The Boys

S1:E14 Design Expectations + more

• Jeremy Rice • Season 1 • Episode 14

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In this fun episode, The Boys discuss Dwayne's daughter graduating from college, and Stuart's daughter graduating from Preschool.  And dealing with expectations between clients, as well as partners, and some ways that we make sure we are communicating so that people are on the same page, or when to realize that they aren't and how to proceed.

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jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh, where'd he go?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I'm fixing my coffee.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh, so we got, Dwayne whose baby graduated from college,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Hmm. Preschool.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

from today?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

preschool. Yes.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

up. We've already talked about your testicles this morning.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Well, 17 year old kitty who yelled at me like a teenager this morning until she got her treat. That I had, to give so I could sneak upstairs to record the podcast. Stuart, this week I ta uh, tasked? Is that the word to use? I asked you to come up with what we should talk about today.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

You did.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

And

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

And

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

me, and I

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

did,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh!

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Heh heh heh heh heh heh.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

so we should talk about client expectations and the current trend. Is that good or bad?

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh, okay. Interesting. Oh, okay. Now I'm going to interrupt. There's, there's two things. I love that. Um, okay. There's two things I want to tell you or we'll get done and then we'll get into that because one, one of them actually leads into what you just said. Um, on our hotline, woo woo. Um, uh, which is eight, five, nine, four, one, two, one, five, seven, two. Call us or text us.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

got it memorized this year.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Uh, well, no, I have it in front of me.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Okay, I'm gonna run that.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

First one, design question. Animal print, timeless or outdated?

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

timeless

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

on how you use it.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Yeah, see, I agree with Stuart.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

no timeless

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you use it.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

No timeless

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Now listen,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

That's not what she asked. She didn't ask about the pns

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

does

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

You know.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

if it's on your rug, if it's on your pillows, if it's on your panties, that is too much animal print.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I'm talking about the panties part. That's pretty good.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Pick one and go with it.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Uh, you know, I tend to, I tend to,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

hater

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I mean, you gotta wear them first.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you know, I have, um, uh, my sister, my sister in law, Heather. Hey, babe. I know you're listening. She loves her some leopard and she, and she, like the joke of Christmas is everybody that gets her anything for Christmas is all leopard because she just loves it. And I support this for her. I don't think her house is that way, but like she loves leopard clothing and all that stuff. I think that that's fine. It does get me a little nervous when it's everywhere in the house. Cause then it just starts to turn in like.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I don't think that's what's what was the question?

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Well,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Read

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

uh, animal, animal print, animal print, timeless or outdated. And, but that's the thing. It's not a simple answer, Dwayne. I know you want to give it a simple answer.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

It

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

that's that. So,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

used In the right space.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Absolutely. Absolutely.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

okay, look,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

it

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

hot sauce

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

if it's

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

use in the inappropriate way is not timeless, right? It,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

What? No.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

understood. Don't be stupid.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

You have to explain. Listen, we all know that people are stupid and I say that in a loving way because we deal with the peoples. We deal with the public and yet,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

of audience members, you just lost one. So,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

no,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Heh heh heh.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

no, you know, if you were to walk in a room that had animal print everywhere, you would die.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I, I, I mean, uh, really, um, it is though, if I just take that in its totality and do somebody say that and I just gonna move on, it is timeless because I think every room could have a little touch of leopard or zebra or gazelle or something and I go, okay, right. That's good. That's good. But now with understood, be stupid about it. That's, that's my caveat and move on.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

don't be stupid about it. That's a good, that's the best advice we've given so far. So, yes, when I saw that, I was like, you know, I love animal print. I think that as long as you use it in the right way, you just don't, like Stuart said, have it on your panties and everywhere else.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

heh.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

we put, um, uh, Lord, I'll, I'll drag this name out and I can't even remember her last name, right. Um, Deborah's house when we did hers from when we worked together before we did, uh, leopards, uh, staircase and, um, loved it. And we were building, uh, Kathy and I building her house at the same time. And so, uh. Pitch that I did a cat and she said, yeah, yeah, yeah. So we actually did the leopard, uh, up the staircase. And then she said, Oh, I like that. Can we do an hour closet, master bedroom closet? And I said, well, sure. If that's what you want, I don't care. oh, oh, can I, can I have a chandelier in there too? And I'm like, yeah. Yeah, and I said, is my clothes ever going to go in there? And she said, no, not really. It never did. So

