Episode 25 - Collaboration, Gratitude & Legacy: The Nancy Jacobson Story

Transcript

00:00
Wendy: [Music] Oh, here we are. Powerhouse smart friends and colleagues. Another episode of our Powerhouse Cool Collabs podcast. And today I once again am graced with such beautiful lovely people in my life that are also Powerhouse Cool Collab leaders. That means they believe in collaboration.

00:35
Wendy: They live with an attitude of gratitude and they believe in giving back and helping humanity. So today's guest is a colleague of mine for many years and, you know, we've just built our relationship and we weave in and out all of those pillars under the Powerhouse Cool Collabs. So happy to have her here and, as you know, this is a commutable 20 minutes. So I want my guest to have as much air time as possible. So I'm going to turn over the microphone and invite my dear friend Nancy Jacobson to share your story.

01:11
Nancy: Hi Wendy, thanks so much for having me. So, I have been a member of Powerhouse now, I think for about 10 or 12 years. Powerhouse has been a wonderful, wonderful organization for me. I started my company 20 years ago. But the way I got into kitchen and bath design was kind of a long and winding road. The long and short story is, when I went to college, I was intending to major in interior design.

01:32
Nancy: And what happened was one requirement was chemistry. I didn't get chemistry. I was having a lot of fun my first semester in college. I didn't know at the time you could take classes at a junior college where it would be easier. So, let's just say I didn't do well and I changed my major to business and that was the end of interior design for me for a long time.

01:54
Nancy: When I graduated college, I worked in corporate America. I worked for AT&T and the Bell System, which was actually an amazing place to work at the time because you might remember that the Justice Department made the Bell system split up. And so I worked there during devastation. I worked during a huge tumult and I survived a lot of change and trying to change the culture of an organization.

02:36
Nancy: Every year there were layoffs and it was quite a bit. But I also learned the value of long-term relationships. As much as I always wanted to get back to interior design, I would meet interior designers and say, "Can you go to coffee?" And I would network with them, even though communications wasn't necessarily my passion. I really did learn a lot there. Developing long-term relationships was what I learned from that.

03:19
Nancy: Fast forward years later, I was remodeling my house and doing a major addition, and I truly fell in love with—I just loved the blueprints somehow. The way it worked with my brain—I could just visualize things. I can't even explain it. I just fell in love with it.

03:43
Nancy: So I went to work in the industry. I went to work for someone who was a kitchen and bath dealer in Highland Park, and he had been in the industry for a long time. He taught me all the technical aspects of kitchen and bath design. So really, in a way, I'm self-taught. I have not gone to a formal program for kitchen and bath design.

04:02
Nancy: Fast forward a few years, I had developed some great accounts with custom home builders. And the person I worked for—there were some issues between him and his vendors. One of the builders came to me and said, "Nancy, we love working with you, but we don't love who you work for. If you want to go out on your own, we'll follow you. But if not, we're leaving."

04:43
Nancy: So I made the decision to go out on my own. And that's how I founded Kitchen Design Partners. The name of Kitchen Design Partners is essentially our core principle, and that is that we collaborate on every project that we do. The homeowner is in the center and is surrounded by different design-build professionals who support them through the process.

05:05
Nancy: Every project we collaborate, which is partially why Powerhouse is so powerful to Kitchen Design Partners and to me. Whether we are brought in by a homeowner, an architect, or an interior designer, we love the collaboration process. Part of the collaboration process is knowing how to communicate, work as a team, and never finger-pointing. That is among the core principles of Kitchen Design Partners.

05:47
Wendy: Wow. So you said so much and I was already like jumping in in my mind of all the things I want to backtrack. Let me backtrack on a couple things. First, for those who haven't watched our podcast, Powerhouse Smart is our education membership community. Many of you probably know that already. That's how you might have found this.

06:03
Wendy: I also do recruiting in our industry. Nancy and I first met through mutual friends not even in the industry who said, "Wait, Wendy, you've got this community and our really dear friend Nancy just started her own business. You might really benefit from meeting each other." Well, Nancy and I met, we fell in love, and since then she has been a big part of my life.

06:37
Wendy: One of the things you said, Nancy, which kind of shocks me, is that you weren't formally trained in kitchen and bath design, but it was more hands-on. Because you are, in my mind, the kitchen guru, you understand all the technical details. I always tell everyone: if you're going to design a kitchen and you care about knowing where things are going to be, Nancy is a miracle worker. Not only technical, it's gorgeous and livable. You can live in your kitchens.

07:17
Wendy: I've personally been in her showroom while she's talking with clients and I've heard her say, "Tell me how you entertain. How many people come over? How often?" She's really putting herself in your shoes. I've referred a gazillion people to you. I love you. You are unique in that.

