July 24, 2025 • 55 mins
Every renovation has the potential to be a beautiful journey or a costly nightmare, and the difference often comes down to how the project is managed from day one. In this eye-opening episode, we welcome Monika Zasada, founder of D-Mazing and a true renovation curator whose mission is transforming chaotic remodeling projects into organized, transparent, and even joyful experiences.
Monika's fascinating journey from communist Poland (where she studied American literature) to the Hamptons construction scene provides the foundation for her unique perspective. Growing up in a country where housing was scarce and personal ownership limited, she developed an almost spiritual connection to the concept of home as sanctuary. This passion eventually led her to construction, where she quickly recognized fundamental flaws in how renovation projects are typically managed.
With refreshing candor, Monika dismantles the renovation myths that cause so many projects to go off the rails. She explains why competitive bidding actually works against homeowners, why budget transparency is essential, and why bringing your contractor into the process during the design phase—not after—can save both money and heartache. Her four-phase approach (design, pre-construction, construction, and closeout) creates a framework that keeps projects on track while maintaining the collaborative spirit essential for success.
For homeowners unable to engage Monika's full services, her "Nailed It" online course delivers her methodology in an accessible format. As she tells us, "Most likely you will end up with a horror story on your hands. I am promising you a good action movie. It will not be perfect... but it will be worth it." Whether you're planning a kitchen refresh or a complete home transformation, this episode delivers invaluable wisdom that could save your renovation—and your sanity.
Learn more at:
https://twinteriors.com/podcast/
https://scottwoolley.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Voice Over (00:00):
This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and
curiosity meet style and design.
Curator of interiors,furnishings and lifestyles.
Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, aninterior designer and a style
enthusiast, along with herserial entrepreneur husband
Scott, idesign Lab is yourultimate design podcast where we
explore the rich and vibrantworld of design and its constant
(00:23):
evolution in style and trends.
Idesign Lab provides industryinsight, discussing the latest
trends, styles and everything inbetween to better help you
style your life, through advicefrom trendsetters, designers,
influencers, innovators,fabricators and manufacturers,
as well as personal stories thatinspire, motivate and excite.
(00:43):
And join us on this elevated,informative and lively journey
into the world of all thingsdesign.
Today on the iDesign Lab podcast, we're joined by Monica Zasada,
founder of D-Mazing and a truehome renovation curator.
With a sharp eye for design anddecades of experience, monica
helps homeowners navigate thechaos of remodeling with clarity
(01:05):
, control and confidence,bringing thoughtful design and
smart planning to every step ofthe journey.
Tiffany Woolley (01:11):
Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast.
Today we are thrilled to haveremotely Monica Zosada, who is
the home renovation curator, andwe look forward to hearing her
story because, as most peopleknow who listen to us, the word
curation is one of my favorites,or curate.
Monika Zasada (01:32):
so welcome, monica, and tell us how you
landed as the home renovationcurator well, curating, and the
word curator happens to be oneof my favorite words too,
because I think it is indicativeof an intentional process.
Oh, I love that how it all.
(01:54):
How I ended in construction isa bit of an oddity, because my
life was supposed to be of anacademia.
I was supposed to teachAmerican literature.
I majored in Americanliterature.
My master thesis wasTranscendentalism and Puritanism
revised.
(02:16):
Serendipitous that I ended upin the village of Sac Harbor,
where I spent most of my timewhere Moby Dick and the whaling
industry flourished.
Tiffany Woolley (02:32):
What a collab right there.
Monika Zasada (02:34):
It is, it is so, and I do believe in science.
I don't know if you do, but Ido.
Tiffany Woolley (02:39):
Everything happens for a reason.
Monika Zasada (02:58):
That's right.
And from and having grown incommunist Poland, where housing
was in tremendous shortage, Igrew up in an apartment whose
size equals the size, perhaps,of were not allowed to own
anything and I was alwaysobsessed and very driven by the
desire to own my own home,whether it's an apartment or a
house.
And because, you know, I feelvery, very viscerally that home
(03:21):
is such an important part of mylife.
It is my refuge, it is my spaSometimes I pretend it's a
luxurious hotel, it's my kingdom.
I decided about everything thatwent into my house, how I went
about acquiring it, how I wentabout, you know, renovating it
(03:45):
and all of that.
And having practiced inbuilding industry which, by the
way, I see as a very brokenindustry I realized that so many
projects that are meant to bejoyful and meaningful in our
lives, because home is one ofthe biggest, if not the biggest,
(04:08):
investment in our lives.
Scott Woolley (04:10):
And most important.
Monika Zasada (04:10):
Because, the industry is so broken, it
requires curation, it does.
Scott Woolley (04:16):
So, before we jump into what you're doing, how
did you come from Poland toAmerica and then to Sag Harbor,
which is one of our favoriteplaces to go?
Monika Zasada (04:27):
Oh, yes, and I can understand why.
So after I was invited by myprofessor who oversaw the master
thesis, he invited me to be oneof the one of the staff at the
university of poland.
I realized how silly it wouldbe for me to be teaching the
(04:50):
literature of the country Inever visited.
Wow, and poland at that timewas transitioning from a
communist country to free marketeconomy country, and the ticket
, whose price was like putting adeposit on the ocean front
house in the Hamptons, would beunattainable if it weren't for
(05:13):
the fact that in the free marketeconomy it was possible to be
well paid for something executedvery, very quickly.
So I was asked to translate ariveting book from English to
Polish, titled how to Live withIrritable Bowel Syndrome.
(05:35):
Oh my God, so drinking copiousamount of coffee.
In two weeks I managed totranslate that riveting book and
I got you know a amount ofcoffee.
In two weeks.
I managed to translate theriveting book and I got you know
a lot of money In Poland was alot of money.
And then, via Vienna, with myinternational student
(05:57):
identification card, I was ableto purchase a discounted ticket
from Vienna to New York, wow,where I joined my friend who had
come here three years earlierand while being here I realized
that my position in Poland,while very prestigious you know,
(06:19):
academic career I would needseven lifetimes to be able to
afford an apartment in theuniversity city of poznan poland
so I decided to um, how shallwe say it?
to extend my welcome here andand stay until I saved twenty
(06:47):
thousand dollars, because thatwould have been many years ago
what I would need to purchase anapartment in Poland.
And in the process, in theprocess of that, I I realized
that I really love the houses.
I really love, you know.
(07:08):
I mean, I always lovedarchitecture.
I was at that time, working fora family whose two children I
was supposed to teach Russian.
Coming from Poland, we had nochoice but no Russian, and I
spoke fluent Russian at the timeand the mother's wish who had
studied Russian always was forme to teach her sons Russian.
(07:29):
This is how I was introduced to, well, the best apartments,
right, you know, in New YorkCity.
And this is how I wasintroduced to Sack Harbor.
And I will never forget I amliterally getting goosebumps
remembering the moment when Iarrived with the two boys and
their parents to Sac Harbor.
(07:49):
They have their second homehere and it was just a magical
moment.
We came on a blistering coldMarch evening and we were
driving by all those homes, youknow, and it seemed to me I
entered a sanitary what area ofNew York was that?
That was Sac Harbor.
Scott Woolley (08:10):
Okay, so Sac Harbor okay.
Monika Zasada (08:11):
Sac Harbor.
Yes, so this is through thefamily for whom I was the
governess teaching Russian.
They introduced me here becausewe came here on a break I
holiday on some spring holidaybreak and this is where I saw
Sack Harbor for the first timeand I was just like I said, I
was like entering a fairy tale,yes, yes, and then through a,
(08:35):
through a um, and I was alwaystalking about my desire to own a
home and and such so a friendof mine introduced me to a
general contractor who said that, well, he, he was just, you
know, he wanted help with withbuilding his, his company, and I
(08:55):
was instrumental intransforming his then basement
based outfit into amulti-million dollar general
contracting company as his asits vice president, wow.
And then recognizing, which Itouched upon perhaps earlier
with you when we were offline,recognizing that the building
(09:17):
industry is broken, I realizedthat my talents and by then I
knew everything that is to knowabout what is what is to be
known about general contracting.
I then also was in the processof renovating this beautiful
house beautiful.
I recognized for the need forthis niche service of curating.
(09:41):
I, I love it.
Scott Woolley (09:43):
So how long ago was it that you started this,
that you got involved in thebuilding?
Monika Zasada (09:48):
Construction.
Oh, I started working with ageneral contractor in 97.
Scott Woolley (09:54):
So in 97, but you really didn't know a lot about
it.
Monika Zasada (09:57):
So you basically I knew zero about it.
Scott Woolley (10:01):
You started diving in and learning.
Monika Zasada (10:04):
Absolutely so.
Yes, from answering the phoneto doing you know payroll, to
being the project manager andending up as vice president.
Quite a success story.
Scott Woolley (10:18):
All out in the Hamptons.
Monika Zasada (10:20):
All out in the Hamptons indeed.
You must have seen so muchgrowth too in that time frame.
Yes, well, I have to tell youit was quite a bumpy road
because, as I'm sure you know,construction industry is a very
male-dominated field right.
Voice Over (10:40):
So here I am.
Monika Zasada (10:41):
I'm a woman, I have an accent and, you know, by
growing and ascending withinthe company, I was, you know, in
a position of power.
So I was telling men what Ineeded.
I was telling men, I need yourprice.
You overlooked, you know, youoverlooked one room in this, in
(11:04):
this house, yes, and theycouldn't understand.
You know how dare I questionagain a woman with an accent
telling them what to do?
So it was very interesting, but, um, but I loved it.
It was.
You know, it is throughchallenges that we learn the
most right it's the.
Success is kind of like makes uscomplacent, but when you are
(11:28):
facing challenges it just makesyou better at what you do and
forces you to kind of explain toothers the reasoning for what
you are expecting or asking for.
Scott Woolley (11:42):
So somewhere along the line you decided, from
what I understand, to kind ofgo out on your own.
Am I correct in saying?
Monika Zasada (11:49):
that and create the amazing that's correct.
Scott Woolley (11:53):
So tell us about what is well.
First, what is the amazing?
Is there a meaning behind thename or yes.
Monika Zasada (11:59):
So one of my clients, a female, said to me
Monica, before I engaged you, Ifelt with my project as if I
were in a maze.
