TDM - Heather Osmond
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George Wright III: [00:00:35] Welcome back to The Daily [00:00:40] Mastermind. George Wright III with your daily dose of inspiration, motivation, and education. We're in the [00:00:45] studio with Heather Osman. I'm so glad you're here. Thank you. It's good to have you. This is so much fun. [00:00:50] Thanks to you so much. You know, we're gonna be talking about everything from women in business, to your entrepreneurial [00:00:55] journey, to all the amazing things that you have happening.
But for those of you that don't know Heather, I'm gonna give you a quick [00:01:00] introduction. So she's the founder of Osman Designs, which is actually, um, not just furniture, [00:01:05] interior design, but we'll talk about a bunch of other things. Um, CEO of Best of State, [00:01:10] um, host of the KSL Real Estate Show. So she's got everything from retail, [00:01:15] design, media, business leadership.
You're now speaking. Um, just, uh, a- I'm on this [00:01:20] podcast with you ... yeah, and a mother of four- Yeah ... who's built a business around that, and now creating [00:01:25] a life which is, um, in my opinion, building success on your own terms. So I love it. So [00:01:30] thank you so much for being here. Thank you so much for the opportunity and the invite.
Heather Osmond: I cannot tell you how [00:01:35] excited I am to meet you and to be part of your organization and really- Oh, say that shit. Thanks. Well, [00:01:40] I, I thought before we got together, what do we wanna cover in this podcast that would give the most value for our audience, which [00:01:45] is founders and entrepreneurs and business owners, and there's so many ways we can go.
George Wright III: And I [00:01:50] usually don't spend a lot of time on, you know, the journey of entrepreneurs, but I think it is [00:01:55] such a big deal with you because most of the successful businesses you've done, you've done out [00:02:00] of either need or identifying opportunity. So I would love if you would just kinda share [00:02:05] a little bit of your journey, because you can help us to understand what got you into real estate, what got you [00:02:10] into design, what got you into Best of State.
And if you'll do that, then once we have that, I can [00:02:15] really kinda dig into some strategies and principles I think you can help our audience with. So- Let's do it. [00:02:20] Yeah. So start back with the beginning because you, um, were a mom, and that was your main goal, [00:02:25] right? Absolutely, yes. I'm a Utah girl. Born and raised Utah girl.
Heather Osmond: Provo High [00:02:30] girl. Uh, g- graduated from Provo High, went to BYU, and then got married, [00:02:35] right? The typical BYU story. Got married, and we made a big move to Orem. So we [00:02:40] wanted to purchase our first home, which was great. Okay. However, we did not have a down [00:02:45] payment, so I decided, I have some time, I can become a real estate agent, and [00:02:50] that will give us our 3% commission that we need to do that.
So we purchased our first home for [00:02:55] $103,000. We lived in the basement and rented out the entire [00:03:00] upstairs while mortgage payment. And it was slums. I mean, it was not any- It wasn't your [00:03:05] dream home, for sure, right? Not our dream home. It was definitely a stepping stone. In fact, [00:03:10] the basement was unfinished.
And so my husband at the time, he didn't know anything about [00:03:15] construction, and it was a lot of blood, sweat, and tears. We actually [00:03:20] purchased rental cabinets, old, used carpet. Oh, just to upgrade. You know, [00:03:25] all the things. Used upgrades. You know- Yeah, those ... that they're really bad when they're coming out of a rental [00:03:30] property, and we bought them and repainted them and, and we loved it, and it was fantastic.
So those were [00:03:35] the humble beginnings of our real estate journey. Then we went on to purchase another one and another one and another [00:03:40] one. At the time, we actually owned 33 rental properties. [00:03:45] Wow. So we were, we were real estate moguls, uh, slumlords, [00:03:50] you know, all the things, but we loved it. And we knew that that was the [00:03:55] goal and the vehicle to get us where we ultimately wanted to be.
At the time, we were having kids, [00:04:00] and we were moving a lot. Yeah. Uh, we did a lot of things that other people wouldn't be willing to [00:04:05] do so that we could be where we wanted to be financially, you know, down the road, [00:04:10] and we got tired of doing that. You know, you get the, the midnight phone calls, my [00:04:15] toilet's plugged, or this isn't working.
The landlord calls. Landlord calls that we all hate, [00:04:20] and we were the property managers. And so my husband one day just said, "I hate this. Let's sell [00:04:25] them all. I really am passionate about assisted livings." So we sold them all. [00:04:30] We ended up buying our first assisted living. Wow. Then our second, then our third.
At [00:04:35] one point, we owned five assisted livings, and this was before COVID, and they [00:04:40] were almost all full with waiting lists. I mean, it was a great- Yeah ... time to be an assisted living [00:04:45] owner. Were you just teaching yourself along the way? I mean, grow- growing up, were you kind of entrepreneurial or [00:04:50] not? Was it out of full necessity you decided to really pivot into entrepreneur-type [00:04:55] stuff on the side, side hustles?
