Episode 312: How Can Female Entrepreneurs In Interior Design Build Lasting Success | Laura Umansky | Laura U Design Collective & Design Dash Community
Interior designer and Design Dash founder Laura Umansky joins Kara for a powerful conversation about creative entrepreneurship, designing with intention, and how badass women can build businesses they love. They discuss building strong teams, balancing vision with systems, and why the interior design industry is ripe for change. If you’re a creative ready to scale, this one’s for you.
“ I think really any creative who is a badass can build her own business and really build the life she wants. ”
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Follow along using the Transcript
(00:00:02) - Introduction to Laura Umansky and Her Journey
(00:01:46) - The Importance of Entrepreneurship and Freedom
(00:04:05) - Challenges in the Interior Design Industry
(00:05:27) - Networking Strategies for Success
(00:16:40) - Balancing Work and Business Development
(00:21:26) - Defining Powerful Ladies and Their Impact
(00:51:42) - Manifesting Community and Support in Design
(00:52:51) - Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations
There's nothing more powerful, I think, than a person with a vision and the drive to reach it. That's what gets me going, and those are the kind of people I love to surround myself with, the people that are doing cool shit, and I'm just like, Ooh, that is really interesting. How amazing that I'm in the same room with you talking about that.
That's Interior Designer and design founder Laura Umansky. I'm Kara Duffy, and this is The Powerful Ladies podcast.
Welcome to The Powerful Ladies Podcast. Thank you for having me. I'm so excited to be here. I am very excited that we're gonna get to dive into more of you and what you're up to today. We had the pleasure of meeting because I was on your podcast Design Dash and we're working together now. I'm learning so much more about your business and what you're up to, and you really are just such an example of living your dream life based on, I.
Starting your own business, and I'm excited to dive into about how that's pivoting and switching and growing and all the things. But before I get too far ahead of ourselves, let's tell everybody your name, where you are in the world, and what you're up to.
Sure. Okay. Thanks again for having me. My name is Laura Umansky and where I'm in the world I'm in Snowmass Village, Colorado or Aspen Colorado. And, my business. I have an interior design firm called La u Design Collective, headquartered in Houston, and we have an office here in Aspen where I live. So yeah, here I am.
You and I were having a conversation the other day about why you started the Design Dash podcast and community, so I'll let you share in your own words like why does that matter so much to you?
Sure. So I've had my design business for 18 years and I was really driven to start my own business from an early age. My father has sold his business now, but he was a business owner. And so I watched him, grow his business and really, live a life that he loved because he had his own business. He traveled a lot. And so it just gave me insight into, oh, okay, yeah, I can really make my life what I want by being a business owner. I think it's really important to be an entrepreneur because you can really craft the life you want because of that. And so I've built my design firm over the last 18 years.
I have a team. I started by myself and within the first couple of months I had to build it and they will come mindset and. They did, I had client, a lot of clients, and so I started hiring after only a couple months in business. And then fast forward to now, I have a great team in Houston and independent con some independent contractors that work all over the US and all over the world.
And what I've found is that because I have a team, I'm really able to make more money than I would on my own. And also be a lot more free in my. In the way that I live, like I can travel, I can, I live where I want to. I live in Aspen, Colorado, which is beautiful. And and I think that's all because I have a business.
And so that's what I want for other women who are creative entrepreneurs, specifically interior designers, because I think this industry could really afford you a fantastic business. If you put in the work. And build it in a really solid way. And you have really a strong foundation and good systems in place and you're hiring your team, I strongly believe that.
I think really any creative that is a badass can build her own business and really build the life she wants.
This is where I think you and I have so many shared values and like our vision for empowering other women in this space because we were talking about how we believe so much that access to your own business gives you access to the next thing, time freedom, location freedom.
We both believe that having teams changes everything, and we also want women to be empowered in getting to control their own destiny. You and I have both seen so many interior designers who are talented and struggling. And historically the interior design space has been very gatekeeper. It's don't share our list, don't share our sources, don't let people into the club.
Like it was so hard to get into it and get successful in that. There's been so much protective approach to it all. And then I know you and other women who are like, this is so dumb. There's room for all of us. And so I think I just wanna throw out some numbers because I think that there are some people who think.
All the interior designers they see are making millions of dollars every year, if not tens of millions. I know a lot of ENT of interior designers who are super talented, who are busting their butt to get to be able to take home a regular salary and have like your business might make a million dollars, but doesn't mean you are right.
So where do you think, most interior designers are falling and where would you like to see most landing from like a revenue perspective?
Yeah, that's a really interesting question. I would have to make a lot of assumptions to answer that properly. I don't know where most interior designers are falling.
I think that a lot of residential interior designers specifically are small operations. So they're either a solo or maybe they have a couple team members. It really depends on their client base. One project could be a million dollars in revenue, but like you said, a million dollars in revenue doesn't mean you're taking home even a hundred thousand.
