How You Can Use Your Entrepreneur Support System to Help You Find a Biz Bestie with Jannelle Photopoulos

00:00:24 - Amber Hawley
Welcome to season three of the My Biz Bestie podcast. I'm Amber Hawley.

00:00:28 - Maelisa Hall
And I'm Melissa Hall.

00:00:30 - Amber Hawley
And today we have a super special guest for the Find Me a Bestie episode. Yay! That was a weak crowd.

00:00:39 - Maelisa Hall
It was like a super loud, but from a distance.

00:00:42 - Amber Hawley
Yeah, it was. It was like a sad wind. But anyway, today we have with us the lovely, the amazing Janelle Fotopoulos.

00:00:52 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Hey, how are you? I'm so excited to be here.

00:00:54 - Amber Hawley
Thank you. Thank you for coming. And not only is Janelle amazing, we met her last year at an event. She is also an ENFP with ADHD. We should only talk to ENFPs as part of what I feel.

00:01:20 - Maelisa Hall
Oh, yes. We had a great conversation with Janelle last year. And then this year, it was awesome to reconnect. And you are so amazing. And we were talking at the same conference this year. And you were like, hey, I need a BizBestie. You got to help me find a BizBestie.
And we were like, yes, we have a segment called Find Me a Bestie. And so, hey, we invited you on the show.

00:01:42 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yes, I'm very excited. I need a BizBestie. Hook me up.

00:01:46 - Amber Hawley
Yes. And you did point out to us that perhaps there was a glass of wine involved in that request, but we're hoping you still feel the same. Since you scheduled. Was it just one, Amber? I'm going to claim one because when you're with friends, no need to count.
So why don't you tell us and all of our listeners a little bit about yourself?

00:02:06 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Sure. My name is Janelle Blakely-Svitopoulos and I own a residential interior design firm in Rhode Island called Blakely Interior Design. And I have a fabulous team of five. So there's six in my company, which is amazing to me that three years ago, I was solo.
So I've been growing fairly quickly. And I'm kind of a self-help geek. I love anything that helps me grow, anything that keeps me on track. My husband, he kind of chuckles because every time he looks at me reading a book, he's like, really? Another self-help book?
Like, doesn't she get sick of reading that stuff? And I don't like I love I think that we could always improve ourselves. And so I'm totally into that. I'm the strength finder. I'm like a learner. I love to learn. I love to learn from other people. And so that's kind of my thing.
And I continue to go throughout my career, always wanting to learn more.

And I think a biz bestie not only could help me learn, but also help keep me accountable.

00:02:59 - Amber Hawley
Yes. Well, and that's the thing. I think learners make the best biz besties because we just have like a plethora of resources.

00:03:08 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Absolutely.

00:03:09 - Maelisa Hall
What made you think about wanting a BizBestie other than a glass or two of wine? But I guess what sounds appealing about it? What are you looking for?

00:03:19 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Well, I think that there's two ways to look at it. There's people that are either in your industry or people outside of your industry. And there's benefits of both, of having people that know the ins and outs of interior design, for example, and what specific things that you might be challenged with as it relates specifically to your industry.
And I think that's beneficial. But then there's also... just general business principles that I think are common across all women entrepreneurs. And I say women, I think that there's an opportunity to lift each other up. I think there's a lot of stress that goes into being a business owner.
There's a lot of pressure. Every year I grow, my overhead grows and it becomes stressful. And you realize, wow, the livelihood of my team is reliant on me and my ability to keep this business moving and to bring new business in. And so sometimes you really need somebody that's outside of your circle to be that cheerleader for you when they believe it truly in their heart, but there are days when you're like, oh my gosh, I just had the worst week or whatever it is because something might've gone wrong.

Because the reality is things do go wrong that bring you down and you think maybe you don't have what it takes to get to the next level when you really do. And the people around you, especially your business, you would be able to kind of reinforce that and keep you on track.