Yeah. So my mom actually was an entrepreneur. My dad was an [00:05:00] entrepreneur. My dad was a firefighter for Provo City and always had a side gig, just [00:05:05] like most firefighters- Yeah ... and police officers do, and his was used car salesman. [00:05:10] So he owned a, a used car dealership with some friends, and that was always fun watching my [00:05:15] dad on the weekends do that.
My mom actually started a [00:05:20] Franklin planner-type idea- Wow ... and would sell them out of her trunk. So she [00:05:25] made notebooks with calendars and binders, and really was a, a mom organization [00:05:30] tool. She actually sold hot cocoa out of the truck. Wow. Those are, those are real [00:05:35] entrepreneur- It was ... right there. So you had a bit of a foundation, and when you wanted to be a mom and you're like, "How do I afford [00:05:40] this and get a house and things?"
George Wright III: This was not foreign to you, but it was something you had to juggle, right- Oh- ... as a mom ... for [00:05:45] sure. No, and I think you have to have money so that you can take care of your needs. And my [00:05:50] parents were very, very hard workers, and I learned my work ethic 'cause of definitely my [00:05:55] har- my parents' hard work, and I really appreciate that.
Heather Osmond: My parents actually went on to own the [00:06:00] Hines Mansion Bed and Breakfast- Oh, wow ... which is right there located Provo Center [00:06:05] Street, and they renovated that entire thing after my dad uh, retired from being a [00:06:10] firefighter. So I'm really proud of them and their journey. They sold that, went on three LDS missions.
My parents are the [00:06:15] best of the best. I truly have incredible parents who I admire [00:06:20] and respect, and they made me who I am today. Oh, cool. It was out of... That's awesome. Yeah. So you, you did this out of need, [00:06:25] and then as you were going, you told me before we got going that, um, you identified this, uh, [00:06:30] need or interest or desire in, um, design.
George Wright III: So how did that come about? Yes. So, [00:06:35] uh, really quickly, before we go up the real estate story- Okay ... so we have five assisted livings, [00:06:40] then we got tired of that. My husband hated doing that. At the time, I had started Ozment [00:06:45] Designs and had four kids, and so that was kind of his gig. And so we decided to sell those and get [00:06:50] into commercial real estate.
Heather Osmond: So now we own a bunch of shopping centers and- Wow ... other real estate [00:06:55] opportunities. But real estate is where it's at. Let me just give you- You love that ... plug for that. Yeah. They say [00:07:00] 90% of millionaires made their money in real estate, and I can absolutely two thumbs up say [00:07:05] I've made more money in real estate than I've ever made in, in selling sofas and [00:07:10] candles or anything else at a furniture store.
George Wright III: Well, which is interesting why you are now a host of the KSO [00:07:15] Real Estate Show, which we'll talk about in a minute, 'cause I think that's a great strategy for you with your real estate, as [00:07:20] well as your personal brand. For sure. Um, but, uh, so real estate was kinda that common theme [00:07:25] for your entrepreneurial journey.
Got it. Okay. Absolutely. So- Then, but then most people would just stay in that [00:07:30] lane, and you decided to kinda add to that same lane, not completely [00:07:35] diversify into some other type of, uh, business opportunity, but design. So what happened [00:07:40] there? Yeah. So in the beginning, like I said, I became a real estate [00:07:45] agent so that we could have our own down payment.
Heather Osmond: And, and what's great is being a real [00:07:50] estate agent, there's usually people that are retired that are just doing it 'cause they don't have anything else to do, [00:07:55] and there were not, at the time, in my opinion, very many people that were in it because [00:08:00] they loved real estate. And I grew up going to the Utah Valley Parade of Homes with my parents- Oh, [00:08:05] yeah
going through these homes and, you know, I love dreaming, I love seeing all of the beautiful things. So [00:08:10] that was just something that was in, in me. And, uh, so we go [00:08:15] through these homes, uh, being a real estate agent- I was [00:08:20] horrified. I could not believe that people were trying to sell their whole- The sell was the brand
George Wright III: "Hi, I just, let me [00:08:25] help you." There the- So I started helping my clients, and we moved things around, whether it was just their [00:08:30] existing furniture or I would give them suggestions and [00:08:35] ideas on how to improve their space, and we'd go buy stuff. Well, as a real estate agent, I just got [00:08:40] tired of going to the big box stores.
Heather Osmond: Most of them have 500 of the [00:08:45] same sofa, 1,000 of the same sofa, so you really just end up with [00:08:50] seven, the same- All the, yeah ... basically collection of your neighbors, right? And so I knew there was a better way. [00:08:55] I'd go into the boutique design stores, and they had $10,000 sofas and [00:09:00] things that I just felt like were just so out of reach for the average consumer and, and even for [00:09:05] myself individually.
