936: Breaking barriers & mastering TIME MANAGEMENT and proactive communication w/ Bridget Henson

WEBVTT

00:00:00.100 --> 00:00:01.004
Hey, what is up?

00:00:01.004 --> 00:00:04.307
Welcome to this episode of the Entrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast.

00:00:04.307 --> 00:00:12.487
As always, I'm your host, brian Lofermento, and we have got an awesome entrepreneur on today, a fellow native Massachusetts resident.

00:00:12.487 --> 00:00:13.289
I'm so excited.

00:00:13.289 --> 00:00:30.231
Always love having Massachusetts residents and great entrepreneurs here on the show, and especially today's entrepreneur, because she is someone who is breaking barriers in her industry and doing really big and meaningful work, and she brings such an incredible entrepreneurial attitude towards all of her projects.

00:00:30.231 --> 00:00:38.542
She's in an industry I think this stat is crazy only 14% of construction workers in the United States are women as of 2024.

00:00:38.542 --> 00:00:40.484
It's growing every single year.

00:00:40.484 --> 00:00:53.737
But having entrepreneurs and pioneers and business owners in the construction space are really important to move our society forward with new thoughts, new perspectives, new backgrounds, new experiences.

00:00:53.737 --> 00:00:55.887
And so let me tell you all about today's guest.

00:00:55.979 --> 00:00:57.326
Her name is Bridget Henson.

00:00:57.326 --> 00:01:00.168
Bridget is the owner of Bridey Design and Build.

00:01:00.168 --> 00:01:05.832
She started her career off working in interior design before moving over to residential construction.

00:01:05.832 --> 00:01:09.629
After a decade of experience in both, she honed her craft.

00:01:09.629 --> 00:01:12.069
She founded her own company in 2023.

00:01:12.069 --> 00:01:18.253
To tell you a little bit about her company it's a full-service residential general contracting and interior design company.

00:01:18.253 --> 00:01:19.947
She combines both of those experiences.

00:01:19.947 --> 00:01:24.466
You see what I say about combining experiences and perspectives to create something new.

00:01:24.466 --> 00:01:35.051
She specializes in all areas of residential renovations, including kitchens, bathrooms, additions and so much more, but she also brings that energy and attitude that we're all going to learn a lot from today.

00:01:35.051 --> 00:01:36.725
So I'm not going to say anything else.

00:01:36.725 --> 00:01:39.609
Let's dive straight into my interview with Bridget Henson.

00:01:39.609 --> 00:01:46.670
All right, bridget, I am so very excited to have you on the show today.

00:01:46.750 --> 00:01:47.572
First things first.

00:01:47.572 --> 00:01:48.903
Welcome to the podcast.

00:01:48.903 --> 00:01:50.445
Thank you so much.

00:01:50.445 --> 00:01:51.569
I'm excited to be here.

00:01:51.569 --> 00:01:52.671
This is great.

00:01:52.671 --> 00:01:54.221
Thank you so much for the intro.

00:01:54.543 --> 00:01:55.444
No, my pleasure.

00:01:55.444 --> 00:02:02.468
And I mean, I think it's so cool seeing pioneers doing their thing and being part of the change that we all wish to see in the world.

00:02:02.468 --> 00:02:10.704
And, bridget, you are someone who is leading the way in so many regards with the work that you're doing, and taking the entrepreneurial plunge is no small step.

00:02:10.704 --> 00:02:12.587
So take us beyond the bio.

00:02:12.587 --> 00:02:15.342
Who's Bridget, and how'd you start doing all these amazing things?

00:02:16.825 --> 00:02:17.808
Definitely so.

00:02:17.808 --> 00:02:32.734
I am in Massachusetts, I'm outside of Boston and going back to college, I went to Northeastern University and I studied art and design, and before that I always knew that I had an interest in interior design.

00:02:32.734 --> 00:02:47.603
So, as you mentioned it in my bio, I started off out of college and internships in college working for different interior designers, primarily on kitchens and bathrooms, which was always great, it was always fun.

00:02:47.603 --> 00:02:49.346
But I wanted more.

00:02:49.346 --> 00:02:50.929
I wanted to be involved.

00:02:50.929 --> 00:02:57.228
Before you know, it was time to just pick out the aesthetic, cosmetic finishes.

00:02:57.228 --> 00:03:09.625
I wanted to be at the beginning stages of the renovations and really understand how to bring a project from the start to completion, throughout the entirety of it.

00:03:09.806 --> 00:03:28.308
So then I jumped over to residential construction, which was really fulfilling, and I was able to tie in my eye for design with the renovations from the ground up, and I think that's really important to have someone that understands not just the construction side of things or the designer side of things.

00:03:28.308 --> 00:03:34.554
I think that the combination of both helps really achieve the end goal that the client is looking for.

00:03:34.554 --> 00:03:52.983
And beyond the work that I do, I think I'm a true New Englander, which maybe is how you felt when you lived up this way, where in the winters I'm skiing up north in New Hampshire and then in the summers I'm going to the Cape, so driving all around New England all the time.

00:03:52.983 --> 00:04:02.269
And then I think a recent change personally is I had my first child, so I have a six month old son, which has been very exciting.

00:04:02.269 --> 00:04:09.050
So balancing sort of being a new mom running my own business there's a lot going on over here, but it's all great things.

00:04:10.060 --> 00:04:11.223
Yeah, I love that, bridget.

00:04:11.223 --> 00:04:12.608
I think you give me a little too much credit.

00:04:12.608 --> 00:04:13.510
As a fellow New Englander.

