We were lucky to catch up with Iga Soszynska recently and have shared our conversation below.
Iga, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.
My company- Designed by So focuses on supporting small, creative businesses (from interior designers, to photographers, textile & wallcovering brands, furniture designers etc.) in their marketing efforts, as well as helping interior designers with their back of the house operations. All that is possible because of my own valuable industry experience that I gained while working as an Interior Designer: lessons learned, mistakes made, managing employees, dealing with difficult clients, and building someone else’s small business into a successful firm, before starting my own.
My approach is different because I truly understand where my clients are coming from. I’m not just the next marketing specialist or a business coach who will approach their problems with the same solutions they use for other businesses. I come from the same background as them, so we can really connect on that. I understand their daily struggles, worries and unfulfilled dreams. I know which questions to ask when they get stuck. I make them feel understood, heard and motivated. And most of all, I don’t charge the BIG agency fees, because I know their budget limitations. Every business owner I work with is treated as an individual case, and their needs are being reviewed by me carefully before I come up with an action plan.
When running a small business, you must be cohesive in your approach. Everything (from your website, social media, marketing documents to even invoices) you show to your potential clients will make an impact on their decision to buy your product and color their relationship with you even after you finish their project. It’s so hard to find the time and energy as a small business owner to get it all right yourself. People try, but it often comes with a great deal of disappointment, because things end up feeling random and messy.
In my marketing work, whether it’s a rebranding, a new website/ social media, or a set of marketing documents to improve their process and outreach, I always rely on strategy. Every brand curation project begins with a Strategy Session- an essential part of my process, during which we outline your business’s values, look at your competitors, define your ideal client profiles, and bring out the unique story you want to tell your potential clients. We also get to the bottom of your struggles by defining the key pain points in your business. After that we discuss your goals, and set some realistic deadlines. Everything we do together relies primarily on the new strategy we develop during that session- without that we can’t build a good marketing plan. And that’s my secret sauce!
I think my other big differentiator is that I welcome all. I want to work with all budgets, because I know that sometimes people just need someone who will help them take that 1st big leap, and things can change for them so quickly. My clients are these passionate, talented people, with certain budget limitations and an imposter mindset. My ultimate goal is to dig them out of the hole of self-doubt and equip them with a few essential tools that will boost their confidence- that honestly applies to all my services.
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 definitely answered this question with my last answer, but here’s more of my story that I hope can inspire some people who struggle:
My whole design journey started back in Warsaw, Poland, when I was 16: we were sketching a still life and my highschool art teacher noticed my talent. And just like that, 1 person’s opinion changed the trajectory of my life forever! From then, as a pretty determined person, I decided I’m going to do everything in my power to get good enough to get into the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Poland. I chose Interior Design and Graphic Design.
Art school shaped me so much. I had to learn how to deal with criticism in a high pace environment, juggling multiple projects at once and being okay with competing with my peers. It wasn’t easy. The journey continued when I decided to go to Heidelberg, Germany after my graduation to work for an incredible multi-disciplinary studio: Atelier Kontrast (now Glatz & Glatz). This is where I saw the power of a multidisciplinary design studio- they blended so many things under one roof, which allowed them to create incredible, cohesive design projects! That led me to a decision to stay in Germany and do my Master’s Degree in Product Design at the well-known Bauhaus University.
In the meantime, I fell in love with an American- Max, without a plan or an agenda. That eventually led me to a decision to move to Chicago where we would start our lives together! It wasn’t an easy one- I was leaving everything I’ve built, both in Poland and Germany, behind: my family, friends, connections, identity, language, food. Anybody who’s ever lived abroad knows the feeling. Landing in Chicago wasn’t a piece of cake either- I was coming from a very different environment where money was not such a big driver in people’s lives. And I landed at a prestigious full-service interior design firm in River North. I had to climb the ladder and work much harder than others, just because I was from Poland, and my high-level education and experience weren’t being recognized. I had to learn the ropes, new market, even thinking in inches and feet (which for a designer, who’s worked in metric has been quite a challenge) It was hard for me to admit it then, but now, after a few years I can really tell myself: it taught me so much and gave me so many opportunities, but it challenged my health: both mental and physical.