Yeah. So I knew there was a better way, and that was really the [00:09:10] humble beginnings of Osman Designs, not only helping my own clients with their real [00:09:15] estate needs, but also other agents started hiring me to help- Okay ... their- I was gonna [00:09:20] ask you, 'cause you were probably making money doing that as well, and, and obviously through real estate, but [00:09:25] was there a point in time you said, "You know what?
George Wright III: This is, this is a business. Like, this is a, [00:09:30] something I need to put a business unit around." What was that? So was there a particular point or did [00:09:35] it evolve? Yeah, so no, I was in a big box store and I was shopping for clients one day, and I [00:09:40] saw the most beautiful brown leather sofa, and I wanted it, and it was [00:09:45] $3,000.
Heather Osmond: And I just thought, "This is probably more than I can spend right now, but [00:09:50] this is a goal." And I was trying to figure out how to do that. I called the manufacturer because I [00:09:55] wanted to find out how many sofas you'd have to buy so that I could do that first opening order, [00:10:00] and they said a semi full. Well, that's a lot of sofas, [00:10:05] right?
George Wright III: Yeah. So I had this dream of buying this beautiful brown leather sofa [00:10:10] in my room, and I decided to make flyers. And I went [00:10:15] door to door so that I could fill up an entire semi full so I could get my first [00:10:20] wholesale account opened. And this big box store at the time, they had three [00:10:25] times, three x'd their margins, so it was only gonna be $1,000 for me to buy [00:10:30] my personal sofa.
Heather Osmond: The entire neighborhood was brand new, and [00:10:35] so of course they would want furniture. And my neighbors just laughed, I'm sure, at the time, but I [00:10:40] explained to them, I'm filling an entire semi. We all get to buy stuff at [00:10:45] wholesale, so it was sectional sofas, chairs, anything leather, ottomans, all those things. [00:10:50] Not only did I fill an entire semi, I filled three semis- Oh, wow
with stuff. [00:10:55] And of course, with all the blood, sweat, and tears and hard work of that, I did get my sofa [00:11:00] for free and also made some money on the gig. So after that I thought, "Well, now I need a [00:11:05] dining table. This is actually a lot of fun." So I went and found another one. But I don't think there's a lot of [00:11:10] people that would do what I did at that time.
George Wright III: Yeah. You were motivated by your goal to get it, but you [00:11:15] found a way, a creative way to make it happen. Well, while doing all this other stuff that you were doing and raising [00:11:20] kids and things, so- Well ... interesting. Yeah, it was a- So as the natural- It was a way ... yeah. Well, Osmond Designs now is, [00:11:25] is, is an amazing company here.
It's got a ton of business. You've got, um, you [00:11:30] know, retail stores as well as... Uh, was that a big, uh, thing for you to bite off, [00:11:35] retail stores versus just supplying, for example, real estate companies and new development and stuff? What [00:11:40] made you decide to go retail as well? Yeah, so this is actually another funny story.
Heather Osmond: So when we owned our 33 [00:11:45] rental properties, one of them had a commercial space on the main floor, and it had a [00:11:50] multi-unit all around it. And the commercial spot, it was about 12 to [00:11:55] 1,300 square feet, and we had businesses that kept going in, and then they'd go out of business. [00:12:00] And I remember talking to my husband and saying, "Wow, these businesses are just so bad.
They don't know how to [00:12:05] run their business, and they don't stay in business for very long." And I was able to [00:12:10] talk to one of the owners about renting a back office space. So humble be- [00:12:15] beginnings of- Wow ... Osman Designs- Wow ... was a desk and a chair and a bookcase, and I would bring clients in [00:12:20] and we would literally order from catalogs.
And it didn't take more than a [00:12:25] month of doing that that we, we were making really good money. And when that business [00:12:30] went out, we filled the rest of the 12, 1300 square foot showroom with furniture, [00:12:35] and that was just right on the corner of Pleasant Grove and Main Street. Wow. That was our first Osman [00:12:40] Designs.
And then these shipments would come in. And this is another funny story, being a business owner. [00:12:45] Yeah. Right? There's, everybody has a story. But we used to have those semis pull up to drop off [00:12:50] the furniture, and they would drop it off at the sidewalk. We didn't have a loading dock. Holy cow. We didn't have the warehouse.
We didn't [00:12:55] have anything. My youngest brother recently had come home from his mission, [00:13:00] so I would pay him to load it in his truck, and we would drive it over- You'd literally [00:13:05] drive it to the storage? Yeah, yeah. Well, we'd call the client first and say, "Hey, your sofa's sitting here on the [00:13:10] sidewalk. Can you pick it up today?"
