Building a Design Business with Liz Toombs

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We were privileged to have an insightful conversation with Liz Toombs, a prominent figure in the field of interior decoration. During our discussion, we dove into various aspects of her expertise and explored her innovative approach to transforming spaces into captivating works of art. Liz Toombs shared her invaluable insights into how she built her business Her wealth of experience and passion for her craft shone through in our conversation, leaving us inspired and eager to incorporate her creative ideas and vision into our own projects and designs.

Can you tell our readers about your background?

I am a Certified Interior Decorator as well as Owner & Lead Decorator of PDR Interiors, a firm I founded 14 years ago that focuses on the decor of sorority interiors for projects such as expansions and renovations. To date my team has worked on more than 100 campuses across 25 states.  

Mentoring women is a keystone of my firm, something I’ve learned to value throughout my fraternity experience. Helping to preserve that experience for current and future members of women’s organizations is what drives me to focus on sorority housing projects. In addition to PDR’s work in Greek housing, we also offer comprehensive services for private residences.

What inspired you to start your business?

My grandad was a realtor when I was a kid and he exposed me to houses.  That sparked my initial interest, and then shows like “Trading Spaces” fed the fire.  I studied textiles in college, which had more of a fashion focus, but I always knew I wanted to use that knowledge in the realm of home interiors. My path post-college involved sales for a countertop manufacturer then going to work for a residential design firm.  After the recession, that firm closed up and I took the leap to go out on my own.  The niche of sorority interiors materialized in 2010 and I slowly built that customer base over the years.

Where is your business based?

My company is based in Lexington, Kentucky, a place I’ve called home since August 2001. I’m also a proud graduate of the University of Kentucky and an alumna of Alpha Gamma Delta.

How did you start your business? What were the first steps you took?

I was already working in the industry, so it was an easy transition to open my own business since people already knew what I did professionally.  I had to do some clerical things like file business paperwork with the state, open a bank account, etc. Beyond that, I began accepting clients under my new business, and networking as often as I could. I chose to run my company out of my home, which meant I didn’t need to find office space or employees. 

What has been the most effective way of raising awareness for your business?

I preach to everyone starting a business that networking is the key to building a strong, solid business foundation.  The more people you know and that know you, the better. Having a diverse, deep arsenal of contacts serves two purposes for me: 1. It makes me a dependable resource for my clients when they had a need outside of my expertise, and 2. It raises awareness of my professional services which often leads to referrals from my network.  Originally when I started out, all of my networking was locally focused. Now that my client base is spread across the country, I network in other ways nationally. But the fundamentals are the same.

What have been your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them?

When I started my company, I was young…only 25.  People tend to discount your knowledge at that age because you haven’t had a ton of life experience yet. I had to learn how to navigate the potential nay-sayers.  I chose to focus on continual learning so I was knowledgeable on the subjects in my field.  I also leaned on my network - are you seeing a theme, here? -  to sing my praises to people who may not know me. A testimonial or word of praise from other trusted professionals goes a very long way in building your reputation. 

How do you stay focused?

I am strict about managing my time. I schedule everything- including my down time. Each day I keep a running list of tasks (professional and personal) and time-block for how and when I am going to accomplish those things.  I live and die by my lists and calendar. That allows me to stay focused on the task at hand. I will usually put on a business podcast or some fun music in the background while working in the office, too. Listening to something helps me keep a sense of how much time is passing.

How do you differentiate your business from the competition?

My team is small, which means we are nimble. We have our processes that we have established and follow, but we also can adjust easily when the economic climate changes. A lot of big firms can’t say the same. Additionally, I try to keep my team tapped-in to what our target market of sorority women are loving. This is fairly easy because we almost always have one to two college students working with us as interns or shadowing. As I stated earlier, mentoring is a huge cornerstone of our work, and that makes us stand out, as well.

What has been your most effective marketing strategy to grow your business?

Bet you’ll never guess…it’s networking.  When I was just starting out, I would invest any marketing dollars into professional association memberships to get in front of as many people as possible. Meeting people face-to-face and forming a connection had a much higher ROI than me placing an ad in a publication or online. That has allowed us to grow via word of mouth very steadily and successfully over the years. 

What's your best piece of advice for aspiring and new entrepreneurs?

Get started!  Do your research so you know the hole in the market you are going to fill, understand your parameters for your business (ie- financials, business model, etc.), and then jump in. Don’t kill your entrepreneurial spirit by overthinking the business idea. You’ll never act if you stay in your head about it. And it’s okay when you hit a setback- we all have!

What's your favorite app, blog, and book? Why?

My favorite app is the Closet+ app- it is how I catalogue my clothes, shoes, and accessories. You can build outfits in there and keep track of when you wore them. It has streamlined my packing so much, and limits how long I stand in my closet deciding what to wear. And for you 90’s kids- it’s the closest thing to Cher Horowitz’s closet I have ever found.

I read A LOT, so choosing a favorite book is tough. From a business standpoint, my favorite is “Great on the Job” and I share it with every intern I have. The book outlines simple, actionable things to do in the workplace that employers appreciate, but are often forgotten by employees. If you can master the skills in that book, you will soar professionally.

I’m not a blog reader, but love listening to podcasts. My favorite is Smartless, hosted by Jason Batmeman, Will Arnett, and Sean Hayes. Listening to it makes me laugh so loud, and helps pass the time when I am traveling or running.

What's your favorite business tool or resource? Why?

Slack changed my life. It keeps our team conversations about client projects organized and easily accessible from my desktop, phone or iPad. It works so much better than communicating via email and text and then trying to remember where the conversation is housed.

Who is your business role model? Why?

That’s another difficult one to answer- honestly so hard to narrow to just one person. The best way to sum it up: I admire a lot of strong female founders.  Women like Beyonce, Reese Witherspoon, and Taylor Swift are in the forefront of my mind quite often. I appreciate that they are talented at their craft, I am amazed at their business acumen, and I love the way they continue to level-up in their careers while remaining simultaneously feminine and strong. I recently saw the Beyonce movie documenting her Renaissance tour. They tell a story about one of her back-up dancers landing on the tour as her FIRST JOB. Beyonce saw her on social and hired her immediately. Any founder that takes time to support the next generation - especially those unknown in their field - is golden to me. That’s what I strive to do.

How do you balance work and life?

It’s a delicate dance to maneuver, but I have figured out what works for me. Time-blocking plays into this a lot. I don’t like to work in the evenings or on weekends because that is my personal time. I can’t always avoid it, so if work creeps into my personal life, I try to carve out some work time to take back for myself. On the flip side, I can’t be successful if I’m not putting in the time at work, so I try not to let personal things eat up my workday. I have a reminder that pops up on my phone every Friday asking me questions about how I balanced my life during the week and secondly, did the choices I made support the life I want. That’s a reassuring gut check to receive each week. And helps me get back on course, if I fell off.

What’s your favorite way to decompress?

Reading a book. I love getting away from all the screens: my phone, computer, and tv and just holding a book in my hand. I let my imagination soak in the story. My favorite genre is thriller so it’s very easy to get sucked into the plot.

What do you have planned for the next six months?

I have been chasing the next big goal in my business, and even personally to an extent, for the last 15 plus years. Right now, my plan is to stay the course and enjoy how far I have come without pushing hard towards anything new just yet. I have some potential projects in mind and want to see how things unfold. This is a new approach for me, so please wish me luck!

How can our readers connect with you?