Like you've gotta have a really strong business to be able to take home what you want. I don't know the answer honestly. I should I. When I started, let's see, I took out a loan. So I was in the negative for my first year because I invested in inventory. I had a shop, I had a storefront. I marketed the hell outta my business and paid for marketing.
Did events. So I was in the position because of this loan to do that. And I know that a lot of women, business owners in particular, are afraid to. Take loans out. And so I don't know how many are in that position to have capital to really have a runway for their business, but I did lose money my first year.
I think by year three I was probably bringing home a couple hundred thousand dollars in profit. And that's because I'd grown my business to, I bet by year three we're probably doing a couple million in revenue. And that's what I would wanna see for all of us, everyone. I think if you can grow your business to a couple million dollars in revenue, you have a very, and you have a small team and a and you're building those foundational systems you're gonna have a really good take home and you're gonna have some freedom.
It's changed a little bit since Covid, but pre covid, only 4% of businesses over a million dollars were owned by women. That's a sad statistic. It's a such a sad statistic. Yeah. 'cause getting to a million dollars in revenue isn't really that far away from even having $250,000 in revenue.
And I say that to people who currently would love to have 250 K in revenue, and they're like, what? But it's, it really is, to your point, a matter of some systems and a few structural changes, and you can get there so quickly. And. I don't know that women know how accessible breaking through that million dollar barrier is.
Yeah, and I, one of my short math equations is usually whatever your revenue is the most you could probably take home. If you are the business owner is a third.
I think that's generous, honestly. I think a healthy interior design business, and this is just based on like research we've done and where we land typically is around 15%.
Net like to the bottom line. Then again though, like my rep, my salary's built in, right? So that's my salary is in the business and then I'm netting on top of my salary. Ideally 15%, but I put a lot back into my business to grow it. So it's a give and take. But I think yeah, like that $250,000 number is so doable. It is a function of pounding the pavement, networking like hell, and bringing in business that is just biz dev.
Yeah. Can we talk a little bit more about that? Because I think that's an area that people get so nervous about and self-conscious about. I hear so many clients say, I don't wanna bother people. I'd rather just send an email. I, do you really show up and knock on doors? Totally. Yeah. So what? What is pounding the pavement really look like today?
Oh my gosh. So my favorite thing is when someone tells me like, man, I'm see, I see you everywhere. And I'm like, hell yeah. And that means we're probably print advertising.
Our social media is extremely robust and active. I'm doing a lot of industry events because don't count out industry as part of your networking strategy because there are so many great ties in our own industry and it isn't as. Gate kept as it used to be. It's so much more open now. At least those of us with an abundance mindset want it to be open.
And those are your people. That's who you want. But also, like if you're just starting out, I. Get to know the realtors in your area and get to know the builders. Just hyper, hyper local. And it could just be even your own neighborhood or a few neighborhoods around you. It could be that simple.
Do the research, but do not get stuck in the research trap. Get out and act. I know that sounds like I'm really oversimplifying, but it really can be that easy. Get out and make connections with builders and realtors.
And what, I'm always telling people like those connections could be seeing them at industry events and making connections.
Inviting them to things asking them for coffee or lunch. Yep. I love creating an event where I get to invite the people I wanna network with and have them come to me.
Yes. That is huge. I think that's the best strategy. And that's actually how I started. So when I first opened my storefront, I had a little retail store and then I had my.
Even smaller studio in the back. And like I said, I had a loan and so I did invest in some advertising print ads with our modern luxury subsidiary in Houston. And so they were there because I'm an advertiser with support my events. And so I started having events pretty quickly. I had a location so it was easier.
But yes, if you control the event. You have a media partner that's even better because then you're leveraging their list. And if you have a small list, your list and getting people to you instead of just going out and infiltrating other events, which you should be doing that too, because the more they you, the easier it's gonna get for you and the more they're gonna recognize you and what you do.
And I know that sounds basic, but it's true.
I think the most basic systems are often the ones that we don't do. Yes. You, every time someone's oh, I'm stuck in sales. What should I do? I'm like, go back to your sales pipeline. If you work the sales pipeline, if you work your networking pipeline, I.
It works, but we have to do it diligently. There have to be hours a day, a week, whatever frequency you can afford, but it has to be something we're doing all the time. Yeah. And I think the sooner people get comfortable making friends with strangers, the sooner their business can be the business they want it to be.
I am someone who was not born with the, I don't have fomo and I never think twice about bothering someone. That's just who I am. Like I'm happy to talk to people, invite people to things like there's no shame in my game for better or worse. Where do you fall on that spectrum? And if you were nervous about doing it, how did you break through?
It is really funny because I think a lot of people assume I'm an introvert because, or an extrovert because I do a lot of speaking and I do go to events. But I'm actually, I guess I'm an extroverted introvert, so even when I was a kid, I used to love planning parties. I'm talking like middle school and then I would make myself fricking miserable because I planned these parties.
I've invited all these people and I'm like, I don't even like a party. And now these people coming that I'm still that way. It's ridiculous. I. I'm the, I'm like in the middle. I think like I will go because I will push myself out of my comfort zone and I've gotten really comfortable being uncomfortable and that is something I had to train myself to do.