07:51
Wendy: And what I also love—when I first met you, you said, "My company is Kitchen Design Partners." I believe in collaboration, and I thought, "Wow, we speak the same language."

08:07
Wendy: Coming from a corporate career and leaving to follow your passion—you're sharing it with everyone. Amazing. How old were you when you left AT&T or the Bell Corporation?

08:43
Nancy: I was probably about 40.

08:45
Wendy: Wow, that's a big jump. How did that feel, leaving your career and learning something brand new in kitchen and bath technical design?

09:00
Nancy: Well, I found a person in the industry who would teach me all the technical aspects. Over time, I realized he didn’t have the attention to detail that my brain processes. So I learned most of the technical skills from a custom cabinet maker I worked with for many years.

09:46
Nancy: There’s a ton of technical detail. Over the past 24–25 years, mentoring has been key. Two of my newer women designers learn through hands-on projects because it's difficult to visualize these three-dimensional details in advance. You learn by mistakes too. My skills have evolved; I can now do more complicated projects.

10:47
Nancy: Initially, a lot of business came from custom home builders. Kitchens were generally large with islands. These semi-custom homes gave me room to hone my skills.

11:11
Wendy: Right, because you got variety. That’s what I love about Kitchen Design Partners. Everyone, you'll have all Nancy’s links below. Her showroom is in Northbrook, easy to access, and it’s a boutique experience.

11:59
Wendy: Let's go back to mentoring. Would you say the majority of Kitchen Design Partners’ success was built on collaboration? Who do you collaborate with?

12:18
Nancy: Absolutely. About 50% of our business comes from relationships we’ve developed. An architect may refer a project to me, always leaving the homeowner’s choice to work with us. Interior designers may bring in clients for quick collaboration meetings. Builders, interior designers, and architects continue to collaborate with us.

13:36
Nancy: The other side of our business is homeowners who find us via referral or online. We have excellent reviews. We are not a cookie-cutter showroom; we’re super detailed. We get to know homeowners and design kitchens perfectly suited to them.

14:20
Nancy: Our showroom is by appointment. Meetings can take 2.5 hours to go through every detail. Walk-ins wouldn’t allow that focus. Collaboration means letting everyone shine—architects, designers, builders—so clients get the best outcome.

15:29
Wendy: Two and a half hours of care and listening—that’s amazing. You can’t take everyone, but you continue to grow, add people, and live that collaborative, open-minded relationship.

16:04
Nancy: Thank you. A lot of younger people don’t know there’s a career in kitchen and bath design. Many of my current designers transitioned from other careers after doing their own projects.

16:55
Wendy: The second pillar under Powerhouse Cool Collabs is living with an attitude of gratitude. How do you feel waking up every morning?

17:12
Nancy: I tend to obsess about projects while working. Every morning I’m excited, have my coffee, and check email by 6:30. I think about kitchens throughout my day—it’s like a puzzle I love figuring out. Creative and analytical minds thrive in kitchen and bath design.

18:17
Wendy: You’re celebrating living your dream. What are you doing to celebrate your milestone?

18:39
Nancy: We’re running a social media campaign—20 days counting down memories. Our celebration is October 17th, 2:30–5:30 pm. We’re inviting industry partners, current and previous clients, and local entrepreneurs to showcase their work.

19:26
Nancy: Collaboration is key. Everyone brings expertise. At our celebration, we’ll have an expert panel: interior designer, builder, cabinet person, appliance person. They’ll discuss changes over the past 20 years and the future.

20:21
Wendy: That’s going to be fun! 20 years ago, there was the planning desk—so interesting to see the evolution.

20:52
Wendy: You’re generous, inviting everyone you’ve worked with, past and present. Builders and architects sing your praises—40% of your business is referrals.

21:23
Wendy: Just this morning, I ran into a previous client while at physical therapy. These experiences show the neighborhood, personal connection, and long-term relationships you build.

22:54
Wendy: You’re a perfect mentor for anyone in kitchen and bath design. Architects and interior designers often refer clients who need specialized expertise.

23:26
Wendy: I always end my podcast with a question: How would you define a well-lived life?

23:52
Nancy: A well-lived life is value-based. Personally, I have a wonderful family and husband. Professionally, accomplishment is important. Employees should love working here while family comes first. For example, our marketing person in Missouri cares for her wheelchair-bound husband, and I enable her to work remotely. Values and gratitude matter.

26:15
Wendy: Absolutely. You’ve shown that over and over. Kitchen Design Partners thrives on culture, balance, and mentorship.

27:03
Wendy: Thank you, Mrs. Jacobson.

Nancy: Thank you, Wendy. I love you too.

27:19
Wendy: Thank you all for being part of our podcast today. Visit Nancy at Kitchen Design Partners and check all her links. See you at the next episode.

Nancy: Bye, Wendy.

Wendy: Bye everybody.