29. Take Control of Your Time with Sarah Langtry
I’m thrilled to bring you my first-ever guest interview on the podcast this week! I’m introducing you to my Out of Overwhelm client Sarah Langtry today. Sarah is on her second round of the group, she has experienced amazing breakthroughs, and she’s here to share her coaching experience with all of us.
Sarah is the owner of Interiors by Sarah Langtry and a residential interior designer based in Ontario, Canada. Sarah was no exception to the experience of feeling out of control around her time and schedule when she first found me. She was overwhelmed and found herself procrastinating without understanding why, but she turned it all around and she’s letting us know how.
Join us on this episode as Sarah offers her experience of being in Out of Overwhelm. We’re also exploring how Out of Overwhelm helped her take control of her time and schedule, be more profitable, and had ripple effects not only on her business but her entire life.
If you want to know how to create focus on demand and prevent your time and energy from leaking, come join me for Coffee & Coaching on May 18th 2023 at 11am Central! Coffee & Coaching is totally free, so click here to sign up!
Enrollment for our summer round of Out of Overwhelm opens May 15th 2023 through to May 25th 2023. If you want to learn how to manage your time as a creative in a way that feels both supportive and flexible, click here to get more details!
What You’ll Discover from this Episode:
Where Sarah’s business was before she joined Out of Overwhelm.
What made Sarah decide to join Out of Overwhelm.
The tactics she’s tried to take control of her time and schedule.
Why time management is about so much more than having a time-blocking method.
How she used the virtual retreat to structure the focus of her coaching.
The mindset work that has transformed how Sarah approaches her business.
What her life outside of work looks like now.
Sarah’s favorite tools and resources from Out of Overwhelm.
Her experience of being in a group coaching program.
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Full Episode Transcript:
Hey, designer, you’re listening to episode 29. This is a special one, my very first guest, and it’s one of my wonderful Out Of Overwhelm clients, Sarah Langtry.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you’re ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you’re in the right place. I’m Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let’s go.
Desi: Hi, everyone. Welcome back to The Interior Design Business CEO. Today’s a special day, I have my very first guest on the podcast. It is a client of mine, a longtime client of mine, Sarah. And I’m so excited to welcome her on the show and have her share some of her coaching experiences and have a nice chat with her. Hi, Sarah.
Sarah: Hi, how are you, Desi?
Desi: Good, how are you?
Sarah; Good, thank you.
Desi: I was just sharing before we started recording that this is a new thing for both of us. Sarah is doing this podcast interview as a first thing for her, and this is my first guest interview. So, Sarah has been with me through all of the technology ups and downs the last 15 minutes trying to be able to hear her. So that’s great. But welcome, welcome. So glad to have you here, Sarah. Why don’t you start off by telling us a little bit about who you are and your business so that the listeners have a sense of your perspective.
Sarah: Perfect. Well, thank you, first of all, for having me on today. It’s very exciting that I get to be the first guest. My name is Sarah Langtry. I live in a small town in Ontario, Canada on the shores of Lake Huron. And I mainly do residential interior design.
So I’m a very small community, so we’re a very small team. It’s just me and a part-time assistant. And we do mostly renovations, a lot of kitchen and bath renovations. There’s a lot of older homes in this town, not too many new builds. So that’s sort of my main focus. And we’ve been in business here for five years now.
Desi: Congratulations.
Sarah: Thank you.
Desi: Now, I don’t think I’ve ever asked you this, but did you ever work in another field before coming to design or work for someone else before you started your own business?
Sarah: I did, I actually wanted to be a retail buyer. So I started school, that was sort of my main focus. And I ended up working for a company that had a home store division on the side and I was in charge of doing all of the displays and the merchandising. And I just really kind of fell in love with that, actually.
So I realized quickly that retail just was not where I wanted to be just because of the long, long hours and no holidays. And I wanted a little bit better control over my schedule, so I ended up going back to school for interior design, and graduated as a mature student, I guess they would say. And then, yeah, I went from there. My first job was actually with a home builder. So I worked in new construction for probably about five years.
And then we actually moved to the States for a while and I was there for nine years where I had my kids. And I stayed home for a few years to raise them when they were younger. And then started to get back into working for myself, actually opened up my own business then and was doing more E-design and sort of smaller local projects that worked with my schedule and my kids’ schedule a little bit better.
And then after we ended up relocating back to Canada, that’s when I started my business and pretty much started working at that full-time.
Desi: All right, I love hearing how people come to design. I’m someone who went to school for design and that was just my first career. But I’ve met so many people through coaching and just being in the industry in general who have such fascinating backgrounds and the twists and turns that it takes and they arrive at design. So I just, I love knowing that about people.
So, Sarah, like I told the audience, you are one of my clients. This is actually your second round of Out Of Overwhelm.
Sarah: It is.
Desi: And I’d love to just take a little trip back in time and think about where were you and where was your business before you started the program?
Sarah: So within my business, it grew very, very quickly. Like I said, I was from a small town, so there’s not a lot of interior designers in the area. So what I started, sort of thinking it was going to be part-time, quickly bloomed into full-time. And I just felt like I had no control of my time or my schedule.
And so I’ve always felt constantly behind. I kind of felt like I was spinning in circles all the time, you know, ending the day feeling like I never got anything done. Work was piling up. I’d find myself procrastinating and I didn’t know why I was procrastinating. So that’s sort of where I was when I came across you.
And I listened to you in a couple of podcasts and just realized that, okay, something really has to change here because I really wanted to take control of my schedule and my time a little bit, and not constantly feel like I was sort of spinning in circles, working nights, working weekends. I wanted to just gain control of my schedule again.
Desi: Yes, that sounds very similar to so many people that I work with. And I just have to, I can’t help myself here, Sarah, but I have to go back and say your business is not successful because you’re in a small town and there are not that many designers. We need to coach on that.
Sarah: Yes, that’s very true.
Desi: Your business is successful because you are talented and provide an excellent result for your clients. But that’s a side note that we can get to on one of our coaching calls.
Sarah: That’s what I love about you, you always find those little, you always find those little parts and you help us see it in a different way.
Desi: Yeah. So tell me now, you were spinning, it felt like you were procrastinating, your schedule was not your own to take charge of. What was it about Out Of Overwhelm that brought you in and said this is for me?
Sarah: I think it was the fact that you also had been in the field before. You’re an interior designer and kind of knew the challenges that interior designers had. But it was also just a lot of the mindset work that I knew I had to do, that I saw that you focused on in a way. And just everything that you basically covered in Out Of Overwhelm and the experiences that your clients usually have is exactly what I was having.
So it’s just always feeling overwhelmed, feeling stressed, always feeling like there’s just not enough time in the day. Feeling like I can’t control my schedule. That was just all the key points that I know your program really honed in on. So that’s what really kind of drew me to that.