00:04:13.510 --> 00:04:20.242
I was not brave enough to do anything in the winter, which is why I'm down in sunny places these days right now in Florida.

00:04:20.242 --> 00:04:25.891
But I love the overview that you gave us because it really shows how much you followed your interests.

00:04:25.891 --> 00:04:28.254
You said I want to learn more about this side of the projects.

00:04:28.254 --> 00:04:28.935
Let me go here.

00:04:28.935 --> 00:04:33.440
I want to learn more about this side, and you've culminated all of that in taking the entrepreneurial leap.

00:04:33.440 --> 00:04:41.206
Walk us through that, because having such a successful career and then deciding to go out on your own, that's awesome, and I love the fact that you were part of that change.

00:04:41.206 --> 00:04:42.468
What was the inspiration there?

00:04:43.730 --> 00:04:44.252
Definitely.

00:04:44.411 --> 00:04:53.627
I think that I for, like I said, for about 10 years I did a combination of both the design, the interior design, and then also the construction.

00:04:54.228 --> 00:05:08.386
And then, within the past few years, it started to happen organically for me where I was getting clients outside of my nine to five job where they would want to redo their kitchen or they'd want to hire me for the design.

00:05:08.386 --> 00:05:16.189
So, you know, it's something I always knew that I wanted to do, but I definitely was hesitant to make the leap.

00:05:16.189 --> 00:05:25.232
I, you know, I think you just get comfortable in your nine to five job, you're secure, you know where your paychecks coming from.

00:05:25.232 --> 00:05:39.985
But it basically started to snowball which was a really nice way for it to happen for me where I started getting work and projects outside of my nine to five job and I finally had sort of enough going on that I felt like it was now or never.

00:05:39.985 --> 00:05:50.411
I need to either try this, go out on my own, do the best that I can, or, you know, I felt like maybe I was going to be stuck and just stay in a comfortable position.

00:05:51.136 --> 00:05:54.485
Yeah, bridget, I really relate to that because I want to take you back to 2012.

00:05:54.485 --> 00:06:05.247
So this is a year after I graduated from Bentley University in good old Waltham, massachusetts, and I was sitting there realizing I'd already started my first business and grown it wilder than I could have ever imagined.

00:06:05.247 --> 00:06:17.512
And so I looked at my own skillset and I was good at SEO, I was good at digital marketing, I was good at WordPress, web development, and so I had all these skills and it almost was a blessing and a curse because I didn't know what to do with all of them.

00:06:17.512 --> 00:06:21.523
And when I look at what you do with Bridie Design and Build, it's the same thing for you.

00:06:21.523 --> 00:06:26.666
You bring so many skills to the table the general contracting side, the interior design side.

00:06:26.666 --> 00:06:28.949
I'm curious to get inside your mind.

00:06:28.949 --> 00:06:35.353
When you started, it Was that part of what you were thinking about is how do I actually help people because I can do so many different things?

00:06:35.353 --> 00:06:39.817
How did you pinpoint, okay, this is what I'm going to do and this is what I stand for?

00:06:46.740 --> 00:06:48.685
I think what is unique about my situation is because I'm also an interior designer.

00:06:48.685 --> 00:06:57.415
What I needed to do the first step to going out on my own because I wanted to incorporate the residential construction as well as the design was get my general contracting license.

00:06:57.415 --> 00:07:07.742
So I went to university, I took the general contracting license course, so that was a six-week course and then I went and took the test.

00:07:07.742 --> 00:07:08.803
I passed the test.

00:07:08.803 --> 00:07:09.766
I got my license.

00:07:09.766 --> 00:07:13.380
So the important thing about that is now I'm one person.

00:07:13.380 --> 00:07:20.242
Instead of a client having to hire an interior designer and a general contractor, they can hire me.

00:07:20.242 --> 00:07:25.653
I'm all-in-one I can pull the permit, I can do the plans, we can also do the design.

00:07:25.653 --> 00:07:31.451
So it's really nice for the client to have just someone to go to for everything.

00:07:31.670 --> 00:07:36.468
And it also one of the biggest hurdles, I think, in this industry is communication.

00:07:36.468 --> 00:07:39.043
You know there's a lot going on every single day.

00:07:39.043 --> 00:07:45.841
You're going to go in with a plan but you're going to be opening up walls or you're going to find plumbing that's not to code.

00:07:45.841 --> 00:07:55.430
So whoever the person is that is on site has to communicate with a lot of people a plumber, an electrician, the carpenters, everyone involved.

00:07:55.430 --> 00:08:02.927
So sometimes, you know, communication can get lost if you're working with an architect, an interior designer, general contractor.

00:08:03.509 --> 00:08:17.997
So with me it's really nice because details don't get missed and you always have to be moving ahead at a pretty fast pace, because a lot of clients live in their homes through the renovations they don't move out.

00:08:17.997 --> 00:08:27.449
So you know as excited as they are to have you in there redoing their work, they're also very excited for it to be over and they can get back to their quiet life and enjoy their new space.

00:08:27.449 --> 00:08:34.073
So I think what's unique about me is when you hire me, you're going to be interfacing with me every single day.

00:08:34.073 --> 00:08:50.413
I have a small team that I've built over the past six plus years and we're communicating constantly so things aren't getting missed and we can ultimately keep your project moving forward and also not miss certain details, which is really nice.

00:08:51.100 --> 00:08:58.715
Yeah, bridget, hearing you talk about the advantage of having that general contracting background and, of course, the license to go along with the interior design.

