One of the many reasons that Robin Grant of Designing Lives International wished to start her new business opportunity for others is her own background and experience in the industry. She learned the hard way of how crucial having a support system is for one’s success.
“What a lot of people don’t know is that the interior design industry is a tough one to break into without support. The design part of the business is almost secondary to the management of the business itself.”
During her on-going career as an interior designer, Robin Grant has always been very busy. She was the designer for a LEED-Certified Mercedes-Benz dealership, designing pain-management clinics and restaurants, though the majority of her business came from designing very high-end custom homes. And she was very fortunate that the business just kept coming in. But at times there was simply not enough of her to go around.
She has the expertise to properly mentor emerging designers both from her experience as a designer herself, having been featured in numerous high end publications, and as CEO of her own company, Designing Lives International. Her experience spans 20 years in the design field as a successful designer, mentor, and coach.
Mentoring
“As my business grew, I reached out to students at the University that needed a mentor and to intern at a working firm as part of their education. I saw this as a way to have them help me and they could learn the business from the inside. It worked out great but I soon realized that while many of these students had raw design talent, almost none of them knew anything about business. These students would regularly tell me was that they wanted for themselves what I was doing. They would ask if I teach them to be in business for themselves? Because they had the vision. They saw themselves owning their own companies. They just had no idea how to get there, and also all the other little ins and outs. I found they had many things they were unprepared for, not only in design but also very little business sense, too”, Ms. Grant continued.
“So, I decided that it was really time for me to pass the torch, to teach others how to build what they’re looking for in their lives and fulfill their dreams; how to become a wonderful interior designer, and have pride and integrity in the process. I’m looking forward to continuing this, but now in a more broad sense. I really want to help these upcoming designers along the way and teach them what they’re going to need”.
The Design Director Opportunity
The DLI licensing opportunity grants licensees exclusive rights to a particular geographic territory and includes direct coaching and mentoring by Robin Grant. Licensees benefit from a seasoned expert in the industry helping them with all aspects of starting/running an interior design business under the DLI brand. “I will be coming in to work in their market with them, to teach them how to become more visible in their territory. In the United States, we intend to expand one major city at a time, with only one or two major design directors depending on the size of the market”, Ms Grant explained.
“What we’re offering really is a turnkey business. We bring the market to the forefront. Someone may live in Las Vegas or Dallas and we interview them, find out if they’re a good match first and foremost. We do their websites, videos, portfolios, bios and digital marketing. There’s a whole plethora of things that they need to have in order to successfully go into business for themselves. We have ongoing webinars, seminars, and training so they can achieve the things they feel weak in. And, they can help with things they are strong in. So we are a team.”
One of the many ways Ms. Grant helps potential Designing Lives International designers is by providing them access to her vast experience and knowledge in the industry, something most designers starting out typically don’t have much of– she also brings resources that they may not even know about, and helps them to avoid problems that most starting designers don’t even see coming. At its most basic, the core objective of the DLI opportunity is to help interior design entrepreneurs jump-start their businesses toward success. But for Ms. Grant, the most important thing she can teach her ‘mentees’ about is seeing success as an interior designer?
“Simple,” Ms. Grant noted, “don’t go it alone.”
To learn more about Robin Grant and the Designing Lives International Design Director opportunity contact Ms. Grant directly.
Location Info:
Designing Lives International
7550 E McDonald Dr, F, Scottsdale, AZ 85250
(602) 620-8088