber 

281: Creating an SEO Strategy with Pinterest    On the podcast today is Julia Bocchese, an SEO and Pinterest consultant for small businesses in the creative industry. We're discussing business strategy for interior designers, covering essential strategies for your website, Pinterest direction, and SEO. Julia shares some simple, actionable reminders that will help position your business to be found online. If you're an interior designer looking to improve your digital presence, this episode is packed with expert tips to enhance your strategy and grow your business. Tune in to learn how to effectively optimize your online strategy!  Topics Mentioned: SEO strategy Social Media Management Google Business Profile Website Content Key Thoughts:  Knowing who you are, what you do, who you serve, how you serve them, and being very clear with that on the website is important.  Michele Williams    Whatever blog posts, portfolio photos, or things like that that you have, that's going to dictate your strategy on Pinterest.  Julia Bocchese    What we're really trying to do is create this big communication and feedback loop, that runs through all of our Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and all the different socials that we're using trying to keep everything connected in this little ecosystem so that people are staying within your ecosystem.   Michele Williams    In terms of the type of content, I do recommend thinking about what your ideal client would be searching for, and what would be beneficial to them.   Julia Bocchese    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Julia: Email: julia@juliareneeconsulting.com  Instagram: @uliareneeconsulting Website: https://juliareneeconsulting.com/  LinkedIn: julia-bocchese References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Financial Courses at Scarlet Thread Consulting CFO2GO Julia's SEO Freebie

280: What Does it Mean to Know Your Numbers   I am so excited to have you join us on the podcast today! I'm going to be joined by Courtney Bramlett, who is the director of marketing and operations here at Scarlet Thread Consulting. She also owns her own company, The Good Sower, and today, we're diving into an incredibly important topic: financial planning for interior designers. Maybe you've heard the buzzword over and over—know your numbers, know your financials—and it sounds great, but it has almost become an irritant, and you're still not sure what it means. Today, we're going to break down what it really means to understand the financials that are affecting your business strategy for interior designers and how these numbers impact your growth. We'll talk about how you can create a solid financial plan for interior designers that will help you grow your company in the way you envision. So, stick around—I'm thrilled to have you here!  Topics Mentioned: Financial understanding Profitability Cash Management Strategic Planning  Key Thoughts:  I think it is important for owners of companies to understand how money is made, how money flows through their company, and how they can determine the money that is left over after everything has been paid for.  Michele Williams    If you don't truly know what each type of profits is, you don't really know how much money you actually get to take home at the end of the day.  Courtney Bramlett   The reason that I focus on gross profit so much is because that is the number one indicator that tells me if I'm selling it at the right price and paying the right amount in cost of goods, but it's also the number that is telling me do I have enough to run the company and do what I need it to do as the owner?  Michele Williams    Profitability is tied to just raising your prices, and of course, that's a piece of it, but there's still a lot more that goes into being profitable.  Courtney Bramlett    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   References and Resources: Work with Me The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Understand Your Business Financials in Less than 8 Weeks / New Group Coaching Financial Courses at Scarlet Thread Consulting Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

279: Good Management Leads to Profitability  Joining me on the podcast today is Courtney Bramlett. She is the director of marketing and operations for Scarlet Thread Consulting. We are going to talk about values, how they lead to setting expectations, and having accountability in our firms. It's not every day that we have everything set up so perfectly that everybody comes in and does what they do without questions or confusion about their job. We will talk through some of the things that you can do to set up practices that will help your employees or your contractors and those people that you work with all pulling in the same direction and going after the same thing. So, enjoy and listen in.  Topics Mentioned: Values Vision Expectations Accountability  Key Thoughts:  If we hire the right players, and we can draw the vision for them, they hopefully know what they're getting into, and they're coming in excited and with ideas.  Michele Williams    As you said, when you can get vulnerable as a business owner with this stuff, I think you get more help and you don't feel alone.  Courtney Bramlett    The more that people get constructive, positive feedback, the more they can keep going.  Michele Williams    The only person who suffers when you cannot hold someone accountable or get out of your comfort zone to hold someone accountable, the only one who suffers is you.  Courtney Bramlett    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Five Dysfunctions of a Team The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2Go The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni It's Okay to Be the Boss by Bruce Tulgan Who by Geoff Smart and Randy Street Who Not How by Dan Sullivan and Dr. Benjamin Hardy Click here to read the transcript for this episode.

278: Creating Productivity in Your Workday  Today, I'm joined by Leslie Shreve, a workload and productivity expert, and the founder of Productive Day. She's also the author and creator of Taskology, a comprehensive system designed to help manage tasks, time, email, and information. In our conversation, we'll explore the distinction between organization and productivity, uncover where time might be slipping away in your workday, and dive into much more.  Topics Mentioned: Organization Productivity Task Management Methodology Key Thoughts:  Any process is only as good as the way that we apply it and stay consistent with it. It's the inconsistencies that usually catch us. It's not the lack of the process itself in most cases.  Michele Williams    I quickly dispensed with the whole notion of getting organized because that's not it. That's not even the first step. That's not even a step. It's a byproduct. Because when you learn how to become more efficient, effective, and productive, automatically you're going to be more organized.  Leslie Shreve    A system or a methodology is only as good as we follow it and stay, on top of it.  Michele Williams    The three places where time and productivity are hiding are in your task management process, your information management process, and your email management process.  Leslie Shreve    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   Contact Leslie: Email: leslie@productiveday.com  Facebook: @ProductiveDayLeslieShreve Instagram: @productivedayleslieshreve Website: https://productiveday.com/  LinkedIn: @LeslieShreve You Tube: @LeslieShreve   References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    CFO2Go Taskology: How to Unleash the Power of Your Most Productive Workday by Leslie Shreve What's Your #1 Productivity Blind Spot on Productive Day Productive Day Smart Steps free gift

277: Demystifying Inventory in Your Business Joining me today is Ciara Stockeland. She is a fractional CFO focusing on inventory-based businesses. She has a podcast called Inventory Genius along with a book by the same name. She also has a new book called Profit Genius that is out soon. Today we're going to demystify inventory. All about inventory, how it works in your financials, why it's so important to find resources and people who understand it and how you can strategize around it.   Topics Mentioned: Inventory Resiliency Profitability Financials  Key Thoughts:  Because every decision, every choice, everything that's sitting on that strategic plan, every product line that we bring in, it is all tied at some point in multiple places all the way down the chain.  Michele Williams     It's a hard skill, but learning how to edit in your business, how to slow down, that all comes from really understanding what the numbers mean so that you know what you should be focusing on.  Ciara Stockeland    I think that was a lesson for us too, that you can do it all right, and have things go wrong. There's not a direct cause and effect between right and wrong. But what could we have done differently?  Michele Williams    Every mess can be cleaned up, every problem can be solved. So even if they feel like it's all out of control, like, we can fix it, it might take some time and some money, but it can be fixed.    Ciara Stockeland    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   Contact Ciara: Email: hello@ciarastockeland.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inventorygenius/ Instagram: @ciarastockeland Website: www.ciaraastockeland.com  LinkedIn: @ciarastockeland   References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Understanding Your Financials course Inventory Genius podcast Inventory Genius by Ciara Stockeland Profit Genius by Ciara Stockeland Scarlet Thread Origin Story podcast

277: Demystifying Inventory in Your Business Joining me today is Ciara Stockeland. She is a fractional CFO focusing on inventory-based businesses. She has a podcast called Inventory Genius along with a book by the same name. She also has a new book called Profit Genius that is out soon. Today we're going to demystify inventory. All about inventory, how it works in your financials, why it's so important to find resources and people who understand it and how you can strategize around it.   Topics Mentioned: Inventory Resiliency Profitability Financials  Key Thoughts:  Because every decision, every choice, everything that's sitting on that strategic plan, every product line that we bring in, it is all tied at some point in multiple places all the way down the chain.  Michele Williams     It's a hard skill, but learning how to edit in your business, how to slow down, that all comes from really understanding what the numbers mean so that you know what you should be focusing on.  Ciara Stockeland    I think that was a lesson for us too, that you can do it all right, and have things go wrong. There's not a direct cause and effect between right and wrong. But what could we have done differently?  Michele Williams    Every mess can be cleaned up, every problem can be solved. So even if they feel like it's all out of control, like, we can fix it, it might take some time and some money, but it can be fixed.    Ciara Stockeland    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   Contact Ciara: Email: hello@ciarastockeland.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inventorygenius/ Instagram: @ciarastockeland Website: www.ciaraastockeland.com  LinkedIn: @ciarastockeland   References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Understanding Your Financials course Inventory Genius podcast Inventory Genius by Ciara Stockeland Profit Genius by Ciara Stockeland Scarlet Thread Origin Story podcast