00:08:58.715 --> 00:09:17.283
I remember some of my parents did a new construction house down here in Florida and seeing their process there are so many cooks in the kitchen, there's a lot that goes into making a house happen, and so it actually sounds like that's the way it should work, the way that you bring it all under one umbrella and you can quarterback that project.

00:09:17.283 --> 00:09:30.243
But it does lead me to a huge skill of yours that a lot of entrepreneurs this is part of what we have to balance is balancing all the different workloads and things going on inside of our businesses and things going on inside of our client projects.

00:09:30.243 --> 00:09:36.543
How the heck does your brain stay so organized and on top of all of the things in a rapidly moving environment?

00:09:37.868 --> 00:09:38.408
Definitely.

00:09:38.408 --> 00:09:42.159
I think that it's much better now that I work for myself.

00:09:42.159 --> 00:09:54.144
I think when I worked for someone else, I had a lot of projects, I had a lot on my plate, but then you also have, you know, the pressure of a boss or you know different people that you want to.

00:09:54.144 --> 00:09:57.533
You know sort of always be keeping happy and the work.

00:09:57.533 --> 00:09:58.905
You can't control the workload.

00:09:58.905 --> 00:10:01.899
But now that I work for myself, I can control my workload.

00:10:01.899 --> 00:10:05.706
I can have a better balance with how many projects I have going at once.

00:10:05.706 --> 00:10:08.870
So it is really important to be organized.

00:10:09.451 --> 00:10:20.086
I would say that, since going out on my own, you know, as an entrepreneur, I am doing the accounting, I'm running all the projects, I'm ordering all the materials, I'm doing the social media.

00:10:20.086 --> 00:10:29.424
So I think for me, as I'm starting to grow, now that I'm two years in, those are some things that I would like to delegate to someone else.

00:10:29.424 --> 00:10:36.350
So I think my immediate goal in the future would potentially be hiring, you know, an accountant to take over some of that workload.

00:10:36.350 --> 00:10:37.773
So there's a lot going on at all times.

00:10:37.773 --> 00:10:51.850
But I think, you know, as long as you're organized, and I think one of the main skills is time management, because you want to have accurate project timelines.

00:10:51.850 --> 00:10:57.587
You want to be letting the client know if you ever think there's going to be a delay or you're going to finish something early.

00:10:57.799 --> 00:11:01.385
So again, open lines of communications with everyone involved.

00:11:01.385 --> 00:11:03.567
You just really have to stay ahead of it.

00:11:03.567 --> 00:11:10.351
I think that's the most important thing because, at the end of the day, the client cares about the timeline.

00:11:10.351 --> 00:11:15.238
I would say that's the most important thing to them because these are really big projects.

00:11:15.238 --> 00:11:16.722
They're spending time and money.

00:11:16.722 --> 00:11:22.101
I also think that you develop a relationship with them, depending on the length of the project.

00:11:22.101 --> 00:11:28.544
I could be sort of intertwined with someone's family for a year, six months or a year.

00:11:28.544 --> 00:11:38.003
I'm there every single day, so in that sense, it's really nice to get to know the clients, but you definitely you always want to be on the same page, so I think that's important.

00:11:38.124 --> 00:11:46.331
In juggling everything, yeah, bridget, you walked us there, so I'm just going to jump right in, because time management, it's something that we all face, and huge kudos.

00:11:46.331 --> 00:11:52.465
You mompreneurs have some superpowers that I don't think the rest of us fully understand, so huge kudos to you.

00:11:52.465 --> 00:11:56.971
But it does lend me to ask talk to us about the time management of Bridget Henson.

00:11:56.971 --> 00:12:01.403
Are there tools, is it a mindset, is there a strategy that you use?

00:12:01.403 --> 00:12:03.726
How the heck do you balance all of these things?

00:12:03.726 --> 00:12:07.913
Because, like I said, you mompreneurs have some bigger responsibilities than just work.

00:12:09.640 --> 00:12:29.970
So I think that one of the important things that a lot of entrepreneurs understand when you go out and start on your own business is there's always something that can be done, like even when you've done all the work in a day when it's your own business, something will always inevitably pop into your head in the middle of the night or the next morning.

00:12:29.970 --> 00:12:43.195
So I think in some ways you do need to have boundaries of okay, you know, today it's eight to five and when that's over, anything as long as it's not critical can wait until tomorrow.

00:12:43.195 --> 00:12:50.375
But I think in terms of the project management, I always create a clear schedule at the beginning of a project.

00:12:50.375 --> 00:13:04.861
So if we're renovating your third floor and there's a kitchenette, a bathroom and you know a living space, when you hire me, before your project starts you're going to receive a schedule with every single day of your project and what's happening.

00:13:04.861 --> 00:13:16.076
Obviously those can fluctuate somewhat because we'll need plumbing inspections, electrical inspections and building inspections, and that is up to the town and when they come out.

00:13:20.279 --> 00:13:21.947
So there's always like a little bit of slack in the schedules.

00:13:21.947 --> 00:13:25.900
But before each project you're getting a day by day schedule from me and we are targeting that and hitting all those dates.

00:13:25.900 --> 00:13:28.206
So everything is scheduled ahead of time.

00:13:28.206 --> 00:13:33.927
All the materials are ordered ahead of time and are sitting in warehouses getting ready to be brought over.

00:13:33.927 --> 00:13:52.251
So I think, to answer your question, you know the prior planning is critical for construction projects, because you don't want to start someone's bathroom or kitchen and you've ripped everything open and now your cabinets are two months delayed.

00:13:52.251 --> 00:14:01.884
So I think the prior planning to all these projects really helps us succeed in, you know, keeping things moving and getting the work done.

