Ep #282: Growing Through Referrals… An Interior Designer’s Story

Stacey Brown Randall: As a business owner, there’s nothing quite like the light bulb going off in your head that gives you the direction you need. I love Lacey’s story about her light bulb moment when it came to referrals. Check it out.

Hey there, and welcome to episode 282 of the Roadmap to Referrals podcast, a show about helping you build a referable business. I’m your host, Stacey Brown Randall. My journey from a business failure to a successful business now 10 years in, I know generating referrals naturally and consistently has made all the difference. Working with clients around the world, we leverage the science of referrals, protect relationships above all else, and help you build a referable business.

I am excited to welcome Lacey to our show today. You guys are going to love this conversation. I love how just like raw and honest and real she is about her thoughts regarding referrals before she started working with me inside my coaching program called BRB or Building a Referable Business.

So Lacey is a Houston interior designer. So she’s based out of Houston, Texas, and she specializes in curating comfortable and collected spaces. Lacey designs interiors that are stylish, crisp, and classic.

If you happen to see the image that accompanies this episode, so like if you go to our podcast page, StaceyBrownRandall.com/podcast, or some other places, it’ll pop up on social media, and you’ll see the image of the dining room for this episode, that is actually one of Lacey’s interior shots.

I said, why am I just finding a stock image of an interior designer’s space for this episode? Because it’s, you know, I’m interviewing an interior designer. I was like, why don’t you just give me one? So she did, and it’s fabulous. So I’m excited for you guys to meet Lacey.

Okay, so I’m not going to give some long in-depth introduction about all the things regarding her time with me in BRB, but I do just want to say she’s been in just a couple of months at the time of the recording of this episode, just under three full months.

So she’s going to share with you her thoughts on referrals, her thoughts on that perspective of not only just an interior designer, but also just a business owner as well, and the importance of knowing yourself, which I think is really key and some great advice that she gives. So without further ado, let’s dive in.

Thank you, Lacey, so much for joining me today on the podcast. I’m excited for us to have this conversation. But before we dive into all things referrals, why don’t you tell, I mean, I gave your official bio, but why don’t you give a little bit more information just about yourself and your company?

Lacey Michalek: Yeah, so I am an interior designer in Houston, Texas, and we specialize in residential design. And after a couple years of sort of doing all the different design things like new builds and remodels, I have sort of finally found my niche within the business.

And for me, that’s just those final layers of the furniture and the art and accessories. So the types of projects that we love to work on are like this new builds. We can come in and add character and personality. So yeah, so that’s what we do.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yes. You just come in and be like, let’s take down your Agreeable Gray and put something else up, right?

Lacey Michalek: Yes. Let’s, can we, we’ll do wallpaper here. Let’s switch out the lighting, minimal remodels and maximum, you know, character and personality. That’s what we like.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yeah, it’s, you know, and I’ve worked with a number of designers, and I think you guys are on some level, you’re kind of intimidating to work with like in my world because I’m like oh my gosh if Lacey saw my house, she’d be like, “Are you blind? Like, what is wrong with you?” And I’m just like, “I don’t know, did it look good in the catalog?” That’s the only way I can figure out how things work in my world.

But I also think just the work that you guys do is so incredible. And you’re, I mean, I think interior designers in general are like uniquely positioned because everybody sees what you do when they’re visiting the friend’s house that just had the work done, right? Like it’s so visual. You’re like a constant reminder to your clients and to the friends that they have over and things like that of the work that you do.

So you’re uniquely positioned from that referral perspective. But that doesn’t mean they just grow on trees and like fall off into your hands every time. It’d be nice if they did, but they don’t.

Lacey Michalek: No. And yeah, you know, you’re totally right. Like our work speaks for ourselves, speaks for itself basically, you know? So yes, if people can see our work in person, I think that’s like a referral in and of itself, but, but yeah, it doesn’t always work like that.

Stacey Brown Randall: Right. It’d be awesome if it did. I mean, you wouldn’t need me, which would make me sad because then we wouldn’t get to

Lacey Michalek:  No, we need you.

