A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
LuAnn Nigara
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The podcast helps interior designers develop the business skills needed to run a profitable and successful design firm. Host LuAnn Nigara, a veteran with 40 years of experience in the interior design industry, interviews successful designers and shares best practices. The show covers topics not typically taught in design school, such as marketing, client management, and financial strategies. It is sponsored by Kravet Inc and Mydoma Studio.
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1232: What Would Lu Do: AI Gave You the Right Answer, but You Asked the Wrong Question 02.10.2026 34минToday With LuAnn Nigara: AI can hallucinate. It can give you information that is flat-out wrong. But what happens when AI gives you a really good answer? In this What Would Lu Do episode, LuAnn Nigara explores a more subtle risk of using AI in your interior design business: getting an accurate, intelligent, well-researched answer to a question that wasn't the right question to begin with. Through examples from her own work with AI, including a lesson involving designer Megan Moulton, a real Chairman of the Board client evaluating a significant marketing investment, and an AI-generated answer about interior design profitability, LuAnn shows where experience and business judgment still matter. You'll hear why more information isn't the same as more experience, how AI can move from observation to diagnosis without enough evidence, and why a mathematically attractive ROI doesn't necessarily make an investment a smart business decision. LuAnn also explains what to do when you don't yet have the experience to recognize what you're missing, including when it makes sense to borrow the expertise of someone who does. AI can research, organize, compare, analyze, and help you move faster. But somebody still has to sit in the CEO chair. That somebody is you. Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Other Shows Mentioned Episode 455: Megan Molten: Another Side Hustle Success Story Episode 677: Megan Molten: To Succeed, Focus on Your Why Episode 1230: What Would Lu Do?: Are You Disqualifying Leads Too Soon? -
1231: CEO Conversations with Kate O'Hara: Closing the Client Experience Gap 29.09.2026 1ч 16минToday with Kate O’Hara: Today with Kate O'Hara, we're digging into something every designer feels but doesn't always name: the client experience gap. Kate spent years running a luxury design firm, which means she's had a front-row seat to what actually keeps high-end clients coming back, and what quietly sends them somewhere else next time. In this conversation, we’re talking about the space between the experience you think you're delivering and the one your client is actually having. We’re discussing how expectations get set (or don't), what happens when you assume you know what a client means instead of asking, and why the most generous thing you do in month one can become the very thing that costs you a client down the road. Kate also shares a couple of real stories from her own firm, including one dream project that didn't end the way anyone hoped. If you've ever wondered why gorgeous design doesn't always translate into repeat business and referrals, this episode is going to give you a lot to think about. LuAnn and Kate's Aha Moments: "As great as your design is, as award-winning and nationally published as it might be, what actually runs your business is the experience that you deliver." — Kate O'Hara "Anything that you do early for your client is, to the client, that's normal. That is now your services. And the second you tell them that wasn't part of our services, you're not granting them anything special, you're taking something away." — Kate O'Hara "It's what we say, whether it's in personal relationships or business relationships — we teach people how to treat us. We teach them by the things we say and we do, and the things we allow and the things we don't allow, how they're gonna treat us." — LuAnn Nigara More About Kate O’Hara: Kate O'Hara is the founder of Lake House Group, an advisory practice that helps founder-led and second-generation businesses navigate growth, operational blind spots, and transitions. She previously served as the second-generation CEO and Creative Director of O'Hara Interiors before intentionally closing the prominent design firm to focus on advisory work and co-owning the Design Influencers Conference. [1, 2, 3] Connect with Kate O’Hara: O'Hara Interiors Website O'Hara Interiors Instagram Lake House Group Website Design Influencers Conference Website Design Influencers Instagram Fay + Belle Website Fay + Belle Instagram What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1030: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Insights and Strategies on Successful Scaling Episode 1042: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: End-of-Year Business Strategies for Designers: Pipeline, Productivity, and Press Episode 1148: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: A Framework for Understanding Luxury Interior Design Clients Episode 1157: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Marketing to the Three Tiers of Luxury Clients and How to Attract Each One Episode 1188: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Scaling Your Design Firm Part 1: The Three Paths Forward Episode 1202: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara:Is Your Next Idea a Revenue Driver or a PR Play? Part 2 Episode 1219: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Stop Defending Your Pricing to Your Clients Episode 986: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: Boundaries and Expectations are a Few of My Favorite Things -