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

turned it into a brothel.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

chandelier. Well, it kind of is, it's a tasteful brothel, but it is her brothel closet. But you know, our house is going toward. 20 years old at this point, that carpet is still as classic as it was for me from day one. And that is, and that's not a, um, a strong commitment to having some leopard staircase runner, right? But it is absolutely still classic to me. And you know, this isn't the family room. the only leopard in that room now, right? There's no pillows, there's no draperies, there's no leopard cheetah, Artwork, it's that staircase, but it is still classic. So yeah, if you get it right, you get it right. Don't do

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Okay. Second question, which leads into what Stuart had done was, okay. My husband and I have worked with a interior decorator before. Um, To put it mildly, it was a disaster because my husband and I had different expectations of what we would get or achieve. How do we fix this? So I think this is the perfect segue into what's to her. It's perfect.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Go Stewie. Here we go.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

spouses do have different expectations on how it's going to go, how it's going to look, what the end result is. And I think part of the interior designer's job is to, A, listen to both of those people and how to marry those together so they're both happy, because Typically, they're gonna, you know, some bank down and, and they want this result because, you know, I've noticed recently a lot of, um, people, like there's this kitchen I'm getting ready to start and they bought this house, it's in a, you know, it's in a good neighborhood, it's in the O2, and they bought it, you know, four and a half years ago, they've, um, it has its original 1968 kitchen, They're a family with five children and the kitchen just isn't working, but they bought the house knowing they're going to save the money to do the kitchen and they're going to do it right. And so that was, um, one of our first meetings going in there, you know, what, what he envisioned and how she wants to use it are completely different. You know, um, he just wanted to use the space that it was in and make it pretty. And she's like, nah, I'm blowing out the room next door. I'm taking it over. We're gonna need a new

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Hehehehe. Mm. Mm

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

so, they live in the same house, they didn't even talk about it. So, me asking the questions got them to be like, oh yeah, okay, this is the, this is the thing. So then their expectation was that it's gonna be functional, it can fit a family of seven that is in their office. All the time, and then it's going to also aesthetically what she wanted as well him knowing he's going to lose two of the rooms next door make it happen. And I was saying, how does that make you feel? And he's like, well, I don't even use those rooms. I was like, fine, that's, that's the plan we're going with. So, um, I think just bringing their ideas together is a huge part of what we do. And then we add the. Pearls onto the black dress, so to speak.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

hmm.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Does that make

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

We got to get through divorce court first before you start building. Right?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

right.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you know, it's, it's funny because Dwayne's mentioned before in the podcast about how it's almost like, it's not, it's not just design. It's also like designing for the sexes, like it's therapy.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

psychology.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

because, you know, if you do have a couple, um, you know, often, like, just like you said, they don't talk about it. Like, it's just, you know, they think it's understood. And so I think the first step of trying to help figure out expectations is, you know, Like, I don't want to say over communicate, but communication as simple as that is, is not done in a way of what it's not done. So then you have the situation of people are expecting you to do things. And that goes everywhere between the, the, uh, the client and the designer or spouses. So lots of communication is necessary, even when you think that somebody understands it.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I go into with this, um, concept and I'm going to give credit and I don't know if it's correct or not. But Linda that we was a coworker of ours and, um, she called it greenlighting. And I think it's a book, but it's Lisa theory and I never did look it up, but go into every meeting in life conversation greenlight, right? Which means whatever you say, safe, there's no wrong answer and you just get to go, right? You just keep going and you say things out loud without feeling like you're being judged and you say things out loud, out loud without having to justify it. You say, well, this is what I'd like. And then the next person, the husband, the wife says it, and that starts this free conversation because I found that if you, uh, just start spitting ideas out, That it gets you to the place where you want to go. And if you feel free, you don't feel judged that you say this. You're safe. It's a green light, go, just say it. And we may not use it, but we may use it. But if you're not, you don't feel comfortable. You don't feel safe, even being allowed to say it in the setting is certainly not going to happen. Right? In other words, you're not going to get it unless you ask for it. Right? So I'm giving you a safe place to say it. Nobody's judging you. And people have said the most. Off the wall, crazy things. I'm like, there is no way in the world we're ever need to do that. That's crazy. But do I say that? not. And it's like, okay, I hear you.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