We wouldn’t get to work together. Okay. So let’s talk about that. Let’s talk about why referrals are so important to you and your business or just in business in general.

Lacey Michalek: I think, we work in a service-based industry and so much of that is word of mouth. So of course, when you, I know for myself like if I need something done to my house like I’m going to go to my friends first and say, who did you use, what nanny do you have, what housekeeper do you have, what plumber, like anything like that. You are always going to go to the people you know first before you hit Google.

And so I think referrals are so important because you want to be in the mind of those people because it’s just that trust. There’s like the instant trust. They may not even have seen your website, seen your Instagram, nothing. But if your friend vouches for you or someone you already trust vouches for you, I think it just gets you a little bit further in that process of getting people to know and trust you and want to work with you.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yeah, the statistic is actually, you’re like 70% more likely to say yes to working with someone if you’ve been referred to them, than if you’re just like, hey let me find you on Houzz or something like that, no matter how fantastic your work is, there’s so much more that goes into it beyond just a fantastic end result, right? It’s like everything about working with them. When you started thinking about referrals, like in your interior design business, you start thinking about referrals, a lot of people have like these sometimes wrong perceived notions of like, and they’re like, oh, referrals are scary or, oh, that’s awful because of what you have to do to get them.

But what were some of those preconceived notions that you had about referrals? Obviously now you think differently, but what were some like early on when you were thinking about, okay, I need to get some referrals in my business. Like what kind of feels did that bring up for you in terms of what that meant you were going to have to do?

Lacey Michalek: I think for me, honestly, Stacey, I was not thinking about referrals.

Stacey Brown Randall: Okay.

Lacey Michalek: I was not. And that’s, you know, part of the problem. I was not thinking about referrals until I received an amazing referral. But I know something for me was just like not really knowing how to ask for them, not wanting to feel salesy.

I would get referrals in the past and I was really only acknowledging them if they were turning into clients and that sort of thing. So really just they were not on my radar.

And so I really had no idea of how to ask for them or just even be top of mind of people. So I think that was probably my biggest misconception is I wasn’t doing anything to try to get them or foster them at all.

Stacey Brown Randall: You know, it’s funny, it’s like the one shows up in your lap and you’re like, Okay. Let’s make more of that happen.

Lacey Michalek: That’s exactly what happened. That is exactly what happened. And what was funny about that was the person who had referred me, this amazing client that turned into this amazing project, I didn’t even know her.

So she found me off of Instagram, but it just, it turned into the most amazing project. And that’s where I said, I gotta, like, I gotta, I need more of these. Then I heard you on a podcast. So I feel like it was very serendipitous that like, that was my, that was my next path really for the business.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yeah, I feel like most people will be like, I started thinking about referrals and then it’s like that saying, it’s like when the student is ready, the teacher will appear. Right? It’s like you got to a place you’re like, oh, wait, I need to pay attention to referrals differently. And I need to do something with that. And I need to get more of those.

And then I think it was LuAnn’s podcast, a Well-Designed podcast that you heard me on, I’ve been on her show a number of times.

Lacey Michalek: Yes.

Stacey Brown Randall: And I’m a coauthor and the first Power Talk Friday’s book that she did. I think she’s had another one out since then. So I do a lot in that space with her from a referral perspective, because she loves that I just teach it so differently than like that old way of people teaching referrals, like just go ask and beat people over the head and like constantly be asking them to give you referrals.

And I think it’s one of those situations for you. It’s like, the light bulb went off, and then you’re like, okay, now how do I do more? But I love that you were like, okay, let me just find someone to teach me.

Because you could have, you know, read a bunch of books, you could have tried to do some like, okay, let’s see, how are you doing it? You could have asked a bunch of people, right? Like, how are you doing referrals? You could have read a bunch of books, you could have gone to Google, you could have like Googled, like, okay, like, what is this all about?

But for you, it was a little bit of like, hey, I need to really take this to the next level. Like I want to make this, as you said, the next direction that my business is focused on from that perspective.

