HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Publication
MARCH 2022 IMAGE COURTESY OF ANDI TURNER OF BLUEBIRD HOME STAGING
IN iTHIS ss ue
03
FROM THE DESK OF JANA USELTON HSRA FOUNDER: JANA USELTON
11
NEW LEVELS OF BUSINESS GROWTH
HSRA FOUNDER: JANA USELTON
22
SEASON OF CHANGE
HSRA STAGING BUSINESS ADVISOR: JENNIFER GAINER
BOOK OF THE MONTH
08
PROJECT MANAGEMENT HSRA DIGITAL DIRECTOR: JILL JOHNSON
19
THE 10X BUSINESS OWNER HSRA MEMBER: PAIGE FREEMAN OF TWENTY 9 DESIGNS
25
HSRA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT ANDI TURNER OF BLUEBIRD HOME STAGING
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
From the desk of n o t l e s U a n a J
Well, let me be the first to
are
say "Happy early spring"
business life as well as
to
your personal life.
you
as
our
HSRA
blooming
in
your
members! You know, we here at We know there are lots of
Model
My
Home
new things, lots of rebirth,
HSRA,
have
lots of amazing things that
things that are blooming
so
and many
in our world as well.
makes sense to you and your business and see
We want this to be a time
what new beginnings we
of refreshing for you - of
can bloom together.
new
things
beginnings.
and This
new a
We hope you enjoy this
season of transitions -
season of growth and we
graduations
can't wait to grow with you
will
is
be
coming up, the summer months and planning for those amazing vacations,
as well!
n o t l e s U a xoxo-Jan
and all of the learning opportunities
we
have
going on.
business are never
Let me tell you, Model My Home is making some incredible
"Great things in
leaps
done by one person.
this
season as well. In fact, I'm going to be sharing a little
They’re done by a
bit more in detail in this
team of people.”
month’s video article. I
– Steve Jobs
want you to pick out what
DALLAS, TX
INTERACTIVE STR
recap
MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP
MARCH 3-4,2022
LIVE STR TOUR & WORKSHOP WITH JANA USELTON
LEARN, SHARE & GROW TOGETHER If you have been a member of HSRA for any length of time, or have known Jana Uselton at all, you would KNOW that she is going to create training from success! Her heart, and the heart of all within HSRA, is to Learn, Share, and Grow together! We knew the stats around Short Term Rental as a revenue stream. Jana sat in so many rooms with big thinkers and big do-ers, and still does today! She took all that she was learning, and began to implement within Model My Home, and the stats were confirmed. Model My Home had their best year ever, due almost 50% to STR success!
So…of course, we had to create specific training to show you how we did it, and how you can do it as well! Our first STR Master Training Workshop was hosted on March 3-4, 2022, and it was such a huge success! With over 20 people in the room together, the information was flowing and questions were abundant!
We were able to tour FOUR properties, active on market and currently performing well, from a one-bedroom apartment to a custom-built lakehouse. Those in attendance were able to move freely through the properties, seeing how things are set up - from the main inventory to the supply closets - and then
JOIN US AT THE NEXT WORKSHOP MAY 12-13, 2022 | DALLAS, TX
come back to our Model My Home office for a full day of training, including an 84-page workbook! Even though we were not able to get through every piece of information (there is only so much you can accomplish in 8 hours lol), all attendees were able to take amazing notes, and have the workbook to continue processing once they returned home. We took so many tangible items of value from this workshop - with the interactive tour, crunching numbers in the classroom, great conversations during breaks and after hours, and covering so many questions! Many in the room currently have their own book of business, and were able to add so much value in regards to what is working for them, as well as sharing some challenges.
If you are still on the fence about attending our next workshop, let us assure you that it is well worth the investment of your time and money! Whether you are wanting to SERVE the business or to BE the business, there is something for you in this workshop! Short Term Rental is a huge aspect of the Real Estate industry and there is a definite need for professional staging and design, as well as hospitality management. The options are limitless, and we are here to provide you with the latest and greatest information! Get your ticket quick for our upcoming workshop in Dallas May or July, or grab a seat in Houston for our September workshop! We are going higher and faster together!! Come with us :-)
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AT IT'S FINEST
Jill Johnson
DIGITAL DIRECTOR
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AT ITS FINEST!