00:14:02.606 --> 00:14:18.190
Yeah, and hearing you talk about this day by day schedule, which I can only imagine, that goes out months in some of these projects that you're working on, and so, with that in mind, I know where my entrepreneurial mind goes, and I'm sure a lot of listeners are going there saying, Bridget, I've set schedules in many ways.

00:14:18.350 --> 00:14:25.412
It's hard for things to keep to schedule and you just pointed out, when you're pulling licenses, when you're relying on other contractors, there's a lot that goes into it.

00:14:25.412 --> 00:14:28.778
Of course the schedule gets thrown off and it readjusted.

00:14:28.778 --> 00:14:48.365
But I'm going to pick on it's an answer from your guest questionnaire before we got on the air here together today, where you just seem to have such a strong emphasis on not only communication, but it sounds like proactive communication that the antidote to scheduling, moving and getting adjusted and being thrown off is communication.

00:14:48.365 --> 00:15:02.142
Talk to us about the communication points that you build in with your clients, because I think that proactive communication just thinking about my parents' experience with their new construction house there's so many mysteries where they don't hear from the person.

00:15:02.142 --> 00:15:04.726
How do you counteract that in the work that you do?

00:15:06.089 --> 00:15:21.149
I think the biggest thing is at least that I do with my business is, once your project begins, every Friday the client receives an email from me of what we accomplished that current week, what's coming next week and if there are any schedule updates.

00:15:21.149 --> 00:15:26.307
So you know if the tile is going to start two days later instead of on the day that I originally said.

00:15:26.307 --> 00:15:29.673
They're knowing that ahead of time.

00:15:29.673 --> 00:15:33.961
I think what it really comes down to, which is almost every business, is customer service.

00:15:33.961 --> 00:15:44.333
So you want to keep your clients happy and if you let people know ahead of time about a schedule change, I believe 99% of the time they're not going to be bothered.

00:15:44.333 --> 00:15:48.092
They're going to be grateful that you let them know ahead of time and it's totally fine.

00:15:48.092 --> 00:15:52.082
But I think the worst thing you can do is not communicate.

00:15:52.082 --> 00:16:08.158
So if they're at home and they're expecting their blue board to go up this day and they're excited, they're waiting for it they can't wait to see the space with the walls closed up and then nobody shows up that morning and maybe they took the morning off of work to be there because they wanted to see it.

00:16:08.158 --> 00:16:09.640
So now they're upset.

00:16:09.640 --> 00:16:12.164
They don't know where you are, where your subs are.

00:16:12.164 --> 00:16:13.754
You didn't tell them ahead of time.

00:16:13.754 --> 00:16:19.134
So it's really managing those client relationships and, I think, as best you can.

00:16:20.417 --> 00:16:25.072
When I see something, when I know my child calls me and says, hey, I need an extra day.

00:16:25.072 --> 00:16:35.119
It was a little bit more intricate of a pattern than we expected with the shower floor, great, no problem, like I will immediately pass that on that information to the client.

00:16:35.119 --> 00:16:39.754
And it is, there's a lot to juggle and there's a lot happening all the time.

00:16:39.754 --> 00:16:50.052
So basically when I get that information, I try to get that phone call off to the client or that email, because everyone's human, sometimes you do forget things.

00:16:50.052 --> 00:16:58.538
But the goal is basically that's my tip, I guess is when you know something's going to change, I try to get that at least in writing right away.

00:16:58.538 --> 00:17:02.475
Even if I send it, you know, a couple of days later, but it's a draft.

00:17:02.475 --> 00:17:08.036
You just you always want to be making note and keeping track of things as they're changing, because it is constantly.

00:17:08.717 --> 00:17:10.240
Yeah, that and I also.

00:17:10.240 --> 00:17:13.874
I just want to reiterate that tip that you gave us about the every Friday email.

00:17:13.874 --> 00:17:17.686
I think that's so powerful and we as clients we would love that.

00:17:17.686 --> 00:17:20.961
I'm thinking, gosh, if I knew I was going to hear from you every single Friday.

00:17:20.961 --> 00:17:38.252
It's also kind of an exciting thing to look forward to because it shows that forward progress and a big part I'm going to call this out for listeners I think that a big part for us as business owners, in the way we deal with clients, is not only in delivering that service but making sure they feel the value and they feel the progress that we are making.

00:17:38.252 --> 00:17:42.751
So I think you accomplish a lot of things with that clear and consistent communication.

00:17:42.751 --> 00:17:44.515
So huge kudos to you, bridget.

00:17:44.535 --> 00:17:53.031
I teased this at the top of this episode and I do want to go here with you in today's episode about the fact that you're breaking some gender barriers within your industry, and I'm curious.

00:17:53.031 --> 00:18:04.777
Obviously we're all so used to that being a male-dominated industry and we picture the contractors who come in with their hard hats and we picture the quintessential guy who fulfills that role.

00:18:04.777 --> 00:18:14.171
It must be so much fun for you to break those stereotypes and to show up with a new set of eyes, with a heck of a lot of experience and perspectives to share with your clients.

00:18:14.171 --> 00:18:16.696
How has that played into your business growth?

00:18:18.019 --> 00:18:18.981
I think it's been great.

00:18:18.981 --> 00:18:32.615
I think it's really put me in this sort of niche where a lot of the clients that I've received over the past year they've all been referrals and it's basically been from one woman to the next.

00:18:32.615 --> 00:18:42.799
So I think sometimes it you know, women still are at home in certain cases, whether they're working from home or they're raising children.