You'll wait till after later and talk about it on the podcast.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Well, of course, of course, that's, that's, that's the Southern way. Well, bless your heart. But I do, that's one of the things I learned from that person, a coworker many years ago, just create a safe place, allow people to voice their Goals that like you said, they, they go into bed to sleep with each other, but they're not even talking about what they're going to do to blow this house up and we're giving them that platform to start talking and then we'll see where we go. That's, that's 1 of the things I started with.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

So Stuart, when you're dealing with couples, they're like that. How do you, in what ways do you use to try to get them on the same page or how do you manage? Well, let's do their, their, their part first that in between them too. How do you try to manage that?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

in each other's faces like, Oh, I didn't know you even thought about that or, Oh, I didn't know you want that. Or sometimes they just right out and they're like, no, we're not doing that. And, you know, they, they bicker among themselves for a little bit and just kind of let them work it out for a few minutes and then start offering the suggestion. Because a lot of times you have to, if you let it go. Then it becomes more of a snowball and then nobody can make a decision. So you have to be able to make that decision or suggestion or compromise pretty quickly while you're standing there. So then you can go on, you as the designer can go on and start the space plan and start this, start the selection and start the things like that. And then that gives them something. Else to talk about because, you know, I can, I can wrap it up and say, okay, I've gotten a lot of feedback from you. I've got a lot of feedback from you. Here's kind of how the concept I think that can go together. Let me draw or come up with some visuals for you and then we'll talk about that again and usually people are like, oh Okay, and then a week or so goes by and I can give them know I might have seen a picture of something that I've talked about or I can sketch a floor plan real quick and I'm like, okay Here's what we talked about last week. Here's where we are. Let's go forward with Actually deciding this cabinet door or whatever it is or window treatment or wherever you're working You thinking on your feet, I think is quick, is key. Um, using the years of design knowledge and experience

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Okay, stop there. Stop there. In your case, years and years and years and experience years.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Since 1847, um, everything I've designed,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Every opportunity I'm given every

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

remember,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Okay.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

And also remember things that didn't work from past jobs and don't, don't make that ha don't let that happen again, you know? So it's, it's, um, what am I trying to say? It's a quick reaction without being lit on fire, if that makes sense. Because you have to think fast. Think fast.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Do you know what it is, Stuart, from your years of experience of knowledge, it's called Red Pen

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh, yes, red pen. Red pen goes way back

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

So we,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

shut up.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

We work with a company out of Chicago and we do a lot of design work for them. And, um, Dwayne, when he mentioned the, um, green lighting, he, He believes in that concept. Like it, it never fails what we're working on. He always wants to greenlight

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

It

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

and sometimes the green lighting can go from ideas to judgments very quickly in a, in a, in a way of this is wrong. I know this is wrong. We, that's not going to work. We've got to do this. Um, and then you, and that's more, that's, that's not a hundred percent fair statement because it's really situational with this, which makes more sense, so I'm not trying to make going out to be somebody bad, but, um, and so Stuart and I have to try to, um,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Reign

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

when to stop, reign him in. And so, one time, going into the meeting, Stuart said, Um, if I, if I ask for a red pen, that means shut the hell up. Like, let's, let's stop. Just stop. Just let it go.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

