My Favorite Mistake: Learning Without Blame in Business and Leadership Interior Design Mistakes and a Secret Service Encounter with Shirley Novack
Episode page with transcript, video, links, and more
My guest for Episode #209 of the My Favorite Mistake podcast is Shirley Novack, Owner and Interior Designer at her firm, S. Novack and Assoc.
She originally graduated with a degree in Laboratory Science. After marrying and having three children, she went back to school and has run her successful interior design business for almost 40 years.
As a first generation daughter of Polish/Russian parents, she has recently published her first book, a Historical Fiction novel called The Story Of… — This book is loosely based on the life of her father, a Russian immigrant…
In this episode, Shirley shares her favorite mistake story about being in the wrong place at the wrong time — taking a wrong turn in a van at Boston's Logan Airport and getting surrounded by Secret Service. We also discuss her novel and mistakes made running her interior design company, and more.
Questions and Topics:
- Not the only time she was suspected of being a terrorist?
- Was getting that degree as a medical technologist a mistake?
- Your initial message to me said, “still running my design practice trying to keep from making any more mistakes.”
- Do you have methods for trying to prevent mistakes? Or prevent repeats?
- Also said, “making mistakes is human, as long as I'm not the surgeon operating on the wrong appendage.” It’s good to remember that right?
- David Mayer, MD — Episode 70
- Dealing with mistakes that employees might make?
- Her “most expensive mistake…” in the interior design business
- Firing her officer manager of 20 years — why?
- Interior design mistakes that clients are driving??
- Is the customer always right?
- Tell us about the book… what inspired you?
- What’s a “Hybrid publisher”?
- Next book? – working on the next one…