1230: What Would Lu Do?: Are You Disqualifying Leads Too Soon? 25.09.2026 27минToday With LuAnn Nigara: Qualifying leads is good business. But the qualification strategy that makes sense when your interior design firm is booked several months out may not make sense when your pipeline has room or your sales skills still need strengthening. In this What Would Lu Do episode, LuAnn challenges you to look at whether your qualification process reflects the business you actually have today. Because there is an important difference between knowing a prospect isn't right for your firm and assuming they aren't based on limited information. Using lessons from more than 40 years of selling at Window Works, LuAnn explains why “not qualified in” is not the same as “qualified out,” and why an imperfect answer on an inquiry form may deserve another question before you make the decision. You'll also hear LuAnn's distinction between sales practice and sales scrimmages. You can practice your questions, explain your services, and rehearse saying your fees. But a live prospect doesn't know your script. That's where you learn to listen, respond in real time, explain your value, talk about money, and confidently recognize when the answer really is no. LuAnn also shares a practical 90-day assignment to help strengthen your discovery-call skills and asks one important question to consider the next time you're tempted to immediately disqualify an inquiry: Do I actually know that yet? Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Other Shows Mentioned #316 WTFP What Would Lu Do?: How to Qualify Leads Without Disqualifying Your Future Revenue Episode 1229: MBA: The Discovery Call: Listen, Learn, Then Lead -
1229: MBA: The Discovery Call: Listen, Learn, Then Lead 22.09.2026 28минToday With LuAnn Nigara: You already have questions you ask on a discovery call. But do you know what you’re actually trying to learn from the answers? In this MBA episode of A Well-Designed Business, LuAnn Nigara goes into the archives to pull together sales lessons from Matt Cobb, Leah Neaderthal, Tracee Murphy, and Nikki Rausch. Together, their advice reveals a more strategic way for interior designers to think about the discovery call. A great discovery call isn’t simply a get-to-know-you conversation or a checklist of questions about scope, budget, and timeline. It’s an opportunity to learn how a prospective client makes decisions, what they truly value, what problem they are trying to solve, and what their answers are telling you about how to lead the sales conversation. LuAnn breaks down how to ask questions with intention, listen beyond the surface answer, capture the client’s own words, and use what you learn to make stronger recommendations. She also explains why listening matters all the way through the sale, including recognizing when a client is ready to move forward and when a prospect may not be the right fit. The goal isn’t to convince every prospect to hire you. It’s to understand the person in front of you well enough to determine whether there is a win-win and, when there is, confidently lead them toward the right next step. Listen. Learn. Then lead. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why every discovery question should have a purpose. How to listen for what a prospective client means, not only what they say. How to identify the “nuggets” that reveal what the client truly values. How to use the client’s own words when presenting your design recommendations. How to recognize buying signals without selling past the close. Why the information you gather should determine what you do next in the sales process. Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Other Shows Mentioned Episode 318: What Would Lu Do?: Exactly What to Ask on a Discovery Call: Sales Questions That Actually Work Episode 769: Power Talk Friday: Leah Neaderthal: Sales Techniques for Introverts Episode 1081: Tracee Murphy: The Psychology of Luxury Sales in Interior Design Episode 508: Power Talk Friday: Nikki Rausch: The Sales Maven -