And so I love that that was, you got that referral, then you heard me on a podcast and you’re like, that prompted you to get started and working with me. So. I’m curious. So you’ve only been in a couple months. So this may be actually an unfair question.

Lacey Michalek: Okay.

Stacey Brown Randall: But I’m going to ask it anyway. What like aha moments do you feel like you’ve had since just like immersing yourself, whether it’s in the actual trainings that we have through our online portal and hearing me talk about things, whether it’s in the Growth by Referrals training, or the Referring Machines training, or the Referable Client Experience. I mean, that’s just three of the 19, obviously, that we have.

But what is it that’s been that aha moment for you? Or maybe it’s, yes, within the training, but it could just be participating in the Q&A calls that we have every week with the office hours that I provide to answer questions. What are some of those aha moments for you?

Lacey Michalek: Yeah, I feel like so many, honestly, even in such a short amount of time. But I think initially just working the program and having to look at those numbers, which for me, I’m someone who, you know, you hear a lot of different coaches and people saying like, know your numbers, know your numbers. And that’s always a scary thing.

But for this, to be able to really go back and say, okay, who’s reached out to me in the past year? Where did they come from? Because I have that capability on my website when people contact us, but I was not tracking that.

So I was not really using those numbers to see, wow, some of my really solid clients are referrals and I need to try to do more. So just to be able to know that and that just knowledge to move forward, that just gave me the confidence of I’m on the right track, you know, especially with the referral part of all this. I think there’s so many spokes in the marketing wheel and I think this really made me feel like I’m actually doing something productive and not just sort of like posting here or talking to this person here.

Like just, just the plan has been like, wow, this feels really good to have a solid plan. So that’s been great. I mean, I feel like every week I’m like, oh yes. Okay. I mean, there’s like questions and it’s, it’s great.

Stacey Brown Randall: I think that’s the thing that people don’t realize. They come to the Q&A the first couple of times to get their questions answered. And usually, your first 60 days in there, you got a lot of questions, like it just is what it is. Right. I mean, I know other people who’ve been in BRB for a long time. They know when someone’s new because you’ll just hear their name a lot. Because they’re asking a bunch of questions, which is exactly why it’s built the way that it’s built, because that’s how I remove roadblocks.

But I think as you’re starting to hear things differently and think about things differently, there is something to be said about hearing the attorney ask a question in a different way that you’re like, wait, I can do that in my interior design business.

Like there’s something to be said, I think about being in a community of business owners who all have the same philosophy around referrals and how we want to be able to generate them, but they’re in different industries.

And so I really feel like that people are able to like, kind of connect with people differently and like think about their referrals differently when they get different perspectives, different industries.

It doesn’t matter if it comes from the attorney or the interior designer or the CPA or the, you know, the marketing consultant or the financial advisor. It’s like, it’s that use of you guys all going through the same thing. I mean, not at the same time, but like going through the same thing and like hearing those kinds of things, it gets you thinking differently.

And I think that for me, it’s the biggest thing I always have to make sure people are on because it’s so easy to like default back into old ways of thinking and be like, we’re talking about that. Like we’re focused on this and like staying focused on that. And I think that’s the benefit of knowing that every week that’s why we’re there answering questions.

Lacey Michalek: Yeah. And I think like you just named so many people in professions that I work with as an interior designer. Like those are some of my ideal clients. So to be able to talk to people and yes, we all have some really similar questions about referrals, but also to be able to have that network of people to say, does this feel good to you? I have a client who’s also an attorney. Would that feel like, is that cheesy to you? Does that feel good? It’s just nice to be able to bounce things off of people and just have that support.

Because everyone, at the end of the day, we’re all just trying to get good quality clients and grow and support our business.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yeah, and like be able to work with the people that we want to work with.

Lacey Michalek: Yeah, exactly. Good quality clients.

Stacey Brown Randall: Good quality clients. The people we want to hang out with, right?

Lacey Michalek: Yeah.