It

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

And so, red pen's always been part of it since then.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

worked. It worked. You know, and I say that and it has, um,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Well, it works in the, in the sense, except that when, when he now says red pen, you go, okay. And then you tell the people what red pens means so that they know that we're trying to reign you in.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Well, okay, fair enough. But it also has worked in a beautiful, positive way in that, um, the red pen truthfully to give Stuart all the credit come up in my head and not in those conversations, but other conversations with the worst male. It's like, yeah, I'm going to red pen it right now. And I really have used that as a tool to edit. So Stuart. I really have. No, you, you, yeah, exactly. Exactly. Exactly. I was like, Oh, I'm going to red pen that one right now. Right. Yeah. Gracias. It's not easy for me, you know, big mouth, garbage, talk. Mm

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

You know, uh, going in when I have clients and this is something relatively new for me. do a little bit of a litmus test, um, to see how much they seem like they're on the same page or if they, like, if, if it's clear that they talk, cause sometimes couples do like they're, you know, sometimes, sometimes, uh, people are communicating about it sometimes, but sometimes they're not. And so then what I'll ask is by the time, before we get back together or in the next couple of days, uh, Each of you make a list of the top five things that you want this to do, how you want it to work, and then the top five, or the top three things that you have to have. And then once I get that, then it's like, okay, yeah, y'all are on complete different pages, because they're more likely to put it in a list and send it than they are to like, say in front of each other. So then we can work through it. Um, Yeah,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

A great approach.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you know, fortunately, most of the time people are on the same page, but in all this comes from, Oh Lord, um, you know, we talked about in a previous podcast that, um, we talked about that there hadn't been any really projects that were a complete disasters and we're like, Oh no, there were some like that's a total like that, you know, we fired ourselves or different things from us, but I had one and I'll try to keep it as neutral as possible so that if anybody's listening, they won't, if they know them, they won't realize it, but, um, we'll just say spouse. A was, um, incredibly type A, had opinions on everything, researched everything to the nth degree, but, and couldn't let anything go. Spouse B knew Spouse A was like this and wanted Spouse A to like, maybe if they had somebody come in that was independent, that they would be able to like help and figure it out. Well, what happened was, Spouse A was so type A that they could not relinquish anything. They could, like, we would show things, talk about it. Well, I like that, but what about this? Because I've looked into this and this and this and this and this and this, and it went on and we're talking, this was a very long project and, They could not, release anything to literally almost be done. And so then Spazbee got really frustrated because what they were wanting to get out of the situation and what the first one was wanting to get out of the situation were complete, completely two, two different things. So the project ended up ending and I love them. I love them to this day, but Lord mercy, it was exhausting.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Yeah, the Rothbauers are still together.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

It's not.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Love you, Jim. Jim and Jim.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

who, that's honestly who I thought of too, quite

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

No, Lord, no, no,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

scenario.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

was like, this was like, this was a couple of years ago that I haven't worked with for a long time, but, and it, and it really came down to, you know, I guess expectations of, of, you know, when the one was hoping that bringing someone in was going to be able to really, I don't know what used to rain, I guess, I guess it was to rain the one in and it just,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

to be able to, for their voice to be

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

yeah,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

wasn't heard and that didn't work out. That, that would feel like a really suffocating

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

yeah.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Yeah.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Uh, well, I don't know, but I think that, you know, from my perspective, everything's on that part. It seemed very good. It was just with the home. It seemed like the home, the spouse could, the first like spouse, I