Jill Johnson DIGITAL DIRECTOR
Keeping the entire team in the know of sales and project updates that are in the works can be one of the most challenging aspects to running a Staging or Design company. We have sought out what we believe to be the best tool for our industry, along with integrating others, that will help us achieve the tasks and projects we desire to do. As many of you know, we believe that tool is HubSpot. Project Management is something that is asked about a lot, and HubSpot provides the perfect tool to do just that. In this demo, I am going to share what a ticket is, how to create one, and how to manage one! Efficiency is key to any successful business, so let’s make sure we have the right tools to help us through! Schedule a discovery call with me by booking a meeting here: https://meetings.hubspot.com/jill-myhsra/discovery-call-with-jill-
PROJECT MANAGEMENT AT ITS FINEST!
(push play to watch tutorial)
NEW LEVELS
OF GROWTH IN YOUR BUSINESS
(push play to watch video)
All In. That's the topic today. Where are you “all in”? Where are you placing your focus within your company?
For us, it's been our team. We have thought through how we are going to expand during this new season of springtime that's coming. It is time to sow seed. For us at Model My Home, and HSRA, we are “all in” on team expansion and making sure our current team has everything necessary for success. One thing we have done is assess our current team members. We have assessed, addressed, and progressed. That means sitting down with them, having time for strategy, hearing their hearts, and understanding what their superpowers are. And then, we are adding team members to fill the gaps.
TEAM EXPANSION
ASSESS, ADDRESS & PROGRESS
As I’ve said before, we want to clean out our closets. With team members, we must do the same thing. What are we doing right now that takes up our energy? Takes up our time? What is a task we could delegate, possibly to a virtual assistant? These are some questions that can help with that clean-up.
Another strategic move for Model My Home has been hiring our first full-time Realtor, Daniel Uselton. Daniel is also my brother-in-law, and many of you will meet him at our upcoming conferences and events. Also, for our XL Growth members, we are hosting strategy meetings teaming all of our sales department leads together, our marketing department eads together, our
marketing department leads together, those that are involved in logistics, and our services team members for growth and development of best practices. They're also meeting Daniel, and gaining a Realtor's perspective; we get to understand how Realtors want to be sold to, how they want to be marketed to, as well as what services we're providing that speak to that Realtor and their clients. Having an active agent on our team is definitely a competitive advantage. And the cool thing is, they get to bring their clients with them to our company. Daniel is also a leader. He has been in Corporate America for over 30 years and that experience is something you cannot take from someone. As you expand your team and you hire, look at their success lineage. Where are they coming from? What new strategies are they bringing with them? That now becomes your company’s
superpower - you have a team of experts in their own right, that can next-level and speed that process up within your current team. Daniel is bringing all of the superpowers he possesses, and then he can easily insert and create expansion opportunities within our company that have an immediate impact. So I'm going to ask you, where are you growing? Where are you dialing in and you're “all in”? Is it your Marketing services, your Sales department, or other teams? For us? We are investing. We're investing time, energy, and monetarily as well, with the growth and addition to our team. I encourage you to have each of your team members clean out their closets. What are the things they're doing that are taking up time and causing distractions? Where are they not living in their highest and best? We know we have to do the things we don't necessarily love, and that might be for a season until this growth factor gets into your company.
So miracles grow, right? Miracle grow is for the seasons, we need to use that within our company. What can you sprinkle in that's going to have massive exponential growth within your company? You might be like us and want to dial in your team, going to the next level. For us, that is our biggest asset. It is our team. Our teams are literally my hands and feet as a business owner. I can't do everything, but I can do the “one thing” that matters most, and they can do the “one thing” that matters most as well. I encourage you to just dial in. Dial-in the things that are going to help your company grow to a new level. It could be adding the Realtor that's going to bring the “secret sauce” of the Real Estate industry to your team. It's like an open book test for us and it's also going to help foster the growth within our Short Term Rental business, as we can specialize in that category and with those clients.