Desi: Had you had any experience with mindset work prior to joining the program?
Sarah: Not in a one on one or group coaching session. I feel like I’ve read all the books and I’ve used all the tools and tried to do maybe one day seminars or webinars here and there. But I was never involved in a coaching process that actually helped you along the way.
So I also knew, because I’ve tried all those things before. I’ve tried so many times trying to implement this program and I still couldn’t get my schedule to work for me or lessen that feeling of overwhelm. So that’s when I came across your program. And I knew that I needed a little bit more help than just trying to do something myself.
Desi: Yeah.
Sarah: I needed more guidance.
Desi: What were some of the tactics that you tried to take control of your schedule?
Sarah: I’ve tried to get programs that did scheduling for you. I tried to time block, very unsuccessfully, in the past. I’ve tried to do programs like Asana and ClickUp and all of these programs to try and organize and set systems. And I would set them up, but then I was having a real problem trying to implement them and stay on track. It was almost like I was trying to do what other people were telling me to do and it just wasn’t working for me.
Desi: Mm-hmm, yeah, that’s true. Would you say you’re someone who doesn’t like being told what to do?
Sara: Yes. I definitely like to figure things out on my own. I’ve always been that type of person. But in that, I was really struggling trying to figure this one out on my own.
Desi: Yeah, yeah. I think we talked about that on a recent coaching call too, that rebellious planning.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: Where it’s like you put stuff on your calendar and you’re like, “I’m not doing that. Don’t tell me tell me what to do.” We forget it’s just, oh, you and me, we’re the same person.
Sarah: Yes, exactly.
Desi: I love it. Love it. Yeah, so tell me now one of the things, just to give the context around the way that the program is structured, we start off with a virtual retreat. And I help you and the other clients really focus on what their essentials are for the program, right? Because one of the major ways that I’ve thought about Out Of Overwhelm when I designed the program is we get the mindset foundations set right away. We get the scheduling and time management pieces taught right away so that you can have the entire six months to implement it.
And also then the rest of the program is really structured around modules and topics that support your time management, right? Because time management, as you’ve found with trying some of these other strategies, is about so much more than just having Asana or a time blocking method. It’s about when you’re saying yes when you want to say no. And it’s about when you’re procrastinating and scrolling Instagram when you said you were going to do this thing, right?
And so at the very beginning I want to help clients really get dialed in on what they want to get out of the program because there’s so much that you could do with the different modules. So what I’m really curious about is how you used the virtual retreat to structure your focus for the six months of coaching and beyond.
This is where we really set your priorities for the program and narrowed in on what topics you’d be focusing on, what results you wanted to get out of the program.
Sarah: So I really wanted to be able to take control of my schedule to not be working weekends and nights. And I also wanted to try and implement a four day workweek to have one day that was sort of free from doing anything from work that would help support just my family, the way that my family functions and to be there for them. So that was a big focus for me, going forward.
So that was my major goal, was to try and implement that four day workweek. And I’m still working on it. I am about 90% there.
Desi: That’s amazing, 90%.
Sarah: Yes. And I no longer work nights or weekends. I really feel like I don’t need to do that anymore. And yeah, 90%, I’d say.
Desi: That is incredible.
Sarah: Yeah.
Desi: Just that last little bit, what do you think you still need to do in order to get that last 10% closure?
Sarah: I think I definitely need to say no more. I think that’s something I’m working on and that’s something I’ve done, actually, a lot of work on. I’ve said no to a lot of projects that I don’t necessarily want to do, which leaves it open to say yes to some bigger projects. But I’ve also found myself saying yes to some projects in the past that I’m just sort of trying to clean up. Sort of working through the schedule, so also being a little bit more realistic with my schedule will help. So I’m there, I’m almost there.
Desi: Yeah.
Sarah: I do take a lot of Fridays off. And then sometimes if I just have a full month, I just decide to work a few hours on Friday. But I never schedule anything important on those Fridays anymore.
Desi: That is brilliant.
Sarah: Yeah.
Desi: Congratulations.
Sarah: Thank you.
Desi: And I think that’s really one of the amazing things about being in control of your time, is that you learn how and when you want to break your own rules. Like there might be times that we do want to say, yep, I’m going to do a little bit extra this week. I mean, that happened last week, right? I was just explaining before we were recording to Sarah about my technology woes.
Last week, I ended up working more than I was planning on working because I was having sound issues getting set up for this recording. And so it’s not an opportunity to blame yourself or make yourself wrong. It’s like you know what your objective is, you know what your priorities are, sometimes you’re going to make the decision that you are going to put in a little extra time, and that’s okay. But ultimately, you’re still the one that’s in control of it.
Sarah: Yes. Yes, and the mindset work that we’ve done through this program has helped me so much with that, because I would constantly at the end of the day if I didn’t do all the things on my list that I had, I would beat myself up about it and think I had a horribly unproductive day and constantly look at the things that I didn’t do. Whereas now, the mindset has really changed that I look at all the things that I have done, you know, celebrate your wins every day.
And it’s really changed my perspective of what I have done, what I have accomplished and what I choose to do. So, again, if I have to work on a Friday, I don’t feel like I have to work on a Friday. I choose to work on a Friday. And it’s just a different way of thinking about it.
Desi: Yeah, and I think one of the things that I think potential clients or other designers worry about is that when they start to celebrate their wins and say, “Yes, look at all that I did. Look at all that I accomplished,” that that’s somehow going to be to their detriment instead of supporting them. So what do you have to say about that?
Sarah: Yes, that was a bit of a hump because you also feel kind of silly at first. You feel like you’re bragging about things. And a lot of times your brain tells you that, oh, that’s just so insignificant. Why are you happy that you cleaned your desk off today because it was on your list?
But when your mindset starts to change a little bit and you start realizing that it is an accomplishment, you feel good about it. You feel good about doing something like that. And then you also realize how those little steps, even just cleaning your desk off, can actually help you be more productive during the day.
Desi: Yeah. And I think it really goes to bigger goals too.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: With project planning, I know that that’s something you’ve worked a lot on throughout this project. And I’m sure that is helping your four day workweek a lot with setting timelines that work for you and for the client, spacing out projects, all of that. And starting to see the impact of that, and then noticing it, and then that motivates you to keep doing it.
Sarah: Yes. Yes, exactly. Yes. It’s almost something before that would overwhelm me and I would pretty much avoid doing it at all costs, you know, actually writing out the schedule for projects and trying to figure out how many hours realistically do you have to do this. I would just in my head think, oh yeah, I can get this done within this amount of time period, which wasn’t realistic as well.
