The OG Furniture Nerd Shares Her Secrets
In our recent podcast episode, we had the pleasure of hosting Dianne Murata, an interior designer and founding principal of Kimiko Designs. Dianne shared her journey almost working in a funeral home to starting Kimio Designs then establishing Kimiko Green, a testament to her determination and innovative approach.
Dianne's mission is to bring sustainability to the furniture industry, a task as inspiring as it is admirable. The conversation highlighted the power of recognizing individual capabilities and the unique culture of the furniture industry. She spoke about how acknowledging the individual strengths of her team members has been a cornerstone in shaping Kimiko Green's success story.
One of the standout features of Kimiko Green is its thriving remote work culture. Dianne shared insightful details on how she built this culture with intention. Her business partner, Ginger, and she take on the roles of a visionary and an integrator respectively. Their partnership and balance of roles have been pivotal in their business growth.
Dianne's business approach is centered on flexibility and work-life integration. Kimiko's flexible approach allows their team to operate from anywhere. The emphasis is not on creating a rigid work-life balance but integrating work into life so that both can coexist harmoniously.
The conversation then moved to sustainability and problem-centric approaches. Kimiko Green is not just about planning with sustainable furniture; it's about addressing a pressing problem in the furniture industry. They work with facility owners and managers to prevent furniture from ending up in landfills. The shift from a product-centric to a problem-centric approach has helped Dianne and her team meet their customers' needs effectively.
Kimiko Green's customer-centric approach has played a significant role in its rapid growth. In just two years, they have grown from a handful of clients to over a hundred. Dianne attributes this growth to their ability to understand and solve their customers' problems rather than just selling them a product.
Overall, Dianne's journey with Kimiko Green underscores the importance of a visionary-integrator dynamic, a thriving remote work culture, and a problem-centric approach in driving business growth. It also underlines the potential for businesses to play a pivotal role in driving sustainability and making a positive impact on the world.
The Kimiko Green story is a tale of vision, determination, and innovative problem-solving. It's an inspiring reminder that success in business is not just about financial growth, but also about making a positive impact on the world and creating a work culture that acknowledges and values individual capabilities.