276: Strategy is Key for Longterm Success I am so excited about our podcast today. With me is Courtney Bramlett. She is the director of marketing and operations here at Scarlet Thread Consulting and she's also the owner of her own company, The Good Sower. Courtney and I are going to have an in-depth conversation about strategy, why we need to have it, roadblocks that we see when people don't have a strategy, and we will share a little bit about the programs that we have coming this year that are available to help you all with strategy. I hope if nothing else, by the end of our podcast today that you will have a deeper understanding of why strategy is important to the overall long-term success of your company. Enjoy the podcast.   Topics Mentioned: Strategy  Intentionality  Goal Setting Prioritization Key Thoughts:  The true strategy is much, much deeper and more granular. When it's understood and done well, then your day-to-day becomes easy.  Courtney Bramlett   A strategic plan is meant to be over multiple years in most cases. It certainly is going to be the most detailed in the year that you're working in.  Michele Williams    Business owners get in this rut of feeling like they're never hitting these objectives and goals that they have because they're trying to run in a thousand different paths at one time. So, I think strategic planning helps them with burnout, reducing burnout and decision fatigue too.  Courtney Bramlett   Two words that I see a lot of people run from and I think again, it goes back to education. They run from the word strategy, and they run from the word budget. They run from those because they think they lock them down. What I would say is they actually free you up. Because what a strategy is and what a budget is are decisions that you're making in advance.  Michele Williams    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Pricing Without Emotion course Financial Health Check Up 12 Week Year by Brian P Moran The Gap and the Gain by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan Traction by Gino Wickman Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz My New 8-week Group Coaching Program Kicks Off in January! Join the waitlist for my newest group coaching program, How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy. Over 8 weeks, you'll learn how to create a business strategy, set key results to track its success, and leverage a decision-making process to ensure every choice drives you toward your ideal future.   Register now to know when registration opens

275: Cheers to 2024!  Every year Ceil DiGuglielmo and I sit down and chat about the prior year. We talk about the books we've read, some of the things that have happened in our lives, and how those experiences have shaped us to be the business owners that we are and that we are becoming. I am excited to, once again, invite you to listen in as Ceil and I discuss the year 2024. Topics Mentioned: Strategy    Intentionality  Planning  MIndset    Key Thoughts:  Especially as women, we spend a lot of time waiting because our job is to manage our families and our households and everything else as opposed to being happy in this moment.  Ceil DiGuglielmo    What I kept seeing is we kind of have an epidemic of we're all doing our jobs, we're working, we're satisfying the client, but we don't have a guide or a path of where we want our business to go.  Michele Williams    It's almost like we're running this race and we're handed the baton to the next person and I'm looking for that person just like everybody else, who can I hand this baton to that's going to love the industry and who's going to love people?  Michele Williams   There have been enough generous people who have the knowledge and are willing to share it, that we can pull those people up behind us. I think if there's a legacy to be had, something to look towards, is what can I leave behind that will make life easier for other people so they don't have to have those hard knocks?  Ceil DiGuglielmo  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Ceil: Website: The Sew Much More Podcast Website: The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Facebook: The Sew Much More Podcast Facebook: The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Instagram: @ceildi Instagram: @csf_resource_library Email: ceilwdi@gmail.com  References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Pricing Without Emotion course It's Okay to be The Boss by Bruce Tulgan Price Your Work with Confidence by Kitty Stein The Recipe For Empowered Leadership: 25 Ingredients For Creating Value & Empowering Others by Doug Meyer-Cuno She Thinks Big by Andrea Liebross Atomic Habits by James Clear Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy by Patrick Bet-David My New 8-week Group Coaching Program Kicks Off in January! Join the waitlist for my newest group coaching program, How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy. Over 8 weeks, you'll learn how to create a business strategy, set key results to track its success, and leverage a decision-making process to ensure every choice drives you toward your ideal future. Register now to know when registration opens

274: Business Inspiration for Your Design Firm  Joining me today is Colleen Bennett of CBB design firm and Mimosa Home. Colleen has had a varied career in design working worldwide, and today she's going to share some of her story and how she's created a unique experience for her clients maintaining profitability in the process. Topics Mentioned: Travel Profit Debt Intention   Key Thoughts:  You control the sale with finishes. Because once you get into the finished department and the design department, you control every single aspect from there.  Colleen Bute Bennett    The beautiful thing is they're levers and we know what we need to make. So, you can go up and down, you can have a higher rate and a lower markup.  Michele Williams    We have now created this one-stop shop for our clients. So instead of you running around to every single place, you're in one location, and we get your house done in four to six hours. Colleen Bute Bennett    I love the idea that design can show up in so many different ways. You can reinvent certain things and it just feels like we're not as boxed in sometimes. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Colleen: Email: georgina@publicityforgood.com Facebook: @DesignbyColleenBennett Instagram: @cbbdesignfirm Facebook: @mimosahomenc/ Facebook: @butecouture References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Pricing Without Emotion course My New 8-week Group Coaching Program Kicks Off in January! Join the waitlist for my newest group coaching program, How to Build, Manage, and Execute on a Business Strategy. Over 8 weeks, you'll learn how to create a business strategy, set key results to track its success, and leverage a decision-making process to ensure every choice drives you toward your ideal future.   Register now to know when registration opens

273: Construction Management is Profitable   Welcome to the podcast! Today, I'm joined by the talented Renee Biery, a luxury interior designer, construction expert, and the host of the Only Girl on the Jobsite podcast. We're diving into an incredible conversation about expanding your design services to include construction management. Whether you're already doing this or thinking about it, we'll cover some of the common challenges—pricing, pitfalls, and the essential things to keep an eye on. Renee is an expert in navigating these areas, and we're excited to share her insights with you. We hope you enjoy the conversation!   Topics Mentioned: Project Management  Pricing  Confidence  Team Work    Key Thoughts:  I think that's where designers can trip themselves up unintentionally. They see themselves as the outsider, as the only girl on the job site, and it's very easy to just stay in that role.  Renee Biery   What's interesting is when we show up in a space, already personally aware that we deserve to be in the space, we don't feel like we have something to prove.  Michele Williams   Even those who know what they should be charging, or they already are charging, they aren't charging what they believe they are worth because they're uncertain of their worth.  Renee Biery    We're looking for this fast track, and the truth of the matter is, we don't need to fast track our pricing.  Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Renee: Email: renee@devignierdesign.com  Facebook: @devignierdesign Instagram: @devignierdesign Website: www.deVignierdesign.com  LinkedIn: Renee Biery References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    The Interior Designer's Guide to Construction Management Only Girl on the Jobsite podcast Unlocking Financial Freedom with CFO2GO: A Journey Through One-on-One Coaching One-on-one coaching is my main line of work, and for a good reason. I dive headfirst into my client's business, helping them become strategic with their finances and decision making to be able to lead profitable companies. My ultimate goal and reward is connecting with and helping incredible business owners in the interior design industry. So, I get very excited when my clients come back on my podcast to share their stories so they can, in turn, help others in the design industry. With CFO2GO you can take your business strategy to the next level with our 4 step process that will help you know your numbers, understand your business position, create a path forward unique to your design experience, skill set, and dream life - plus help you grow your design firm. Click below to find out more! Learn more

272: Ending the Year Well for Your Design Business    Have you ever wondered how to end the year well? You'll hear us talk about this in multiple places all around, how do we end our year well? In this podcast, we will discuss how to define what ending the year well for you and your company looks like, how to plan in advance, how to be intentional, and how to create some time to rest and reset. It is so interesting that the fourth quarter of our year is spent not only making sure that we can wrap up the needs of the current year but also doing a lot of planning and heavy lifting so that we can start the next year off well. The way to start in a power position in the new year is to end this year in a power position. Listen in today and determine what that might look like for you and your company.  Topics Mentioned: Strategic Planning  Business Metrics  Processes  Intentionality  Key Thoughts:  Finishing well means to be proud of the effort that was put into these critical items knowing that they set us up for a better future.  Michele Williams    Take stock of where the company is right now and where you anticipate it being at the end of the year with regard to your financials.  Michele Williams    Ending well also takes advanced thought and planning.  Michele Williams    Don't overdo it and go into the new year exhausted.  Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today   