But now that I’m able to do that, it’s fun almost, because when I get a new client, I break it all down. I measure it out. I put it into my system. I do all of the things and I actually look forward to doing it and it doesn’t feel like a chore anymore.
Desi: Oh, that just makes me so happy. I love it. I love it. So tell me a little bit more about what your life is like outside of work now that you’ve implemented so many of these concepts and tools.
Sarah: These tools that you learned in this program absolutely continue and affect every aspect of your life. We’ve just had a bit of a difficult month this past month with a lot going on in our family, whereas prior to this program and prior to this mindset work, I would treat it a lot like work. I would feel very overwhelmed, very stressed out.
And when you’re in that mindset, then you become snappy with your family or your kids, or feel like you’re always rushing, or working until midnight to get things done at home. Whereas the tools that I’ve learned to run my business better have helped me run my life better as well. And then I also feel, you know, I’m not spending nights rushing around doing things. I actually get to sit and enjoy an episode of my favorite show and not feel guilty about that.
Desi: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah. And one of the things that I love to think about is ripple effects. So you were just sharing ripple effects of doing Out Of Overwhelm with your personal life. What do you think are some of the ripple effects that are going to continue to take place in your business from doing this work?
Sarah: I think it’s just going forward, everything is just going to feel easier and less heavy. I feel like as a ripple effect I can probably bring team members on and work with them in a better manner or can work with them in a manner that’s sort of less stressful, less overwhelmed, a little more organized.
I feel like going forward I’ll be able to say yes to more projects, and no to more projects that I don’t want to take on. I feel like a ripple effect of that will be I’ll be able to increase my revenue without increasing the hours that I work.
Desi: So, one of the things I’d also love for you to share with everyone is just like what was your favorite module that we’ve been through? Or what are some of your favorite tools and resources that you have used through the program? Because, like I was saying, there’s lots of variety and ways that you can use the resources.
Sarah: There is. I think that one of the modules that had the biggest impact on me was talking about perfectionism and procrastination because I learned a lot, or I was able to see a lot in myself, because I always felt procrastination was a problem of mine. When I felt overwhelmed, for instance, I’d pick up my phone to do an Instagram post and I’d get lost on scrolling and responding to Instagram for an hour. All of a sudden an hour would be gone by and then I would feel like I wasted my time.
So understanding the procrastination and perfectionism module was really sort of a light bulb for me because I understood how I am a bit of a perfectionist and how my brain would use procrastination, basically, to sort of make me feel better about not doing something perfect.
So if I constantly felt like I had to put something out perfect and it wasn’t there, it was a lot of pressure I was putting on myself. So sort of to relieve that I would start procrastinating and doing these types of things. So that was a big one for me because I related to that a lot on how I spent the time during my day.
Desi: Yeah, that’s a big one.
Sarah: Yeah.
Desi: So what do you think the impact or time saved would be, if you had to estimate, of lessening those perfectionistic tendencies and reducing procrastination?
Sarah: Oh, well, I mean, time saved is just throughout the day. I feel like I get so much – Well, I know I get so much more accomplished because I’m a lot more focused and I’m able to get my three things every day that I want to get accomplished, most of the time I’m able to accomplish that.
But it’s also being realistic as well and noticing, you know, one of the big lessons that I took away is to basically recognize when you’re doing these perfectionism procrastination things and to stop and to really evaluate why you’re doing them. Which then helps you see things in a different light and sort of move forward and sort of prevent them from happening again in the future.
Desi: Yeah, yeah. I’d love for you to speak to that just a little bit more, of understanding the why behind the behavior. That’s so much of what the mindset piece is. And I think for a lot of people, I know another client just shared this, her brain likes to tell her that she doesn’t have time to look at that. Like that’s a waste of time to pause and look at the source of the behavior.
What would you have to say to people who might be having that same thought?
Sarah: I’ll be honest, I actually had that same thought at the beginning as well. I thought I don’t have time to do this during the day and to stop and to do this all the time. But once I got into the practice and really gave it a go, you really start to understand with the model that you teach is that basically the thoughts that you’re having about something, how much it really fuels the action that you take and the result that you get from that.
So just that model that you teach is huge in helping with, not just the perfectionism and procrastination, but that also has the ripple effect where that also goes into so many different areas of my business and my life. Just being able to stop and understand or question the why. Why am I feeling this way? Why am I thinking this way? And sort of understanding that is huge.
Desi: Yeah. And I know, for me, I even get that sometimes where I’m like, I don’t have time to self-coach. But kind of like, oh my gosh, this is nonsense. Let’s reel it back in. But I think that, like how often does it take you like a minute to even just recognize, oh, that’s what I’m doing, I’m going to redirect?
Sarah: Yes, exactly. It just takes a minute. And I think, like anything, with practice if you just spend the time to actually start doing it, it’s going to feel weird and uncomfortable at first. But once you start doing it on a regular basis, you almost find yourself catching yourself at many different moments throughout the day.
And then you can also process that even more in your head instead of sitting and writing it out. And it almost turns into a five second thing, not just a minute long writing the process out.
Desi: Exactly.
Sarah: It’s an instant, oh, look what I’m doing. I’m doing this because A, B, C.
Desi: Yeah, with five seconds of reflection, you save yourself an hour’s worth of time trying to distract yourself or avoid whatever it is you were planning to do. It’s a good trade off, I think.
Sarah: I think so too, yes. Like I said, it took me a while to get into it. But once I did, it’s something I will never stop doing.
Desi: That’s amazing. That’s amazing. So the other thing I’d love to know about is what has your experience been like with the community or being in a group coaching program such as Out Of Overwhelm? Have you ever been in a group coaching program before? Was that something that you were looking for when you were looking for a program to join? Tell me about that.
Sarah: Yes, I’ve never been in a group coaching program. And I’ve never also done individual one-on-one coaching. So I wasn’t quite sure what direction that I wanted to take. But I ultimately ended up joining a group coaching session because I felt like it was maybe a little bit easier. Easier in a way that I didn’t feel the pressure of having to share on weeks if I didn’t want to share something on those weeks.
But what I quickly learned about being part of a community is that we learn so much, and I’ve learned so much from listening to other people’s coaching and from what their struggles that they’ve gone through and what they’ve done to overcome. I’ve learned probably more that way than I would have doing a one on one coaching sessions.
Desi: Mm-hmm, I’m always amazed at the insights I can have. And I’ve been in masterminds where there’s 100 people, I’ve been in programs where there’s thousands and thousands of people and I always get so much out of listening to other people be coached.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: It’s like your brain is in a calmer state, I think, and so you have access to some of those internal pieces of wisdom that you wouldn’t necessarily when you’re the one who has the issue. And then also when it is time or you want to raise your hand and you want to post in the community and say, “Hey, I need some help with this,” that’s absolutely an option as well. What has your experience been with getting personalized coaching in the group?
