1158: BEST OF SHOW: Vanessa DeLeon: Triple D: Drive- Dedication- Discipline

Welcome to a well-designed business.

My name is Luanne Igarra and I'm so glad you found this podcast.

Together with my husband Vince and our partner Bill, we have grown our company Windowworks

from the ground up.

So I know and I understand the challenges you face in running your interior design business.

I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your success.

So on this podcast, we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your business.

But make no mistake about it.

We have our share of fun here too, mixed in with those aha moments that I love so much.

This isn't fluff, nobody has time for that.

Whether you are a new interior designer or a seasoned designer, I am here to help you

create and to manage the kind of interior design firm that you dream of.

It's straight talk and it's action.

Are you ready?

Let's get started.

Hi, welcome to a well-designed business.

Before we get into today's episode, I want to let you know that we're doing something

a little different over the next several months.

We're bringing back the most downloaded, the most talked about episodes from the last

nine years of a well-designed business.

These are the episodes that built businesses that sparked aha moments that turned you into

an action taker.

Now if you're wondering why we're revisiting these episodes and what's changing with

the show overall, well, I walk you through the full vision in our April 25th, 2025 episode

titled The Big Shift, what's changing on a well-designed business and why that episode

is linked for you in the show notes.

Now a quick heads up.

These episodes are airing as they originally did.

That means the music might sound familiar or it might be vintage.

That means the event dates will definitely be out of date that I talk about and it also

means that any offers that are mentioned may or may not be valid still.

But the insights still golden.

So whether it's your first time hearing this episode or your fifth time hearing it, there's

something in this conversation for you right now in this season of your business.

So here's the show.

I hope you enjoy it.

Hello everyone.

Thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of a well-designed business.

I know many of you are following window works on social media because we're getting all

kinds of comments and thumbs up about the podcast and I truly thank you for that.

It means so much to us to know that you're out there listening and enjoying the podcast.

And if you're not following us yet, check us out because this weekend we posted our

sweet 16 celebration.

It's our way of saying a huge thank you to the first 16 interior designers who have spent

their time with me sharing their best advice with all of us so that we can all run more

productive, more profitable businesses.

Each one of these designers has brought something of value to the show and I'm thankful

for their part in making this podcast so popular right out of the gate.

And today's guest is yet another brilliant business woman.

On the podcast today is Vanessa Deleon.

If you haven't heard of Vanessa Deleon, then I'm afraid you might be living under a well-designed

rock.

Vanessa has created a powerful, successful brand with her signature design style, glamolistic.

Her impressive resume includes her most recent competition on NBC's American Dream Builders.

She was also a featured designer on the hit show Restaurant Impossible, HGTV's Generation

Renovation, Designer Challenge, Bang for Your Buck, Design Star, DIY's Rev Runs Renovation,

Ice Loves Coco, and Bravo's Million Dollar Listing.

She has made guest appearances on the Better Show, NBC's Today Show, and she is a contributing

designer for Open House NYC.

Vanessa had a segment on PX-11, Vanessa to the Rescue, and she was a featured host and

designer for YouTube's Your Place is a Dealbreaker.

In 2007, the IFDA named Vanessa as the Rising Star of Interior Design.

She also has appeared in several publications such as New York Spaces, Design New Jersey,

Duo One Home, Latina Magazine, Time, Entertainment, Cosmopolitan, and Bella Petit.

In addition, she is the featured design editor for several publications.

Her public appearance has included a tour as the IKEA Spokesperson for how-to seminars

in multiple cities across the USA and hosting design clinics at the Casa Latina Home

Expo.

There are even more feathers in Vanessa's cap, and as soon as I tell you a little bit

about Cravid Inc, our podcast sponsor, I'll be right back to let Vanessa share the rest

of her story with you.

Our sponsor for today's episode is Cravid Inc, featuring curatedCravid.com.

CuratedCravid.com is a trade-only resource for all of your interior design needs from furniture

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Well good morning Vanessa, I'm really happy to have you on the show today.

Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to do this with me.

Of course, thank you.

Thank you for having me.

It's a pleasure.

I'm very excited because I want, of course, I say that for every interview and I am excited

for every interview, but yours is going to be a particularly different interview.

What we're going to do is we're going to talk about this incredible branding that you've

done of yourself and the platform that you've built and we've have had guests on the show

before that are doing the same sort of thing, but 100,000 followers on Instagram is not

something to be taken lightly.

You've obviously done something right, also combined with how young you are.

It's also particularly impressive.

I just want to say to our listeners today that today, when we talked to Vanessa, we're

going to really try and break apart what I feel has been a very smart, very executed

trajectory for her platform.

Of course, we probably won't talk so much about her beautiful interiors because that's

a given.

Anybody that's listening to the show knows that you're not on the show if your resume

of your portfolio isn't already up to snuff.

While I appreciate your resume, we probably won't get a lot into that.

Let's talk about, first of all, I happen to know that I've said it in the introduction,

all of the different television shows and so forth that you've participated in, but

what I find interesting is that I know that it was a conscious decision and I think that

sometimes people think that businesses, entities like yourself just happen by luck and what

I know that it's not that.