I don't like going to events where I don't know people. I don't know anyone that does except for you. Maybe Kara, but I don't love that. And so it just took me years of going to industry and social events to actually show up. And now I know people and it's easy 'cause I don't care where I go. If I'm in Houston going to an event, if I'm in as going to an event, I'm gonna know somebody. And that's just because I've done it for so long and I got, I got comfortable being comfortable early on.
I don't think I like those things either. Like I, I would also, it is, I think it's Amber Vert is like when you're half introverted, half extrovert.
Oh, okay. That's who I think I am. Like I, it's almost like you put on, and I think it's from learning to do so much speaking and presentations in my past life. Where you know how to turn it on and you're like, okay, I'm performing right now and then I'm going to drive home by myself and talk to no one until like 10:00 AM tomorrow morning.
Oh my god. And that's it. Yeah. And it's interesting 'cause I think some people are just like, they're just on and they get so much, it feeds their soul to be on and be around people. I'm not like that. I'm like, you, like I've got to get my mind I have to turn it on. Once I'm there, I love it and I'm in it.
But then yes, I have got I need alone time. I need space. I need to sit and read a book and just be by myself afterwards.
And I think when you acknowledge that also when you're out, you start finding people who are just like you. It's oh, you don't wanna be here either? Okay, yes, I'll definitely talk. Perfect.
You're with me? Yeah. No, but I do love it. I, I've gotta gear myself up to go, but once I'm there I'm like, yeah, this is great. Yeah, because you, and it's beneficial. It's beneficial. Like you're gonna get some small thing out of going to these events.
One key thing though is to make sure you're following through and following up. 'cause you're not going to these events and it's not, you're not going to them just for this one hour. You're going that to them to develop these relationships. And so that takes action after the fact. So as long as you know that and you're doing that, you're gonna be good.
There's a lot of interior designers who are, let's say, within the first 10 years, if not five years of their business, who have clients. They are completely overwhelmed with how much work they have for these clients. And when I tell them to do exactly what you said, they go, how do you find the time and.
I'm curious how you balance that in the beginning, because I think it's so important. Like you have to keep feeding the pipeline and they're finding these like spikes and droughts because they'll have three to five clients at once. They'll get done, then they'll have nothing have to scurry to find new ones.
It'll spike again. It seems like a very un. Sustainable approach to running the business. Yeah. So even in your early days, how were you balancing all this networking and following up with actually doing the work that you were getting?
Okay, I'm gonna make two points. The first is, I think that's the, that the kind of like feast or famine I situation is part of this industry.
I have not solved that problem. We do have a more consistent project flow now that I've been in business so long. And that just comes from marketing, advertising, public relations, just constantly keeping our name out there. When I fall down on that at all, if I get burned out or I'm in like a. I don't know, in a funk or something.
And I don't wanna do those things. My pipeline shows it. So just because you've been in business a long time, the work is, you still have to do that work. So I think, yeah, that feast or famine thing is the nature of this industry. And it's hard. And it's really hard because. You do have to balance the onslaught of work that happens all at once versus those drive periods when you don't, when it's just oh, I have one project, it's gotta get me through.
You've gotta balance that and you've gotta be, I think, really resilient as well to get through it. When I first started my business. It was easier to balance. I did not have kids, so I think like I just did everything. I worked 24 hours a day because I was obsessed. Like I just loved my business so much.
My husband's an entrepreneur also. So the two of us together, it's no big deal for us to work 24 7. That's just what we did. Because by God we were gonna make this happen. We invested money in this. We took out a loan like it was gonna happen. So I think there was no balance early on and it was, but yes, there was a lot of like client work and business to events.
I hired early on, really early. To help with operations, bookkeeping assistant an assistant that manned my shop and then also helped me with all my work so I could be out on site and then I could also be doing the dev. So I hired really early. I wasn't scared to it. I needed the help.
Yeah I think the, not hiring a right hand is what?
Handicaps, the majority of small businesses that are out there. Because we're not built to, to do business alone. We're not built to do life alone in general. Yeah. And when we think oh, I can do it all myself, like it's. It's impossible by the laws of physics for you to actually do a business by yourself and hiring that right hand to your point as soon as possible, it changes everything because you having that person suddenly, I bet, where you're like so many things.
It's so nice to come back and have things just done or to. Delegate things while you're in motion and you come back or the next morning things are complete and organized and there's a rhythm that you start to feel in your business. That I think is like one of the first turning points that starts to change everything.
I agree. I think. So there's a woman in our design Dash community. She's an interior designer. She just opened her storefront. She's had her business a couple of years. So she has some really great projects. She's never hired anyone until we started really working together and she's since hired two people.
I. One that's a design assistant and one that's more operations. And she told me this week, she's I washed my car. I went for a haircut. She's I have my life back. She also has four kids. Wow. And she's just been nervous to hire. And I think that once you get over, once you make that first hire and and it may not be perfect, it probably won't this, you may not know what the role is that you need.