Stacey Brown Randall: Absolutely. Okay, so I want you to tell the story, and I’m kind of putting you on the spot here, but I want you to tell the story about, so you’re going through one of the trainings, which we call Referring Machines, which the official title is, How to Turn Clients and Contacts into Referring Machines. Meaning, basically, how do you get people who’ve never referred you to start referring you.

So that’s one of the trainings that you went through because we knew not only did you have some referral sources, we needed more developed for you to hit growth numbers and things like that.

And so you went through that Referring Machines training and started like creating a list of people that you know as potential referral sources, people with the potential to refer you.

And I just want you to tell the story about the friend from high school who was also a builder, I think it was high school, maybe it was college, but the friend that you’ve known for years that’s also a builder and how just going through the process of Referring Machines got you to the place to have that, not that you couldn’t have that conversation with them, but it got you thinking differently and then what you walked away with after that conversation.

Stacey Brown Randall: Hey there, pardon the interruption. Sometimes you just know, and you know yourself. To make progress with referrals in your business, you shouldn’t go it alone. If you want to double, triple, or quadruple your referrals, then let me give you the roadmap and show you exactly how to do it.

Join me and Lacey, plus a couple of other dozen members inside the coaching program, Building a Referable Business. Find all the details of the program and the link to complete your application at StaceyBrownRandall.com/referable. That’s StaceyBrownRandall.com/referable. Complete your application today. Now, back to the episode.

Lacey Michalek: Yeah, definitely. Well, I will say like you have really changed my mindset on things too. So I was actually at a lighting store and I had run into him, you know, randomly. Did not know he was a builder, but he had his builder shirt on, and it was like, oh, so good to see you.

I was with some clients, and he was building his own home, and it was sort of like, hey, I’ll reach out. We’ll get in touch. And I’m not sure if I had started your program or not, but I was not really going to reach out, which is terrible. But I was kind of like, oh, I don’t know. What am I going to say? What am I going to do?

So first of all, the program helped me figure out like, what am I saying? What’s the verbiage that I want to say to him? So I did all that. I reached out. Would you want to get coffee? And he was like, oh, my gosh, of course. I would love to get coffee.

And it was great. We went and got coffee. And we just chatted about the industry. We’re the same age. We’re in similar spaces in our business, growth mode, I would say.

And, you know, just within the conversation, he said, I need to introduce you to my mom. My mom’s a real estate agent. And I was like, Oh, I think I knew that. And he was kind of trying to play it cool, but he was like, you know, she’s kind of a big deal in Houston. And I was like, Oh yeah, I mean, I would love to meet her.

So of course, when I get back, I get on our little like HAR. And of course, the homes she sells are like $4 million plus homes. She’s an amazingly accomplished real estate agent.

Stacey Brown Randall: She is kind of a big deal.

Lacey Michalek: Yeah, she’s actually kind of a big deal. And she’s very well known in the, you know, so of course I was like, oops, I probably should have known that.

But anyways, he ended up, he took the initiative, and he emailed us, he connected us, and we, you know, have set up a time to try to meet, to have coffee.

I would have probably never had access to her. and never even felt comfortable reaching out to her. It would have been like a cold reach out. And that’s, you know, that never feels good. So it was just so nice to connect with him. And then without even prompting him, being able for him to just be like, I want you to talk to my mom.

And in fact, he was like, the designer she’s used for forever just moved to San Antonio. So it was just such a nice opening and it, you know, didn’t feel cheesy, not salesy, because I didn’t have to say anything. We just were, you know, connecting.

He just had a baby. I have three little kids. So it was just like that easy, natural conversation. So, yeah, it blows my mind because I would have never probably even had the coffee with him.

Stacey Brown Randall: So it’s interesting because I think that the reality of it is, having the conversation with him and building and reestablishing that relationship are all things you are 100% perfectly capable of doing.

Lacey Michalek: Yes.

Stacey Brown Randall: But what you needed was the frame of mindset to be like, oh, wait, this is an opportunity, right? We call it sometimes ‘noticing our referral moments’. And I can’t teach every possible referral moment that every single business owner is going to come across, but I can try to help you understand, recognizing those moments when they do happen, and you being like, oh, yes.

