Designers are going camping...

Calling all campers!

 I don't know but it's been said, design camps are turning heads. (Yeah, I went there.) Holy campfires are there a lot of design camps. Many celebrity designers are pitching their tents to welcome interior design campers with the goal to enhance the industry. I have seen promos popping up on all social media circuits that made me take notice. Just recently Million Dollar Decorator's, Kathryn Ireland posted on Facebook her lineup of "boot camps" she is hosting this year. So should we be packing up our gear and marching our way to camp?

A good camper is always prepared.

 I say a good camper is always prepared. Whether you are working your design firm for years or just getting it off the ground, the learning curve is the most time consuming part of running a business. I put a high price tag on time as it is never refundable. So I am always on the hunt for practical solutions to meet those challenges. Being prepared for them means taking action before they become time consuming problems. As I start to research design camps I feel there are solutions designers can obtain by attending camp.

Click on image to see this month's Design Camp counselors.

My style on learning anything that can effect my business is to go directly to the pros. Design Camp, which is hosted by celebrity interior designers, Lori Dennis and Kelli Ellis draws in the professionals. Lori and Kelli create almost a "Learning Annex" approach for interior designers. The agenda is jam packed with segments taught by the best in the business all wanting to share their knowledge on enhancing the industry. In just two days Design Camp seems to cover the gamut of what a designer needs to know from navigating social media to possibly becoming a design star on television. The point is there is something for everyone.

  The reason I was intrigued by Design Camp was well lets face it, the lineup. To gain access to the minds of design experts, Susanna Salk and All the Best Blogs' writer, Ronda Carmen (just to name a few) is worth considering. Each counselor is a leader in their respective field and targets those time consuming problems interior designers face each day. Design Camp makes it flexible with 4 camps in 4 different cities so campers will be able to fit it into their schedule. I'm assuming the roster of camp counselors will change with every camp visit, but that is why I like it so much. If the lineup meets the majority of your needs to build a better business, it is well worth the investment to attend.

Click on image to view Tobi Fariley Design Camp site.

I am not favoring any design camp, but I am a Tobi Fairley fan. I have admired her work for years and have had the privilege of speaking with her personally on multiple occasions. Most recently at last year's Holiday House Gala as she was one of the showhouse designers. I am truly in awe of this women. She is an influencer of motivation and with Tobi the proof is in the pudding. She has built a successful design business that includes awards, major magazine cover publications, recognizable product lines and now a new feature to her successful design camps, e-coaching. I can not imagine mastering the learning curve faster than by attending a Tobi Fairley Design Camp.

I am always looking for cutting edge and unconventional options to offer my clients. I was seduce by this video in particular. There are many points that hit home not only for me but I know for many interior designers. She hones in on balance and recognizing an authentic direction to take the design business to a new level. The specific new level that made my feelers go up was "Making Sponsorship Magic". I have always acknowledge interior designers as celebrities and felt the same perks of any high profile celebrity should be perfectly acceptable for the design industry. I was happy to hear Tobi sharing her thoughts and agreement on this and now it will be shared with campers.

Solute to campers and design camps.

Be a prepared camper and identify the leaders that will influence a better you. Target those problem areas in your business that take too much of your time. I see attending design camps as a viable source to concur those time consuming  problems. As a business owner, you must curve out time for education. Design camps offer a plethora of education and the added bonus of learning from leaders we have admired for years.

Bookmark the links I have included in this post and mark your calendars on the next design camp you can attend. Who knows, you just may see me at camp!

XOXO

Barbara V.

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