Betsy Helmuth owns and operates Affordable Interior Design in NYC. She has worked on projects for HGTV, DIY Network, Food Network, CBS, NBC, and Chase Bank. Her hardcover design book Big Design, Small Budget was recently published by Skyhorse Publishing. She has a weekly podcast of the same name.

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Resources Mentioned:

• Your Big Idea: Successful Entrepreneurs have One Big Idea. Follow JLD’s FREE training & you’ll discover Your Big Idea in less than an hour!
• Audible – Get a FREE Audiobook & 30 day trial if you’re not currently a member!
• Tiny Scan – Betsy’s small business resource
• The Entrepreneur Roller Coaster – Betsy’s book
• The Big Design, Small Budget podcast
• The Big Design, Small Budget book
• Affordable Interior Design

3 Key Points:

1. Go one inch wide and one mile deep.
2. Find a niche that you have an infectious passion for.
3. If your business name doesn’t say what you do – change it

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Time Stamped Show Notes

(click the time stamp to jump directly to that point in the episode.)

• [01:11] – Betsy started her career as a painter
• [02:08] – “I realized I had a passion for design – so I wrote to the only designer I knew, and asked if he needed an apprentice”
• [03:04] – Betsy’s has worked on nearly 2000 spaces since starting her own business
• [03:42] – Betsy’s main revenue stream is creating design plans for clients along with her 5 staff members. She also generates revenue from her book, online classes, and affiliate marketing
• [04:28] – Betsy opened her first brick-and-mortar store
• [04:58] – Worst Entrepreneurial Moment: A 4-month design job for a Park Avenue billionaire that Betsy poured her heart and soul into – and having nothing but negative feedback
• [09:11] – “That’s been a really tough journey for me – and I really learned some hard lessons”
• [09:33] – “All the magic happens outside of your comfort zone” – true or not?
• [10:41] – “One of the lessons I learned was to stay in your niche… I don’t work with billionaires. I don’t know the mentality.”
• [11:36] – Working for a celebrity reminded Betsy that she wanted to stay in her niche: people on a tight budget whose lives are changed by great design
• [13:45] – Entrepreneurial AH-HA Moment: “If your business name doesn’t say exactly what you do, change it tomorrow”
• [15:10] – “I haven’t had to advertise a day since I changed my name”
• [16:16] – Biggest Weakness? – “I spend too much time focused on the little things”
• [16:31] – Biggest Strength? – “I have an infectious passion for my niche ”
• [17:00] – What has Betsy most fired up today? “I have a podcast I love – Big Design, Small Budget”
• [19:46] – The Lightning Round
  • What was holding you back from becoming an entrepreneur? – “I didn’t have a clear vision or a business goal”
  • What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? – “Be the best in the world”
  • What’s a personal habit that contributes to your success? – “Every day I write down one thing I’m grateful for, and one thing I’m going to do to savor my success”
  • Share an internet resource, like Evernote, with Fire Nation – Tiny Scan
  • If you could recommend one book to our listeners, what would it be and why? – The Entrepreneur Rollercoaster
  • Imagine you woke up tomorrow morning in a brand new world, identical to Earth, but you knew no one. You still have all the experiences and knowledge you currently have – your food and shelter is taken care of – but all you have is a laptop and $500. What would you do in the next 7 days? – “Walk around town and peek in people’s windows. What’s the aesthetic like in this new world? Then, I’d partner with a daily deals website and sell a class for people. I’d spend my money on renting a space to teach those classes and start making connections”

• [26:07] – Parting piece of guidance? – “Share your passion”
• [26:20] – Go to Affordable Interior Design for a FREE 20-minute crash course in affordable design, or connect with Betsy by email

Killer Resources!

1) The Common Path to Uncommon Success: JLD’s 1st traditionally published book! Over 3000 interviews with the world’s most successful Entrepreneurs compiled into a 17-step roadmap to financial freedom and fulfillment!

2) Free Podcast Course: Learn from JLD how to create and launch your podcast!

3) Podcasters’ Paradise: The #1 podcasting community in the world!

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