Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Joann Kandrac Kelly Kole. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Joann Kandrac, we’ve been so fortunate to work with so many incredible folks and one common thread we have seen is that those who have built amazing lives for themselves are also often the folks who are most generous. Where do you think your generosity comes from?
We owe our generous spirit and outlook to our parents. We both had a loving and stable childhood. Our parents also demonstrated a great work ethic that has served us both very well not only in our business but in our relationship as business partners.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
We started our business in August of 2005. We were both business professionals prior to making interior design our second career. We feel strongly about giving back. Whether it means building homes for the poor and supporting orphanages in Guatemala to nurturing aspiring interior designers, we believe in sharing our blessings and expertise to make a positive impact in the world of design and beyond.
We are proud of the hundreds of projects we’ve completed over the years and the joy we bring to people in their homes. We’ve also been fortunate to work in the multi-family industry designing, leasing centers, clubhouses and models.
We started a podcast in 2018 called “Inside Design with Kandrac & Kole” that has become very successful. We added YouTube to the mix as well so you can listen and/or watch.
Over the last couple of years we have been Insider Tour Guides at the Spring and Fall High Point Markets for interior designers who are new to market and enjoy sharing our experience and knowledge with our groups.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The qualities and skills that I believe have been the most impactful in our journey is:
1. Networking – talk to others, learn how other designers run their business. What vendors do they use? What do they charge and why? What software do they use? This also means sharing your practices as well. Don’t be afraid to share!!
2.Attend industry events and conferences. We have learned so much with the help of coaches and speakers at these types of events. Make the investment in yourself and continue to educate yourself or you will not grow!
3. Outsource things you don’t have time to do or are not good at. You need to be doing the things that are bringing money into the business. Hire someone to do administrative work, run errands, etc.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
As influencers, we are always looking to partner with manufacturers that we feel we can genuinely speak about their products or services. Having the podcast has opened up many doors for us. It’s a great feeling when a sponsor tells us that they received orders or inquiries based on someone who heard us talking about it on our podcast.
Our current sponsors are in the furniture and design industry but one day we would love to partner with fashion, jewelry, shoe brands, etc. that we wear and could authentically speak about why we like and use their products!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kandrac-kole.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kandrackole/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kandracandkole
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/52138734/admin/feed/posts/https://twitter.com/KandracKole
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/KandracKole
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@insidedesignwithkandracandkole
Image Credits
Photography Credit Lauren Rubinstein Photography – all except for room with piano – credit is Catmax Photography