I would turn left and I wouldbump my head.
Tiffany Woolley (12:17):
Oh, my God, that's a great way to explain it
.
Monika Zasada (12:20):
And I would bump my head.
He says you are like a Sherpa,you are leading me through the
maze.
You cracked the code of a maze.
You are.
So you should say Monica, whichyou are very amazing.
But you are so de-mazing, so Ide-maze the maze of construction
(12:44):
for my clients.
Scott Woolley (12:46):
That's fantastic so tell us what you do and what
your company does and how youhelp homeowners.
Monika Zasada (12:53):
So I am sort of a myth buster, in the sense that
through practicing in thisindustry since 1997, I do
recognize it's broken andbecause it's broken it is
putting the homeowner, my client, in a very dangerous position.
(13:16):
So the process itself is broken, because how it normally plays
out is as follows the client ifthey are smart enough, they
recognize they need help of adesign professional team.
Scott Woolley (13:33):
Yeah right, I say that yes so this is building a
new home or remodeling no matterwhat either, both exactly
Tiffany no matter what, and hereis the first mistake people
think people make, like mostpeople you know, recognize that.
Monika Zasada (13:52):
Oh, if I renovate my kitchen, I will add so much
value to my house.
And and the kitchen in the mostregular home is actually one of
the most complex rooms in yourhome because it involves every
single aspect of construction.
We'll get to it a little later.
So the process is if the clientis cognizant enough, they
(14:14):
approach a design professional,whether it's if it's just a
spruce up or all they need as aninterior designer.
If it is a gut renovation, anadditional building, a new home,
you also need an architect.
Right, and because no one, orextremely rare people, openly
(14:34):
talk about money, whichabsolutely is an idiotic state
of affairs right that no onetalks about money.
So there is this love affairbetween a homeowner and a design
professional, because it's anaspirational process, oh, but of
course I want, you know, aseparate makeup table and of
(14:58):
course I want Carrie Bradshaw'swalk-in closet.
And the husband says and ofcourse I want humidor for my
cigars.
So they just go out and theydesign, you know, 10,000 square
foot home, right, and they havevery rudimentary sketches and a
few pictures.
Yes, then they follow the nextmyth, which is wow, the smartest
(15:23):
thing for you to do is to goout and do competitive bidding
with multiple generalcontractors.
Yep, huge mistake they have.
What for them is essentially ayou know dinner napkin.
Tiffany Woolley (15:39):
Correct, you're not basing it on apples to
apples.
I say it all the time too, yeah.
Monika Zasada (15:45):
So you totally speak my language.
Tiffany Woolley (15:47):
Of course.
Monika Zasada (15:49):
So of course yes as an interior designer, you
know right.
And so here it is.
So the general contractors knowthat the most important aspect
out of the three aspects of theproject, which is budget,
quality and schedule, theclients most care about money.
(16:11):
So they take this veryrudimentary squigglies on a
dinner napkin and theyartificially drive the price
down as much as possible,because they know that the
client mostly cares about thebottom line.
Yes, so here you go.
And then another mistake thatpeople make is they engage the
(16:34):
least expensive generalcontractor, which means that
from the very beginning, thefinancial outlook is completely,
completely distorted.
Yeah, and then they proceed,you know, to do the full
construction drawings and thegeneral contractor says oh well,
(16:57):
I didn't know, you wanted uppercabinets in your kitchen
because there was no dotted lineon your, on your floor plans.
Right, I don't want to get tootechnical, right, right?
And here is how the wholehorror story begins.
Tiffany Woolley (17:13):
Yes, everybody ends up being, you know, at best
in this position, when they arealways defensive, or at worst,
it ends up in court that's sotrue and like no, what you were
saying at the very beginning,like this process should be a
great process of something thatyou look forward to, that you
(17:36):
enjoy, that sparks excitementand you know curiosity and
creativity turns into a horrorstory and I just I love what
you're saying, so continue.
Sorry about that.
Monika Zasada (17:48):
Very much so.
So why I decided not to be thegeneral contractor anymore is
because I was tired to beperceived as this necessary,
very necessary, but very dirtytool.
You know that is like the buskiller.
After this honeymoon of youknow, the client being with a
(18:09):
design professional, here comesthe general contractor and it's
just someone who wants to ripyou off.
And I wanted to create aproject and bring everybody to
the project in a verycollaborative way.
Yes, because construction itselfis so, so, so, so challenging
(18:30):
that the people and theirinteraction and the process
should be nothing butpleasurable.
So I am, for instance, speakingto the, to the matters I touched
upon, I am very much againstcompetitive bidding.
I am very much for well, firstof all, getting to know my
(18:51):
client very well and also, umshepherding the client through
the process of what I, what Iperceive as their responsibility
, which is for them to know andbe very cognizant as to what
design they really like.
And that takes time as well asthe program of the house.
(19:14):
So one of my favorite examplesof how you can be very mistaken,
as, as it is, what you thinkyou want, is a mother of two
children wanting to have againcarry bread shop, beautiful
foyer that that you know thatsports a huge vase of flowers
(19:35):
right with, with nothing it.
It totally doesn't translateinto how the woman how a busy
mother of you know two childrenwith a dog where she needs to
come.
She needs to have a place whereto park the woman, how a busy
mother of you know two childrenwith a dog, where she needs to
come.
She needs to have a place whereto park the strollers.
She needs to have pegs to hangthe.
You know the slimy dog leashesright and so no, carry bread
(19:58):
show, beautiful, you know, foyerwith a vase of flowers is not
what this, what this clientneeds right first is first, is
this this shepherding of theprocess, so that the client
knows what they want, right,right, and then engaging an
appropriate design professional,because I have clients who have
(20:22):
very well developed designproclivities and I just know
that they would not work verywell with a design professional
who has a very specific brandyes, out and who is very open
(20:43):
and willing and eager, yes todiscover what it is that the
client wants and deliver thataccordingly.
I also want for the client tochoose and engage a design
professional or designprofessionals.
So it is always an architect,and if an architectural firm
(21:05):
doesn't provide interior designservices, such, as you know,
selection of finishes, tile,grout colors, then an interior
designer is also needed to beadded to the team.
And, at the same time, I agreeonly I actually encourage the
client to engage generalcontractor, having gone through
(21:31):
a very intentional vettingprocess to have the constant
input from the generalcontractor as to what everything
will cost while it's beingdesigned.
Tiffany Woolley (21:45):
I agree so you agree, tiffany, right,
absolutely, absolutely.
You know, and just to chime inon that, sometimes, you know,
through my growth in theindustry, you get called, you
know, once they've met with thecontractor, once they've
designed this house, andnobody's, you know, really
(22:05):
thought it through.
Like you said, a young motherwith a vase in the foyer, like
nobody really thinks thelifestyle part through, like a
designer or an interior designer, and nobody really thinks of
the layout, of the furniture,planning and you know, just uses
of space until it's too lateand they're knee deep into it.
(22:29):
I couldn't agree and supportwhat you're saying more, that
the design team needs to be asfirst and foremost absolutely,
absolutely, it's all, it's.
Monika Zasada (22:41):
Nothing exists in a vacuum.
Right, it's a very, it's a veryorganic happening at the same
time process.
Tiffany Woolley (22:49):
Yeah, I even tell clients like when it is a
renovation project.
You know, when they call methey're like I don't know if we
need to bring you in yet we'rejust, you know, getting every.
I said I'm really the firstperson you should be coming to.
Let's design this house.
We can get the architectinvolved.
I know, if it's a historichouse, I would use this
(23:10):
architect.
If it's this kind of house, wewould use this architect.
But at the end of the day,let's design this house before
we go get a builder.
Scott Woolley (23:19):
Yeah, tiffany is very much about the contractor
bring them in last.
And then she's also of the samemindset with the fact of
getting multiple bids.
Let's find the right contractorthat fits this project as well.
Monika Zasada (23:33):
So you see, I wouldn't do again.
I wouldn't.
So I totally agree with Tiffanyright, you need a support of a
design professional so that theycan think of an overall shape
and program of your home thatsupports your lifestyle.
(23:55):
Right, so busy, mother of twochildren, no huge vase of
flowers that can topple and harmyour children, right?
And then at the same time, tochoose a general contractor, but
not scarred as a process ofcompetitive bidding, but rather
a very intentional vettingprocess.
Scott Woolley (24:15):
Correct.
Monika Zasada (24:17):
With you having been very open about your budget
.
Very so.
If your budget, let's just sayand again my blueprint of this
curating of a project isapplicable to you know, to a
kitchen, from kitchen renovationto an island development
project, because this is thespan of how my services have
(24:42):
come to play it is through thisintentional vetting process that
you choose the contractor,saying again, if your budget is
$100,000, then you tell yourteam your budget is $100,000,
then you tell your team yourbudget is $75,000.
Okay, and you ask your team,both an interior designer, slash
(25:02):
architect, and your contractor,to design a house that fits
within your budget.
So again, it's a verycollaborative process and the
general contractor, once he'sengaged and completely committed
to your project, notartificially driving the prices
(25:22):
down on your behalf, is going tocompetitively bid every aspect
for your project.
They will bid your electricalscope of work with three
electricians.
They will bid your electricalscope of work with three
electricians.
They will bid your plumbingscope of work with three
plumbers.
Tiffany Woolley (25:40):
That's where competitive bidding comes to
play and makes sense.
Scott Woolley (25:46):
So question for you.
My question that I wanted toask you is the biggest thing
that I see or that we've seen.
I'm wondering how you overcomethis is that you're talking
about budget.
A lot of clients don't want toexpress or tell us, or tell
their designer what their budgetis, because they feel as though
(26:07):
if I tell the budget, they'regoing to spend every nickel and
dime of that.
Do you run across that?
Because it's something thatwe've talked about on this
podcast, how important it is fora client to be open and honest
with either your decorator ordesigner so they really can work
within the restraints of whatthe budget is.
But have you run across this?
I'm guessing you have.
Monika Zasada (26:29):
All the time.
But I also know, havingpracticed right, and so I, I, I
consult literally all over theworld right and and the
curatorship from the a to z andfrom the a is from this aha
moment for an idea of a projectin a client's mind to the
housewarming party right.