00:18:42.799 --> 00:19:03.223
So a lot of the time it is the woman still at home and they feel, you know, maybe a bit more excited to have a female general contractor come in, because now you know, I'm not just someone that's coming in, as you said, like with a hard hat and ready to whip my hammer out and build your bathroom.

00:19:03.223 --> 00:19:07.686
Those conversations that are more exciting what wallpaper are we going to put up?

00:19:07.686 --> 00:19:08.907
What color tile?

00:19:08.907 --> 00:19:16.201
Like, let's look at the lighting and then let's really get into those details which I think you know in any project it's, it's the fun part.

00:19:16.201 --> 00:19:23.730
Most clients are like, okay, we know we got to do the demo and reframe and do the rough electrical, but like, when the rough electrical is up, are you that excited?

00:19:23.730 --> 00:19:27.079
No, you're excited to see your tile, your cabinets, the paint.

00:19:27.922 --> 00:19:34.510
So I think it's really nice that you know it's sort of been this trend where I'm getting referred by a lot of women.

00:19:34.510 --> 00:19:39.080
They're, you know, running their households and I'm coming in every day.

00:19:39.080 --> 00:19:50.298
So, you know, in some ways maybe it's more comfortable for them having me in there every single day and working with them on all the fun stuff too, which is really nice to develop all these relationships.

00:19:50.298 --> 00:19:56.596
I do think that you know there should be more women in construction and it's slowly happening, year by year.

00:19:56.596 --> 00:20:07.575
I think that a lot of women like myself are naturally just detail oriented, you know, highly organized, and those skills really help with project management.

00:20:07.575 --> 00:20:14.633
So I think that the more the merrier.

00:20:14.633 --> 00:20:18.888
I think you see a lot of interior designers as women, so maybe you know more will make the shift to some of the residential construction, like I did.

00:20:18.888 --> 00:20:19.711
But I think it's.

00:20:19.711 --> 00:20:22.156
I think this industry is a great fit for women.

00:20:22.877 --> 00:20:25.203
Yeah, really well said and absolutely.

00:20:25.203 --> 00:20:30.962
I think that that's such an important thing that you called out there that we all have different skill sets that we bring to it, women in particular.

00:20:30.962 --> 00:20:35.145
You all have such an attention to detail that a lot of men often overlook.

00:20:35.145 --> 00:20:38.095
I actually argue all teams need that healthy blend.

00:20:38.435 --> 00:20:42.792
Listeners are very familiar with Laura Chavez, who is one of the key figures behind this show.

00:20:42.792 --> 00:20:47.182
She makes so much of what we do possible and she manages all of our guest loads.

00:20:47.182 --> 00:20:57.064
She's so proactive in reaching out to incredible guests like you, bridget, and I think it's so cool when you can combine all of these powers under one roof, to use a building analogy here.

00:20:57.064 --> 00:21:10.113
But I want to ask you this, bridget, because, getting into that, talking about bringing these visions to life, you talk about the tiling, the wallpapers these parts that are exciting for the end clients, the wallpapers, these parts that are exciting for the end clients.

00:21:10.113 --> 00:21:15.712
I always love asking interior designers how the heck do you translate something from someone's vision in their mind that they can so clearly see?

00:21:15.712 --> 00:21:22.957
But how do you help them articulate it in a way that you can actually turn it into something actionable and execute on a project that they're proud of?

00:21:24.480 --> 00:21:41.910
So I think, if we look at a bathroom, for example, one thing that I start with when I have a new client is inspiration photos so the first thing I'm going to say is send me bathrooms, go online, go on Pinterest, go on Instagram, look at other designs and send me sort of the jumping off point.

00:21:41.910 --> 00:21:43.152
So we always work from that.

00:21:43.152 --> 00:21:51.285
So I have an idea of maybe the color scheme, or maybe they know that they've always wanted this exact lighting fixture or color tile.

00:21:51.285 --> 00:21:55.421
So that's definitely the jumping off point for the design work.

00:21:55.421 --> 00:22:11.252
And then from there I will, you know, measure your space, I will make a 3D rendering, I will incorporate all of the colors and, if we know exact pictures of that time into the rendering so you'll see your exact vanity in the exact tile.

00:22:11.855 --> 00:22:20.159
And then sort of after the rendering is when we may, if we know some of those um fixtures ahead of time, or we'll pick them out after that.

00:22:20.239 --> 00:22:22.813
So then I'm going to take you to the tile store.

00:22:22.813 --> 00:23:03.755
We're going to have a couple hours in there, we're going to look at all sorts of tiles within your budget and we're going to put those all together and then same basically, from there we'll build from then, incorporating paint colors and if your plumbing fixtures are going to be chrome or brass, and then I'll kind of tie that all together in the rendering and also on a mood board, so you'll see all of your pieces together, um digitally, but then also in person you have those samples, so it's sort of a checklist we go through and you know I want them to see as much as possible ahead of time and then it's really nice to see it all come together, um.

00:23:03.755 --> 00:23:14.373
But there's definitely a lot of time that goes into making the selections for all the materials, but it's definitely a lot of time that goes into making the selections for all the materials, but it's really fun yeah, bridget, it does sound like fun, honestly, the fact that you get to do this for a living.

00:23:14.393 --> 00:23:17.246
I'm thinking all the way back to when I was a kid the sims.

00:23:17.246 --> 00:23:32.461
I hope kids today still know what the sims is, but it was such an incredible game where we got to build things and for young minds to imagine the possibilities of having the living room to be this big and to put the TV here and imagine this grand window here.