1228: Kelly Finley: From Bigger to Better 18.09.2026 1ч 12минToday with Kelly Finley: Kelly Finley built the firm you're told to want. Nine people. Two offices, one in California and one in Georgia. Major projects, press, a team that could run circles without her in the room. From the outside, she'd made it. Then her husband's job moved the family to Georgia, and the model that got her there started costing her more than it gave back. The distance between offices. The team changes that came with distance. The quality control that got harder to hold onto from three time zones away. Kelly had to sit with a question a lot of designers avoid asking once they've already built something big: is this actually what I want, or is it just what I built? Her answer wasn't dramatic. It was a decision, made in stages, to bring the firm back down to a lean, senior team, and to know her numbers well enough to trust the decision. She talks about what it costs to keep a firm open every month, why she used AI to reshape a six figure role instead of hiring someone new to do the same job the same old way She also talks about Joy Street Initiative, the nonprofit she runs alongside her design firm, renovating spaces in women's and children's shelters with the same care she'd bring to a client's living room. This year marks 15 years in business, and she's launching a campaign called 15 Spaces to raise $150,000 for that work. To learn more about that go to joystreetinitiative.com This is a conversation about what happens when you've already proven you can build the big version, and you decide better matters more than bigger. Listen in and hear how she's doing it. More About Kelly Finley: Kelly Finley is the founder of Joy Street Design, a nationally-acclaimed interior design firm, and Joy Street Initiative, a nonprofit transforming spaces for women and children in crisis. She also co-hosts Hustle Adjacent, a podcast about designing the life you actually want to live. Known for bold color, joyful spaces, and an unapologetic approach to living well, Kelly doesn’t just design beautiful rooms. She’s proof that you can build a life of purpose, success, and pleasure without compromise. Connect with Kelly Finley: Website Joy Street Initiative Instagram Facebook Pinterest Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1144: BEST OF: Marianna Zimmerman: It’s Never Too Late to Design Your Life Episode 1203: Madelaine Mayer: The Interior Designer Who Spent 20 Years as an Architect Before Choosing Joy -
1227: BEST OF: Michele Williams: Re-Visiting Michele Williams’ Tips for Time Management 15.09.2026 1ч 9минToday on the show I have yet another fabulous business coach who specializes in our industry! Michele Williams is with me! Michele is the founder of Scarlet Thread and Consulting in Atlanta, Georgia. Today we will learn about Michele’s background which includes the financial software industry as well as a business in soft window treatment fabricator. She also has a BS in business administration, a diploma in Christian life coaching and she is one of the few certified profit first coaches in the United States. Michele was also the communication director and editor in chief of the Drapery and Designs Professional Magazine from 2009 to 2012. She is a member of The Design Collective in Atlanta, the Designers Work Club Council and the Window Covering Association of America. After talking to Michele I realized that there are so many things I could talk with her about but after we talk about her background a little bit we are going to pull apart work scheduling and chunking our day to have more productivity. Show Notes: What is her background in the financial software industry? When did she decide to start her window treatment business? Did she start with a business plan? How did she start to make her business bigger? What is the Design Collective in Atlanta? What is a round table discussion and how is it helpful? How is the Window Coverings Association helpful to Michele and her business? What are some of things that you can expect Michele to talk about the expo IWCE in Charlotte? Why is it important to listen to different people say the same things? Why is important to be able to chunk your time for productivity? Is it better to be proactive or reactive? How should you plan your calendar? Resources: Website: Scarlet Thread Consulting Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting Instagram: Scarlet Thread LinkedIn: Michele Williams Twitter: Michele Williams Financial Health Checklist PDF: Scarlet Thread Consulting Previous shows mentioned: #104 Kate the Socialite #94 Debi Pinelli (A& J Interiors) #69, #93 Stacey Brown Randall #128 Grace McNamara #125, #317 Nicole Heymer #141 Jim Riviello Links: WCAA IWCE Vision Window Fashion Vision Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob -
1226: BEST OF: Eileen Hahn: Scaling from 2 Million to 5 Million 11.09.2026 1ч 17минToday with Eileen Hahn Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Today, Luann and her guest, Eileen Hahn, dig into how to scale your design business from 2 million to 5 million. Going from 2 to 5 million is not easy, and it does not happen by accident. Intentional is the name of the game when scaling at this level. Who better to take us through that than Eileen? She’s the HR whisperer from LuAnn’s first Power Talk Friday Experts book. Eileen was with us all at LuAnn Live and she also has a chapter in LuAnn’s upcoming second Power Talk Friday Experts book, as well. Oh, and did you know that LuAnn and Eileen are COUSINS? Tune in to their conversation for expert advice on hiring, retaining, and scaling, and be amazed as Eileen takes this overwhelming task of scaling and breaks it down into a simple (not easy, simple) to-do list! Eileen Hahn is a leadership consultant who works with firms like Anheuser-Busch, Ericson Worldwide, General Motors, Legoland, San Diego Padres, and interior design firms, as well as smaller entrepreneurial firms. She teaches leaders in these organizations how to hire and lead exceptional