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

weird.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

uh, could, could not. And it was always like, you know, there's,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

pretty good taste was mostly right. Or

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

It was not my taste. Um, it was more of a situation. It wasn't even taste. It was more of a, uh, it was almost like a fear that they could never make a decision because they always thought there was something else out there. Like, I think this would work, but what about if we do this? And it was like, you gotta, you gotta do something.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

right.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

got to, you got to jump at one

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Yeah. You got, and, and, and I always try to tell people, like, there's never just one right answer. Like, you know, again, there's always multiples. Right. Um, but that was one that. Like I said, I still love them. I do. I love them so much. Um, but it was like, Ooh, okay. I did. I failed them as clients of figuring out what their expectations were and, and letting, letting them know what my expectations were. So,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Okay,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I don't know if their house ever got done, but I hope so.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Uh, well, there was, there's been some recent projects in that the, the couple would say, oh, you do that, and it's like, oh, you, you, you pick out the paint colors. Yeah. you would tell us what, what furniture to pick out. Yeah. us what size pictures to get. Yeah.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

That's

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

surprised why, and that's exactly kind of surprised, like, well. No, it be this gambit of, look, we've all been there where we've find the piece of property that they bought and they built the house till we put in the last piece of soap. It can be that of a breadth of a project, right? It can be two years of something or more. You literally, from the very beginning to the very end, that's not the majority of projects, by the way, or at least isn't for me. The majority is I've inherited the house and we need paint color, new artwork, new sofa, or the basement got flooded. And we got to rip out the carpet and new furniture goes in there. Right. Um, but it's always surprising. It's like, well, we didn't know exactly what you did do. And I was like, all of it, all of it. If there is a decision to be made. you don't want know what the answer is and you need guidance. That's what I do. That's what interior designers most. I think it's like we'll figure out where the lighting goes and we'll figure out what the trim is and we'll figure out where the flooring stops and if we need to move a wall or it's all of it once it starts and I'm being surprised by that because I just didn't I couldn't understand what they thought that was actually going to be doing. It's like, you know, You know, moving stuff on a bookcase and that's it. No, we do it all. Have you had that? I mean, that's Oh, I didn't know you did that. It's like, Oh yeah,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Well, I've had a few people say, um, like some people that have, and they've been some smaller jobs, but decent jobs are like, well, I don't want to waste your time because my job's so small. Like, well,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

yeah, no, it's none of too small.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I mean, it's, it's not, I you want to refurnish a whole living room and paint everything and redo dining room curtains. That's not a small job. And they're like, yeah, but you

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Oh,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you build things. I was like, yeah, well, those are different jobs. This job is this job, you know, it's, it's, it

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

mm

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you know, that's why we do a consultation to see

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

hmm.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

be then move from there. So,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Yeah, I always try to tell them like, and I know I've said that this on here before, but like in that first meeting, we will handle this. However, whatever. way that you want this to work for you ultimately. And some people only need an hour, hour and a half. Some people need hand holding a little bit longer than that. And then, you know, there's, there's two more. I usually say one, but I was like, there's one that says, here's a bedroom. You're just, you're staying until we finish this and then you move out. And then there's the number four, move that bus. So it's when they just think, no, they don't want to know anything. And they just want to have it done and walk in and be done. Um, And I would say most of them, you know, that helps them understand that not every project is exactly the same and not everybody's need or expectation is the same. And I definitely don't expect it to be the same from client to client anyway.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

right.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Um, cause you just, you know.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

it changed up and different and you don't know what to expect and what you walk into. I mean, I don't want them all to be the same. It's like, we're, we're not building a Camry, right? We're, it's a different experience and everything is different. And, um, I still come back to if you feel comfortable hiring designer, um, typically, um, the Typically projects will turn out better and prettier and, um, different than what you expected, but you'll like it more and you'll usually end up saving some money because you're going to keep from making mistakes. And I still believe that, um, as my preaching points, like, if you get the right person to guide you, you're not going to make as many mistakes because you've got an, uh, an expert kind of guiding you through, Stuart's years and years and years of experience and years.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

