Join me today as I talk with the Pillow Queen, Donna Cash of Designs By Donna Atlanta.  We talk about how yoga helps keep her centered.  How early morning is her favorite time of day and how important it is to set good intentions.

Rose Mary LeBlanc is the owner of RML Custom Home Creations LLC .

Rose Mary began her business in 1992 fabricating pillows for a local fabric store in Mandeville, Louisiana. Finding that she both enjoyed fabrication and had exceptional skills, she quickly added slipcovers, window treatments, and bedding to her repertoire.

Rose Mary worked for designers fabricating high-end custom window treatments and home furnishings for homes in Uptown New Orleans and on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain.

While working in Louisiana, she also did her own window treatment installations and has firsthand knowledge of that part of the business.

In 2006 she moved to the Charlotte, North Carolina area and quickly established her business working for designers across the metropolitan area.

Joining WCAA in 2007 she took leadership positions in the Charlotte Regional Chapter as, first, Vice President for 2 years, and then President for 4 years. She presented a Power Point presentations on using spreadsheets in the workroom in 2015 to the WCAA Charlotte Regional Chapter.

In the fall of 2016, she taught at Susan Woodcock’s Custom Workroom Weekend in Montreat, NC. Her classes were Ripple Panels to Pattern Using Forest Group Easyflex Tape and a demo on basic slipcover construction.

She takes great pride in fabricating quality high-end window treatments and home furnishings with attention to detail and skill.

Rose Mary participated in the IWCE Construction Zone in Charlotte, NC. 

She taught her class “Templating A Curved Wall for Custom Window Treatments at United Supply Company for the WCAA Charlotte Chapter.

In 2017 she and Amanda Deal Smith launched Seamless Workroom, a workroom management system for workrooms, designers and installers.

Rose Mary's illustrations can be seen on Spoonflower.

We have an upholstery theme going on again this week!  I visited Kim Chagnon while she was teaching a three day, hands on class in Lancaster, PA.  I already knew a few of her students but there were some new people there and they all shared why hands on is important to them and what they brought with them to learn!

Many thanks to Kim and to the women in the class who spent their dinner time with me and shared their experiences with me.

The Air BnB that the class was held in was just adorable, lots of space and had beautiful window treatments!!!  Mary Jo Huyard is the owner and it was just lovely!

You can find Kim Chagnon at;

Kim's Upholstery Facebook Page

Kim's Upholstery

Mary Jo Huyard at;

MH Designs

Adrienne Lucas at;

Adrienne's Luxury Interiors Facebook

Adrienne's Luxury Interiors

If you would like to reach out to Vita, you can email her at  Vita@vitaliainc.com 

The Podcast is sponsored by;

Peggy Morgans is the owner of Parkway Window Works, a custom drapery workroom serving the interior design trade in Upstate New York. She has a chemical engineering degree and an MBA. Peggy brings her analytical and problem-solving skills to the drapery world and is known for tackling complex and technically difficult projects.  In 2008, Peggy shared an award for best workmanship and execution in DW&C magazine’s Designer & Workroom contest. In 2011, Peggy won an award for ingenuity and workmanship in Vision Window Fashion’s workroom competition. She is an active member of the Western NY chapter of WCAA and served on the WCAA national board in 2016/2017. Peggy has taught nationally at the 2007 D&WC conference, 2009 and 2011 Custom Sewing Institute’s Creative Camp, and the 2011 and 2012 WCAA Inspire conferences.

You can find Peggy on Facebook. 

On the Podcast we talked about;

LuAnn Nigar's Podcast - A Well Designed Business

The Martian by Andy Weir

The Mile IQ app

Rosemarie Garner started out in the theater, getting her BFA from NYU Tisch School of the Arts. She spent 15 years after graduating working in theater and TV until she decided to put it all on hold to have a family. While raising kids was challenging and fun, she still needed to get her "creative jollies" out so she began using the sewing skills she learned as a young girl from her mother and grandparents. And, so, a business was born. R Garner Custom Designs, LLC is a a to the trade custom drapery workroom servicing Northern NJ and the NYC area. Rose offers custom window treatments, pillows, bedding, accessories, shades and blinds.

It's a solo podcast today!  I want to let my listeners know about a few changes to the podcast and to ask you to be even more engaged with me and other listeners and with my guests.

Please check out The Sew Much More Podcast Page and let me know what you're thinking, what questions you have for my guests, and what you like about the podcast!

Heather Taylor owns and is the sole operator of Custom Textiles, a workroom located by her farmhouse in the Northwest Hills of Connecticut. She has been producing residential and business window dressings since 2003.

Heather is on Facebook.

Speaking with Heather was truly an honor.  I admire her strength and resilience as well as her creativity.