(26:50):
I very much know here, I verymuch know the prices, I know
what, what you know what thingscost.
If my client tells me in thehamptons.
Tiffany Woolley (27:00):
That's a huge like benefit to know that you're
you do understand the costs II've and again because you see,
I, I bring very uniqueperspective.
Monika Zasada (27:11):
Yeah, I used to be a general contractor.
Yes, I I am.
I was my own client as ahomeowner right and I had to
actually take talk sense tomyself because I got on a
tangent right.
Oh, oh, I want handmade style,but I I had to face the reality
of the fact that the main focusof my project was the budget.
(27:37):
And one of the myths is youcannot have it all.
You cannot have budget andquality and schedule.
Because budget was myorganizing component and it had
to be my focus, I myself quicklyrealized that my aspirations
are too ambitious.
No, I cannot have hand-meantile where one piece costs more
(28:02):
than three feet of some othertile that I could find.
But you know I, so I kind of Icourse corrected.
I took more time, because if thebudget is your focus, you need
to understand that you need tospend more time dedicating
yourself to your project.
So I waited for going out ofbusiness, sales and clearances
(28:26):
and I went to antique shows andI just pre-bought certain items
at a very discounted pricebecause I did want quality.
I did want quality.
So I led with a budget.
I understood it will take muchmore time and I insisted on
(28:46):
quality.
So, also, I decided not to addto my house.
Rather, I stayed within thefootprint of my house, but I
added the second floor.
So these were all decisions,but again, someone I had been by
that time.
I had been in the industry foryears and yet I had to myself
(29:10):
talk myself out of the nonsensethat I was, you know, going
towards.
So can you imagine a regularhomeowner who has never done
that, hasn't been, and what dowe see?
we see, you know, 48 hour, uh,extreme home you know, makeovers
and we think we can ourselvesdemolish our kitchen on the
(29:34):
laundry break and then have acomplete redo of the kitchen for
$5,000.
Tiffany Woolley (29:40):
I know it's such a misguided vision, isn't
it?
And that's what's themainstream.
Everybody thinks it shouldn'tcost.
You know X, y or Z, they thinkit's.
You know they've got thesepreconceived notions in their
head on time and money.
Monika Zasada (29:55):
Very much so.
So, yes, of course the clientsalways fight me about the money.
But I ask OK, how big of ahouse do you want, Right?
And then I can immediately sayyour house is going to be the
minimum of this per square footand the maximum you decide on.
Yes, and I am always right.
(30:18):
It feels good so yes, it is afight.
It is a fight and of course Ialways tell client listen, you
can either choose to let me domy job, based on a quarter of a
century of my practice in thisindustry, or we can go your way,
but then I take noresponsibility for the horror
(30:41):
story that I assure you willunfold, Right?
Scott Woolley (30:46):
So you're being hired by your clients and you're
assisting them in bringing theteam together, bringing the
interior designer, the architect, the contractor, and then are
you kind of staying through theproject till the end, making
sure all parties.
Tiffany Woolley (31:02):
Are you considered like an owner's rep?
Would you say yes?
Monika Zasada (31:08):
So, generically speaking, I am the closest to
the owner's rep.
Speaking, I am the closest tothe owner's rep.
But usually the owner's repagain in my practice are hired
at the start of constructionwhen it is already too late and
the horror story is way on itsway.
So I insist on being from thisaha moment moment when the first
(31:31):
idea you know just the lodgesitself in in client's mind.
So yes, scott, very much, I amstaying from the a to the
housewarming party.
I really I I make everyoneaccountable for their share, or
because everybody has a veryspecific job and I boss everyone
(31:54):
around in the process.
Tiffany Woolley (31:57):
So you explained your process on how
that team comes together.
What does it look like onceyou're well underway in
construction?
What is your day-to-day withinvolvement, since you have many
projects?
What's your team look like andand how does that timeframe
evolve?
Monika Zasada (32:18):
So always, I insist on weekly meetings and
because I am the ultimateoverseer, right, all the
communication goes through me,so I am cc'd on all the emails.
But then again, everybody knowstheir role right, so I oversee
(32:38):
it.
And then we all have weeklymeetings.
The entire team has weeklymeetings.
When we are saying are we ontrack?
What decisions must be made now, in a very timely manner, if we
are to meet our milestones andultimately complete the house at
an agreed upon date?
(32:59):
Right, I also oversee allrequisitions of payments.
I help client negotiatecontracts with both interior
designer and an architect and ageneral contractor.
Again, the insanity of ourindustry is that an architect
signs the contract with theclient yes, with very specific
(33:23):
things that he's supposed to do,or she mostly, mostly the I
have worked mostly with men inall um, in all um architecture,
in all these architecture, yes,and then the contractor is
signing a separate contractwithout knowing what the client
agreed with the architect eventhough it is completely, they're
(33:45):
all overlapping.
Tiffany Woolley (33:46):
It happens with the design too.
We get projects where they'vealready got their builder and
he's doing the kitchen.
I'm like what do you mean?
He's doing the kitchen?
I'm like who's going to everymeeting?
Who's designing the kitchen?
Who's picking the slabs?
Who's picking the plumbing?
You're installing those items.
For me, I always have a hardtime understanding why the
(34:08):
builder is so involved withkitchens and bathrooms.
Scott Woolley (34:12):
Well, I think it's because people don't know
better.
Monika Zasada (34:15):
They think a builder builds and a builder
will do all that.
Very much so.
And again, here is aninteresting because also you
know who is providing what isalso very blurry, very blurry.
Why?
Again, because I was acontractor, so I know the pain
(34:47):
and misery of being a contractor.
Very blurry provides.
So why the contractor isinvolved in the kitchen.
It is again, and here is alsosomething on which I absolutely
insist.
So I do insist on the clientrevealing their budget and then
I insist on the generalcontractor being engaged not
(35:09):
through stipulated sum contractbut cost plus contract, because
the latter gives completefinancial transparency.
The contractor, when theyprepare their invoice, needs to
present to the client everysingle copy of every single bill
(35:32):
, whether it's a screw for 57cents or whether it is appliance
for $45,000.
So the client sees everything.
And because I oversee andmanage the budget every month,
the contractor has to update thebudget to reflect the current
(35:58):
phase of the project.
And for instance, if the tilewas X and we see that the client
exceeded the budget for thetile, it is timely to then say
well, perhaps you won't be ableto have the special high gloss
paint Right To recuperate somemoney Right.
Or if the client says I stillwant high gloss paint and I
(36:21):
understand it will cost me X.
Then the budget remains an openbook, right?
It's not that someone wakes upsix months later and it's like
how did we get here?
How did we get here?
And let's go to court.
I'm suing you, and I'm suingyou, and this country is also so
litigious.
Tiffany Woolley (36:40):
It's also ridiculous.
That had to be a quiteeye-opening thing as you moved
over here.
Yes, yeah, it's so true, it isso true.
So what are a few things thatyou know in your experience are
where things go off the rails.
I know we just mentioned one,but where do you think is a
biggie that from your experience?
Monika Zasada (37:02):
Well, it's all.
I think that the problem whilethe industry is a broken
industry, so you kind of havethis problem and the double
whammy is the client right Notbeing cognizant of the process
and how much time things take.
The other one, the other mythor mistake, is thinking that you
(37:24):
can have it all budget qualityand the third one is that you
can do things yourself.
Tiffany Woolley (37:32):
That's one we tend to fight.
A lot is the do-it-yourself.
Scott Woolley (37:38):
I mean go on, scott.
Yes, but at the end of the day,someone hiring like yourself
maybe they'll spend a little bitmore, but at the end of the day
, they're actually going to savea lot more.
And their project is going tobe so much smoother, you know,
with less headache, lessaggravation and, most likely, a
(38:00):
lot of cost savings and lessmistakes.
Monika Zasada (38:03):
Very much so and in fact my project that I
finished before the summerseason.
The client I explained to himhow I work and he thought it was
ridiculous amount of money toengage me in a pre-construction
right and I said well, of courseI can't really, you know, force
(38:28):
your hand.
so if you want to lead the wholepre-construction process, by
all means.
And then he said but, monica, Iwill definitely engage you in
construction.
So the whole process wasbotched, the wrong contractor
was chosen, and here I am cominginto a huge crisis, right.
Tiffany Woolley (38:49):
Yeah.
Monika Zasada (38:49):
So this client wrote me the best possible, you
know he wrote your business plan, basically Right, I mean yeah.
Yeah, he said.
You know, do not make thestupidest mistake in your
project which is not engagingMonica, from the moment you have
an idea for your project.
(39:10):
I couldn't agree and supportmore.
Tiffany Woolley (39:13):
You know, I feel like one of the reasons I
wanted to start this podcast.
And this industry I say it alot still has so much growth and
untapped resources, you know,at our fingertips, coming up all
the time.
How do you, you know, set thetone to really let this service
be out there?
(39:34):
People know that this is ofvalue.
Monika Zasada (39:39):
So most of my curatorship project and again
you know it's, yes, my serviceis is well by many people again
who don't really know what Iprovide or what value.
I bring people again who don'treally know what I provide or
what value I bring, becausethere is so much misinformation
(39:59):
about this.
Right, I mean, you areexperiencing it, I am
experiencing it for a quarter ofthe century.
So the industry is broken.
The client is totally unawareof the process, right?
So, um, so my, my curatorshipprojects are essentially word of
mouth, one client from the next, yeah, or it is a designer.
(40:24):
So recently I was invited to acrazy, crazy project, um, in
Mantoc, uh, where the designer,who had worked with me on two
other projects, said monica, Ibeg you, I cannot do this
project without you.
And we got renovated a villa innine weeks, wow, with with
(40:48):
totally custom things I mean, wehad handmade especially for
this bathroom with 17 tile, youknow, to be curved in the where
the ceiling meets the wall, andyou know.
And 10, you know, diamondshaped black tiles.
And the special it was, it wasthis was my.
(41:13):
Everyone was so happy that Iwas part of the process, even
though originally people thoughtwhat is Monica here for?
I mean, we have a generalcontractor, we have a, you know,
we have an architect.
What is Monica here for?
And then everybody, you know,ended up totally understanding
with the first meeting, becauseI insisted on those weekly
(41:35):
meetings.
