Today, we welcome Emily Yeates, CEO and Principal Designer of Urban Revival — a full-service interior design firm based in Paradise Valley. Arizona. In this episode, we discuss Emily’s exposure to design at a young age and her passion for problem-solving, which led to the launch of her own design business. 

Emily shares her lessons learned while growing her team and developing her processes… spoiler alert — it did not happen overnight. We also discuss the importance of a fine-tuned business structure and how it not only allows her to provide extraordinary service to her clients but also allows her to be present for herself, her health, and her family.

Tune in to learn how Emily built a successful design business by creating efficient systems while balancing her professional and personal life!

Show Highlights:

• Emily’s early exposure to design and the path to launching her own business

• Hiring the right people for your business and why more designer is not the solution when growing your business

• Developing a strong business structure with the help of her operations manager, Meredith

• How having clear and repeatable processes made her business run smoothly

• Tools and platforms that Emily’s team uses for efficiency and communication – Asana, Loom, DesignFiles, etc

• How the business was able to thrive during Emily’s cancer treatment

• Emily’s “Business Edit” program and how it helps other designers succeed

• The importance of furniture profit margins and wholesale ordering

Notable Quotes:

• “I refuse to live in an ugly place. I grew up around beautiful things. I wanted a beautiful place, and I was going to make it happen.” - Emily Yeates
• “The pinnacle of success is having a business that can run when I step away, and it keeps going.” - Emily Yeates
• “Profit margin is a really big deal to me. And furniture is the way that I’m able to do that.” - Emily Yeates
• “Implementing processes and structure allows you to put your business on autopilot in times when you need it.” - Rick

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Supporting Resources:

Urban Revival Website - https://urbanrevivalphx.com/urban-revival

Emily Yeates on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/urbanrevivalphx/

Sponsor Links:

James and James: https://carpenterjames.com/pages/trade-program?ad=DBSG

Design Manager: https://www.designmanager.com/