Working it R+F style!

Wow, I have been busy since I cleaned up my home office for the #OneRoomChallenge a couple months ago! It is so motivating to clear the clutter knowing that in the end there will be more room for opportunities to present themselves. It was definitely worth it to invest my time in designing a welcoming space in which to be creative. So what have I been up to since May?

• I have been writing design related blog posts

• I participated in a Mindset Makeover group

• I assisted interior design clients with their room makeovers

• I co-hosted a fashion-focused art gallery pop-up event

• I coordinated a VIP event for one of my favorite brands

• And I have still had time to enjoy summer fun with my family

How have I managed to do all of this? When you are in charge of your own time, and can work when you want with whom you want, it’s easy to take on projects you love, not to mention vacation time when it suits your own schedule. This is an opportunity that I would love to share with others, so I am currently hosting an informative virtual meetup event where I explain how representing the Rodan + Fields brand has afforded me the time freedom and income potential to be my own boss. I would love for you to stop by and review the info I am presenting. I would also love to help you discover how R+F can offer you the same benefits that I have been enjoying over the past year as an Independent Consultant.

“What I love about the business side of Rodan + Fields is that it connects each of us regardless of where we are in life. Some of us are moms to big families, some are just starting out, some are single and ready to travel the world. We can be marketers, nurses, hair stylists or salon owners. This business can fit into each and every one of our busy lives.” – Yvonne Blacker, Executive Consultant Rodan + Fields


How would you like to work for yourself, but not by yourself? Join me – and our team of R+F rockstars – and I will show you what’s possible (and I promise it will be a lot of fun!)

Click here to learn more!

Relationships with Designers + Clients

photo credit: Andrew Swaine

Every so often, I am asked to serve on a committee to assist in the promotion and marketing of an event. In September, one of those events was with the New England chapter of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID NE). It was a two-part event that offered both a Distinguished Speaker presentation and then concluded with the Excellence in Design Awards. The event was hosted at a former Lamborghini showroom on the North Shore that is now used for catered events. It was the perfect venue for a group of designers who appreciate a unique space. 

photo credit: Andrew Swaine

With Katherine Hawkins, Amanda Greaves, Jill Janasiewicz, Lynda Onthank

Our committee meetings leading up to the event were so much fun! We were fortunate to have a busy group of designers involved who know how to get things done. Each of us had specific tasks (my job was event graphics) but all of us pitched in wherever needed to help make the event a success. During our meetings leading up to the event, we often shared stories about the design projects we were working on, and how we handled client needs. Since client relationships can determine how much fun one has on the job, we decided to have our guest speaker discuss this topic.

Mary Beth Haggerty and Jill with guest speaker Angela Merola

We selected professional speaker Angela Merola, a life-business-spiritual coach to present “Client Magnetism: Tools to Attracting Clients.” She was very engaging, encouraged audience interaction, and shared many valuable tips on how to find perfect clients and increase profits while doing so.

event florals for the evening were done by Laura Thomson Design

photo credit: Andrew Swaine

Angela actually offers confidence-boosting presentations on her website. But if you are an ASID designer and need CEU credits before the year ends, you must purchase an actual DVD and then take an online test afterwards to receive the credits. It is definitely worth the commitment either way! Details here. 

I wrote a brief blog post for Williams-Sonoma Designer Marketplace highlighting some of the client relationship building tips that Angela shared with us back in September. Check it out here. For this post, the Designer Marketplace team chose some great photos from Williams-Sonoma. There is actually one in the post that looks a lot like how my “coat closet” for the Glen Magna Farms Designers Holiday Show House is going to look. How did they know??! Stay tuned for my own photos in a couple of weeks. Better yet, come visit me there! The mansion has been buzzing with designers and artists working their magic in preparation for the big reveal and we can’t wait to show it off! It opens December 1st. Ticket info here.

Designers Shine Re-cap

At the Designer Bath showroom with Ann Murdock and Linda Hentschel

of Renaissance Interiors, Nancy Faye Glass of Glass House Designs

and Laura Gifford of Gifford Events

Lindsey Wishart and Julia Frost of Chive Events  serving up designer cocktails 

A swag bag of goodies for each of our Shine Award Party guests

My summer has been a busy one. I am just getting caught up with posts that detail events that took place in July! The “Designers Shine with Designer Bath” award party was certainly a highlight of my one year anniversary as the marketing director at Designer Bath (officially on the calendar last week, but technically started with them around mid-July of last year on a freelance basis). This was a special opportunity to celebrate the relationships our showroom has with the interior professionals that use Designer Bath and Salem Plumbing Supply as a resource on their kitchen and bath projects. It was also a fun way for me to combine work and pleasure. How great was it to host a party at work and have so many of my design friends on the invitation list? To see more photos from the event – along with the announcement of the winning designer who will be featured in the next issue of Design New England Magazine – see my Designer Bath blog post.

photo by Cassandra Charest

Speaking of magazines, I am extremely happy to announce that part two of the summer issue of New England Finery is now online! I have a lot to say about how much this issue means to me, but before I start another long blog post, I will leave you with this photo by Cassandra Charest, a Lawrence high school student whose work really moved me while sourcing content for our follow-up to the Habitat for Humanity Home Builders Blitz that took place in early June. Along with her photo essay, there are some great tips on achieving designer style for less plus a scrapbook of photos that highlight the five days that it took to build a home from the ground up for two deserving families in Lawrence. It was an amazing process to witness – get a glimpse of it by checking out the time-lapse video on page 59. Wouldn’t it be nice if all of our home renovation projects were completed as quickly?