Scott Woolley (41:36):
Do you know what that decorator saw that she
realized she needed to reach outto you?
Did she experience something orsee something that alarmed her,
that made her reach out to youright away?
Monika Zasada (41:49):
It was a he.
It was a he and it was someonewith whom I had worked on two
other projects, so they knew howI, you know how I work and and
how I am absolutely um,indispensable, especially in the
project of that magnitude, withthis with, with this intensity
(42:09):
of schedule right, with theinsistent on, on the, on the
quality, the quality.
So what I so, while my you know, while my services right would
not make economical sense in akitchen renovation of the budget
of 75 000 right yeah, that's,this is what.
This is what propelled me tocreate another way of working
(42:34):
with me.
So that is a free masterclass,which is, I believe, 52 minutes
to be exact, and then I aminviting students to a four-week
online course, which iscurrently offered at a special
price of $497.
So for four weeks, we have aweekly Zoom calls and people
(42:59):
have direct access to me, andthen they have access to the
materials educational materialsfor a lifetime.
It never expires.
Scott Woolley (43:10):
So what are you teaching in this class?
Tiffany Woolley (43:12):
Yeah, and is this your course?
Nailed it.
Monika Zasada (43:15):
Yes, it's my course, Nailed it, and I
essentially share my entireblueprint of how the process
unfold, what the homeowner mustknow before they even approach
an interior designer, what theyneed to know so that it is
productive and the interiordesigner then can go and
(43:38):
productively provide value forthe client.
How to find, how to vettrustworthy contractor.
I give the entire breakdown ofthe cost, which also some people
in the industry have no ideathat there are 16 construction
(43:59):
costs and and there can be 15subcategories of these 16
categories.
I mean I have projects that have312 cost line items.
Scott Woolley (44:11):
Right, how many?
How many classes are in?
Voice Over (44:15):
or how many sessions .
Scott Woolley (44:17):
Once a week is an hour or two hours.
Monika Zasada (44:21):
So how it works, scott is.
I divided this nail course infour weeks so that they are
reflective of four phases ofeach project, which is design,
pre-construction, constructionand closeout.
Most people think that inconstruction process there is
(44:45):
one phase, which is construction.
Scott Woolley (44:47):
Right.
Monika Zasada (44:48):
There are four phases to your project, so true,
and then, and then the um, theweekly calls, are an hour when
people, when the students, cancome with questions, and then it
is up to them how much timethey need to to digest the
(45:08):
material.
But I give them, like it's, ablueprint it's from A to B to C
to D, and I explain it in a veryconversational, storytelling
manner because I understand I amnot teaching the homeowner to
become a tile installer or tobecome a contractor or to become
(45:29):
an interior designer.
I am teaching them how to be aneducated, empowered homeowner
so that they can engage thoseprofessionals for their project
to be.
You know, not to be a horrorstory.
Scott Woolley (45:45):
So what type of people are signing up and taking
the course?
Is it people in the industry,interior decorators, contractors
, homeowners?
What does the typical studentlook like?
Because?
Monika Zasada (45:58):
they were intrigued with the title.
It were, who took my course wasalso a real estate agent.
Okay, who also didn't?
He said, Monica, I had no idea.
(46:20):
Yeah, nobody did Because you see, real estate agents, which also
is the part of the problem,right With the broken industry
and the clients who are noteducated and aware enough of the
process.
It's the problem oftentimesstarts with a real estate agent
(46:41):
who, understandably wanting tomake a sale right, While seeing
the floor that's like that andseeing pocket doors that don't
close, is trying to tell theclient oh, all you need to do is
, you know, send the floors andit will be fine.
Tiffany Woolley (46:58):
It's so true they think they have so much
information on this part too.
Scott Woolley (47:03):
How does a person who's listening find you to
take the course?
If they're interested find youto take the course if they're
interested.
Monika Zasada (47:10):
So you can go on my website, de-mazingcom, and
there are three, four ways ofhow you can get in touch with me
.
There is an invitation to thefree masterclass.
If you feel you want to get toknow me better, there is an
invitation to a 15 minute freetulip chat, because all I need
(47:35):
really is 15 minutes of askingvery pointed question to anybody
who is minded to do a course,to really know how I can be of
you know, of better value, ofbest value, whether it is for
them to take my course orwhether it is for them to engage
me as their curator.
Scott Woolley (47:55):
And then there's the course, the course itself
correct.
Monika Zasada (47:58):
And then there is the course itself.
Scott Woolley (48:00):
yes, so when does the next course start, or does
it start at the beginning ofevery month?
It's an evergreen.
Monika Zasada (48:07):
It's an evergreen , so it's in constant rotation.
It's a loop.
Scott Woolley (48:12):
It's a loop.
Yes, I need to take it, I know,so it is very convenient really
.
Scott, I'm going to take it Ithink we all need to take it.
Monika Zasada (48:20):
You've been doing this for 20 years.
It would be fantastic,absolutely.
I guess, I'll to you, so Idon't know what we can call.
Tiffany Woolley (48:28):
No, I do think it's just because we do, you
know this podcast and we addsome little tidbits that we try
to keep, like these types oflittle hints of information,
that we've learned to givepeople feedback Because, as you
say, the industry's broken Iagree and it's so untapped Like
(48:48):
you know, interior designers hada bad rap that it's just too
expensive and nobody can affordit.
And you know you can do ityourself and you know you get
called in, like you said, at thehorror story, at the horror
time, where they're alreadymoney well spent in a bad way,
and it's so much about justeducation to just your next door
(49:11):
neighbor, I mean, or a friendthat really who.
if you're taking on this partjourney in your life, it's you
need help and you need support,and it has a timeline.
Monika Zasada (49:24):
Absolutely.
And it all starts again.
It all starts with thehomeowner right.
Yep, absolutely.
And it all starts again.
It all starts with thehomeowner right, yep, if the
homeowner doesn't know about thecomplexity, they will fight you
.
You know every step of the wayand, like you say right, you
enter into a horror story.
Everybody is, you know, is just, you know, hating everything.
(49:45):
Everybody is distrustful of theother, you know, of the other
partner, and it's such such apity because, you know, do you
want to in your, in your, if yousurvive it, right, if you
survive it.
Once you survive it, you are sobroken and bruised.
And then, every corner, youlook oh here, I had a fight with
(50:05):
my plumber and in the.
I was screaming at mycontractor.
Are you out of your mind?
How did this come to be?
Tiffany Woolley (50:14):
I thought it was X and it was Y.
I know, I know, and we openedthe podcast with a hint of that
and I always tell clients whenthey come in and I'm starting,
I'm like this is so much funBecause I do.
I do this because I love it.
I love the relationship, I lovethe curation of the project and
(50:35):
the evolution.
I love the camaraderie of theteam of the site visits.
It really should be such ajoyful experience.
You're creating something somonumental for families, for
people, and yet, like you said,the industry's broken because
it's consumed with horrorstories and legal fees.
Monika Zasada (51:00):
Totally, and it would be so much better if the
money was spent on somethingbeautiful right, so I like to
say to my prospective clientsthat listen.
Most likely you will end up,you know, with a horror story of
your hands.
I am promising you a goodaction movie.
It will not be perfect.
It will not be perfect.
Tiffany Woolley (51:24):
There will be glitches.
Monika Zasada (51:25):
No, life is not, but it will be worth it Even
with the best intentions, therewill be misunderstandings, but
if you have a team where allmembers like one another, trust
one another trust is hugeunderstand their respective
responsibilities.
Right, yeah, we are just goingto handle it.
It will be like a great actionmovie sometimes it will be a
(51:49):
cliffhanger sometimes we willhave a tea party so so.
Scott Woolley (51:53):
So you have a lot of projects and you're helping
a lot of homeowners in thestates, but you're also doing a
lot of projects outside of theunited states is the process is
the process or anythingdifferent when you're doing it?
Monika Zasada (52:06):
outside of the.
Scott Woolley (52:07):
United States.
Monika Zasada (52:09):
So again, my process and blueprint and the
division of the phases, theresponsibilities are the same.
Tiffany Woolley (52:17):
I was going to say the only thing that's
different?
Monika Zasada (52:20):
the only thing that's different is the building
codes.
But then no worries, becauseyour general contractor will
take care of that.
Correct, right, yeah?
So that's the only difference.
And sometimes the buildingmethods, but again, no worries,
the architect of a specificgeographical region is going to
(52:42):
know about those.
So the process is always thesame.
The process as I outlined.
It is always the same.
Scott Woolley (52:50):
The process as I outlined it is always the same.
What's the number one piece ofadvice that you would give a
homeowner who's about to build ahouse or remodel?
Monika Zasada (53:00):
Educate yourself.
Tiffany Woolley (53:01):
Yeah, I was going to say take the nail it
course, take the nail it courseyes, yes, shamelessly, I'll tell
you take the nail it course.
Monika Zasada (53:08):
That's yes, shamelessly, I'll tell you take
the nail it course.
Tiffany Woolley (53:11):
That's a perfect way to wrap it up,
because I really have soappreciate your value and I and
I want to be a huge part ofbeing able to explain what nail
it can be for so many people whonecessarily don't think their
budget would allow for you knowyou yourself, but to know that
(53:35):
your expertise is at everybody'sdisposal.
Scott Woolley (53:40):
You would have been a perfect piece.
Tiffany had a project a coupleyears ago maybe three or four in
Bridgehampton and it was a nicebig house.
You would have been becausewe're in Florida and Tiffany
wasn't traveling that much there, but that particular client
could have really used your help.
Tiffany Woolley (54:00):
Well, I look forward to that in the future
though.
Voice Over (54:03):
A future opportunity to collaborate right,
absolutely Well.
Tiffany Woolley (54:07):
thank you so much.
What a wealth of informationthat you brought to us today,
and I'm so grateful for itcontinue with your success.
Monika Zasada (54:16):
Thank you for thank you so much.
I appreciate being a guest and,again, I am very passionate
about you know, spreading,spreading the word yes and
making this industry better sothat it is just you know, it's a
joy.
Tiffany Woolley (54:31):
It's a joy to create your home.
It really is, and I couldn'tagree with you more.
Scott Woolley (54:35):
And I'll be coming on as a student in the
next couple of weeks.
