SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome to Live Let Thrive, a podcast about the Airbnb life, the share economy, and everything in between. Here are your hosts, Micah and Steve.

SPEAKER_03 0:11

What's up, Stevie Stacks? What is up, Micah? Man, I'm chilling yourself. Oh man, I'm freaking stressed out from trying to keep everything organized and Airbnb, VRBO, booking.com chaos going on. It's just a mess, dude.

SPEAKER_01 0:26

Oh man, that's why you got to switch to hostfully, bro. Then you ain't got to be dependent on the big OTAs. What's hostfully? The guidebook people? Nah, nah. Not only do they have guidebooks, they also have a property management platform system that they now use. Uh, we use hostfully, it takes care of all of our direct bookings, it manages all of our calendars all in one place. And we can even provide discount codes to our guests that book directly on our website. And it integrates with a Boostly's website as well, which provides our websites.

SPEAKER_03 0:56

I have a Boostly. I want to start getting some direct bookings.

SPEAKER_01 0:59

Oh man, that's why you got to get switched to Hostfully and set up that Boostly integration. Get your website up, and it helps you with your Google AdWords. So then you're no longer being P I M P'd by Airbnb.

SPEAKER_03 1:11

Ha ha, I like that, man. We keep it real. It sounds like hostfully keeps it real too. Yes, sir. Hostfully. Ho ho, hostfully.

SPEAKER_01 1:20

Hello, hello, hello. And welcome back to another exciting episode of Live Let Thrive.

SPEAKER_03 1:30

What is up, Micah Man?

SPEAKER_01 1:31

I'm killing Stevie Stacks. How you doing?

SPEAKER_03 1:34

Oh, I am doing good in this episode 232 of your favorite Airbnb, vrbo booking.com, short-term, mid-term, long-term rental podcast in the world coming at you from Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas. It feels like we ain't done this in a while. Holidays. Yeah, we took the holidays off a little bit. And um, my family was sick the whole week of Thanksgiving. We didn't even we didn't even get to go spend Thanksgiving with the fam, man. It kind of kind of sucked.

SPEAKER_01 2:04

Oh man, you you did go over there and pack up some plates and roll though, right? No, no, I just ought to masked up, packed up them plates.

SPEAKER_03 2:15

I thought about it. We we had some tamales from the local Mexican place, so yeah, we were good. We were good. Yeah, man. How you been?

SPEAKER_01 2:22

Good, good, man. Spent the week down in Houston. Um, really good time at my sister's house. And uh yeah, now I'm back to it. Let's get this podcast world going.

SPEAKER_03 2:32

Two weeks. Let's go. Two weeks off. Let's go. We got a special guest on the show. We got uh a Miss Gloria Song. So in her bio, she says Gloria Song Foster is the founder of White Dahlia Design. She started her company six years ago because she wanted to democratize professional interior design by making it more accessible. Her team at White Dahlia Design makes furnishing or renovating stress-free by having flat rate design packages by the square foot. Their 3D design videos visually show your unit professionally designed in an Instagram-worthy style and budget-friendly man manner. They also focus on efficiency because they understand the STR market and how time is money. Welcome to the show, Gloria.

SPEAKER_04 3:22

Hi, everyone. Thanks so much for having me.

SPEAKER_03 3:25

Yeah, we're excited to get you on. Uh, as you know, we love interior design. I'm just kidding, I don't want it. Suck at it.

SPEAKER_04 3:33

Love it because it helps make you more money.

SPEAKER_03 3:35

I love that part of it. I love how pretty it, you know. Here's the thing I love like walking into a place, and when it's done right, it's I mean, you do I can't explain it. I just know, wow, this feels good. You know, I walk in there, there's some of this the design, the decor, everything's just inviting, and you know you're not at home because you're at home, you got crap everywhere, you know, that's home. And then you just go somewhere nice and clean, and that's more minimalistic. I like minimalistic, and then just but look like wow, this is thoughtful. Everything's thoughtfully placed and it's pretty and it and it makes sense and it makes me feel good.

SPEAKER_04 4:09

Yeah, I mean, that's why people get away and book short-term rentals, right? They want a space that inspires them, feels good. That's what vacation's all about. So that's why when um people are scrolling looking at properties and it doesn't give them that vibe, that feeling through the pictures, they're just gonna scroll right on by. So it's real like to us, it's like it's a no-brainer. You have to make it look good for people to want to book it. I mean, of course, um, there's different tiers of properties, um, but you know, the ones that make the big bucks are the ones that are you know a bit of higher range and uh cater to that market that want that experience, you know, and then you have less headaches with dealing with not so great, like you know, clients and guests. You want that high-end guest that's gonna treat your home respectfully, right?

SPEAKER_03 4:58

That's a great point. And and it's funny, and it's it's not well like funny, but uh is kind of a thing like where if they walk into a crappy place, they're gonna creep treat it like crap, they're not gonna care, right? They walk into a place and there's some problems with it, and a broken window, whatever, whatever the problem is, they're gonna they're oh, they don't care about the place. I'm not gonna care about their place either. They walk into a place that's nice and beautifully done and and thoughtful and clean and just perfect, and just I'm gonna wanna leave that place perfect. I'm gonna want to leave it as beautiful as I found it because it's a piece of art.

SPEAKER_04 5:30

Yeah, absolutely. Um, yeah, it's about getting the right people, but also, you know, it avoids all the headaches of bad reviews. So you have a place that feels like you know, we've designed a lot of Airbnbs, and I'm always keeping an eye on the reviews just to see how they're doing after we've designed it. And the reviews always say like how great the place feels, and you know, like the experience of it. And, you know, that's what you're looking for. You get a like every nobody wants a bad review. Um, that's bad for business. So part of that is giving them that design experience that you know they want to share and want to be like, oh my God, that's so amazing. So it's yeah, that's what we're about. And it really surprises me to be honest. I'm personally booking a ton of short-term rentals because we don't like the winter here. And so we escape to the heat. And so I'm booking all these, and I'm just shocked how many still are are just poorly designed and decorated. Like, you know, as a user, I'm sure people could relate. You just scroll past them because it's not a place you want to spend your holidays or even a minute of your time, you know. Do you guys feel the same? Like when you're looking at places, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

Well, at this point, Airbnb's kind of pushed them all to the bottom.

SPEAKER_04 6:46

So yeah, I mean, they've definitely emphasized how important design is, they have an entire category, just you know, well-designed places. So, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:56

Now, on your design, do you do remote design or is everything local?

