Today With Adrien Cotton: Today on A Well-Designed Business, I am joined by Adrien Cotton, menopause expert, transformational concierge wellness coach, and founder of Alexandria Wellness. Adrien’s luxury services and holistic approach bring beauty and confidence to her clients. Like many interior designers, Adrien operates a very personal pursuit that can impact every facet of an individual or family’s life and well-being.  Driven by systems, efficiency, and meaningful connections, Adrien is here to share effective business insights that will move the needle in any industry. We talk about qualifying clients, building a solid team, the importance of systems and consistency, and the value of human connection. Pick It Apart [5:45] Adrien explains her intake process and how she has refined it to make sure her clients are committed. [12:03] LuAnn and Adrien discuss the back end of her business and how her team supports all of her business efforts. [17:29] Adrien explains how she pivoted into concierge wellness and established her brand. LuAnn relates that to how many designers come into the industry as a second career. [21:02] Adrien talks about the importance of knowing your numbers in accounting and data, as well as the importance of systems. [26:51] Adrien explains her system for an editorial calendar throughout the year. [30:34] LuAnn tells Adrien how she uses ChatGPT for rough drafts and idea generation, but explains that the human element is still necessary. [39:29] Adrien and LuAnn discuss the value of human connection and how concierge wellness and luxury interior design are both rooted in that connection because you can’t just Google them or use AI for them and get a personalized answer. [45:37] Adrien mentions her master menopause course and walks through how her concierge small groups work. LuAnn Nigara and Adrien Cotton's Ah-Ha Moments “I'm not a trend and I'm not a fad. I'm not a cleanse, I'm not a diet. I'm a lifestyle.” - Adrien Cotton “If any designer thinks [AI] is replacing the interior design industry, then they're not really fully in touch with what their actual intellectual property is.” – LuAnn Nigara “The human brain thrives on connection with another human being. And so a designer or a wellness expert—we're connecting with someone who's going to trust us to make their life a little bit more beautiful.” – Adrien Cotton “I'm serving them in a way that they can't Google. And I will work just as hard as they do.” – Adrien Cotton “You want to get up every day and live in your ‘why’ and do what you do. Because…when you can do that and make money at it, you can do that and support your family or yourself…then that is the day that you're not working.” – LuAnn Nigara More About Adrien Cotton Adrien Cotton believes that the greatest gift you can give to yourself is the gift of wellness. She is an accomplished speaker, entrepreneur, corporate wellness educator, menopause expert and transformational wellness coach with proven success in designing and implementing innovative workforce wellness programs. Her effectiveness as a facilitative leader, motivational speaker, writer and coach is rooted in a strong set of guiding principles for growth and mirrors her own personal wellness journey. Since founding her wellness enterprise, Adrien has leveraged her fitness and wellness background to move women from a place of “giving up” to one of proactive self-care. Her work goes beyond nutrition and exercise and focuses on an individual’s lifestyle and key high-impact areas including stress resilience, sleep, calendar management, mindfulness, and menopause. She excels in shifting mindsets and helping her clients leverage small habits that yield lasting results. Whereas the market is saturated with wellness professionals, Adrien brings a breadth of corporate experience, a proprietary methodology, and a unique client-centric perspective. After serving in high-leverage professional roles, Adrien pivoted her career focus to helping cl