We're traveling a little, butI'll be joining and learning.
Monika Zasada (54:41):
Let me know.
Let me know Because Mercedesmade me aware yesterday that
some links on my website don'twork.
I am yet to hear from my VA.
So let me know and then I'lljust send you you know, a
separate link because I wastaking a little break this
summer.
But let me know when you areready and we will make it happen
.
Scott Woolley (55:01):
Sounds good.
Thank you for joining us today.
Thank you so much, Monica.
Monika Zasada (55:03):
Fantastic, thank you.
You're welcome, and thank youagain for having me as your
guest.
Tiffany Woolley (55:08):
Thank you, you're welcome, and thank you
again for having me as yourguest.
Absolutely, thank you all forlistening to iDesign.
This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and
curiosity meet style and design.
Curator of interiors,furnishings and lifestyles.
Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, aninterior designer and a style
enthusiast, along with herserial entrepreneur husband
Scott, idesign Lab is yourultimate design podcast where we
explore the rich and vibrantworld of design and its constant
(00:23):
evolution in style and trends.
Idesign Lab provides industryinsight, discussing the latest
trends, styles and everything inbetween to better help you
style your life, through advicefrom trendsetters, designers,
influencers, innovators,fabricators and manufacturers,
as well as personal stories thatinspire, motivate and excite.
(00:43):
And join us on this elevated,informative and lively journey
into the world of all thingsdesign.
Today on the iDesign Lab podcast, we're joined by Monica Zasada,
founder of D-Mazing and a truehome renovation curator.
With a sharp eye for design anddecades of experience, monica
helps homeowners navigate thechaos of remodeling with clarity
(01:05):
, control and confidence,bringing thoughtful design and
smart planning to every step ofthe journey.
Tiffany Woolley (01:11):
Welcome to the iDesign Lab podcast.
Today we are thrilled to haveremotely Monica Zosada, who is
the home renovation curator, andwe look forward to hearing her
story because, as most peopleknow who listen to us, the word
curation is one of my favorites,or curate.
Monika Zasada (01:32):
so welcome, monica, and tell us how you
landed as the home renovationcurator well, curating, and the
word curator happens to be oneof my favorite words too,
because I think it is indicativeof an intentional process.
Oh, I love that how it all.
(01:54):
How I ended in construction isa bit of an oddity, because my
life was supposed to be of anacademia.
I was supposed to teachAmerican literature.
I majored in Americanliterature.
My master thesis wasTranscendentalism and Puritanism
revised.
(02:16):
Serendipitous that I ended upin the village of Sac Harbor,
where I spent most of my timewhere Moby Dick and the whaling
industry flourished.
Tiffany Woolley (02:32):
What a collab right there.
Monika Zasada (02:34):
It is, it is so, and I do believe in science.
I don't know if you do, but Ido.
Tiffany Woolley (02:39):
Everything happens for a reason.
Monika Zasada (02:58):
That's right.
And from and having grown incommunist Poland, where housing
was in tremendous shortage, Igrew up in an apartment whose
size equals the size, perhaps,of were not allowed to own
anything and I was alwaysobsessed and very driven by the
desire to own my own home,whether it's an apartment or a
house.
And because, you know, I feelvery, very viscerally that home
(03:21):
is such an important part of mylife.
It is my refuge, it is my spaSometimes I pretend it's a
luxurious hotel, it's my kingdom.
I decided about everything thatwent into my house, how I went
about acquiring it, how I wentabout, you know, renovating it
(03:45):
and all of that.
And having practiced inbuilding industry which, by the
way, I see as a very brokenindustry I realized that so many
projects that are meant to bejoyful and meaningful in our
lives, because home is one ofthe biggest, if not the biggest,
(04:08):
investment in our lives.
Scott Woolley (04:10):
And most important.
Monika Zasada (04:10):
Because, the industry is so broken, it
requires curation, it does.
Scott Woolley (04:16):
So, before we jump into what you're doing, how
did you come from Poland toAmerica and then to Sag Harbor,
which is one of our favoriteplaces to go?
Monika Zasada (04:27):
Oh, yes, and I can understand why.
So after I was invited by myprofessor who oversaw the master
thesis, he invited me to be oneof the one of the staff at the
university of poland.
I realized how silly it wouldbe for me to be teaching the
(04:50):
literature of the country Inever visited.
Wow, and poland at that timewas transitioning from a
communist country to free marketeconomy country, and the ticket
, whose price was like putting adeposit on the ocean front
house in the Hamptons, would beunattainable if it weren't for
(05:13):
the fact that in the free marketeconomy it was possible to be
well paid for something executedvery, very quickly.
So I was asked to translate ariveting book from English to
Polish, titled how to Live withIrritable Bowel Syndrome.
(05:35):
Oh my God, so drinking copiousamount of coffee.
In two weeks I managed totranslate that riveting book and
I got you know a amount ofcoffee.
In two weeks.
I managed to translate theriveting book and I got you know
a lot of money In Poland was alot of money.
And then, via Vienna, with myinternational student
(05:57):
identification card, I was ableto purchase a discounted ticket
from Vienna to New York, wow,where I joined my friend who had
come here three years earlierand while being here I realized
that my position in Poland,while very prestigious you know,
(06:19):
academic career I would needseven lifetimes to be able to
afford an apartment in theuniversity city of poznan poland
so I decided to um, how shallwe say it?
to extend my welcome here andand stay until I saved twenty
(06:47):
thousand dollars, because thatwould have been many years ago
what I would need to purchase anapartment in Poland.
And in the process, in theprocess of that, I I realized
that I really love the houses.
I really love, you know.
(07:08):
I mean, I always lovedarchitecture.
I was at that time, working fora family whose two children I
was supposed to teach Russian.
Coming from Poland, we had nochoice but no Russian, and I
spoke fluent Russian at the timeand the mother's wish who had
studied Russian always was forme to teach her sons Russian.
(07:29):
This is how I was introduced to, well, the best apartments,
right, you know, in New YorkCity.
And this is how I wasintroduced to Sack Harbor.
And I will never forget I amliterally getting goosebumps
remembering the moment when Iarrived with the two boys and
their parents to Sac Harbor.
(07:49):
They have their second homehere and it was just a magical
moment.
We came on a blistering coldMarch evening and we were
driving by all those homes, youknow, and it seemed to me I
entered a sanitary what area ofNew York was that?
That was Sac Harbor.
Scott Woolley (08:10):
Okay, so Sac Harbor okay.
Monika Zasada (08:11):
Sac Harbor.
Yes, so this is through thefamily for whom I was the
governess teaching Russian.
They introduced me here becausewe came here on a break I
holiday on some spring holidaybreak and this is where I saw
Sack Harbor for the first timeand I was just like I said, I
was like entering a fairy tale,yes, yes, and then through a,
(08:35):
through a um, and I was alwaystalking about my desire to own a
home and and such so a friendof mine introduced me to a
general contractor who said that, well, he, he was just, you
know, he wanted help with withbuilding his, his company, and I
(08:55):
was instrumental intransforming his then basement
based outfit into amulti-million dollar general
contracting company as his asits vice president, wow.
And then recognizing, which Itouched upon perhaps earlier
with you when we were offline,recognizing that the building
(09:17):
industry is broken, I realizedthat my talents and by then I
knew everything that is to knowabout what is what is to be
known about general contracting.
I then also was in the processof renovating this beautiful
house beautiful.
I recognized for the need forthis niche service of curating.
(09:41):
I, I love it.
Scott Woolley (09:43):
So how long ago was it that you started this,
that you got involved in thebuilding?
Monika Zasada (09:48):
Construction.
Oh, I started working with ageneral contractor in 97.
Scott Woolley (09:54):
So in 97, but you really didn't know a lot about
it.
Monika Zasada (09:57):
So you basically I knew zero about it.
Scott Woolley (10:01):
You started diving in and learning.
Monika Zasada (10:04):
Absolutely so.
Yes, from answering the phoneto doing you know payroll, to
being the project manager andending up as vice president.
Quite a success story.
Scott Woolley (10:18):
All out in the Hamptons.
Monika Zasada (10:20):
All out in the Hamptons indeed.
You must have seen so muchgrowth too in that time frame.
Yes, well, I have to tell youit was quite a bumpy road
because, as I'm sure you know,construction industry is a very
male-dominated field right.
Voice Over (10:40):
So here I am.
Monika Zasada (10:41):
I'm a woman, I have an accent and, you know, by
growing and ascending withinthe company, I was, you know, in
a position of power.
So I was telling men what Ineeded.
I was telling men, I need yourprice.
You overlooked, you know, youoverlooked one room in this, in
(11:04):
this house, yes, and theycouldn't understand.
You know how dare I questionagain a woman with an accent
telling them what to do?
So it was very interesting, but, um, but I loved it.
It was.
You know, it is throughchallenges that we learn the
most right it's the.
Success is kind of like makes uscomplacent, but when you are
(11:28):
facing challenges it just makesyou better at what you do and
forces you to kind of explain toothers the reasoning for what
you are expecting or asking for.
Scott Woolley (11:42):
So somewhere along the line you decided, from
what I understand, to kind ofgo out on your own.
Am I correct in saying?
Monika Zasada (11:49):
that and create the amazing that's correct.
Scott Woolley (11:53):
So tell us about what is well.
First, what is the amazing?
Is there a meaning behind thename or yes.
Monika Zasada (11:59):
So one of my clients, a female, said to me
Monica, before I engaged you, Ifelt with my project as if I
were in a maze.
I would turn left and I wouldbump my head.
Tiffany Woolley (12:17):
Oh, my God, that's a great way to explain it
.
Monika Zasada (12:20):
And I would bump my head.
He says you are like a Sherpa,you are leading me through the
maze.
You cracked the code of a maze.
You are.
So you should say Monica, whichyou are very amazing.
But you are so de-mazing, so Ide-maze the maze of construction
(12:44):
for my clients.
Scott Woolley (12:46):
That's fantastic so tell us what you do and what
your company does and how youhelp homeowners.
Monika Zasada (12:53):
So I am sort of a myth buster, in the sense that
through practicing in thisindustry since 1997, I do
recognize it's broken andbecause it's broken it is
putting the homeowner, my client, in a very dangerous position.