Sarah: It’s been great. I almost feel like listening to other people’s coaching prompts you sometimes to ask for your own coaching or prompts you to think of things that you may not have thought of before and ask for help on.
So yeah, the one on one has been great. And I feel like the community itself is so supportive and just very encouraging. And everyone is just really like-minded and there for the same thing. So it’s a very, yeah, it’s a great community to be in.
Desi: I love to hear that. One of the things I love about the space is how supportive everyone is of each other. And I intentionally work to set that tone, of course, at the beginning. And also I know that it’s you all who create that community as well and we come together to do that.
Sarah: Yes, yeah.
Desi: What would you want to tell somebody who’s listening right now about getting coached by me or being coached in Out Of Overwhelm? I think that some people are really intimidated to come into the group and share.
And I also think that there’s lots of people who think that they’re not going to get what they need because it’s a group coaching situation where they’re like a number in the bucket or something like that. Or how is Desi going to possibly be able to help me if there’s other people present? So I just would be curious if you have anything to say about that?
Sarah: Okay. Yeah, I would say the experience of being coached in a group coaching program like Desi’s, and even being coached one on one is, even though the first time I spoke up it was a little bit nerve wracking and a little bit scary. But you quickly learn that everybody is pretty much there to learn from you and you’re there to learn from them. And there’s no judgment and it’s just, it’s very open.
And I feel like once you start sharing your own coaching requests or your own struggles, is that a lot of people will piggyback on that and say, “Yeah, you know what? I struggle with this, too.” Some of them will even offer help, “This is what worked for me, or that worked for me.” Or they ended up asking questions that really help you along with your question or your struggle as well.
Desi: Yeah. So would you say that you were able to get support then, whenever you needed it?
Sarah: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. There was support 24/7. If you wanted to post something in the program, I could reach out to you directly. Or I could even put, in the online studio that you have, you could post any question and you would automatically get responses back.
And I almost felt like some of the coaching requests that I had put in typed out, you almost get a different sort of type of answer. Sometimes it’s even clearer that way, going through working it out through typing it out, rather than speaking sometimes.
Desi: Yeah, I love written coaching. I’ll just say that.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: I love written coaching whenever I’m a client or I just love to do it with my clients as well. And what Sarah is describing is we have a space called the studio that you get access to when you join. It’s your cohort that has joined Out Of Overwhelm, so it’s a closed community. It’s off of social media. But essentially, it’s a place for you to share resources and tools with your peers.
And then it’s also where you get all of the between session support. So that’s what Sarah was talking about with the 24/7. So whenever you’re having a struggle, a challenge, have a question for me, there’s a space called Ask Desi and you just pop your question in.
And I think you get so much more clarity around what your question is and what the answer is going to inform for you when you type it. I’ve found that to be my experience, and I think that’s what you’re speaking to as well.
Sarah: Yes. And I feel with written coaching, with your responses or the prompts that you ask us to get a response for instance, it gives you a little bit more time to think things through or just think about it a little bit more. Instead of feeling like you have to come up with a response right away, you can think through it and ask those why questions of doing this.
Desi: Yeah, yeah. All right, well, as we wrap up our time here, Sarah, I’d love to know, if there’s anyone who’s listening who’s thinking about joining Out Of Overwhelm and working with me, what would you have to say to them?
Sarah: I would have to say that the whole process has just been very life changing for me. And I think working with you in the group, it just has such a great energy and openness to it. And it’s something that investing this time in yourself and doing this mindset work is going to change so much about your business and your life in the future, that it’s 100% worth the investment and your time.
Desi: Yeah, thank you for saying that. Can we talk about the time a little bit? Because that’s one of the number one questions I get, is like how much time is this going to take me?
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: Which totally makes sense because when you’re overwhelmed, you’re coming from a mindset of everything’s taking time away from me. Like I have this jar that there’s hours in and you’re just plucking them away and they’re going to run out soon. So tell me a little bit about, like how did you create time for this program? How did you make it work with you? And how much time does it actually take?
Sarah: It really doesn’t take a lot of time. I mean, more than a couple hours total a week at most. But what I’ve found is, once you start taking the time, I’ve sort of set aside time in my morning schedule. The way I like to do it is to sit and sort of do my planning and do some of this work. And I find by taking that extra time, it frees up so much time later in the day.
So that has been a big breakthrough for me. Whereas if there are days that if I just jump into work without taking that time in the morning to plan my day and work through some of the coaching or working through a couple of the models or taking the time out when it comes up, I feel like I end my day feeling like I did at the beginning before I started this. Whereas you’re a little bit unstructured and you’re a little bit circling and not feeling as accomplished and not as directed as to what you’re supposed to be doing.
So taking the time to actually do the work creates time later on.
Desi: Yeah. And I think what I’m hearing you say is a lot of the time that you’re spending on the program isn’t just filling out worksheets or doing busy work. It’s taking proactive action in your business.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: Which is what you ultimately want to be doing anyways.
Sarah: Yes, yes, absolutely. It is. Yeah, it’s absolutely taking proactive and it’s learning how to implement all the things in your business day that you wanted to implement beforehand. So this just really helps you get that done.
Desi: Yeah, wonderful. Well, it’s been such a pleasure having you on, Sarah. Is there anything else that you would love to share with the audience? Or even we talk about in Out Of Overwhelm leading with your future self, you know, what your future self would say to you about where you are now and where you’re headed?
Sarah: Yeah, I think my future self would just be really proud of the fact that I’ve invested this time in myself and my business and have gone through this program and completed this program. And I feel like, actually, when you say completing the program, I feel like it’s not something I’m just going to close the book on. It’s something that you take with you forever.
Desi: Beautiful. Well, can you tell everyone where they can best find you on the internet, Instagram and such?
Sarah: Yes, absolutely. You can find me on my website at interiorsbysarahlangtry.com. Or I’m active mostly on Instagram and Facebook at Interiors by Sarah Langtry.
Desi: All right, wonderful. Well, it was so great to have you on here, Sarah. Everyone, go check out Sarah’s Instagram, she does beautiful work.
Sarah: Thank you.
Desi: And, Sarah, I will see you tomorrow for our coaching call.
Sarah: Sounds good, looking forward to it. Thanks again, Desi, for having me on today.
Desi: Yeah, thank you.
That was such a blast being able to talk to Sarah. And I hope that you gained so much value and insight for yourself about how mindset and Out Of Overwhelm can support you in taking back control of your schedule, being more profitable, and impacting your life as a whole.
