All in the family: Couple tells secret of success

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["em"],["a",["href","http:\/\/wilsonkelseydesign.com\/","target","_new"]],["strong"],["a",["href","http:\/\/johnaltobelloarchitecture.com\/","target","_new"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"An interview on the best way to build relationships, internally or externally, with Sally Wilson and John Kelsey of "],[0,[1,0],2,"Wilson Kelsey Design"],[0,[0],1,"."]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"The Most Successful Client Relationships"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"John Altobello"],[0,[],0,": What makes for the most successful client relationships?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Sally Wilson \/ John Kelsey"],[0,[],0,": Good people, with solid values, who appreciate the designer\u2019s skills. We like to treat people the way we would like to be treated. We want our clients to feel\/know that they are working with good people, with solid values, who appreciate their needs, budget, project and family life. "]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Client, Budget and Designer"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"JA"],[0,[],0,": Can you talk about the role that budget plays in a project? How do you handle a situation in which a client has exquisite and expensive tastes, but not the financial wherewithal to carry through? "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"W \/ K"],[0,[],0,": There are always three things that determine a beautiful project - the client, the budget, and the designer. The client drives the needs (the program), the designer controls the visual solution, and the budget hems them both in."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Unless you have an unlimited budget, money always plays a role. When the desires outweigh the money available, we discuss their options, such as, reducing the scope, planning expenditures over time, modifying their expectations to a slightly different vision. If there is a disparity, we try to address it quickly. It is easier to come to grips with reality sooner rather than later. For instance,if someone comes to us wanting a full kitchen remodel, with all the best appliances, and they say they have $50,000 for this renovation, we tell them right away that our experience shows that this money will not stretch that far. Then we give examples. "]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Getting New Clients"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"JA"],[0,[],0,": What\u2019s your most effective means of getting new clients? Do you use social media as well as traditional means?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"W \/ K"],[0,[],0,": By being active in many arenas all at once. No one avenue is enough. We network at professional events frequently. We advertise to some extent to keep our name out in front. We keep up with renewing our website, so it is always fresh. We use other online methods, such as Houzz. We blog so that our personal voices come forward to those interested in reading about us. We do use social media, posting regularly to sites such as LinkedIn, Facebook, Google+, etc. We have an assistant who helps us keep this current. We, of course, get personal referrals, too. "]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"Small or Large Projects?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"JA"],[0,[],0,": Do you have a preference for smaller or larger projects? What are the most \/ least demanding challenges you encounter in projects large or small?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"W \/ K"],[0,[],0,": Tough question. We have both been attracted over the years to creating \u201clittle gems\u201d. They can occur within a larger project, or we can be hired to do only one room. We care much more about quality than quantity. Always have. We are at our very core \u201cquality\u201dpeople. However, larger projects have their appeal, because you can keep your mind wrapped around one family. When we have a lot of little projects, our minds have to stretch and bend and keep up with moving from one thing to another. It can be hard to keep all the details in the front of your mind. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Challenges: larger projects - keeping up with the sheer volume; small projects - keeping them all moving forward at the same time, which means keeping a lot of details in your head."]]],[1,"h3",[[0,[],0,"The Nature of a Married Team"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"JA"],[0,[],0,": How can you be married and still work successfully as a team to carry out your design work?"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Kelsey"],[0,[],0,": I have no idea. It just happens. Seriously, after 30+ years of marriage and working together it is mostly an unconscious process. I believe our success is based on our knowing that both the business and the marriage require constant hard work and an understanding that a relationship evolves\/changes over time. Both require trust and faith in each other, especially in the heat of the moment. You learn when to push, when to back off and when to walk away - to try again when the moment isn\u2019t so emotionally charged. We both recognize we are two very different people. It is continually finding joy and pleasure in those differences that makes our marriage and work richer."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"Wilson"],[0,[],0,": We must be lucky. Actually, itis because we - very deep down - respect and trust each other. John and I are like the yin and yang. We have different personality types. We are type A and type B.We have different communication styles. This used to drive us crazy, but we have learned to honor each other\u2019s style and go with the flow. This took a lot of work! But it actually helps us because some clients favor John\u2019s communication style and some prefer mine. Sowe use that to our advantage, and deploy our resources where they work the best."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[2],1,"About the Interviewer"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"John Altobello, AIA, is the principal at "],[0,[3,0],2,"John Altobello Architecture"],[0,[0],1,"."]]]]}