Welcome to the show! Today we are very happy to introduce you to Vincere, an influential, Chicago-based, full-service interior design firm,  founded in 2007 by Micheal Stornello and Tom Konopiots. Vincere is a business fully committed to the principals of precision, proportion, scale, and form. They have completed projects throughout the Midwest, California, and Europe and their wide range of enterprises include everything from the pre-construction stage, through the interior design phase, to the acquisition and placement of the art and accessories. The team at Vincere firmly believe that the key to success lies in careful listening and clear communication. Join us on the show today to find out what Michael and Tom have to share with you. Both Tom and Michael have very strong business backgrounds. Michael used to be in the television industry where he served as executive vice president, development, for King World Productions (now CBS Television Distribution). Tom was previously COO and CEO of two futures brokerage companies. Listen in today to find out how their previous business experience has informed the way that they run their full-luxury interior design business. Show highlights: Some background on Mike and Tom's previous careers. How their shared passion brought them to start an interior design business. How they learned their design skill set through their real-life experience. Some of the mistakes they made and lessons they learned through trial and error. Creating impact for their clients and closing deals with three-dimensional floor plans. The way that they work with their vendors and contractors using 3-D models. The importance of being well-prepared and paying close attention to detail. All their clients are really value-conscious, regardless of their wealth. Their approach to addressing budget-related issues with their clients. The way that technology helps them to overcome certain client issues. Managing a million-dollar budget so that it looks like a million-and-a-half-dollar budget. They are fully transparent with their clients, in terms of the cost of things. In certain circumstances, it's necessary to tell the client that they're not the right fit. Avoiding traps and pitfalls with clients and adding the appropriate markup. Creating the kind of contract that can be put away and not thought about again. Finding the right balance within a partnership. Links: Website - Vincere Facebook - Vincere Instagram - Vincere Interiors Previous episodes mentioned on the show: Sandra Espinet #287 Fred Berns #289 Chris Raney #345