00:23:32.461 --> 00:23:34.637
It's so cool to picture all of that stuff.

00:23:34.637 --> 00:23:57.577
I'm curious how much tech and AI is affecting your industry, because I'm an early adopter to Apple Vision Pro and one of the coolest apps, because I'm not someone who's inclined to interior design skills, but Lowe's, for example, they have a kitchen renovation app where, when you put Apple Vision Pro on and you look at your kitchen, you can change the countertop, you can change your appliances in real time.

00:23:57.577 --> 00:23:58.460
It looks real.

00:23:58.460 --> 00:24:02.412
So, bridget, that's just my nerdy Apple Vision Pro example of technology.

00:24:02.412 --> 00:24:05.392
But talk to us about how some of the tech is changing your industry.

00:24:06.509 --> 00:24:07.031
Definitely.

00:24:07.031 --> 00:24:08.576
I think it's great.

00:24:08.576 --> 00:24:09.077
I do.

00:24:09.077 --> 00:24:11.623
I know that when I did.

00:24:11.623 --> 00:24:27.781
I renovated a house a couple years ago in Somerville and there was an architect on the project and they had a similar software where they built your house in their architect program and then we went in and we put the 3d goggles on and we could actually walk around the house.

00:24:27.781 --> 00:24:31.075
So you know, I had helped them select the materials.

00:24:31.075 --> 00:24:37.922
So now they're seeing their exact floors, like you said, the countertops, the cabinets, the colors, everything, all the details that we could put in there.

00:24:37.922 --> 00:24:39.487
The architect had in there.

00:24:39.487 --> 00:24:51.057
So that was really, I thought, an amazing tool to be able to walk through, you know, virtually your house the way that you want it, and then you know it's really helpful.

00:24:51.057 --> 00:25:02.029
A lot of clients struggle, I think, with sometimes articulating the design or what they want, so I think for certain clients these tools are going to be super helpful and already have been.

00:25:07.355 --> 00:25:09.137
Yeah, for sure, and I think they're only going to continue to change and evolve over time.

00:25:09.137 --> 00:25:10.259
I feel like this is just the tip of the iceberg, bridget.

00:25:10.259 --> 00:25:24.152
I want to squeeze a few more questions in, because we've got you here today and I know that time flies by in these episodes but I love talking to you, not only as someone who's the subject matter expert and who has a lot of experience in your field, but also you said it before you're one of us, your fellow entrepreneur.

00:25:24.152 --> 00:25:34.487
You are managing your business, you are focusing on sales and accounting these things that it's great to be able to outsource them, but we're all actively involved in them and we always will be so.

00:25:34.788 --> 00:25:44.018
With that in mind, one of the things that I always think about with regards to newer entrepreneurs and I'm sure this is a huge objection in your industry is how much is it?

00:25:44.018 --> 00:25:51.523
Obviously, you're working on these big projects, bridget, and you bring with you a lot of experience in seeing how these things are priced throughout the industry.

00:25:51.523 --> 00:25:55.105
So I never ask guests to reveal pricing on here, because, of course, that changes.

00:25:55.105 --> 00:26:03.478
But what I do want to know, entrepreneur to entrepreneur, is has that evolved for you mentally as you've grown your business over the past few years?

00:26:03.478 --> 00:26:04.844
Were you undercharging?

00:26:04.844 --> 00:26:07.051
Did you go in knowing what your worth is?

00:26:07.051 --> 00:26:08.657
I'd love to hear some insights there.

00:26:10.382 --> 00:26:13.009
So I think a bit of both.

00:26:13.009 --> 00:26:22.400
I think when I went out on my own, at first I was undercharging because I obviously wanted to get the jobs I wanted to stay alive, I wanted to, you know, make my company work.

00:26:22.400 --> 00:26:28.856
And then I sort of dialed it back in and, yeah, basically wanted to charge what I'm worth.

00:26:28.856 --> 00:26:40.278
And once I started doing that, it's funny, I think it's like a mental hurdle Because, you know, once I, let's say, gave my first estimate with what I believed I was worth, there was no pushback on it.

00:26:40.439 --> 00:26:49.359
So I think maybe sometimes when you're starting out on your own, it's your own mental hurdle where you know, you know what you're worth, but you want the job and so you're a little hesitant.

00:26:49.359 --> 00:26:57.426
But basically, from the moment I did my first job where I knew what my worth was and I said I'm not going to take the job.

00:26:57.426 --> 00:27:03.192
If it's less than what I deserve, then it's not for me.

00:27:03.192 --> 00:27:12.269
So I think that I think it's really important, as you said, to know your worth and I don't think people are ever going to object to it once they see what an incredible job you do.

00:27:12.269 --> 00:27:15.474
Don't think people are ever going to object to it once they see what an incredible job you do.

00:27:15.474 --> 00:27:27.637
So I think the proof is in how the project ends up, and everyone is always super happy, and I just think that, yeah, always put out what you believe you deserve, and I don't think that there's really ever going to be an issue with it.

00:27:28.319 --> 00:27:28.981
Yeah for sure.

00:27:28.981 --> 00:27:31.434
I'm so glad that you said that you brought me back to.

00:27:31.434 --> 00:27:33.757
It was probably 2012 or 2013.

00:27:33.757 --> 00:27:40.862
I was sitting in the parking lot, my business partner and I were about to make a pitch to a business in Waltham and up to that point, we had been charging Bridget.

00:27:40.862 --> 00:27:43.443
No joke, we were charging like $2,000 for these projects.

