Sew Much More

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   I hope this year is off to a great start for you!  Happy 22! Links and Resources; Gretchen Rubin's 22 in 22 pdf

In what has become our annual tradition, Michele Williams and I spend some time together discussing this past year, our plans for next year, and what great books we have read. I hope you enjoy today's podcast.   Links and Resources Scarlet Thread Consulting   Everyone Deserves a Great Manager: The 6 Critical Practices for Leading a Team  by Scott Jeffrey Miller, Todd Davis, Victoria Roos Olsson   The Vision Driven Leader: 10 Questions to Focus Your Efforts, Energize Your Team, and Scale Your Business by Michael Hyatt   Get Different: Marketing That Can't Be Ignored! Kindle Edition by Mike Michalowicz   Free to Focus: A Total Productivity System to Achieve More by Doing Less by Michael Hyatt   The 4 Disciplines of Execution: Revised and Updated: Achieving Your Wildly Important Goals Kindle Edition by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey, Jim Huling, Scott Thele, Beverly Walker    Getting Things Done by David Allen   Atomic Habits by James Clear   Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business Hardcover – April 3, 2012 by Gin

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   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 Coveri

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association     Dennis Locke is a 3rd generation furniture upholsterer in Greenville, Tx. Serving the Dallas area. He came into the family business as a child, and has doing it professionally for over 40 years. Dennis took over the business in ‘97, when his mother passed. He does commercial and residential furniture, as well as specializing in repair and foam replacement.  You can find Dennis at Payne's Upholstery.  For some insight into Dennis's writing ability, be sure to visit his About Us Page.

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association Theresa Harmon is a graphic designer turned one-woman drapery and soft furnishings workroom. She loves transforming beautiful fabric into custom creations not found in the mass retail market. Theresa works with retail clients, a handful of decorators, and her daughter Lee, owner/designer at Contented Interiors, and her other daughter Nivette who is her project manager. Her husband is her admin, on-site measurer, foam cutter, bookkeeper and tax man. Theresa grew up with an artistic mother who kept her supplied with a plethora of arts and crafts kits. She learned to sew at summer camp and through middle school home ec classes and have had a love affair with sewing and fabric ever since. Her high school guidance counselor didn't have an answer f

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Susan Souza grew up in the suburbs of Long Island, NY. She went to the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC after finishing high school. She was petrified to be going to school in the big city, but she got used to it and loved the whole atmosphere of being in the fashion world. Susan landed a job as an assistant designer in a children’s wear firm in the garment center. She had no idea what her future held for her. Susan went on vacation to Bermuda and that is where she met my future husband. She got married and moved to Bermuda. When she got there thought "what am I supposed to do now – there weren’t any jobs to be had in fashion design." Susan made all of her own clothes which included making the patterns. Years later she found myself w

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Carol Blow is the owner of a retail workroom – CMB Designs, LLC -- located in Richmond, Virginia. She started her business in 2018. Carol learned to sew at an early age. Her zest for learning new techniques, combined with a can-do attitude, provided the foundation for her business … along with years of experience! Creating custom items gives her great joy and satisfaction. Carol has been a member of WCAA since 2019 and currently serves as Vice President of the local Richmond Chapter.   Links and Resources; Donna Skufis  

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   Kristin Speyer started Red Head Sewing LLC ten years ago in the Texas Hillcountry. She works to the trade, and has a core group of designers that keep the sewing machines running furiously. There is currently a small team of two other workers, and plans for expansion are underway. Kristin and her husband have been married for 22 years and spend their downtime mountain biking, traveling, and trying to outsmart their dogs. She also has a passion for books, friends, and office supplies. https://www.redheadsewing.com/ https://www.instagram.com/redheadsewing/   Links and Resources; (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and I am grateful if you choose to use my links.) Jenny Lawson - Furiously Happy, A Funny Book About Horrible Things The

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association Terry Sandlin has been a part of the soft furnishing industry since 1992.  Starting in a 1 person workroom, 1 day a week, making cording & ruffles.  In 2007 she and her husband relocated to Birmingham, Ala, where she opened Terry’s Designing Windows.  Terry was a member of the WCAA Birmingham Chapter and served as Secretary for 2 years before they disbanded. Terry was a winner of the 2018 Artisan Project, Demonstrator in the Construction Zone of the 2019 IWCE Conference, and was slotted to demonstrate in the 2020 IWCE -newly named- Workroom Central before it was rescheduled.  She was also selected to be an Instructor for the 2021 Custom Workroom Conference. Terry is on Facebook, Instagram Here is the link to Terry's article in the Draper

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association In today's podcast, I am talking about paying attention to what we have accomplished, not just what we have to do!   Links and Resources; The episode with Sarah Devaney O'Neil    

In this Opportunity Thinking Series of the Podcast, Cynthia Bleskachek of The Funky Little Chair shares the journey of creating the education necessary for today's upholsterer and what it means for the industry. Links and Resources; Previous podcasts with Cynthia; #45 Cynthia Bleskachek - A Rising Tide Lifts All Ships #199 - Cynthia Bleskachek - I'm Having A Wobble! Procrastinate On Purpose 5 Permissions to Multiply Your Time Rory Vaden CSFRL Circle Time Video on Lean Manufacturing with Jeanelle Dech (Please note, this video is for PRO Plus Members of the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library)   As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases and I am grateful if you choose to use my links.

