How to Build a Seven Figure Business as a Creative Entrepreneur: LuAnn Nigara on Identity, Financial Phobia and the Evidence That Changes Everything

What does it actually take for a creative entrepreneur to build a profitable seven figure business? LuAnn Nigara has done it not once but three times — and she has spent the last decade teaching thousands of other creatives how to do the same. In this episode of Manifest, Manage and Multiply Money, Audrey Faust sits down with LuAnn Nigara, podcast host, keynote speaker, author of three books, and founder of LuAnn Nigara Inc. LuAnn is the host of two top-rated podcasts, A Well-Designed Business and Window Treatments for Profit, with over 1,400 episodes and 9 million downloads combined. She built her first business, Window Works, from her husband's basement to a $3.8 million custom window treatment company before selling it to her kids. Today she is a seven figure CEO who makes her income through live events, LuAnn University, the Boardroom for Creatives and keynote speaking. LuAnn opens up about the identity shift she did not see coming — eight months into running her podcast as its own business, realizing that no one was watching over her shoulder anymore and she had been doing exactly what most creatives do. Making rain without counting the raindrops. She shares the harrowing season when her husband left the business during a recession and she had to run the finances alone for the first time — crying in her car before knocking on customers' doors, learning to ask questions she was embarrassed not to know, and discovering that the power was in facing the numbers even when it was terrifying. She also shares the moment she was on this very podcast two and a half years ago and sent a client directly to Audrey — a client who had been in business for 20 years, was nearly at seven figures, and was ready to shut down. And what happened when that client finally looked at her numbers. If you are a creative entrepreneur who wants to build a profitable business without sacrificing the work you love, this episode is essential listening. **Chapters** 00:00 — Introduction to LuAnn Nigara and her business empire 01:43 — What LuAnn loves most about helping creative entrepreneurs 03:12 — Creatives and financial information: why they disconnect 03:46 — The identity shift LuAnn did not see coming eight months into her own business 05:55 — You can't just make the rain: learning to count the raindrops 09:01 — Kim Mohr: the interior designer Audrey met through LuAnn's podcast 12:29 — The happiest part of the work: transformation stories 13:24 — The biggest money struggle along the journey 15:04 — The fractional C-suite hire that cost nine months and taught LuAnn to trust her intuition 18:22 — What we all look like from the outside vs the reality 19:20 — A hard decision: the people who got you here won't always get you there 23:41 — Hire slow fire fast and what it actually looks like in practice 28:21 — Leaning into intuition when logic wants to override it 29:40 — Commercial break 30:52 — Was LuAnn ever financially phobic? Her honest answer. 32:13 — The recession of 1992 and running the business alone for the first time 34:26 — Crying in the car before knocking on doors and making herself ask 36:27 — Accountants who make women feel stupid for asking questions 39:51 — Make it not an SAT problem: what good financial communication looks like 40:03 — Where to find LuAnn and everything she offers 41:27 — Gather your evidence: LuAnn's message to women on the edge of their next level 43:44 — The client who pulled up 10 years of revenue and could not believe what she saw 45:11 — If you have been given the vision you have been given the ability **In This Episode You'll Learn:** - Why creative entrepreneurs disconnect from their financial information and what it costs them - What it means to make rain without counting the raindrops and how to fix it - How LuAnn ran her business finances alone during a recession for the first time and what that season taught her - Why you should never stop asking questions just because someone makes you feel stupid for asking - What good financial communication from an accountant or CFO actually looks like - Why the people who got you where you are may not be the people who get you where you are going - How to hire slow and fire fast even when it feels impossible - Why trusting your intuition over a professional's process is sometimes the smartest business decision you can make - What gathering your evidence means and how it translates fear into belief and belief into action - Why if you have been given the vision of something you have also been given the ability to create it **Connect with LuAnn Nigara** - Website: luannnigara.com - Instagram: instagram.com/luannnigara - Podcast: A Well-Designed Business - Podcast: Window Treatments for Profit - Audrey's guest appearance on LuAnn's podcast:https://luannnigara.com/957-power-talk-friday-audrey-faust-building-wealth-through-a-positive-money-mindset/https://luannnigara.com/957-power-talk-friday-audrey-faust-building-wealth-through-a-positive-money-mindset/ # Where Is All My Money Going? You'll notice Audrey asks every guest if they have ever been financially phobic. About 80% say yes. Even the seven figure ones. Turns out getting to the other side of that is exactly how they grew faster. If your own financial reports still make you nervous or nauseous, this is for you. Every month Audrey hosts Where Is All My Money Going? A free live experience where she walks you through a QuickBooks sample company so you finally understand what your profit and loss statement is actually telling you. Seats are limited and there is no replay so no one feels awkward asking questions. 🔗 Grab your seat here:https://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/moneyhttps://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/money # About the Host Audrey Faust, MBA, is known as The Manifesting CFO. For more than two decades she has worked with multi-six and seven-figure businesses, helping entrepreneurs understand their financials, strengthen profitability, and build long-term wealth. Through her work, Audrey has witnessed the identity shifts and leadership evolution that occur as businesses scale and the powerful role that money mindset plays in sustainable success. # Audrey's Free Gift If looking at your numbers brings up feelings you were not expecting, you are not alone. Audrey Faust has created a seven minute guided meditation infused with bioneural beats, designed specifically for women who want to approach their financial information with curiosity instead of fear, shame, or judgment. Listen to it before you open your QuickBooks, your bank account, or your profit and loss statement. It will change the energy you bring to that moment. 🎧 Get instant access here:https://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/meditationhttps://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/meditation # Subscribe & Follow If you enjoyed this episode, consider leaving a review or sharing it with another woman entrepreneur who would benefit from these conversations. And until next time… Keep manifesting, managing, and multiplying your money. If you’re ready to go deeper, I’ve got some powerful ways to support you. Join me inside my world: 🌐 Website: https://www.audreyfaustconsulting.com/ 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/manifesting\_cfo/ 💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/audreyfaust/ 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheManifestingCFO