Creative Business Mindset™ | Episode 4 Building a Business with an Exit Strategy – Interview with Tanya Nazariya

 How to Start and Scale Your Home Staging Business

Host: Joké Durojaiye
Guest: Tanya Nazaria, Founder of Brilliant Staging and Home Design

Episode Highlights:
Introduction to Tanya’s Journey

1. • Tanya shares her unexpected path from law enforcement to home staging, starting Brilliant Staging in Seattle, and recently selling it after eight years.
   • Background in business, marketing, and accounting set Tanya up for success, helping her transition into a new industry.
2. The Unexpected Start in Staging
   • Tanya’s passion for design was discovered as she staged her own home for sale, receiving overwhelming positive feedback.
   • After quitting her job and researching home staging, she decided to start the business, focusing on growing her skills and learning along the way.
3. Key Advice for Aspiring Stagers
   • Understand your “why” before starting a staging business. Decide if you want to focus on design or on running and growing a business.
   • Emphasizes that staging can be a creative career without owning a business by working for established staging companies.
4. Importance of an Exit Strategy
   • From the start, Tanya planned to build a sellable business, structuring processes and systems to support an eventual handover.
   • Highlights the difference between running a business and creating a job for oneself, emphasizing the value of becoming an absentee owner.
5. Building Operational Systems
   • Documenting processes, creating standard operating procedures (SOPs), and planning for scalability.
   • Intellectual property, branding, and team building as foundational aspects that support smooth operations and eventual sale potential.
6. Challenges in Selling a Business
   • Professional appraisal helped Tanya understand the market value of her business, balancing emotional attachment with realistic numbers.
   • Insight into how assets, inventory, and intellectual property are valued differently by buyers and brokers.
7. Navigating Emotional and Practical Hurdles
   • Tanya explains the importance of detaching emotionally and focusing on profitability to attract buyers.
   • Leveraging intellectual property, unique branding, and explaining these aspects directly to potential buyers to convey business value beyond the numbers.
8. Building a Reliable Team
   • Discusses the significance of hiring team members who share the business vision and contribute positively, sharing insights on making difficult personnel decisions when necessary.
   • Tips for finding employees who bring fresh ideas and support growth, reinforcing that staging businesses cannot thrive alone.
9. Fun Closing – To Chop or Not to Chop?
   • Tanya and Joké share a fun, light-hearted debate on the popular design question: “To chop or not to chop pillows?” Both agree – they’re on Team Chop!
10. How to Connect with Tanya
    • Tanya now offers business consulting services to help other home stagers plan and execute an exit strategy for their businesses.
    • Find Tanya’s services at NazariaDC.com.
      
      

Key Takeaways:

• Approach your staging business with an end in mind; have a clear exit strategy, whether it’s selling, handing down, or retirement.
• Building a sustainable business requires well-documented processes, a reliable team, and strategic growth.
• When selling, focus on bottom-line profitability and market valuation while also emphasizing the unique brand and systems you’ve created.
  
  

Quotes from the Episode:

• “Know your ‘why’ before starting a business – are you in it to stage or to build a business?”
• “Hiring the right people is crucial; one good team member can elevate the business, while one wrong hire can bring it down.”
  
  

Connect with Us:

• Follow Joké and the Business of Home Staging Podcast for more insights and inspiration.
  
  

What is Creative Business Mindset™ ?

Welcome to the Creative Business Mindset podcast, where creativity meets business strategy, and passion turns into profit! Hosted by Joké Durojaiye, a busy mom of three and serial entrepreneur, the podcast delves into the raw realities of building a business and navigating life.

I help creative entrepreneurs make money doing what they love—without working around the clock or losing themselves in the process. If you're ready to stop winging it and start building a business that supports your life, not the other way around, you're in the right place.

Welcome to Creative Business Mindset. Where creativity meets business strategy and passion turns into profit. I'm Joké Durojaiye: mom of three, serial entrepreneur, and someone who's lived the real, messy middle of building a business. This podcast goes beyond the highlight reel and gets into the honest truths, the fear, fatigue, freedom, and fulfillment that come with growing something real.

We’re not chasing overnight success here. We're building sustainable, purpose-driven businesses that actually work for your life. Whether you’re a home stager, designer, or multi-passionate creative, expect clear strategies, candid stories, and practical tools to help you attract high-value clients, earn consistent income, and grow without burnout.

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Disclaimer: Creative Business Network™ does not guarantee specific results and is not responsible for any losses from using the information provided. The content reflects the experiences and insights of the host and guests and is not intended as financial, tax, legal, or professional advice. Listeners should conduct their research and consult qualified professionals as needed.