I think that sometimes people think, well, I'm an amazing, whatever, whether it's a designer

or it's a whatever field anybody's in.

I'm an amazing actor.

I'm amazing this, that they just got lucky and somebody discovered them.

That's not to say that doesn't happen, but I don't believe that's what happened in your

case from what I've read about you and that's what's really cool about what you've done.

It's sort of the dream that you can become whatever you want.

I want to share with people that I know that you actually said, as young as 20 years

old, I want to be the Latina Martha Stewart, and so you had a goal and you did everything

in connection with that goal and so it's not just accident, it's a lot of hard work and

I remember also that you love the show apprentice, but you consciously applied for it in order

to begin the awareness of who you are.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

Wow, you really did your homework.

Oh, you kidding me?

Sure.

Yeah.

So the thing is that and that's what impresses me by it.

You see?

And I said that to you when I contacted you, it's not that you have 100,000 followers.

That I could see how you skillfully crafted it and that's what I would love for you to

share with all of your fellow colleagues on the show today.

So take us, you know, don't, you don't have to go all the way back, but just take us through

the thought process.

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah.

Yeah, thank you for all that and you definitely did your homework, especially the apprentice

because I always say I wasn't born with a silver spoon in my mouth and everything today

I have and I did it because of my triple D motto and that's drive dedication and discipline.

And I really lived by that motto throughout my entire life.

I never worked for anyone in the field.

I said, when I was in college, I said, I am going to have my own business and while I

was in school, I actually opened my own business, my own LLC.

And at that point, I didn't know what I was doing, but I did it because I know I had

a goal and I know what I wanted to achieve and I wanted to achieve it in such a young

age.

I thought that was important for me, just for my branding alone, I'd forgive the beeping

outside.

We're in Manhattan.

Yeah.

So for me, it was important to develop this brand at a very early age.

When I started, I initially went to school, I went to FIT and I wanted to be a fashion

stylist.

I wanted to dress celebrities, I wanted to be a well-known stylist, almost what Rachel

Zo is today.

And then when I was at school, I ended up acquiring this great internship for Ralph Lauren.

And they wanted to hire me.

And at the end of the internship, I realized it really was like the movie, The Devil Wars

Prada.

And for me, that was a toxic environment to be in.

I didn't want to be caddy, I didn't want to be competing with other women in the industry.

And this was just Ralph Lauren.

It wasn't even Vogue or it wasn't even Chanel or Gucci here.

We're talking about Ralph Lauren, and that's a downplayed, but to me, that was a toxic

environment.

It wasn't who I was as a woman.

And I love women who achieve and become successful in our business entrepreneurs and women

that strive to be greater or more advanced than some men in the fields.

So for me, that wasn't what I wanted.

So I decided when I was very young, my dad put me through college, but how he put me

through college was, okay, you're going to make a couple hundred bucks a week, but I'm

going to pay for your college education.

So I thought that was a deal.

And then I was working at our family furniture store.

My grandfather was actually a designer in Cuba, and he came here in the 60s and opened

up ten of furniture stores.

And I didn't like retail, per se, but what I liked about it is when I would sell furniture

people would ask me or invite me to their home.

And then from there it was, oh, can you tell me, can you suggest window treatments?

Or can you tell me, you know, should I blow out this wall and add an addition?

And all these other questions started rising.

And I said to myself, you know what?

I need to educate myself.

So I went back to school and I went to Berkeley College at the time.

And when I was at school, I was so eager, so eager to get out of the field and just do

it.

And at the age of 20, I opened up my LLC and actually branched out from the furniture

business and created Vanessa Delion Associates with a very small loan from PNC bank.

I remember going in there and asking for a loan.

And I was very young at the time.

And fortunate for me, economy was a little different back then.

So loans were very, very easy at the time, but it wasn't anything that was significant.

But from there is where I started really just training myself.

So while I was a designer and had a business, I was still dealing with learning curves.

So in the beginning of my career, it was very frustrating because I didn't know who I

was.

And now it's crazy, you know, it's 16 years and I've evolved as an entrepreneur, as a woman,

as an interior designer that knows her style and know who she is.

It took a long time for me to understand that.

And if I can do it over again, I would have loved to have been trained by someone.

Right.

I have to tell you, most of the high and luxury designers I've spoken with have specifically

mentioned the years that they spent at other firms at the best training ground.

Forget the college and the degree, but most of them have spent six, eight, ten years

before they launch on your own.

And as you're talking, that is one of the things that I didn't know that you didn't

spend any time with anybody else.

So that's actually particularly even more commendable.

I mean, I understand you're talking about the frustration of the learning curve on your

own, but you obviously have instinctively good business sense because somebody without

good business sense that starts on their own at, you know, 16 years down the road is probably

still rocking in circles.

Absolutely.

Absolutely.

As a matter of fact, I actually, you know, I have to, my parents are saying for that,

they were both, they both instilled this business hustle ethic in me.

And to be honest with you, in the beginning of my career, I was, I was a better business

woman than I was an interior designer and I think I think that's super imperative, especially

as a growing business to know, especially dealing with obviously without the, throughout

the years, you have trials and tribulations, right?

Knowing what the foresight or forecasting, what's to come or even, you know, in the economic

downturn, how to shift your business.