271: Buying a Commercial Space for Your Business  Joining me today on the podcast is Paul Neal. He's a financial strategist and author dedicated to transforming the way entrepreneurs view commercial property. He has a book called Un-Lease Your Business: Unlock Wealth, Autonomy and Control by Buying Your Building and Firing Your Landlord and it is a very informative book. He is an amazing speaker who is going to help us understand more about the commercial buying process for our businesses. Enjoy the podcast. Topics Mentioned: Purchasing commercial real estate Process Financials Key Thoughts:  You don't have to be a world-conquering type of person, but you have to have stability. Paul Neal   You cannot make decisions without your financials in order, or you're making it on a gut feeling and that doesn't always support us. Michele Williams   We always suggest to get in with the least amount of down payment that makes sense, because then you've got your money that you're not putting into the brick and mortar you can use for other things. Paul Neal   The goal here is that we have to be profitable with what we have, and then provide ourselves as a stable business, meaning stable sales, and stable profitability. Michele Williams Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Paul: Website: https://www.ownyourbuildingnow.com/  Email: paul@vpc.capital  LinkedIn: @paul-neal-tea YouTube: @theEntrepreneurialAgent Facebook: @theentrepreneurialagent Instagram: @theentrepreneurialagentpodcast References and Resources: Un-Lease Your Business: Unlock Wealth, Autonomy and Control by Buying Your Building and Firing Your Landlord by Paul Neal  CFO2GO Work with Me

270: 4 Year-End Steps to Prepare Your Interior Design Business   Join us as we revisit an insightful episode focused on empowering interior designers through creating a strategic business plan. This re-showing of our previous podcast, "Four Year-End Steps to Prepare Your Interior Design Business," is perfect for anyone looking to enhance their business strategy.   In this episode, we dive deep into effective strategies tailored specifically for the interior design industry. As an interior design business coach, I'm thrilled to share the exact processes I'm implementing in my own business right now. Whether you're a seasoned designer or just starting out, these actionable steps will help you set a strong foundation for the coming year. Topics Mentioned: Planning SWOT analysis Setting goals   Energy Key Thoughts:  Taking an in depth look and SWOT analysis at each element in our business really provides us with information and helps shine a spotlight in an area we haven't looked at before. Michele Williams   By creating quarterly goals which are more streamlined and individually focused, we have the ability to get four really big goals completed in a year with attention placed on each one. Michele Williams    Think about what energizes you and what drains you. Michele Williams   Make sure that the majority, if not all, of your products and services and processes are done in a way that moves your company forward with energy instead of draining it. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today    Who's in Your Room: The Secret to Creating Your Best Life by Ivan Misner, Ph.D., Stewart Emery L.H.D., Rick Sapio   12-Week Year - by Brian P. Moran and Michael Lennington   Unlocking Financial Freedom with CFO2GO: A Journey Through One-on-One Coaching One-on-one coaching is my main line of work, and for a good reason. I dive headfirst into my client's business, helping them become strategic with their finances and decision making to be able to lead profitable companies. My ultimate goal and reward is connecting with and helping incredible business owners in the interior design industry. So, I get very excited when my clients come back on my podcast to share their stories so they can, in turn, help others in the design industry. With CFO2GO you can take your business strategy to the next level with our 4 step process that will help you know your numbers, understand your business position, create a path forward unique to your design experience, skill set, and dream life - plus help you grow your design firm. Click below to find out more! Learn more

269: Delegating Begins with Hiring  Joining the podcast today is Selina Johnson. Selina is a team operations strategist and go-to expert for reclaiming your time and embracing an enriched, peaceful life. Her mission is to empower CEOs to build efficient teams that don't rely on them 24/7. We will talk about where delegating really begins and the best practices to get the outcomes you want with teams you enjoy working with.  Topics Mentioned: Hiring  Trust in a team  Big picture   Preparedness  Key Thoughts:  It's really important to determine what's your core focus in your role and, what could you start delegating every morning, even if it's a small task, to somebody else in your team.  Selina Johnson     Delegation really starts with the building of your team and having the right people in the right positions to do the job that you need to delegate to them because even if they understand it and even if they acknowledge it if they can't do it, it does you no good to delegate it to them.   Michele Williams    I feel that is detrimental to the business when you don't give all the key information when you're delegating.  Selina Johnson    It is important that we can help them understand how they fit in and that the job matters. It matters if it gets done. It matters if it doesn't get done. And it matters if it gets done well. Because if they think that it doesn't matter, then you're going to get, it doesn't matter work.   Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Selina: Website: www.selinajohnson.com  Email: selina@selinajohnson.com LinkedIn: @selinajohnson-teambuilding You Tube: @ilovemyteam References and Resources: Aim With Intent Coaching CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Selina's Ultimate Hiring Blueprint Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. Learn more  

268: Pricing Your Work Without Emotion  On today's podcast we're going to hear a pre-recorded podcast that I did with Ceil DiGuglielmo of the podcast "Sew Much More". Ceil interviewed me and spoke with me about the Pricing Without Emotion course that I have been teaching since 2010. I am so excited for you to hear this as we are getting ready to launch our Pricing Without Emotion course on September 5, 2024. As Ceil says in her intro, even if you are not looking to buy the course or participate in it, there is a lot you can learn from listening to this podcast. So, I invite you to sit back, to think about your pricing, your journey, and your relationship with money while you listen and enjoy.    Topics Mentioned: Pricing Strategy Profit Value  Key Thoughts: Let's price without emotion. Let's work with the emotion. Let's work with passion, but we don't have to price with it. We can price with more the logic brain, and then we can work with that feeling and emotion brain so that we pour that into it. So, it's not that we're separating it. We're just kind of putting it into place. Michele Williams   The first time I took it, it was a question of, can I get the money together to take this course. I knew it was worth it, but did I have the money for it? I made sure I did. And the second time, like, okay, I'm ready. I am putting this money out because I will get it back quickly. Ceil DiGuglielmo   If I can get to the point of understanding it, then I can get to the point of ownership. When I can get to the point of ownership, then I have a power. And that means I have the power to make decisions with information. Michele Williams   The best time to take this is early on. The next best time is now. Ceil DiGuglielmo   Join our Pricing Without Emotion, Group Coaching Program Understanding your pricing is crucial for business success. Pricing isn't just about numbers—it's a balance of math, time, expertise, and value. Beginning September 5, 2024, this 8-week course teaches you how to confidently set prices that align with your revenue goals and reflect the true worth of your products or services. You'll learn to remove emotion from pricing decisions, establish a scalable structure, and effectively communicate your value to avoid bargain-seeking clients. The goal is to master the financial aspects of your business and price with confidence.   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO2Go Metrique Solutions Pricing Without Emotion Coaching Program  Price Your Work with Confidence by Kitty Stein  Profit First by Mike Michalowicz   Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz 

267: The Role of Tech in Your Business  On the podcast today is Jen McFarland founder of Marit Digital. Jen partners with small businesses and teams as they plan, assess, and improve the digital solutions that help them succeed. She helps with implementing AI to setting up web hosting and digital experience design. Today's topic is all about tech.  Topics Mentioned: Technology Audit AI  Key Thoughts:  It's the same with your tech. You have to reevaluate that from time to time. You have to make changes, you have to assess, go back and look and see what's working.  Jen McFarland      All of us are running technology businesses; it's just what product or service you're using technology to sell. Michele Williams    It's already past time where when you're talking about investment in tech and budgeting for tech, AI needs to be a line item, and it needs to be something that you're thinking about bringing into your stack.  Jen McFarland    ... I think there is something to being able to engage with the technology in a way that actually makes you feel empowered. I think that is super important when we're looking at tech is it empowering us to do the next things.  Michele Williams   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Jen: Website: https://maritdigital.com/  Email: hq@podcastally.com  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ncsumarit/ You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/@maritdigital   References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions AI Cafe on LinkedIn Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. Learn more