00:04:31 - Amber Hawley
Absolutely. And I think you made a really good point too is As our businesses grow and when the overhead does start growing as well, and then it's like if you have a down cycle, that can be devastating. Other people's feedback or support and how to structure things or how to manage that or how to work on the mindset when you're feeling so overwhelmed and stressed.
And when people really know you really well... and already get the ins and the outs of that, it just, to me, makes such a big difference.

00:05:08 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Absolutely. I definitely feel like I've had people in my life and in my business that have kept me kind of focused and reiterating the value that I bring. And I don't want to talk you off the ledge because it sounds so dramatic, but there are days, I think, that we can all say that we have days.
And the reality is that you have a really strong why. I know I have a very strong why, and I understand... that there are going to be days that are tough. And for me, luckily, they're very few and far between. I've gotten to a point where I feel pretty confident in my abilities and my ability to deliver for my clients and to run a profitable business and to continue to make it grow.
But sometimes you just need that extra person, right? To come in and say, listen, I believe in you. Or another example is As you grow, you continue to have... For me, I have larger contracts.

Every time I go in, I get a larger contract. And so it's, again, going back to that mindset, Amber, of like, wow, can I really put a proposal of this magnitude in front of someone? And knowing that you can bounce it off of someone and say, am I crazy?
Or is this... Even in my heart, I know that that's what it would take. That's what it would cost my firm to deliver on that contract. and to deliver what that client is asking for. Sometimes as you grow, they just seem bigger than life, right? And having someone else that says, no, this is what it's going to take and don't shortchange yourself.

00:06:34 - Amber Hawley
That's so great. I know that you have been... I know last year you were in a mastermind or this year actually, right? You did your long mastermind.

00:06:44 - Jannelle Photopoulos
I did.

00:06:44 - Amber Hawley
Do you feel that You're looking for something that's more just that one-on-one? Because we talk in this podcast about there's a value in having what we would call our inner circle, which I could see a mastermind being a part of that inner circle, right?
Because they really do get to know you on a really deep level and get the nuances of things. But it's not that same one-on-one relationship. Are you looking for more of that or... Are you planning on doing a combination? I guess just trying to assess like, right now, how do you feel your business support system is?

00:07:17 - Jannelle Photopoulos
I do feel very strongly that the mastermind that I have been in for the last year has been... It's been a game changer for me in terms of that support. They are fellow sisters that you can become vulnerable with. And it's kind of like many biz besties, but it's a larger reach.
And I think that it's hard to maintain really close, intimate relationships with, you know, professional relationships with these people on an individual basis when there's a large group. And so to be able to kind of bring that down to a deeper level with one biz bestie, right, to say, hey, I got your back and you've got my back.
And not that I wouldn't have all of their backs, right? But it's a little bit more challenging to say, I know the ups and downs of every one of their businesses because there were 10 of us.

And so that's challenging to try to maintain that. And we'll still continue to support one another. But to answer your question, Amber, I think it's a matter of really kind of getting a little bit more granular with someone and say, let's keep each other accountable.
And it's not just every few months, let's touch base. But how do we make this a regular thing? Amber, I think you told me at the very first conference that I met you at that you and Alyssa, And you get stuff done, right?

00:08:34 - Maelisa Hall
Yes.

00:08:34 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Those are the things that I think having those regular intervals that you schedule that keep you accountable to your goals and knowing that you can go to somebody that either, if they're in the same industry, potentially can provide some insight as to how to handle it.
Even if they're not in the same industry, probably would have some business advice in terms of how to go about dealing with those things.

00:08:57 - Maelisa Hall
And I'm thinking that based on your personality, since we may... know a little bit about that. You also want someone that you can have fun with. You can talk business and you can get stuff done, but you're going to need someone that you can go out for drinks afterwards or you can have a nice lunch and you can be serious and get down to work, but then you can also have a good time.

00:09:19 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yes. Love that.

00:09:21 - Amber Hawley
You're like just one drink though, right? Just the one. And I do know you like to get your dance party on. So I think... Just for those people out there. Yes, you must be able to shake the booty. I think that is a must-have. I'm going to put it out there.
Even though you didn't say it, I'm going to say that's going to be a must.