So it doesn't go under.

So you don't have to, you know, let, let people go.

That was important for me because I lived through all that as well and I sustained my business.

And if anything evolved in such a way that I kept up with the times instead of, you

know, having to, having to release, you know, some of my employees or, and, or my business

over my overhead.

So, you know, those are all learning curves that I dealt with, but I think because of my

business background and, and that's stronger, I always say I'm a stronger business woman

than I am a designer.

I still to this day say it.

I think it's, it's equaled out now, but I think that, that is a core, that for any business,

I think that's the core value of a business, being, being a wonderful business person.

And with design, I mean, I have, I know many designers, I mean, I even know students

that, you know, I speak at colleges, I speak at FIT, I speak at Berk and College, I speak

at, you know, all these colleges.

And I see the talent that's out there and I almost like, I almost say to myself, oh,

my God, these, these people are better than me, and they're, and they're, and they're

a student.

And they can be, who were talented, but if you don't have that business skill or that,

that, that sort of hustle, that triple-deemed mentality, it's almost like a starving artist.

You can see this amazing, this amazing artist, but if you don't have the backbone with the

business sense to go along with it, you know, you're leading your, you're leading your

business to destruction.

It's the truth.

Eric Award was on the show and she said exactly that because you never heard the phrase

starving accountant before, did you?

Yeah, exactly.

Good one.

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, I mean, so that's really, I mean, you would just like totally, you know, made the whole

point of the podcast right there, so I love that.

But it's, it's well, you know, said and it's, and it's the truth.

So I'm picturing as a young business person, where you, is it to sort of, like this one

comes to my mind, like coming back home, sitting at the kitchen table with your parents

are going, okay, this happened, this happened, what now, what next?

Not like, you know, nuts and bolts, but just that bouncing off those entrepreneurial ideas

and learning the skills of being a business person is, is that sort of, you know, I picture

that happening, is that where you got some of those insights, so you didn't fall back

and make wrong decisions?

You know, to be honest with you, I didn't.

Yeah.

Just, just in your DNA.

It was in, I think it's in my DNA and it's just seeing, seeing and actually physically

being involved in a family establishment, a family business and seeing the grind and

seeing the, every day and seeing the, the fact that you have to like, I think on your

toes and be resourceful, I think being resourceful is imperative for any business.

Worst case scenario, you have plan B, C, D, etc.

And I've seen that every day for me was really valuable.

So I, I started very young.

I feel like I was a 20 year old, but really in a 30 year old body, I moved out of my

house very young.

I established my business very young.

So all these ideas and everything that I, I move forward with my business, I actually

thought of my own, actually my dad, I remember he and I got into an argument once and he

was like, and I'm like, you know, going to see dad, I'm going to be a successful interior

designer in Manhattan and he's like, what does that mean?

And I'm like, I'm going to sell ideas like, you know, I, you know, make a room, just,

you know, come up with the idea that he's like, oh, so you're, you're basically telling

me it's not tangible.

And I'm like, exactly.

And he's like, oh, yeah, good luck with that.

So until this day, I tell him that he laughed because all his friends know, you know, know

me and they've heard of me and stuff.

So he's like, all proud.

But and I said, I tell him, remember that time you tell me that it's not tangible and

you can't sell what's not tangible.

So I find that to be funny.

So there was, there was times that, you know, even, you know, my parents were like, okay,

sure, you know, you're doing, you know, so, but you know what I mind me of, you remind

me of, when you hear the stories about, um, was it Clinton that met JFK or something or

whatever or any, just was like, I'm going to be him.

I don't know if he met him.

I can't remember the timeline.

If he said, I'm going to, if he met him or he just, you know, was always inspired by

him.

And it's like, that's what you just, you just, you just made a decision, you know, as a

20 year old, let's be real, 20 year old is a child still.

I mean, you know what I mean?

Like honestly, think about it, like, you know, at 36, you're sitting here and you have

this vast experience behind you, but picture a 20 year old, it's like, but that's what

happens.

It's the people in this world that make a decision, put the goal in front of them and

then do the triple D, like you said, and just, and I, you know, what I think is, you know,

so here's the thing, lots of people have these goals, lots of people have these decisions,

you follow it up with specific actions, you coined glamolista for yourself, glamolistic,

glamolistic.

I'm sorry, I'm sorry.

You're a glamolista and it's glamolistic, yes.

But the thing is, you know, and it's, it's forget what the word is.

It's the fact that you did it.

You said, let me think of something that identifies myself, my company, my business.

And it's a simple step, but, you know, it's all of these components, so you have to be

a person with drive, you have to drive, you have to be a person with vision.

But then it's these specific steps that you added to the mix.

So here's what I want to know, is at some point, do you feel like momentum actually did

kick in?

So you go and you do, you apply for the apprentice and you don't get it.

But then the next one comes along and you do it.

And when that one was the designer star, design star, right?

And so you do that one.

And then I'm curious to know is, from design star, is it like, okay, still grinding it

out, still looking for the next opportunity, still looking for the next platform?

Or is it, oh, when that one happened, then this called, then that called, then this

called.

And you still had to manage the business end of it and manage the decisions and make

the right ones and accept the runs and decline the others.