You may hire the wrong person for that role. So just know it may not work out at first. But once you get over that and you hire someone and oh, this can work. I think you're gonna find so much freedom. Like I, I know I can take, really a six week vacation if I want to. I could probably go on a three month sabbatical and my business would still run.
And it's because I have a team in place and they don't rely on me. Really for. Much now, which is great. Although I poke around and get in trouble sometimes. But yeah, I think hiring is a big, is a huge benefit to interior designers, but I think it's also one of the biggest hurdles in fears.
Absolutely. I wanna go back to 8-year-old. You Okay. Would have imagined that this is the business and the life that you have today, or what was she expecting?
Probably I was pretty headstrong. I was a little entrepreneur from a very young age, so I didn't discover interior design as a profession until I was almost finished with my undergrad degree.
I didn't like, I loved art. I was an art student. I loved art, I loved photography. I loved making things more beautiful than I found them. I had always loved the idea of interiors, but I didn't know it was an actual job. 8-year-old me had no clue. But I think, I don't know, I guess maybe I was pretty precocious.
I think I was like, yeah, I'm gonna do whatever I want. The world is my oyster, but I'm also willing to work my ass off to make it happen. So I've never been a, like a complacent person. And I've always been a goal setter. Like I set goals, I write them down. And I think early in my career, when I was in my twenties, when I was starting my firm, I just, I wasn't thinking big enough.
And so I was hitting those goals. Way quicker than I thought I would. And then I'm like, oh shit, what's next? Like I did that already. Now what? And so now I'm like, I need to set some new goals. And so yeah, that's why we're working together too, is 'cause I'm like, okay, so now what? Like I love, I. I love where I am and I'm really happy, but I've never been good at just sitting still.
Yeah. I heard Tina Fey on Amy Pouler's new podcast talking about, she's I'm not a workaholic. She's I'm a workhorse. I'm like those dogs that need a job to really be happy and fulfilled. Yeah. And when I don't have one, I get a little itchy and, it's bad. It's like bad for humanity when I'm bored and totally.
I so related to that, and I think so many other female entrepreneurs do, because it's not that we are living to work, we are working to live the life we want. But it's about what's the project, what's the next thing we get to add value to? How do we get to make sure our brains are really enjoying, like what we're creating and who we're working with? 'cause sure, it sounds nice to just float and have a cocktail for a couple of days, but. After a few days, you're like, oh, okay.
Okay, now we're gonna start another business. Exactly. Yeah. I don't sit still. But I think it's also like us in this industry, we're creatives and for me, I love to build things.
And so if I'm not building something, I'm lost. I don't care if it's a business or I'm on the board and we're, we have a gala tonight, so I'm really involved in nonprofit, but something that I'm really can sink my teeth into and, or it could just be a project, like a renovation or whatever, A pet project. I think we just need to build
Yes. At least I think how people like you and I are built. Yes.
Yeah. Yeah. I know if I go on vacation for a week. I'm definitely coming we're either buying a new house that I'm renovating or I'm starting a new business, or I'm launching some big initiative within my company, like I'm not sitting still. It's a problem.
Yes.
I don't know. Tina Fay, I think you may be a workaholic sister.
Yeah, we're of course on the Powerful Ladies Podcast. So I would love to know how are you defining powerful and ladies, and do those definitions change when those words are next to each other?
Huh? You could have prepped me for this. For me, powerful is someone with a vision and a purpose. They're in action to reach those things.
There's nothing more powerful, I think, than a person with a vision and the drive to reach it. That's what gets me going. And those are the kind of people I love to surround myself with, the people that are doing cool shit, and I'm just like, oh, that is really interesting. How amazing that I'm in the same room with you talking about that.
Ladies, next to it. For me it's a little more like that is close to my heart, I think, because like my parents divorced when I was 12, and so I saw my mom who didn't have a career. She didn't have her own money. And she after that, had a very different life than my dad did. And I think from that moment I was like, oh, my dad has his own company.
He's an entrepreneur. He's doing whatever the hell he wants. And here's my mom who is not. That was a very stark contrast at a very young age. And so I think that probably was a pivotal point that set me on this path. But I think ladies like we need to, and everyone's different. I'm not saying you need to do this, but I do think we can be the masters of our own universe.
I want to do everything that I do by choice. I'm married. By choice. I'm not married because my husband supports me financially. He's a partner and he may make more money than me. I actually don't know. Sometimes. Sometimes he doesn't, it's a give and take. But I'm married to him by choice.
Unlike, my mother who was married to my father because he worked and she didn't. I'm not saying that's a whole impetus for their marriage, but yeah, I think putting powerful ladies together is like. We're a bunch of badass women that can do whatever we want. All we have to do is have a purpose and the drive to achieve it, and that's it.
There's we often, depending on where the US is, has been flowing since we started Powerful Ladies. We've gone through phases of thinking like, oh, do we need powerful ladies anymore? Is this kind of have we achieved it? And then whenever we look internationally, we've always been like, no, it is not, we have not reached Pinnacle Achievement yet.