SPEAKER_04 7:00

Yeah, so we, our team, uh, like I said, our company's existed for over six years. We've always been fully remote capable. Um, so it's not because of COVID. We've always had this business model because of efficiency and both for cost effectiveness, but also for time efficiency. We're all time deprived. Um, so we make it really easy by our 3D visual design walkthroughs. So basically, you give us, you know, what budget you're sort of working for, what city you're in, what sort of clients that you want in your space. We cater to the design based on that. We show it to you in a full 3D visual walkthrough. Um, and they're all the real items we source for your place. You click what you like and we get it ordered um to the location of the unit. And then uh if you already are working with contractors because it's kind of a gut job and you have renovators there, contractors, we give them the plan and they just build the furniture and hang based on the video. Um, yeah, so we equip them just to do it remotely. They don't have to be on site to be dragging furniture, finding furniture, and flying there to figure that all out. We just make it a lot easier for them to get it up and running faster so they can make money quicker, really.

SPEAKER_02 8:14

Yeah, I love that.

SPEAKER_04 8:16

Yeah, and so we've worked with a lot of them Airbnb investors across, you know, different cities for sure. Because once a person gets started, they get hooked and they look at new locations. It's usually not close to their old place. So yeah, we work with clients when wherever they end up investing in.

SPEAKER_01 8:32

So, and and I noticed you said something very interesting in your bio. You said you you set up flat rate design packages by the square foot. So, like how much are you charging per square foot, or is there like certain tiers and packages?

SPEAKER_04 8:44

Yeah, so it depends if it's a renovation job or if it's um a furnishing job. So basically with renovations, a little more trickier. We have to be involved earlier in the timeline to make sure the contractors have like the actual finishes design plan and layout. Uh, those are a little more complicated. So it's around $5 a square foot. But if it's just furnishing where we are, you know, everything's in place and we're sourcing the furniture, it's uh, you know, turnkey, then it's around $4 a square foot. Again, if our uh that's just some ballpark numbers to throw around, but um, that's with us just managing all the ordering, the design work, get everything to the space. So really they don't have to do much on the design side except take a look at the design and okay it and we get it going.

SPEAKER_01 9:31

That is super affordable because I do renovations and I was and that's how I charge my my uh my contractors that we do a square per square foot. So I'm doing most jobs like 25 per square foot. And if I had you come in 30 per square foot, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 9:47

Good to be clear, okay, to be clear, that is the design work. So they do need a furniture budget. So it's not like per square foot furnishing, like they have to have, we give a recommendation of we take a look at those space and say, you know, how much furniture do you need? Um, we do this is our our design fee. Um, it's flat rate design fee. But then they can tell us, like, you know what, we have a sofa already, or we have some things we're bringing in from another space. If they did an arbitrage and they're done and they're bringing some stuff over to the new one, um, then we then take a look at what budget they need to actually furnish.

SPEAKER_01 10:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 10:24

Yeah. Does that make sense?

SPEAKER_03 10:26

Gotcha. So, how how did you get into the design? I mean, what's your backstory?

SPEAKER_04 10:30

Yeah, so actually, um, my background is in business. So I studied uh my undergrad in business, I did an MBA, and I've always had a personal passion for design. Um, I have a team of right now we've got about 12 designers, and they're amazing, formally trained in interior design and great. I kind of run the company to make sure that we, you know, with project managers to make sure we're on time, we know what we're doing. Um, whereas for me, I love running the background of the business, like thinking of how we can grow it, what how our value makes sense. Like we didn't start with the Airbnb market, we started with your standard residential, and then we realized like what we do really helps people that are investors in this because of our efficiency and our model to be able to work remotely. Um, but we didn't start that way. So my background has been in business, and I saw also that interior design was this like extremely expensive thing that was offered for like the top 1%, you know, like, oh, can you afford a designer? Wow, it's like $40,000 just to get a design for a bathroom. So I had friends who knew that I had a personal passion for design come to me and say, Can you help me? Like I know you love this stuff. And I realized people didn't have a place to go to that couldn't afford a like a traditional designer. They had Pinterest maybe in magazines, but they didn't know how to pull it off. Like they everyone knows what they like. Like, you know, I like this sort of vibe, this feel, but they just couldn't recreate it in their own homes. So I wanted to find a way to make it more affordable for people to get proper professional help without having to pay $40,000 for you know a powder room. So that's where this came about. And we and I also wanted to use technology and bring it into the new age rather than having to go shop with your designer and store. And like that's just as time costly as doing it yourself, you know.

SPEAKER_01 12:28

Now, one question I do have because that that's crazy. So let's say I'm doing a rehab on a property, right? You'll actually help control that rehab and set it up how you how you want it designed. Is that what you guys do as well?

SPEAKER_04 12:42

Like you by rehab, you mean you're renovating.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Yeah, I'm renovating. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 12:45

Yeah. So generally what happens, um, we aren't like on site with the contractors. Like you, if you already have contractors, trust the people you work with. I mean, your background is in a lot of renovating, so you know, like you have a team. What we do is our design work makes sure that everybody's on the same page and there aren't any costly misunderstandings. So, and everyone knows what the finishes are, what color the paint, like our 3D design, basically you give to your contractor and say, like, this is what it's gonna look like in the end. And then, like, especially if you're remote and you're not on site every day, it's like, here's the full design video. Like, you're literally walking through the space where even VR capable, if needed, so that your contractors can't say, Oh, I didn't know the backsplash was supposed to be there, or like this wall was supposed to be here. Everything's you just give them the plan, and then there's no excuses of to like why it's not exactly like this.

SPEAKER_01 13:40

I'll be calling you in like two months.

SPEAKER_04 13:43

Yeah, well, I'll be happy to work with you. Yeah, that is awesome.

SPEAKER_01 13:46

That is what I needed. You would have saved me a whole bunch of time if I would have had you. That that wow.

SPEAKER_04 13:51

And it's the stress of like, you know, I have to be on site, make sure they put it in the right place. And this way you're signing off on this plan. And essentially, with a package, we uh work with you, you get like a round of revisions with us, we tweak it. We're when you're 100% happy with the design, you give it to the contract like this is what we're doing. Here are the materials that are in this design, this is what it needs to look like. And of course, if there's limitations to the space, like where the rough ins are, you know, where structural wall is, then the your contractor lets us know that and we incorporate that into the design. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:24

Wow. Yeah, this is mind blowing. Go ahead, Steve.

SPEAKER_03 14:27

Real real quick, because uh I'm fascinated by the whole 3D uh software technology, whatever. And uh, and yeah, Sarah told us all about how how awesome it is. And so what I what I want to do on this show a little bit is is is show the the YouTube viewers, you know, what it looks like, if you don't mind sharing your screen, if Micah can make it um shareable. And um, and uh for those following along, you know, uh uh at home or on listening to the podcast and cleaning your house or whatever, you could uh uh you could um go to this, go to your website. What website is that where you can see the 3D renderings?

SPEAKER_04 15:00

Yeah, white dahlia. So it's the color white, and then dahlia's d-a-h l-i-a design.com. We are about to launch just an Airbnb specific site, actually. Uh, it's called Airbnb Design Lab. Um, and so that's just going to be catering straight to all of our Airbnb clients. Right now, our main site um caters to, you know, our commercial, our small business, and our residential. So we're parsing it out in a sub-brand just so that you guys don't have to see all the stuff that you don't want to know or need to know. So our Airbnb one should be launching uh in the new year. So, but right now, if they just go to the White Dally Design website, they'll be able to see um some samples of all that and our process.