So you would run into them, and then you started the program, and you started Referring Machines. And I remember you asking, like, should I circle back around? I’m like, yes, yes, yes, yes. You should circle back around and just be like, oh, things got busy, right? Like, let’s grab that coffee.

And what I love is not only like, then you had the structure for how to have that conversation and make it about him and like catching up and like, not about you. And not about the entire interior design business that you have. But of course, naturally that was going to come up in conversation because that’s how those things work.

When you put the other person first, then you get the connection to his mom, which is an ideal potential referral source for you. But the part you left out is that he also said, maybe you can help me with some spec homes, and I probably need you to come look at my own house.

So not only did he connect you with a really great potential referral source, he also has the potential to become a personal client, and then also quite possibly a business client that also refers the homes that he’s doing for folks as well. So it’s like the trifecta. It doesn’t always work that way.

Lacey Michalek: Yeah. It was a great meeting, for sure. Plenty of avenues. And we’ve known each other for so long, but I had no idea he was a builder, which means he probably had no idea that I was an interior designer.

But when it comes down to it, and he has a spec home, I’m sure he’s going to want to come work with me because we have a great connection and rapport. And why not work with people you know, rather than, oh, gosh, I need a designer to help me with this. So yeah, overall, it was great.

And I would say it’s just, the whole program has just pushed me out of that comfort zone of like, man, I don’t want to go get coffee. I haven’t seen him in, you know, a million years. That’s, you know, so uncomfortable. And it wasn’t uncomfortable. And it was lovely. And it has definitely pushed me.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yeah. And that’s good, a push in a good way.

Lacey Michalek: Oh my gosh. In a great way.

Stacey Brown Randall: In the best way possible.

Lacey Michalek: Yes. Yes. Because it’s making me realize how much of a connection and relationships you need with people. And I think, like you said, like I can handle it once I get there and you’re having the conversation.

I have the confidence in myself to do that, but it’s the push and the nudge of the, this is kind of how you can broach the initial meeting and the follow-up. And that gives me the confidence of like, I’m doing things right.

Stacey Brown Randall: You absolutely are. And it starts to build, right? I mean, you know, there are definitely people who come into our program and it’s like, it’s something was just perfectly aligned for them, for the light bulb to go off and for them to like tackle. And then something like that happens. That’s like amazing.

It doesn’t happen in your first like five days. Like, let’s be honest, right? I mean, these things take time. And I mean, every week that I see you when you submit questions, your questions are becoming, they’re becoming deeper, they’re becoming more thoughtful, they’re becoming more like, and it’s more like you’re leading with the solution that you think you should do versus the, ahh, what do I do?

You’re like, I think this is what I should do. And I’m like, yes, that’s what you should do. And let’s work on the language, right? Like you’re developing that skillset, which is most, most important, most definitely. So, and there’s, you have so much more time with me, so I can’t wait to see all the other wonderful things that will happen.

So if there’s an interior designer or, you know, heck just a business owner that’s listening to this episode right now, if there was anything you could tell them about why they should just go ahead and pull the trigger and join you inside the BRB coaching program, what would you tell them?

Lacey Michalek: I would say the support that you get is pretty unparalleled. Like the access that you have to Stacey is, I’ve not seen it in any other program. So the questions and the, just the weekly group calls, you know, Stacey’s like, email me, email me. There’s no like extra, you get one email a month and then you get that, you know, which, and I understand that’s other people’s business model, but what’s nice about Stacey is just, you have so much access to her.

So you can just brain dump emails to her and she’ll either say, I’m going to respond to this. I’m going to get back to you right now. Or, Hey, we’re going to talk about this in the group call. And you know, you get one once a week. So it’s just, you get so much support.

And for someone like myself, who needs a little bit of handholding on verbiage and just like she said, so many questions come up. So for me, it’s just like that access to you. And like, you just always know, oh yeah, say this. Oh yeah, do this. Oh, you want to, you know, things I wouldn’t be able to come up with on my own for sure.