But at what point does momentum pick up?

Or is it never pick up and you're still grinding it out every day, looking for things to

do?

Or, you know what I'm saying?

Yep.

So going back to that question about the grinding out, I'm never satisfied.

And I think a part of being an entrepreneur is that nothing's ever good enough.

And you could be your own worst critic at times doing that and you could be, sometimes

I don't, when you tell me all these things and when I hear these and when people interview

me and they're like, oh, I still am like, okay, yeah, it never really hits me that that's

not good enough.

There's nothing that's ever satisfying enough.

Like there's always something better.

And I feel like, you know, I always like, oh, but this is it and it's like, no, it's

actually not.

I got more to do.

Yeah.

How would it do?

And I don't know why I'm constantly searching for that more.

It's just, it's sort of who I am as a human being.

It's a sign.

I don't know, but it's because I'm a gem and I, you know, I don't know what it is about

that, that it's just, it doesn't end for me.

But the momentum started actually after a design star.

I was, before the apprentice, I, I shot a small show back in the day on HGTV in 2005 called

Design is Challenge and that was sort of my first taste to television and I loved it.

I thought, like, oh, my God, this is where, this is where I need to be doing what I love.

I thought that was like perfect, just a perfect combination of perfect balance of what

I loved.

And then from there, when I had the opportunity to apply for the apprentice and I made it

at a 500,000 contestants to me, that was really rewarding because they, they flew me out

to Los Angeles.

It was really, it was pretty amazing.

And then from that point, I didn't get it.

I wasn't, I guess I wasn't caddy enough in my last interview because I made it to the

seventh day of our interviewing.

And then from that point, I came back and I was bummed because I thought here, here would

have been a perfect opportunity to show my business skills, you know, work underneath

Donald Trump.

And I thought that would be pretty remarkable.

And then from, from that point, I had the opportunity or I found out about this show called

Design Star.

And I was like, forget it.

I'm not going to do this.

I'm not going to do reality TV.

But it was a very, it was in the infancy stages of reality TV.

It isn't what it is today.

Right.

So I didn't know the severity of what can lie, you know, after it.

But at the time, my assistant had said, let's just submit your apprentice tape.

So they called me back right away and they said, we love this tape.

That is very business oriented.

Can you show us more design work?

And I'm like, oh, wow.

So they really liked me.

So then I did another video, submitted it.

I ended up a client called me and said, I just saw you on a commercial for a TV and I'm

like, what do you mean?

They're like, yeah, you're the entire commercial.

So they actually use me, my footage for the entire commercial.

Obviously, they did some fun, you know, interactive things.

I said, design star, but I was the entire commercial for eight years.

But you weren't actually commissioned to be on the show yet at that point.

Is that legal, even?

Yeah.

So you have to actually sign a waiver.

Okay.

Okay.

You sign over the rights to it.

Right.

So I'm thinking, oh, my God, I didn't even get accepted, but here, here is their, their

plan is tape over and over again on a commercial.

And I sat there.

Yeah.

But I was still bummed.

I'm like, I can't believe it.

I didn't get another show, but they used my footage.

And then finally they call me and they're like, you've been accepted for design star,

pack up your bags and moving to the upper east side.

And I'm like, oh, wow.

I'm like, wait, what about all the testing and the physical examination in the background

checks?

And I'm like, this is HTTP.

This is not NBC.

You know?

So at that point, I made it to the fourth, I was fourth outed.

And when I got back and the show aired, I mean, that's when the momentum of, like,

publicity started.

Right.

I started getting more, more notoriety, Latina magazine wrote up a story about me and,

and it was just like this, this domino effect and, and it just kept going and going.

And then from there, I got some shows in between.

And then at that point, I had tried out for restaurant impossible season one and was

accepted for that.

And I loved it.

I started getting a ton of opportunities at that point.

An agent reached out to me and I ended up, I have a great agent with Abrams in New York

City in Los Angeles.

So it's been great working with them because they feed me projects all the time.

And that's been really wonderful for my career because it's just, it really, it, for so

many levels.

I mean, I feel like you cannot be the next Latina or the Martha Stewart Latina without having

that platform.

It doesn't happen organically.

Yeah.

That's what I'm learning.

That's, that's literally what I'm learning that you think that, like I said in the intro,

like, you know, people are just lucky.

And it's not lucky.

It's, you have to bring everything to the table.

You have to be smart.

You have to, you're, you're a beautiful woman.

Yeah, I don't know that that's a requirement, but it certainly doesn't hurt.

You know, you have to, you know, have your talent.

You have to have everything locked down and then go out and create it.

It's nobody's knocking on your door and finding you out of like a billion people on the

plan and say, you would be fabulous.

Right.

It doesn't, it doesn't have an organically.

I mean, for Martha Stewart, maybe, I mean, she was spotted at some train station selling

some sandwiches or something, but I mean, and she was in Newark New Jersey, a nutley

New Jersey girl.

Excuse me.

Yeah, I know, right?

I mean, that, that things like of that nature, it just doesn't occur, especially with social

media and just the, the, the, the, the, the admiration that everyone has towards like reality

television.

It's, it's beyond my comprehension, but it is what it is.