And then of course, things keep pivoting in the US we're like, oh my gosh, this really is a conversation that's really interesting because the perspective keeps shifting and there's just so much turmoil in, in the space of what is a powerful lady and what should it look like and what should it do?
Yeah, totally.
And so and how do we even handle that? Like we've had a lot of interesting conversations internally of yes, any woman can be powerful and why haven't we had but it's also
really circumstantial too. Yes, we are very lucky.
And we have the drive. So it's both of those things. Like I think there are really, there are so many women that aren't in that same circumstance that feel like they, they don't even know they can be powerful.
They don't like, like I, I would I take a guess a, a leap to say that you and I have probably felt a 10 outta 10 day.
Yeah. And there are so many women in particular who have never gotten the chance to feel that. Or there's something about breaking through when you realize that what you want. Isn't insane. It's not some crazy pipe dream. You're like, wait, doable. You can have that. You Yes. A as big or lofty or whatever the number or the request is.
I don't think people realize similar to the number conversation of like 250,000 to over a million, how close it is. I don't think people everyday notice how close. Whatever average life we're talking about, to whatever person you're admiring who might be a celebrity or might be featured in something, it's not that different.
No. It's all about the dream and the plan. Going from two 50 to a million in this industry could be one freaking project, and it ha, for us, it has been like to go from whatever, four to 6 million. It could be one project. So it is possible, but it's about putting yourself in that right situation to make that possible, and then having a plan to support it too.
But I do think going back to the idea of powerful ladies and where are we now? I. Things are a mess, right? But I have hope, like I'm involved with this nonprofit out of Austin called Girls Empowerment Network. I don't know if you've heard of this but they are they believe in like the self-efficacy of girls and they really focus on that middle school age for young girls, that is such a tough age.
Like we've both been middle school girls. Like that shit's not easy. Two, right now I have twin girls that are in seventh grade. Damn. And it's crazy. So anyway, girls Empowerment Network, I think it's like those kinds of organizations that are really just setting up our girls this next generation or even, whatever, three generations to be able to even dream and think that they can do these things.
Because if they don't hear it from us that they can do this stuff, where are they hearing it? I don't know. So I think your podcast is so important. Like you women need to hear that yes, you can dream whatever you want to do it. And if you dream huge and you get 10% of the way there, badass, like that's amazing too.
The biggest challenge I have with clients is often that it's the not dreaming big enough part. Yeah. It's okay, I want this, I want that. I'd be like, okay, that's everything you want. Are we sure? And I'm like, yes. That's what I want. 'cause whatever, however d Lulu you wanna get we just build a plan for it. Yeah. Anything really is possible. And so I love being
delusional. I think it's Yes. Such a great attribute.
And it's, and for someone like you, it's like, it's D Lulu, and then you jump right to the roadmap of okay. If I wanted to have design Dash on the moon, what would that like? Okay, sure. If Katty Perry gets to go on a rocket now, like why not?
Yeah. That's a whole other situation.
Whole other
situation. But there's you, I know. I was like, God, do I have to befriend Elon? 'cause I'm out. Because I that will stay on earth.
I know, like I feel a little bit better about Richard Branson and he's doing some things. And all the people doing it. True.
We can totally go with Virgin. That's true.
Yes. Okay.
Yep. I like it. We'll just
have to make a female version. We come up
with the idea, we're gonna figure it out through the way. That won't compromise our morals and values.
And one of my favorite games to play is the six degrees or one degree of separation.
Yeah. And I'm one degree away from Richard Branson. Like I, we've had the CEO of United the charity arm, a virgin on here. Amazing. See, we can pitch it. We want,
if we want powerful Ladies and Design Dash on the moon. We said it's network. See, it's just
networking. Networking and then making a ridiculous ask that you are happy to just smile behind.
Such a good point. I have made so many ridiculous asks. And you would be shocked how often you get a yes. Yeah. You're gonna get a shitload of nose. But. I made some ass and I'm like, there is no way. And then we figure it out. We make it happen. So yeah, that's a big, that's another thing too. Don't be afraid to ask.
And people like to play games that feel a little ridiculous. And if you, I always think if you can make someone laugh. They're one, you're gonna be memorable, but two, if they laugh 'cause they think your idea's a little insane, there's a part of them that's they're crazy, but I like this, but
I wanna get on board. If that works, how amazing would that be? Yeah.
Exactly. Yeah.
It's the spice of life.
Yeah. It's, I don't know what else we're doing. Like we, I look at and this is probably true for your mother as well, like my mother's options were like, so set. Yeah. Like information.
Right? Yeah. Yeah.
Do you wanna be a nurse? Do you wanna be a teacher? Do you wanna be a mom admin? A secretary, admin? Yeah.
Whatever it is. Yes.
Yep. So you had four choices to choose from. And then I look at the women who broke through that and were like, that sounds dumb. I'm gonna do this, even though that's crazy.