SPEAKER_01 15:44

Yeah, you you can go ahead and share the screen. And also a question for you too. Can you use though your 3D designs after it's all said and done completed? Can you kind of use that for Instagram? Um, what is it, Instagram marketing for your business?

SPEAKER_04 15:58

Yeah, great point. So um I was just going to say that well, a huge benefit of um our design is that of course you can use it for social media to um for the space. But another one is that let's just say it's a renovation job and you want to see how many people are interested. You know, like uh let's just see what the it's like a test market, what's the uptake? Let's like we don't have full photos of the space. Um, you can use our 3D video. We can get you can, you know, there's an extra fee to get it highly like rendered to be realistic. Uh, so we can do realistic renders. So you can use that to start pre-booking.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

Oh damn.

SPEAKER_04 16:39

Yeah. And that way you get peace of mind. You're dropping like 80k on these rentos, and you're like, ah, is this gonna rent out? Like, you know what? We'll render them to look like realistic photos, and then you start booking with those.

SPEAKER_03 16:55

That's a game changer right there.

SPEAKER_04 16:56

Yeah. So uh let me just uh open up the video and then I'll share. But I mean, there's a lot of different ways that you can um use the videos. Like I really feel like for marketing, everybody's visual, you know, it's hard to pre-book without images. So yeah, this is just a way to get ahead of the game. Share my screen now, but again, you can easily find all of this on our website. So I'm just gonna figure out how to share the screen. Share your screen.

SPEAKER_01 17:26

And by the way, we'll have the uh this in the show notes. So everyone, if you want to go there, and if you're listening on podcast, you can hit the YouTube channel up and watch it, what she's doing. Oh, I love this.

SPEAKER_04 17:37

Yeah, so here's an example. This was uh like an example of the video. Obviously, this isn't highly rendered. This is something that you would give the contractor to say, here's all the furniture placement. You can see where the patio set's going. You go through and like, so every single item in this design is a real item to scale to the space. So you'd be like, I want that exact sofa, that coffee table, that artwork. Um, and of course, we discuss your budget beforehand. So all of this stuff will be in your budget. And then um you see the layout. So you give this video to your contractor and you'd be like, Yeah, just place it exactly where it is in the video. And some client, like some of our Airbnb investors are on site where it's close to their home. They might want to save money by just coming in and doing like placing things themselves or bring a handyman in with them to help them do that. So this is an example um, yeah, of what you would get. And then this is VR capable, but we don't like a lot of clients are doing Airbnb, uh, don't need the full VR. As you can see, you can see things pretty clearly. But if you want something like this, still images highly rendered for your listing, we can do that as well. Of course, it's a an add-on, but if you're if you need that, we can do it.

SPEAKER_03 18:53

You said VR capable, is that what you said? Yeah, that's what instantly crossed my mind. It feels like we're walking through this house, right? Just looking at our computer screens. But I was like, man, imagine having some VR goggles on and walking through this house. It's like it feels like real life, man. That's that's a trip.

SPEAKER_04 19:08

Yeah, we definitely have that. But as you know, like I'm sure like guests aren't we're not there at that level of needing it. We do that a lot for our builder clients, like our um home builders. So in their presentation centers, you can virtually walk through the space, but um, yeah, I mean it's an option if they want to be VR capable. We are going into 2023. Maybe everyone will have a pair of goggles at home pretty soon. So who knows?

SPEAKER_03 19:32

Hey, is that Mark Zuckerberg in the bathroom?

unknown 19:35

What?

SPEAKER_04 19:36

Mark, yeah, look at the bathroom. We just plopped him in there in the design.

SPEAKER_03 19:41

He lives in VR now, so that's all good for him.

SPEAKER_04 19:43

But as you can see, like when when we design Airbnb spaces, it's about comfort and knowing how a person goes through and uses a space. Like a hook should be there because they need a place to put their bathrobe, you know. Like, where are they gonna put their luggage? What kind of like bedding is easily washed so your cleaners don't have to, you know, wash five different things. Um so yeah, that's what we're looking for. A space that is gonna give you a good review and also photograph well. It needs to have a feature wall, it needs to be captivating. The photographer like has a focal space in each room is key for us too. And just yeah, those are the big things we do when we design Airbnb spaces. It's different than a residential, right? It needs to have this mass appeal um that's highly functional. Nothing bothers me more than a like a beautiful magazine-worthy space, but you have nowhere to put your coffee cup or nowhere to put your feet up when you want to sit. So those are the things that we're very um careful about.

SPEAKER_01 20:45

I am gonna tell all of our listeners if you are using the burst strategy, this is definitely a service you want to use right here. This is a game changer. I love this. Like, I'm I'm pretty curious. I'm calling you in two months because I got I have some work for you guys. So yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:01

Well, we're excited. That'd be great.

SPEAKER_03 21:03

Yeah. All right. So, so what is your uh design uh I guess strategy? I don't know. I all I know I've heard of the term Feng Shui. That's all I've ever heard of, or art deco. I guess I've heard another one. I don't know. What is what is your what is your um influence? Influence, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 21:20

So for us, our design team on all our projects, we're about you know, bringing the space, like for Airbnb, it's about making the space speak to the clientele that you're after. So, you know, it's a and the city you're in. Like, we're not designing a New York condo the same way we're designing a condo in Texas or Florida, you know. It's about why are people coming here? Like, why you think you're with it, it's with a business mindset. So you want, you know, all the let's just say in New York, people are coming for Broadway shows and all of that, like you, and you want to speak to that. So the our design is very much it's not about our personal design philosophy and the designs we like, it's about why. Going to captivate the audience that you want to come into your space. So if you know you're next you're right next to the Broadway shows, um, and that's your key clientele that usually books, we're gonna make it feel like we're gonna have big posters up, it's gonna have a captivating like like vibe that speaks to theater, and then but also not niche that it like um isolates anyone else. And then another thing for us is very much, like I said, um, knowing that the everything needs to be durable, that it's you know, high traffic, that you have more turnover than a regular residential space. But um, our design also incorporates like what are like taking a look at the competition. So, like the Airbnb down the street, like what do they have? Do they have a hot tub? Do they have, you know, like games, like simple little things, like those are things that are you you need to know, like kind of what your your the market is in your area. So when we do design, it's not about our personal taste, it's about what's gonna make it make you look good on those listings.

SPEAKER_03 23:01

Uh it's funny you mentioned that real quick, uh, a hot tub, for example. And and what it made me think of is um uh that guest we came on that's from upstate New York, uh, these cabins, right? And and she just talked about how much more money the cabins that came with the hot tub outside made as to opposed to the ones that didn't come with a hot tub. And so so something like that. I mean, you would kind of research that too, see what's you know in the area, what's making good money, and you know, amenities, and you would try to you would try to add that to their listings.

