Sew Much More

In this Opportunity Thinking Series episode, I talk with Jeanelle Dech about utilizing personal strengths and the importance of timing in recognizing good-fit opportunities. Jeanelle shares a personal project that has brought more joy and meaning to her life and how my podcast example helped propel the project forward. We encourage everyone to go to www.ThoseBoysontheHill.com to learn more about the podcast and book of the same title. Once there, be sure to subscribe to and read the blog which features book excerpts and related content.     Mentioned links: Catching Up with Lea Tran Ron Howard on Smartless Those Boys on the Hill is available on Buzzsprout, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Audible, and most podcasting platforms. Preview of Episode 3 – Iszel’s Smile  Episode 7 – Talking Trauma with Tracie  Episode 9- Black and Blackish with Cody (Jeanelle’s youngest brother)       

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC The National Upholstery Association   Sharon Coppede is the owner of Custom Window Treatments, Inc. In 1982, when her children were 4 and 2 yrs. old, Sharon joined a neighborhood cottage industry in Plymouth, Mass. as a seamstress for aprons, toaster covers, and tab top drapes stenciled on the lead edges.  She realized she had a gift for making window treatments and when she moved to our next assignment in Virginia, she built a 4 x 8 table in the walk-out basement and that is when she started making draperies for customers.  Sharon went to Sew What conferences as a student and then, over time, went as a presenter.   After a few more moves and when they moved to Charlotte, NC in 1996, Sharon's goal was to get out of the basement and into a space and Custom Window Treatments, Inc., a “to t

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC The National Upholstery Association Sue Sifakis started SUESEWN in 1995. She attended Cheryl Stricklands's week-long class on how to run a drapery business in 1994.  She also attended CHF classes and was on an advisory committee for the CHF magazine a few years. She was part of the Alumni showcase in 2010. She has also attended Slipcover Networking Workshops as well as numerous conferences to learn more. Sue has been a member of the Eastern Massachusetts WCAA Chapter since 2006 and she has held officer positions such as Secretary, Vice President, and President. Links and Resources; Deb Barrett Custom Workroom Conference WRT Podcast Episode 21 - Building Relationships to Build Your Business Qigong 

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC The National Upholstery Association   Robin Reynolds started her drapery workroom, R2 Fabric Design, in 2007 when her last child was completing high school.   Robin's clientele has grown principally by word of mouth amongst private individuals and commercial interior designers.  Robin and her husband reside in Norman, OK.   Links & Resources; Basset Furniture YouTube - Scott Weaver Singer(R) Sewing Custom Curtains, Shades, and Top Treatments: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Making and Installing Window Decor by Susan Woodcock Workroom Tech The Workroom Channel Sailrite roman shade calculator

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC The National Upholstery Association   Diana Hershey, the owner of DBH Designs, provides custom furnishings for the home, office, or business. The services offered to clients include draperies, valances, cornice boards, bedding, pillows, roman shades, blinds, slipcovers, and re-upholstery, just to name a few! Diana takes the time to thoroughly guide her clients through the process of uncovering their style and selecting the optimal fine decorator fabrics and hardware for the space to pull their room together and showcase their exceptional style to all those who enter the room! Diana is on Facebook and Instagram. Resources; Kim's Upholstery Scarlet Thread Consulting Diana's Work is on the Cover of the Drapery & Design Digital Digest

The Opportunity Thinking Series of the  Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Shasta Breitkopf has been part of the Window coverings industry for quite some time and I was so happy to be able to hear more about her story! Shasta has worked for various companies and also as an independent representative of some of those companies.  Her company, Unique Expressions was developed to assist workrooms with products that help with productivity as well as fabrication. Links and Resources; ( I do occasionally use affiliate links for Amazon and can earn some money if you choose to use them) Workroom Tech Custom Workroom Conference Joy Wilbur's YouTube Method Share on The Workroom Channel Becoming by Michelle Obama Hell and Other Destinations an Autobiography of Madeline Albright Books by Wayne Dyer  