And that's just a new era.

That's what our millennials are watching.

That's what everybody, that's just a new wave.

And again, it's about keeping up at the times, right?

And just being at the forefront of it all, and that's what people love.

And that's what people want right now.

So, now, when you, you have the agent now, but there was there any point in the process

before that, that you actually hired a PR firm or something to help you, or did you actually

just grind all these beginning things out on your own?

Yeah, all the beginning publicity was all me.

I would, after work, what I would do is stay up late at night and write to every edited

editor.

I would send them packages.

Um, I mean, I don't even have the energy for that anymore.

I just, I just, now they just call, thank God, or email.

Yeah.

But when you say editors, you mean editors of the different shelter magazines, or you

meet TV studios, or both, both, so if I had a concept idea for a show, I would reach

out to production companies that I was familiar with.

And we've done several pilots for TLC.

We did a pilot for TLC.

We did one for HG.

We've done stuff for DIY.

So we've done several pilots that were picked up, because it's just, you know, with this

industry, it's right time and place, and it's what fits at the moment.

So yeah, I would literally stay up to the wee hours and develop these packages and send

them out.

And some of them would be fancier than others.

Some of them would be, you know, envelope, some of them would be full packages with gifts.

I mean, literally, I made myself try to, you know, it's all about setting yourself apart

from the rest, right?

So whatever, everybody going to do, everybody's going to submit a package or submit a pretty

something with a candle or with whatever.

Or they're just sitting in there living or waiting for somebody to call them.

Hello.

Right, right.

Yeah.

That doesn't happen.

So, you know, sending out all these things and really trying to set yourself apart,

like, you know, with your branding, make sure that everything's cohesive.

I can't tell you how many things I've seen throughout the industry, where you see a

mix-mash of logos that are different from one another, the pantowel color isn't correct.

The marketing and packaging is different from what they're sending out.

You know, keeping that consistent is super imperative for your brand as well.

And it shows a level of professionalism.

Oh, sure.

Yeah.

And they know that you're the real deal.

That's it.

Whether they, it's a 22 year old girl sitting at home in her apartment doing it at midnight

or not.

It looks like the big thing.

Right.

Right.

And I was cognizant of that.

And for me, you know, your brand and who you are is everything.

So I, you know, I especially wanted to make sure that I really set myself apart.

Yeah.

It's a phenomenal job.

I mean, it really truly is.

I'm very impressed by you.

And I don't know.

I'm really, sir.

I hope I'm conveying what I'm trying to get across is it's not a star-struck thing.

It's I'm impressed by the calculated business way that you created it.

It's the because, you know, like everybody's like like Oprah.

You know, Oprah didn't become Oprah just, you know, she did the same thing.

You know what I mean?

Like everybody thinks that these big, huge people.

I mean, I listened to a podcast about Steve Martin one time.

And he was talking about his comedy career.

And do you know he spent like multiple years doing skits and comedies in places like Six

Flags?

Wow.

Like, who thinks that you just think he just showed up on

Johnny Carson?

You know what I'm saying?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

And at the very least, you think he showed up at like second city or any of the improv

places.

But no, he literally did like two or three summers on the circuits at the Six Flags,

you know, establishments.

And I'm just like, whoa, you know what I mean?

And so yours is sort of the same thing.

We outside looking in just think, oh, well, she's just beautiful and talented and it just

happened for her.

And it's like, no, well, this little girl here worked her fanny off for 15 years, you

know?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So I'm very impressed.

We're going to take a break right now for our sponsor, Kravit.

And I'm going to be right back to ask you some more questions, Vanessa.

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Okay.

So we're back with Vanessa.

And I have a couple of questions that I want to get into about your affiliations with

the different design associations.

But before I do that, I want to make sure that I bring this up because I'm worried that

I'll forget it.

I don't know how many years ago it was that you said in an interview, and it was so adorable

because I know that you were in your early 20s and you look like you're 12.

That's what's so cute about it.

And you're just literally saying, you know, I want to sometimes have, well, someday have

like a line of like window treatments or bedding or something like in a bedbath and

beyond or something like I really have my sights high.

And I'm taking it myself.

You have that happening now, don't you?

Yes.

Yes.

I'm so excited to tell us about that.

So yeah, I've been heavily involved with with a few licensing's right now.

And one of them is a huge company.

It's called Rizzy Home.

They're out of India.

And they actually sell to the wonderful big box stores like the targets, the name and

markets, the bedbaths of the world.

And I am one of their designers.

And we are launching the Vanessa De Leon collection in January market.

And I'm happy to say that that has come true for Rishan.

And it's all about, you know, it's not, it's not just about vision, you know, visualizing

yourself there.

It's about actually going for it and I did and it happened for me.

So it's amazing.

Yeah.

It's amazing.

Now I have to ask you a silly question.

It's not silly to me.

And I don't know how it hits anybody else.

But do you actually put together a vision board or is it just a mental?

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

Yes.

I, the wish board was, was all granted, if you will.

So I wanted to start a new one in my new office and I haven't done a wish board.

But I, I always had one near my desk.

And it was about, about my business, it was about licensing, it was about a big box store.

It was about a million dollar, you know, I had a million dollar check on there, just

the growth of the business itself.

