Dan Roberge
Nice to meet you, Carly. Where do you work? What do you do?
Carly Lindsay
So I work for custom home interiors by Obvious Advantage. I'm the program success manager there. So I deal mostly with all the sales and business development for the company. So I'll be the front face a lot of the time. I'll deal with clients, help them select furniture for retirement homes, businesses, multi residential buildings, model homes. So we basically act as a B2B buyer and solution for businesses and such like that. Give them access to wholesale pricing, and let them be kind of independent in a world where they wouldn't get that kind of a pricing normally, and just be their help for that kind of stuff.
Dan Roberge
So do you help design as well?
Carly Lindsay
Yeah. So we also have a design background as well. So we can kind of assist you with the selections from our suppliers, if you would like us to offer. If you're the designer and you've got it, we'll just help you find the pieces, source them, and then bring them to your project so that your renderings can actually come to life, and they're not just stuck in the rendering process.
Dan Roberge
Nice, nice. So what's like the minimum, let's say, design? Is it one room you would do or you need like a whole floor? Like what's the minimum kind of layout typically that you would accept?
Carly Lindsay
It depends kind of on the client. So we'll do anything from just a one bedroom to a bachelor suite, and we'll do an entire new home build. So we'll do the amenity spaces, common dining, all the lounges. We'll do the model. We'll fill out a whole tender for them.
Dan Roberge
Oh wow. So now what's your background like? How did you get involved in this, and is it a design background, or what do you do?
Carly Lindsay
So it's kind of a mix of things. So with the sales side I used to actually sell powerboats. So that's also where I discovered my passion for interior design, because when I got there, by the time we were in the boat and picking the finishes, how you want the seats to look, what kind of decals you want on the side. That's where I got really excited, not the motors. So that's where I was like, okay, I need to do Homes and Interiors because I love color, textures, patterns, things that make people excited. Yeah. So then from there I did some schooling and such like that, but mostly actually with a marketing with my marketing degree. Just did a couple of courses into design and then went managed a furniture store for a couple of years, got that kind of wherewithal to know what people like, how people shop, how the industry kind of works, and how to talk to people with furniture. And then from there, honestly, it was during Covid times, and selling furniture during Covid. People wanted it, but it was hard because you can't go to the home. People can't see the stuff. You're forever just chasing it. So this job I saw actually popped up where it was more commercial side than residential, and that's where I was like, okay, I could sell 20 sofas instead of one sofa at one time. Let's do that. Why didn't I do this before? And then I started noticing too, when you start walking into buildings and stuff everywhere, every building has furniture. Someone put that there, someone brought that there. It's not just furniture in homes. There's so many possibilities. So it was really exciting.
Dan Roberge
What are some of the trends that you've noticed have changed? Let's say even in the recent years in furniture, has there been like is it like fashion? You know, this, this year it's this. What kind of things change?
Carly Lindsay
Definitely. So say like ten years ago, we were in the gray slate tones. Everything was millennial gray. So we're just different types of gray tones and whites, and such like that. Now we're entering a retro era, where people are really trying to bring back that 70s oranges, blues, bubbles and curves, not grays and straight edges anymore. So definitely quite a lot like fashion where we're cycling again. Right? So now we're bringing the 70s back alive, and then soon we're going to hit the 80s. Chrome is going to start coming back at us. And we're all going to be like, whoa!
Dan Roberge
That's awesome. I love the passion you have for this. So what is the process for a home if they want to get your services, like what did they do, and how do you know from the start from design all the way to actually delivering the furniture?
Carly Lindsay
Yeah. So it generally starts by reaching out to me, just sending me an email or phone call, and letting me know what project you're looking on, what you're liking, what you want. Send me an inspo piece. We just basically start talking and getting into it. And if I get out what you want, what you like, what's going to make you feel good in your design. Because environments can also really rain on mental health in a positive way. So if we bring it in positively from the start, it's pretty great that way. So basically you just email me or call me, we'll find out what you're needing, what you're wanting, what design style you're going with. Then I take that back to my team. We have an internal meeting. We come up with a game plan for you, and then we work on that. We source our vendors. I provide you back with a quote. You give me feedback and notes. I take that back to my team one more time based on what you're liking, what you're not, we'll bring it back again. We'll do as many revisions as possible until we get what you want. And then from there, we sign off. I have a whole delivery crew of my own that shows up and does the installs as well. So you're always getting guys that care for furniture, not just like a Costco delivery service. Very, very different. You get that white glove treatment with all the furniture and stuff from me, and then I'll come and usually do a site walk at the end. I'll just double check that you're also happy with everything too.
Dan Roberge
That is amazing. Where do people find out more about your company?
Carly Lindsay
So they could go on Obvious Advantage. That's our website. That's where you'll find my contact info. And you can also look at my LinkedIn page, Carly Lindsay I get a lot of contact with that just because we deal with a lot of business owners and such like that too. Sometimes that's just a nice way for them to see who they're reaching out to, and what they're getting.
Dan Roberge
That's amazing, and it'd be a great, fun experience to deal with your company because you're a fun person, so that's great. Thank you very much for talking to me.
Carly Lindsay
Thank you, Dan.
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