The Alimond Show
Welcome to The Alimond Show --join us as we share our entrepreneurial guests' stories, uncover their secrets to success, and explore the unique paths they've taken to build thriving businesses in our community.
In each episode, our host, Aliyah Dastour, sits down with a diverse group of local business owners, from the corner cafe to the boutique shop, from tech startups to family-run enterprises. We peel back the curtain to reveal the trials, triumphs, and transformational moments that have shaped their entrepreneurial journey.
Discover the passion, perseverance, and innovative thinking that fuels these businesses, as well as the challenges they've overcome along the way. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking inspiration or simply a curious listener interested in the stories behind your favorite local spots, The Alimond Show has something for everyone.
Our guests share their experiences, insights, and valuable advice that can empower you to turn your own dreams into reality. We discuss topics like marketing strategies, customer relationships, community engagement, and much more, offering practical takeaways you can apply to your own business or career.
Join us every week as we celebrate the unsung heroes of our local business community and explore the vibrant tapestry of entrepreneurship in our area. Tune in to The Alimond Show and get ready to be inspired, informed, and motivated to support and nurture the businesses that make our community thrive.
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The Alimond Show
Kass Kassraie - From Environmental Science to Window Coverings Visionary: Mastering Business Innovation, Embracing Artistic Pursuits, and Balancing Family Joy
Prepare to be inspired by the artistic journey of Kass Kassraie, the visionary mind behind Covering Windows. Transitioning from environmental science to the world of custom draperies and valances, Kass's story is a testament to the transformative power of following one's passion. He enlightens us about the critical role window coverings play in privacy and light control across different environments, while also sharing his insights on the importance of working on your business rather than in it. Kass candidly discusses overcoming the challenges of entrepreneurship without a formal business background and reveals the strategies behind his company’s success, including savvy marketing through social media and expert collaboration.
In a touching exploration of personal joy, Kass opens up about his love for family time and his artistic pursuits in acrylic painting, emphasizing a thoughtful approach to both decorating and life. He highlights the significance of honesty and dedication in business and encourages listeners to discover a wealth of resources at coveringwindows.com. With an authentic passion for his craft, Kass reminds us of the joy in helping a customer find their perfect window treatment, marking a satisfying end to an episode rich with personal stories and professional wisdom. Don't miss the chance to gain a fresh perspective on the art and business of window coverings through Kass's unique lens.
My name is Kastra Kastraei, my company is called CoveringWindowscom and of course we supply and install any type of window coverings.
Speaker 2:I love that. Let's get into detail about the types of products that you offer. You have blinds, shades, shutters, draperies and curtains, awnings, exterior shades and motorized shades. Talk to me a little bit about all these things, if you can just highlight maybe three of them, and talk to me about what clients are looking for.
Speaker 1:Well, of course there is a lot of different scenarios where you want to have privacy, light, light control, so forth, and of course this happens in literally every building homes. This happens in literally every building homes, commercial buildings, restaurants, you know. Anywhere you go there is a window. There may be a need to cover it.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:And that's how we address those windows.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I also noticed that, unlike many of your competitors, you guys specialize in custom-made draperies and valances, allowing you to add a personalized touch to people's home decor. Talk to me a little bit about that.
Speaker 1:Of course Now most every window covering company supplies, blinds, shades et cetera. Companies are really involved within the drapery business because there is a lot of implications, details in production as well as design.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:I love arts and, of course, this is my passion to create works of art on your windows.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. That's awesome. I love that you guys offer that option too, so it's not just like every other. It's more one of a kind that people can also help with.
Speaker 1:And it's coming back. A lot of people are showing a lot of interest and, of course, we have come up with some of the most beautiful material that you could find. Yeah, and that is what's exciting to me, when I find that twinkle in the customer's eyes, that, oh, a cast, I love it. Yay, you know, that's really something.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. Now give us a little bit of a backstory about yourself and how you got started in your industry. Was this always in the cards for you? Was this always the plan?
Speaker 1:Oh, no, one of this happened by accident. This was a side hassle to me. One of them that happened by accident this was a side hassle to me. I went to school, graduated, got a job, was very successful. I worked in environmental science and, of course, as a side hassle, I was young At the time.
Speaker 1:I was 25 and wanted to stay active and wanted to, you know, stay active. At one point this is really a life-changing moment when they hired a new guy to come into our offices and we are moving desks and so forth and we come across this picture. There are three guys in this picture and they happen to be in the office next door, yeah, and now they are in their late 50s and really have been in that office for the last 20 some years. This was like a really life-changing moment for me. I don't want to be like that and I wanted to, you know, do something more exciting and, you know, wanting to be independent, calling my own shots, I started getting more aggressively into the blind business. That was my side hassle and very quickly it became my main income.