And if they couldn't, we'd drive it over to the storage unit and we'd store it until they [00:13:15] could come- Wow ... and pick it up. Well, we started doing that so much that these shipments became [00:13:20] larger and larger. It was, it was harder to do that, so we needed more space. And at the time we were [00:13:25] making money, so all that was great.
Yeah. So we were looking for a property which became our Lehi [00:13:30] Osman Design store. It was a really outdated... It was actually the [00:13:35] first ZCMI in the entire state of Utah. Okay. So it was an old building. Old. Been there for a [00:13:40] while. Yeah. Historic, just trashed. I mean, it was a full gut that we did, and [00:13:45] we decided we can use that same philosophy that we used in our real estate careers.[00:13:50]
We kept the main floor, and we rented the upstairs to a clogging and [00:13:55] dance studio. Oh, jeez. So literally we had kids that were dancing and [00:14:00] clogging on our retail store, and the lights would shake, and we loved it. We were like, "This is the [00:14:05] best. We own this store." And then we had a karate studio that we rented the other [00:14:10] side out.
And then once the, the dance studio upstairs, uh, [00:14:15] needed to move, then we took over that space, and then once the karate contract was done, then we took [00:14:20] over that space, and that's currently our Lehi store right now. Wow. Wow. It's interesting because not [00:14:25] only did you see these opportunities, but I think you did something I want to point out to our listeners.
George Wright III: I think, um, [00:14:30] what we've learned over time, what I've learned from working around so many great, um, successful [00:14:35] people is that the way you think is as important as the strategies you do. And I noticed [00:14:40] that you were, you were leaning into things that aligned with what you were already doing, so you weren't doing the typical [00:14:45] founder, entrepreneur shiny object.
You weren't, you know, oh, starting an apparel business, and then over here doing [00:14:50] this and that. You found things that were synergistic with what you had, but really diversified [00:14:55] your income, which was great. And I find it really interesting. One of the main things I wanted to kind of [00:15:00] really highlight w- on this interview was- You're at a point in time now where your kids are grown, [00:15:05] and, you know, a- a- and another time we'll have to dig into sort of like how you balanced and [00:15:10] managed it all.
But I really wanted to highlight that you are now building your [00:15:15] brand, and you are expanding in what you do. And for a while now, you've been doing the real estate, the KSL Real Estate [00:15:20] show. But talk to us a little bit about how you are [00:15:25] identifying opportunities, and maybe this will lead us into what made you decide to purchase Best of [00:15:30] State, um, because these are all Utah businesses, obviously.
[00:15:35] But, um, how do you identify what to spend time on in a new area, [00:15:40] and what made you decide to purchase and, and, and run Best of State? Yes. So [00:15:45] Osman Designs has definitely been, I call it my fifth child, but I love it. I'm [00:15:50] passionate about making people's homes beautiful, and that's not the same for [00:15:55] everyone.
Heather Osmond: And, and that sometimes doesn't even have anything to do with money. You can have a lot of money and not [00:16:00] have a beautiful home. Yeah. And you can have a very, very basic, simple starter [00:16:05] home and have it be really, really beautiful. And so it really has nothing to do with money. But, but just- But [00:16:10] passion is what's helped you to make that very successful.
Oh, for sure. Yeah, people feel that. I think so, [00:16:15] and I love what I do. And I think one of my special talents is that I'm a listener, and [00:16:20] I listen to the needs of my clients, and I don't have an agenda about making a [00:16:25] home look a certain way based off of what my love is or what the, the latest [00:16:30] trends of design are.
George Wright III: Yeah. I really want my customer to love their home. [00:16:35] At the end of the day, I go home. The contractor goes home. The subcontractors go home, and that [00:16:40] space needs to be a s- somewhere that they love to be and that they feel comfortable being. So [00:16:45] Osman Designs has been great for me. You can only do design so many hours in a day, [00:16:50] right?
Heather Osmond: As my kids grew, um, and they were in high school and, and out of- [00:16:55] The home, um, I have more free time than I've ever had, so I [00:17:00] worked more. I probably work more now than I ever have in my life. Well, you set up the systems so the [00:17:05] businesses were running, and you had some success, and you have now... But now your kids are gone and you have more free time.
George Wright III: [00:17:10] For sure. So yeah, got it. And, and really just the freedom to do what I do best and some of the rest, I think [00:17:15] is for sure- So were you looking, were you looking for more things, or did you just notice you had more free time and [00:17:20] some opportunities came into your path? Both, right? So I remember having a conversation with my mom [00:17:25] and saying, "Okay, I do design.
Heather Osmond: I love doing that. I do my church service. I love [00:17:30] doing that," but I really felt like there's something else that I'm supposed to be doing, and I didn't know if it [00:17:35] was pickleball or crocheting or... I mean, there's a million other things that I just didn't know what my interests [00:17:40] were. But I felt like something was missing.