employees who bring fire and energy to their work, achieve high levels of performance, and generate financial results. Eileen’s work has improved productivity, profitability, and employee work passion. It has also brought the employees joy, peace, purpose, and prosperity. Show Highlights: Create a compelling vision statement that defines your firm. Make it something your team can get excited about and feel proud to be a part of. Then take that vision and get real with it – set a monetary goal. Now, back up that financial goal with a sales strategy. It’s human nature to just hope you’ll hit your goal. But just hoping isn’t going to get you where you want to go. To hit your dollar amount goal, you must dedicate considerable time to developing your sales strategy. Dissect your business. Think about: What has worked before? Can this take us to the next level, or is this activity maxed out? What am I going to do differently to scale? Eileen breaks down the overwhelming task of scaling and breaks it down into these simple steps: What do I like doing? What am I good at doing? What market segment do I enjoy working in? Each year you should spend a minimum of 2-3 days of strategic analysis and planning for your business. Quarterly planning is even better! The world is changing and so is business, so we must keep on eye on what is working and plan for new strategies. Understand where you are as the business owner, what you need, and where you see yourself so that you can set yourself up for success with the right people. Eileen shares hiring considerations and tips. If you’re thinking about growth, recognize this time as the last opportunity you’ll have to assess whether each person on your team fits and is utilizing their strengths and skills. Eileen has put in the work for you on preparing Interior Design Firm Hiring Toolkits for hiring Exceptional Designers, Design Assistants, Expediter/Purchasers, Bookkeepers, and Office Administrators. The investment is $297 for each role, or purchase the bundle for a discounted price! Connect with Eileen! Eileen’sWebsite Eileen’s Instagram Eileen’s LinkedIn Eileen’s Interior Design Firm Hiring Toolkits Eileen’s Email Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Other shows mentioned #363 Eileen Hahn #364 Janelle Photopoulos #127, #388, #549 Corey Damen Jenkins #130, #215 Kate O’Hara #64, #492 Laura Umansky -
1225: MBA: Is AI Recommending Your Interior Design Business? 08.09.2026 29минToday With LuAnn Nigara: When a potential client asks an AI search tool for an interior designer who solves the exact problem you solve, will your business show up? LuAnn decided to test the question on her own business, and the results were eye-opening. AI understood a lot about LuAnn Nigara Inc., but it missed one of her newest offers and recommended a one-time coaching program from around 2017 that hasn't been available for years. In this solo episode, LuAnn connects this discovery to lessons she's been teaching for nearly a decade, including Fred Berns' “Only,” Deb Mitchell's approach to specific website copy, Melissa Fields' lesson on connecting your differentiators to client benefits, and Robyn White's reminder that beautiful work is not enough. You'll learn how to audit the public information about your own design firm, test the real questions your ideal clients may be asking, and identify where outdated, generic or incomplete information may be getting in the way. The goal isn't to write your website for robots. It's to make sure the information about your business is current, specific and true, so the right clients can understand why you're the right fit. Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 -
1224: BEST OF: Jennifer Tokatyan: Building a Culture that Drives Business Results 04.09.2026 1ч 9минToday With Jennifer Tokatyan: Today on A Well-Designed Business, I speak with Jennifer Tokatyan, leadership consultant and partner with Eileen B Hahn. With over 20 years of experience, Jennifer shares her proven 7-step framework for building strong company culture that drives team performance and business growth. Don’t miss information about her upcoming LuAnn University course, “Build an Exceptional Team that Gets Results,” starting January 2025. LuAnn Nigara and Jennifer Tokatyan’s Ah-Ha Moments “Culture matters the moment you have another human being you are interacting with because you are now interdependent on them to execute on the very things you are trying to deliver,” – Jennifer Tokatyan “Once you clarify yourself as the leader and you exemplify that and are consistent, the whole team will follow. And the ones who don’t, you can show them the door,” – LuAnn Nigara More About Jennifer Tokatyan Jennifer Tokatyan is a leadership consultant and a consulting partner with Eileen B Hahn. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in small and large organizations across multiple industries in public, private and nonprofit sectors. She has worked with and for Fortune 500 companies as well as fast-paced entrepreneurial start-ups and Founder-led companies including interior design, hospitality, real estate, apparel, retail, manufacturing, non-profit and more. Jennifer provides leadership, talent optimization, organizational development, strategic HR consulting and coaching to organizations seeking to grow their people and business, deliver on their brand promise, create the culture and environment where its people flourish and achieve exceptional results. She has several active interior design clients across the United States and was on the expert panel at LuAnn Nigara’s Power Talk Friday at High Point Market in October, 2022. Connect with Jennifer Tokatyan Website LinkedIn What’s new with LuAnn Nigara RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows: AWDB #68: Chad James- “Think Forward” – Employee Management -
