| FOR INTERIOR DESIGN PRINCIPALS
WORKING WITH DAVID
Here's the simple process for working with David
- Review the information below to gain familiarity with the ActionMap process and goals.
- Understand the fee structure (See below.)
- Schedule a 20-minute introductory call with David to answer any remaining questions.
- Make the investment ($5,500) and David will contact you to establish the day and time for 8 weekly video call sessions. (There are also assignments in between calls.)
Book a Comp Call with David
(See Below)
A STRATEGY UNIQUE TO YOU!
The ActionMap strategic planning framework was developed by university professor and interior design business expert, David Shepherd. It was developed specifically because David realized interior design is among the most complex of all businesses to run, yet its practitioners often don't have their MBAs.
You have what it takes
Despite this, David realized that much of what accountants, lawyers, and other so-called experts tell designers they have to do is both confusing and unnecessary.
A strategy simplifies everything
There are only a few critical tasks and activities that you need to master, and on which you need to spend almost all of your time. Unfortunately, lacking a clear and compelling strategy, chaos and complexity will win the day and force you to spend your time not on the critical few, but on the trivial many.
You cannot nibble away at the edges of complexity, you must blow it away! And the only way to simplify, streamline, and build a consistently profitable practice is through a strategy like those developed through the ActionMaps process.
You'll never have to worry about anyone copying your strategy, even after they see your success because a strategy is unique to you. And no one else can be you!
SIGNS OF A LACK OF STRATEGY
Complexity
Marketing, sales, procurement, resale, pricing, projects... Problems can mount and complexity kills profits. (And enthusiasm!)
It Was Supposed to be Fun
You got into design to design, but how much time are you spending on the high-value creative tasks, vs. dealing with problems?
No Differentiation
If you don't know why ideal customers will choose you, pay you more, and refer you others, it can only be due to a lack of strategy.
Where is the Money?
Great strategy is ultimately measured on the bottom line. Inconsistent or inadequate cash flow is the surest sign of a lack of strategy.
WHAT IS STRATEGY?
Strategy is a choice of complementary activities that you do better than, or different
from competitors, and an acceptance of the tradeoffs.
That may sound simple, but there's a lot to unpack.
CHOICE
This is perhaps the most humbling part of having, or not having, a great strategy—it's your choice! Take the case of Sally and Joe, two interior designers whose practices look almost identical in every way, yet Sally routinely earns 3X what Joe earns. Why? Only one reason—Sally made better choices about what to master, and what to let go of.
COMPLEMENTARY
A critical aspect of a winning strategy is that the skills you choose to master, must complement each other. Few giant firms are able to master multiple business practices under one roof, and no small firm can. If your essential skills are not perfectly aligned, complexity will ruin what you've built.
BETTER OR DIFFERENT
It often sounds impossible to entrepreneurs when told they can be the very best at something. But not only can you be the best in your market, you must be...and it's not that hard! It's just getting clear on where the areas are that by using intense focus, you can be either better or different. That's they key.
ACCEPTANCE OF TRADEOFFS
The beauty of a great strategy is that it requires trading off (getting rid of!) so many things that are simply eating up your time and causing problems. (Problems that often take on a life of their own.) This may be harder than it seems, but when you just stop doing the trivial things, life gets better in a hurry!
THE ACTIONMAP PROCESS
WEEK 1 - Clarify Your Lifetime Goals!
What else makes the hard work worthwhile? Whether you want to be able to retire someday, keep working, build a lake house, pay for colleges, or just accumulate a sum of capital, it's critical that this become ingrained.
WEEK 2 - Value Proposition / Ideal Client
There's more than a little trial and error here, which is why these vital topics share a week. Identify why your clients will find you irresistible (your Value Proposition) and exactly who they are (your Ideal Client.)
WEEK 3 & 4- Critical Cores
This is where your strategy lives, and where the key elements of mastery will lead to your ultimate differentiation. Coached by David Shepherd, you'll choose the five domains you must master, each drawn from your own instincts and the archives of scores of other designers.
WEEK 5 & 6 - Identify the Gaps
The challenge here is that you won't already be a master of the Critical Cores that make up your strategy. No worries...no one is. So, whether it's marketing, technology, hiring, procurement or any other domain, here you'll identify exactly what you must do to overcome any shortfalls.
WEEK 7 & 8 - Now, It's Time to Take Action!
We call it an ActionMap for a reason—once you understand the gaps you must fill, you'll create five or more Action Items to get started on each. With five Critical Cores, five Gaps, and five Action Items per Gap, this gives you the 25 most important daily actions you can take in order to achieve your highest goals...each perfectly aligned with the other.