And it's been radically changing throughout my lifetime of. What women are like, are doing, and no one thinks about it. So when we look at the men who are following their D Lulu plans I have to respect a little bit of the delusion that's happening in the world today because they're just doing it. You're like, what? All we, we just decided.
Okay. Yeah. It's happening. And it, it can be that easy. You decide you're gonna do it. And I think actually that's a really good point, is that decision point. Gotta have a decision. You can't. And that's a big, you've gotta draw the line in the sand and step over it, this is my decision and I'm moving forward with it. Can't be afraid to decide.
You can't. How have other powerful ladies changed your life and enhance the path that you're on?
I, so I've never had a mentor. Like by definition a mentor, like one person. But I've worked with other, I've worked with women that have been doing what we do.
So my first job, like right outta grad school, I was doing, vacation homes. I was working for someone else and I was doing vacation homes in Cabo San Lucas. That's where I started. And so I think the owner, it was a family company, big company in Houston, but then and owned by siblings and the sister decided through my network I have access to these communities in Cabo to do these houses.
And she really just worked it and built a whole design firm and I was, one of the earlier employees there. But I think watching her do that was really. Just firsthand and all the systems that went in place to manage international design, like design projects, that was formative for me in the way that I run my firm.
So I really respect her for doing that. And then, I don't know, I think there's so many women that do just like bonkers things that are so incredible. Ugh. I'd have to come up with a whole list.
It's, people ask us, when will powerful, like, when will you stop the podcast? I'm like, that's a ridiculous question. Like, why do you know the number of women like this podcast will outlive me? Just based on the list we've already built of women using your words, doing bonkers, incredible things that. The world needs to know about, like we know about Beyonce and Oprah and Taylor Swift, but do you know how many hundreds of thousands of women are doing incredible things that don't get the attention?
I know. And I think that's like the reason for this podcast, right? That's why we started ours, is that I just wanted to talk to other women doing really cool things. Yeah. And it gave me, it gives me an excuse to talk to Hey, I have a podcast. You wanna come talk about what you're doing? Otherwise, what am I like?
You wanna go have coffee and talk about it? No, I wanna be on a podcast. Talk to me. What are you working on? Like how cool is that?
It's the most selfish thing I do.
Me too. I love it.
So running multiple businesses, having a podcast, having two locations, having a whole team, none of it is easy.
Tap onto that. Twins that are teenagers now.
Exactly. Plus your charity work. Like what? Do you have any, must have rituals or routines so that you can do all the things that you wanna do?
I do. Yes. They are actually pretty lazy. So I like to have slow mornings if I don't have a slow morning. And by that I mean I'm getting up, I'm making sure my kids get out the door, and then after that happens, I'm having my coffee and sitting down and reading, or I'm answering emails or checking, whatever.
My social media, I like to have a super slow morning and I need two hours. I don't mean 30 minutes. I'm like, I need from, I don't usually start working until after 9:00 AM so yeah, slow mornings are big for me. I don't know. I, I do, I go to the gym. I do the normal things. I'm not at, I'm not that religious about it, but I do I like to get outside and so I, and that's really why I moved us.
Here is so that I could get outside any season. It's really beautiful here, so I like to walk or hike or ski or whatever. So getting outside and just having sun on my face is huge. I try a gratitude journal, but I'm not great about it.
I'm not a good journaler.
I'm better at checklists.
Me too.
I add things to my, I have an app, it's called Pomo Focus, and it's Pomodoro Technique. Do you know Pomodoro? I know it, but I know this app. It is just called Pomo Focus. It lives on my, I'm looking at, it looks, it lives on my desktop. It lives on my phone. And so it's my second brain that's over there.
And I add stuff to my Poba focus. Yeah. What about you? What's your ritual?
I also am a slow morning person. Mine might start a little bit earlier, but I need to, I like waking up and feeling like I'm actually in control Yes. Of my day. Yeah. The days when things are crazy and I wake up and shoot right into something, it never feels like I chose the day.
No. And that kind of turns into a whole spiral. I, built this business so I could have location freedom. Yeah. And my favorite times are when I'm actually in Europe and working, because I get to wake up. I usually leave the house by eight. I'll go walk around like. Rome is one of my favorite places.
I'll walk around the city, I'll maybe pop into, I'm getting lost in Rome. Yeah. I'll like, have a, have an easy breakfast, go do something tourist here, local, and then I come home, have lunch, and then I do my work. From lunchtime until maybe. Seven.
Yeah.
And then I jump on a scooter and go have dinner and have an evening and like that cycle I could do all the time.
I love that Italian lifestyle. And you're on US hour, like you're Yes. Packing that us working hours. That's great. I love my European vacations too. Yeah. It won't go for we, my husband and I. 'cause he also has. Like freedom of location. His whole team is distributed and he has people in Europe and Asia and all over the place.
So he can also go. And so the two of us will go and we'll go sit, we'll go six weeks somewhere over the summer or whatever. I love the, that kind of lifestyle
I. It just makes you feel like you're actually living. Yeah. There's a balance that I've talked to my coach quite a bit about how can I not get that balance here And it has a lot to do with the actual schedule.