When faced with hard decisions, we often become numb. And so did I. I knew I had to leave that environment- working with very wealthy people and career-driven individuals who would squish you just to get an approval or some benefit, wasn’t for me. That’s when I learned I developed an auto-immune condition that is connected to stress and I had no other choice but to get out. I took a break, stepped back and looked at everything I’ve learned and accomplished- in the eyes of my family, friends and eventually myself. I realized that I have a gift: a gift for building, improving and elevating things that are unnoticed, left behind or broken. It was an incredible realization, because it helped me find inner strength and understand that my superpower is a gift that I need to share with the world! That’s when I started looking for my next endeavor!
I found a very small interior design business, with a tiny office in Lakeview, Chicago. I knew this was going to be a challenge, but I took it- knowing the money was probably going to be bad, and the workload-well, huge. Yet again, my urge to use my gift won with whatever the “smart” decision would be, and I accepted a full- time position of a Lead Designer, to what then turned into a Creative Director, Manager and Business Developer. I ended up growing the business significantly over Covid, hiring multiple employees and leading many exciting interior design projects. Eventually the business was able to get a new, gorgeous office that both me and the owner found one day. We went through a rebranding process (with a company I found that ultimately also inspired me to do what I do today ;)) and started to bring an amazing amount of business and press. I was proud of myself and I felt great about my accomplishments. But it didn’t feel right. Yet again I felt like it wasn’t even my success- my name was nowhere underneath- it wasn’t my company. The only people that knew how much work I put into building this business were: myself, my boss, and Max who literally watched me pour my heart out everyday.
1 thing I’ve learned through that experience was: I’m a giver, and I don’t vouch for myself when I should be. That’s when I decided to hire a career coach to help me figure this out! I will recommend this to anyone who has ever been in a similar position. Through that, I made some huge decisions for myself: 1. It’s time to move to LA, 2. I’m going to start my own business. So I left everything behind, said goodbye to the company, coworkers, my Chicago life and followed my heart.
Now I’m here in Los Angeles. Things are not easy by no means, but my business is growing at a pace that I’m comfortable with. I get to work with amazing clients, hear their stories and feel the satisfaction when I get to change their own trajectory. I’m not trying to grow at all cost, I respect people and love what I do. I found my purpose in life, which like I mentioned is to help other creatives, fix what’s broken in their business, but often in life too. And yes, not through interior design as much anymore, as through marketing and business development, sprinkled with empathy and care.
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn was thinking that I need to FIT IN. If you’re an immigrant, an artist, or simply someone who always felt like they were different- this is for you!
Being an artist back in Poland, I very much had my own identity, but I started getting inspired by things/people and always looking for something different and unique. Whether it was fashion or a book, or a statement, I had my confidence in my artistic choices. But I never had enough personal confidence until now. When moving to the US I’ve quickly fallen into a trap of trying to fit in the stigma of what a “proper interior designer” should look like. I didn’t have the money for fancy, designer clothes, but I felt the pressure to look a certain way, have my hair be different etc. Later on, that has turned into feeling the need to be more feminine and peppy. What followed was the feeling that I’m not being taken seriously because I’m not married and don’t have kids. Crazy, right? We get so obsessed with these “images” that we think we’re supposed to be that we forget to be ourselves- the most unique and perfect versions that already exist. I see many business owners falling into that trap, and my mission is to help them undo it. Because if we all look and act the same, what’s the point?
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
I’ve learned so much when working with teams, and later on managing employees. I also watched my bosses carefully at every job, because I’ve always had the feeling I was going to become one ;) Here’s my recipe for a good leader: 1. Never bring your personal problems and emotions to work, unless they’re going to directly affect your team and need to be shared for that reason. 2. Never assume your team made a mistake- always listen to your employees and get the story straight before you make hasty judgment. It’s called a team for a reason! 3. Don’t create an environment of competition- set clear expectations and job descriptions, so people don’t start fighting for power- this is ugly and always brings bad outcomes. 4. Give your team an opportunity to open their minds- organize quarterly excursions, creative sessions, take them to museums, etc. 5. Recognize the success and explain the failure: this is a must-do for any team’s morale- people have the need to be appreciated and recognized. And when failures happen, analyze them as a group, help each other learn from that experience. 6. Last one is very obvious, but still so forgotten- pay your employees if you want them to stay with you. A job is a job, no matter how cool and rewarding the task, people need to make money so they can invest in their own lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.designedbyso.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designedbyso/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/igasodesign/
- Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/designedbyso/
Image Credits
Featured Photo, Portrait on the rug & on the sofa with a magazine: Ben Speckmann Photography, Room with a stool and black cabinet, Bedroom – Margaret Rajic https://margaretrajic.com/ Kitchen photo: Iga Soszynska- me. The remaining are my client projects.