New Experts, New Workshops

More than half of the seminar presenters for this year’s International Window Coverings Expo are new. Meet the people who have the insights you need into motorized window treatments, social media marketing, increasing sales and so much more.

Sara Lynn Brennan is the CEO and principal interior designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors, the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, NC, to specialize in transitional design. In How and Why to Package Your Services to Maximize Profits and Attract New Clients, Sara will discuss how designers can evaluate their current services and group them into packages that can be streamlined and automated to maximize efficiency. At Create

Informational Lead Magnets to Earn Income in Your Sleep and Build Your

Pipeline, she will share what a lead magnet is and how it can be used to grow a sales pipeline, generate passive income and grow an email list. Sara will also participate on the panels Best Business Practices for Succeeding with Window Coverings in 2020 and Develop Partnerships with Designers to Create a Systemized Dream Team with LuAnn Nigara.

Melissa Galt with Melissa Galt Interiors is a referral-building relationship-maker who doesn’t just show design teams what to do, but leads them through a remarkable experience that forever changes how they do business. During the seminar Instagram Insights and Strategies. Melissa will share strategies and practical advice for turning Instagram into a profit center instead of a distraction. In The Social Media Routine That Drives Revenue, she will discuss how having a consistent plan for social media management can help designers attract their ideal clients—all with less than six hours of work per week.

Deborah Moss, founder of Fairfield County, CT-based Windowful Interiors, has been designing and installing window treatments for decades. A global entrepreneur in technology innovation and environmental stewardship, she offers a unique perspective on sustainable window treatment design and technology. Deborah will go into detail about how motorized window treatments can be used for optimal climate control and energy efficiency in Motorized Window Coverings for Energy Savings and Climate Control, and share the latest trends in eco-responsible window coverings during The Sustainable Window. She will also lead a panel of motorized window experts in the session Selecting the Best Motorization Option for Various Settings.

Mike Peterson, founder of the innovative marketing and brand firm Visionary Design Marketing, is committed to brand marketing concepts that help companies large and small better understand how to grow their businesses. We are honored to have Mike present Wednesday’s Lunch & Learn seminar, Design Harmony: Design’s Influence on Health and Wellness. One of the fastest-growing influences in design today is the realization that great design improves health and wellness. Mike will share how designers can use this knowledge to market themselves and receive credit for providing healthier homes.

Mike will also present Solutions to the Online Challenges Faced by Designers, which will cover topics such as how to address the threats posed by online retailers and how to better take advantage of the real value they offer, and The Power of Personal Branding, a highly interactive workshop that will explore the basics of brand positioning and marketing.

Stacey Brown Randall helps small business owners and solopreneurs take control of their referrals, their client experience and their business. She is the author of “Generating Business Referrals Without Asking” and host of the podcast “Roadmap to Grow Your Business.” In Referrals Without Asking, Stacey will discuss topics such as where referrals fit in your overall sales strategy, why asking for referrals works and doesn’t work, and three steps to take to start generating referrals immediately. In Customer Service vs. Client Experience, she will discuss the long-term payoff of solid client experiences and how to improve them.

Vitalia Vygovska (Vita for short), CWFP, MBA, is an award-winning window treatment specialist, author, speaker, mom, wife and ballroom dance enthusiast. Her company, Vitalia, Inc., has provided all-encompassing fabrication, measurement, installation and project management services for interior designers for more than a decade. Catch Vita at Window Treatments Demystified and Best Business Practices for Succeeding with Window Coverings in 2020 and Beyond with LuAnn Nigara and Sara Lynn Brennan.

Michele Williams is the owner of Scarlet Thread Consulting, an advisory and coaching company focused on the interior design industry. In Best Pricing Strategies, she will help participants uncover what makes a great pricing strategy, how to tell if their strategy is the best and how to shift it if it is not. For Monthly Metrics for the Profitable Design Business, Michele will discuss what designers should look for when they receive their financial statements each month, which percentages they should focus on and how to do a better job of managing the numbers. She will also participate on the panel Profitability – Know Your Numbers with Vince and LuAnn Nigara.