So yeah, because I started with the trying to do the self and it was great, but I immediately thought, oh no, I need, I need more. I need someone to really like help me through this and get it established. So, so yeah, I would say the support is amazing.

Stacey Brown Randall: Yeah, I feel like you started with, I don’t know if it was GBR or Referring Machines and it was like before 30 days were up, you’re like nope nope, I want to, I want access, I want the handholding, I want you to tell me. I have way more questions than I want to post on like an online portal.

And so, and that’s, you know, there are people who go through any of my online programs, and they do it and they get what they need and it clicks for them and off to the races they go, which is great. And that’s what I want.

But the reality of it is, is you’re looking to make this more than just a strategy. You’re looking to make this a holistic viewpoint of what it looks like inside your business. And then when you brought on the right staff, you’re like, oh, now let’s develop my staff person to be able to do these things, to help me. Like you have that holistic perspective.

And no disrespect to any of my online programs, you just, you’re not going to get that unless you’re in the coaching program because, A) you have access to all the trainings, even though you don’t need them all, but also we talk about it holistically. We talk about the big picture.

And, you know, you were like, hey, can I have Savannah join me in the coaching calls? I’m like, yes, I actually encourage that. It would be crazy if she wasn’t there if you’re going to have her execute on something I’m teaching. Like, absolutely.

And so I want people to think about when they join BRB is that it’s not a tactic. It’s not one strategy. It’s not one script that you learn to say, and you can say it in every situation. Because that’s never going to be the case.

But it is a holistic way of thinking about running your business and just up leveling yourself as a business owner to notice moments, have strategies in place, and get support and help when you need it from team members that help you do all the things too. It’s like, it’s a way you run your business. It’s not just the, we have 40,000 processes and this is, referral is one of them. It’s much more than that.

Lacey Michalek: Right. I would agree. And I think just being able to talk about it every week really helps you change that mindset and start noticing. I just noticed myself have more of a referral and a marketing mindset in certain situations that I would have probably in the past just let them slide. But when it’s all about making connections, because for me, it was wanting to develop more referral sources. So that’s been my mindset first. So yeah, just being able to, as I’m meeting people, you know, kind of like clocking that and saying, okay, that might be a good connection. And I actually like this person. So, you know, it’s a win-win.

Stacey Brown Randall: It’s a win-win all around. But it’s funny. Because you say that, like your ultimate goal, your number one priority was, I need more people referring me.

But then I think about when you went through the Referable Client Experience program as well. And that is, yes, hoping like working clients through the potential to refer you, but not in the same targeted way that Referring Machines is.

But then I think about the stuff that you were able to do to up-level just your client experience and some of the things that you’ve got in place now that help you just deliver better, right? Just be a better business owner for people to hire in addition to also noticing those moments.

Like, I really should make people every month be like, write down all the things you learned how to do from BRB and like keep that running list because it grows and it grows and it grows.

And sometimes we forget what we’ve accomplished, but you have done a lot. You’ve accomplished a lot. You’ve had some big mindset shifts in a short amount of time. So I am so pleased that you heard me on LuAnn’s podcast and you joined the program.

I appreciate the opportunity to work with you. And I really appreciate how you’re like, just tell me what to say. And you’re like, open to the coaching. So thank you.

Lacey Michalek: Oh, yes. That’s why when I was doing the program, it was like, okay, this is great. But I think you also just have to know yourself. If you can take it and run with it, then more power to you. But I knew, no, I want to really be committed. And for me personally, to be able to do that, I really needed the support. And that’s exactly what I’m getting. So it’s been great.

Stacey Brown Randall: That is awesome. That is awesome. Okay. So please tell folks where they can find you if they are in your area. And they’re like, she sounds like the perfect interior designer for me.

Lacey Michalek: We are.

Stacey Brown Randall: Where can they find you?