(13:16):
So the process itself is broken, because how it normally plays
out is as follows the client ifthey are smart enough, they
recognize they need help of adesign professional team.
Scott Woolley (13:33):
Yeah right, I say that yes so this is building a
new home or remodeling no matterwhat either, both exactly
Tiffany no matter what, and hereis the first mistake people
think people make, like mostpeople you know, recognize that.
Monika Zasada (13:52):
Oh, if I renovate my kitchen, I will add so much
value to my house.
And and the kitchen in the mostregular home is actually one of
the most complex rooms in yourhome because it involves every
single aspect of construction.
We'll get to it a little later.
So the process is if the clientis cognizant enough, they
(14:14):
approach a design professional,whether it's if it's just a
spruce up or all they need as aninterior designer.
If it is a gut renovation, anadditional building, a new home,
you also need an architect.
Right, and because no one, orextremely rare people, openly
(14:34):
talk about money, whichabsolutely is an idiotic state
of affairs right that no onetalks about money.
So there is this love affairbetween a homeowner and a design
professional, because it's anaspirational process, oh, but of
course I want, you know, aseparate makeup table and of
(14:58):
course I want Carrie Bradshaw'swalk-in closet.
And the husband says and ofcourse I want humidor for my
cigars.
So they just go out and theydesign, you know, 10,000 square
foot home, right, and they havevery rudimentary sketches and a
few pictures.
Yes, then they follow the nextmyth, which is wow, the smartest
(15:23):
thing for you to do is to goout and do competitive bidding
with multiple generalcontractors.
Yep, huge mistake they have.
What for them is essentially ayou know dinner napkin.
Tiffany Woolley (15:39):
Correct, you're not basing it on apples to
apples.
I say it all the time too, yeah.
Monika Zasada (15:45):
So you totally speak my language.
Tiffany Woolley (15:47):
Of course.
Monika Zasada (15:49):
So of course yes as an interior designer, you
know right.
And so here it is.
So the general contractors knowthat the most important aspect
out of the three aspects of theproject, which is budget,
quality and schedule, theclients most care about money.
(16:11):
So they take this veryrudimentary squigglies on a
dinner napkin and theyartificially drive the price
down as much as possible,because they know that the
client mostly cares about thebottom line.
Yes, so here you go.
And then another mistake thatpeople make is they engage the
(16:34):
least expensive generalcontractor, which means that
from the very beginning, thefinancial outlook is completely,
completely distorted.
Yeah, and then they proceed,you know, to do the full
construction drawings and thegeneral contractor says oh well,
(16:57):
I didn't know, you wanted uppercabinets in your kitchen
because there was no dotted lineon your, on your floor plans.
Right, I don't want to get tootechnical, right, right?
And here is how the wholehorror story begins.
Tiffany Woolley (17:13):
Yes, everybody ends up being, you know, at best
in this position, when they arealways defensive, or at worst,
it ends up in court that's sotrue and like no, what you were
saying at the very beginning,like this process should be a
great process of something thatyou look forward to, that you
(17:36):
enjoy, that sparks excitementand you know curiosity and
creativity turns into a horrorstory and I just I love what
you're saying, so continue.
Sorry about that.
Monika Zasada (17:48):
Very much so.
So why I decided not to be thegeneral contractor anymore is
because I was tired to beperceived as this necessary,
very necessary, but very dirtytool.
You know that is like the buskiller.
After this honeymoon of youknow, the client being with a
(18:09):
design professional, here comesthe general contractor and it's
just someone who wants to ripyou off.
And I wanted to create aproject and bring everybody to
the project in a verycollaborative way.
Yes, because construction itselfis so, so, so, so challenging
(18:30):
that the people and theirinteraction and the process
should be nothing butpleasurable.
So I am, for instance, speakingto the, to the matters I touched
upon, I am very much againstcompetitive bidding.
I am very much for well, firstof all, getting to know my
(18:51):
client very well and also, umshepherding the client through
the process of what I, what Iperceive as their responsibility
, which is for them to know andbe very cognizant as to what
design they really like.
And that takes time as well asthe program of the house.
(19:14):
So one of my favorite examplesof how you can be very mistaken,
as, as it is, what you thinkyou want, is a mother of two
children wanting to have againcarry bread shop, beautiful
foyer that that you know thatsports a huge vase of flowers
(19:35):
right with, with nothing it.
It totally doesn't translateinto how the woman how a busy
mother of you know two childrenwith a dog where she needs to
come.
She needs to have a place whereto park the woman, how a busy
mother of you know two childrenwith a dog, where she needs to
come.
She needs to have a place whereto park the strollers.
She needs to have pegs to hangthe.
You know the slimy dog leashesright and so no, carry bread
(19:58):
show, beautiful, you know, foyerwith a vase of flowers is not
what this, what this clientneeds right first is first, is
this this shepherding of theprocess, so that the client
knows what they want, right,right, and then engaging an
appropriate design professional,because I have clients who have
(20:22):
very well developed designproclivities and I just know
that they would not work verywell with a design professional
who has a very specific brandyes, out and who is very open
(20:43):
and willing and eager, yes todiscover what it is that the
client wants and deliver thataccordingly.
I also want for the client tochoose and engage a design
professional or designprofessionals.
So it is always an architect,and if an architectural firm
(21:05):
doesn't provide interior designservices, such, as you know,
selection of finishes, tile,grout colors, then an interior
designer is also needed to beadded to the team.
And, at the same time, I agreeonly I actually encourage the
client to engage generalcontractor, having gone through
(21:31):
a very intentional vettingprocess to have the constant
input from the generalcontractor as to what everything
will cost while it's beingdesigned.
Tiffany Woolley (21:45):
I agree so you agree, tiffany, right,
absolutely, absolutely.
You know, and just to chime inon that, sometimes, you know,
through my growth in theindustry, you get called, you
know, once they've met with thecontractor, once they've
designed this house, andnobody's, you know, really
(22:05):
thought it through.
Like you said, a young motherwith a vase in the foyer, like
nobody really thinks thelifestyle part through, like a
designer or an interior designer, and nobody really thinks of
the layout, of the furniture,planning and you know, just uses
of space until it's too lateand they're knee deep into it.
(22:29):
I couldn't agree and supportwhat you're saying more, that
the design team needs to be asfirst and foremost absolutely,
absolutely, it's all, it's.
Monika Zasada (22:41):
Nothing exists in a vacuum.
Right, it's a very, it's a veryorganic happening at the same
time process.
Tiffany Woolley (22:49):
Yeah, I even tell clients like when it is a
renovation project.
You know, when they call methey're like I don't know if we
need to bring you in yet we'rejust, you know, getting every.
I said I'm really the firstperson you should be coming to.
Let's design this house.
We can get the architectinvolved.
I know, if it's a historichouse, I would use this
(23:10):
architect.
If it's this kind of house, wewould use this architect.
But at the end of the day,let's design this house before
we go get a builder.
Scott Woolley (23:19):
Yeah, tiffany is very much about the contractor
bring them in last.
And then she's also of the samemindset with the fact of
getting multiple bids.
Let's find the right contractorthat fits this project as well.
Monika Zasada (23:33):
So you see, I wouldn't do again.
I wouldn't.
So I totally agree with Tiffanyright, you need a support of a
design professional so that theycan think of an overall shape
and program of your home thatsupports your lifestyle.
(23:55):
Right, so busy, mother of twochildren, no huge vase of
flowers that can topple and harmyour children, right?
And then at the same time, tochoose a general contractor, but
not scarred as a process ofcompetitive bidding, but rather
a very intentional vettingprocess.
Scott Woolley (24:15):
Correct.
Monika Zasada (24:17):
With you having been very open about your budget
.
Very so.
If your budget, let's just sayand again my blueprint of this
curating of a project isapplicable to you know, to a
kitchen, from kitchen renovationto an island development
project, because this is thespan of how my services have
(24:42):
come to play it is through thisintentional vetting process that
you choose the contractor,saying again, if your budget is
$100,000, then you tell yourteam your budget is $100,000,
then you tell your team yourbudget is $75,000.
Okay, and you ask your team,both an interior designer, slash
(25:02):
architect, and your contractor,to design a house that fits
within your budget.
So again, it's a verycollaborative process and the
general contractor, once he'sengaged and completely committed
to your project, notartificially driving the prices
(25:22):
down on your behalf, is going tocompetitively bid every aspect
for your project.
They will bid your electricalscope of work with three
electricians.
They will bid your electricalscope of work with three
electricians.
They will bid your plumbingscope of work with three
plumbers.
Tiffany Woolley (25:40):
That's where competitive bidding comes to
play and makes sense.
Scott Woolley (25:46):
So question for you.
My question that I wanted toask you is the biggest thing
that I see or that we've seen.
I'm wondering how you overcomethis is that you're talking
about budget.
A lot of clients don't want toexpress or tell us, or tell
their designer what their budgetis, because they feel as though
(26:07):
if I tell the budget, they'regoing to spend every nickel and
dime of that.
Do you run across that?
Because it's something thatwe've talked about on this
podcast, how important it is fora client to be open and honest
with either your decorator ordesigner so they really can work
within the restraints of whatthe budget is.
But have you run across this?
I'm guessing you have.
Monika Zasada (26:29):
All the time.
But I also know, havingpracticed right, and so I, I, I
consult literally all over theworld right and and the
curatorship from the a to z andfrom the a is from this aha
moment for an idea of a projectin a client's mind to the
housewarming party right.
(26:50):
I very much know here, I verymuch know the prices, I know
what, what you know what thingscost.
If my client tells me in thehamptons.
Tiffany Woolley (27:00):
That's a huge like benefit to know that you're
you do understand the costs II've and again because you see,
I, I bring very uniqueperspective.
Monika Zasada (27:11):
Yeah, I used to be a general contractor.
Yes, I I am.
I was my own client as ahomeowner right and I had to
actually take talk sense tomyself because I got on a
tangent right.
Oh, oh, I want handmade style,but I I had to face the reality
of the fact that the main focusof my project was the budget.
(27:37):
And one of the myths is youcannot have it all.
You cannot have budget andquality and schedule.
Because budget was myorganizing component and it had
to be my focus, I myself quicklyrealized that my aspirations
are too ambitious.
