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Dwayne Bergmann Interiors: Taking Risks & Tearing Down the Walls with Founder & Principal, Dwayne Bergmann
Episode Summary
Today Ted speaks with Dwayne Bergmann Interiors founder and principal, Dwayne Bergmann. Founded in 2013 and based in South Florida, with offices in Fort Myers and Naples, Dwayne Bergmann Interiors specializes in high-end residential, commercial and hospitality projects, from architecture and interors to full-service design-build, throughout the United States, Canada, South America and the Bahamas.
Episode Notes
Dwayne kicks off the conversation discussing his latest partnership with Italian marble company Kreoo (known as Decormarmi in Italy). Of this collaboration, he says, “We are reimagining how to use marble in a little bit more modern and slightly more sophisticated way.”
He also looks back on his good fortune, from growing up in the rural Midwestern U.S. to getting the opportunity to design and showcase a furniture line in Milan.
Dwayne goes on to speak on the under-appreciated power of listening to your gut as the creative process unfolds, why he never begins a project without speaking with the homeowner, why he sees himself as more of a “conceptual artist” than just an “interior designer”, and his entrepreneurial journey over the years.
Topics Discussed:
- [02:20] Dwayne on his collaboration with Kreoo (known as Decormarmi in Italy)
- [07:32] Creatively interpreting what owners want (and don’t know they want)
- [12:26] Trusting the creative process
- [17:54] Preparing for and dealing with massive failure
- [21:48] The power of an authentic brand
- [25:53] Vetting clients
- [28:57] Ensuring that a design exceeds expectations all the way through the process
- [37:36] Dealing with owners’ reps
- [42:11] How Dwayne bounced back from his biggest personal failure
- [43:51] The next five years for Dwayne
- [53:05] Dwayne’s entrepreneurial drive over the years
- [56:35] How Dwayne instills a sense of self-worth in his kids
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Key Quotes by Dwayne:
- The beautiful part about being a creative individual is you get to see things that most people would see, but for some reason, we’re blessed to see them from a different perspective.
- When it comes to design, I have to feel it. If I don’t feel it, then it’s not right, and we just keep pushing until it feels right.
- My goal on every house is to deliver to the homeowner not only everything that they wanted, but everything that they didn’t know they wanted, as well.
- Failure is an option; but, when you fail, fail quickly, document every single thing about that process, educate yourself so you don’t fail in the same way again, and get back on the bike and go at it.
- It’s not just about a client that wants to hire you; but, it’s about having the right client for the way we do business, as well.