00:09:44 - Jannelle Photopoulos
That's funny. And there was no wine involved in any of that.

00:09:49 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, yeah. No, it's just fun for fun. Janelle, do you think of like, do you have anyone like in this mastermind or kind of maybe this broader network of people that you've thought like, oh, that person might be a good biz bestie or I really connect with this person and you might want to learn more about them?

00:10:09 - Jannelle Photopoulos
There are yes and no. I think that there is a sense of thinking, wow, I'm very impressed by these people and what they have to offer. But I also think that there's a sense of not wanting to make assumptions that, oh, well, do they even need a BizBestie?
Do they want one? And if they did, would it be me?

00:10:32 - Amber Hawley
Well, so I'm going to say, I think some of your stuff is coming up here because when we ran into you again, you're like, do you even remember me? Which, of course, we did lose touch. And at the same time, I'm like, well, of course we remember you. You were amazing.
And we felt like, how could we forget our fellow ADHD sister? It was so wonderful. But I think that's good to know that probably your approach is a little, well, would they want to? Which I would say you always can put it out there. It's not like you would say, hey, you might not send that letter that says, hey, do you want to be my biz bestie circle, yes or no?

00:11:07 - Jannelle Photopoulos
But at the same time, I think it's just... Why not?

00:11:11 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. Yeah, or you might. That would be fun. Yeah, you might. You could send that to us, but... But yeah, I mean, that might be the fun approach, right? And then I think we've talked a lot about how finding a biz bestie is a lot like dating. And you wouldn't go in saying like, hey, do you want to be committed to me for life on the second date?
Now, granted, these people in your mastermind, you know them more than a second date, right? But there is something about if there's somebody that you're drawn to, and that you really respect and connect with, like, even just putting an invitation out there.
If they are local, asking them to go meet up for lunch or something. So it's like taking those next steps without having it to be like, hey, are you ready to get into this committed biz bestie relationship?

00:12:00 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yeah, that's a good start. I think as you were talking, I was thinking of two people, one in my industry and one not in my industry that I feel like have put themselves out there and have been so generous with their time and advice. And I've tried to reciprocate that and could see it developing into a more regular business relationship where we're offering consistent advice to one another.
I think that we all have gifts and we all have strengths that we can share with one another. And I know where mine are and where mine aren't. And so I think that it's nice because then you can leverage other people's strengths to benefit your business.
So yeah, to answer your question.

00:12:40 - Amber Hawley
That's such a good point, though, is... I think when someone's really self-aware like that about what their strengths are, you can offer so much value to people. And I think there can be such a complementary relationship in that. And so sometimes it is just looking at the people you're already engaged with and interacting with and saying, okay, let me cultivate those relationships.
And it may turn into something where it feels like that biz bestie thing, or it may just be a really good... connection and colleague and sounding board, you know? So it's not like everything has to become a marriage, right?

00:13:14 - Jannelle Photopoulos
We need a certificate, Amber, don't we?

00:13:19 - Amber Hawley
I know. And what you're looking for in a biz bestie also matters, right? Because like for Melissa and I, you know, I think we've talked about like for us or I'll speak for myself. For me, having somebody who is also there for the personal stuff, like that matters to me too, right?
Like I... Because I feel like all of that stuff is so intertwined in my work and my productivity and why I'm doing things, my family life and my personal life and just how I'm feeling about things. To me, it's all part of the same. So I can't imagine having it be that separate.
And there are times where it is separate, but I don't consider those my really close relationships. I consider them colleagues. which I still have a lot of caring and love for them, but it's just different, right? So I think there's just a lot of value in that, but not everybody wants that.

So I think it's also for you figuring out what is it I want. Do I want a biz bestie that I can talk marketing strategy with and I also can close down the nightclub?