No, I cannot have hand-meantile where one piece costs more
(28:02):
than three feet of some othertile that I could find.
But you know I, so I kind of Icourse corrected.
I took more time, because if thebudget is your focus, you need
to understand that you need tospend more time dedicating
yourself to your project.
So I waited for going out ofbusiness, sales and clearances
(28:26):
and I went to antique shows andI just pre-bought certain items
at a very discounted pricebecause I did want quality.
I did want quality.
So I led with a budget.
I understood it will take muchmore time and I insisted on
(28:46):
quality.
So, also, I decided not to addto my house.
Rather, I stayed within thefootprint of my house, but I
added the second floor.
So these were all decisions,but again, someone I had been by
that time.
I had been in the industry foryears and yet I had to myself
(29:10):
talk myself out of the nonsensethat I was, you know, going
towards.
So can you imagine a regularhomeowner who has never done
that, hasn't been, and what dowe see?
we see, you know, 48 hour, uh,extreme home you know, makeovers
and we think we can ourselvesdemolish our kitchen on the
(29:34):
laundry break and then have acomplete redo of the kitchen for
$5,000.
Tiffany Woolley (29:40):
I know it's such a misguided vision, isn't
it?
And that's what's themainstream.
Everybody thinks it shouldn'tcost.
You know X, y or Z, they thinkit's.
You know they've got thesepreconceived notions in their
head on time and money.
Monika Zasada (29:55):
Very much so.
So, yes, of course the clientsalways fight me about the money.
But I ask OK, how big of ahouse do you want, Right?
And then I can immediately sayyour house is going to be the
minimum of this per square footand the maximum you decide on.
Yes, and I am always right.
(30:18):
It feels good so yes, it is afight.
It is a fight and of course Ialways tell client listen, you
can either choose to let me domy job, based on a quarter of a
century of my practice in thisindustry, or we can go your way,
but then I take noresponsibility for the horror
(30:41):
story that I assure you willunfold, Right?
Scott Woolley (30:46):
So you're being hired by your clients and you're
assisting them in bringing theteam together, bringing the
interior designer, the architect, the contractor, and then are
you kind of staying through theproject till the end, making
sure all parties.
Tiffany Woolley (31:02):
Are you considered like an owner's rep?
Would you say yes?
Monika Zasada (31:08):
So, generically speaking, I am the closest to
the owner's rep.
Speaking, I am the closest tothe owner's rep.
But usually the owner's repagain in my practice are hired
at the start of constructionwhen it is already too late and
the horror story is way on itsway.
So I insist on being from thisaha moment moment when the first
(31:31):
idea you know just the lodgesitself in in client's mind.
So yes, scott, very much, I amstaying from the a to the
housewarming party.
I really I I make everyoneaccountable for their share, or
because everybody has a veryspecific job and I boss everyone
(31:54):
around in the process.
Tiffany Woolley (31:57):
So you explained your process on how
that team comes together.
What does it look like onceyou're well underway in
construction?
What is your day-to-day withinvolvement, since you have many
projects?
What's your team look like andand how does that timeframe
evolve?
Monika Zasada (32:18):
So always, I insist on weekly meetings and
because I am the ultimateoverseer, right, all the
communication goes through me,so I am cc'd on all the emails.
But then again, everybody knowstheir role right, so I oversee
(32:38):
it.
And then we all have weeklymeetings.
The entire team has weeklymeetings.
When we are saying are we ontrack?
What decisions must be made now, in a very timely manner, if we
are to meet our milestones andultimately complete the house at
an agreed upon date?
(32:59):
Right, I also oversee allrequisitions of payments.
I help client negotiatecontracts with both interior
designer and an architect and ageneral contractor.
Again, the insanity of ourindustry is that an architect
signs the contract with theclient yes, with very specific
(33:23):
things that he's supposed to do,or she mostly, mostly the I
have worked mostly with men inall um, in all um architecture,
in all these architecture, yes,and then the contractor is
signing a separate contractwithout knowing what the client
agreed with the architect eventhough it is completely, they're
(33:45):
all overlapping.
Tiffany Woolley (33:46):
It happens with the design too.
We get projects where they'vealready got their builder and
he's doing the kitchen.
I'm like what do you mean?
He's doing the kitchen?
I'm like who's going to everymeeting?
Who's designing the kitchen?
Who's picking the slabs?
Who's picking the plumbing?
You're installing those items.
For me, I always have a hardtime understanding why the
(34:08):
builder is so involved withkitchens and bathrooms.
Scott Woolley (34:12):
Well, I think it's because people don't know
better.
Monika Zasada (34:15):
They think a builder builds and a builder
will do all that.
Very much so.
And again, here is aninteresting because also you
know who is providing what isalso very blurry, very blurry.
Why?
Again, because I was acontractor, so I know the pain
(34:47):
and misery of being a contractor.
Very blurry provides.
So why the contractor isinvolved in the kitchen.
It is again, and here is alsosomething on which I absolutely
insist.
So I do insist on the clientrevealing their budget and then
I insist on the generalcontractor being engaged not
(35:09):
through stipulated sum contractbut cost plus contract, because
the latter gives completefinancial transparency.
The contractor, when theyprepare their invoice, needs to
present to the client everysingle copy of every single bill
(35:32):
, whether it's a screw for 57cents or whether it is appliance
for $45,000.
So the client sees everything.
And because I oversee andmanage the budget every month,
the contractor has to update thebudget to reflect the current
(35:58):
phase of the project.
And for instance, if the tilewas X and we see that the client
exceeded the budget for thetile, it is timely to then say
well, perhaps you won't be ableto have the special high gloss
paint Right To recuperate somemoney Right.
Or if the client says I stillwant high gloss paint and I
(36:21):
understand it will cost me X.
Then the budget remains an openbook, right?
It's not that someone wakes upsix months later and it's like
how did we get here?
How did we get here?
And let's go to court.
I'm suing you, and I'm suingyou, and this country is also so
litigious.
Tiffany Woolley (36:40):
It's also ridiculous.
That had to be a quiteeye-opening thing as you moved
over here.
Yes, yeah, it's so true, it isso true.
So what are a few things thatyou know in your experience are
where things go off the rails.
I know we just mentioned one,but where do you think is a
biggie that from your experience?
Monika Zasada (37:02):
Well, it's all.
I think that the problem whilethe industry is a broken
industry, so you kind of havethis problem and the double
whammy is the client right Notbeing cognizant of the process
and how much time things take.
The other one, the other mythor mistake, is thinking that you
(37:24):
can have it all budget qualityand the third one is that you
can do things yourself.
Tiffany Woolley (37:32):
That's one we tend to fight.
A lot is the do-it-yourself.
Scott Woolley (37:38):
I mean go on, scott.
Yes, but at the end of the day,someone hiring like yourself
maybe they'll spend a little bitmore, but at the end of the day
, they're actually going to savea lot more.
And their project is going tobe so much smoother, you know,
with less headache, lessaggravation and, most likely, a
(38:00):
lot of cost savings and lessmistakes.
Monika Zasada (38:03):
Very much so and in fact my project that I
finished before the summerseason.
The client I explained to himhow I work and he thought it was
ridiculous amount of money toengage me in a pre-construction
right and I said well, of courseI can't really, you know, force
(38:28):
your hand.
so if you want to lead the wholepre-construction process, by
all means.
And then he said but, monica, Iwill definitely engage you in
construction.
So the whole process wasbotched, the wrong contractor
was chosen, and here I am cominginto a huge crisis, right.
Tiffany Woolley (38:49):
Yeah.
Monika Zasada (38:49):
So this client wrote me the best possible, you
know he wrote your business plan, basically Right, I mean yeah.
Yeah, he said.
You know, do not make thestupidest mistake in your
project which is not engagingMonica, from the moment you have
an idea for your project.
(39:10):
I couldn't agree and supportmore.
Tiffany Woolley (39:13):
You know, I feel like one of the reasons I
wanted to start this podcast.
And this industry I say it alot still has so much growth and
untapped resources, you know,at our fingertips, coming up all
the time.
How do you, you know, set thetone to really let this service
be out there?
(39:34):
People know that this is ofvalue.
Monika Zasada (39:39):
So most of my curatorship project and again
you know it's, yes, my serviceis is well by many people again
who don't really know what Iprovide or what value.
I bring people again who don'treally know what I provide or
what value I bring, becausethere is so much misinformation
(39:59):
about this.
Right, I mean, you areexperiencing it, I am
experiencing it for a quarter ofthe century.
So the industry is broken.
The client is totally unawareof the process, right?
So, um, so my, my curatorshipprojects are essentially word of
mouth, one client from the next, yeah, or it is a designer.
(40:24):
So recently I was invited to acrazy, crazy project, um, in
Mantoc, uh, where the designer,who had worked with me on two
other projects, said monica, Ibeg you, I cannot do this
project without you.
And we got renovated a villa innine weeks, wow, with with
(40:48):
totally custom things I mean, wehad handmade especially for
this bathroom with 17 tile, youknow, to be curved in the where
the ceiling meets the wall, andyou know.
And 10, you know, diamondshaped black tiles.
And the special it was, it wasthis was my.
(41:13):
Everyone was so happy that Iwas part of the process, even
though originally people thoughtwhat is Monica here for?
I mean, we have a generalcontractor, we have a, you know,
we have an architect.
What is Monica here for?
And then everybody, you know,ended up totally understanding
with the first meeting, becauseI insisted on those weekly
(41:35):
meetings.
Scott Woolley (41:36):
Do you know what that decorator saw that she
realized she needed to reach outto you?
Did she experience something orsee something that alarmed her,
that made her reach out to youright away?
Monika Zasada (41:49):
It was a he.
It was a he and it was someonewith whom I had worked on two
other projects, so they knew howI, you know how I work and and
how I am absolutely um,indispensable, especially in the
project of that magnitude, withthis with, with this intensity
(42:09):
of schedule right, with theinsistent on, on the, on the
quality, the quality.
So what I so, while my you know, while my services right would
not make economical sense in akitchen renovation of the budget
of 75 000 right yeah, that's,this is what.
This is what propelled me tocreate another way of working
(42:34):
with me.
