1164: WWLD: When Responsibility Became Stewardship

0:00Welcome to a well-designed business. My name is Luanne Igarra and I'm so glad you found this podcast. Together with my husband Vince and our partner Bill, we have grown our company Windowworks from the ground up. So I know and I understand the challenges you face in running your interior design business. I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your success. So on this podcast, we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your business. But make no mistake about it. We have our share of fun here too, mixed in with those aha moments that I love so much. This isn't fluff, nobody has time for that. Whether you are a new interior designer or a seasoned designer, I am here to help you create and to manage the kind of interior design firm that you dream of. It's straight talk and it's action.

1:01Are you ready? Let's get started. Hi, welcome to a well-designed business. Today is part three of our 10 year birthday series. That's right, it's 10 years in the month of February. In part one, I share why this podcast started. In part two, we talked about the moment, consistency, stop being optional and became a responsibility. You remember that moment in your business, I'll bet. And today, we're talking about what came next. Because there is a moment in every business where hustle stops being the answer, right? Not because the work disappears, but because the work changes. And if we miss that moment, we don't just slow our growth. We risk letting down the very thing that we worked so hard to build. So there came a point where the podcast no longer depended on my hustle, but it depended

2:02on my stewardship. And that was a shift that I didn't fully anticipate, but, truthfully, literally, with my experience in growing window works with Vin and Billy, I should have anticipated this. Because stepping out of the weeds doesn't mean stepping away. It means stepping into a different kind of responsibility. And I had done that at window works. I had me and Vin had taught others to do things that previously only we did. This is normal in scaling a business, but it is the part of growth that doesn't often get talked about quite enough. When I stopped doing every single task myself, what replaced that work was not rest. It was not taking the foot off the gas. It replaced it was bigger thinking. This was the period of Lewand University expansion. I started asking more serious questions around it. If there were actually literally a business school for creatives for interior designers

3:06and window treatment pros, like a true full-on curriculum, not a few good courses, great courses, not a handful of trusted voices, but an actual place where interior designers and window treatment professionals could learn the business side of their business. When I started asking that question, it changed things. I was no longer looking for people who were just good at the thing and wanted to teach it for personal fulfillment and for the fun and the enjoyment of it, right? I was now looking for people who were willing to commit to it for the long term. Why did they want to teach at Lewand University? How did this serve their business goals? Because for a true long-term commitment, there has to be real alignment. Not just this, not just a, this is a fun thing to do together feeling. That feeling and that energy is great. It's enjoyable. But I was looking now for the win, win, win. Because the win, win, win is sustainable. Win for you by having a quality instructor who are experts in their lane.

4:12Win for those instructors. Your business is expected to be positively impacted by being an instructor for me and Lewand University and for you. And then the win for me, a university I'm proud of, right? I mean, this is a thing. So that was happening at this point. Speaking in G, engagements shifted here too. I wasn't saying yes because it looked good or because it was flattering. I was asking, who is this for and why does it matter? You see in the beginning, it's kind of like in the beginning of your business, when you take all the jobs, all the things, you know, in the beginning, the first couple of years of speaking, oh, yeah, you want me to talk about you, blah, blah, blah, right? But now it was, why? Why am I going to this particular one? How and why does it impact my business, okay? And also an important criteria enduring this is, how does it shine a light on the ecosystem that we're building at Lewand I got an ink, right?

5:16Power Talk Friday, Lewand University, chairman of the board. And later coming very soon, by the way, boardroom for creatives. What was the why? Why and when do I say yes to one and not to the other? Each speaking engagement now runs through this filter first. And what's crazy is just literally two nights ago, my United app told me that in 2020 25, I took 34 plane trips. And I have to tell you, with complete honesty, when I look back at that year, 2025, there is not one event that I can say, yeah, I didn't need to do that one. Now that it's done, now that it's over, it wasn't really worth it. Because the filter is in place before I accept the engagement. And the filter is working because I have clear criteria on why I say yes, right? And so you can remember this moment and you need to do this when you're looking at your