I want to make sure that you know that Out Of Overwhelm is opening for enrollment next Monday, May 15th. You’re going to want to check your email the morning of May 15th so that you can get on filling out your form and telling me that you would like to have a spot. This is a high-touch, intimate group coaching experience. I give you tons of personalized support, both through the live coaching calls and the online community.
Really, you can get coaching anytime you need it. And because of that, I limit the group to 15 designers. So if you want to reclaim all of that time, just like Sarah did, you’re going to want to get on getting in this program and joining us. We start in July.
Next week I have another client interview coming up and until then, I’m wishing you a beautiful week. I’ll talk to you in the next episode.
I’m going to make the bold assumption that you enjoyed today’s topic. Let’s make sure you never miss an episode; follow the show now wherever you listen to your podcasts. If you haven’t already, I would really appreciate it if you’d make the time to leave me a rating and review. This is how I know what you’re loving so I can share more of it.
And it’s also how you can help others find The Interior Design Business CEO. As a thank you for leaving a rating and review, I want to send you a little midweek pick-me-up in the mail. Simply screenshot your review and send me a message on Instagram, @DesiCreswell. I’ll talk to you next week.
Thanks for joining me for this week’s episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit www.desicreswell.com. And if you’re ready to take what you’ve learned on the podcast to the next level, I would love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you’re ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you’re in the right place. I’m Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let’s go.
Desi: Hi, everyone. Welcome back to The Interior Design Business CEO. Today’s a special day, I have my very first guest on the podcast. It is a client of mine, a longtime client of mine, Sarah. And I’m so excited to welcome her on the show and have her share some of her coaching experiences and have a nice chat with her. Hi, Sarah.
Sarah: Hi, how are you, Desi?
Desi: Good, how are you?
Sarah; Good, thank you.
Desi: I was just sharing before we started recording that this is a new thing for both of us. Sarah is doing this podcast interview as a first thing for her, and this is my first guest interview. So, Sarah has been with me through all of the technology ups and downs the last 15 minutes trying to be able to hear her. So that’s great. But welcome, welcome. So glad to have you here, Sarah. Why don’t you start off by telling us a little bit about who you are and your business so that the listeners have a sense of your perspective.
Sarah: Perfect. Well, thank you, first of all, for having me on today. It’s very exciting that I get to be the first guest. My name is Sarah Langtry. I live in a small town in Ontario, Canada on the shores of Lake Huron. And I mainly do residential interior design.
So I’m a very small community, so we’re a very small team. It’s just me and a part-time assistant. And we do mostly renovations, a lot of kitchen and bath renovations. There’s a lot of older homes in this town, not too many new builds. So that’s sort of my main focus. And we’ve been in business here for five years now.
Desi: Congratulations.
Sarah: Thank you.
Desi: Now, I don’t think I’ve ever asked you this, but did you ever work in another field before coming to design or work for someone else before you started your own business?
Sarah: I did, I actually wanted to be a retail buyer. So I started school, that was sort of my main focus. And I ended up working for a company that had a home store division on the side and I was in charge of doing all of the displays and the merchandising. And I just really kind of fell in love with that, actually.
So I realized quickly that retail just was not where I wanted to be just because of the long, long hours and no holidays. And I wanted a little bit better control over my schedule, so I ended up going back to school for interior design, and graduated as a mature student, I guess they would say. And then, yeah, I went from there. My first job was actually with a home builder. So I worked in new construction for probably about five years.
And then we actually moved to the States for a while and I was there for nine years where I had my kids. And I stayed home for a few years to raise them when they were younger. And then started to get back into working for myself, actually opened up my own business then and was doing more E-design and sort of smaller local projects that worked with my schedule and my kids’ schedule a little bit better.
And then after we ended up relocating back to Canada, that’s when I started my business and pretty much started working at that full-time.
Desi: All right, I love hearing how people come to design. I’m someone who went to school for design and that was just my first career. But I’ve met so many people through coaching and just being in the industry in general who have such fascinating backgrounds and the twists and turns that it takes and they arrive at design. So I just, I love knowing that about people.
So, Sarah, like I told the audience, you are one of my clients. This is actually your second round of Out Of Overwhelm.
Sarah: It is.
Desi: And I’d love to just take a little trip back in time and think about where were you and where was your business before you started the program?
Sarah: So within my business, it grew very, very quickly. Like I said, I was from a small town, so there’s not a lot of interior designers in the area. So what I started, sort of thinking it was going to be part-time, quickly bloomed into full-time. And I just felt like I had no control of my time or my schedule.
And so I’ve always felt constantly behind. I kind of felt like I was spinning in circles all the time, you know, ending the day feeling like I never got anything done. Work was piling up. I’d find myself procrastinating and I didn’t know why I was procrastinating. So that’s sort of where I was when I came across you.
And I listened to you in a couple of podcasts and just realized that, okay, something really has to change here because I really wanted to take control of my schedule and my time a little bit, and not constantly feel like I was sort of spinning in circles, working nights, working weekends. I wanted to just gain control of my schedule again.
Desi: Yes, that sounds very similar to so many people that I work with. And I just have to, I can’t help myself here, Sarah, but I have to go back and say your business is not successful because you’re in a small town and there are not that many designers. We need to coach on that.
Sarah: Yes, that’s very true.
Desi: Your business is successful because you are talented and provide an excellent result for your clients. But that’s a side note that we can get to on one of our coaching calls.
Sarah: That’s what I love about you, you always find those little, you always find those little parts and you help us see it in a different way.
Desi: Yeah. So tell me now, you were spinning, it felt like you were procrastinating, your schedule was not your own to take charge of. What was it about Out Of Overwhelm that brought you in and said this is for me?
Sarah: I think it was the fact that you also had been in the field before. You’re an interior designer and kind of knew the challenges that interior designers had. But it was also just a lot of the mindset work that I knew I had to do, that I saw that you focused on in a way. And just everything that you basically covered in Out Of Overwhelm and the experiences that your clients usually have is exactly what I was having.
So it’s just always feeling overwhelmed, feeling stressed, always feeling like there’s just not enough time in the day. Feeling like I can’t control my schedule. That was just all the key points that I know your program really honed in on. So that’s what really kind of drew me to that.
Desi: Had you had any experience with mindset work prior to joining the program?
Sarah: Not in a one on one or group coaching session. I feel like I’ve read all the books and I’ve used all the tools and tried to do maybe one day seminars or webinars here and there. But I was never involved in a coaching process that actually helped you along the way.
So I also knew, because I’ve tried all those things before. I’ve tried so many times trying to implement this program and I still couldn’t get my schedule to work for me or lessen that feeling of overwhelm. So that’s when I came across your program. And I knew that I needed a little bit more help than just trying to do something myself.
Desi: Yeah.
Sarah: I needed more guidance.
