Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Bridget Chirigos. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I’ve always loved design and business so it is a perfect fit for me to own my own Interior Design Firm. I love people so choosing residential design where we get super personal, is comforting to me. I become their “everything home consultant”.
BIO: An accomplished Residential Interior Designer, Bridget founded her own company in 2009. She graduated from FIT in New York, moved back to her home town in Texas, married and built her design business while raising her young son.
An unexpected move to Minneapolis in 2016 gave Bridget an opportunity to build a stronger brand focusing on her passion and expertise designing Custom Homes and Remodels. In 2018 she opened a studio and today works with some of the top builders and luxury clients in the Twin Cities, Florida and Texas.
We are an extension of our client’s build team and are there every step from architectural design to lighting the candles for the final reveal. Our typical timeframe working with a client is 6 months to a year with many going well beyond that timeframe as we continue with furniture and finishing other spaces. We become to know our client families very well – I have to write down all the pet names because I just can’t remember all of them!
Our White Glove Service: We provide home owners with a stress-free, exceptional experience when building or remodeling their home. Our creative and personable approach comes from our excitement to uncover the client’s own style, their own story, then take that and create the functionality and styled interiors beyond their vision! It’s like unfolding their future. It’s such an exciting journey.
DesignBar service:
To offer a uniquely concentrated consultation service that will provide interior design and decorating expertise to
the DIYers who are renovating or building a new home and want to take on the design management themselves.
Chirigos Designs has built a reputation of delivering excellent design work, with Bridget developing personal relationships with her clients that ultimately defines her work. The DesignBar will be an extension of this philosophy. Our clients won’t just be getting stock advice or predetermined designs, but will receive deeply personal insight on their project that accounts for their personality, their financial and time restrictions and their place in the project timeline.
Taking on a renovation design project is A LOT for people without the experience. It is stressful not knowing where to go for what, in what order and what to select when you get there! That’s where we come in – to make this design journey fun and exciting by laying out a guided path.
I knew it would be a value to people, I just didn’t foresee just how much value it really is. It’s amazing to see them gain confidence and excitement.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
My husband’s job transferred us from Houston to Minneapolis in 2015. We had no connections here and I was leaving a growing design business. Within two years, my mother had passed away, my mother-in-law passed away and my husband’s job was eliminated. It was a trying time.
Thankful to my husband for being a great financial steward, we had savings but it was our faith that brought us through. We knew God intended for us to stay in Minneapolis, we didn’t know why, we just knew that was where we were suppose to be. Within 6 months of his job loss, I opened up a design studio and hired my first employee and a business coach.
Not knowing anyone, I studied the market, called some top home builders and ask for a chance. One gave me that chance and from there, we grew. I introduced myself to vendors, colleagues, contractors, builders… anyone in the industry and began a network.
We will celebrate our 5th year and have revenue over half a million. I still have to build my name in the market and it hasn’t been the easiest with the pandemic, shortage of labor and materials, long lead times and now high inflation and a bit of a slow down but I keep going.
I made many mistakes and still do. It is a journey that I have to navigate, trying new things, making changes, staying current and keeping motivated to do the little things every day.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Caring about solving issues that clients have and working hard to bring valuable solutions is the reason we have grown our clientele. My dad has had many successful businesses in several industries that he built and sold. He has helped me tremendously and I wouldn’t be where I am today if I didn’t listen to his practical advice.
1. Focus on taking care of every client like they are my family, and do it over and over again every day to the best of my ability.
2. When I no longer have client issues, I no longer have a business. If clients could solve their problems themselves, they wouldn’t need me. Welcome client problems.
3. Keep it simple.
4. Employees are an asset, invest in them and they will take care of your customers.
5. When a client complains, take care of it, even if it costs you. It is the best marketing tool to invest in.
6. The number one reason small businesses fail is because they’re under-funded. If you are worried about spending money on “entrepreneurial education” your chances of success are much smaller. If I wake up worried about money, I can’t focus on taking care of my employees and my clients.
7. Be happy about failures as it is one step closer to success – and take accountability for them!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.chirigosdesigns.com
- Instagram: @chirigosdesigns
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChirigosDesigns
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bridgetchirigos/