6:17own potential projects. There was a point when you said yes to everything. And then there's a point, but then you say, not yes to everything, but why should it be yes? And if it's not a yes and if the why isn't connected, it's a sorry. There's a referral to my friend, right? Now around the same time, my responsibilities actually started to grow again beyond Luana Garajink. You remember I came from WindowWorks to Luana Garajink. And it was like one transition to the other. But around this time, I accepted an invitation to be on the national board at the WCA as a member director at large, okay? And now, all these years later, I'm national president, which is something I am proud of and quite honored to do. And I'm quite pleased to do it. I love doing it, right? So that added to my plate. And also during this time, Vin and I purchased exciting windows, which was another great decision

7:19and has become the heartbeat of so many new friendships and relationships and satisfaction for the both of us in addition to being another yet profitable business under our belt. So I wasn't just building my platforms. I was now becoming responsible for multiple communities, multiple promises, multiple futures. So in this phase, the work didn't get smaller. It just got a little bit crazier, but it did also get clearer. As I've explained in the early episode in this series, I've always made my decisions with the future in mind. And at this stage, that thinking became paramount, that future thinking. Every decision, not some, were now filtered through the future lens. If I do this, if I build this, if I add this, well, I want to do it in five years, in 10 years, in 20 years.

8:19And if the answer is yes to those, how do I build it, build it to ensure its viability for five or 10 or 20 years from now? And what happens if I build this thing, but I'm no longer in it? Does it go on? Does it end with me? If I don't want to do it when I'm 80, can it go on? Should it go on, right? These are questions that impact a different way of leading, right? Because at this point, let's be very clear. I'm thinking about my reputation personally and professionally. I'm thinking about the lessons I want to teach and leave behind. I'm thinking about the responsibility that what we do must matter to us first and to other second. And to me, to matter to me, in order to matter to me, let me say. And certainly to others, to you, it must teach, it must inspire, it must help. It must model what it's possible for you and your business as well.

9:23And it must feel doable for you, of course, if you're willing to do the work, right? It's this feeling of inclusiveness, of accessibility. And all the things at the end of the day have to be something that I'm proud of, that my team is proud of in every aspect. No, yeah, butts. Oh, yeah, that's good enough, but no good enoughs at all, right? So put yourself in that place. Is your business in that place, right? What are you saying yes to? What are you saying no to? Why are you saying yes? What does it mean to you in five years in 10 and 20, right? Now, you know me. You know me if you've listened to the show for these 10 years. And hopefully, even if you've listened only for a year, you know that I love to share the ideas of others. You know that I love to share the stage with others. You know that I recommend others who are better equipped than I am for whatever it is you need.

10:28And despite that being in my own DNA, right? At this stage of my business and of Louis and I get a ink and of this podcast, now is when I also become extremely intentional, intentional about paving the way for others who are doing exceptional work. So it's in my DNA to do it. But at this point in my business, we're on memory lane. Let's not forget. I start to actively think about this. How can I shine a light on this person here who I admire? How can I create access for this person here? Who has a really great thing that will help your business? I'm looking for ways to help you benefit from what they do, what they offer and they provide, right? I've always believed this about business. That a championship team needs a great general manager, right? But it also needs a head coach, a batting coach,

11:28a fielding coach, a trainer, a doctor, the equipment manager, right? So I was never the only one who could teach you into your designers and window treatment professionals, how to be profitable. I was never only the one. I'm never only going to be the one. It takes all of us to do that. But at this stage, I was consciously gathering the pros around me who shared that vision and now come the books, The Power Talk Friday Experts One, The Power Talk Friday's Experts Two, The Lewand Live Events, where I've got all of these colleagues on stage, right? There is no room for ego in this layer, this level of leadership. When you truly want the best for others, you provide that. No matter who the answer is for that other person. And I believe this in my core. And I started to actively live this with intention. Now, this was also the phase where opportunities were coming

12:29fast and often. You know this in your business, all of a sudden the phone is ringing, bang, bang, bang. Visibility, partnership, sales opportunities. And this is where the work shows up, right? Just like speaking engagements, not everything gets a yes. I'm asking better questions. You have to do the same at this stage in your business. Does this person stand in the same values? Does this company, sponsor, collaborate, collaborator align with our mission here at Lewand Igari Inc? Does this consultant genuinely want to teach and empower you or just sell something to you? Okay, so this becomes a filter now. And sometimes the hardest no is the one who looks the best on paper. Walking away from visibility or revenue is not always easy. I know it's not, but this is where you're intuition, your experience, your research and vetting come together. Those people in my corner,