So you have to strategize, you gotta bring the best out in your team, and fill in the gaps where necessary. And then think outside the box, “what's going to give your company that competitive advantage over others in the marketplace”?
n o t l e s U a n xoxo-Ja
DIAL-IN THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP YOUR COMPANY GROW TO A NEW LEVEL
2- Day Interactive STR Master Training Workshop
LIVE STR tour with Jana Thursday | May 12 - Attend the interactive portion of the workshop. Tour live short-term rental properties and get ideas for your own
SIGN UP NOW
ATTEND THIS 2-DAY INTERACTIVE SHORT-TERM RENTAL MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP WITH HSRA, THE HOME STAGING, AND REDESIGN ALLIANCE.
THURSDAY, MAY 12, 2022 - 1:00 PM TO 5:00 PM FRIDAY, MAY 13, 2022 - 8:30AM TO 4:30PM HSRA TRAINING CENTER: 2550 114TH ST #170, GRAND PRAIRIE, TX 75050 THIS MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP IS OPEN TO MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS OF HSRA. MEMBERS WILL RECEIVE $100 OFF, USE CODE: STRMEMBER
MASTER TRAINING WORKSHOP Friday | May 13, 2022 - Attend the Master Training Workshop all day with the best of the best
GROWTH GDP | MENTORSHIP Experience the Growth Development Program with daily mentorship and Squad placement. INCLUDES: Coach & Private Group shared with up to 10 Business Owners.
ISSUE 192
MY BUSINESS GREW
HANA LATYN | EURO STAGING
MY BUSINESS GREW
MELISSA MANNING | HEARTLAND REVEAL
MY BUSINESS GREW
ASHLEY CHERRY | STAGING THE NEST
MY TEAM GREW
JEANNE WESTMORELAND | CLASSIC STAGING
MY BUSINESS GREW
JILL JOHNS | TRANSFORMATION BY JILL
180%
100% 50%
The GDP program gave me all of the tools and confidence to launch my business. The continued support from HSRA and from my peers has been crucial.
Completing and implementing GDP has been such a huge benefit for my company and our team. We bonded as a team, learned and implemented best practices per department, and our team members not only improved but began owning their department and became truly accountable! DESIGNER SONYA BUNGGI
30%
COPYRIGHT ©2022
50%
GDP has turned around not only my business performance but also helped me to be a better leader to my team. I highly recommend this program to anyone who wants to improve performance on all levels of home staging business.
I absolutely believe that the GDP program was fantastic for our team. GDP helped us re-examine so many different aspects of our business and were able to grow together as a whole unit instead of as individual people. I absolutely recommend the GDP program to every one of our colleagues.
The growth development program was such a great educational tool for me and my team. We were able to tighten up administrative processes and procedures, educate our team on specific skills and duties, while giving me a bigger vision to look forward to.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
10X Ladies Paige Freeman | Twenty 9 Designs CEO
I was so thrilled to have the privilege of going to the Ladies 10X conference this year in Miami. I heard Elena Cardone speak at Summit, so I knew I was in for a treat. This year’s theme was about taking risks (something I’m not very good at), but I left with more of a secure sense of knowing that failing isn’t fatal. Hearing the stories of the rockstar lineup of speakers reminded me to put myself out there and “do it scared”.
Sharon Lechter said, “If you want something different or better, make different choices.” Lisa Copeland’s words resonated to me about being a “lioness, not a lamb”.
And from Barbara Majeski, “take the leap and grow your wings” gives me even more confidence as I move forward in my business.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
As amazing as the conference
I
was, the Mastermind on the
community
final day was definitely the
everything they stand
icing on the cake. Being surrounded by likeminded people who have a passion for their business and are more than willing to contribute to the betterment of my business as well, is what it’s all about.
love
this
HSRA and
for. Go to the conference, sign
up
for
the
Mastermind — don’t sell yourself short and remember, “do it scared”.
- Paige Freeman
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
JENNIFER GAINER
staging buisness advisor
CLICK PLAY TO WATCH VIDEO
THE SEASON OF CHANGE Happy March! The seasons are starting to change, and it makes me think of our industry. There have been a lot of changes over the past few years, and I think we can all agree the Home Staging industry does not look the same as it has in the last year, or even the past six months. Changes in Real Estate will always impact the service industry as well. That is exactly who we are…Real Estate industry service providers. We are an integral part of their team. While our conversations may change, our services expand or be altered, and inventory demands shift, the Real Estate industry will ALWAYS need professional staging and design. For a property to show at its best, and receive the greatest profit, staging and design will be a necessity.
