Connecting with our Community: Lou Taylor, Partner at G.P. Schafer Architect
Studio Designer’s Connecting with our Community webinar series featured lively online discussions with Studio Designer CEO Keith Granet and numerous business leaders from top interior designers to presidents of major brands. Now well into a year of a radically altered business landscape, these interviews continue to be relevant and important as firms like G.P. Schafer Architect set important standards with the increasingly modern way to conduct business that sets a fine example for their fellow designers and architects.
Lou Taylor is a partner at G.P. Schafer Architect, and runs the financial and business operations of the entire firm. During his interview, he shared with Keith so many insightful details on managing an architectural firm in the wake of so much drastic change. He ensures that his staff meets regularly to maintain communications and credits his strong company culture as a reason why the firm has been so resilient. Lou also expressed how pleased he was to see how his staff copes with stress, their admirable ability to adapt and make the best of circumstances, and the pleasant surprise of seeing them “come together” as a team.
G.P. Schafer uses Studio Designer to run interior projects and Deltek to run the rest of the business; Lou credits both programs as critical to running things and “would be lost without them.” He believes that Studio Designer is a godsend for data management allowing his team to track details conveniently.
Lou also promoted the importance of regular company retreats to establish a strong staff and company as well as the need to always market and promote yourself to current and potential clients. He imparted, “If you’re on their minds, that’s a good thing. You always want to be on their minds.”
View the recording of the Lou Taylor interview here, check out the full collection of Connecting with our Community webinars, or read a blog post about the entire series.