By Aidan Taylor | Trade Tales | Business of Home
Most designers go into the field with creative chops, but don’t always have the business acumen to match. That’s OK. Knowing when and how to ask for help is an important part of running a firm. This week, we asked five designers—Jaque Bethke, Jess Cooney, Janie Hungerford, Laura Lubin and Emily Tucker—what lessons they learned from working with a business consultant.
Leveling Up
“Early in my career, I believed that my craft and my vision alone would be enough to propel the business forward. For the first five years, that carried me. But eventually, we reached a crossroads. We had mastered our market, were doing well, but I felt stagnant—bored, even. It was as if I had climbed a mountain only to realize I wasn’t sure where to go next. It was then that a trusted mentor suggested I join a CEO group to expand my perspective. That led me to Vistage, an organization of extraordinary business leaders ranging from Fortune 500 executives to entrepreneurs navigating their own growth. Joining that group was nothing short of transformative. The wisdom, resources and relationships I gained through Vistage helped me develop the tools and strategies to design a bold plan for growth—taking us from an $8 million company to envisioning a $50 million company within five years. They opened doors to banking partners, refined my processes, reshaped the way we onboard and develop employees, and gave me the tools to lead with not just vision, but grounded business principles. Perhaps most importantly, they elevated not just me, but my entire team. By bringing staff into this culture of learning, I was able to cultivate leaders within the company, giving us resilience and depth we hadn’t had before. Looking back, I wish I had embraced that kind of coaching earlier, but I’m profoundly grateful for the timing—it changed the trajectory of our business and gave me the confidence to scale with purpose and clarity.”
—Jaque Bethke, Jaque, Scottsdale, Arizona
About JAQUE
JAQUE is a premier luxury interior design and design-build firm known for its bold, intelligent spaces that challenge convention and redefine elegance. Led by award-winning designer Jaque Bethke, the firm specializes in bespoke residential, commercial, hospitality, and retail environments that reflect the unique spirit of every client.