Episode 87: Jennifer Glynn of Space 10 Interiors
Today Brad speaks with Jennifer Glynn, co-founder, alongside Barbara LaVigna, of Space10 Interiors, an award-winning residential and small commercial interior design firm based in San Francisco.
Having previously worked in the corporate event planning and marketing world for 15 years, she recalls her fateful decision to take an interior design course—initially just to fill in her spare time—and being hooked ever since.
Prior to making her foray into design, Jennifer served as the Director of Global Communications and Events at Stryker Neurovascular, before lending her expertise, part-time, for another year as the organization’s Director of Brand Strategy.
Listen in as Jennifer reflects on her journey from corporate life into the world of design and the valuable skills that she has carried over into her new career. She touches on homing in your ideal client, defining your brand voice, and maximizing your online presence as a small business.
Sponsors:
Topics Discussed:
02:07 - Marketing for a $10 billion company versus a small interior design firm
05:09 - How Jennifer built her brand
06:45 - Why it’s so important to get as specific as possible about your ideal client
13:01 - Establishing your brand voice
17:41 - Business considerations that most new designers overlook or underestimate
24:10 - How often a small business should be working on PR and their online presence
38:11 - What is an Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU)?
43:04 - How Jennifer and Barbara made their partnership work and how to write an operating agreement
53:33 - The advantages of having go-to partners for various types of projects
57:33 - Where Jennifer finds inspiration and her upcoming projects
Key Quotes by Jennifer:
Very often, when you ask people who their ideal client is, they can’t tell you—they can’t articulate it. It’s incredibly important because if you can narrow down what you want to do, what you like to do, what you’re best at and what that client looks like when you’re working at your best, it really hones in your marketing strategy and it allows you to let go of some marketing strategies that aren’t going to best suit you.
Just because someone doesn’t become your client doesn’t mean they can’t become an advocate or a brand ambassador for you in a small way.
[Design] is a service industry. [...] Granted, it’s a luxury service, but it’s still a service.
You have to figure out what kind of designer you are and what kind of projects you want to do, and you have to go out and seek architects, contractors, and other partners who also like to do those types of projects, because that is where you’re going to have the most success and the most joy in doing your job.