RISE, A Modern Guide for the Purpose Driven Woman Winter 2014 | Page 22

requested to be taken on the road. I
still decline speaking engagements, but
I am leaving the options open.
You never know.
Know Your Worth
Designers try to bait me with
questions on what other designers
charge for their services. My answer
is always the same; “They charge what
they are worth.” When I was trying to
figure out my pricing structure I went
back to my real estate days. I would
tell my sellers, “Your home is worth
what the market will pay you.” It’s a
reality check, but a true statement. The
economy is volatile and people are less
brand loyal these days. Designers are
learning the hard fact that they must
pay attention to their market and their
client’s needs rather than following the
archaic business models they have been
used to. They are learning to build their
worth by selling their expertise and
talent and not by comparing
themselves to others. They understand
their worth goes up by the press they
get and valuable word of mouth from
happy clients.

The Competition

Dealing with Haters

Insecurity has been my biggest motivator. Some things just work because you
don’t know they are impossible. I love
helping interior designers learn to manage their own businesses. My mind is
always running on passion to come up
with solutions, unique products and
better services to build the ultimate
boutique style design firm. The idea of
being capable of running a multimillion dollar empire with just a handful of people is what Viteri Style Management is all about. I never saw as impossible; I just did not think I could do
it. I recognized that self sabotage was
my biggest competitor. There will always be someone who will look at your
business and say “I can do that better.”
You can choose to look at them and label them as your competitor or ask the
same question of yourself and be your
own competition. You’ll find yourself to
be the most difficult person to compete
with and, if you are able to get past your
insecurities, you will be able to handle
those who want to take you down with
greater ease.

“As soon as you succeed they are coming after you.” –Donald Trump. I see
myself still striving for success, but
there are people who will want to take
you out before you even get started just
for sport. In my short business lifespan
I was shocked by how quickly people
can turn on you for whatever reason
they feel necessary. It’s tough to take
the high road and ignore it. You feel
hurt and betrayed when it comes from
peers, friends and family. But I learned
a great lesson from Mr. Trump in how
to handle Haters.