Yeah. Of, because I have clients in Europe through the west coast of the us I have to start earlier than I would ever have to start in Europe. And, but having feeling like you have the whole morning. Half of the day is mine to do whatever I want with Oh, and then I'm still working. It's such an interesting mindset shift.
Yeah. And we keep kinda looking at different pivot options here. I'm always finessing my, every year my team and I are like, Hey, how do we massage the schedule? How do we get it closer to ideal? And I think it is a constant battle because like you, some of the exciting pops up. I'm like, Ooh, I'm a yes and yeah.
My team has to protect me from myself because hey, remember you said you didn't want meetings on Fridays? You just booked 10.
Like this one you mean? Yes, exactly. I know. Yeah. But I do, I agree. I think it's, it is, it's not just having a slow morning. It is going into your day or your week, feeling like you're in control of it. And I do think that takes a lot of work and a lot of foresight. And 'cause we've been working together, I had so many internal meetings in my calendar that my, like most of my days were. Internal meetings for my company that were just not even necessary. And just by cutting those out, I feel like I can breathe and we're not missing anything by doing that.
We're not screwing things up. Like we're still very intentional about when and how we meet. It's just better scheduled so
And I think that's from the curses, right? Like the beauty of a small business is that. We don't have to do all the dumb corporate stuff. Yes. And yet, dumb corporate stuff will start sneaking in.
And that's where I'm always like whoa. Yeah. No, we're not implementing this nonsense.
but it's, there's, so if we do that, we don't need.
No. Something I noticed about myself, and I'm curious if you're this way too. I used to host a once a month happy hour. And we would schedule them out like every third Thursday we would do one either in LA or in Orange County. I started noticing that having those booked out for a year was giving me anxiety because I was like, I might be in Rome that Thursday. I can't make that promise.
Yes. No, I totally agree.
Having something that scheduled. It is depressing to me. I look out at my calendar and I'm like, oh my God, how does my schedule look like this? I don't like it. I start to resent it. Yeah, I really, I don't, I'm the same way. Same. Yep. I joined a women's group here that I love this group of women, but we meet once a month, all day on a Sunday.
And it is very intensive and it's just a lot. And I love that I do it and I always get a benefit from it. But just seeing, and it's a year long program, and seeing it on my calendar once a month on a full Sunday is painful, to be honest. I.
I was trying to figure out like what type of psychological profile does it make me, where I see things that I know I want, but they also give me anxiety because to, to me, it goes back to that slow morning freedom of choice thing where I will get it all done.
I will. We like, I'm not worried about that part. And so we've been switching to doing drops. Hey, the happy hour isn't happening here. Hey we're just. Withholding the information. No one needs to know when these are happening. We can choose them, what works for us. Yeah. But there's something I think that also feeds into the creative side of being an entrepreneur and however much creativity is in your business that when you see like a clean table, yeah, we're gonna see a clean calendar.
You're like, Ooh, we can create anything
guys. The limit. Yes. Yeah, I love a clean, if I just have a full day that's clean, I'm like, oh my God, what am I gonna do with that day? And it's not that I'm just gonna sit on my ass. I'm gonna do things like things are gonna get done that probably aren't getting done because I get so wrapped up in my schedule or in the task.
Yeah. I think a clear calendar is so important.
One of the big things I know that people have been talking a lot about is making sure that entrepreneurs leave room for kind of brainstorming or brain listlessness. Creativity, time. Creativity is so important in everything that you're doing. Do you leave time for yourself to do research and daydream and play in that creative space that, I think is so important?
Probably not intentional. Date, like dreaming space. That's not true. So I will block out a day and my team does it too. It's not just me. And we call it a clarity break. And so that is no meetings, no contact, no nothing, and your calendar's broken out. And we've set this expectation with the team Hey, a clarity break is necessary and you're still working during that time.
So anyone on the team can take a clarity break if they need it. I'm not as good about it. I'm like looking at my calendar right now. I have started and this is a lie 'cause like my next freaking three Wednesdays are booked, but I've been trying to block out every Wednesday things inevitably find their way in there.
But I like to have Wednesday as like my day.
Even small things for myself. This year we subscribed to Business of Fashion and Vogue Business because I have so many people in those spaces. Oh yeah. And my team was like, do we need this? Like, how does it really relate to our business? I'm like, no.
Like we need to be fed creativity and knowledge and everything else the same way that we're telling our clients to do it. And even if I allow myself to go on Pinterest for an hour. It might not have anything to do with a client specific project, but it just gets my brain working in that creative space.
'cause just like I'm 50 50 introvert, extrovert, I'm the same way, like creative to analytical. And I feel like so often as an entrepreneur we can get sucked into the analytical side. And I know, and that's when I burn out is Yes, me too. And I feel like a shell of a human. I wanna burn everything to the ground.
I'm like, why am I even doing
this anymore? It's so just, I need to be in my creative.