1223: BEST OF: Pamela Durkin: Utilize Time Blocking to Increase Productivity in Your Interior Design Business 01.09.2026 59минToday with Pamela Durkin: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today with Pamela Durkin, author of Elevate and owner of Pamela Durkin Designs, we are discussing how to time block our tasks. Pamela is coughing up some great strategies on how we can set specific blocks of time for specific tasks that will help us, get this, “Get more done in one day then you used to get done in an entire week.” Pick it apart: [2:00] Pamela talks to us about time blocking to increase productivity. [8:30] Pamela takes us to the next level of getting a weeks’ worth of things done in a day. [11:15] Pamela explains a strategy for completing the potential tasks we get from when we check all of our emails. [26:00] Pamela and LuAnn discuss the importance of communicating to your clients your time expectancy. LuAnn and Pamela Durkin’s Ah-Ha moments: “We need concentrated time to accomplish anything. We need to be aware of the fact that bouncing around to different tasks can hurt our productivity. ” – Pamela Durkin “If we can think about where we are spending our time and how that relates to money in our business, then you ask yourself if you should even be doing those things.” – Pamela Durkin “Time blocking is more than being efficient, it’s understanding that we have finite hours in the day and if we’re not making enough money by putting these blocks of time in, then maybe we are not charging enough.” – Pamela Durkin “We are imperfectly perfect and always a work in progress. We should always give ourselves a pat on the back for our progress. As long as we are trying and moving forward, it’s all good.” – Pamela Durkin More about Pamela Durkin: Pamela Durkin, ASID, LEED AP ID+C Design is powerful and Pamela wants designers to step into that power. After 30 years in the high-end design business, she is now helping other designers create a business they love through her In Demand Designer Program. She teaches them how to be magnetic and attract the best clients. This method makes owning a design business easier and more fulfilling. Her book, Elevate! can be found on Amazon. Pamela Durkin has been a professional interior designer for over 30 years. She is a past-president of ASID Florida South Chapter and served on the Board of Architecture and Design in NJ. She lives in Naples, FL and in her spare time, loves spending time on the beach and learning new moves in her home dance studio. Connect with Pamela Durkin Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Book What’s new with LuAnn Nigara RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 577: Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza, LuAnn is in the “Productivity” Hot Seat Episode 607: Project Management with Specific Deliverables and Deadlines -
1222: BEST OF: Robyn White: Using Your Website to Market to the Luxury Interior Design Client 28.08.2026 1чToday With Robyn White: We all know that marketing matters. But so often when I’m talking to newer designers, I realize that marketing is misunderstood—especially when it comes to the luxury client. My guest today, Robyn White, understands that. Today, she’s here to talk about what marketing really is, how marketing for the luxury client is unique, and how to incorporate your personality and story into your messaging. Pick It Apart [2:26] Robyn and LuAnn reflect on what marketing really means. [6:54] Robyn explains the difference in marketing to a luxury client. [15:54] LuAnn and Robyn discuss how important it is for your website to show what makes you unique. [27:43] Robyn explains how to convey luxury through your website. [43:14] Robyn and LuAnn reflect on how important your website is. LuAnn Nigara and Robyn White’s Ah-Ha Moments “The more marketing you do, the more you’ll start to realize that people don’t care that much about what you’re trying to sell to them, because it’s not about them. When you turn the tables and make your marketing about how you help them and what problems you solve, they become interested.” – Robyn White “If I can read a page on your website and I can substitute any person’s name for this because there’s nothing so specific that is only you, then you haven’t done your job in explaining who you are or what it’s like to work with you.” – LuAnn Nigara More About Robyn White: Robyn White is the owner and founder of RDW Design Studio, a boutique website design studio located on Cape Cod, MA. Robyn offers a refined website design experience for clients who value quality and want a strategic, sophisticated and simple website designed so they can book more premium clients. Robyn specializes in helping interior