Before You Start: Getting in the Right Mindset

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Brandy Lawson here back with another episode of Elevated, the snackable, weekly podcast helping Kitchen & Bath Designers build a better business. In this episode we're talking about something that might surprise you – it's not about software features, pricing, or even that framework I shared last week. 

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Episode Transcript

(00:05):
Brandi Lawson here, back withanother episode of Elevated, the
snackable weekly podcast,helping kitchen and bath
designers build a betterbusiness.
In this episode, we're talkingabout something that might
surprise you.
It's not about softwarefeatures, pricing, or even that
framework I shared last week.
In the next five minutes, it'sall about what's happening
between your ears.
When you think about choosingsoftware.

(00:27):
Here's something I heard againrecently, but I've heard just
about every variation of it.
Brandy, I know our projectmanagement system is a mess, but
I'm waiting until things slowdown to deal with it.
At this point, I just laugh,because let's be real.
When do things ever really slowdown in business?
That's like saying you'llorganize your sample library
when you stop getting newsamples.
So today, I'm going to share theexact mindset shifts that have

(00:51):
helped my most successfulclients stop procrastinating and
start making confident softwaredecisions.
And with AI throwing new toolsat us every week, these skills
are about to become the mostcrucial that you can have.
First up, let's kill the myth ofthe perfect solution.
I was working with a firm lastmonth and they'd spent Eight
months.

(01:11):
Yeah, eight months trying tofind the perfect project
management software.
Meanwhile, his team was jugglingthree different apps and losing
client information left andright.
Here's the truth.
There's no perfect solution.
There's no perfect time either.
The best time to fix a brokensystem?
Right now.
Think about it like designing akitchen.
Sure, you could wait for thenext year's appliance models or

(01:33):
the next big trend in countertopmaterials.
But meanwhile, your client isstuck with a dysfunctional
space.
The same goes for your business.
While you're waiting for yourperfect solution, you're living
with problems that are costingyou money and sanity every
single day.
Here's mindset shift number two.
You don't need all theinformation to get started.
One client was paralyzed becauseshe couldn't predict exactly how

(01:56):
many users she'd need in sixmonths.
But here's what I told her.
You don't need to knoweverything.
You just need to know enough totake the next step.
Start with what you know rightnow.
Let's talk about what youactually need to focus on.
Forget features.
For a minute, or ever.
Instead, let's talk aboutfrustrations.
What's making you want to throwyour computer out the window?

(02:18):
Is it losing track of clientapprovals in your project
management system?
Um, CRM that feels like a blackhole where leads go to die?
Proposal software that takeslonger to use than just typing
everything from scratch?
Or, drafting software that can'tkeep up with your vision?
These are the real issues weneed to solve, and, heads up, in
the next 6 to 18 months, we'regoing to see entirely new

(02:38):
categories of software emerge.
Thanks to AI, the ability toevaluate what you actually need
versus what looks shiny is goingto keep being critical for your
business to be competitive.
Here's what I want you toremember.
Every successful kitchen designstarts with understanding how
the client actually lives, notpicking out fancy appliances.

(02:58):
Same goes for software.
Start with how your businessactually runs, not with feature
lists.
Let me share a quick story aboutperspective shifts.
A design business owner wasconvinced she needed new
drafting software becauserenderings were taking too long.
But when we dug into her actualfrustrations, it turns out the
real problem wasn't thesoftware.
It was that she was recreatingthe same basic layouts over and

(03:21):
over.
She didn't need new software.
She needed a better system formanaging her design library.
Saved her 15, 000 and months ofunnecessary training.
So Here's your homework.
Before we get into the actualevaluation process next week,
grab a piece of paper, or headto FieryEffects.
com slash choose for thatworksheet, and write down your
top three business frustrations.

(03:43):
Not software wishes, actualbusiness problems.
What's keeping you up at night?
What makes you dread Mondaymornings?
What tasks take way longer thanthey should?
Remember, there will never be aperfect solution or a perfect
time.
You don't need all theinformation to get started.
Focus on solving real problems,not collecting features, and

(04:06):
what works for someone elsemight not work for you.
And that's okay.
Next week, we'll take thesefrustrations and start turning
them into software requirements.
But for now, just focus ongetting clear about what's
actually broken in yourbusiness.
Ready to get real about yoursoftware needs?
Head to fieryfx.
com slash choose and downloadthat worksheet.
And remember, the perfect timeto start fixing these problems

(04:29):
was yesterday.
But the next best time, rightnow.