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
This does not have to be a fear-inducing situation. We understand many of you are dealing with some burnout - after months of stress and toil to keep things running on all cylinders. Others of you are experiencing an explosion of growth in your business and struggling to keep up. Model My Home had the best February in company history, and it was 100% from traditional staging services! This is how we know staging is not dead. The demand is still out there - we just have to get creative in the way we deliver. Perhaps your service catalog needs to expand to include more “non-vacant” stages. Maybe you need to offer more design-related services until the housing market shifts back, and the inventory increases.
THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY WILL ALWAYS NEED PROFESSIONAL STAGING AND DESIGN
HOME STAGING & REDESIGN ALLIANCE
Of course, you know we believe there is a huge opportunity with Short Term Rental, whether you want to build a portfolio of properties, or simply be a service provider to property owners. There is so much business to be had. We just need to connect with Realtors, Investors, and others that we can assist in the industry. We have to get back to the oldschool method of picking up the phone and calling people we haven’t talked to in a while and see what they are up to in business. Perhaps that Realtor you used to assist on a regular basis is now a successful investor, buying and holding
properties that need your special attention. We never know until we ask! As always, the staff here at HSRA is all about your business development. It is truly why we exist - why we show up each day and work to provide you with cutting-edge tips and tricks to sustain and to grow your business, and to expand your mind in business leadership. You can roll through the tides of change, and we will be here with you every step of the way! Be sure to plug into your library of modules - listen to one while you work or with a coffee and notepad in hand. You will most definitely grab a nugget or two of wisdom that could make the difference in your day, and in your company!
- Jennifer Gainer
HSRA MEMBER
Spotlight ANDI TURNER
TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHERE YOU ARE IN BUSINESS TODAY. I'm Andi, an entrepreneur, and owner of Bluebird Home Staging, serving the greater Houston area. I've always had a passion for business and for creating spaces where people can dream, relax and be creative. In 2016, as a Realtor, I began staging my listings. Soon, other Realtors began to take notice of my work and started calling. Before I knew it, I was staging for other Realtors and doing what I love! In 2017, I started Bluebird Home Staging. We are a fullservice Staging company with our own inventory. We have currently started our journey into the Short Term Rental market as well! I am an ASP (Accredited Home Staging Professional), Member of HSRA since 2017 (well worth the investment), and recipient of the HSRA Top 5 Professional Home Stager Award 2019, Top 10 Professional Home Stager Award 2020, and Top 5 Professional Home Stager Award 2021.
" I'VE ALWAYS HAD A
PASSION FOR BUSINESS AND FOR CREATING SPACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN DREAM, RELAX AND BE CREATIVE
"
With all these accomplishments, my greatest joy is being married to my husband of 36 years, mother to my three creative children and their wonderful spouses, and let's not forget my two amazing granddaughters! FROM THE BEGINNING UNTIL NOW, HOW HAS YOUR BUSINESS CHANGED? When I started, I was working out of my house and a small storage unit. Then it was two storage units. Plus, I was doing everything myself, from filling my SUV to renting U-Hauls and moving all the furniture with the help of my husband.
"WE REALIZED IT WAS TIME
FOR ME TO GO ALL-IN WITH THE STAGING BUSINESS "
In 2017, on the way home from the HSRA Summit, my husband and I stopped at Chili's for dinner. I have my Real Estate license and I was splitting my time between Real Estate and Staging. We realized it was time for me to go all-in with the Staging business. The next week I took the leap of faith in leasing a 1600 sq ft office/warehouse. What a scary and exciting step that was!