13:33Sarah Danielle, the former CEO of my DOMA studio, Cato Harrah, the CEO of O'Hara Interiors, Sandra Funk, Nicole Heimer, I could, my husband Vin, I could list my cousin Eileen as I'm saying it, I'm thinking of them. These are the people who will, when if they hear this, they will go, oh, I remember the time she asked me about this, the time that she said, what do you think about this company, this entity? This is what I know, do you know anything different? Because at this point, I'm making sure that everybody to my ability that I can is aligned with values, right? Because short term wins are now measured against long term value. Brand alignment matters more than quick growth. And this is a muscle that you have to exercise, you have to flex, you have to really dig into because at this stage of your business,

14:34it's going to matter, okay? Now, one of the clearest places that this shows up in the podcast is in sponsorship, right? I have categories that are sold. I have sometimes stacked sponsors in the same space and the thing is, I could have put multiple people in the same lane. I could have taken what, I can't tell you how many times I've turned a sponsor down. That's plain English what I want to tell you. That's what it is. I've probably turned down more than I've accepted. That's the truth of it. And if I was doing it for strictly money, listen to me, I'm doing this for the money, just like I teach you to do it for the money, but not at the cost of your own reputation, of your own values. And when I tell you I have turned down more than I've accepted, take it to the bank. Because the thing is, when I look ahead in 10 or 20 years,

15:38I knew I would not be proud of those decisions. So exclusivity in a category isn't about loyalty alone, but that's important. It was also about trust. And that trust is with you, okay? It's with you first, and it's with those sponsors second. And trust in the integrity, right? I want you to have trust in the integrity of my recommendations. So just because you can monetize the thing doesn't mean you should, just because you can sell a thing doesn't mean you should, just because you can do a project doesn't mean you should, okay? So if you are racing all the time, you might miss the moments to make these assessments, who am I working with? Is it a vendor who lets you down over and over? Is it a client who year after year after year comes back but is always ungrateful condescending and appreciative? And you see, I didn't just make that scenario up. I have been first row front row seat

16:39to interior designers that have that client. And I've looked at him and said, what are you doing? You know, they always pay blah, blah, blah, blah, right? Is an employee who disrespects what you've built, how you operate and how you lead? You know that saying, the five people you spend the most time with, look around. What do they look like? Do you like what they look like? Okay, so that's what I was actively doing in this period. Making sure, as the business grew, that the business people that we worked with, the collaborators that we were working with, and that we were doing, I was doing the best of my ability to vet them against my values, against the vision for where this was going. And really, like what I used to say in my mind is, if the New York Times published a list of all of the people

17:42that I am collaborating with, will I be okay with that list, right? Like if everybody knew exactly who I was partnering with, is that okay? And a big wide world of interior design, don't underestimate that, right? There were a lot of notes because I was just like, mm, no, wrong lane, wrong category, not the right kind of people. And I have to say, it might be because I'm at the point of my life where I have a lot of experience behind me, and I'm looking at legacy. But I want you to think about that, if you're listening in your 25, if you're 35, if you're 45, like who is on that list that's gonna be published in the New York Times, on the front page, and you're proud of that list? Great, if not, cross some people off, because you'll never regret that decision. Now, I wanna let you in on a tiny little bit of a secret.

18:44It's the sneaky, insidious lie that we tell ourselves in business. After x, y, z happens, it will be easier. After x, y, z happens, I'll be able to breathe. After x, y, z happens, everything will be fine. But here's the truth. There's always going to be a new challenge. And if you learn from your previous challenge slash mistake, the challenge will be new and it'll be different, but it's still going to come again, a different one, a different version. And as you grow, they often come with higher stakes. So here's my advice, stop being surprised. Just stop, just stop being surprised. Stop thinking it's easier for someone else, okay? It's not the way it looks on Instagram. I promise you 1,400 episodes and 19, billion conversations. No one ever, ever, ever, ever whoever I've met

19:44from Nate Burgess all the way down to Sally Smith. It's not what it looks like on Instagram, okay? This is business, it's not a vacation. It requires resilience. It requires toughness. It requires smart decision making. Not just to grow, but to sustain. By the way, some things do get smoother. Some things do get easier. And some transitions and some pivots bring relief. I know that, okay? But what I also know, and this is why it didn't surprise me, after decades at window works, I know there's always another problem around the corner, okay? The thing is, what does get easier? Is knowing that a new problem is around the corner. You're not gonna lose your mind over it, right? You're just like, okay, new hurdle, new challenge. Let's keep it rolling, okay?