I had a wedding ring and, and the, the spouse that was going to be the most incredible spouse

I could ever think of.

And all those things happened for me.

And again, it wasn't, it wasn't just the manifestation of it.

It was actually, you know, going out and being open and being receptive to all these things

that would come your way and treating everything like it was, you know, very precious.

And, you know, I wasn't looking for a spouse at the time.

I was actually just focused on my career and that's how it happened.

Right.

You know, I was, I was looking for the licensing than the brands, but it came through another

direction where I didn't expect it.

So, you know, putting it out there is great in having these wish boards and ultimately,

you know, manifesting these things on your own is wonderful.

But at the end of the day, it does, it just doesn't knock on your door like you said before.

And I've also noticed with the younger millennials that there, there is a huge sense of entitlement.

And that, it's just, that has to just go away because there, there is no entitlement in

this business.

It's what you put in is what you're going to get out.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I struggle with that too because I hate to, and I know you don't mean to, you know, knock

a whole generation.

I know that's not what you mean.

But I, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, and I know that it's, and it, but, and so, but I struggle

with it too because it is, it's funny and I, I, one hand, I think there's some truth

to it.

And I have to tell you that when my daughter is now 27 years old, so I can recall when

she was in high school in college and her and her girlfriend, she had a good tight pack

of girls, you know, four, four of them that were just, you know, they are still very good

friends to this day, the four of them.

And so they would gather at our house, you know, on Friday and Saturday and sit around

and be like, there's nothing to do.

And of course, we all did that for all of time, you know what I mean?

I remember doing the same thing when I was a kid, but the thing was, I remember sort

of thinking, like when, I remember the first time I told her, you're going into town and

you're getting a job at the pizza shop in town.

And it was a new pizza shop that opened, it's called known as, it's the most amazing

pizza on the planet and food on the planet, if anybody's ever in Florent Park, by the way.

But it opened up and I was like, she's a junior in high school, or maybe she was going

to be going into college.

And I said to her, you're going over there and you're getting a job to summer.

And she looked at me like I had 10 heads, you know what I mean?

And she had done the year before, she had done an internship with Stacy London on what

not to wear.

And, you know, so, you know, from that to working in the pizza shop and she's just like,

you're out of your mind.

Like I'm going back into the city and I'm going to work on Stacy's new show this year,

you know what I mean?

And I just said, no, sweetie, actually, you're going to learn how to waitress.

And she's like, what are you talking about?

I said, here's the thing, your entire life, you're going to need to know how to feed yourself.

Now I understand that you're a brilliant, smart, amazing woman and you're going to create

a life for yourself.

I said, but if God forbid, anybody ever pulls the rug out from under you, you can walk

into any restaurant and, you know, flip burgers and, and wait tables and at least put $300

in your pocket that week.

And she looked at me and I was like, this is non-negotiable, it's like, go do it, you

know what I mean?

And she did it and it ended up being a great experience and, you know, ended up, you

know, she ended up waitressing and bartending all through college and, you know, it was all

because she had waited tables in the restaurant, you know.

And so the thing is, it's what I used to say to the girls was, I think that on one hand

all the reality TV where you see all these glamorous things happening, they just think,

well, when's my glamorous thing happening?

And that's where I finally, I feel like, I can't say that it's millennials because they

are them individually.

I think it's what, yeah, like, you know, we weren't exposed to that.

I mean, you know, me, another 15 years older than you, you know what I mean?

You were hardly exposed to any TV, not that there wasn't TV in my life, but it wasn't

there was five channels, you know what I mean?

There wasn't 90 channels.

Absolutely.

It was like friends, sign felt, and it was like the standards.

Yeah.

And so if you didn't feel like there was this whole, like, I feel like they always felt

like there was this whole glamorous, glamorous world out there happening for everybody but them.

And so that sort of works in their negative, okay?

But for you, what I think is very interesting is that you, you know, saw the beginnings

of those things and not that you were really a product of, like you said, it was the beginning

of reality TV, but smartly you saw it and you've said, let me use this vehicle to create

what I intend for myself.

And that's really pretty interesting.

So yeah.

And so I'm so excited, like, I just, I just love that you wrote all these things out.

I would be scared to ask you what else is on your list because I can't imagine it's

like world domination, not not so far, but I'm teasing you.

And are there things like that that, like, we could look back at another 10 years and

say, on a well-designed business podcast, I said, I wanted to do this and I've done it.

Like, is there something that you've got in your brain that you're like, this is where

I would ultimately like to see and go and be?

You know, in the next few years, I obviously, I want to have a family and I want to slow

down a little bit and it would be great to use the digital platform in such a way that

I can navigate a company through cyber worlds.

And I've developed a few years back a VDA virtual, which basically is an interior design

service virtually and you can hire me anywhere in the world and what you get is a beautiful

virtual presentation board and you can have the options of delivering materials to you

in a beautiful Vanessa Delion box with all the materials inside and your full presentation.

And then you can actually procure all the items from any local store or any online e-commerce.

So I've developed this a few years back with the intent of potentially slowing down in

a few years to start a family and just focus back at home.

I love cooking.