SPEAKER_04 23:33

Yeah, absolutely. So we were so happy to work with the Carwells, like Sarah and her team and everyone uh doing lots of Airbnbs together. And we've like, you know, they're expert investors, and we learned a lot about that through them, to be honest, about um, you know, amenities, like even having little games, having extra little touches. Um, and yes, like you know, hot tubs, people love hot tubs and pools and outdoor amenities and the things that you know that they will talk about. So, and of course, you want to look at what your competitors have because they're gonna maybe book that one over yours because it does have that hot tub, right?

SPEAKER_03 24:17

Yeah, no, that's true. And um, I mean, we're talking about design. Um, I I suck at it, whatever. But but I know it looks good, I know it gets me to scroll, right? And now, and now and and and then um Micah alluded to it, alluded to it earlier that if you open up Airbnb and you and you just see the front page, is it's these beautiful freaking listings, right? I mean, these amazing listings. You haven't even looked for a city yet, you're like, holy crap! And so I uh one of them that caught my eye was in Marfa, Texas. And so I just I've never been to Marfa, I've never even just had a desire to go, but I I it just made me click and I clicked on it, and all of a sudden, I mean it's this like minimalistic, like window house, right in the middle of the freaking you know, desert. There's some mountains in the horizon, and then and then it has this like uh super you know metal roof on top of it, I guess it helps protect the house, and then it has like I mean, all it has 360 views, and and the design inside is just so clean and crisp and minimalistic, and then your windows you can see everywhere, and it I mean it showed all these different pictures, but the cameraman he did a real good job of telling the story, right? And and so I was like drawn into this story of this house, and and the design was so cool. The windows open up, you could see everything, you could you could be a part, you'll feel like you're a part of a part of it, you know, part of it all, part of the universe. And you see that at night it shows these stars so bright, and um and and it shows these um, like I don't know, I can go on and on. It's just all these different things that you see there that's really cool, and and and then and so I'll I guess a long story short, part of part of what I was getting at is how important is the photography and not just regular, you know, take a picture for uh the MLS photography, but how important is the photography, especially trying to tell a story to these people?

SPEAKER_04 26:05

Oh my god, so important. Like I said, we're all visual. What stops you scrolling is a beautiful photo, right? Like you have a great design, but you don't show it off well. And I mean, and the investment in a photographer to take those photos is such a minimal investment compared to what you've already spent on, you know, furnishing a place and or renovating. So a hundred percent like spend that little extra money to get professional photos goes a long way. I have to say, like, that's just a no-brainer to me. Like, get that those gorgeous shots that's bright and airy, make the wide angle shots that make the space look like very like you know, open 100%. Like with like cell phone photos with your like you know, I know iPhones are powerful these days, but just you taking it on your own is not going to do the same. So, you know, you can A B test that if you want yourself, like test two listings, one with your own cell phone photos and one with professional. I can guarantee you those professional shots are gonna get you way more booking.

SPEAKER_01 27:04

Yeah, Airbnb can flag those Airbnb those iPhone photos real quick.

SPEAKER_04 27:09

Yeah. And so and I have to say, like, you know, air, I know that it's not as pushed, but Airbnb Plus, for example, they include professional photography for that reason. And if uh if you get that plus status, um, you know, uh one of the criteria is professionally or really well-designed spaces. So that's what they're looking for. These sites know what people book, and it is based on design and good photography. Like it wouldn't be a criteria for their plus program if it didn't matter, right?

SPEAKER_01 27:43

Yeah. And well, I'm I'm I'm kind of scrolling through your IG right now. And uh for the people listening, you definitely want to check it out because she I love how one of them, you one of your reels, it shows you the 3D format and then how you guys brought it to life from 3D to really setting it up. I'm like, wow, this thing is awesome. So yeah, and I love how you guys designed the uh air vents because I have some older homes that still have the air vents on the ground. So you guys match those in. I'm like, oh man, because those things are ugly if you don't just leave them. I'm still trying to figure out how to get those, you know, it's all about tricks of the trade, you know.

SPEAKER_04 28:20

But uh yeah, it's uh I think it's that's one part that I think shocks people. It's like, oh my god, it looks exactly like the 3D walkthrough. And I'm like, that's the whole point. But I think if people haven't when they're the first time working with us, like, okay, that's a model, but like really every item in there is a real item, so it should look exactly like the design.

SPEAKER_01 28:41

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 28:42

Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I I was just gonna say talking about A B testing. We've had investors where they've done their own space and then they've hired us to do their space. It's sort of like an A-B test of like their old property. I mean, there's a lot of variables such as like the location and all of that, but um, they've seen like a huge difference. Ones where they've kind of brought in their own furniture, tweaked it a bit, and made it work, and then brought us in to design one. And like, you know, we can even show you the difference of the like one of the clients of the two properties and how well they do, and versus like the sort of reviews they get on each. It's just night and day.

SPEAKER_03 29:24

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SPEAKER_04 31:04

Yeah, well, uh, first of all, we'd have a shot list of you know what needs to be captured. We want detailed shots of certain things, um, you know, what sort of angles we want. Um, often what we do is we do stills of the design video, and like this is the exact angle we want to show, like side by side. This is gonna look exactly like just like you said on Instagram, like this angle is the design and the exact same angle is the actual space, and you can see like it's the same. So we give them angle shots of like this is what you need to include in your shot list. Beyond that, also, so it's pretty clear because again, it's visual, no one likes to read. You can see this picture, you're like, that's what I need to shoot in the exact angle, and they generally get it, but also choosing a photographer that is um a commercial photographer, so or residential photography, like you know, real estate photography, so that their background isn't um, you know, weddings and babies. So their background is in real estate, they know exactly what they should be doing, what lenses they should be using. Um, we give them samples too of photos that we want that we've had in the past that we love. So that ensures they have enough information. And you just have to like usually real estate photographer photographers know exactly what is needed, but we give them guidance, of course. Just don't choose a photographer that is like you know, everyone thinks that's a photographer is a photographer. No, some photographers specialize in headshots, you know, they're not gonna shoot your Airbnb well, so right, right.

SPEAKER_03 32:41

Now that was funny is um because every now and then you like we have uh you know, we have a friend of the family family or or someone that we're setting up a unit for, and oh, so-and-so's son is starting to take, you know, do photography, he can go shoot the house for you. He's got a nice camera, blah blah blah. It's like, okay, you know, he wants to go try it. That's fine. I don't want to crush someone's spirit that's trying to get into it. But every single time that a young dude, you know, sends his photography pictures that he's the first time he's ever shot a house. I mean, you see all the it's all close-ups of the wine glass with the blurred background, you know, or close-ups of the dial of the stuff. I mean, they're trying to do this artsy fartsy stuff. I'm like, no, no, no, no. It's cool, I guess, looking, but no, that's you don't do that anymore. That's maybe the old days when when the people first started shooting these Airbnbs, but but now you know, you want the nice, you know, big, wide, clean shots of of the places, you know. It's just funny to me. It always comes back. The the ones just starting out, they want to use their fancy, you know, fancy schmancy camera to do these close-up, you know, angles.