And this incredible opportunity came [00:17:45] available to me. Mark Layton was the founder of Best of State, and I admire and [00:17:50] respect him so much. He really made this awards show in Utah much like the [00:17:55] Oscars or the Emmy Awards. There's these huge statues that only [00:18:00] 10, uh, businesses get per year, and they're $1,500 statues.
I mean, it's a [00:18:05] cool thing, and you can't buy them. Yeah. And I've been a participant of Best of State for over nine [00:18:10] years myself with Osmond Designs. I have a firm belief that you need [00:18:15] to make yourself different in the market, make yourself unique [00:18:20] than all of your competitors, and Best of State for me has been something that I would- Helps you to do that.
[00:18:25] It's a- It has definitely helped. It's something I'm proud of. It's- It- It's hard to- For those that don't know Best of State, so it's a, [00:18:30] it's a, um, a, it's really a recognition and award company for companies in [00:18:35] Utah. They have a gala. They have, uh, nominations and awards, and you're now doing [00:18:40] events and other things.
George Wright III: But it really, the goal of it is to identify and empower and help [00:18:45] local businesses to become more visible, right? For sure, and it's hard to win. This is not a [00:18:50] popularity contest. There is no voting. You actually submit a form, and it is judged [00:18:55] by real industry experts in the state of Utah. That's great. So it's something that is, [00:19:00] is very unique, and it's hard to get.
Heather Osmond: So that was something I've been really, really proud of. And- So with [00:19:05] Osmond Designs, you were actually part of it, and you, you were awarded and, and so you were very [00:19:10] familiar with it. Not something you were looking for, but you were involved with it, so go ahead. Exactly. So we always [00:19:15] would win the interior design, the furniture, and the home decor categories.
And there was one year that I [00:19:20] didn't win one of those categories, and I just thought- ... "Oh, my gosh. I better step up my game," right? [00:19:25] Um, and then Mark Layton, this past summer, he passed away, and his kids inherited [00:19:30] that business. And I had a somewhat friendly relationship with some of his [00:19:35] kids, and they called me and asked me if I knew anyone that would be interested in buying.
And I, [00:19:40] just much like you said, doors opened and opportunities [00:19:45] became available that I didn't know- even existed. I've always been [00:19:50] passionate about Osmond Designs. I'm a small business owner. I know the [00:19:55] blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to run a business and, and do that on a daily basis. [00:20:00] And now I have the opportunity to be the CEO of Best of State and to [00:20:05] help other businesses, business owners not only get educated, but [00:20:10] have the support network that they need to make their business even better, and that has [00:20:15] been a passion project of, of mine- I love it
the last few months that I didn't even know [00:20:20] really was missing in my life or what, what an opportunity. No, but no, yeah, you... So I can tell you're very [00:20:25] passionate about what you do, and at the base of it is this passion for Utah and love for Utah, right? But I [00:20:30] wanted to point out sort of for our listeners, as I was listening to you and we were talking before, there's a...
George Wright III: I, I [00:20:35] always feel that success leaves clues, and I think that the way you think is very important because number [00:20:40] one, you were open to opportunities as you were creating success. Most of the time, [00:20:45] founders and entrepreneurs, they're having success, so they're very focused, and they're not open to things like you [00:20:50] did with the design.
And so you're open to, and, and, and not necessarily looking, but [00:20:55] open for opportunities. And then the other thing is that you had some of these opportunities come to you, [00:21:00] like Best of State, and I think it probably is a testament to the type of relationships. And [00:21:05] so how important do you feel- You have a retail business, you have real estate [00:21:10] business, and so of course people think networking and talking with people.
But how important is relationships and [00:21:15] networking to the success you've seen? Oh, I think it's everything. I am more of a [00:21:20] believer of that than ever before. They always say your, your network is your net [00:21:25] worth. Yeah. And it's not always monetary, but even just having those relationships, [00:21:30] knowing who to call, who knows who.
Heather Osmond: I, I may not be able to help you, but I may have a friend that [00:21:35] can help you. And- So you don't go into it like... I, I think that's the problem with a lot of [00:21:40] networking. People go to networking to get benefits, even if they're trying to give benefits. [00:21:45] But you haven't treated your relationships and networking as opportunities.
George Wright III: You've, you've just developed them, [00:21:50] and so these things have come to you that way. Yeah. And I think in your, in your relationships with people, go to give. [00:21:55] Yeah. Because it will always come back to you- Yes ... in the best ways. So don't go [00:22:00] to get. Always go to give, and your life... I've never regretted being nice [00:22:05] to people.
And play the long game, right? Because, uh, these relationships, if you go to give, [00:22:10] uh, may never pay off or they may pay off a decade down the road, right? Yeah. And there's [00:22:15] people that I went to high school with that are now some of my best clients at Osman Designs. Like, who knew? [00:22:20] Yeah. I know, crazy. It's like a full circle.