00:14:19 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Right, right. One thing that has been on my mind is, and I think this goes into play when you're in a mastermind as well, there are different people at different stages of their business. And my business has grown fairly rapidly in the last several years.
And I wasn't a mastermind years and years ago here locally in Rhode Island with lovely, wonderful local business owners. And it never really took off. I think it was because we kind of crafted it on our own and we got really busy and then it kind of fell by the wayside.
But I think what I'm getting at is that you ultimately... I found myself in some situations, not necessarily in that one, just that mastermind, but in the general sense, if you're always interacting with people at a very different level of business, then you're giving more than you're getting out of it.

And I think that ultimately, not to say that you don't want to be giving, but I think that And one of my friends that I was thinking of that is in my mastermind is constantly giving and giving and giving. And I'm like, okay, hold on. Let's stop talking about me.
Thank you for this. You're sweet. But let's focus on you and your business. And what can I do to help you? And so I think that that's really important to find someone that can relate to the level of business that you're at, because you're going through different things.
Like right now, I'm talking about health insurance and HR related issues. And somebody that has a business that has less than $100,000 in revenue, probably isn't looking at those things, right? And so it's very hard to get business advice from a biz bestie that's at a very different level of business.
And so I think that what just dawned on me is that it's okay if your biz bestie isn't at the same level stage of business, right?

There's different stages of business and it's okay if you're at a different stage of your business as long as it feels fulfilling and supportive because I can always go to other colleagues, if you will, or people in my industry that might be at that same stage of business for the feedback on that particular issue that I might need.
Because the reality is, and you tell me because you've spoken with a lot more people than I have with regard to how that relationship works, you're really... most likely not going to find that unicorn that at the same stage of business has the same exact kind of mindset.
Well, I shouldn't say a same mindset. It's probably better if you have slightly different mindsets or strengths so you can leverage each other and that you click with, that you still go out and have a drink of glass of wine and dancing or whatever it may be.
So I think that that's hard to find all of that that fits into one particular person.

00:16:46 - Maelisa Hall
Well, and I think that's Part of what makes the BizBestie relationship special is that you're going to have more of those than not. Kind of like having a romantic partner. There's lots of other people that are around, but you're not romantically interested in them, right?
So I do think that you want to keep your standards high. And I do think it's important that you have someone that is at your stage of business who is considering a lot of those things because you have really... Like you said, you have really big contracts.
And even when we were at this conference, you were talking to me about that, about how much that has grown over the last year. And I think it's important for you to have a biz bestie who can get that level of pressure and how important it could be to have all of those aspects of your team worked out.

And the fact that one contract might take you months and months and months to work on because you're diving into really in-depth things. someone who's starting out isn't going to be at that same level and they're going to be worried about different things and you're going to end up teaching them the whole time.

00:17:51 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. Yeah. And I think to go off of that, I agree that we've talked about it should be the same kind of pace. You're a growth mode. You don't want somebody who's like, oh, I'm good. I'm going to chill here for a while. But I do think that stage of business thing makes a difference as well because you're in the scale part.
Because when you... It's not that people aren't wonderful and fun and lovely and offer value that are at different stages. But when you have somebody who's like, say, a solopreneur, and it's just them, they don't understand the intricacies of dealing with a team and how to motivate the team.
And like you said, HR issues and challenges that come up. I think having somebody who understands those things can be very valuable. And it doesn't always have to be current. Because I think like, even with Melissa, like, you know, for the longest time, you know, her team, it wasn't that she had employees in a team, but she had worked in a place where she had employees in her corporate job.

So she has understanding and there's a lot of value in that, right? So for me, I would still get that support, even though it was from a different experience.

00:19:02 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yeah, no, I agree with you. That idea of finding someone that fits, like checks all of those boxes, I think is challenging. But Melissa, I think you make a good point is to keep your standards high and know that ultimately, it's not like a race. Eventually, it will all kind of fall into place, right?