designers, architects, stagers and organizers elevate their website so it reflects the high-quality work they provide and so their business has the online home it deserves. Through her impactful and strategic website design, she positions her clients as the premium choice by making the right first impression online. She helps her busy clients go from overwhelmed to overjoyed with their websites by taking care of all the techie stuff without the techie talk. Through her supportive, streamlined and stress-free design process, Robyn designs websites that are not just beautiful, but allow her clients to show up online with confidence and attract their ideal clients. Connect with Robyn White Website Instagram Facebook LinkedIn Get a Freebie! What’s new with LuAnn Nigara RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: #466: Power Talk Friday: Nicole Heymer: You’ve Defined Your Brand…Now What? #174: Power Talk Friday- Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours #159: Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – How To Get Confident & Clear on What You Offer #841: Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – The Profit Insiders for Interior Designers. -
1221: BEST OF: Deb Mitchell: Attract the Right Clients With Stand-Out Copy 25.08.2026 1ч 13минToday with Deb Mitchell: Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn shares a conversation with Deb Mitchell on today’s show. You may know Deb on Instagram as DesignWriterDeb. She’s a writer specializing in serving interior designers. Did you know that your own writing style can differentiate yourself from other designers in the way it reflects your personality and your style? And that the most impactful way of writing speaks to the client? Listen in for tips on how you can make this happen, or how you can work with Deb if you’re needing a little extra help in communicating effectively with your ideal client. Deb Mitchell’s career as a professional writer began when she responded to an ad in a local Charlotte, NC magazine seeking volunteers for a readers’ panel. On a tour of the magazine’s offices with the other selected panelists, the idea for an article came to her and when she mentioned it to the editors, they hired her on the spot as a writer. Nearly ten years and hundreds of articles later, Deb decided to blend her design feature writing experience with her pre-writing career experience in high-end retail sales to help interior designers move their businesses forward with strategic copywriting and content marketing services. Today, Deb’s client list is ever growing with designers at nearly every stage of business. Most recently, she’s joined forces with two experts, a branding designer and a website developer, to offer designers an all-in-one option for fully custom designed and copywritten WordPress websites. Deb has by-lined articles in publications such as Casual Living, Design Texas, Lake Norman Magazine, and Today’s Charlotte Woman, and on The Renegade Writer blog. Her ghostwriting has appeared in dozens of top shelter publications and design blogs. Show Highlights: Start the writing process with getting to know your clients. What do they care about? When writing, differentiate yourself by considering how you are different from your colleague in aesthetic, processes, delivery of services, and personality. Make your writing reflective of you. Don’t write a bio that’s so vanilla we can substitute another designer’s name for yours. Don’t be intimidated about writing. Get your ideas out of your head and get someone to take a look at your copy and help with editing. Create a “messaging” folder – it’s a living document used to hold your core words, thoughts, and phrases. Add to it as you come up with copy that helps define you and will resonate with your clients. Start by finishing these statements: I believe my clients deserve… I believe my clients should experience… When speaking about me, someone said… To create consistent messaging, refer to this file when writing your social media, creating a new web page, or preparing to speak on a panel. Read your reviews to get ideas and reflect the language your clients use. LuAnn and Deb cover the services that Deb offers. Connect with Deb! Deb’s Email Deb’s Website – Schedule a Free Consultation Today! Deb’s Instagram Deb’s Facebook Deb’s Pinterest Websites Mentioned: Blakely Interiordesign Victoria At Home Links : Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Other shows mentioned: #174 Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours #125 Nicole Heymer: How to Brand Your Business #544 Natalie Norcross: Natalie Norcross: 5 Things To Do To Get PR #364 Janelle Photopoulos: Leading, Not Simply Running, Your Interior Design Firm -