Yeah. That part takes over and it's okay, we're all gonna run away. Yeah. So it's something I've been trying to look at more is like where is that kind of play within the business? Or, going to a museum and okay.
I'm like, I'll play a game of how can I make this a networking thing where I'll invite someone, Hey, I'm gonna go check out this exhibit. Do you wanna come? Oh, that's a great idea then. Yeah. Can count. I'm like, okay, we're doing two things at once. Yes.
Yeah, we went to round top furniture.
It's like an antiques fair in Texas. I haven't been in a lot of years and it is very much like a CNB seen now thing for designers. But I went and I also, I wasn't anticipating this. I was like, oh, I'm just gonna go to network and see people and whatever, but just actually getting out and like sourcing for a day.
Was amazing. And I bought myself some vintage lamps and I bought things for myself, but I also sent pictures to clients and things I liked and I was with my team. And it's, that's something we don't normally do and so I'm glad we did that. Yeah, I like that idea of the mix of like creative and.
Networking.
Yes. So a few rapid fire questions. Okay. Up for today. Alright, sure. We ask everyone on the podcast where you rank yourself on the Powerful Lady scale. If zero is average everyday human and 10 is the most powerful lady you can imagine, where would you score yourself today and on an average day?
Oh, I don't know. That's a good question. Today, maybe I'm a seven. I think, yeah. Is that higher than most people?
Do most people pay when they're like, I'm a two. The responses we have received, I'm gonna give to a psychologist somewhere because they're all over the map. Yeah. I've gotten negative five. I've gotten 25, and those weren't even numbers I gave, so
That's funny. I would say today I'm like. I'm pretty high today actually, because I'm doing a lot of the things that I really love to do. And that's like high level. I'm very high level today, so I'm gonna give myself an eight today. How about that? And then on an average day, I'm probably a six or seven.
Is there a quote or a book that you rely on?
Okay, so a quote, this is not a famous quote. This is a, this is something that a professor said to me when I was in school and I was being. Distracted and lazy. And he said to me, work begets work.
And he meant you're, you will get more work out of the backend and better product and better work if you put this work in up front. Like you're not doing enough over here to even make it matter. And I was just like, oh, I'm like 20 years old. I was like, oh damn. Okay. So work begets work. So yeah, just start, a book I'm reading, gosh you would die if you see the books. I'm like, I have two on my desk right now that I won't even tell you. One that I've been reading recently is called and recently in the last year when Women Lead, do you know this book? I actually have it right here. So it's Julia Borson and this is a really good book.
It's like why Women Should be in Leadership Positions.
Awesome. Okay. I'm gonna add that to my list. Yeah, no, it's a good one. This is a big and powerful community. So what is something on your wishlist to manifest list, big, small, insignificant, ridiculous, that you would like to ask from this group? How can we help?
We're growing our community right now for Design Dash, so we are looking for badass interior design business owners that want to level up their business and have an amazing support system while they do it while they're putting their systems in place, while they're hiring, while they're networking, while they're marketing.
Yeah, if you know an interior designer that wants a amazing group of women, send them to Design Dash. I'm manifesting 150 members by the end of the year.
Love that. Okay, great. For everybody who wants to work with you, support you, hire you, join all your things, where can they find and follow you?
That's shouldn't be such a complicated question really.
My personal is Laura dot umansky on my socials. My business is Laura U the initial U, so really laura u.com. Laura u dot. Laura U on socials. And then Design Dash is our community for designers.
Thank you so much for being a yes to being on the Power Plays podcast. As always, I have loved our conversation and you're just another example of women doing the work out there.
It like takes pressure off me to know that there are other women chasing seem ridiculous things to be like, I'm not alone. We're all, I'm not crazy. And by the way, we're all D Lulu. It's fine. We're all D Lulu, we're all doing the hard work and yeah, it just, it feels. More like if there's more buoyancy in doing it that way, because we're not alone.
We don't have to change the whole world by ourselves. 'cause we're all doing our little part together. So thank you for the part. I'm gonna
feel like it feels like it sometimes, right? Like you're right. We're not alone. Thank you so much for having me. This has been really fun.
Thanks. For listening. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe and share it with a friend. Head to the powerful ladies.com, or you can find all the links to connect with Laura. Laura you design Dash and the Design dash podcast. As well as learn more about powerful ladies, come hang out with us on Instagram at Powerful Ladies, and you can find me and all my socials@karaduffy.com.
I'll be back next week with a brand new episode. Until then, I hope you're taking on being powerful in your life. Go be awesome and up to something. You love.
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Episode 275: June Reese | NAACP Image Nominee & Interior Designer
Instagram: @Laura.Umansky
Website: LauraU.com | DesignDash.com
LinkedIn: laura-umansky
Email: laura.umansky@laurau.com
Created and hosted by Kara Duffy
Audio Engineering & Editing by Jordan Duffy
Production by Amanda Kass
Graphic design by Anna Olinova
Music by Joakim Karud