00:19:19 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And that's why having multiple people that you're kind of dating is important. Because then you might find that person, they offer you so much support business-wise, and it is really reciprocal. But you're like, but we don't just click personality-wise or something like that.
Or you like them, fine, but they're not somebody, again, that you probably could see yourself talking to every day. Not that you have to because everybody structures their biz bestie relationship differently. But I do think I agree with Melissa that keeping your standards high.
And sometimes things happen in life and people shift. And so people... We had somebody on this season talking about when her priorities were shifting, ending the business part of a biz bestie relationship and just continuing the friendships.

Because things had shifted for them. So I think it's like a season, a reason, or a lifetime. And we would love our business besties to be for a lifetime, but that's not always a guarantee as well. But you definitely don't want to be in that position where you feel like you're constantly giving.
And I think all of us who've been in business for a while have had those experiences.

00:20:28 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yeah, I actually had an experience where there were a bunch of designers... points in our business and had different priorities. And for one reason or another, I definitely felt like I kept giving and sharing. And then I got really exhausted. It's like, okay, because ultimately, if I'm going to share with you my contract, then I want to see yours too, because it's this back and forth.
There's things that you can garner from my contract and how I write certain clauses into my contract for my client that you can use. But she may have something totally different, then I'm like, oh my gosh, I never thought of that. That's a great little nugget to put into my contract.
So I got into a situation where as my business grew, I became really, really busy. And I was like, okay, what am I ultimately getting out of this?

And am I constantly giving? And I love to be... I like to be generous. I like to be a giver. But at a certain point, you have to say, okay, well, it needs to be this reciprocated type of relationship.

00:21:27 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And setting boundaries around that. And as an ENFP, because sometimes we just get so excited. And we're so excited about things we want to share. But then it's like, I have to have a boundary to what I'm offering. Because like you said, that can really drain your energy quickly.

00:21:43 - Maelisa Hall
Janelle, I wanted to go back to what you were saying about how you do have a few people that might be in mind. And just kind of like you're looking across the room, have a chat with someone. They seem interesting. But People that you know are at your level and that you've thought about, but you were thinking, it sounded like some mindset stuff was coming up around the value you could offer or the fact that they might not be interested in having that kind of a more in-depth relationship with you.

00:22:12 - Jannelle Photopoulos
I don't know if I meant to infer that necessarily, but that there needs to be a formalized type of relationship. I say it more and I'm like, oh, well, yeah, we're friends. Like how do you, for someone that's not familiar with your notion of biz bestie, right?
How do you kind of broach that subject of, hey, it's different when you're dating, right? There's like certain language that you're using. And so you guys coach me through that because that's something that I think is a little bit tricky because how do you approach the biz bestie versus like, oh, well, we talk on Voxer or we have calls periodically.
And what else, how do you phrase that?

00:22:51 - Amber Hawley
Hmm, that's a good question. Well, I think you always start with how you doing. That was a friend's reference for any of you people who are too young to remember that. But yeah, I think that's a great question, though. And I think there are a couple different ways to go about it.
There can be just that, like, so say it was in that structured mastermind per se. And so whether or not that's continuing, I know people have talked about to us about different approaches they've taken. One version is asking for those virtual coffee dates or Zoom meetings and just kind of meeting up and using that time to kind of connect both personally and professionally and see.
Because for some people, they just really hit it off and they talk forever and then they realize like this was meant to be. That doesn't always happen. But being able to kind of, you're nurturing the relationship.

You're just creating more depth and more connection. And the more connection, you either figure out like, this is for me or this isn't for me. Another thing that people have done that has been very successful is reaching out to somebody they already know and then saying, hey, do you want to be accountability partners?
And maybe setting a timeframe on that or you're establishing some structure and criteria to that and seeing like, does this feel like the right kind of support? But I think not making it open-ended. We learned that from our interview with Julie Fry and Nikki Roush because they were so smart in saying they were setting like a timeline, which I think for Melissa and I, we just jump in, never occurs to us.
But it's such a smart thing because you don't want that awkwardness of like what happens if it's not the right fit, right?

So those are two kind of a little more structured approaches to that. But I don't know, what are your thoughts, Melissa, on other ways?