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   I enjoyed talking with Cheryl so much and I recently noticed that she has moved her location and I thought it would be fun to listen to her again!

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association Cathy and Mark Schulz own Silk Mountain Creations of Carmel, Indiana.  Cathy started the business in 2001 and Mark joined her a little later.  They have built the business from there and have built an award-winning business.   Links and Resources; The E Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   Michelle Moldowan of C'est Jolie Designs styles inspiring spaces, makes houses feel like homes, and owns and operates a custom drapery workroom in Castle Rock, CO. She delights in walking alongside homeowners as they plan and execute home projects from minor changes to whole house remodeling, as well as designing and fabricating bespoke window treatments across the country.   Using a design process carefully cultivated over 10 years in the industry, Michelle prides herself on listening carefully to homeowners to truly understand their lifestyle and design a space that not only meets theirs needs but tells their unique story. Michelle promises to have something on her Instagram account!   Links and Resources; A Well Designed Business Podcast Elki's Roman Sh

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association Heidi Wenger Yoder is the owner of Smithland Custom Interiors in Harrisonburg, VA. which is celebrating 20 years of operation.  Heidi's husband, Brent, is an invaluable member of her team as chief installer and cornice board fabricator.  Her three teenage children pitch in on occasion as directors of recycling, dust bunny chasing, and van loading. Heidi is passionate about helping her clients live more fully in their homes and creating beauty in the process.   Heidi is on Instagram  and Facebook   The website below is currently under construction by Kate the Socialite and should be up and running soon My old site, www.seamslikehomeva.com, is still up. For my 20th business birthday, I re-branded and re-named the business.   Links and Resources; (I use some af

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association Lea Tran is an ethnic Chinese, former "Boat People" refugee from Vietnam. A Villanova University graduate with a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry, a female scientist turned successful entrepreneur and business owner in the Greater Philadelphia Region, where she called home for thirty-five years. She has morphed from carrying the stigma of the "refugee" label to a chemist who synthesized the compound that became a cocktail drug to treat HIV-AIDS in 1998. A successful business owner who created luxury custom drapery for countless homes in the Mainline area from 2005-2015. In 2019, Lea brought her story to the TEDx stage and then published her harrowing boat journey during the pandemic in 2020 "I Did Not Miss the Boat- Memoir of a Vietnam Hoa Refugee." where she

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC National Upholstery Association   Rhonda Shanahan, owner of The Whimsical Chair, learned to sew growing up in Iowa from her grandmother and mother. They taught her their passion for sewing and creating with beautiful fabrics. Rhonda received her degree in fashion merchandising. After college she moved to Kansas and worked in retail sales and display. When Rhonda got married and started her family she was able to stay home with their 3 kids. Once her kids all started school she had extra time during the day. There was an upholstery class through her local extension office in Wichita Kansas so she decided to give it a try. Her first project was a wingback chair and she was hooked. She worked on several pieces for her own home. It was wonderful to be able to restore and refurbish antique and

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association Today's podcast is about mindset and I love learning more about it. Links and Resources; The University of Michigan Two for You Series Carol Dweck -  

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association   Since 1994, Laura Nelson has been the owner of Sew Nice, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, specializing in soft and hard window treatments, slipcovers, and other soft home furnishings.  Sew Nice is a Woman-Owned Business Entity (WBE) with the State of Indiana; Laura is a WFCP Workroom Specialist and active member of WCAA, currently the program chair for the Indiana Chapter and Secretary for the Board of Directors.   A graduate of Purdue University in Restaurant Management, Laura worked in university foodservice management (Notre Dame, Valparaiso, and Purdue), mostly in catering, before changing career paths to start a workroom.  

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   National Upholstery Association     Carly Melcancon redesigns and revives once forgotten upholstered furniture into one-of-a-kind western statement pieces using vintage Mexican textiles, rugs, and hair-on hides. Carly is on Facebook and Instagram.   Links and Resources; (I do use some affiliate links and appreciate it if you use them, no worries if you choose not to!)   Enneagram Test Kim's Upholstery Profit First Building a Story Brand by Donald Miller Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki E Myth Revisited Michael E. Gerber Goal Digger podcast 212 The Extra Degree: Extraordinary Results Begin with One Small Change by Sam Parker Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones Gretchen Rubin Getting Things Done by David Allen Professiona