266: The Sales Process Doesn't Have to End   Dr. Nadia Brown is the founder of the Doyenne Agency, a global sales and training agency dedicated to educating and equipping women business leaders to pursue their passion, own their power and increase their profits. She is the host of the “Straight Talk About Sales” podcast and is the author of Leading Like a Lady: How to Shatter Your Inner Glass Ceiling and Sell Like a Lady: How to Master Sales with Dignity, Class and Grace. Today we will discuss selling with integrity, how the entire company is involved in the sales cycle, and how not to be a bully in the process. Topics Mentioned: Sales Process Integrity Team    Key Thoughts:  Sales is a learnable skill, and everyone on the team should understand their role in supporting the sales process.  Dr. Nadia Brown     Whether the founder or the CEO is the one that's still doing the majority of closing of the sales, it's still important that everyone on the team understands sales, how it works, and their role in supporting that process.  Michele Williams    Sometimes we only think of sales in that financial exchange when you get to that stage, but you're selling all the way to that stage and you're continuing to sell even after that person becomes a client.  Dr. Nadia Brown    Even if the product's great, it's the sales system that's not great. It's not about the product. It's not about the person. Nine times out of ten, I like the person. But the process starts to make me feel like I've lost my own agency in it.  Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Dr. Nadia: Website: https://www.thedoyenneagency.com  Email: nadia@thedoyenneagency.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drnadia/ Instagram: @IamDrNadia References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Michele's 3 courses:  Pricing Without Emotion, Understanding Your Financials, and Master Your Profit  Leading Like a Lady: How to Shatter Your Inner Glass Ceiling by Dr. Nadia Brown  Sell Like a Lady: How to Master Sales with Dignity, Class and Grace by Dr. Nadia Brown  “Straight Talk About Sales” podcast  Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. LEARN MORE

265: Managing Your Team Effectively  Today's podcast is a conversation with Shelly Warren. Shelly is a women's leadership advisor, and she's the host of the “Stacking Your Team” podcast. Her expertise is in helping small business owners develop and nurture a leadership team so that they can take over the day-to-day operations, giving you, the owner, more time for growth, conversations, and decision-making. I hope you enjoy the podcast. Topics Mentioned: Career path Management Team building     Key Thoughts:  Defer to your experts, ask them for their point of view, and then you can take that one step further by making sure that you showcase that individual to your clients and your customers.  Shelli Warren    The company could be terrible, and the manager could be great. We're going to stay because we are somewhat tethered to that manager. They're watching out for us, they're caring for us, they're leading us, they're growing us, but they're acting like a coach for us, and they're moving us around.  Michele Williams    A players want to work with other A players, and they want to work alongside an A player leader.  Shelli Warren    The team that got you here may not be the team that will get you there.  Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Shelli: Website: www.stackingyourteam.com/   Email: shelli@stackyourteam.com   LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shelliwarren2/ Instagram: @StackingYourTeam Facebook: @Shelli Warren YouTube: @StackingYourTeam References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Michele's 3 courses:  Pricing Without Emotion, Understanding Your Financials, and Master Your Profit  It's Okay to be The Boss by Bruce Tulgan Necessary Endings by Dr Henry Cloud Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success.

264: The Role of Storytelling in Your Email Marketing With me today is Kamala Nair. Kamala is a meticulous copywriter, a brand voice expert, and a published novelist with more than 20 years of professional writing experience. Our focus today will be on email messaging surrounding your conversion and nurture campaigns. Listen in as we talk about the importance of storytelling in your messaging. Topics Mentioned: Email Marketing Storytelling Conversion Campaigns Vulnerability In Business  Key Thoughts:  Humans are wired for story. It's how we make sense of the world.  Kamala Nair    People need the words. They need to sit with the words. They need to chew on the words. They need to absorb them and digest them before they make a move.  Michele Williams   Email is a much more intimate and direct form of communication than something like social media.  Kamala Nair    There is a happy medium between no CTA and beating them over the head with a CTA and the Ginsu knife thing. There's something in the middle. And I think each of us has to find where that middle ground is for us and for our leaders.  Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Kamala: Website: www.kamalanairinc.com/  Email: kamala@kamalanairinc.com  LinkedIn: @KamalaNair Instagram: @KamalaNair References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Michele's 3 courses:  Pricing Without Emotion, Understanding Your Financials, and Master Your Profit  Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. LEARN MORE

263: Your Financial Personality Impacts Your Decisions Joining me today is Gary Arblaster of Arblaster Consulting. Gary is a finance expert, and he is on a journey to help us recognize our mindset around money and communications. He has created an assessment called the 41 Financial Personality Assessment, which is a tool that links personality traits to financial choices. We're going to talk about money, individual wiring, and how that affects our decision-making and communication around money today on the podcast. Topics Mentioned: Financial Personality  Communication  Uniqueness  Leadership    Key Thoughts:  I've said it a thousand times, money is amoral. It's what we do with money.  Michele Williams    We make decisions based on two things, to fulfill an inner need or to protect us from what we fear most.  Gary Arblaster    If we think about it, the DISC personality test is really saying, here are some of your personality traits that show up in how you work and communicate and everything else. And money is no different in that regard.  Michele Williams    When fears come out and fears start to set in, that's when we shift. So that's when our mindset needs to be the strongest because those who maintain the strongest mindset make it through the hardest challenges.  Gary Arblaster   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Gary: Website: http://www.arblasterconsulting.com Email: team@that1agency.com  LinkedIn: gary-arblaster-jr References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Making Millions and Going Broke by Gary Arblaster Find You Why by Simon Sinek  Gary's 41 Financial Assessment  Michele's 3 courses:  Pricing Without Emotion, Understanding Your Financials, and Master Your Profit    Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. LEARN MORE

262: Big Thinking Big Results On the podcast today is Andrea Liebross. She's a business and life coach who works with high-achieving women entrepreneurs. She's the host of the podcast “Time to Level Up”, and just published a fantastic book called She Thinks Big. We're going to be talking about intention, integration, priorities, and agency in our business journey in our conversation with Andrea. I'm excited to have you join us. Topics Mentioned: Strategy Fear Integration Intention Committed versus Interested Key Thoughts:  We have to be intentional about having that necessary ending so that we can have a new beginning, so that we can track a new path and create a new course forward. It takes intention. Michele Williams   If you think about a teeter-totter at a playground, that balancing, it's only balanced for a split second before one side goes up and one side goes down. I don't love balance. I really love this thought of how things can be integrated. Andrea Liebross   What you own, you can change. I own the decision; therefore, I can change the decision. I own my choice. I could change the choice, but I own it. Which puts me in the power position of, this is my decision to make or my choice to make, and I'm not going to feel like it's happening to me. I'm going to feel like I'm participating in this process. A mental shift of power. Michele Williams   You've already created your glass ceiling. We don't need to have that. Let's think beyond. Let's embrace the thought that you are a business owner that in every season your business is equal. There's no downside. So that's big thinking. And if you can make big decisions, it makes these choices easier, which are going to support, ultimately, the big thinking.  Andrea Liebross   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Andrea: Website: AndreaLiebross.com Instagram: @AndreaLiebrossCoaching Email: andrea@andrealiebross.com YouTube: @AndreaLiebrossCoaching Facebook: Andrea Liebross Coaching LinkedIn: Andrea Liebross X (Twitter): Andrea Liebross References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Andrea's Podcast “Time to Level Up” She Thinks Big by Andrea Liebross Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud Seven Primal Questions: Take Control Of The Hidden Forces That Drive You by Mike Foster Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy by Patrick Bet-David It's Okay to be The Boss by Bruce Tulgan Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. LEARN MORE

261: Podcasting as a Revenue Stream   With me on the podcast today is Traci DeForge. Traci has over three decades of experience in broadcast media, executive management, and consulting for Fortune 500 businesses. She is the founder of Produce Your Podcast, and she's going to be sharing with us today how creating and having your own podcast can lead to profitable results in your life and in your business. Topics Mentioned: Marketing Authenticity Leverage Key Thoughts:  I think people just have to really understand when you make the decision to start a podcast, the fundamental thing that you want to think about is your why.  Traci DeForge    Podcasts, truthfully, don't have to be ginormous and huge and reach the entire world. It just has to reach your ideal client for whatever purpose you have for that podcast. Michele Williams    If you change that person's perspective with one thought and you make a difference to that one person, that could change their life. Traci DeForge    I have met some of the most amazing people by hosting them on my podcast and talking to them. I've hired many of the people that I have talked to on my podcast because I'm usually interviewing somebody because I'm interested in what they're doing. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Traci: Website: Produce Your Podcast Facebook: @tracideforge Instagram: @produceyourpodcast Email: traci@produceyourpodcast.com YouTube: @produceyourpodcast LinkedIn: @tracilongdeforge References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Journey to There podcast Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. Learn More 