You know, it's funny. There was a comment on Facebook the other day. It was because I put up one of the little blips about the podcast. And like, I enjoy the podcast until you make, until y'all degrade Dwayne. He's the best.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Thank you.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I was like, that asshole degrades us more than anybody. You know, something else that I've started.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

now, but Swifties will protect me. 100%.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

how I think there's only so much room in this brain lift and something has to leave. Uh, in order for the rest to stay, but I, so technology is wonderful. Right. But when I started carrying around my iPad, um, because then I would start taking, well, what ultimately I started doing was when we, when we met, And there were things that I needed to do. I wrote down in the, in the iPad, what I was supposed to do, because I'll get to the car and I'll forget it. I mean, it's just how it is. Um, but then also what was in there, I started keeping record of what the homeowner was going to do. And then that helped us later on. I'd be like, Oh, shoot, I was supposed to do that. I'm sorry. Or if coming from both sides, but then there being a little bit of accountability for both that we could go back to. And I would be even share those notes of like, okay, this is, this is what we talked about tonight. This is what's going on. It's your screen capture it and text it that way. There was something for us to go back to. And that helped always keep us, um, like that we're on the same page. And ultimately I think that's probably a good idea for anything that you have to deal with people. I mean, Dwayne is a list maker, right? You are a list hit the way that his brain way he can create a list 25 pages long. My brain, you know, he's, he's holding up a big list

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

showing a

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

things. Um, my brain doesn't necessarily. Um, but the ladies at the, our, our team at the store, it was interesting to see how people responded to Dwayne's list of like, can you get this done while I'm gone or on this day and seeing how people, um, like, Oh, these are things that need to get done versus he's telling me to do this.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

right?

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I understand there's like two different ways that you see it, but even, you know, Uh, the, the accountability list. We'll just call it that. Like if we, if I share it with the client, it's not necessarily to be like, you know, you're in trouble. This is what you're supposed to do. It's more of just like, Hey, we're all busy. We're all adults. We all get home and then we forget what's going on. And then maybe we ate, maybe we didn't, maybe we had a couple extra cocktails. Maybe we had to go to a soccer game, you know, just having something that we can go back to just so that we always know. Like, you know, yeah. Okay, this is where we gotta go. So that's been helpful for me.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

tell you about my little, um, exchange of, you're like, what do designers do? So I've got this client that's building, um, this 1500 square foot little Southern living bungalow and it's going to be adorable, right? So they've played around with, about putting the bathtub and the shower in this master bathroom, uh, it in, took it out, put it in, took it out. And so I actually met the husband who's the contractor and we on Saturday last week and um, one of his things, I don't call it OCD. It's not fair, but he wanted the window in the middle of the room because on the outside it was in the middle of the pitch of the house on the side of the house next to the driveway. I. I said, I don't care if it's in the middle of the wall on the side of the house next to the neighbor. I said, that doesn't bother me. It's more important where it is in the room and has an effect on the placement of the bed is more important. Right? If it's in front of the house, right? That might be a different story. But inside the house, I don't care. But end result is, and he's like, what? We move this around. If we do this, it put the window in the center of the pitch on the side of the house and it shifted the bed off to little and it cradles sitting here and it was fine. And the other window is the back of the house, which is a beautiful view on a farm. All decided. Right. then I get this text last night. Well, we took the tub out and we're making, um, now the bedroom, uh, four foot bigger, which shows everything off. And it takes the window on the window.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Mm

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

And I was like, Oh my Lord, we just talked about this. Right. And. And she said, well, can we put, both windows together and put them on the back of the house? And I said, well, sure, if they'll fit. then that was decided and it came back. It wasn't, that wouldn't work because it wasn't enough room for the shutters on the back of the house, the way it was made. and then the end result is now we're putting them back on the side of the house. There's no windows on the back of the house. Okay. In this room, but they're both on the side of the house and it's, you know, the bed is in between the two windows, right? The scenario, but now they're not in the center of the pitch and everything. I'm like, oh my God, I don't want to talk about these windows in this place one more time, but it's those things, you know, those kind of in depth conversations you're going to have because what I had to hear was the husband. how his symmetry in his building that he, it was important to him for this window, ideally to be lined up on the outside of the house. But I have to, I also had to say, well, but it has a huge and more important impact on the inside of the house. That's more important for me. And Rob,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Who gives a shit where the window is on the outside? You can use landscaping to,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