So that is a free masterclass,which is, I believe, 52 minutes
to be exact, and then I aminviting students to a four-week
online course, which iscurrently offered at a special
price of $497.
So for four weeks, we have aweekly Zoom calls and people
(42:59):
have direct access to me, andthen they have access to the
materials educational materialsfor a lifetime.
It never expires.
Scott Woolley (43:10):
So what are you teaching in this class?
Tiffany Woolley (43:12):
Yeah, and is this your course?
Nailed it.
Monika Zasada (43:15):
Yes, it's my course, Nailed it, and I
essentially share my entireblueprint of how the process
unfold, what the homeowner mustknow before they even approach
an interior designer, what theyneed to know so that it is
productive and the interiordesigner then can go and
(43:38):
productively provide value forthe client.
How to find, how to vettrustworthy contractor.
I give the entire breakdown ofthe cost, which also some people
in the industry have no ideathat there are 16 construction
(43:59):
costs and and there can be 15subcategories of these 16
categories.
I mean I have projects that have312 cost line items.
Scott Woolley (44:11):
Right, how many?
How many classes are in?
Voice Over (44:15):
or how many sessions .
Scott Woolley (44:17):
Once a week is an hour or two hours.
Monika Zasada (44:21):
So how it works, scott is.
I divided this nail course infour weeks so that they are
reflective of four phases ofeach project, which is design,
pre-construction, constructionand closeout.
Most people think that inconstruction process there is
(44:45):
one phase, which is construction.
Scott Woolley (44:47):
Right.
Monika Zasada (44:48):
There are four phases to your project, so true,
and then, and then the um, theweekly calls, are an hour when
people, when the students, cancome with questions, and then it
is up to them how much timethey need to to digest the
(45:08):
material.
But I give them, like it's, ablueprint it's from A to B to C
to D, and I explain it in a veryconversational, storytelling
manner because I understand I amnot teaching the homeowner to
become a tile installer or tobecome a contractor or to become
(45:29):
an interior designer.
I am teaching them how to be aneducated, empowered homeowner
so that they can engage thoseprofessionals for their project
to be.
You know, not to be a horrorstory.
Scott Woolley (45:45):
So what type of people are signing up and taking
the course?
Is it people in the industry,interior decorators, contractors
, homeowners?
What does the typical studentlook like?
Because?
Monika Zasada (45:58):
they were intrigued with the title.
It were, who took my course wasalso a real estate agent.
Okay, who also didn't?
He said, Monica, I had no idea.
(46:20):
Yeah, nobody did Because you see, real estate agents, which also
is the part of the problem,right With the broken industry
and the clients who are noteducated and aware enough of the
process.
It's the problem oftentimesstarts with a real estate agent
(46:41):
who, understandably wanting tomake a sale right, While seeing
the floor that's like that andseeing pocket doors that don't
close, is trying to tell theclient oh, all you need to do is
, you know, send the floors andit will be fine.
Tiffany Woolley (46:58):
It's so true they think they have so much
information on this part too.
Scott Woolley (47:03):
How does a person who's listening find you to
take the course?
If they're interested find youto take the course if they're
interested.
Monika Zasada (47:10):
So you can go on my website, de-mazingcom, and
there are three, four ways ofhow you can get in touch with me
.
There is an invitation to thefree masterclass.
If you feel you want to get toknow me better, there is an
invitation to a 15 minute freetulip chat, because all I need
(47:35):
really is 15 minutes of askingvery pointed question to anybody
who is minded to do a course,to really know how I can be of
you know, of better value, ofbest value, whether it is for
them to take my course orwhether it is for them to engage
me as their curator.
Scott Woolley (47:55):
And then there's the course, the course itself
correct.
Monika Zasada (47:58):
And then there is the course itself.
Scott Woolley (48:00):
yes, so when does the next course start, or does
it start at the beginning ofevery month?
It's an evergreen.
Monika Zasada (48:07):
It's an evergreen , so it's in constant rotation.
It's a loop.
Scott Woolley (48:12):
It's a loop.
Yes, I need to take it, I know,so it is very convenient really
.
Scott, I'm going to take it Ithink we all need to take it.
Monika Zasada (48:20):
You've been doing this for 20 years.
It would be fantastic,absolutely.
I guess, I'll to you, so Idon't know what we can call.
Tiffany Woolley (48:28):
No, I do think it's just because we do, you
know this podcast and we addsome little tidbits that we try
to keep, like these types oflittle hints of information,
that we've learned to givepeople feedback Because, as you
say, the industry's broken Iagree and it's so untapped Like
(48:48):
you know, interior designers hada bad rap that it's just too
expensive and nobody can affordit.
And you know you can do ityourself and you know you get
called in, like you said, at thehorror story, at the horror
time, where they're alreadymoney well spent in a bad way,
and it's so much about justeducation to just your next door
(49:11):
neighbor, I mean, or a friendthat really who.
if you're taking on this partjourney in your life, it's you
need help and you need support,and it has a timeline.
Monika Zasada (49:24):
Absolutely.
And it all starts again.
It all starts with thehomeowner right.
Yep, absolutely.
And it all starts again.
It all starts with thehomeowner right, yep, if the
homeowner doesn't know about thecomplexity, they will fight you
.
You know every step of the wayand, like you say right, you
enter into a horror story.
Everybody is, you know, is just, you know, hating everything.
(49:45):
Everybody is distrustful of theother, you know, of the other
partner, and it's such such apity because, you know, do you
want to in your, in your, if yousurvive it, right, if you
survive it.
Once you survive it, you are sobroken and bruised.
And then, every corner, youlook oh here, I had a fight with
(50:05):
my plumber and in the.
I was screaming at mycontractor.
Are you out of your mind?
How did this come to be?
Tiffany Woolley (50:14):
I thought it was X and it was Y.
I know, I know, and we openedthe podcast with a hint of that
and I always tell clients whenthey come in and I'm starting,
I'm like this is so much funBecause I do.
I do this because I love it.
I love the relationship, I lovethe curation of the project and
(50:35):
the evolution.
I love the camaraderie of theteam of the site visits.
It really should be such ajoyful experience.
You're creating something somonumental for families, for
people, and yet, like you said,the industry's broken because
it's consumed with horrorstories and legal fees.
Monika Zasada (51:00):
Totally, and it would be so much better if the
money was spent on somethingbeautiful right, so I like to
say to my prospective clientsthat listen.
Most likely you will end up,you know, with a horror story of
your hands.
I am promising you a goodaction movie.
It will not be perfect.
It will not be perfect.
Tiffany Woolley (51:24):
There will be glitches.
Monika Zasada (51:25):
No, life is not, but it will be worth it Even
with the best intentions, therewill be misunderstandings, but
if you have a team where allmembers like one another, trust
one another trust is hugeunderstand their respective
responsibilities.
Right, yeah, we are just goingto handle it.
It will be like a great actionmovie sometimes it will be a
(51:49):
cliffhanger sometimes we willhave a tea party so so.
Scott Woolley (51:53):
So you have a lot of projects and you're helping
a lot of homeowners in thestates, but you're also doing a
lot of projects outside of theunited states is the process is
the process or anythingdifferent when you're doing it?
Monika Zasada (52:06):
outside of the.
Scott Woolley (52:07):
United States.
Monika Zasada (52:09):
So again, my process and blueprint and the
division of the phases, theresponsibilities are the same.
Tiffany Woolley (52:17):
I was going to say the only thing that's
different?
Monika Zasada (52:20):
the only thing that's different is the building
codes.
But then no worries, becauseyour general contractor will
take care of that.
Correct, right, yeah?
So that's the only difference.
And sometimes the buildingmethods, but again, no worries,
the architect of a specificgeographical region is going to
(52:42):
know about those.
So the process is always thesame.
The process as I outlined.
It is always the same.
Scott Woolley (52:50):
The process as I outlined it is always the same.
What's the number one piece ofadvice that you would give a
homeowner who's about to build ahouse or remodel?
Monika Zasada (53:00):
Educate yourself.
Tiffany Woolley (53:01):
Yeah, I was going to say take the nail it
course, take the nail it courseyes, yes, shamelessly, I'll tell
you take the nail it course.
Monika Zasada (53:08):
That's yes, shamelessly, I'll tell you take
the nail it course.
Tiffany Woolley (53:11):
That's a perfect way to wrap it up,
because I really have soappreciate your value and I and
I want to be a huge part ofbeing able to explain what nail
it can be for so many people whonecessarily don't think their
budget would allow for you knowyou yourself, but to know that
(53:35):
your expertise is at everybody'sdisposal.
Scott Woolley (53:40):
You would have been a perfect piece.
Tiffany had a project a coupleyears ago maybe three or four in
Bridgehampton and it was a nicebig house.
You would have been becausewe're in Florida and Tiffany
wasn't traveling that much there, but that particular client
could have really used your help.
Tiffany Woolley (54:00):
Well, I look forward to that in the future
though.
Voice Over (54:03):
A future opportunity to collaborate right,
absolutely Well.
Tiffany Woolley (54:07):
thank you so much.
What a wealth of informationthat you brought to us today,
and I'm so grateful for itcontinue with your success.
Monika Zasada (54:16):
Thank you for thank you so much.
I appreciate being a guest and,again, I am very passionate
about you know, spreading,spreading the word yes and
making this industry better sothat it is just you know, it's a
joy.
Tiffany Woolley (54:31):
It's a joy to create your home.
It really is, and I couldn'tagree with you more.
Scott Woolley (54:35):
And I'll be coming on as a student in the
next couple of weeks.
We're traveling a little, butI'll be joining and learning.
Monika Zasada (54:41):
Let me know.
Let me know Because Mercedesmade me aware yesterday that
some links on my website don'twork.
I am yet to hear from my VA.
So let me know and then I'lljust send you you know, a
separate link because I wastaking a little break this
summer.
But let me know when you areready and we will make it happen
.
Scott Woolley (55:01):
Sounds good.
Thank you for joining us today.
Thank you so much, Monica.
Monika Zasada (55:03):
Fantastic, thank you.
You're welcome, and thank youagain for having me as your
guest.
Tiffany Woolley (55:08):
Thank you, you're welcome, and thank you
again for having me as yourguest.
Absolutely, thank you all forlistening to iDesign.
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