1220: BEST OF: Deborah Rosenberg: Tailoring Your Interior Design Firm to Your Core Beliefs 21.08.2026 54минToday with Deborah Rosenberg: What happens when your personal beliefs become part of the way you run your business? In this Best Of episode of A Well-Designed Business®, LuAnn sits down with Deborah Rosenberg, principal of DiMare Design, to talk about her decision to build a design firm committed to humane, cruelty-free interiors. Deborah’s approach grew out of her own evolving awareness of how animal-derived materials are produced. Eventually, she began looking at the leather, wool, down, and other materials she was specifying professionally and asking herself a bigger question: If these choices no longer aligned with her personal values, why would she continue making them in her business? That decision ultimately became a defining part of her firm. LuAnn and Deborah explore what it means to take a deeply held belief and allow it to influence your business model, your sourcing decisions, and the clients you attract. They also discuss an important lesson for every interior designer, whether or not humane design is part of your own philosophy: Having a clearly defined point of view does not necessarily limit your opportunities. Done thoughtfully, it can distinguish your firm and establish you as the expert for the clients who are looking for exactly what you do. This conversation is a reminder that your core values are not words you choose for your website. They are standards that should help you make decisions about how you operate, what you offer, and what you are willing to stand behind. What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast -
1219: CEO Conversations with Kate O'Hara: Stop Defending Your Pricing to Your Clients 18.08.2026 1ч 35минToday with Kate O’Hara: Kate O'Hara is back on A Well-Designed Business, and if you have never heard our past conversations with her, go find them after this one. They are some of the most listened to episodes in this catalog. This time we go straight at the conversation that makes emerging designers freeze. A client asks to see your trade invoices. A client asks what your markup is. And instead of feeling entitled to run your own business, you feel like you have to defend it. Kate spent 20 years at O'Hara Interiors, nearly 10 of them as CEO, before she made the deliberate decision to close a business she built across studios in Minnesota and Texas and start Lake House Group, her advisory practice for founder-led and second-generation companies. She has trained more designers on how to have this exact conversation than almost anyone in the industry. Here is the reframe that changes everything. When a client asks about your markup, they are not asking about money. They are asking if they can trust you. When they ask why something costs so much, they are asking if it is a smart decision. When they ask why you chose a certain vendor, they are asking whose interest you are actually protecting. Once you hear it that way, the defensiveness goes away and curiosity takes its place. Kate walks through exactly how she handles it in a discovery call, why the questions almost always trace back to a client's past experience with a designer, or no experience at all, and why she is willing to walk away from any project, no matter the size, if it does not feel right from the start. From there, the conversation moves into the mechanics you actually need. Flat fee versus hourly, and the different way you protect a meeting from scope creep in each one. Retail pricing versus trade pricing versus sourcing something truly one of a kind, and why what you share with a client shifts across each one. How to present an investment as a range instead of a single number, then narrow it room by room so the client feels informed without feeling gouged. And why breaking a final bill down item by item, even when the total never changes, can quietly talk a client out of loving what you designed for them. Kate is also now co-owner of the Design Influencers Conference alongside Nicole Heymer of Glory and Brand, happening March 1 through 3, 2027 in Atlanta. And if this conversation told you what it told me, that Kate is one of the sharpest minds in this industry, you can book 50 minutes with her directly through the Boardroom for Creatives. More About Kate O’Hara: Kate O'Hara is the founder of Lake House Group, an advisory practice that helps founder-led and second-generation businesses navigate growth, operational blind spots, and transitions. She previously served as the second-generation CEO and Creative Director of O'Hara Interiors before intentionally closing the prominent design firm to focus on advisory work and co-owning the Design Influencers Conference. [1, 2, 3] Connect with Kate O’Hara: O'Hara Interiors Website O'Hara Interiors Instagram Lake House Group Website Design Influencers Conference Website Design Influencers Instagram Fay + Belle Website Fay + Belle Instagram What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1030: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Insights and Strategies on Successful Scaling Episode 1042: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: End-of-Year Business Strategies for Designers: Pipeline, Productivity, and Press Episode 1148: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: A Framework for Understanding Luxury Interior Design Clients Episode 1157: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Marketing to the Three Tiers of Luxury Clients and How to Attract Each One Episode 1188: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Scaling Your Design Firm Part 1: The Three Paths Forward Episode 1202: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara:Is Your Next Idea a Revenue Driver or a PR Play? Part 2 -