no. So that's the point of this.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I'm not trying to beat him up, but you know,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

no, he did. And he was really nice about it. He was listening. He was open to it and he understood and I heard him when we laid it out. He got what he wanted and not in a bad way. It worked out just fine. But I had to say to him, hear you. I'm listening to you. And I understand what you see and what's important. I don't think it is, but it's important to you. We're going to figure that out. And ultimately end up not happening because of Changing the bathroom back again, it's the idea of couple and a lot of times there's And I can't say it's a scenario. wanted but there are couples Where that person isn't seen or heard they're kind of pushed off and i'm always really careful To highlight that person and say I hear you but let's pivot and hear And that wasn't this scenario, by the way, I don't want to be, uh, unfair, but I did want in this situation. I, I, I said to him, I hear what you're saying. I'm understanding what you're saying about this window. Let's talk about it. I did not, even though I didn't agree with it. didn't think it was necessary. I would have never dismissed him as, no, I just wouldn't do that. Right. And in result, we changed it up again for the fourth time. Uh, and I was like, the framers coming today. It's happening. We're not going to talk about it one more time unless she sends a framer away, but I'm like, well, this is behind us, but that's a conversation in that, that you, you also need what designers do it can be an in depth conversation about where the windows are placed 4 times, but it also is a conversation about. Saying to everybody, hear you and that validates that person again. We may not hear it. I mean, we may not use it. We may not do it, but the very least you're never going to win trust. That's what I'm going to say. You're never going to win trust unless you get both the husband and wife to understand that. I hear you both. Is that fair?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

hmm.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

that's true.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

you know, I'm going to say I'm going to get Bubba his recliner because if I give Bubba his pretty recliner or his comfortable recliner, I get, I get the other 29 pieces I get to pick out. Just give him his chair. It's going to be good looking. It's going to be comfortable. Get him over there in his chair. He's fine. And that's a stereotype, but it's for a reason. And there you go. So I'm like, I started placing the room placement around the Bubba's chair and then the rest of it falls in place after time.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I'm interested in how you set your expectations with your customers about communication. So I will go first. I don't really necessarily set too much of a communication, uh, expectation of, of like when I'm available. My brain has to turn off at a certain point. Y'all know this. And if, okay, okay, okay. Oh, here's, here's, we'll go back. We'll pause. We'll go back to the, the couple where the, uh, it was problematic because spouse A was so controlling. There was also this need to have text communication 20 hours a day.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

No.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I don't work that way. My brain doesn't work that way.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

hmm.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I gotta pause. I gotta reprieve. It's just me. Um, and so there had to be a conversation of like, I am here for you, and this is a job, but I will respond between these hours. Like this is, this is what I'm available because this is what I feel is fair to me. And this is also what I feel fair to you.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

o'clock at night.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh yeah. All hours. And, and it was, uh, but it was twofold because you know, they also had kids and they had, they were going to soccer games and they were doing all these things. And I was like, I'm not gonna be bothering you when you do that. Like, I'm not going to reach out, I'm not going to text you and expect a response during that. So, family time is important, and downtime is important. So, for me, also when I work with somebody, I try to like, you know, my, my, my clients, Erica and Nathan, they know if they, um, text me before a certain hour, that they'll get the response. And they try to hit me at what they call biscuit hour, when they know that I might be eating a biscuit. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

it.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Ohhhh! Hehehehehehe Hehehehehehe Hehehehehehe

