How Not Putting Clients First Helps Grow Tobi Fairley's Business

The Arkansas-based designer takes a team-based approach above all else.

Welcome to Leadership Files, a new DLN franchise where Members share what helps them run successful businesses, from daily routines to hiring rules. In addition to running her Little Rock-based interior design firm, with 7 employees spread across 5 states, Tobi Fairley is a certified business coach and host of the DesignYou podcast. She's passionate about equalizing the built environment and has experience in trauma-informed design and design for neurodiversity and sensory issues. Here, she talks about her team-centric (and unapologetically political) practice.

What is the first important thing you do every morning?

Make my special coffee–bulletproof brand coffee, 1 scoop collagen, 1 scoop prebiotic and 2 TBSP Coconut milk mixed together in my blender. It’s super frothy–Yum!

What newspaper/magazine/outlet do you never miss an issue of?

I’m more of a podcast girl–I love all Brene Brown’s shows and never miss an episode of Maintenance phase. It’s about the diet industry and it’s brilliant and hilarious!

What’s the most useful advice you’ve ever gotten in your career?

When I was in design school I already had an accounting degree, and I had a faculty advisor who told me to get an MBA instead of minoring in art history or something else creative to fill up the rest of my hours. Having a deep knowledge of business has been a game changer my whole career as a designer and later as a business consultant for other creatives.

What’s one piece of advice you’re glad you didn’t take?

Keep politics out of your business. My favorite version of my business to date (and myself for that matter), is the aligned and honest version that includes sharing my values publicly around politics, social justice, and more; all the things our grandmothers said we shouldn’t talk about.

How about the advice you didn’t take and wish you had?

Not sure if I wish I had taken it but I was told “grow slow” and that definitely would have been easier and cheaper in a lot of ways.

How did you know the time was right to start your own firm?

I started my firm right out of college after 2 short internships–one in residential design and one in hospitality design. I come from an entrepreneurial family so after interviewing for some really low paying jobs, I decided to just go for it at age 27. Twenty four years later I’m still glad that I did.

How did you know when the time was right to grow?

I feel like we have been in growth mode all 24 years of my business. It’s my favorite mode.

What’s the most effective way you motivate your employees?

Let them take leadership roles in our company. People care about what they help create.

How do you keep in sync with employees working remotely?

We never miss our Monday team meeting on Zoom including time for funny ice breakers and chit chatting before we get down to business. We also love our weekly wrap ups posted in Slack which help us know what everyone has accomplished and what they are planning for the next week.

What’s your first rule of smart hiring?

Aligned values. I can teach skills and processes but if our values aren’t aligned we will struggle. Our company culture is amazing and it’s our values that helped us build it.

What’s the most important trait of a good manager?

Putting the team first. I think so many people put the customer or the company first and the team suffers because they are often asked to work beyond their capacity to meet a deadline or a goal. I learned that If I take care of my team, if I have their back, they will take care of my customers and me. It’s maybe the most important shift I have made in my business and it’s paying off in huge ways including much happier team members.

This or that:

   
• Open floor plan or closed offices? Closed! I hate open floor plans, no place for the furniture, no privacy and less room for wallpaper :)
   
• Set desk or rotating spaces throughout the day? Rotating
   
• Phone calls or emails? Emails
   
• Morning or afternoon coffee? Morning Coffee but not opposed to both!
   
• Reply to email throughout the day or tackle it all at once? Throughout the day
   
• Orderly workspace or organized chaos? Organized Chaos
   
• Physical pin board or Pinterest/Instagram? Both!
   
• Early mornings or late nights? Both, but not at the same time. I need 8 hours of sleep so matter what. Since the pandemic I have been on a late night trend. Maybe it has something to do with having a 17 year old in the house.