SPEAKER_04 33:43

Yeah, I mean, I equate it to kind of like design. People like, oh yeah, I know what I to do. I like design. I've always liked shopping, like, you know, I can do this. And then it's like, yeah, like it's there's a little more to it than that. You know, same with photograph photography. It's like just because you have a camera doesn't mean that you can translate it well in as a story, like you said. It's like it's in the creative field. I think sometimes it's easy to take it for like, you know, granted, like, oh, I think I can do it, which is great. But like really, it's just not, um, I guess it's how do you say, like you really see the quality and difference in the end result, but sometimes it's easy to be like, oh, I can do it on my own, you know? And you I'm sure you can. You can take a photo with your iPhone, like you said, like your your nephew could maybe take a photo too, but it's just different in the end result. So I would caution that and say, this is your investment. Um, so spend a little money to make more money, right?

SPEAKER_01 34:41

I fully agree. I know what you mean, Steve. Because yeah, I have those people that want to bring their own cameraman. People think you get a camera in YouTube, they're now photographers. I'm like, I don't think they work like that. So yeah, I fully agree.

SPEAKER_03 34:55

No, so that's cool. Um, do you you do commercial too, or just or just residential?

SPEAKER_04 35:01

Yeah, we do some commercial, but I would say our bread and butter is um Airbnb's and residential. We do some small businesses, uh, which we do love. We love translating a brand into a physical space. Lots of fun, very creative. But um, yeah, but our bread and butter is definitely like Airbnb's uh working with home developers and your homeowners.

SPEAKER_03 35:25

So, what's your um your Mona Lisa? You know, what's your what's your favorite property that you've done? You're like, holy crap, I really did something here.

SPEAKER_04 35:33

Yeah, that's so hard. Like, like I said, like it's not about our style, right? It's about translating our clients' styles and they're so different. Like some people are just like bold and they've got crazy style and it's so much fun. And then we design a space that's clean and minimalistic, and it's like wow, it's gorgeous. So I don't know if there's one that is um yeah, we did just design um a local celebrities home in um her name's Nicole Servinus, she's uh a TV personality, and I gotta say that was pretty fun. She's just a lot of fun to work with, and her house is beautiful. I'm uh like, yeah, we had a really great shoot with her recently. So that sticks in my mind because um yeah, it was just a lot of fun overall. So it pops up in my head, and it's probably your style, I have to say, Steve. Minimalistic, clean, neutrals, looks great in a magazine kind of thing.

SPEAKER_03 36:35

I I mean, I like the crazy too, you know. I mean a background as an artist. So I I've been I used to draw and I was a colorist, I love colors. So I I love, I mean, if it's done well, I mean come into a space with with really colorful, you know, paintings or murals and stuff like that. I think it's really cool. I think I think Micah said on the show one time though, be you know, be sure who your who your clientele is. Because if you're doing like uh you know, for travel nurses and stuff like that, that funky, colorful, crazy painting might not be good for a three-month stay, you know.

SPEAKER_04 37:02

It might yeah, no, that's like that's what I'm saying. It has to speak to the place. Like I do that in New York, like a really funky vibe in New York, because you got to capture their attention. Um, whereas, you know, like you said, if it's a healthcare worker, they want to go home and relax and feel like they're in a spa, you know? So it is really knowing your market.

SPEAKER_03 37:26

So, what are some what are some tips you would give to um young designers out there that want to get into it?

SPEAKER_04 37:33

Young designers, huh? I think it's just, you know, some of this is just I find this in any industry, to be honest. A lot of people have preconceived notions of what it a certain job is like, and they think it's you know, they go into the industry without having any sort of real first hand knowledge. So in any job, I would say go like you know, intern, volunteer, go work with a few different firms. Every firm is different and get some, like know what niche you want to be in, like being uh like a drafting AutoCAD drafter is very different than what we do. And so it's like I think people make assumptions about an industry without actually going and seeing it. I would say I highly recommend for someone in design school just to go into a few firms, even if it's just job shadowing and see what it's like. And yeah, I think then you know where you want to end up, you know?

SPEAKER_03 38:38

So what about? I always asked, I like to ask these questions, some some hacks. Like I we've had designers on the show. What are what are some design hacks that that don't cost a lot of money, you know, but they can really, really make a space stand out.

SPEAKER_04 38:51

Hmm. Hacks, uh like that plant, for example.

SPEAKER_03 38:56

I mean, just like a simple plant would probably make a room look good. I don't know. Good question.

SPEAKER_04 39:01

Yeah, no, absolutely. I'm in my boardroom right now, so I can't say that it's super well designed in this moment, but a boardroom is a boardroom. But um, I have to say that um, you know, like good point about plants. It's like a place needs to have a feeling, you know, and definitely greenery makes a place feel warm. Um I have to say that every client we speak, not every, I would say the high percentage of clients that we speak to, say, like for residential, they want to feel cozy. That word comes up constantly. I want to feel cozy in this space. And so these are the people that are coming to your homes, right? Like they're they're they want to feel cozy in their own homes. So I think one thing about Airbnbs is that people often think you just need essentials, you just need a nightstand, a lamp, a bed, and you're good. That's all people need. But that's not what makes people feel good. It's like the soft throw pillow and the throw and the little plant in the corner, and maybe there's a like, you know, like um a candle at the like or a little like um yeah, like a little thing that you can put your book on in the bathtub. So like all of those things I think can be forgotten in a lot of Airbnb spaces. And so I think uh like a hack would be uh to get the good reviews at least is just like remembering that cozy is what your guests are generally after. So that's kind of like a general hack, but I mean like little hacks of like design hacks. I think pops of color go a long way for photography. So even like if you have an old, you know, bookcase that is that you're bringing in because you're trying to be budget friendly, like remake it with putting like colorful wallpaper in the background of the bookcase. So something pops out when it's being photographed. It's just not a big clunking brown piece of furniture sitting there. So if you don't have a huge budget and you need to kind of work with some things that you already have, think about cost effective ways to redo it a bit, you know, and refresh it a bit. Um, and mixing different things, like I would say um, you know, certain things you should splurge on, certain things you can save on. So people like, for example, a light fixture is a big statement in a room. Like, as you know, like you walk in a room if there's this beautiful chandelier, you're like, whoa, there's a vibe going on here. So, like light fixtures are huge. People often forget about it. They're like, Oh, we got the bed, we got the rug, we're good, done. But you've got this awful 70s, like light fixture hanging there, or a pep peeve of mine is the builder grade lighting, we call them boob lighting. They're just like a like it's like a like a round thing with like a little point. So we hate those. It's like if you have like very intentional um like lighting in a space, like you're not you don't have to change all of them, but if you're very intentional in that, it does make a big difference. Yeah. And the the the yeah, you're looking up at your light right now, like the vibe of the lighting. Nobody wants to come in and feel like they're in an office, you know, like that led bright lighting might be cost effective, you're thinking, but like go with the softer lighting that's also energy efficient, like things like that go a long way.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