 Resources;

The Custom Workroom Conference

Kim's Upholstery

A Monster to Love

Dean Fountain's Workroom Racks or call Dean at (904) 334-3694

Jennifer Assetto, owner of In The Fringe in Haverford, Pa and Christina Price, owner of Main Line Window Decor and Jeanelle Dech, owner of Adaptive Textiles, The Workroom Channel and The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library get together with me to talk about growth.  This seems to be a subject that we could talk about many, many more times and still not hit all of the questions. Or answers.  It appears they are not the same for all of us or the same for ourselves at different stages of our own lives.

We also took this opportunity to have Jeanelle's son, Casey talk with Christina and Jen's girls about what it's like to have an entrepreneur mom.  Stay tuned for that bonus episode!!

Jeanelle Dech, owner of The Workroom Channel, Adaptive Textiles and The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library, Christina Price, owner of Main Line Window Decor and Theda Hadden, owner of Springwood Upholstery and I talk about owning and running our businesses while being Moms and Wives.

We talk about the book Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg

Here is a link to the Digital Digest

This was such an enlightening podcast to record, I hope you found it as interesting as I did!

Please stop by the Sew Much More Podcast Facebook page and tell us what you thought!

We talked about Oprah's podcast with Reese Witherspoon and Mindy Kaling

Teal Major is the owner of Slips, an interior sewing/design studio in Berkeley, California. After spending years as a pattern maker in the garment industry, she transitioned to home furnishings. Using her knowledge of patterns, fabric and design, Teal fabricates custom slipcovers, curtains, shades, cushions/pillows and bedding. With a focus on customer service and high-quality work, she helps people create a living space they want to come home to.

Diana Nolan is the owner of a retail and wholesale workroom located in Medford, New Jersey outside of Philadelphia.  She started her business after a career in Retail Management for College and University bookstores.   She started Diana Nolan Custom Windows in 2001 shortly after her children were born.  

Diana is a member of both the NJ and Pennsylvania WCAA chapters and currently holds the position of Vice President of the Pennsylvania SEPA chapter.  Diana is on Instagram and Facebook

Scot Robbins Workroom Valet

Gridded Table Cover at The Workroom Marketplace

Draw Matic

For Information about Ann K. Johnson's Workroom Skills Class

Kelly and Lonnie's Podcast

Gretchen Rubin's Happier Podcast

Donations in Lonnie Vanderslice's Memory

Books we both read and loved;

The Success Principals by Jack Canfield

Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod

Growth Mindset by Carol Dweck

Profit First by Mike Michalowicz

Price Your Work with Confidence by Kitty Stein

Ceil's List

Better Than Before by Gretchen Ruben

212 The Extra Degree by Sam Parker and Mac Anderson

Aspire - Discovering Your Purpose Through The Power of Words by Kevin Hall

The Compound Effect by Darren Hardy

Loving What Is by Byron Katie

The Energy Bus by John Gordon

Daring Greatly by Brenè Brown

Michele's List

E Myth Revisited by Michael E. Gerber

Start With Why by Simon Sinek

Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell

Strengths Finder 2.0 by Tom Rath

The 5 Love Languages by Gary Chapman

The 5 Languages of Appreciation In The Work Place by Gary Chapman and Paul White

Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port

Secret Service by John R. DiJulius

Business by The Book by Larry Burkett

The Pumpkin Plan by Mike Michalowicz

Millionaire Success Habits by Dean Graziosi

Clockwork by Mike Michalowicz

No Excuses by Brian Tracy

Books on our "to read" list;

The Making Of A Well Designed Business by LuAnn Nigara

Work The System by John Carpenter

Finding Your Why by Simon Sinek

Everybody Always by Bob Goff

Michele mentions;

The How I Built This Podcast

Deborah M. Williamson, owner of Treatments For Your Panes, a Shop at Home retail business servicing the Greater Rochester Area and beyond. She has been sewing for 50 yrs. beginning her career in the Dressmaking/Alterations segment. Deborah’s journey began to change when they moved to Rochester from Buffalo, NY due to her husband’s job transfer. As one of the pioneers of a Planned Community of new homes east of Rochester, what better opportunity to learn how to make window treatments and accessories with 120 homes built each year. An added retail fabric outlet was close by allowing many of her customers and Deborah to buy very reasonable decorator fabrics! Pursuing a college degree was always on her mind so 17 yrs. after high school she watched her son get on the bus for kindergarten and began her educational journey culminating in an Associate’s Degree in Interior Design and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management. Deborah offers custom/couture soft window coverings, light upholstery/cushions, slipcovers, accessories as well as an Alliance/Priority Dealer with Hunter Douglas. She has taught at the WCAA Inspire 2010 & 2011 in Louisville, Kentucky. She has been one of the founding members of our local Workroom/WCAA Chapter of Western New York.