Desi: What were some of the tactics that you tried to take control of your schedule?
Sarah: I’ve tried to get programs that did scheduling for you. I tried to time block, very unsuccessfully, in the past. I’ve tried to do programs like Asana and ClickUp and all of these programs to try and organize and set systems. And I would set them up, but then I was having a real problem trying to implement them and stay on track. It was almost like I was trying to do what other people were telling me to do and it just wasn’t working for me.
Desi: Mm-hmm, yeah, that’s true. Would you say you’re someone who doesn’t like being told what to do?
Sara: Yes. I definitely like to figure things out on my own. I’ve always been that type of person. But in that, I was really struggling trying to figure this one out on my own.
Desi: Yeah, yeah. I think we talked about that on a recent coaching call too, that rebellious planning.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: Where it’s like you put stuff on your calendar and you’re like, “I’m not doing that. Don’t tell me tell me what to do.” We forget it’s just, oh, you and me, we’re the same person.
Sarah: Yes, exactly.
Desi: I love it. Love it. Yeah, so tell me now one of the things, just to give the context around the way that the program is structured, we start off with a virtual retreat. And I help you and the other clients really focus on what their essentials are for the program, right? Because one of the major ways that I’ve thought about Out Of Overwhelm when I designed the program is we get the mindset foundations set right away. We get the scheduling and time management pieces taught right away so that you can have the entire six months to implement it.
And also then the rest of the program is really structured around modules and topics that support your time management, right? Because time management, as you’ve found with trying some of these other strategies, is about so much more than just having Asana or a time blocking method. It’s about when you’re saying yes when you want to say no. And it’s about when you’re procrastinating and scrolling Instagram when you said you were going to do this thing, right?
And so at the very beginning I want to help clients really get dialed in on what they want to get out of the program because there’s so much that you could do with the different modules. So what I’m really curious about is how you used the virtual retreat to structure your focus for the six months of coaching and beyond.
This is where we really set your priorities for the program and narrowed in on what topics you’d be focusing on, what results you wanted to get out of the program.
Sarah: So I really wanted to be able to take control of my schedule to not be working weekends and nights. And I also wanted to try and implement a four day workweek to have one day that was sort of free from doing anything from work that would help support just my family, the way that my family functions and to be there for them. So that was a big focus for me, going forward.
So that was my major goal, was to try and implement that four day workweek. And I’m still working on it. I am about 90% there.
Desi: That’s amazing, 90%.
Sarah: Yes. And I no longer work nights or weekends. I really feel like I don’t need to do that anymore. And yeah, 90%, I’d say.
Desi: That is incredible.
Sarah: Yeah.
Desi: Just that last little bit, what do you think you still need to do in order to get that last 10% closure?
Sarah: I think I definitely need to say no more. I think that’s something I’m working on and that’s something I’ve done, actually, a lot of work on. I’ve said no to a lot of projects that I don’t necessarily want to do, which leaves it open to say yes to some bigger projects. But I’ve also found myself saying yes to some projects in the past that I’m just sort of trying to clean up. Sort of working through the schedule, so also being a little bit more realistic with my schedule will help. So I’m there, I’m almost there.
Desi: Yeah.
Sarah: I do take a lot of Fridays off. And then sometimes if I just have a full month, I just decide to work a few hours on Friday. But I never schedule anything important on those Fridays anymore.
Desi: That is brilliant.
Sarah: Yeah.
Desi: Congratulations.
Sarah: Thank you.
Desi: And I think that’s really one of the amazing things about being in control of your time, is that you learn how and when you want to break your own rules. Like there might be times that we do want to say, yep, I’m going to do a little bit extra this week. I mean, that happened last week, right? I was just explaining before we were recording to Sarah about my technology woes.
Last week, I ended up working more than I was planning on working because I was having sound issues getting set up for this recording. And so it’s not an opportunity to blame yourself or make yourself wrong. It’s like you know what your objective is, you know what your priorities are, sometimes you’re going to make the decision that you are going to put in a little extra time, and that’s okay. But ultimately, you’re still the one that’s in control of it.
Sarah: Yes. Yes, and the mindset work that we’ve done through this program has helped me so much with that, because I would constantly at the end of the day if I didn’t do all the things on my list that I had, I would beat myself up about it and think I had a horribly unproductive day and constantly look at the things that I didn’t do. Whereas now, the mindset has really changed that I look at all the things that I have done, you know, celebrate your wins every day.
And it’s really changed my perspective of what I have done, what I have accomplished and what I choose to do. So, again, if I have to work on a Friday, I don’t feel like I have to work on a Friday. I choose to work on a Friday. And it’s just a different way of thinking about it.
Desi: Yeah, and I think one of the things that I think potential clients or other designers worry about is that when they start to celebrate their wins and say, “Yes, look at all that I did. Look at all that I accomplished,” that that’s somehow going to be to their detriment instead of supporting them. So what do you have to say about that?
Sarah: Yes, that was a bit of a hump because you also feel kind of silly at first. You feel like you’re bragging about things. And a lot of times your brain tells you that, oh, that’s just so insignificant. Why are you happy that you cleaned your desk off today because it was on your list?
But when your mindset starts to change a little bit and you start realizing that it is an accomplishment, you feel good about it. You feel good about doing something like that. And then you also realize how those little steps, even just cleaning your desk off, can actually help you be more productive during the day.
Desi: Yeah. And I think it really goes to bigger goals too.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: With project planning, I know that that’s something you’ve worked a lot on throughout this project. And I’m sure that is helping your four day workweek a lot with setting timelines that work for you and for the client, spacing out projects, all of that. And starting to see the impact of that, and then noticing it, and then that motivates you to keep doing it.
Sarah: Yes. Yes, exactly. Yes. It’s almost something before that would overwhelm me and I would pretty much avoid doing it at all costs, you know, actually writing out the schedule for projects and trying to figure out how many hours realistically do you have to do this. I would just in my head think, oh yeah, I can get this done within this amount of time period, which wasn’t realistic as well.
But now that I’m able to do that, it’s fun almost, because when I get a new client, I break it all down. I measure it out. I put it into my system. I do all of the things and I actually look forward to doing it and it doesn’t feel like a chore anymore.
Desi: Oh, that just makes me so happy. I love it. I love it. So tell me a little bit more about what your life is like outside of work now that you’ve implemented so many of these concepts and tools.
Sarah: These tools that you learned in this program absolutely continue and affect every aspect of your life. We’ve just had a bit of a difficult month this past month with a lot going on in our family, whereas prior to this program and prior to this mindset work, I would treat it a lot like work. I would feel very overwhelmed, very stressed out.