People probably doing business with you all the time, like with some businesses, [00:22:25] strictly because of the relationship. For sure. I mean, and then you try to over-deliver, right, and, and everything. So Best of State [00:22:30] is pretty exciting. What do you have coming up with that? What's your, what's your next big, um, focus [00:22:35] with taking that business to the next level?
Heather Osmond: Yes. So Best of State previously had an 11-year-old [00:22:40] website. It did not have any business social media other than very, very small [00:22:45] followings on Instagram and Facebook, but no X, no LinkedIn. None of those were active. So [00:22:50] we now have all of that up and running, which I'm really, really proud of. And, uh, [00:22:55] Best of State really just had their gala in June and their golf tournament in July, and then [00:23:00] it was crickets for 10 months.
So I've tried to stay as true to the [00:23:05] brand and the legacy and the great tradition that Best of State has already had, and we're [00:23:10] adding to it. So one of the improvements that we're implementing is these BOSS events, and I think they [00:23:15] are just so amazing. They've already sold out all three that we've [00:23:20] had, which is incredible.
George Wright III: So these are events where you bring in a curated group, a small group of, of local [00:23:25] businesses, business owners. Okay. Yeah. So it's Best of State symposiums. We're having them on every other [00:23:30] month basis. Okay. And we invite business leaders, uh, managers, [00:23:35] marketers, advertising directors of each of these businesses, and we put them all in a [00:23:40] room, and we educate them and let them ask each other questions, and we have a great lunch, whether that's [00:23:45] catered by Magali's or Sol Agave or Thanksgiving Point or some of the best.
Heather Osmond: But these [00:23:50] speakers that we bring in, you can't pay these speakers. They are just generous community [00:23:55] members that are very, very successful, and they want to give back, and it's just been so [00:24:00] much fun. So that's something that is great right now that we're doing that we're really excited [00:24:05] about You know, it's funny because you, you purposely just have these give, [00:24:10] um, opportunities, whether it's with Osmond Design or whether it's Best of State.
George Wright III: And ultimately, though, [00:24:15] it's the best, uh, business building tool, 'cause at the end of the day, um, those relationships with [00:24:20] businesses create and sustain all the business that you have. So this is, this is really good. I'm [00:24:25] curious how you manage your time now, because I'm sure that's probably one of the biggest questions you get.[00:24:30]
A mother, even though your kids are grown, um, multiple businesses, multiple [00:24:35] entrepreneurial focuses. How do you determine where you wanna spend your time right now? [00:24:40] You know, I can honestly tell you that teamwork makes the dream work. You've [00:24:45] heard it a million times. There's even T-shirts about it, but I surround myself with [00:24:50] the best people, and I know my skill set.
Heather Osmond: I know what I'm good at. I know what I'm not good [00:24:55] at CEO's try to be good at everything, obviously We, I am, right? And so you just hire those people. [00:25:00] I try to hire, hire people that are smarter than I am that help me, and I'm [00:25:05] always open to learning and growing. Yeah. I don't know everything, and I'm okay with [00:25:10] that.
I'm humble enough to know that. Are you intentionally doing things to grow your team? Like, what do you [00:25:15] do internally, or have you just through the opportunities and giving them [00:25:20] more, um, you know, power to really make decisions and things, have they just grown through time? [00:25:25] I think I am surrounded with my dream team.
I mean, they never cease [00:25:30] to amaze me. Every single day we are making goals. We're trying to accomplish new things. Um, something that [00:25:35] just happened this week that I'm very excited about is there was a real estate property right on the [00:25:40] corner of our Orem/Awesome Design store. It was formerly an AT&T [00:25:45] store.
George Wright III: Okay. And wa- Very run-down, needs a huge overhaul, weeds [00:25:50] everywhere, roof is leaking. I've been trying to buy that building for about seven years, [00:25:55] begging, pleading, and I just put that under contract. Wow. And that will be [00:26:00] closing in the next month or so. I don't know what I'm going to do with it, George. I haven't figured that out, but- [00:26:05] Yeah, it's pretty good real estate
Heather Osmond: it's pretty good real estate, and I'm a real estate guru, so I know that corner is great, and [00:26:10] it's, it's associated with my parking lot, so I'm very excited about that. But- Well, I've you... Go ahead Keep [00:26:15] going, right? Just keep- Yes ... looking for things. That's what I was gonna say. You... So you have this, and I [00:26:20] think this is what people can really learn from.
George Wright III: Um, you're, you're adding to businesses that are very [00:26:25] synergistic. You're, you're not necessarily out looking for opportunities, but you're always open and aware of opportunities. [00:26:30] And so now you're coming into this point in time where you're really building your personal brand, and you're [00:26:35] really, um, finding that all kinds of areas of opportunity may come your way.[00:26:40]
So what are you... What, what do you value as a founder/entrepreneur [00:26:45] right now? What is it most important to you right now? Because I think whether it's [00:26:50] legacy or your time or experience, like, what is it that's most important to you [00:26:55] where you're at right now? Yeah, we touched on that a little bit earlier, but relationships.
