Show notes
Today with Steve and Alyssa Terpstra of Coco & Jack:
Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Today on the show, Luann is joined by Steve and Alyssa Terpstra of Coco & Jack. Steve and Alyssa run their firm together without any other employees, with Steve running the business and sales side, and Alyssa creating the designs. They also have a large family with four young children. Today, they’re sharing their strategies for running a growing business together while staying flexible and balanced with their family.
Pick it apart:
[14:48] Steve dives into Coco & Jack’s pricing process
[19:08] LuAnn and Steve dissect how to determine the budget, even if the client is unsure or less-than-forthcoming
[28:07] Luann and Alyssa discuss how referring out projects is sometimes vital for growing to the next stage of business
[29:23] Alyssa shares how the flow of the workweek and balancing parenthood looks for them
[38:36] Luann and Alyssa discuss the double-edged sword of Pinterest-based design and how to maintain creativity when design examples are just a few clicks away
LuAnn, Steve and Alyssa’s Ah-Ha moments:
“It’s not just having a person who’s capable and qualified to come in and do the project management, but the trust and confidence that it’s your husband, that he’s as invested and has your back and the best interest of the company, you, and the clients in mind.” -LuAnn
“That process of trying to figure out where our budget numbers are going to be, comes from talking with the potential client about their lifestyle, the way they’re living now, what area they’re living in...it chances on every project we quote.” -Steve
“It’s a tough time. I talk to designers about making that transition from all of the projects, when we’re in that phase of ‘We have to take all the business we can because we have to get this company up and rolling,’ and then making that transition to weeding those out.” -LuAnn
“It’s interesting because we’re together all the time, but we still don’t know where we are until we get to that Monday morning meeting. Then we’re back on track again.” -Steve
“When I think back to when I first started my business, Pinterest was a lot smaller. Instagram was a lot smaller. There wasn’t as much out there. You were forced to look in more creative ways for inspiration. Now, it’s just so easy to find all these beautiful ideas, with endless amounts of it. It enables copying a lot more than going you and being authentic with design.” -Alyssa
More About Coco & Jack:
Coco & Jack is a full-service interior design studio run by husband and wife team Steve and Alyssa Terpstra. After years of talking about working together, they were finally able to take the leap and make the dream a possibility. Steve has a passion for business and manages everything behind the scenes, while Alyssa is all about the design, and can’t get enough of space planning and fabric samples.
Whether you are building your dream home, or just need help decorating a room, we love making houses feel more like home!
Connect with Coco & Jack:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
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luannnigara.com/launch
www.luannnigara.com/cob
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Book 1: The Making of A Well - Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
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A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:
Monogram: At Monogram, no detail gets overlooked. In fact, it’s the details that create luxury appliances that look, feel, and perform as if they were designed perfectly for your client. That’s why Monogram works to make sure that you have the right, detailed information to share with your clients. They even offer easy-to-use 3D design tools to make your job easier. Get started with their trade program at www.monogram.com/luann.
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Other Shows Mentioned:
#587 Darrell Long: The Best Design Comes From Within, Not Pinterest
#270 Shea & Syd McGee: Building a Design Empire Involves a Lot of Hustle
#480 Chris Loves Julia: Quality Content Creation is Key to Their Success
#474 Bria Hammel: Keys to Scaling Your Interior Design Firm