Today with Susan Wintersteen Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Susan Wintersteen, one of my first-year podcast guests, is back on A Well-Designed Business, to share tips on business growth and the importance of a mastermind community to get to the next step. As a business owner rock star, Susan has mastered the art of hiring people who create a positive workplace and support the functions of the business as a whole. Listen in to learn how you can use elements of Susan’s hiring processes to level up your own business - using the predictive index, strong interviews, and detailed skill sets to get good, competent people in the right roles. Susan has applied these same hiring standards to her Savvy Giving by Design nonprofit, which is looking to raise $50,000 this year to support room makeovers for children in medical crises. Pick it apart: [8:46] Susan explains how some employees can divert energy from growing the business, and how important it is to find efficient people who are happy to work in that job.    [13:00] Are you hiring exceptional people, or are you settling?   [18:00] Susan shares her tips on how to take suggestions and make your own decisions for how you are going to grow your business. Gather information, weigh the trustfulness of the source, and DO it!   [19:30] Join a Mastermind or get a coach to get insight from people who are succeeding in their industries at the highest level.   [20:40] Savvy Giving, an all volunteer-based foundation, explained.   [23:47] With the goal of getting into as many rooms as possible, Susan set up a “pop up designer program” to get local interior designers to volunteer and aligned with Make A Wish to maximize the outreach effort.   [27:00] Susan explains - What is Savvy Giving by Design?   [35:55] Savvy Giving by Design brings in the light and the joy to families in crisis.    [39:28] The design and function of the space is essential, and we receive support through our “Fund a Need” page to gather inventory for the room.     [43:34] Beyond the aesthetics - what do the children need to heal?   [46:50] LuAnn’s podcast is about making sure interior designers have the skills, the opportunity, to better themselves, to be a better business, and be profitable.   [47:40] Adding a nonprofit “layer” to your business, and partnering with Make A Wish for the greatest impact.   [52:13] A roadmap for success - How Susan trains volunteer interior designers for Savvy Giving wellness design standards, logistics, and processes.   [57:55] Duplicating Savvy Giving at scale.   [58:48] The same hiring principles used to find the right employees apply to running a nonprofit.    [1:00:18] Designers have so much talent to give and can make an impact on a young person.   [1:02:01] Savvy Giving raises the majority of its funds on Giving Tuesday. Looking to raise $50,000 on November 30th this year. LuAnn and Susan Wintersteen’s Ah-Ha moments: “I didn’t come this far to let it slip through my fingers.” - Susan Wintersteen “I don’t need my team to know all the answers, I just need to know that they know where to look for them.” - Susan Wintersteen “Marketing is not your problem. You need to get your team squared away so you can work in harmony.” - LuAnn Nigara “You don’t always have to know the answer, but you have to be willing to go find the answers. And you have to be willing to search for it and ask for it. You have to use your voice and ask for it.” - LuAnn Nigara “You have to be willing to invest in yourself.” - LuAnn Nigara “A well-designed space can contribute to up to 30% of our healing.” - Susan Wintersteen “Make an impact that will make them happy and healthy.” - LuAnn Nigara “Focus on the basic needs first, then put the pretty in.” Susan Wintersteen “When you grow and scale your business, there are going to be pivots, and it’s important to roll with reality.” - LuAnn “Build something beyond you. Something that will have a life of its own and continue to grow and flourish and have longevity.” - Sus