260: CFO2GO Success Story  With me today is Kate Wood of Worth Preserving. Kate partners with property owners, designers, architects, trades, and others to rescue, rehabilitate, and determine what is worth preserving in historic homes and buildings. Recently, Kate completed my CFO2GO program, and the results that she has had in just a few short months have been astounding. In this episode, we're going to talk to Kate to understand a little of her journey to reclaim the love she has for her work, to be able to make money doing it, and to have the ability to make magic as she works with her clients every day. Topics Mentioned: Loss Leaders Financial Planning Shifted Orientation Practice of Financials   Key Thoughts:  It is the merging, that intersection between the strategy and the plan and who I am and what I'm trying to do and how I'm going to price it and how I'm going to manage the money and how I'm going to run it through my company. That intersection is where the magic happens for the business owner and for the business as a whole.  Michele Williams    I go back to my final report and I am in Metrique every month putting in my numbers and making adjustments. Kate Wood    Thinking about our financials as a practice gives us the ability to continually practice getting them and keeping them in alignment with all the things that we're doing. Michele Williams    It is a constant tweaking and evolution and I'm just excited about the business now because I do think of it as a business that has value and not just to me, but to other people. Kate Wood   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Kate: Website: Worth Preserving Instagram: @worthpreserving Email: kate@worthpreserving.com  YouTube: @KateWoodWorthPreserving References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Worth Preserving: Weekly Newsletter and Free Download for Interior Designer Unfiltered Wisdom: Free Coaching from Michele's Keyboard to You Are you hungry for more? Subscribe now to receive two free coaching emails per month, personally crafted by Michele! Delivered every two weeks, these emails are packed with valuable insights, actionable strategies, and thought-provoking ideas to guide you on your business transformation journey towards greater success. LEARN MORE

259: The Power of Feasibility  Robyn Thomas is joining us today on the podcast. Robyn has an architecture degree from Auburn, and she has merged that education with her love of design to provide a one-stop architecture offer specializing in design completion and optimization. She calls it the master of done. I love that so much. Today we're going to delve into feasibility, what it is, why it's needed, and when is the right time for the conversation around it. Enjoy the podcast. Topics Mentioned: Metrics Processes Project Management Teamwork   Key Thoughts:  We sometimes get so enamored with the result that we don't look at the result and then backpedal our way through it to get to the beginning   Robyn Thomas    I'm all about feasibility... It's really saying, what are the resources available and how can we best use them?  Michele Williams    There are indicators and metrics that we can pull into our discovery call, or consultation process that we want to introduce early, way before we get into what color are the walls.    Robyn Thomas    I think that in feasibility, sometimes people again have the idea that they're fighting against you to get something done, even though it's not you, it's what you're bringing up, the budget, the timeline. You're the representation of those things.   Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Robyn: Website: www.robynstudios.com  Facebook: rs.homeguidestudio Instagram: @rs.homeguidestudio Email: robyn@robynstudios.com  Pinterest: robynstudiosga/  References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions

258: 4 Strategies to Stop Being Underpaid  I am so excited to be talking to you today. I'm actually so excited that I didn't wait and get all dolled up to be on the video part of the podcast. I decided in the middle of my work session just to stop and go ahead and share this message. So, I hope you are excited as I am, because we are going to talk about four strategies that will stop you from being underpaid. Do you know what it means to be underpaid? It means a high tolerance for low pay. I think that it is a problem, especially for creatives and certainly in the interior design industry. Now, some of you may be listening to this podcast and you may be thinking, hey, no problem here, I get paid all the time. But my question would be, do you take the money out of the company with ease, without feeling stressed? Some of you may be listening to the podcast and thinking, oh yeah, I have a high tolerance for low pay. Instead, I'm a people pleaser and I want to do great things for other people. Stay tuned because we're going to talk about the four strategies that will help you not be underpaid, but to be paid fairly and to be able to have a profitable company - at the same time  Topics Mentioned: Value Worth Pricing strategy Career path  Key Thoughts:  People are paying you for what you know, or they're paying you for what you have the ability to learn and to know. Michele Williams   People are willing to pay you for what you know.  Michele Williams   Time is a currency that we spend in our calendar, and people will pay us for the time that we have available to devote to their project. Michele Williams   We're all looking at what we can hand off to somebody else's task list. Stress relief is a big deal. Michele Williams   Understanding pricing and understanding your attitude around it is really going to allow you to move forward with confidence and not cockiness. Michele Williams   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO2Go Metrique Solutions

257: Design the Life You Want Nicole Comis is a life and mindset coach, and she's passionate about helping driven professionals achieve their career goals without sacrificing their personal lives. She's certified by the International Coaching Federation and she's also a neurolinguistics programming master coach. Nicole's goal is for those that she works with to recognize that success comes from living a happy, healthy, and balanced life, whatever that might look like for them. If you're feeling tired or overwhelmed or not sure what to do next, this is the podcast for you.  Topics Mentioned: Health Success Balance Mindset  Key Thoughts:  The reason why we burn ourselves out and the reason why we work our butts off is because it's our programming. Whether it's a fear or a limiting belief or that's what dad did, that's what mom did. We are programmed to think that that's what we need to do, whether it's, I need to prove myself, I need to prove I'm worthy or not, that's just what is done, or you've got to work your butt off to make money. Nicole Comis    That makes me think of what grace has been bestowed upon me and upon my life and upon those I love or those I'm watching. Seeing the grace that we get every day, that is what makes me joyful. Michele Williams    The more that you can identify your fears and your limiting beliefs and understand where those come from, the more aligned you feel, and I do tell my clients, too, to really practice making decisions based on your vision and your values. Nicole Comis    When other people's ideas and influence get like that, we have to turn it off, and then we've got to be intentional about the influences of the people that we let speak into us. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Nicole: Website: https://www.nicolecomis.com Facebook: NicoleComisCoaching Instagram: @nicolecomis Email: nicole@nicolecomis.com LinkedIn: nicolecomis Tic Tock: @nicolecomis References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud  Life Fulfillment Exercise Sew Much More Podcast Podcast with Jennifer Looney: Creating a Board of Directors that Support You 

256: One Size Does Not Fit All One size does not fit all. Okay, I just said it. I know that's going to be hard for some of you. But in our haste to get things done, to keep moving, to provide a service, often we're looking for that shortcut to success. We're looking to ride the elevator to the top instead of taking the stairs. Today, we will explore how to choose the right offer for our company and ultimately, for our customers.  Topics Mentioned: Templates  Metrics  Problem Solving  Business Solutions    Key Thoughts: I've used templates. I have templates. I think they're awesome, but they're only as good as they know how to be used and how to be tweaked.  Michele Williams   Simply purchasing a template without a complete understanding of the problem that it's solving is just going to create more busy work for your team, leave you lacking in the outcome desired, and it's honestly going to cause frustration.  Michele Williams   Our goal here is to help you truly understand the challenge that you have and the problem that you're solving.  Michele Williams   What we are dedicated to is empowering you to know how to read the signs, know how to determine what's needed, and knowing how to adjust your systems, whether they're purchased systems or created systems so that they can grow with your company.  Michele Williams   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO2Go Metrique Solutions

255: Ignite Your Passion in Your Business With me on the podcast today is Jacqueline Green of Behind the Design company. Jacqueline is a coach, and she helps people move from a hobby into the business that they want that can be profitable. We're going to have a very robust conversation today on how to identify areas that we're passionate about and how to give ourselves the freedom to move from one direction to another, not to stay stuck. I hope you enjoy the podcast.  Topics Mentioned: Passion Pivot, Growth Mindset    Key Thoughts:  As you build wisdom, as you build your knowledge base, what was important to me in my 20s versus what's important to me in my 50s is completely different. That's what's so unique and fun, is really seeing what could this really be. And getting out of whatever mindset that we were kind of stuck in from our past. Jacqueline Green    Giving ourselves the freedom to even go through that discovery process, I think is really what you're inviting us to here, is to not feel that we have to be stuck, no matter how far we're in business, no matter where we are. Michele Williams    It's giving yourself permission to put yourself first on occasion to really look at what you really want in life and how you are going to get there. Jaqueline Green    I see one thousand opportunities within this industry to build a business, doing the parts that we always have, parts we don't love, but focusing on what you love. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Jaqueline: Website: www.behindthedesignco.com  Facebook: behindthedesignco Instagram: @behindthedesignco/ Email: jgreen@behindthedesignco.com  LinkedIn: behind-the-design/ LinkedIn: jacquelinereed/ References and Resources: CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Financial Courses with Michele Williams including “Understanding Your Financials”, “Master Your Profit”, and “Pricing Without Emotion” Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud 