Speaker 2:That's incredible, the way you figure that out. You're just like that's not how I want to live. So let me pivot and go into another direction. Was it hard for you to transition from being in environmental science to the window?
Speaker 1:industry. Well, it was challenging because I had almost no background in business. You know, other than buying and selling, I didn't know anything, yeah. So it's been a really interesting learning process. In marketing, advertising you know, in how to deal with vendors and you know a lot of details that really your everyday customer doesn't even think about goes into running a small business.
Speaker 2:Absolutely no for sure. And what's one thing that you've come out of all of this that you've learned like a piece of advice, that you're just like, wow, I wish I knew this a long time ago, but now I know, and now I've learned it.
Speaker 1:It took me a long time to learn this short sentence. You've got to work on your business, not in your business, and that is my advice to anyone that wants to start a business.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Start with a business plan you know, have a good structure and then, rather than being an employee, paid employee for your own business, be a manager for your own business.
Speaker 2:Work on your business, not in your business, In your business okay, and it takes a while to get to that point right, absolutely.
Speaker 1:It took me a long time.
Speaker 2:That's okay, but you're here now, right.
Speaker 1:Right, you know it comes to the point that you feel so responsible to deliver the best you can and then you find that you cannot so much depend on an employee delivering the best. Yeah, that you cannot so much depend on an employee delivering the best. And that was my challenge that I stuck to doing a lot of the work, all the work, myself for a long time, but gradually I've learned to work on my business.
Speaker 2:Okay, good, not in my business. I love it. Thank you for sharing that.
Speaker 1:Absolutely.
Speaker 2:You spoke a little bit about figuring out how to market and brand yourself. Can you tell me what is currently working for you as far as marketing and branding goes? Are you on social media? Are you going to network groups? What's working for you? Is it word of mouth?
Speaker 1:I am very much, again, independent and do a lot of these things on my own social media, advertising, google and so forth and I've learned that you got to have good hired help that knows how to promote and knows how to advertise and basically let them do the legwork and you just direct them in where you find it to be more effective.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, Okay. And have you guys implemented whether it's you or somebody else that you've hired, have you guys implemented video into your marketing?
Speaker 1:On occasion we do some instructional videos for customers, but honestly I must say not enough, not enough.
Speaker 2:Okay, hey, at least you're self-aware about it, so that's great. I would like to ask you about your audience, and what are homeowners' concerns and challenges right now in your industry.
Speaker 1:Excellent question I'm so glad you asked. You know so many people who buy a new home or a second home are faced with. What do I do now? Because it is overwhelming. You have to really have coordination, you have to have a certain ambience that makes you feel right and at the same time you've got to address light filtering, privacy. You know how frequently do I need to open and close this? All these things come together and becomes almost scary.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:Right, mm-hmm. Now, what I have found to be very effective is to take time, relax and explore your options. Take time, relax and explore your options. It's not like you can ask chat, gpt, what do I do with this home, this room? You know you have to have a professional help, people who care and want to really put their best foot forward in creating your vision. Yeah, and that is really my passion. I love to find that customers are happy about their outcome. They want to call their friends and show it on video. You know things like that. Look, look at my new windows on my trampolines.
Speaker 1:I love it. That's exciting.
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course. And then how do they go about getting their windows covered? What are some of the systems that you use for that?
Speaker 1:The trends have changed a lot. These days, I find that automation is a really, really excellent tool, meaning the fact that you could have an app-controlled window covering Really, Absolutely yes.
Speaker 2:Wow, okay.
Speaker 1:You could have it on a timer, you could really design it so that it is the most comfort to you. And, of course, the other consideration is with durability and child safety. We address everything, everything and most of all, it's got to be right for you. Yes, not that I want to sell you this beautiful product because I like it. No, I want to find out what concerns you because I like it. No, I want to find out what concerns you and I want to meet your budget. I want to be, you know, a good help. So down the road, when we meet in the grocery store, you come and tell me hey, cass, it's good to see you.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:That means a lot to me.
Speaker 2:Oh yeah, and they're like. You did a great job, I'm loving my home. I have more privacy. It's convenient With my app. I just push the button and poof it closes. Poof it opens Yep.
Speaker 1:Exactly that is so cool, all right.
Speaker 2:And then how are people getting their money's worth?
Speaker 1:Excellent question. I'm glad you asked this. I think it all goes back to the initial finding the correct product that is durable, reliable, and you have selected it with predicting what needs to be done, needs to be done. Example you know that you're going to have a baby and you want to be able to control their sleep. Well, before you even have a baby, get this shade that can totally darken the room. You know, little things like that really makes a big difference in the long run.