Deb is on Facebook

Debbie DiFrancesco, who has been sewing since the age of 7, founded Creative Hands in 1990 to supplement the family income.  Initially, Debbie provided general sewing and bridal alteration services while working a second job as an assistant manager/Craft Department Manager at House of Fabrics/So-Fro Fabrics until 1991.  Two years later, Creative Hands transitioned from alterations to exclusively fabricating window treatments and selling hard treatments.  Soon after, in 1997, Debbie attended courses at the Professional Drapery Workroom School, later known as the Custom Home Furnishings Academy in Swannanoa, NC under Cheryl Strickland.  Since then, she has participated in the Custom Home Furnishings Conferences and International Window Coverings Expos as both an attendee and window treatment fabrication instructor.

With an extensive skill set Debbie has, over the years, moved Creative Hands from the attic of her home to a commercial building.  In 2009 she purchased a larger commercial building, which allowed for the expansion of the workroom and the transition from a Hunter Douglas Showcase Dealership to a Hunter Douglas Gallery.  Additionally, Debbie is a Certified Hunter Douglas consultant, a Hunter Douglas Certified Master Installer and the current President of the Western NY Chapter of WCAA.

Debbie is on Facebook.

Links and Resources;

Strengths Finders

Scarlet Thread Consulting - Michele Williams

Patti is the owner of Pillows & Pleats, LLC, a drapery design and fabrication business located in Loudoun County, Virginia.

Patti’s journey began when she studied Interior Design in college some 33 years ago graduating at the top of her class. Two weeks after receiving her bachelor’s degree, she married her high school sweetheart and supported his career path which involved several moves across the country. As a stay at home mom, she raised four children, spent years volunteering in the school systems and sewed countless costumes for community theater.

It wasn’t until her youngest child reached middle school that Patti decided to marry her love of sewing with her degree in Interior Design and launched Pillows & Pleats, LLC in 2016. Patti specializes in fine custom window treatments and soft furnishings with a focus on quality and outstanding customer service. She has grown Pillows & Pleats organically with referrals from satisfied clients and serves Northern Virginia, DC and Suburban Maryland.

Patti is the current secretary of the WCAA Northern Virginia Chapter, a member of the Virtual Chapter, and is the 2019 recipient of the Jill Robson Memorial Scholarship for new businesses.

Patti is on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest.

Resources;

The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

The Custom Workroom Conference

Boots to Business

SCORE - Service Core of Retired Executives

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;

The WCAA

The Workroom Channel

Scarlet Thread Consulting

Today's podcast is a little different!  Michele Williams and I tackle the question, Why?

Why is it important in our businesses and in our lives?  Why do we need to ask that before we do almost anything else?

I hope you enjoy this week's podcast.  It's a little different, but different is good, right?

You can find Michele at Scarlet Thread Consulting and you can join Michele's Facebook group, Build a Profitable Business for Interior Designers and Workrooms.

You can order Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why from Amazon.

We also mentioned Jack Canfield's The Success Principles(TM) - 10th Anniversary Edition: How to Get from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be

I have also mentioned, more than once or twice, Gretchen Rubin's book Better Than Before.  I loved this book and learned so much about myself (and the people I love!).

And if you would like to hear more about Simon Sinek's book, Start With Why, join Sandra VanSickle's Wednesday morning book club on her Facebook page, New Tech-Style

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;

Melissa Hammann is the owner of Riviera Décor a high-end retail and wholesale custom workroom that also specializes in outdoor décor.

She resides in Corpus Christi, Texas a resort coastal town located off the gulf coast of south Texas where she lives with her husband and four children

Melissa is the recent recipient of the 2018 IWCA/Visions Award for first place in Curtains and Draperies Workroom competition. Her work has been published numerous times in local media and trade magazines. She holds a Master of Science degree and Bachelor of Business Degree, from Texas A&M along with design training at the New York Institute of Art and Design and twelve certificates from the Custom Home Furnishings Academy located in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a member of the Window Coverings Association of America- Virtual Chapter, wherein she serves on the executive board as Vice President of the Window Coverings Association of America (WCAA)- Virtual Chapter, Chairperson for the WCAA- Virtual Chapter Speaker Committee, an administrator for WoMen of the Workroom, an industry forum of over 900 members. A published writer for trade magazine, Bespoke Soft Furnishings and Webinar speaker for Drapery and Design Professional and the Window Coverings Association of America as well.

You can find Riviera Decor on Facebook and Instagram.

On the Podcast we mentioned;

The WCAA Virtual Chapter

WoMen of the Workroom Facebook page

The E Myth by Michael Gerber 

The Workroom Channel Grids

Yoast SEO