254: CFO2GO for Your Business On the podcast today, we're going to consider the work of a CFO or a chief financial officer. Given that most of our businesses are too small to hire this as a full-time position, we've begun to see the rise of fractional offerings in this space. Today, we're going to talk about what a CFO does, and if you need one. Topics Mentioned: Financial Planning Budgets CFO Metrics Key Thoughts: What does it mean to hire fractional? It means to share time. So that's really all that we're saying is you're sharing time with another company to have someone come in and perform those services. Michele Williams   But as we know, all CFO services are not the same, just like all design services are not the same. Michele Williams   Why would we name it CFO2GO? Because our goal is to help you understand how to do this work and then let you go do it, not to hold you tied into some long-term engagement. Michele Williams   There's nothing worse than either not knowing how to pay yourself, having the money in the account, not knowing if you can take it out, not knowing what it's meant to do, and not having a plan. We can help you solve every bit of that. Michele Williams   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO2Go Metrique Solutions Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

253: Removing Fear from Video in Your Business Joining me today is Jasmin Bryant with Fear No Video. Jasmin has had a very varied background. She has worked in television, as an actress, and in the news. She is going to share with us today how we can show up on video without fear. One of the things that Jasmin and I are going to focus on is how to remove some of the self-talk that we have before we ever do it, how to get ourselves ready to go on video, and how to make sure that the message is something that we want to share. So, I invite you to listen in. Topics Mentioned: Fear Messaging Confidence Critique  Key Thoughts:  One of my mentors said something that blew my mind, which was, perfectionism is a first cousin to procrastination. Trying to get everything perfect just leads us to putting it off and putting it off until we don't do it. Jasmin Bryant    I don't think it's possible for us to criticize other people at a really high level without turning that focus and criticism on ourselves in an extremely negative, hurtful, hold us back kind of way. I just don't see that being positive. Michele Williams    For anyone who's watching, anyone who's listening, you take those breaths, and you'll feel calmer. Your message will be clearer, and you'll be surprised at how much better your video is.  Jasmin Bryant    I memorize the points in order so that I know this is kind of the route that I'd like to take as I'm sharing and then you just speak from the heart. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Jasmin: Website: Rock That Video Facebook: Fear No Video Instagram: @fearnovideo Email: jasminlbryant@gmail.com   YouTube: Fear No Video LinkedIn: Jasmin Bryant References and Resources: “Five Keys to Beat Camera Shyness” free e-book CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Financial Courses with Michele Williams including “Understanding Your Financials”, “Master Your Profit”, and “Pricing Without Emotion”

252: The Intersection of your Financial and Strategic Plans On the podcast today, we're going to be talking about the intersection of your financial plan and your strategic plan. It's not enough to have one or the other. We really need them in combination to make our business as healthy as possible. So, listen in as we talk about that overlap between the two. Topics Mentioned: Cost to everything  Ability to evaluate and prioritize  Budgets and financial systems support  Strategy first    Key Thoughts: I would always start with strategy first, especially in a planning phase, and then look to what it's going to cost and then back up.  Michele   A company could have goals that are even bigger than what the current strategic plan is.  Michele   This intersection of the finances and the strategy is once you have the financials set to your strategy, it gives you something to measure. It allows you to set KPIs, or key performance indicators, the things that you want to measure.  Michele.   Metrique Solutions allows us to pull in that financial data from our financial accounting software, and then it allows us to do things like manage the data, analyze the data, model the data where we don't have other tools to do that.  Michele   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO2Go Metrique Solutions

251: Year End Wrap Up  Joining me on the podcast today is Ceil DiGuglielmo. You probably recognize Ceil as she has been with me multiple times since 2018. She is the owner of the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Library and the host of the Sew Much More podcast. Every year, Ceil and I get together to talk about what has happened over the last year. We share our business and life experiences, our highs, our lows, what we're most proud of, and what we're looking forward to the next year. We hope that this authentic conversation that you can listen in on between the two of us will spark an interest in you to have that special someone that you can share some of your business highs, lows, and what's happening with as well. Enjoy the podcast. Topics Mentioned: Work life balance Definition of success For Now Key Thoughts:  When life has struggles in it, you do need a little decompression from that, too. As high performers, I think we just keep going. We just keep going. Ceil DiGuglielmo    It's been a year of recognizing the exhaustion from those things and learning how to set those things down. Michele Williams    I love that the mindset has changed, and I love that people are dropping statements like, yeah, cash flow is a big problem for me and that's because I just did this or just did that. Ceil DiGuglielmo   When we are in business and the impostor syndrome kind of rears up, we need to stop and say to ourselves, wait a minute, I was never tasked with knowing everything. I was tasked with having a company that would do research and development to find the answer. Michele Williams  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Ceil: Website: The Sew Much More Podcast Website: The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Facebook: The Sew Much More Podcast Facebook: The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Instagram: @ceildi Instagram: @csf_resource_library Email: ceilwdi@gmail.com  References and Resources: “The Gap and the Gain” by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan “How to Grow Your Small Business” by Donald Miller “Unreasonable Hospitality” by Will Guidara “Getting Things Done” by David Allan “Buy Back Your Time” by Dan Martell “Strong Like Water” by Aundi Kobler “Try Softer” by Aundi Kobler CFO2GO Work with Me Metrique Solutions Financial Courses with Michele Williams including “Understanding Your Financials”, “Master Your Profit”, and “Pricing Without Emotion”

250: Financials are the Foundation to Work Life Balance Joining me on the podcast today is Val Duvick. She is the owner of Val Marlene Creative. She is a Profit First coach and a business coach for those in creative industries. We're going to have so many awesome things to talk about today including Profit First, what it is like to be a creative, how to balance the energy between our left logical side and right creative side, as well as how to get to a happy, medium place where our financials are easy to look at and simple to maintain. I invite you to listen in.   Topics Mentioned: Work life balance Definition of success For Now Key Thoughts:  I tell people I'm allergic to numbers because it feels so intense that my brain just does not want to understand them, but I realized I had to if I wanted to have the type of business and work-life balance that I wanted. Val Duvick   The power of the numbers is what gives us the freedom to build the fence and to build the boundaries around our lives and our business. Michele Williams   We need to know the minimum, and we also need to know where you're headed. Once we have that in mind, we can fill in the rest, and it makes it more attainable. Val Duvick   I think part of success is recognizing those blessings so that we're not so always caught up on how much more we have to do and build and grow, but being thankful for how much more we already have. Michele Williams Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Val: Website: www.valmarlene.com Email: val@valmarlene.com Instagram: @val_marlene_creative References and Resources: The Gain and the Gap by Benjamin Hardy and Dan Sullivan CFO2Go Work with Me Metrique Solutions Financial Courses with Michele Williams including “Understanding Your Financials”, “Master Your Profit”, and “Pricing Without Emotion”

249: 5 Financial Mistakes Made at Year End   On the podcast today, we're going to be talking about the five mistakes that business owners make at the end of the year. I want you to listen in and see if you are finding yourself falling into any of these traps so that you still have time to do something different. Topics Mentioned: Cash flow Budgets Debt    Key Thoughts: I would say nine times out of ten, we're more likely to overspend a budget than to underspend a budget if we're not watching it and being accountable to that budget. Michele   If you find yourself in a cash flow negative situation, remember, that you always have to get cash flow neutral before you can go cash flow positive. Michele   Lifestyle creep is where every time you make a little more money, your lifestyle raises, and then you need more money, and then your lifestyle raises versus keeping your lifestyle where it is and letting the money be made and then letting it be saved. Michele   Businesses that get themselves in trouble don't manage that money properly, which means that they don't have a strong cash reserve. Michele   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO2Go Metrique Solutions Episode 179: Setting and Revising Your Financial Goals Episode 189: Reviewing Your Profit First Strategy Episode 209: Metrique Solutions is Your Financial Partner in Business Episode 234: How to Manage My Money in My Firm Episode 243: Managing to a Budget in Your Design Firm Episode 247: Using Debt Strategically in Your Business