00:24:40 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, I mean, it's making me think of in college, we used to call it DTR, Define the Relationship. And it's like when you're hanging out with someone that you're kind of interested in, and it's like you're spending more time together. And then you're walking back and forth to class and meals all the time together.
And then it's like someone would come back to the dorm one night and be like, we had a DTR tonight. And it was like, okay, we had to... It got to that point where you have to eventually have the conversation of like, so are we in a relationship or what's going on here?
And it's kind of... I feel like that's kind of like... It's awkward, but it's also one of those things where you're like, then it feels really good, right? Because then you both come on and you're like, yes. And then you can make it public. And then you feel a little bit more freedom.

And it's kind of like, it's exciting.

00:25:33 - Amber Hawley
Yes, because you would hate to publicly announce that and then find out they weren't on board. But I think that we did not have the DTR conversation. I think your husband probably gave us that label.

00:25:45 - Maelisa Hall
Yeah, I know. Well, that's the thing. I think sometimes you just know it naturally happens. And what's funny is that's actually what happened with me and my husband, is that we just kind of were friends and then we were just kind of dating, but we had never said we were dating, right?
And so maybe that's just... my way of doing relationships. I don't know. But a lot of times it's hard because things are ambiguous. It's always more fun when you finally know, okay, yes. So I don't know. It feels like maybe you're at that stage where you have to determine, is there someone you want to have a DTR with?
Or is that something you need? I think for some people, you want that structure and that definition. You want to know, okay, this is what I can expect from this relationship. And then for some, you may just be cool with like, eh, it is what it is. And like, we're good.
And I feel like I'm getting what I want out of this relationship.

And then maybe you're just a little bit more intentional about meeting or talking more regularly. So I think that's something that's individually driven, like based on your interests and also where you're at with other relationships.

00:26:48 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yeah, I think that it's interesting to hear that viewpoint because... My schedule tends to be pretty hectic. Amber, we were just having a conversation just before we started this podcast about our days and mine look very similar to yours back to back.
And sometimes it's difficult. There's a designer in New York City that I connect with and we try to do Zoom calls and just kind of like bounce things off each other, right? So scheduling those is challenging. And so what I was thinking as you were talking, Melissa, was I think it's important to set expectations, you know, at a certain point, right?
Like once you get to a point where like, hey, I really want this person to be a regular part of my business growth plan, right? I want support from them and I want to be able to support them in their growth and I want to see them through this journey.
And likewise, I want them to see me through my journey to whatever that end goal is, whether accountability or whatever it is.

But to have the conversation around expectations, not so much... I mean, it could look like that to your point, but I think that for me... my schedule is so crazy and I could get pulled out at any moment that I want to be able to say, the expectation is that I'm going to be there for you.
And when you need it and you're like, I have a contract tomorrow and I'm not sure what to do about this particular thing, or I have an issue with a client that you can count on me to Voxer you at 11 PM at night, you know, or whatever it is that you might need, that there's the support for what you need, not necessarily always a consistent structure to it.
Does that make sense?

00:28:16 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. Yes. And I think that's an important thing to know about yourself when you're going into this because we interviewed Stacey in September. Her BizBestie episode came out. She really likes that extreme structure. Like for her, that's what feels really good.
But we talked about Melissa and I have an unstructured structure. Like we tried to be structured and it just did not work for us. And I think it's the same thing. One, we both have very varied schedules. Like every day is different. There are some things that are the same, right?
Like every Tuesday and Wednesday from 1 to 9pm, I'm with clients. That's just a known thing. But there's so much variability. And I think for us, it was more like you said, Hey, today I'm having a rough day. Or, Oh, I'm not sure. I'm thinking about something strategically and I just want to bounce an idea off or I'm super pumped about something and I just want some feedback.

So, and I want that sooner than later. So yeah, I think knowing what kind of structure you're looking for, because then if somebody does approach you and proposes something, you could be like, you know, I just know that's not going to work for me.