Dude, lighting that you know, no one's ever brought that up on the show. It's so it's it's so cool. You don't notice it till you notice it, right? And then, like, like like we just got this arbitrage in in Grand Prairie over here close to us, and and it's beautiful, beautiful, but they got those 1970s ceiling fans in there and with the lights, and I'm like, oh god. So am I gonna have to change out ceiling fans? But I mean, when you notice like a cool, like a light fixture, it's like holy smokes. I mean, it really changes the room, and it does, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 42:52

One Airbnb we just designed, I think it was in Milwaukee, had this like like it's funny because you don't think you're gonna splurge on like light fixtures, right? You're like, oh splurge on the sofa, but like we spent less on the sofa and splurged on this like gorgeous, like art deco, like light, and it just speaks to the whole space, like pulls it together. And yeah, I guess people wouldn't ever expect that sometimes, you know.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Most of your clients do they are they these people that do arbitrage or people that own properties?

SPEAKER_04 43:24

Yeah, so it's a mixture. Um, I know that some are arbitrage, but some are doing like full gut job rentos. It really depends. Um, we're low, like you know, we're we do it across Canada and the US. We've even done some in like Germany. So it really depends on, like I said, we're fully remote, we can work with people across globally. Um so really it depends. And it's like in Germany, for example, people when you get a new space, like even if you're renting, even if you're a renter, like an arbitrage situation, they don't come. With kitchens. Like people take their kitchens with them when they leave to their next apartment. So, like, there's a lot of like when you say that it's there's a lot of different design aspects really depending on the location and the needs. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 44:16

I love this because I mean, because all the stuff you're talking about, I'm like, man, this is like really going through my head. Like changing out light fixtures. I'm like, well, if I def it to arbitrage, I don't know if I can just change it out, but if I own it and if it's like part of a reno process, you can really deck this place out because you can do whatever you want with it.

SPEAKER_04 44:33

Yeah. And generally, like, I mean, every I'm sure situation is different for arbitrage, but like changing it out light fixture, as you know, as a contractor, it's not that difficult. It's not like, yeah, it's not like you're taking down a wall or anything like that. It's like literally swapping out the fixture. You can even keep the fixture and put it back if you want, like you know, but um it's uh it sounds like a bigger task than it usually it actually is.

SPEAKER_03 45:00

Isn't there like a famous show now called White Dahlia?

SPEAKER_04 45:04

No, that's White Lotus. I have to watch it. Everyone keeps telling me I need to watch that show. I think I watched one or two episodes, but it's a apparently it's a hit White Lotus.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

Yeah, I was gonna say there's a lot of free advertising for you. If that if you have that, you know, white lotus.

SPEAKER_04 45:20

It's not white dahlia.

SPEAKER_03 45:21

You could change it to White Lotus designs, though.

SPEAKER_04 45:23

You can I mean that's not it's got a nice ring to it, but I think if we'll wait for that.

SPEAKER_03 45:29

So so um what was gonna get at okay. So okay, people are gonna go to your go to the her website and look at these 3D wonder renderings, they're freaking awesome. Um, now I know you said four dollars a square foot for design if you're gonna design someone's place. Now, what if they just want, okay, they want like uh I don't know, is is this even a thing you do? Like, okay, here's my space, here's the here's the you know how big it is and the and the rooms and stuff. Can you give me like a a I don't know, make a design for me for a certain price that you're not gonna go order and do all the whole process? What if what if someone just wants an idea of what could what it could look like?

SPEAKER_04 46:08

Yeah, I mean, we can consult, like in a call, then that's just our regular hourly rate. If we we they have just some questions and they want some advice, we're happy to do that. We have like a light package as well where we just kind of do a little mood board for them and say, this is a vibe you should go after. So definitely can do that. But I mean, to be honest, it's not gonna get your space done faster. You're still gonna have to be hands-on. So if they're open to that, that they they are gonna be the hands-on sort of person for their their uh property, sure, we can consult. Um, but I would say what we offer the best, like the best value that we offer is that you have that peace in mind that it's just gonna be done and ready to go and listed sooner than later. Um, and that it's gonna look good. So I find that we can definitely consult, give you a general direction of the style you should go after. But then it's again, it's that photography kind of vibe, right? Like, oh, I I got a camera, I can do, I can take photos. It's the same thing. It's like I can consult and give you a design plan, but I would say the majority of people aren't able to execute it. Um, but if they want that plan and they like are like, you know, they're like confident they have a design background or they like or they they know they can, like Sarah, for example, then yeah, we'll consult and uh give you a direction to go in for sure.

SPEAKER_01 47:30

No, no, you bring me up now. Steve brought up another point because you're talking about the packages, like on the renovation side. Do you guys have like a spice where you guys just only do the rent, like, hey, we can call White Dahlia and they'll just handle the renovation part of it for us, like the backsplashes, what backsplashes to put in, what cabinets to put in. Do you guys have that flooring and stuff?

SPEAKER_04 47:48

Yeah, definitely. So that's the package where we do the the like 3D design where we're not on site working with your contractor, but the design is like the floor plan I just showed earlier, like it's based on like what you're modifying, and we're gonna show you the end result of the renovation. So that's like your roadmap for your contractors, like I mentioned, and for yourself. And in that, we'll show um design concepts of like this is the backsplash that should go in. This is the type of flooring that should go in, and we'll have it all like there. We can either either source it for you or give you the conceptual design of what should the material should be, like brass handles, things like that. And then your contractor sources the actual um materials because often contractors want to do that because then they can manage the timeline of when materials show up. So um, but we do the conceptual design of like this is the pink color, this is the backsplash, you go find all of this. The contractor will find all the sim similar things based on our recommendations. So yeah, that way we know, like instead of you having to look at 50 samples of like, oh, is this backslash gonna work? I don't know, I can't tell. It's there's nothing in the room right now. We make all those design decisions for you and show it to you, and then you're confident in those design decisions, right? Like, okay, this is why we have a penny tile here, and this is what it's gonna look like, versus arbitrarily design, like deciding, I guess I'll do this blue tile here, you know.

SPEAKER_01 49:15

Yeah, that is what I'm not good at. Happy you do it.

SPEAKER_04 49:19

Yeah, we make those decisions. I mean, renovating is just a thousand and one decisions, right? We're eliminating the decision fatigue.