Speaker 2:Absolutely for sure. And then let's talk about technology and how new technology is implemented in your products with automation or app control shades. Let's get into that. Maybe some people like me I didn't know there was apps for your drapes or your blinds. All that. Get into the subject of new technology in your industry.
Speaker 1:This has been really a long road and it has been very expensive before. Gradually it's become more popular and less expensive and more capable. Example used to you had to have a separate device to integrate to your modem to go on internet. Now all we do is connect your devices to Alexa Google, alexa, google. So we don't have any wiring, we don't have any concern, except for a modem that is installed on your shade and you say, alexa, open the shade.
Speaker 2:That is so cool. This is why I love asking everybody about this in their industry, because, seriously, ai has just changed the game in so many ways for so many people and I did not stop to think for one second that in your industry, for the windows and for the shades, I didn't think, like there's an app for that.
Speaker 1:There's an app for that.
Speaker 2:Right, I see movies and they have a remote control and it's like super rich people, Like in Wolf of Wall Street. I think he hit the button and the blinds open in the hotel. It's just like that's pretty cool.
Speaker 1:Not super rich. You can have a remote control shade with a rechargeable battery. Okay, including the cost of the shade, guess how much.
Speaker 2:Like 1K A thousand 200 bucks. What.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:See, this is great that you're bringing to light these things and that it's actually a common misconception that it's for super rich people, because that's what I always thought. I was like that's only for rich people.
Speaker 1:No, I have to add something though.
Speaker 2:Okay, add it.
Speaker 1:That is not the going price. That is what I can do for you. I do a lot of automation and, as a result, I have vendors that really treat me very nicely.
Speaker 2:Yeah, have you had these vendors for a while? I'm guessing? Yeah, working together.
Speaker 1:Right, right, I love it, you know when you do volume business with any supplier, they give you some advantages. They want you to be the leader in the industry.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And it's a partnership.
Speaker 2:For sure. And now I'd like to talk to you about your team. How many people do you have on your team?
Speaker 1:We got a couple of installers. My wife does a lot of receivables and payables. Okay okay, I have a designer that helps me on bigger jobs and commercial jobs.
Speaker 2:Beautiful, I love it. And how easy or how hard is it to find your dream team for your business, where you feel comfortable and you feel like, okay, if I step away, I know that you guys will hold the fort.
Speaker 1:That could be the biggest challenge in any business, especially when you are not really looking for, let's say, licensed, educated people to do a job. Most often than not, you just got to teach them and teach them again, and teach them again. Yeah, and really finding people who are willing to learn and stick to the job is very difficult.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely. What do you like to do outside of your business, Like what brings you joy outside of your business? Talk to me about that.
Speaker 1:I have a beautiful family. We have a lot of fun times with my family. My other say go-to is painting. I love acrylic painting. Okay, I do landscape, I do you know some unique ideas. I put them on canvas and it's really fun to me that's awesome.
Speaker 2:I'm glad that you're able to channel your other talents in other places so that's wonderful, that's great. Is there anything that I have not touched on that perhaps you want to get out there, that you want our listeners to know about, whether it's about your business yourself, your industry, you have the floor in this moment to share that.
Speaker 1:Well, thank you for that, yeah, and also thanks for having me in this show.
Speaker 2:Oh, of course I love it.
Speaker 1:It's really helpful to the public. Yes to the public. Yes. To learn from entrepreneurs, you know, because you don't have a stake in this. You just want to get the word out Exactly and I appreciate that. Thank you, yeah, you're so welcome, absolutely, I'd like to end in saying that people who want to decorate, please relax, Use your resources and don't try to do it in a rush. Take your time step by step. There's good help out there and I can say most of my competitors are decent, quality companies that are here to help.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely. And where can people find you?
Speaker 1:here to help? Yeah, absolutely, and where can people find you? Our biggest storefront is coveringwindowscom.
Speaker 2:Beautiful.
Speaker 1:And of course, it's a really resourceful quality site. I don't know how many articles and issues of you know past experiences we have posted. It has all the product information and, of course, I direct my customers to all the vendor sites as well so they can learn all the details of each product.
Speaker 2:Yeah, wonderful, all right, my final question, I promise Do you have a quote or a saying, or maybe somebody told you something that has stood out to you as inspiration and would you mind sharing that with us?
Speaker 1:Excellent question. I want to sum it up in saying that honesty is the best policy.
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 1:You want to put your all in your business. You want to give your best to each and every customer.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. I love it. What a great note to end on.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much yeah.
Speaker 2:Thank you for being here, I appreciate it my pleasure.
Speaker 1:Thank you for having me.
Speaker 2:Absolutely.