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by; The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains & Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC The National Upholstery Association   Rachel and Bryan Short own and operate The Sewing Loft of Avon, a custom soft furnishings workroom located in Connecticut.  It is a full-service workroom serving both interiors designers and homeowners.  Rachel has had a passion for sewing her entire life and made her first item in her sixth grade HomeEc class, a small football-shaped pillow.   She turned her passion into a business when she started The Sewing Loft in their home in July 2010 after spending most of her professional life as a paralegal at a major law firm and at a wind energy company.  Bryan came on board in 2013 after a career as a litigation attorney and both he and Rachel started working on growing The Sewing Loft full-time. Through the many ups and downs, joys and struggles, they a

The Workroom Channel Scarlet Thread Consulting The WCAA The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library Merril Y Landis, LTD Angel's Distributing, LLC Trading Up Consulting, LLC     Links and Resources; Michele Williams - Profit First and Pricing without Emotion The Workroom Endgame by Jeanelle Dech Pricing Your Work With Confidence by Kitty Stein AirTable Chickadee rotary cutter Amy Burton's Cornice Board Video

Taylor Angel, is the Vice President of Angel’s Linings, with her teammate and brother Niko at her side.  Taylor graduated from Duquesne University in 2015 with a degree in marketing and sales.  She is fortunate enough that she knew what she wanted to do for a living from the moment she learned how to talk.     Angel’s Linings is your leading family-owned drapery lining distribution company in Pittsburgh, PA.  our main guiding principle is: serve your customer like they are a part of our family.  Angel’s is committed to this principle and has maintained this from day one. Hope you enjoy our fun podcast and the tootsie pops you will get with your lining order.   We’d love to welcome you to our family!   Angel's Linings    Links and Resources; ( I use affiliate links, so if you purchase through these links I will make a bit of money and I'm grateful if you choose to use the links) Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki

The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Trading Up Consulting, LLC   Jen Holaday is the owner of Brave Maggie Designs, a custom drapery workroom in Franklin, TN. She fabricates pillows, bedding, cushions, and shades but nothing makes her heart skip a beat more so than beautiful custom drapery. From the fabrics and hardware to the pleating and draping, custom drapery will elevate an entire space. It’s the difference between a pretty room and a simply stunning one. Jennifer has close to 10 years of experience throughout the Nashville area working with professional workrooms, interior designers, and directly with homeowners. She loves living in music city, where she's had the opportunity to work with some very creative people. In addition to fabrication, Jennifer offers the following services: fabric consult, fabric sourcing and purchasing, measuring, drapery hardware, roller, and woven

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Antoinette was born and raised in Cape Town South Africa. She studied at the University of Stellenbosch where she obtained an Honours Degree in Drama and Theatre Arts as well as a Teaching Diploma. Her 20+ year career in the Film and Television Industry gave her the opportunity to live and work in Africa, Europe, China, the USA and finally Canada where she settled with her family in 2000.  Sewing has always been her hobby. Antoinette remembers sewing her first apron under her mother’s watchful eye at age three. Sewing clothes for fellow students helped Antoinette pay her way through university. She began sewing home furnishings as soon as she moved into her first apartment. Blinds, Drapes & Bedding began in 2001, it is an exclusive Window Treatment consulting service and design/production studio su

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC     Claire Herne is the owner of Louie Custom Drapery, located in Darien Connecticut. Claire's background is in investment banking, but she has sewn throughout her life, just for fun! Moving from the UK to the US in 2009 meant decorating a big new house and she struggled to find a local workroom so she pulled out my sewing machine and started making drapes and pillows and found that she really loved it. Soon Claire had friends asking her to start making soft furnishings for them and she decided that she should do this professionally.   Louie Custom Drapery (named after Claire's mom and daughter) has been in business for just over 3 years - she serves the local trade community. Claire loves to interact with other workroom professionals and most of her learning has been through this wonderful group and a

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Angie Wewel is the owner of Grandview Drapery Studio, a wholesale workroom located in Arvada, Colorado, just northwest of Denver. From a young age, Angie has had the desire to start her own business in a creative industry. After attending the Custom Workroom Conference in 2018, she decided it was finally time to turn her life-long passion and pursuit of sewing into a career. Angie values ongoing education and has attended classes at Workroom Tech in Tryon, North Carolina, studied upholstery at a technical college in Denver, and has taken many additional online and in-person training courses and seminars to hone her skills. She is a member of the Workroom Accountability and Mentoring group (WAM), and a member of the WCAA, and WCAA Virtual Chapter. Angie is on Facebook and Instagram     Links and Resou