SPEAKER_03 49:28

Now, tell me if I'm way off base with this because I've all you know, I always loved the godzillo and the different real estate in different parts of the country, right? And so um, for example, you'll see, like, okay, you could buy a freaking McMansion here, right? And in in you know, the Dallas Fort Worth area for like 500,000, you could buy a freaking McMansion, right? This badass place, whatever. Whereas for two million dollars in Southern California, you could buy like a uh one bedroom in a closet, you know, 900 square foot house, right? So it's like so, but that being said, they gotta really uh make that place look beautiful, that little bitty spot that they want two million dollars for, right? They gotta go in there, and and so I always see like these design trends start like in Southern California. I don't know if I'm way off base here, but I like these brass fixtures and stuff. I was oh, I saw that when I was looking at the SoCal homes, and now they're over here in Texas. People like, oh yeah, let's put brass everywhere in the 70s, they're like, What's up with the we were popular in the 70s? What's going on? And so and so like the brass like fashion, it's cyclical, right? Right, and it all starts in SoCal. It's so weird, but um, yeah, all these trends, all these different black splashes, but backsplashes. I see them like you know, start there or start these places where they really really have to get this cool cutting-edge design, and then it starts and then it trickles over to the rest of the rest of the country. Is that is that a thing?

SPEAKER_04 50:49

Uh, I would argue that it's even bigger than that. Design starts in Europe a lot of the time. Uh and uh they've been a pergola, thank you, Europe. Yeah, like I think that like a lot of it is global now, not just you know, within our own country and space. Like, I feel like inspiration is brought from around the world, and then you know, like even when I was in it's like fat like in Asia, like surprisingly, some things like we're two years behind on you see it there first. So yeah, it's uh it's a thing that's like you know, when you see something go viral and like or a trend, you're like, why is everyone now wearing wide-legged pants? Like, you know, like it's this, it's the thing, it's like it starts and then it it kind of waterfalls to everyone. So yeah, you're right, it starts somewhere, but um yeah, it's kind of this big old like you can't really pinpoint exactly where all the time, but everybody knows what's trendy. Like, you know, we all know. So yeah, and I I think that's a thing is that it's what we're going for for Airbnb is mass appeal most of the time. So trends are important.

SPEAKER_03 51:56

So, Gloria, what can you speak to towards the Wayfair effect?

SPEAKER_04 52:03

What do you mean by that?

SPEAKER_03 52:04

We yeah, tell me, tell me it's just seemed like it started, you know, when we we've been in Airbnb since the beginning. So once people discovered Wayfair, it looked cool at first, you know. The uh what do they call it? Um, uh, what is that style? The I don't know what that style is that they uh I don't know, whatever broken. Oh gosh, I forgot what mid-century modern, anyways.

SPEAKER_04 52:32

Yeah, mid-century modern, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:34

Took that and ran with it, right? And then all of a sudden, now then you after a few years, it looked like Wayfair threw up all over Airbnb. You know what I'm saying? So, what can you say to that kind of and we've all discovered we we it looks cool, I guess, initially back then, anyways, and it all breaks pretty pretty quickly. So, what can you say to that?

SPEAKER_04 52:51

Yeah, so I think the thing that maybe some people um don't realize who aren't in the industry is that Wayfair is just a middle person, like they are not a brand supplier. So, like CB2, Urban Barn, Restoration Hardware, they're brand, like they have a clear design brand. Wayfair is a platform like Amazon, like like any other um, they actually even have like airplane pricing that changes like minute to minute. So basically, it's like if you're using Wayfair, you need to know their suppliers well. And uh they actually have a wide range of price points, design styles. And so we use them as a resource for a lot of our Airbnbs because they are because they're a tech company technically, they aren't a furniture company, they're a tech company. They're about logistics, efficiency, algorithms, and all of that, that they can get things to you really quick compared to a traditional like supplier. So we rely on them for projects that need to be done fast, and that's a lot of Airbnb projects. So the thing is, yes, you can obviously source just the mid-century modern brands through Wayfair, and maybe they're pushing that through their advertising. But the truth is they're not just limited to that, they have a lot of breadth of suppliers that you can choose from from you know glam to uh contemporary. So there is a lot, you just need to know how to navigate a really large platform. Um so yes. So I think that people don't realize that sometimes um that they aren't one specific style and that they aren't um that they're a tech company that really focuses on logistics.

SPEAKER_01 54:35

Now you don't you don't have to give up your supplier, but let's say you have like a little bit longer time to uh get your place set up. Do you guys use things outside of Wayfair?

SPEAKER_04 54:44

Can you guys ask our clients if it's just a residential project and not a me like that the like what are the suppliers that they love? It gives us an idea of their comfort level, a price point, uh, quality of items and style. And then we go from there. Like we can technically use any retailer. Um, and a lot of them we have like partnerships with, but if we don't, we can figure that out as well. Um but yeah, so some people want to be environmentally friendly, some people want to be local. So uh since we source everything online, if someone's like, I really need to see a sofa and make sure that it's comfortable, then we source it from a local shop in in their city. So it really depends on their comfort zone of suppliers and we make it work. But we have the ones that we like, and the ones that we like, you know, are have great customer service. Uh, we're like obviously that's huge, so that we can help them if something doesn't arrive or comes damaged. We like to use certain suppliers because we know they'll take care of the client. So we're the middle person in that way. Like we aren't selling our fur, we don't, we're not, it's not our furniture. So, like we won't obviously want to recommend suppliers are like, you know, if something happens or they're good to deal with and they'll help. Well, we can advocate for you. Um, yeah, so but technically we can use whatever suppliers that a client like prefers. Um, yeah, so it's a wide breadth. Again, it just depends where they are and if they want to see certain things, we're happy to source locally too.

SPEAKER_03 56:17

So, what are some design no-nos? For example, we've we've learned just doing this for a long time, do not get um beds with wood wooden slats because they break all the time, and then um canopy beds because all the freaking bolts and screws pop loose, you know, people use it a lot.

SPEAKER_04 56:33

What are people doing on those beds?

SPEAKER_03 56:35

Even handcuffs behind and stuff like that.

SPEAKER_04 56:38

Um, yeah, so for us, it's like like I mentioned, making sure that uh like flipping from the next guest is easy and simple, having duvets that are you can just throw in the wash really easily, um, having a bit of like a turnaround plan for that, things that are durable. Um, for us, ruggable, like rugs that you can wash, nothing things that hide dirt, like rugs that aren't white and fluffy, you know, like things that are um more natural fibers that you can get away with a little more. Um, so for us, it's about yeah, those the big no-nos are just focused on making it look pretty, but not realizing that this is gonna be much more high traffic than your uh your own home, you know. We get trapped into sometimes thinking, oh, that's so nice, like it looks so good, and then realizing that it's not it's not gonna last. Um, and also I think people often are on a tight budget and they're like, let's do IKEA for everything. And it's like you're gonna regret that. It's just it's all gonna break and you're gonna have to do it all over again, and then you're gonna have to pay someone to come put it all together. So yeah, it's just I think people, of course, are very cost focused because it's an investment. Um, and they're looking at their margins and how much they're already putting into it. But the truth is, like, you gotta sometimes, like I said, put a little more money to it to avoid those headaches.