And when you’re in that mindset, then you become snappy with your family or your kids, or feel like you’re always rushing, or working until midnight to get things done at home. Whereas the tools that I’ve learned to run my business better have helped me run my life better as well. And then I also feel, you know, I’m not spending nights rushing around doing things. I actually get to sit and enjoy an episode of my favorite show and not feel guilty about that.
Desi: Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, yeah. And one of the things that I love to think about is ripple effects. So you were just sharing ripple effects of doing Out Of Overwhelm with your personal life. What do you think are some of the ripple effects that are going to continue to take place in your business from doing this work?
Sarah: I think it’s just going forward, everything is just going to feel easier and less heavy. I feel like as a ripple effect I can probably bring team members on and work with them in a better manner or can work with them in a manner that’s sort of less stressful, less overwhelmed, a little more organized.
I feel like going forward I’ll be able to say yes to more projects, and no to more projects that I don’t want to take on. I feel like a ripple effect of that will be I’ll be able to increase my revenue without increasing the hours that I work.
Desi: So, one of the things I’d also love for you to share with everyone is just like what was your favorite module that we’ve been through? Or what are some of your favorite tools and resources that you have used through the program? Because, like I was saying, there’s lots of variety and ways that you can use the resources.
Sarah: There is. I think that one of the modules that had the biggest impact on me was talking about perfectionism and procrastination because I learned a lot, or I was able to see a lot in myself, because I always felt procrastination was a problem of mine. When I felt overwhelmed, for instance, I’d pick up my phone to do an Instagram post and I’d get lost on scrolling and responding to Instagram for an hour. All of a sudden an hour would be gone by and then I would feel like I wasted my time.
So understanding the procrastination and perfectionism module was really sort of a light bulb for me because I understood how I am a bit of a perfectionist and how my brain would use procrastination, basically, to sort of make me feel better about not doing something perfect.
So if I constantly felt like I had to put something out perfect and it wasn’t there, it was a lot of pressure I was putting on myself. So sort of to relieve that I would start procrastinating and doing these types of things. So that was a big one for me because I related to that a lot on how I spent the time during my day.
Desi: Yeah, that’s a big one.
Sarah: Yeah.
Desi: So what do you think the impact or time saved would be, if you had to estimate, of lessening those perfectionistic tendencies and reducing procrastination?
Sarah: Oh, well, I mean, time saved is just throughout the day. I feel like I get so much – Well, I know I get so much more accomplished because I’m a lot more focused and I’m able to get my three things every day that I want to get accomplished, most of the time I’m able to accomplish that.
But it’s also being realistic as well and noticing, you know, one of the big lessons that I took away is to basically recognize when you’re doing these perfectionism procrastination things and to stop and to really evaluate why you’re doing them. Which then helps you see things in a different light and sort of move forward and sort of prevent them from happening again in the future.
Desi: Yeah, yeah. I’d love for you to speak to that just a little bit more, of understanding the why behind the behavior. That’s so much of what the mindset piece is. And I think for a lot of people, I know another client just shared this, her brain likes to tell her that she doesn’t have time to look at that. Like that’s a waste of time to pause and look at the source of the behavior.
What would you have to say to people who might be having that same thought?
Sarah: I’ll be honest, I actually had that same thought at the beginning as well. I thought I don’t have time to do this during the day and to stop and to do this all the time. But once I got into the practice and really gave it a go, you really start to understand with the model that you teach is that basically the thoughts that you’re having about something, how much it really fuels the action that you take and the result that you get from that.
So just that model that you teach is huge in helping with, not just the perfectionism and procrastination, but that also has the ripple effect where that also goes into so many different areas of my business and my life. Just being able to stop and understand or question the why. Why am I feeling this way? Why am I thinking this way? And sort of understanding that is huge.
Desi: Yeah. And I know, for me, I even get that sometimes where I’m like, I don’t have time to self-coach. But kind of like, oh my gosh, this is nonsense. Let’s reel it back in. But I think that, like how often does it take you like a minute to even just recognize, oh, that’s what I’m doing, I’m going to redirect?
Sarah: Yes, exactly. It just takes a minute. And I think, like anything, with practice if you just spend the time to actually start doing it, it’s going to feel weird and uncomfortable at first. But once you start doing it on a regular basis, you almost find yourself catching yourself at many different moments throughout the day.
And then you can also process that even more in your head instead of sitting and writing it out. And it almost turns into a five second thing, not just a minute long writing the process out.
Desi: Exactly.
Sarah: It’s an instant, oh, look what I’m doing. I’m doing this because A, B, C.
Desi: Yeah, with five seconds of reflection, you save yourself an hour’s worth of time trying to distract yourself or avoid whatever it is you were planning to do. It’s a good trade off, I think.
Sarah: I think so too, yes. Like I said, it took me a while to get into it. But once I did, it’s something I will never stop doing.
Desi: That’s amazing. That’s amazing. So the other thing I’d love to know about is what has your experience been like with the community or being in a group coaching program such as Out Of Overwhelm? Have you ever been in a group coaching program before? Was that something that you were looking for when you were looking for a program to join? Tell me about that.
Sarah: Yes, I’ve never been in a group coaching program. And I’ve never also done individual one-on-one coaching. So I wasn’t quite sure what direction that I wanted to take. But I ultimately ended up joining a group coaching session because I felt like it was maybe a little bit easier. Easier in a way that I didn’t feel the pressure of having to share on weeks if I didn’t want to share something on those weeks.
But what I quickly learned about being part of a community is that we learn so much, and I’ve learned so much from listening to other people’s coaching and from what their struggles that they’ve gone through and what they’ve done to overcome. I’ve learned probably more that way than I would have doing a one on one coaching sessions.
Desi: Mm-hmm, I’m always amazed at the insights I can have. And I’ve been in masterminds where there’s 100 people, I’ve been in programs where there’s thousands and thousands of people and I always get so much out of listening to other people be coached.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: It’s like your brain is in a calmer state, I think, and so you have access to some of those internal pieces of wisdom that you wouldn’t necessarily when you’re the one who has the issue. And then also when it is time or you want to raise your hand and you want to post in the community and say, “Hey, I need some help with this,” that’s absolutely an option as well. What has your experience been with getting personalized coaching in the group?
Sarah: It’s been great. I almost feel like listening to other people’s coaching prompts you sometimes to ask for your own coaching or prompts you to think of things that you may not have thought of before and ask for help on.
So yeah, the one on one has been great. And I feel like the community itself is so supportive and just very encouraging. And everyone is just really like-minded and there for the same thing. So it’s a very, yeah, it’s a great community to be in.
Desi: I love to hear that. One of the things I love about the space is how supportive everyone is of each other. And I intentionally work to set that tone, of course, at the beginning. And also I know that it’s you all who create that community as well and we come together to do that.
Sarah: Yes, yeah.