20:45So the thing is, please don't be surprised. That's one of the things I noticed is that maybe you have a moment that is a stomach punch or a kick your teeth in moment. And you think it's it? That's it, it's over, I gotta give it up. I gotta turn it in, I'm done. Power through. You know in your gut, you know in your heart, do you have a business that is worth saving, worth resuscitating, worth giving CPR. Give it the CPR, you'll get through it. We all have our lowest moments. You're not sure, read my first book, The Making of a Well Design Business, there's quite a few low moments in that book, and you will understand that it happens to all of us, but you can get through it. All right, now the other thing to tell you is, this all sounds hard, right? Saying no to money and visibility and speaking engagements and sponsors that didn't align, but that's actually not really the hardest part.

21:48One of the harder parts was accepting that my job was no longer to actually prove anything, okay, my job was now to protect what I had built, to grow it to its potential, to not let it down, to not let you down, let's be serious, not to let Vinny down. That's a big thing for me, right? So I had built this thing, it was moving and grooving, I'm making decisions, and now all of a sudden it's kinda going, and then it's like, oh, oh, oh, oh, right? I have to refuse the temptation of good enough when with work and commitment, I can go to excellent. Think about that, maybe you're at that point in your business, where are you? It's not getting it, going, it's keeping it going,

22:50it's having the understanding that this isn't a startup anymore, this isn't just coming out of the gate, this isn't running around like a million miles an hour just to keep it on life support, this is, whoa, it's working, now I have to protect it, now I have to lead it, now I have to guide it, okay? Because at this point, the vision was unfolding, and now I understood that it was my responsibility to execute on it, and that's when responsibility becomes stewardship, it's quiet work, it's serious work, it's leadership work, and when you reach this phase, the questions change, you stop asking, what do I gotta do today? And start asking, what do I have to protect today? What do I have to lead today? What do I have to usher today?

23:50You start to ask, what must be designed in this business today? What must be done in this business today? So it can live beyond me, right? Now for me, a lot of this phase of my life currently, because we're still on memory lane, is live beyond me, because I'm 63 years old, as I record this, right? I'm not gonna do this for 40 more years, right? But for you, when we say, what must be designed into your business, what must be done in your business, so it can live beyond you, maybe for you, maybe you're 30 years old, you're 40, you're 50, and when I say, how can it live beyond you? It might mean, how can it live beyond you if you go to Europe for three weeks? How can it live beyond you if you wanna, you know, visit your kid in college in Italy for a month, right? How can it live beyond you if you and your partner, you wanna like walk the Camino, I don't know, right? How can it live beyond you in the day to day?

24:54I'm thinking beyond me in my lifetime, but it applies beyond you day to day. How are you designing your business? How are you putting your systems in process in place? So that all those decisions I just talked about, that stewardship of your brand and of your values and of the people you work with and the people you collaborate with and the things that you do are all representative of the way you do it, whether it's you taking three days off to go on a girls trip or you're taking a month off or some emergency comes in your life and you've got to go and take care of it. How can the business function beyond you, right? All right, now in the next episode, we're gonna talk about that, the structures, the systems and the decisions that allowed my particular business to grow without losing its soul, okay? So I can't tell you how much, first of all,

25:57I've gotten many, many messages, DMs and emails about this series, so I just, you know, I know it's 10 years and I shouldn't be surprised, but I truly am always grateful for every time any one of you reaches out and acknowledges, you know, an episode that resonated with you that hit you between the highs. And this series so far, I've gotten a lot of feedback, I appreciate you. I thank you for being with me today and with me for the last 10 years, decide to be excellent. Thank you for joining me today. This podcast is a production of Luanne Nigara Inc. If you want to know more about me, my books or Luanne University, go to LuanneNigara.com. And if you are interested in having window works help you with your next window treatment or awning project in the New York, New Jersey metro area, go to windowworksng.com to learn more. Thank you for joining me today.

26:58windowworksng.com to learn more. Have an excellent day.