Heather Osmond: For me, [00:27:00] it's just those people that have been by my side, that have my [00:27:05] back, and I have their back. I mean, those are the lasting relationships. I have a [00:27:10] lot of acquaintances. I have a lot of friends, but I have those trusted advisors. So [00:27:15] those relationships, not only with my manufacturers, my clients, my [00:27:20] customers, my team members, my employees, my executive staff at my, [00:27:25] at my job and my profession, those are all very, very valuable relationships to me, [00:27:30] and it's not even about money.
I- I'm doing great. I don't need... [00:27:35] I don't work for money. I work because I, we love it, and because it brings me joy, [00:27:40] and the money just comes. So that's a business-
George Wright III: Yeah ... tip right there. It's interesting because that's what I was gonna just say is [00:27:45] it's not that you've gotten to a point where you can really focus on relationships, it's focusing [00:27:50] on relationships that have gotten you to the point where you're at.
Heather Osmond: Exactly, 100%. Wow. And a lot of hard work and [00:27:55] determination. Yeah. Just don't give up.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: And dream big. That's another-
George Wright III: Yeah ...
Heather Osmond: [00:28:00] huge motto of mine, slogan of mine for my life. Just do it. You can do it. And [00:28:05] your husband's not your financial plan.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: You should not be in a relationship because you have to be there.
You should [00:28:10] be there because you want to be there.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: And I think a lot of women, specifically in Utah, need [00:28:15] to have a marketable skill that they can provide for their [00:28:20] family. There are a lot of divorces. There are a lot of, uh, widows. There are a lot of [00:28:25] challenges that are coming, and I think you need to cover the bases and give yourself a little breathing [00:28:30] room.
George Wright III: Yeah. And I... You know, we've talked a little bit, so I don't want people to hear this, and I will tell you [00:28:35] what they're probably thinking. They're thinking, "Well, you know, Heather's pretty put together. She's got her game." "Like, she's [00:28:40] confident. She's out doing-" Don't
Heather Osmond: tell
George Wright III: this Yeah, so- Don't tell them otherwise
unfortunately we're like, peel it back just a little. [00:28:45] But you, you, you know what I mean. There- Yeah ... uh, so obviously you've had some [00:28:50] ups and downs and some challenges and were you always confident like you are now? [00:28:55] Like people feel you're portraying- ... in business?
Heather Osmond: I [00:29:00] believe in myself. I will say that. There are many, many times that [00:29:05] I think we can be our worst enemy and tell ourselves we can't do anything.
I'm not good [00:29:10] enough. I'm not talented enough. I'm not tall enough. I'm not- I'm [00:29:15] strong enough, whatever that is, right? Yeah,
George Wright III: yeah
Heather Osmond: Depending on the-
George Wright III: Questioning your own confidence and [00:29:20] self-worth, right?
Heather Osmond: Absolutely. And of course I do that, just like everyone else. But I also will tell you, I'm [00:29:25] probably my biggest hype girl.
I'm like, "Why not you?"
George Wright III: Yeah. "
Heather Osmond: You can do it. [00:29:30] Go for it." Like, and I've had so many failures. I've fallen on my face so many times, just like all of us. [00:29:35] And sometimes when you're in business and you're going a path and you're really, really excited [00:29:40] about it, and it doesn't work, that's okay. Pivot. We're a speedboat.
Yeah. We're not a cruise ship. [00:29:45] We don't need a team to vote to tell us-
George Wright III: Yeah ...
Heather Osmond: that that's not the right [00:29:50] direction.
George Wright III: And yet you, you surrounded yourself with the right people, so in a sense, you sort of [00:29:55] empowered yourself when you were doing, having a difficult time by being around the right people, right? And [00:30:00] surrounding yourself with a positive team, I'm sure.
So
Heather Osmond: I think there's a lot of pressure, as you know, being a business owner. You have a lot [00:30:05] of families counting on you-
George Wright III: Yeah ...
Heather Osmond: for their paycheck too. So there's a little [00:30:10] healthy peer pressure there too that-
George Wright III: Yeah ...
Heather Osmond: that gets you up in the morning. But I think you just have to be [00:30:15] passionate about what you're doing.
If you are, you never have to work a day in your life, because you [00:30:20] love what you're doing. And that's not to say that there's not bad days, or that you don't have to work with [00:30:25] that challenging customer at some point. But for the most part, 99.9% of the time, [00:30:30] it's pretty fun.
George Wright III: Yeah. So I'm curious, last question.
