Episode 5 - The Truth of Explosive Growth and Staring on a Netflix Show: Authenticity, Tenacity, and Patience with Karin Bohn

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Meet Karin Bohn, the founder and creative director of House of Bohn Design Studios. From starting in 2009 and now with 12 years of business under her belt, Karin has had quite the journey. She started from scratch and scaled her business with a lot of tenacity and patience, along with the drive to remain authentic. The struggle was worth it as she now has starred in a Netflix Show, Restaurants on the Edge and has a growing YouTube channel.

Key Takeaways:

  • Challenges were always abundant in her business as she wondered if she was the only one struggling in business since no one told her about their struggles at events.

  • The things no one tells you when you start a business, i.e. when you finish a project, another one won’t automatically be lined up. There are aspects of sales, strategizing, negotiating, planning, and more that needs to happen along with the work.

  • This need for authenticity in entrepreneurship led Karin to start a YouTube channel and as a consequence, things started to take off.

  • Self-sabotage and the fear of success in building your business – the need to be emotionally and mentally ready for the next level of your business.

  • Success came to her through years of hard work, hustling, and building connections, not just people noticing her YouTube channel and a random call out of the blue.

  • Patience is key through building a business, such as thinking in year one of your business that you should be successful is ridiculous. You are successful in year one if people know that you are offering something!

  • Making money and/or wanting status in building a business is the wrong way to go as an entrepreneur.

  • When you look closer and learn more about a business owner, you learn what they have gone through. Therefore, there’s no need to feel jealous or intimidated towards anyone. 

  • Karin’s advice to new entrepreneurs: 

    • try not to overthink it

    • action is key; great ideas mean nothing unless you execute 

    • execution is one foot in front of the other

    • it doesn’t have to be perfect

    • keep moving and allow the evolution

    • know that it is going to take way longer and be way harder than you think

    • the power of being adaptable as there are many things that can come up without you knowing until it happens

  • Karin’s 2020:

    • TV launch plans scaled back, super anti-climactic year

    • Marketing, marketing, marketing – this happens in good times and bad

    • Build up media team and be able to grow in COVID on the interior design side

    • Focused on keeping team employed and has accomplished this and even added new people

    • Practised being agile 

  • Karin’s proudest moment:

    • Building her team – the culture of the company is a work-family

    • Becoming a better boss

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Danielle Wiebe