My favorite snippet from LuAnn in this interview is her Snickers analogy to a distinct business. I’m not even gonna summarize it. You’ll have to hear it yourself around the :25 minute mark.
In this episode of Small Business Sweet Spot, LuAnn Nigara, a powerhouse in the creative business world, shares her years of entrepreneurial experience as the host of the “A Well-Designed Business” podcast, author of multiple best-selling books, and co-owner of an award-winning window treatment retailer. Our conversation covered what it truly means when LuAnn says “excellence is a decision” and how service-based business owners can stand out in saturated markets.
Time Stamps
01:31 Excellence is a Decision
03:58 Keys to Effective Leadership
06:14 Strategies for Attracting Clients
07:19 Importance of a Strong Online Presence
11:10 The Power of Live Events
15:28 Building a Personal Brand
19:27 The Synergy of Luan University
19:50 Advice for Standing Out in a Saturated Market
20:34 The Importance of Mission, Vision, and Values
22:43 The Power of Storytelling in Business
24:05 Being Authentic in Your Business
26:29 Differentiating Your Business
28:46 The Role of Personal Stories in Business
Where to Find LuAnn
Listen On Apple Podcasts
Listen on Spotify
Watch the Podcast or Read the Post Below
In this episode of Small Business Sweet Spot, LuAnn Nigara, a powerhouse in the creative business world, shares her years of entrepreneurial experience as the host of the “A Well-Designed Business” podcast, author of multiple best-selling books, and co-owner of an award-winning window treatment retailer. Our conversation covered what it truly means when LuAnn says “excellence is a decision” and how service-based business owners can stand out in saturated markets.
The Three Keys to Effective Leadership
Lu Ann broke down her philosophy into three essential keys that form the foundation of effective leadership and business excellence.
- Understanding Your Mission, Vision, and Values
Establishing, writing, and living these fundamentals in every aspect of your business creates alignment and purpose. - Building Systems and Processes
Creating consistent, repeatable processes ensures you deliver exceptional results to every client—not just occasionally when things go well. - Deciding to Be Excellent
This is where the rubber meets the road. Making the conscious choice to show up and execute at your highest level, especially when it’s difficult.
“Excellence is a decision,” Lu Ann explained. “I believe that if you have the passion for an idea and you have skills and innate talents in that passion, and you surround yourself with people who can help you maximize and leverage your skills and talents, then you can really craft a powerful business.”
Standing Out in a “Saturated” Market
Do you ever feel like your industry is just too crowded? Lu Ann offered a refreshing perspective… It only feels saturated because most businesses sound exactly the same.
The path to standing out isn’t about finding some revolutionary unique selling proposition—it’s about clearly articulating who you are and how you uniquely combine common elements.
Lu Ann used a brilliant analogy… “What’s the difference between a Snickers bar and a Milky Way? If they’re both ‘great tasting chocolate bars,’ that’s what happens. We write on our website, ‘great tasting chocolate.’ It’s true, but we stop at the surface truth.”
The magic is in the specific combination—the chocolate, nougat, caramel, nuts—and how they come together. Similarly, your business might share individual elements with competitors, but the specific way they combine with your delivery and approach creates something distinctive.
Marketing That Actually Works
When it comes to marketing strategy, Lu Ann emphasized building relationships through…
- Website Clarity
Your website is the digital equivalent of a storefront—it needs to clearly express who you are and what value you provide. - Email Marketing
Building an email list of engaged followers is substantially more valuable than chasing social media numbers. - Live Events
Creating opportunities to connect face-to-face with your audience, even in small groups, can be transformative for building relationships. - Real Stories
Sharing the real stories behind your mission, vision, and values makes your message memorable and creates genuine connections.
The Courage to Be You
One of the most powerful moments in our conversation was Lu Ann’s challenge to business owners who feel scared to put themselves out there in a real way: “If you’ve already decided to have a business, go all in on it. Honor yourself and honor your talent and your passion for this craft or skill that you have.“
She encouraged business owners to examine their “About” pages with brutal honesty. If the people who know you best wouldn’t recognize your voice and personality in the text—you’re not showing up as you.
“You cannot be safe on your website,” Lu Ann insisted. “You have to be fine with this is who I am. This is how I do it.“
The Takeaway
Lu Ann left us with this powerful takeaway…
“If you have a passion, a talent, a skill that the world needs to hear, needs to see, needs to experience—have the courage to tell us about it. Don’t be afraid, and then decide every day to do it again and again at the best you can. Decide to be excellent.”
For service-based business owners feeling overwhelmed by digital marketing, Lu Ann’s message offers a refreshing focus.
Before worrying about tactics and platforms, get crystal clear on who you are, what makes your approach valuable, and commit to consistently showing up as your real self.
You can find Lu Ann at luannigara.com and listen to her podcasts “A Well-Designed Business” and “Window Treatments for Profit” wherever you get your podcasts.
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