I want to become more of the lifestyle brand lifestyle expert, which I'm gearing towards

at the moment.

So basically everything from cooking to fashion to design and sort of be an influencer.

And I think that's important for me in the next few years because I can virtually do

that anywhere.

And I definitely want to travel more and I've traveled throughout my years but I really want

to be able to go out and not worry about checking in every two seconds.

Right.

Be on vacation.

Really be on vacation.

I don't remember the last time.

I was on vacation.

Yeah.

You know, because the phone and the internet has ruined it.

Everybody knows that you're actually there.

I've had, you know, I try and do it and I say to my office staff, you know, I'm on vacation,

tell them blah, blah, blah.

And customers will come right back with, well, but she sees it on her cell phone, right?

I mean, you could get her to answer it.

Yes.

Okay, lady.

I know that happens all the time and my husband and I, my husband has, he has a restaurant

and stuff.

So it's hard for him to get away.

Our weekends are never really our weekends.

Our weekends are during the week, but I work during the week.

So it makes it really difficult for us to even have, you know, sort of this weekend relationship

like most couples have.

So what we try to do is we're really, you know, we're really mindful that we need to spend

time and go away and we'll take like two day trips to St. Louis, St. Martin, at least

all local, you know, two and a half, three hours away.

But the whole time my husband's like, you know, you've checked your iPad and your phone

and you're worried about Wi-Fi every two seconds and I'm like, I know, it's like, I, you

know, I know my staff is, you know, lucky, lucky for me, I've had a staff that's been with

me for a very long time and my mother, I actually flew her back up here from Florida and she

actually runs my, my office now, she's, she's my office manager and I just speak, I just

last year had, had given the opportunity for Tim, one of my senior designers to be vice

president of my company and I thought him having invested interest would also, you know,

have him more involved and let me sort of, not relax, but take the back seat for a little

bit as far as starting to potentially have a family and stuff.

So I thought that was important for me to, it's just because of his loyalty and because

of his stellar work to have that opportunity for somebody to be VP of the company, especially

a growing business like Vanessa Donnelly and Associates.

Yeah, well, it's also just another example of the business side of your person and your

brain because you're looking ahead to the lifestyle that you want to, that you vision,

envision for yourself and you're taking the business steps in order for that to be possible

by putting extremely trusted people in positions of authority at your business.

That's, you know, again, it, that's the lesson, it's don't, you know, you have, you have

the vision board, have the dreams, have the goals, but back it up with business decisions,

don't just wish I could be home, figure out a way that you can take two days off and

know that the place is well run.

So hats off to you.

I'm, there's no doubt in my mind that you'll be surrounded by beautiful babies and doing

exactly what you want to do.

Thank you.

I'm certain of it.

So okay, so before I let you go, because I do know that you are a busy woman trying

to run a business there, talk to us a little bit.

You're in multiple design associations, ASID, IIDA, IFDA, and you're also in the statewide

Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

So you're, you know, I, I believe in these organizations as well.

I believe in them for mentoring, for teaching, for contacts.

Tell us a little bit about your experience and I understand this year New York Metro,

you actually have a board position.

So tell us a little bit about that.

Yes.

So I've been inducted to the ASID New York chapter of Directorate Large position, which is

a wonderful position, considering that I'm an editor for Hudson Magazine, Hudson Mom Magazine

and some few contributing editing positions that I've had in the past.

So this just was a perfect fit because I am very, very much heavily involved in the ASID.

And I think being involved in the organizations for me is super valuable.

There's, there's so many things that you get out of it, whether it's mentorship for,

you know, other designers who are, you know, have been really well seasoned, that you

have interaction with them, you attend the same functions, you have industry partners

that want to work with you and specifically with just designers that set you apart from

a retail store.

I think it's also important to know what's out there as far as even technology is concerned,

you know, the, the architectural digest show just passed and I was honored that the architectural

digest had selected me to be a moderator for a panel and it was about rebooting your

home and about technology and the forefront of that all is pretty remarkable and where

we're going to be at the next few years and sort of evolving with the evolution of technology

is also huge because it's a huge shift in the industry and we're focusing more of course

design, function and form, but also technology, such a huge portion of like what's to come.

Yeah.

It's pretty incredible what's what we're going to start, you know, what we're going to

see and you get all the learning, you understand this when you attend all these organizations

and involved in these organizations and be affiliated with colleges and being a mentor

and being a part of the mentorship program for younger individuals who think that this

is so far away and how is it even attainable and showing them that I actually did it at

20 years old so it is attainable, like all these things are at your arms length because

I remember when I was younger, I almost see the interior design business being like a

fine bottle of wine, you only get better with age and I always felt that.

So for me, it was really hard to really pave the way because I was always challenged with

oh, you're too young, how could you run a multi-million dollar job and I'm like I could

do it, I swear I could do that, but you know, and it was always trying to prove myself

and now with my portfolio, I don't have to really prove myself, clients give me carte

blanche and I just do and knowing that a younger person or someone out of college sees that

and FIT for example, they're coming here tomorrow for a class trip to my office.

Oh, how exciting, I'll bet they're going Gaga for this, huh?

Yeah, so I'm excited about that.

I'd like to come to your office for a class trip.

Hey, come here.