248: All Roads Can Lead to Profit Today, I am excited to offer you a replay of an episode that I did back in 2018 with Mike Michaelowicz. You may know Mike, he is the author of a large number of books from Profit First to Clockwork to Surge, The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur , and The Pumpkin Plan. Mike and I had a really awesome conversation about how all roads can lead to profit if you set the correct coordinates. I really thought that as we're wrapping up this year, things have been shifting, they're a little bit different, we've been through a pandemic, and we've watched buying patterns change over the years and I think this is a great time to be reminded of the fact that we have agency and choice in our business and that those choices that we're making either lead us closer towards profit or further away from profit. With that being said, I want to introduce to you Mike Michaelowicz. Topics Mentioned: Profit  Real revenue  Sustainability and Responsibility  Ideal Clients and Target Markets    Thoughts from Mike:  Profit means that I continue to deliver what I intend to for my community.     Clients want to know that your business is sustainable and sustainability is profitability.     It is important to have a realignment of pride in profits.     In The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur we learn that lack is our biggest advantage. Lack brings about innovative thinking and challenges us.     In Pumpkin Plan we learn how to grow organically and healthily and to identify our best clients.     Once we have clarity on a purpose, the journey becomes very rewarding.     Surge teaches how to know your industry and to see what the next big thing is.     Clockwork teaches that our business can be sustainable and not reliant just on us.  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Mike: Website: https://mikemichalowicz.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeMichalowicz Facebook: https://MikeMichalowiczFanPage/ References and Resources: The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur by Mike Michaelowicz The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michaelowicz Profit First by Mike Michaelowicz Surge by Mike Michaelowicz Clockwork by Mike Michaelowicz E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber CFO2Go Work with Me Metrique Solutions Financial Courses with Michele Williams including “Understanding Your Financials”, “Master Your Profit”, and “Pricing Without Emotion”

Joining me on the podcast today is Danielle Hendon. She is the owner of Four Corners CFO. Danielle loves to take big business ideas and break them down to support small businesses to reach that next goal, to grow and scale, or to just wrap their arms around their business. We're going to have a really great conversation today focusing on debt, such as good debt versus bad debt. Topics Mentioned: Debt Intentionality Understanding your financials  Key Thoughts: Honestly, the difference between good and bad debt is the intention behind it. If you're going into debt, because you didn't do something, and it's a last resort, it's generally not the best type of debt to have. Danielle 11:37    It's the fixing of the process because that's part of that intentionality, I teach an aim with intent methodology. It starts off by having a solid foundation and then creating intention, intentional budgets, intentional KPIs, and intentional spending patterns. Michele 15:28    Every business, we've all got to start somewhere, and I tell people all the time that debt is such a loaded word, and it carries such a burden to us mentally, and money in general. Cash makes or breaks a business. Danielle 20:06    It's really being aware of what's happening. Otherwise, everything is reactionary as opposed to being proactive with our money. Michele 34:53  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Danielle: Email: danielle@4cornerscfo.com Website: https://4cornerscfo.com LinkedIn: @Danielle Hendon Instagram: @4cornerscfo Facebook: @4CornersCFO   References and Resources: CFO2Go Work with Me Metrique Solutions Episode 194 Understanding Your Financials with Melanie Lockert Financial Courses with Michele Williams including “Understanding Your Financials”, “Master Your Profit”, and “Pricing Without Emotion”

246: Creating Good Financial Systems Joining me today is Kelcee Sparks with Elite Ops, and we are going to be talking about financials. This is always one of my favorite topics to talk about, and so I'm excited to see and to hear the questions that she has for me. Topics Mentioned: Basic financial concepts Understanding your financials Strategic planning Profit First    Key Thoughts: The first is I think every business owner should understand their major anchor points, especially from a P&L. What does that mean? It means I think they need to understand revenue, and how money comes into their business. Michele   Knowing our financials gives us the ability to know when we are going to do a task, how much more it's going to cost us or save us, and then it also gives us the ability to know if I say yes over here, then I need to say no over here. Michele   One I would say really is about creating some type some type of Profit First strategy, which means, first and foremost, watching the money, looking at the money, knowing when the money comes in, knowing how much we need to pay out every month kind of tells me how much I need to be bringing in every month to satisfy that particular need of the company. Michele   It's about having a good accounting system, having a time tracking system, and then having a system like Metrique that pulls it all together to be able to look at it. Michele   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams References and Resources: Work with Me CFO to Go Metrique Solutions Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

245: Investing in Yourself to Build Your Business Joining me on the podcast today is Amanda Scotto, principal designer and owner of AMA Designs and Interiors in New Jersey. Amanda is a client of mine, and she is going to be sharing her journey starting with where she began, some of her early successes and pivots that she's had in her business, and challenges that she's encountered. She is very transparent, and freely shares with us, giving us an opportunity to learn about resilience, planning, and raising our hand when we need help. It was an awesome conversation and I invite you to listen in. Topics Mentioned: Cash flow Investment Growth Pivots in business    Key Thoughts: I was always inspired by design and architecture and construction from a very young age. My father and grandfather owned a construction business. I basically grew up on the sites, my mom would drive me to visit, and I would have lunch in the trailer with my dad and grandpa. It was at that point where my grandpa sat me on his lap, and he taught me how to read the blueprints and then he showed me how the sketches became the framework, and the framework became the building. Amanda 2:09   Everybody has to start somewhere. I want to invite you as we take a moment to look back at where you started, let's look back with grace. Let's look back with appreciation. Let's look back without embarrassment. I mean, we all start somewhere. If anybody listening to this podcast hears anything, I want them to not be afraid of their own origin story or embarrassed of their own or even when it takes twists and turns, knocks you down and skins your knees. It's your story and it is part of what has you in the wonderful position that you are in today. Michele 8:24   That is when I started working with you and we've corrected the problem. I made it through. I'm doing so much better than before and now I have the confidence in my numbers. I am a totally different person than I was a year ago. I'm pulling reports. I'm analyzing my numbers. I'm sitting down with my accountant. we're having these educated conversations on making decisions based on numbers, margins, percentages, like all these things that I did not have the competence, or the knowingness and I can actually happily say that I'm getting my new office space soon. Amanda 43:28   I think that's what a lot of people miss is the net profit. They look at net profit and think that's profit, I can take it home or look in the bank account and think is there I've paid everything I can take it home instead of saying but what does that bucket of money need to do in the future and have I set it up to do that? And that's a big question to ask. What is the job responsibility of your net profit? Michele 44:41   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Amanda: Email: byamadesigns@gmail.com  Website: www.byamadesigns.com  Instagram: @amadesignsinteriors Facebook: @byamadesigns References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions

244: Get Uncomfortable by Choice in Your Design Firm Joining me on the podcast today are Joann Kandrac and Kelly Kole of Kandrac & Kole Interior Designs based here in the Atlanta area. Kelly and Joann have been together for about 18 years, and they do something every year that has just really been inspiring to me. They go on a mission trip to Guatemala to help others in need. On the podcast today, Kelly and Joann are going to share about the process of how they came together as business owners, how they implemented and embraced this mission trip, and how they look forward to it every year. There is truly profit in giving to others and you're going to experience that on the podcast today.   Topics Mentioned: Philanthropy  Perspective  Gap and gain  Key Thoughts: But for ourselves to stay safe sane, and to have a good attitude all the time, that is kind of where we come from that we have our heads on straight. I have to say giving back and going to Guatemala and all those things have helped us to maintain that, so we don't get too wrapped up in ourselves and stupid stuff. Kelly 14:58    Yes, I think perspective is a really big deal. Because you need to be reminded, you get kind of on that wheel and if you don't remind yourself, you can get carried away. So, I feel like we do have a really good perspective, we don't work ourselves to the grind. Joann 17:17    So, I think for us working in luxury environments, because it is such a big difference in some cases. Honestly, the longer we stay in our luxury ways and luxury businesses, the more we become accustomed to that, and it's important, I'm not saying any of it's wrong, it's just a very different view. The beauty that I think you have, in your perspective, is you've seen both. Michele 33:30    Get uncomfortable, put yourself in that place, and go help somebody. Let them be a blessing to you because it'll change the way you deal with other people, the way you approach your business, the way you calm your anxieties, and how you are always chasing that gap that ideal that you'll never get and cause you to relax. It'll help you. Kelly 34:29    You know, to look back at that house, it's almost like when we're there, you're kind of on autopilot. You're not sitting here thinking about, oh, I'm hungry, you're just doing it. You're with the group and everybody's doing it and it just kind of happens. It's really amazing. It really is, and I urge people to try to do it. Joann 38:30    I say that because sometimes for people who have never done this, this feels so big and so overwhelming, and like there needs to be so much that happens to be ready. That it really is about creating it the same way as if it is a personal vacation. It gets put on the calendar, you plan up to it, you work around it, and you keep going. Michele 44:48  Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Joann and Kelly: Email: joann@kandrac-kole.com  Website: https://www.kandrac-kole.com  Instagram: @kandarckole Facebook: @kandracandkole LinkedIn: Kandrac and Kole Pinterest: @KandracKole Twitter: @KandracKole References and Resources: Work with Me Gap and the Gain Dwell with Dignity  Catalyst Resources International  Sunshine on a Ranney Day  Partly Sunny  No Longer Bound  Dwell With Dignity  Kandrac and Kole podcast 