As the owner of At Your Service, a drapery workroom in the Boston area for over 15 years, Jeanne McDermott was always searching for the best way to communicate with my clients. Jeanne discovered her passion for computer programs and has developed this into a service for designers and workrooms to help them convey their ideas in a fast and efficient way. Her years of experience in the workroom/design process from concept and measuring to procurement and installation gives her the ability to understand complicated design concepts and offer solutions in addition to translating the design vision. Saving both time and money, our service creates an environment of confidence between the workroom/designer and clients that the project will look (and feel) as presented. Jeanne's full-time business is creating renderings thru her  website:  www.virtualdesign4interiors.com You can watch today's podcast on YouTube. Jeanne is on Facebook

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC     Lisa O'Brien is the owner of All Things Material. Raised in Northern Kentucky, as a child Lisa O’Brien was always creating something. No wonder she became an artist! Custom window treatments add an artistic element to every home. Creativity, education, and detail are necessary to provide customers with the right look to fit their home design goals. Hiring a professional is how this is done. In 2004, after attending a Custom Home Furnishings Conference with Donna Skufis, Lisa returned and gave a one-month notice to her corporate office and opened All Things Material! With the education provided by this unique school and continuous ongoing education to remain current on fabrication methods, trends, fabrics, and safety, All Things Material has become a well-known and respected business. Lisa is the P

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Resources and Links; Ann Johnson's Article in the Drapery & Design Digital Digest Daring Greatly by Brené Brown's The E-Myth Revisited: Why Most Small Businesses Don't Work and What to Do About It Michele Williams Pricing Without Emotion Class

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC     Jean Lawes is the owner of HomeStyle Workroom, LLC, a Custom Workroom to the Trade, located in Jarrettsville, Maryland. With an extensive background in Sewing and Design, Jean is thrilled to be working with outstanding Interior Designers in Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey. Thanks to Jeanelle Dech’s marvelous “Real Workroom” series, she met her “partner in crime,” Cindi Gray, owner of Manor Decorative Services. Fabricating, and collaborating together (two business ventures working in a cooperative), they truly make a Dynamic Duo!     Cindi Gray learned to love sewing as a small child and eventually leveraged that love into a business when she established Manor Decorative Services in 1999 in her home in Monkton MD.     This allowed her a flexible schedule to be available to her family, as well

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC   Rodger Walker retired from the City of Richmond, Virginia Fire Department in 2012, after a busy and exciting career.  He moved to North Carolina that same year to marry the Love of His Life, Susan Woodcock. In 2013 they started Home Dec Gal, a workroom and educational resource. With years of experience planning events for non-profit organizations, Rodger was ready to help Susan produce the first Custom Workroom Conference in 2016. In 2017, Rodger and Susan opened Workroom Tech, a trade school for sewing professionals, in the charming town of Tryon in the mountains of Western North Carolina. Rodger is on Instagram Links and Resources; AP Style Book  The Custom Workroom Conference

  Today's OPPORTUNITY THINKING Series of the Podcast is an interview with Julia Hash of JSH Designs.  Julia needed to solve a problem in her workroom and realized, she probably wasn't the only one who needed this solution.  I think you will find her ruler is really amazing! You can watch today's podcast on YouTube. Links and Resources; Profit is a Choice Podcast episode with Julia Hash You can find Julia's Ruler here.

The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;   The Workroom Channel   Scarlet Thread Consulting   The WCAA   The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library   Merril Y Landis, LTD   Angel's Distributing, LLC     One year later!!!!  How are you doing now?  How has this last year been for you?  How are you today? Jeanelle Dech, Susan Woodcock and I talk about how we are doing one year into the pandemic and the changes it has brought to all of our businesses.   Here is the poem Susan quoted;   "And the world cannot be discovered by a journey of miles, no matter how long, but only by a spiritual journey, a journey of one inch, very arduous and humbling and joyful, by which we arrive at the ground at our own feet, and learn to be at home" Wendell Berry     Links and Resources;   Episode 198 - Jeanelle Dech, Susan Woodcock, and Ceil DiGuglielmo Check-In - How Are We Doing? Ten Percent Happier Those Boys on The Hill