00:27:43.443 --> 00:27:48.346
And that day in the parking lot, we were challenging each other and we said what price should we tell this company today?

00:27:48.346 --> 00:27:50.508
And I said let's tell them 4k.

00:27:50.508 --> 00:27:52.369
And my business partner said let's say 5k.

00:27:52.369 --> 00:27:55.511
And then, all in, we decided let's tell them it's 8k today.

00:27:55.511 --> 00:28:02.199
And when we said the price at the end of our presentation, they laughed and they said we don't even need approval for that, we can just put that on our corporate card.

00:28:02.199 --> 00:28:05.049
And it really is that mindset.

00:28:05.049 --> 00:28:06.795
So I really appreciate your insights there.

00:28:06.835 --> 00:28:12.664
And listeners, look, don't listen to me, listen to Bridget here today about the fact that this is the stuff that goes into it.

00:28:12.664 --> 00:28:15.249
We don't none of us got it right right out of the gate.

00:28:15.249 --> 00:28:17.519
So, bridget, I love your transparency and your stories there.

00:28:17.519 --> 00:28:19.545
I want to piggyback off of that.

00:28:19.545 --> 00:28:26.657
What were some of the things that surprised you about going into business on your own Because the projects seem to come easy for you, because you have so much experience.

00:28:26.657 --> 00:28:33.243
What was the transition about going out on your own that made you think, oh, holy cow, I never considered this aspect of the business.

00:28:34.925 --> 00:28:40.551
I never really considered how much happier I would be working for myself.

00:28:40.551 --> 00:28:42.979
I think it's an obvious statement to say.

00:28:42.979 --> 00:29:12.084
But I had worked for other people for so long and you know it can be stressful working in someone's home every single day and when you work for other people, you know there were definitely communication issues for certain things and, as I said, you know I'm just in your house every single day, starting at it could be 630 in the morning till 330 at night, and so you know, at a certain point clients can be like okay, you know, I'd like to have my cup of coffee without 15 subcontractors in here at once.

00:29:12.084 --> 00:29:14.648
So I think you know there was more.

00:29:14.648 --> 00:29:22.419
There's always more pressure, I think at least I felt working for someone else and their expectations and then the workload.

00:29:22.419 --> 00:29:32.688
So when I went out for myself after a while, I think I just had a realization, even like a few months in, like wow, like I'm so much happier, I am stressed, but I'm stressed.

00:29:32.688 --> 00:29:34.017
It's the good kind of stress.

00:29:34.017 --> 00:29:47.815
It's for myself, it's for my family, it's what I want to be doing and I'm not over here working overtime for someone else who may not necessarily appreciate the fact that I'm working overtime.

00:29:47.815 --> 00:29:56.240
So I think it was the realization that you know if you can take the leap and you work for yourself, I really think it's going to pay off.

00:29:56.240 --> 00:30:05.026
I think you're going to be so much happier, you can have a better life balance with whatever you're doing, and I think that was the biggest realization I had.

00:30:05.145 --> 00:30:13.892
And I also I would say, you know I didn't whenever you go out on your own, depending on what your industry is, you know you're always a little worried.

00:30:13.991 --> 00:30:17.939
Okay, you know, I have one project now, but what about what's the next month looking like?

00:30:17.939 --> 00:30:19.765
And what's three months looking like from here?

00:30:19.765 --> 00:30:25.414
Right now I don't have any incoming projects and once I did one project, everything started to follow.

00:30:25.414 --> 00:30:37.987
So it was like a domino effect of okay, you know, now I just finished this one project in Cambridge, they told their best friend in the south end of Boston and now they want to redo their kitchen and then it snowballed.

00:30:37.987 --> 00:30:49.298
So I think that if you can start what you're doing which is always the hardest part, and I think a lot of it is just mental the work is going to come, as long as you're doing the best you can in a good job.

00:30:49.298 --> 00:31:02.278
So I think that the realization of, you know, maybe feeling scared at the beginning and realizing if you just start and you keep going, you know that fear goes away and then you have a full-fledged business.

00:31:03.040 --> 00:31:07.640
Yeah, really well said, and I love the way that you articulate that, because this is the real stuff.

00:31:07.720 --> 00:31:26.163
We can sit there and we can drop all these business plans, but the reality is, until we actually start and start gaining the snowball effect it's one of my favorite things about life and business, and any hobby or skill that we're looking to gain is that it starts to take hold once we start just jumping in, and we'll figure it out along the way.

00:31:26.163 --> 00:31:41.221
So, bridget, you've been such a wealth of knowledge in so many different ways here today that I have no idea how you're going to answer this final question, but I always love asking it because you can take it in any direction you want, and that is your one piece of advice, or that one takeaway that you hope every listener walks away from here with.

00:31:41.221 --> 00:31:53.082
They're probably thinking about all the different things we talked about as far as listening and as far as planning out projects and timelines and proactive communication and the way that you deal with clients.

00:31:53.082 --> 00:31:57.757
There's so much good stuff from today, but what's that one thing that you hope every listener walks away with?

00:31:59.059 --> 00:32:23.086
The one thing I would advise is to pick up the phone or send the email today to someone who is doing exactly what you want to be doing, because for most people, someone as for me, there was a general contractor already doing what I wanted to do and all I needed to do was call them and get some advice and see their blueprint on how they started their business.

00:32:23.086 --> 00:32:41.042
I was always a little hesitant to do that because I felt like these people that I wanted to talk to who I knew and knew me and we worked together before I always felt like I was being a burden or interrupting your busy schedule and making them take time to talk to me, and that was all in my head.