A year later I move to a 2700 sq ft warehouse and then expanded to 4300 sq ft. I now have a great moving company we partner with that fulfills our expectations, along with two new part-time people to round out my team to three! WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE SOMEONE STARTING OUT? What do you have in your hand? Don't think you must have it all figured out to start. Start with what's in your hand. It's been said, “You either have cash or you have hustle”. You might not have a lot of cash in the beginning, but you know how to make things happen. Hustle, combined with creativity, will get you a long way. Also, be willing to invest a portion of your profits back into your business for a while as you build. I found that as you grow you will often come upon what I call "Next Level Opportunities". It might be a higher-level home than what you have done previously or one that your
current inventory doesn't provide for. I remember my first moment like this with an investor who was finishing a $250,000 remodel in a highly sought-after neighborhood. At that time, I was still doing a lot of accessory-only stages and only had two small sofas in my inventory, neither of which would work for this home. I think the only inventory pieces I used for this project were a bed and a few accent chairs. I knew two things; I have to be confident in my ability to get the job, and then when I get it, I would have to spend WAY more than what this stage would pay. I also knew that it would put my business into the “Next Level”. Making that decision didn't come without fear, but you will always have to face fear and challenge your thoughts to go to the next level in your business. I spent 150% of the income from that stage on new inventory, but what it produced in confidence, marketing, and the new business was worth it 10 times over!
Lastly, don’t be an island to yourself. Even though it may just be you, connect with people and groups like HSRA to help you learn and grow. Stay in a constant state of learning. I would not have been able to build my business to where it is today without it. HOW ABOUT SOME ADVICE FOR THE PERSON DOING MOST EVERYTHING IN THEIR BUSINESS? Don't be afraid of letting go, even if it is what you love to do! You limit yourself by doing everything yourself. I have proven this to be a fact. You have to let go of the following thoughts; “But I can do it better”, or “what if I hire someone and they don't do it right”, or “what if they burn me”, or “I can't afford to hire someone else”. Your business will always hit a growth lid if you have this kind of thinking. Learn to let go of the things that are not an effective use of your time. Delegate and train others to do it, even when it is something you love to do.
WHAT SUGGESTIONS DO YOU HAVE ON MANAGING INVENTORY AT AN EARLY PHASE AND MOVING TO A MORE SEASONED BUSINESS? In the beginning, it seems that you are always acquiring inventory, and you never have enough. Then as you grow, it becomes an issue of how you store everything that you've acquired. As you continue to grow, both are happening simultaneously along with the incoming and outgoing stages, so order becomes very, very important.
Make sure you develop systems that work for you, and that others can follow as you grow. Routinely take account of the inventory you have to see what's not being used. Ask if it really needs to be kept. It might be nice, but if it isn't a "go-to" item, then maybe it's completed its usefulness and is now cluttering your warehouse space. If it is not being used we evaluate why; then we either Release it (sell it) or Refresh it (paint it, fix it, etc.). If we release it, then we ask, does it need to be replaced with a new item. WHAT PROCESSES NEED TO BE IN PLACE IN A BUSINESS SUCH AS YOURS? Get your Staging agreements in order to clearly state policies and expectations. This will remove confusion from the process between you and your client. Also having an easy way for clients to pay. Remove anything "difficult" and create "ease" to work with your business.
WHAT ARE SOME LESSONS LEARNED? Learn who your clients are and invest in them. Coming from a Realtor background I had to change my thinking on who my client was. In Real Estate, the seller was my client. In Home Staging, while it is important to take care of the seller, the Realtor is the long-term relationship to take care of. We do get referrals from sellers, but the Realtor brings us continuous business and refers us to other Realtors. So cultivating these relationships is important. ANY LAST-MINUTE ADVICE FOR OUR MEMBERS? Invest continually in personal growth. Your business will never grow beyond your personal growth. Any limitations you see on growing your business today are relative to your mindset and understanding. And know that you can do it and you can always get support from HSRA!
ELEVATE YOUR HSRA MEMBERSHIP
IN 2022! TRAINING FOR YOUR TEAM!
INCLUDE YOUR TEAM IN XL TRAINING EACH MONTH! XL MEMBERS WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO INCLUDE THEIR TEAM MEMBERS IN A MONTHLY TRAINING SPECIFICALLY FOR THEM ON: MARKETING: 1ST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH 2PMCST OPERATIONS: 2ND TUESDAY OF THE MONTH 2PM CST SALES: 3RD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH 9AM CST SERVICES: 4TH TUESDAY OF THE MONTH 9AM CST
DESIGNATIONS Register at: myhsra.com/designations
$9.99 Please place postage here
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS HSRA INC. 2550 114th St. Suite 170 Grand Prairie, TX 75050 855.85. STAGE myhsra.com | info@myhsra.com