SPEAKER_01 58:08

Yeah, IKEA is the biggest mistake you can make.

SPEAKER_04 58:12

Yeah, just don't do it.

SPEAKER_01 58:13

Yeah, yeah, you put that together, and two weeks later you need new furniture everywhere. So, yeah, I wouldn't make that mistake. I understand.

SPEAKER_02 58:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 58:22

Well, this has been a great episode. What do you think, Micah?

SPEAKER_01 58:25

This has been a great episode, and I'm definitely calling you in two months when I get this new property because I I've I haven't met anyone who's who's done what you're doing. Who you're you basically you can do a renovation, then you can turn it into the short-term rental. And that's and this is why I say it's short-term rentals are are in its infancy right now because there's so many things that are coming about from it, and that's a big one because now I I'm actually getting into renovations, I'm actually doing one now, and it's been way over budget and way over time. So if I had someone like you to come in and handle that, I'd this be perfect. I can't wait to uh work with you.

SPEAKER_04 58:59

Yeah, and I think it's uh what we can help as people that have multiple properties in different places. You get used to working with our team, you don't have to find a designer in every location that you have a property. You get, you know, get used to how we work and how quick it is. And I think that's helpful is that some of the headache is people like, okay, now I gotta go find another designer in this city, and some of that can do this in this city. So we can be consistent and work with them across all the properties. And really all they need to do is go on the site. And our first thing is just book a call with our team, get to know us, and we get to know your property. We chat a bit. So I guess the first, you know, if you want to start with your property, it's just to go on our saying there's an easy link to book a call, and it's just a 30-minute intro, like cotton tell call. Tell us about your space and how we can help you.

SPEAKER_03 59:47

So where can people find you again, Gloria?

SPEAKER_04 59:50

Yeah, so uh white dahlia design.com. And in the future it'll be Airbnb Design Labs, but you can still reach us at white dahliadesign.com and on Instagram and Facebook, we're just at White Dahlia Design.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:06

Airbnb Design Labs. So you can you can use the name Airbnb in that?

SPEAKER_04 1:00:10

Yeah, so it's uh it's just uh sub brand for us. Um where it's right, it still will sit on White Dahlia Design.

unknown 1:00:20

Cool, cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:21

All righty. Well, thank you so much for hopping on, and we look forward to having you on again and designing some places for us in the future.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:28

Yeah, sounds great. Lovely chatting with you guys. Uh I hope that we'll get to work together soon.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:34

Yes, so all right.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:36

Take care.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:36

Take care. Bye-bye. Man, that was a really good episode. That one right there. That's like, I swear, every time you get on a podcast, what you need comes right here on the podcast. It's like that's what I've been like really needing. I'm like, I need somebody to just design it, do the renovation. And if she her team could do that, I already have the re the the I have the team, you know, the re renovation team. But if I had somebody, you know, pick out backs. I don't like doing that shit. So if I had her doing it, I'm like, man, I'm like, yeah, that this is awesome. I'm loving this. I'm definitely using them.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:09

No, I love it, man. And that tip about lighting, man. Everybody forgets about that. We just okay, what kind of furniture, what kind of rugs, what kind of TV? That's that's all we think about. But lighting, man, that's important stuff. It is.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:19

Um, on this rehab, I'm actually doing my sister, was like, you should do recess lights because you can kind of dim them and go up and down. And those have been a hit. You're right. Lighting, I never thought about it either. It is a hit. That's that's a big hit, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:31

Oh, yeah. The mood lights, you know, put some berry white on.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:35

Oh no, we don't want the canopy badge breaking.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:37

No, oh man, glorious song. Yeah, another great guest for another great podcast.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:47

Yeah, it was, man. And uh, but yeah, for the people that are doing like renovations, I definitely think you should give it a shot. I'm gonna give it a shot, and I'll definitely be letting y'all know how it goes because I think that's huge. That's one of those things. Like, I don't want to take no damn, no damn ceiling fan in the arbitrage, then I gotta put it back up. You're just like, ah, but if it's mine, you know, and you're like doing like birds, that that's all that was going through my head. I'm like, yo, this is a perfect idea. So yeah, I think this is a really good that's a game changer, right there.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:14

Cool, man. So hit her up. Go at least go look at her 3D designs. They're freaking mind blowing. You can walk through these houses, it's nuts.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:20

Yeah, and then you can use it to you know promote on your Instagram. Like, I and that's one thing that Airbnb's missing on. You know, Verbo lets you do it now. You can put a 3D rendering up there, you can put a 3D design and you can let people walk through the house. I'm like, damn, they let you do put matter ports up there. So, yeah, that's one thing Airbnb might want to get into is letting people do 3D design walkthroughs. Then they ain't gonna have all those questions, man.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:43

Man, it's funny you should say that because my buddy uh at work, who's got his first Airbnb up, all excited about it. That's Report House, you know. He's like, Man, I'm you know, I'm just getting all VRBO bookings, I'm not getting any Airbnb listen bookings. I'm like, no, that's a good thing, dude. You want you'd rather get VRBO than Airbnb. I told him the the VRBO is like Target and Airbnb is like Walmart. So you really wanna you really wanna, you're getting a good clientele going on there. So yeah, VRBO's very thoughtful.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:12

By the way, and for people who are in areas like you know, verbo uh Shreveport and the because I get a lot of verbos in uh Arkansas, but definitely check out the direct book workbook, go through that with uh Mark Simpson. Dude, he tells you exactly why you're getting verbo bookings. It's because uh you have to find out who's spending money in those areas, like verbo, they're probably spending ad dollars inside of Shreveport, and that's why you're probably getting those verbo listings. And you can also decide if even if it's worth listing on Virgo or listing on Airbnb. You want to be everywhere, but you want to you know make sure your time's well spent. But yeah, I've been going through that workbook, and that's been really helping me on where to list and how to set up everything. So, yeah, verbo's not a bad thing at all.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:54

Cool, man. So we're gonna say our goodbyes and then we're gonna keep rolling and do our thing after this, yes, sir. All right, well, thank y'all for listening, tuning in. Livelet thrive at gmail.com, liveletrive.com. Um, you know, my company, uh Argus Rentals, A-R-G-E-S T Rentals. We can manage your place, we can help you find places, we can help you find turnkey too. We're doing all this stuff right now and share BNB uh going on too, right, Micah?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:17

Yes, sir, yes, sir. You can uh really, if you've got any ugly houses, that's what we're looking for. Ugly houses. Uh send up send those our way. And we are also we have a few listings coming up. You can follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and uh Twitter and also Google. Uh you can find all of our Google stuff. But yeah, anyways, yeah, find us livelethrive gmail.com, follow us on Instagram. I'm about to get back active. So I'll be back on trying to provide as much value as possible. And we are out. Peace later.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:49

Thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Live Let Thrive. Be sure to tune in next week for all the latest in the world of Airbnb and all that entails. Bye bye.