We recently connected with Joann Kandrac & Kelly Kole and have shared our conversation below.

Joann Kandrac & Kelly Kole, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Crazy stuff happening is almost as certain as death and taxes – it’s technically “unexpected” but something unexpected happening is to be expected and so can you share a crazy story with our readers

We attended an interior design mastermind group in Las Vegas in January of 2018 where we met Phil Pallen, brand strategist, media expert and keynote speaker who specializes in personal branding and social media strategy. We were very impressed with his knowledge and expertise. At the event he was offering a “brand audit” which evaluates a brand’s position in the marketplace, strengths and weaknesses, etc. We decided to invest in that and after a wonderful presentation and ideas, Phil felt very strongly that he thought we would be great podcasters. Podcasting was definitely around in 2018 but it was still very new to us. We were open to the idea but had no idea how to make it happen. Here’s the CRAZY part!

When we first started our business in 2005 we attended “Ladies Who Launch” an entrepreneur group for women. The woman who led the group, Tracie DeForge, had become a friend and we kept in touch with her and many members of the group mainly via Facebook. Two weeks after our return from Las Vegas, Joann got a random Facebook message from Tracie that said, I just started a company that produces podcasts and I think you and Kelly would be great as podcasters. Talk about karma!

From there Produce Your Podcast took care of all of the logistics and put us in touch with the producer, who helped us with the type of equipment to purchase, our intro and outro and everything we needed to get started. . We are four years in and it has been a wonderful addition to our interior design business. Our episodes are 3o minutes and are educational, inspirational and fun. We were thrilled that Marlo Thomas’ PR company reached out to us to have her on our show. It was Episode #100. Our podcast was voted one of the “Best Interior Design Podcasts on the Planet” by Feedspot.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

We were both business professionals prior to making interior design a second career. We met while working at a home decor and furnishings store and then worked on a show house together. We discovered through that experience that we had the same design sense, work ethic and personality traits to be long term business partners.

We are proud to have a thriving design business. We service metro Atlanta and have been fortunate to do projects in Chicago, the Hamptons, Hilton Head and Charleston. We started out doing residential projects but since 2014 have added multi-family commercial projects to our portfolio consisting of Luxury Apartment Leasing Centers, Clubhouses, Models as well as Rooftop Design.

We have proudly run a flourishing business together for 17 years. Many people ask us how we’ve managed to stay amicable and successful all these years? The secret is this: Have mutual respect for each other, understand our strengths and weaknesses, build each other up, forgive mistakes, appreciate each other and share responsibility equally.

Communication, efficiency and customer service are what we are all about. We believe those traits are the reason for our success (we have 68 Five Star Reviews on Houzz).

Education is also a priority for us attending several industry events and speaking at various conferences as well as giving back through various charities. One of our favorites is Catalyst Resources International in Guatemala where we build a home every summer and support an orphanage.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think what’s help us build our reputation within our market has been the adage “slow and steady wins the race”. Nothing happens overnight. Our dedication to our clients, our hard work and staying consistent with our goals has led us to being well known nationally. We attend industry events to keep up with the latest and greatest, trend forecasting and we are always looking for ways to be inspired, whether it be through travel, shelter magazines or show houses. Professional photography has always been an investment we’ve made and that’s one of the greatest ways to show your work via your website, social media and national publications, which we’ve been lucky to be featured in many times.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

I think the adage “slow and steady wins the race” has worked for us. Nothing happens over night. Staying consistent with our goals and making clients a priority through our processes, hard work and excellent communication has led to our success. Staying inspired in our industry through travel, shelter magazines and show houses keeps us motivated and excited for every project. Professional photography has been something we’ve highly invested in as it’s the best way to showcase our work via our website, social media and through national magazines we’ve been fortunate to be featured in.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kandrac-kole.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/52138734/admin/ttw
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/KandracKole

Image Credits
Joann and Kelly in podcast studio – Catmax Photography Joann and Kelly at doorway – Seastar Arts Photography MAA Buckhead – Leasing Center with blue striped chairs – Lauren Rubinstein Photography Black and White Kitchen with 3 pendants over island – Lauren Rubinstein Photography Blue/Green living room with piano – Lauren Rubinstein Photography Exterior Porch – Lauren Rubinstein Photography Carmel/Brown Leasing Center – Lauren Rubinstein Photography Living Room with black piano and Carmel X chairs – Catmax Photography Article credit – Joann Kandrac & Kelly Kole