They're coming tomorrow at 5.30, you can join them.

Oh, that's so cool.

You know, I think doing things like that and giving back, I only, you only grow if you

give back and I think that's really important to also understand, like in this business,

a lot of people can be, can end up being either full of themselves or take it to another

level that, you know, perhaps they, they, I think they're too good for certain things

and I think going back to your roots and staying humble and staying grounded in this industry

and really paying it forward and helping your competitors too.

I mean, I can't tell you how many times that I reach out to various people that I've worked

with or work with or have similar interests or have come, you know, work sort of competition

helping each other and not always thinking about yourself because I think you get rewarded

with the things that you give out versus the things that you're trying to reach for.

So, you know, I always keep that in mind and being grounded is also really huge for

me.

So, going back to, you know, what you were saying to your point, I think the organizations

are great in giving back and being involved in all these affiliations are also really

good for your, your brand overall, like the notoriety of it and, and, and having opportunities

that come up, like I was, because I was IFDA, I was honored in 2007 as Rising Star, New

York for New York spaces and Jamie Drake honored me in 2007.

So, that was huge for me and I was, I was only 27 years old.

Yeah, that's like the Godfather, you know, catching your hand, your, your shoulder, right?

Right.

It really was.

Yeah.

Well, I have to tell you that I, I, I, I got the feeling in first, okay, I want to share

an observation with you that when you just see you and your platform on social media and

you don't really go further into it and I'm not a reality TV watcher, you, I'm two generations

away from it, okay?

So, I wasn't like I had a preconceived notion of who you were and what you were, okay?

But when you just see the platform and you see everything, it's like the first, you could

just dismiss it is my, where I'm trying to say, you could dismiss it and say, oh, you

know what, this and that, pretty girls, got a lot of stuff going on, whatever, whatever,

right?

But what I have to say is that when I really started to research you and look at your

different videos and different presentations that you've done and everything, you are

exactly as you are saying, you are a giving person, you're a smart person, you're a humble

person, I do truly believe that you do remember where you came from and you do work hard to

help people around you and give back because sometimes people say these things and you know

maybe they're good actresses and you believe it, but most of the time you just can sort

of hear the hollowness and the voice, but it's real for you and I do think that on top

of being really smart and smart innately and then smart enough to actually set goals for

yourself and then systematically go after them, but I also think that all of that is a big

part of it too.

And so I congratulate you and I'm very happy to have met you.

I really am.

Thank you.

You sing here.

A lot of depth there Vanessa and I'm very impressed by you.

Thank you for taking the time today.

Are you kidding me?

Thank you for reaching out and your email was very sweet and I really appreciate the

opportunity to be on your show.

It's funny.

To write the intro and the summary first show, I always start by taking down a bunch

of notes right after the interview.

Then the next day I'll listen to the episode and I'll take some more notes and then I let

it mull in my head another day or so and then eventually I sit down and I write the

intro and the outro for the episode and with Vanessa it was really sort of strange.

I just kept hearing my Nana in my head.

You see my Nana would always say, I love that kid and you know she'd say it just like

that.

I love that kid and the thing was every time Vanessa would come through my mind to

this process and I would think about that I've got to sit down and do this, I kept hearing

that phrase.

I love that kid and I know it's a little corny and I know it's kind of crazy but she legit

knocked my socks off.

Now maybe it's because I have the benefit of having been in business for 30 plus years

and I actually know what it takes to create and manage a successful business.

What we have done here at WindowWorks as proud as I am of it, no it cannot be compared

to what Vanessa has created.

In 16 short years she has become a recognized brand as an interior designer and she is

on her way to becoming a nationally recognized lifestyle influencer.

Make no mistake about that, she will be this for sure.

And the thing that excites me the most about Vanessa is that she consciously systematically

created it.

Why does that matter?

Well it matters because it means you can do it too if you want to.

This wasn't luck, this wasn't being plucked out of a carousel line and chosen.

At 20 years old Vanessa decided to be this person, to be this business.

Now yes granted, she worked day and night to create it but created she did with her own

two hands, her brains, her grit and in her words triple D drive dedication discipline.

So you see her career isn't the stuff of TV fairy tales, wishes, dreams.

It is the result of establishing a resolute goal for herself, equipping herself with the

education and business systems necessary for success and dedicating herself single

mindedly to its creation.

And here's the one thing I have to say about that.

If that's not a well designed business, well then I'm not sure I know what one is.

So if you want your free PDF of the things I learned from Vanessa De Leon, please go

to www.windowworks-nj.com forward slash Vanessa.

My great thanks to the sponsor of our podcast, Crabbit Inc. featuring curatedCrabbit.com.

CuratedCrabbit.com is your go-to resource for the finest in lighting, bedding, pillows,

rugs and so much more.

You simply must visit curatedCrabbit.com to see what I'm talking about from the fabulous

inspiration rooms curated by leading interior designers to the simplicity of the ordering

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See for yourself at curatedCrabbit.com.

Thank you for joining me again today for another episode of a well designed business.

This podcast is a production of Windowworks in Livingston, New Jersey.

You will trade resource for custom window treatments and awnings.

Learn more about Windowworks at www.windowworks-nj.com.

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