00:29:22 - Maelisa Hall
And I think like having that conversation, it doesn't have to be like, hey, so I want to have a biz bestie and here's what I'm looking for. But it could be like, hey, like, We know one another's businesses. I really respect what you're doing. And for example, if it was someone in a mastermind or even just like the New Year's, great way to start off things.
Where you could be like, Hey, now I'm looking to amp this up. And I want to make this a more regular thing. And I'm looking for this kind of support. What do you think? Do you want to try it out? And I think if you frame it that way, it's a way to...
frame it so that you are asking for a deeper connection and a certain level of commitment, but you're not saying like, hey, let's be biz besties forever. And you can kind of test things out and see how it goes.

00:30:10 - Jannelle Photopoulos
No ring needed.

00:30:12 - Amber Hawley
For now. Don't put a ring on it. I'm telling you, it's hard to get back. So I think... I know we have to wrap this up here. But I guess maybe... for those of you listening who are thinking about, I want more depth in a relationship. You have this greater support system that you probably already tap into and check in with when you're having these things come up.
But there is a lot of value in having that one person who's really invested, like you said, almost as much as... I feel like Melissa isn't invested in my success and my business as much as I am in that regard. I know she cares like that. And so having that, I think, is really valuable.
And it can help you through your own mindset blocks. I guess the one thing I think for you that might be helpful is, and I think these things change on the season, is do you want somebody who's in the same industry or do you want someone who isn't, who might be adjacent, who can understand it a little bit, but might have like a different outside perspective?

00:31:11 - Jannelle Photopoulos
I think at first when I started this conversation with you guys, my thought was, oh, I'll have one in each. But as I think through it and as we talk about all these possibilities and really what it takes, given my schedule and how much... There's only so much I can give.
Whether my heart says I want to give more or not, like physically, mentally, time-wise, all of that, there's only so much that I can give. So I think that it would be one... I wouldn't try to have two BizBesties, one in my industry and one without. What I have found is that I have some resources in my industry to bounce off of people.
But ultimately... I'm so specific of the way that I run my business and I feel so strongly about some of the ways that I run it that I think that I'd be better served by someone outside of my industry than to have another designer and then go, yeah, thanks for that input.
But no, that's not the way I work. Right. Because, again, it gets a little bit too close to home versus having it a little bit higher level and strategic, if you will.

00:32:08 - Amber Hawley
Yeah. And I could see that, especially for the length of time you've been in business. And I agree. As a group practice owner, I have a network and a support system of people that I can get that support from specifically around that. But I like having somebody who understands different things and isn't looking to help me just on that part.
So I think I fully support that. And I think that's where your next step should be is you know, maybe if there is somebody, like you said, on your mind, perhaps just kind of reaching out and seeing, and like Melissa said, the new year is a good time to kind of say, Hey, like fresh start, you know, like let's talk about meeting up in January.
Cause that is what we did with our, we're put together a peer led mastermind. And it's like the rest of this year is just too crazy. Let's start in January. Right.

00:32:54 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Yeah. I like that.

00:32:55 - Amber Hawley
Cool. Awesome. Well, if people want to find out more about you, where would they go?

00:32:59 - Jannelle Photopoulos
You can go to my website, which is BlakelyInteriorDesign.com. That's B-L-A-K-E-L-Y InteriorDesign.com. As well as we're on Facebook and Instagram under Blakely Interior Design. And you can find me there. Awesome.

00:33:16 - Maelisa Hall
And we will link to all of that in our show notes. And if people are interested, if you want to find out more about like, if you would like a BizBestie and you want to be on one of these episodes, you can go to mybizbestie.com slash findmeabestie. And we will, with dashes in between each word, like I spell all that out, but, you know, and you can apply to be on a future Find Me A Bestie episode.
We would love to help you out too.

00:33:44 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Thank you so much, guys.

00:33:45 - Maelisa Hall
Thanks, Janelle.

00:33:46 - Jannelle Photopoulos
Thank you.