00:32:41.042 --> 00:32:46.701
The second, I made one phone call to someone who was doing exactly what I wanted to be doing.

00:32:46.701 --> 00:32:53.585
They were more than happy to talk to me about how to get started, give me advice and tips.

00:32:53.625 --> 00:33:04.365
So I think there's a wealth of information with people who are already doing what you want to be doing, and they're going to be extremely happy that you reached out and want to help you.

00:33:04.365 --> 00:33:10.396
I think that's the biggest thing is people want to help people and you should never be in your own head about that.

00:33:10.396 --> 00:33:13.411
I think that if you can, you know, talk to anyone who's doing what you want, never be in your own head about that.

00:33:13.411 --> 00:33:22.324
I think that if you can talk to anyone who's doing what you wanna be doing, it's going to be great and they're going to help you, and then you're gonna start because you're gonna know the first step to take.

00:33:23.154 --> 00:33:24.996
Yes, really well said, Bridget.

00:33:24.996 --> 00:33:29.305
We've asked that question close to 900 times here on this show.

00:33:29.305 --> 00:33:31.864
That's advice that I think goes under the radar.

00:33:31.864 --> 00:33:43.798
We don't talk about that often enough, but it really resonates with me and all of our team behind this show, because one of our founding principles is a rising tide lifts all boats and I think that your answer there really exemplifies that.

00:33:43.798 --> 00:33:45.162
So huge thanks to you.

00:33:45.321 --> 00:33:47.287
Listeners take action on this stuff.

00:33:47.287 --> 00:33:48.236
This isn't theoretical.

00:33:48.236 --> 00:33:50.319
Bridget has used it in her own business growth.

00:33:50.319 --> 00:33:54.266
It's one of my core principles and strategies of how I grew.

00:33:54.266 --> 00:33:57.557
When I was 19 and starting my first business, I had no idea what I was doing.

00:33:57.557 --> 00:34:04.403
But, bridget, that advice that you just gave it's so powerful it can accelerate and shortcut our success, so I really appreciate those insights.

00:34:04.403 --> 00:34:09.603
With that in mind, I know that listeners are going to be keen because so much of the work that you do is visual.

00:34:09.603 --> 00:34:14.188
It's seeing it, and I know a lot of listeners can't see the things that we're talking about here today.

00:34:14.188 --> 00:34:15.889
So drop those links on us.

00:34:15.889 --> 00:34:20.213
Where can listeners see all this amazing stuff that you're up to with Bridie Design and Build?

00:34:21.335 --> 00:34:21.596
Yep.

00:34:21.596 --> 00:34:27.186
So my website is bridiedesigncom and then the Instagram is bridiedesign.

00:34:27.186 --> 00:34:35.983
I think there's more on the Instagram because I'll document sort of all phases of a project where on the website, you'll get a lot of before and after.

00:34:35.983 --> 00:34:51.320
So if you want the nitty gritty to also see some details like rough electrical or rough framing and what those things look like, there's a lot on the Instagram as well, but both are great places to check out to see my portfolio and the projects that I do around the Boston area.

00:34:52.016 --> 00:34:53.956
Yes, listeners, you already know the drill.

00:34:53.956 --> 00:34:58.197
We are making it as easy as possible for you to find Bridget's links that she just mentioned down below.

00:34:58.197 --> 00:35:01.465
Her business website is BridieDesigncom.

00:35:01.465 --> 00:35:06.867
You'll find that link down below, as well as a direct link to her Instagram, as well as a link to her personal LinkedIn.

00:35:06.867 --> 00:35:15.309
So don't be shy If you want to reach out and thank her for this episode, or if you live in the good old 617 area code, then don't be shy about reaching out to Bridget.

00:35:15.309 --> 00:35:21.161
So, bridget, on behalf of myself and all the listeners around the world, thanks so much for coming on the show today.

00:35:22.255 --> 00:35:23.059
Thank you so much.

00:35:23.139 --> 00:35:30.246
It was great hey it's Brian here, and thanks for tuning in to yet another episode of the Wantrepreneur to Entrepreneur podcast.

00:35:30.246 --> 00:35:38.760
If you haven't checked us out online, there's so much good stuff there.

00:35:38.760 --> 00:35:41.192
Check out the show's website and all the show notes that we talked about in today's episode at the wantrepreneurshowcom.

00:35:41.192 --> 00:35:43.518
And I just want to give a shout out to our amazing guests.

00:35:43.518 --> 00:35:52.302
There's a reason why we are ad free and have produced so many incredible episodes five days a week for you, and it's because our guests step up to the plate.

00:35:52.362 --> 00:35:54.364
These are not sponsored episodes.

00:35:54.364 --> 00:35:55.947
These are not infomercials.

00:35:55.947 --> 00:35:59.440
Our guests help us cover the costs of our productions.

00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:10.398
They so deeply believe in the power of getting their message out in front of you, awesome entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs, that they contribute to help us make these productions possible.

00:36:10.398 --> 00:36:18.898
So thank you to not only today's guests, but all of our guests in general, and I just want to invite you check out our website because you can send us a voicemail there.

00:36:18.898 --> 00:36:20.242
We also have live chat.

00:36:20.242 --> 00:36:24.842
If you want to interact directly with me, go to thewantrepreneurshowcom.

00:36:24.842 --> 00:36:26.266
Initiate a live chat.

00:36:26.266 --> 00:36:35.059
It's for real me, and I'm excited because I'll see you, as always every Monday, wednesday, friday, saturday and Sunday here on the Entrepreneur to Entreprene.