Do you have daily rituals that you do? Are [00:30:35] there things that you do in the mornings, evenings? Um, you know, I'm a big fan of daily [00:30:40] rituals that keep you consistent so that you can act in spite of your mood, so that you can, you know, uh, [00:30:45] decide to create your life. What is it that you do, whether it be, you know, reading, meditation, working [00:30:50] out?
Like, what is your da- what would be your daily rituals that you do?
Heather Osmond: So daily Heather Osman [00:30:55] rituals are wake up and of course do the prayer, the scripture study, listen [00:31:00] to the podcast, you know, as you're getting ready, showering, doing all of those things, of [00:31:05] course, taking care of your physical needs. But I'm a list person.
Really? I'm that [00:31:10] person that loves to make a list and just check it off. Sometimes I get through the whole [00:31:15] list. Most of the times I don't. Most of the time it's a third of the list. Maybe I should be a [00:31:20] spokesperson for Franklin Planner, 'cause I have a brown book. And I, of course, I use all of [00:31:25] the modern technology and phone appointments as well, but-
George Wright III: But you like to physically make a list- Most of the time
and you [00:31:30] prioritize what you need to work on.
Heather Osmond: And it works for me.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: Yeah.
George Wright III: It's interesting, so yeah, speaking of Franklin [00:31:35] Planner, one of the things that is one, a big focus of theirs is, um, is to do that. And, you know, [00:31:40] because, um, you know, time management has kind of gone through these generations of making lists [00:31:45] and then scheduling and prioritizing, and then trying to put your values and mission into it.
[00:31:50] Um, but ultimately when you can do that by starting with what matters most, it's [00:31:55] really what their big, their big focus is. And
Heather Osmond: so- It's all-
George Wright III: I see you do that, so I, that's why I bring that up ...
Heather Osmond: [00:32:00] it's all about what matters most, and there's the big rocks- Yeah ... and then the smaller rocks, and then [00:32:05] the pebbles, and then the sand.
If you do what matters most, you're gonna be happy. You're gonna live a successful [00:32:10] life.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: And there's more joy in that and peace in that than any amount of [00:32:15] money that you could ever make.
George Wright III: Do you have any advice, last, I'll give you the last, um, [00:32:20] word here. Do you have any advice for individuals that are, whether they're women in [00:32:25] business or individuals in business, um, that are really trying to figure out how [00:32:30] to, you know, reinvent themselves and, you know, sort of diversify what they're doing [00:32:35] or maybe even pivot into what they're more passionate about because they just feel like they've been grinding?
[00:32:40] Anything come to mind? Because usually I find the, the things that are top of mind for you are great pieces of advice for [00:32:45] entrepreneurs.
Heather Osmond: Thank you. I feel like what you do in your free time really tells you what your passion is. [00:32:50] So whether that's reading a book, um, and then the topic of whatever book you're reading, [00:32:55] however you spend that time is what you love to do and what you [00:33:00] prioritize.
So find out what those things are and then see if there's opportunities to monetize [00:33:05] that. And then ask your trusted advisors. I promise your friends, your family, [00:33:10] they know you well enough that they know what you should be doing with your life probably and can give you [00:33:15] advice more than sometimes you do yourself.
And then take that advice and really [00:33:20] personalize it and you decide for yourself and then try lots of different things.
George Wright III: Mm.
Heather Osmond: Don't be [00:33:25] afraid to try.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: I think that's something that women oftentimes are [00:33:30] afraid because they're afraid to fail.
George Wright III: Yeah.
Heather Osmond: And
George Wright III: it's okay. And I, and they probably overthink things too, so I love your advice.
[00:33:35] You know, identify the things you already do in your spare time that you love, that you're passionate about. [00:33:40] Um, lean into your trusted advisors or mastermind that you surround yourself with. You know, [00:33:45] not just what your family's telling you is were good or bad, but your trusted advisors, you know, she said that.
And, [00:33:50] um, and try lots of things. Those are, those are great pieces of advice. Well, thank you for being here today on the-
Heather Osmond: [00:33:55] Thank- ...
George Wright III: Master Mind
Heather Osmond: Thank you so much for the invitation. I'll come back again.
George Wright III: Yeah, this is great. Well, listen, if you're listening to [00:34:00] this, I wanna make sure that you check out the show notes 'cause we're gonna put some links in here to Heather's businesses.
And [00:34:05] also share the show. You know, we wanna hear from you. We wanna know what you're working on. We wanna know what you're struggling with. [00:34:10] Let's celebrate the wins, but also what can we do to support you? That's the whole purpose of the Master Mind. Um, and [00:34:15] I really do believe that it's never too late to start creating the life that you were meant to live, but you do need to [00:34:20] take some action.
So, so hopefully we've motivated and inspired you a little bit to do that. So have an amazing day. We'll talk with you [00:34:25] soon.
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