Lacey Michalek: You can go to our website, which is LaceyMichalek.com, and Instagram for all the behind the scenes, all the pretty pictures is Lacey Michalek Interiors. So that’s the best way. Reach out through the website or just follow us.

Stacey Brown Randall: Perfect. And I will put both of those links in the show notes for this episode, because most people probably are not gonna be able to just spell your last name first shot.

Lacey Michalek: Yep.

Stacey Brown Randall: It’s kind of like spelling Stacey. At first shot, there’s a very good chance you’re going to forget the E.

Lacey Michalek: Yes. You will. So just click on it. Just scroll and click it and you’ll be fine.

Stacey Brown Randall: We’ll make it easy. We’ll put it in the show notes for this episode. Awesome. Well, Lacey, thank you so much for being here with me.

Lacey Michalek: You’re so welcome.

Stacey Brown Randall: I appreciate it.

Lacey Michalek: Of course. My pleasure.

Stacey Brown Randall: You may be just like Lacey. You landed here in my world because you received a referral, or maybe it was just a few, and it woke you up to the power of referrals.

If that is you, my friend, welcome. I’m so glad you’re here.

But you may be, unlike Lacey, in the fact that you knew all along you wanted referrals, and as many as you could get. And you’re here because you want to learn how to do it. Welcome to you too.

I loved listening to Lacey talk about also knowing herself. She was just like, hey. She did start out with the online version, like the self-study online version of one of the programs. And she was like, um, can I upgrade into the coaching program because I’m going to need some hands-on support? Which, of course, the answer to that is always yes, of course.

And what’s really cool, you can actually use your investment in that online program. You can use that investment and actually use that when you join BRB. So it’s not like you’re paying twice, which she and others that have done that have really appreciated. We just try to keep things easy and real.

So I hope you enjoyed listening to Lacey talk about not only what she learned, not only her light bulb moments, but also the, her knowing herself and knowing that she needed that support.

She also mentioned an activity or an exercise that she did when she first joined BRB. And that is one of the most powerful exercises you can do. And it’s called, what we call it internally, we call it ID’ing the Who. But it’s really how you identify if and who are your existing referral sources right now.

‘If’ being, do you have any? If you have people referring you right now, you’ll be able to identify them using the template that I provide. And you can snag it for free as well.

Just go to StaceyBrownRandall.com/existing. Or of course, you can click on it from the show notes page for this episode, which is StaceyBrownRandall.com/282. That’s 282 for episode 282. So you can get to it either way.

But this activity that Lacy talked about, which is kind of like, oh, it was like that moment of like, this is where I am, and kind of was like, oh, and this is what I need to improve. Because that piece of data, though it can be a beast, I’m going to be honest, depending on how long you’ve been in business and how maybe not so great your tracking is, as Lacey kind of talked about, it can be a little bit of a beast to do it. But once you do it, you’re able to see the reality, the data, the reality of your business.

And so I highly encourage you, just download for free the template that I give my clients and go through the process. It’ll walk you through. There’s a couple of tabs in the spreadsheet. It’ll walk you through what to do. The very first tab is like the instructions page. It’ll just walk you through what to do and just let it guide you through the process.

Don’t have to worry if you’re doing it right, if you got all the right steps. Did you miss anything? Just get my template. It’s the one thing everybody does. It’s the starting point for every single person when they join BRB is knowing at this moment, you’re all going through the same thing and that’s identifying your existing referral sources.

It helped Lacey quickly realize I’m going to need more people referring me when she did that work. And who knows what it’ll reveal to you as well. So please go ahead and grab that exercise and do it. I mean, don’t just grab the exercise. Don’t just download it and then let it collect digital dust. Please download the exercise and then do it. You’ll be very, very glad that you did.

Of course, all the resources that we’ve mentioned in this episode, and including how to connect with Lacey, can be found on the show notes page, which is StaceyBrownRandall.com/282. And that’s for episode 282.

Okay, so we’re back with another great episode next week, created with you and your needs in mind. Until then, you know what to do, my friend. Take control of your referrals and build a referable business. Bye for now.