We recently connected with Staci Steidley and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Staci thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with what makes profitability in your industry a challenge – what would you say is the biggest challenge?
Many designers have talked about the future of our business and how hard it is to be sustainable in the current day of instagram strolling, online price comparison shopping, and the trend toward disposable, low quality furnishings and art. These are definitely challenges that we face each day. Even in very high-end projects, you can get people who want to shop you and challenge the pricing. The other part is that while some online sites can offer free shipping, we do not get free shipping from our manufacturers so that cost is part of what we have to consider as well as the cost to recieve, inpect, store and deliver each item. For the client, this part of the process can be hard to understand. We have tried various methods of pricing and invoicing to make it better, and we always shop ourselves to make sure we are the very best price offered. We are lucky in that many of our accounts are stocking-dealer pricing, but for a small designer, this can end up eating up most of the profit.
Another aspect that is a challenge to profitability is the remodel/build process. There are so many aspects to think of in a new build and each thing takes time to design and source. Sometimes, you can’t rush the creative process but at the same time, we want to be respectful of our client’s budget. I know that we will have to eat some of the hours at times when it just needs extra care to pull a scheme together. This is just the creative process that is never just cut and dry.
Many times, our new-build projects can take 2-3 years! This is new since COVID so we are having to plan time to manage this project for quite awhile. For these types of projects, we are really only compensated for our time and this can add up when trying to make sure these long projects get built according to the design and the installations are all done properly. I think the key here is to have proven processes and the experience to estimate properly.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
As a little girl, I was fascinated by architecture and how skyscrapers and cathedrals were built. My parents built two of the homes we grew up in and my mom and I would study floor plans and talk about why she liked one versus the other. For fun, we would walk houses under construction and try to figure out each room’s purpose. No surprise, when I went to college, I wanted to study architecture and interior design and felt a true passion for making all things beautiful!
After college, I worked for commercial design firms in Virginia and Dallas while raising my daughter and son, but when I was approaching that empty nesting time, I thought I really wanted to venture out on my own and really focus on residential design. I had no idea that I was about to embark on a crazy adventure of being able to design dream projects and building a design team that I truly call my work family. I think that the timing was just perfect since the Dallas market was booming and our designs really exude an achievable elegance that many families can picture themselves living in with ease.
Interior design firms are plentiful in the DFW area, but we feel that Studio Steidley strives to set ourselves apart with exceptional designs paired with a client experience that rivals none other. We leave our ego at the door and work as a team to bring luxury into everyday lives and make sure each of our projects truly makes the client happy for years to come. We joke that we are playing the long game over here, we not only want homeowners happy on reveal day, we want them to be just as happy 10 years from now.
We provide full-service luxury interior design services throughout the DFW metroplex including new build design, remodels, and decorative remodels including furnishings, art, and accessories. We have many clients who hire us to help them with their new home build design and then we get to provide the new furnishings to complete it for them!
Any advice for managing a team?
One of the aspects of running a design firm with 6 employees that I never knew I would enjoy so much is the joy of managing a team of people who I have so much love and respect for each day. I am not saying it isn’t hard work, but I do think that it is a privilege to be able to nurture young designers and I think when you change your perspective to this, it changes everything. We have an open plan studio so I am part of most conversations and we have built a culture where when one person’s workload is overwhelming, the others immediately jump in to see where they can help. Everyone works so hard because they are passionate about what they do and the clients we serve. Maintaining high morale can sometimes be hard when we are trying to manage very difficult situations. One thing that helps is I try to do is empower each person with the knowledge and confidence of how to maneuver through them successfully, but also to know it is okay to ask for help! Instead of rushing in to solve the problem for them, we talk through it and I help them craft the answers they need to be the problem solvers themselves. We don’t get caught up in the little things or things we can’t control. We just do our best and pivot when necessary!
When people ask me how we maintain such a tight team of high quality designers, I tell them that it is all about the work culture we have created. Everyday, I am thinking of the designers and how can we support them more and empower them with knowledge. I am very clear with my expectations and regularly meet with them to communicate what is working and what isn’t and what is our strategy moving forward? I am not a micro-manager so after giving design direction, I let them have a go at it on their own. We have several mini-meetings to give feedback and I always strive to give at least three things that I love about their design direction. Never is it a carte-blanche “yes” to everything. So a mix of “yes” and “no” answers to the designers selections is the key. Our team is small enough that I can maintain several key interactions one-on-one with each person so that I know what is happening in their life and what might be exciting or stressful for them in the moment. They know I care about them personally and I think this goes a long way. I ask myself, “Are you listening to their needs and their dreams? Do you feel like you know them well?” Having times where we are just having fun together is vital! When relationships are strong, it makes the management much easier.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
When I was first out of college, I was told by a mentor that if you show up everyday and do your very best, that is the best fast track to the top. Then when I started my design firm, I heard an industry podcast where the designer was always stressed about if she would be able to attract new clients and the interviewer said “If you show up everyday ready to do your best work, under promise and over deliver, you will never lack for clients.” I loved this because I can control this, and I know I am a super hard worker, along with all of my designers! By adapting this principal, we have had numerous new clients, new builders, and high-end remodelers come to us and wanting to develop long term relationships because they know we give our very best every day. Of course, we do traditional marketing to attract the high-end clientele, but mostly we have built a very successful business with 80% of our new clients coming from referrals. Potential clients will say, “My neighbor used you for her home and loved working with your team, then when I went to your website, the pictures of your designs confirmed my choice in working with you!”
Contact Info:
- Website: www.studiosteidley.net
- Instagram: @studiosteidley
- Facebook: @studioseidley
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacisteidley/
Image Credits
James Ray Spahn, Morgan English, Michael Hunter