242: Dressing With Confidence in Your Business  Joining me on the podcast today is Angela Foster. She is a style coach who is going to help us focus on how to be confident in what we're wearing no matter where we're going, and no matter what our sizes. We can all dress to accentuate our best features. Listen in and learn how. Topics Mentioned: Confidence in dressing for any occasion  Tools to shop with confidence  Accentuating and minimizing with confidence     Key Thoughts: We're starting our day with our own internal mind chatter that is not setting us up for confidence and success and joy and all those things that we need to be who we need to be in our day-to-day job.” Michele 8:58   There are also the colors that look best on your skin tone, so we nail those down. This may not be the sexiest part of it, but the thing that makes it so powerful is that when 80% of your closet is in a certain color palette, it makes mixing and matching so much easier. Angela 14:37   Think about it this way, as designers, we would never go in and start specking furniture for a room that we didn't know the sizes of, we would never do that. We would go in, we would know the sizes of the walls, we would know where the doors are, we would know what we wanted to accentuate and what we wanted to minimize, and we would know where we wanted the focal point of that room to be. We would take those measurements, we would create a floor plan, and then start buying furniture pieces of the size and proportion that fit into that plan. That's how we do it. Why do we not do that in our own clothing, I don't even know my current sizes. Michele 40:14   Make a list. Be specific. Know your numbers, know how the brand fits you and I can help with that. Have a list and stick to your list. Angela 44:20 Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Angela: Email: hello@angelastylecoach.com  Website: https://angelastylecoach.com  Instagram: @angelastylecoach Facebook: @AngelaFosterStyleCoach LinkedIn: @angelapetitestylecoach Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/5047055232cfd4923bc1db5efe6095/ References and Resources: Work with Me Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck Angela's free workbook

Joining me on the podcast today is Kelcee Sparks with Elite Ops. She has been with us on previous podcasts where we are answering the questions that you all have sent in and today, we're focusing on processes. We are going to answer questions on how to get started, how to organize and structure your process, where to put your processes, who will help write the processes, and even discuss the importance and the mindset behind a process. Today's podcast has lots of good information and we thank you for joining. Topics Mentioned: Process Creation Mindset KPIs   Key Thoughts:   One of the things that I love is to have whoever is already in a job, let them document what they do, or their part of the process and then somebody else read it and see if they can do it. Michele 8:10   That's why creating those standard processes is so important because when there is an error, you can go back through your process and understand it and fix it for next time. Kelcee 13:54   The other thing that I would say is to find the processes that matter the most to the success of your company because those are the ones that we really want to try to document as quickly as possible. Michele 24:32   One of the things that I brought into my business from my industrial engineering background was a continuous process improvement mentality. Kelcee 31:16   Until we realize that processes are important to the success of our business, we will not give them time. Michele 36:14   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   Contact Kelcee: Facebook: Elite Ops Support Instagram: @EliteOpsSupport References and Resources: Work with Me E-Myth Revisited The Miracle Morning

241: Creating Space for Your Business to Grow Joining me today is Rasheeda Gray of Gray Space Interiors. Rasheeda started her business 7 years ago as part time and then evolved into full time business ownership. In this episode we will discuss the journey to growing a business and leading a team. Rasheeda shares her lessons learned and you don't want to miss them. Topics Mentioned: Life Vision Goals with connection Process New beginnings   Key Thoughts:   Everything happens for a reason and so I think my marketing degree, my business sense, and I have an MBA as well, those sorts of experiences and education have sort of prepared me for where I am today. Rasheeda 8:06   We're all on this journey, this life journey, and where we start doesn't have to be where we end. As a matter of fact, I hope that it's not unless it is perfect when we start. But we have the ability to move through it and to try different things. Michele 9:42     It was as simple as profit and loss, and realizing our P&L statement isn't the only part of the story, you also need to look at the balance sheet. That's when I realized, oh, this is where we aren't doing so well. Rasheeda 36:09   It was powerful information and now you can use that information to get what you want on the other side. You can affect change. That's why my tagline is what you own, you can change. Michele 39:50   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams Contact Rasheeda: Email: rasheeda@grayspaceinteriors.com Instagram: @grayspaceinteriors Facebook: @grayspaceinteriordesign Website: https://grayspaceinteriors.com/ References and Resources: Work with Me Metrique Solutions Atomic Habits by James Clear E-Myth by Michael E Gerber Clock Work by Mike Michalowicz Good to Great by Jim Collins House Beautiful Whole Home 2023

239: Creating a Vision for Your Life and Business With me on the podcast today is Kathy Geffen of Kathy Geffen Designs and Fine Tune Coaching. Kathy has had an amazing 25-year career in corporate America doing all types of organizational management, started a drapery workroom in 2015, and has recently launched Fine Tune Coaching. We're going to have a great conversation about what it's like to overlap with different areas of business, what makes it so important to be connected to your goals, and to be able to organize them in a way that they can be achieved. There is really great information in this podcast, and I hope you enjoy it. . Topics Mentioned: Life Vision Goals with connection Process New beginnings     Key Thoughts:   But it was the first time in my life, I could say that I have a goal that I want, and I understand how I have control to get to that goal. Kathy 10:12   In other words, the goal is not just the end result, it's the process of growing and taking baby steps to get there so that if I'm thrown off a little here a little there, say I fall a little short of the goal, I'm not like beating myself up that I didn't meet the goal. Michele 13:17    I want to help the business owner understand how to make their day and their business achieve their goals. Kathy 31:21    When you help that business owner, even create a Kanban Board, and understand the concept behind it, yes, it took some of your time, even if it was 10 minutes, and you didn't even recognize the impact, sometimes those are the biggest impacts when we don't even recognize it. Michele 36:19    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   Contact Kathy: Email: kathygeffendesign@gmail.com Instagram: @finetunecoaching Instagram: @kathygeffendesign Website: www.kathygeffendesign.com Website: www.finetunecoaching.com References and Resources: Work with Me Beyond Booked Solid by Michael Port Metrique Solutions

238: Diversifying Your Business With us today is Anastasia Harrison of AHD&CO as well as with AHD Trade. Anastasia is a licensed architect and an interior designer with a primary location in New Jersey. Her business has grown and changed since she first started and we're going to be talking about how it has diversified with a trade-only showroom. Join us and listen in. I hope there are some great takeaways for you. Topics Mentioned: Different Income Streams  Internal Growth  Coaching Employees  Leveraging Relationships    don't want an employee for two to three years; I want an employee for life. Anastasia 22:12   From my standpoint and working with you on this, this has been a thought-out process it's been well over a year in the creation. Michele 24:46   We took the time that we were building this space out to have strategic meetings with all of our vendors. Anastasia 27:17   What I hear you saying is when you place the order, we want to carry some of that mental load so that you don't have to carry it. We're going to update you so that you don't have to chase us to get the answer. Michele 33:57   The person building a brand new house, the woman buying a sofa for her client, they're all the same to me. They're all clients, and they deserve the same mission, vision, and values that we have as a firm. Anastasia 34:13   Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   Contact Anastasia: Email: anastasia@ahdandco.com Facebook: ahddesigncenter Facebook: ahdandcodesignstudio Instagram: @ahdandco Instagram: @ahddesigncenter Website: www.ahdandco.com References and Resources: Work with Me Fix This by Mike Michalowicz

237: What Goes in a Strategic Plan  Joining me on the podcast today is Kelcee with Elite Ops.  She has been with us before and we are going to be doing question and answer time focused on strategic planning. We look forward to your questions so please continue to send those in to us at team@ScarletthreadConsulting.com.   Topics Mentioned: Strategy Planning Metrics  Key Thoughts:   Anything that we're close to, we see more clearly than things that are far off like that. If we can just hold that image for a minute, and then think about planning, anything that is really close to us, we can see more clearly anything that's further out takes longer. Michele 3:54    The thing about a strategic plan is you want to plan it so that it's detailed enough to be a path to move you closer to where you want to get but not so tightly that you can't move and that you can't adjust or be fluid with the needs of your company at that time. Michele 7:19    I don't think that it's possible to create a detailed plan without some idea of how to market. Michele 20:34    I prefer in a strategic plan to have high-level key performance indicators, that these are the things that I'm going to measure to see if I got there. Michele 23:22    The more we set up a plan for success, the more likely we are to succeed. Without a plan at all, the more likely we are to fail. Michele 31:06    Contact Michele: Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com LinkedIn: Michele Williams   References and Resources: Work with Me