Desi: What would you want to tell somebody who’s listening right now about getting coached by me or being coached in Out Of Overwhelm? I think that some people are really intimidated to come into the group and share.
And I also think that there’s lots of people who think that they’re not going to get what they need because it’s a group coaching situation where they’re like a number in the bucket or something like that. Or how is Desi going to possibly be able to help me if there’s other people present? So I just would be curious if you have anything to say about that?
Sarah: Okay. Yeah, I would say the experience of being coached in a group coaching program like Desi’s, and even being coached one on one is, even though the first time I spoke up it was a little bit nerve wracking and a little bit scary. But you quickly learn that everybody is pretty much there to learn from you and you’re there to learn from them. And there’s no judgment and it’s just, it’s very open.
And I feel like once you start sharing your own coaching requests or your own struggles, is that a lot of people will piggyback on that and say, “Yeah, you know what? I struggle with this, too.” Some of them will even offer help, “This is what worked for me, or that worked for me.” Or they ended up asking questions that really help you along with your question or your struggle as well.
Desi: Yeah. So would you say that you were able to get support then, whenever you needed it?
Sarah: Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. There was support 24/7. If you wanted to post something in the program, I could reach out to you directly. Or I could even put, in the online studio that you have, you could post any question and you would automatically get responses back.
And I almost felt like some of the coaching requests that I had put in typed out, you almost get a different sort of type of answer. Sometimes it’s even clearer that way, going through working it out through typing it out, rather than speaking sometimes.
Desi: Yeah, I love written coaching. I’ll just say that.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: I love written coaching whenever I’m a client or I just love to do it with my clients as well. And what Sarah is describing is we have a space called the studio that you get access to when you join. It’s your cohort that has joined Out Of Overwhelm, so it’s a closed community. It’s off of social media. But essentially, it’s a place for you to share resources and tools with your peers.
And then it’s also where you get all of the between session support. So that’s what Sarah was talking about with the 24/7. So whenever you’re having a struggle, a challenge, have a question for me, there’s a space called Ask Desi and you just pop your question in.
And I think you get so much more clarity around what your question is and what the answer is going to inform for you when you type it. I’ve found that to be my experience, and I think that’s what you’re speaking to as well.
Sarah: Yes. And I feel with written coaching, with your responses or the prompts that you ask us to get a response for instance, it gives you a little bit more time to think things through or just think about it a little bit more. Instead of feeling like you have to come up with a response right away, you can think through it and ask those why questions of doing this.
Desi: Yeah, yeah. All right, well, as we wrap up our time here, Sarah, I’d love to know, if there’s anyone who’s listening who’s thinking about joining Out Of Overwhelm and working with me, what would you have to say to them?
Sarah: I would have to say that the whole process has just been very life changing for me. And I think working with you in the group, it just has such a great energy and openness to it. And it’s something that investing this time in yourself and doing this mindset work is going to change so much about your business and your life in the future, that it’s 100% worth the investment and your time.
Desi: Yeah, thank you for saying that. Can we talk about the time a little bit? Because that’s one of the number one questions I get, is like how much time is this going to take me?
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: Which totally makes sense because when you’re overwhelmed, you’re coming from a mindset of everything’s taking time away from me. Like I have this jar that there’s hours in and you’re just plucking them away and they’re going to run out soon. So tell me a little bit about, like how did you create time for this program? How did you make it work with you? And how much time does it actually take?
Sarah: It really doesn’t take a lot of time. I mean, more than a couple hours total a week at most. But what I’ve found is, once you start taking the time, I’ve sort of set aside time in my morning schedule. The way I like to do it is to sit and sort of do my planning and do some of this work. And I find by taking that extra time, it frees up so much time later in the day.
So that has been a big breakthrough for me. Whereas if there are days that if I just jump into work without taking that time in the morning to plan my day and work through some of the coaching or working through a couple of the models or taking the time out when it comes up, I feel like I end my day feeling like I did at the beginning before I started this. Whereas you’re a little bit unstructured and you’re a little bit circling and not feeling as accomplished and not as directed as to what you’re supposed to be doing.
So taking the time to actually do the work creates time later on.
Desi: Yeah. And I think what I’m hearing you say is a lot of the time that you’re spending on the program isn’t just filling out worksheets or doing busy work. It’s taking proactive action in your business.
Sarah: Yes.
Desi: Which is what you ultimately want to be doing anyways.
Sarah: Yes, yes, absolutely. It is. Yeah, it’s absolutely taking proactive and it’s learning how to implement all the things in your business day that you wanted to implement beforehand. So this just really helps you get that done.
Desi: Yeah, wonderful. Well, it’s been such a pleasure having you on, Sarah. Is there anything else that you would love to share with the audience? Or even we talk about in Out Of Overwhelm leading with your future self, you know, what your future self would say to you about where you are now and where you’re headed?
Sarah: Yeah, I think my future self would just be really proud of the fact that I’ve invested this time in myself and my business and have gone through this program and completed this program. And I feel like, actually, when you say completing the program, I feel like it’s not something I’m just going to close the book on. It’s something that you take with you forever.
Desi: Beautiful. Well, can you tell everyone where they can best find you on the internet, Instagram and such?
Sarah: Yes, absolutely. You can find me on my website at interiorsbysarahlangtry.com. Or I’m active mostly on Instagram and Facebook at Interiors by Sarah Langtry.
Desi: All right, wonderful. Well, it was so great to have you on here, Sarah. Everyone, go check out Sarah’s Instagram, she does beautiful work.
Sarah: Thank you.
Desi: And, Sarah, I will see you tomorrow for our coaching call.
Sarah: Sounds good, looking forward to it. Thanks again, Desi, for having me on today.
Desi: Yeah, thank you.
That was such a blast being able to talk to Sarah. And I hope that you gained so much value and insight for yourself about how mindset and Out Of Overwhelm can support you in taking back control of your schedule, being more profitable, and impacting your life as a whole.
I want to make sure that you know that Out Of Overwhelm is opening for enrollment next Monday, May 15th. You’re going to want to check your email the morning of May 15th so that you can get on filling out your form and telling me that you would like to have a spot. This is a high-touch, intimate group coaching experience. I give you tons of personalized support, both through the live coaching calls and the online community.
Really, you can get coaching anytime you need it. And because of that, I limit the group to 15 designers. So if you want to reclaim all of that time, just like Sarah did, you’re going to want to get on getting in this program and joining us. We start in July.
Next week I have another client interview coming up and until then, I’m wishing you a beautiful week. I’ll talk to you in the next episode.
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Thanks for joining me for this week’s episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit www.desicreswell.com. And if you’re ready to take what you’ve learned on the podcast to the next level, I would love for you to check out my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.
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