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I don't answer them more quickly than not, right? It's me. And so I'm going to answer them usually more quickly. And if somebody asked me a question, I'm going to give them a thumbs up to tell them I've responded. I've heard it right voice, um, acknowledged. Mm. Okay. And with that said, so that's more on me. So I don't have too much of a problem with that. Um, the thing is about unusual hours, uh, is a no fly zone for me now. It's pretty flexible, but pretty much 10 o'clock at night. It's kind of, I really think nine's really kind of it, but let's say 10 o'clock after, um, gets a little questionable. And I'm okay if you start texting me by 7. 30, 8 o'clock, right? But let's say from 11 till 7, you better leave me alone, right? And I have gotten texts, this is before, uh, I was smart enough and either Ian or Jeremy probably showed me how to, you know, silence it and I didn't know how to use my iPhone. And I'd be getting texts and waking me up and wanting to know what to do. You know, color paint their living room or something at two o'clock in the morning. And I'm like, who does that? Right. Insomniacs are crazy. So I always went with this. I thought, well, that means you're probably a laid out and you're up until two or four o'clock in the morning. So you're probably not up at 6 15 when I get up. So I'm going to respond to you four different texts with four different words at six fucking 15 in the morning. It's like, then you'll learn your lesson. Won't you? it stopped that with those

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Yeah,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

There you go.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Six, Seven You know if I'm sitting there watching TV, but after that, mmm, it'll work till tomorrow. I just, you know, it's, I don't, uh, Oprah said that she was getting really upset with other people. Um, and she realized that she was the one being upset. Everybody else was fine. Like they were doing what they wanted to do. Right.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

yeah.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

And so she said, so I realized that I have to take responsibility for the energy that I allow in my space. Right. And so I was like, Oh, That makes sense. Like, I don't need, I don't want, I don't like drama. I don't need drama and I don't need drama around me. I can love you from afar. It doesn't mean I don't love you. Um, but I don't need it in my everyday life. So I think that,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

and me something?

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

um,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Mm.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

um, but, um, it, I think I've taken that concept and then also placed it in other places of just trying to be protective of me. Um, and not in a selfish way, but, um, I'm not in the, if, if I'm not in the right state of mind or the right place, I'm gonna be of no use to someone else. Right. So I think that's why I just try to, um,

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Mm-Hmm?

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I, I just, I try to make sure that when I'm there, I'm there. I'm, I, may you get the best of me now.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Right,

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I don't know. Let's just, I can't say that I'm right.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

You're saying you're doing that? Yeah. Just this is asking just in a curious way.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

for that listener who told us to leave Dwayne alone, this is what we are talking about.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

Good times. Good times. No, I'm building your confidence here. I'm giving, giving you confidence.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

For those that don't know, when we used to work at another place, Dwayne was one of the only people in my life that made me cry. And scream and curse. Now I've taken up cursing full time. So that's, that's not, that's not on

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

has

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

you.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

he has a button that says the F word in about 29 iterations. So there you go.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Well sometimes it's just the only word that works.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

hit it.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Yeah.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

So what

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Um, what was, what was the second part of your idea, Stewart?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

We talked about them all.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh, chasing, oh it was chasing, chasing trends.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Leopard. So

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Okay, well good.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

it. We're done.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Alright, well hopefully, um, you're not too emotionally drained so you can go to your little girl's preschool graduation and not be the sobbing mess.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

I think I'll pull through.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Yeah. Do they, do they wear, um, oh, what are they called? What? Yeah. Do they wear C gowns?

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

they don't start that until yet another graduation from kindergarten.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Oh, geez,

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

then they have another one from grade, I think. And then high school. I mean, I don't know. does not need

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I'm in college. Look, we've talked about this before.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

that's

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

I didn't get, if I didn't get the participation trophy, I would have none on the shelf. So, I am in favor of the participation trophy. Well, I'll say that one twice.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

All right. Well, I think that is wonderful for today, guys. We'll, we'll leave it there and we will see you all next week.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Okay.

jeremy-host338_1_05-23-2024_090503:

All right.

squadcaster-b9fi_1_05-23-2024_090504:

now.

squadcaster-j7b1_1_05-23-2024_090503:

Bye.

People on this episode

Head Shot

Dwayne Anderson

Host
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Jeremy Rice

Host
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Stuart Hurt

Host