1218: Overheard: Mae Reedy, Abigail Kahan & Jennifer Arteaga: What Growing Pains Look Like beyond $5 Million 14.08.2026 1ч 22минToday with Mae Reedy, Abigail Kahan & Jennifer Arteaga: Three interior designers. Three multi-million dollar firms. Jennifer Arteaga, Mae Reedy, and Abigail Kahan all built their businesses in under 10 years, and not one of them stopped hitting growing pains once the revenue got big. In this Overheard episode, LuAnn sits down with all three to talk about what actually gets hard once you're running a firm beyond the $5 million mark. Fee structures and profit margins that look nothing alike but all work. Mae's year of building her first org chart, which she compares to giving birth to a whole different company. The client boundary conversation you have to be willing to have once you're serving executive-level clients. And the shift from doing the work yourself to running the room, which changes everything about how you lead. If you're earlier in your business and think it gets easier once you hit a number, this conversation will change your mind. It gets harder. Just differently. What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Resources Mentioned: Sandra Funk's Interior Design Standard MrSteam's Virtual Spa Tool The Boardroom for Creatives Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1210: What Would Lu Do: The Discount Lie Episode 1200: SPONSORED SHOW: Mr. Steam: Optimize Wellness Design with Steam Showers Built for Performance -
1217: What Would Lu Do?: Your Net Cost Isn't the Point 11.08.2026 25минToday With LuAnn Nigara: Last week's episode on interior design and trust got a real response, DMs, comments, one designer admitting she wouldn't have known what to say if a client brought up that arrested designer by name. So this week, LuAnn goes deeper. Two real conversations designers actually have to navigate, a client referencing a headline, and a client asking to see the receipts, and the exact words to use in both. Along the way, she digs into what ASID actually requires, what state law does and doesn't regulate, and why even the most heavily regulated retail industry in the country has never once required a business to reveal its actual cost. The conclusion is simple. Your net cost isn't the point. What you deliver is. This episode hands you the language to say that out loud, calmly, the next time it matters. Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 -
1216: Sponsored Show | Sandra Funk: The Season That Tested Everything She Built 07.08.2026 1ч 7минToday with Sandra Funk: Every business owner is one bad month away from finding out what their business is actually built on. This year, Sandra Funk found out. Her mom got sick. Two surgeries down, more to go. Her daughters started needing her in a different way. And in the middle of all of it, Sandra learned her own thyroid had been failing her for years, dismissed as just getting older. It was, in her words, everything happening at once, with no gap in between to catch her breath. This isn't a business episode. It's Sandra and me talking the way we'd talk if you pulled up a chair at our table at Market, about what it actually looks like to run a company through a season you didn't choose and can't control. Here's what I want you to listen for. Sandra pulled back. She stepped away from High Point, from Design Zips, from being the one out front all the time. But she never stepped away from the Interior Design Standard. It kept running, because none of it lived only in her head. The design agreement, the project timeline, the fee calculator, all of it was already written down, built years earlier out of her own hard season, the one she calls her dark night of the soul in an Atlanta airport. [LINK: episode 520] That's the throughline of this conversation. The season will come, for all of us. The question this episode asks is whether your business is something you have to hold up personally, or something that can hold itself up while you take care of what actually matters. If you want the two other stories I bring into this conversation, go back to [LINK: episode 1043] with Kristin Bartone, and [LINK: episode 1010], the Overheard episode with Robin Burrill and Antonio Deloatch, both circling the same idea from a different angle. Sandra, I love you. And to the rest of you, come listen to this one. It might be the permission you didn't know you needed. More About Sandra Funk: Sandra Funk is the founder and CEO of the boutique interior design firm, House of Funk. After 20 years as a luxury designer, Sandra is now a business strategist deeply rooted in empowering and educating design entrepreneurs. With her turnkey approach, she welcomes designers into her inner circle, sharing her proven process for a balanced, joy-filled and wildly profitable design firm. Connect with Sandra Funk: Website What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cobe: Podcast Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 02: The Importance of Systems for a Profitable Interior Design Business With Sandra Funk Levy Episode 145: Sandra Funk of House of Funk: Why and How She Re-Branded her 10 Year old Firm Episode 520: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: The Interior Design Standard is Here! Episode 585: Sandra Funk: Helping Designers Improve Their Business Systems Episode 660: Sandra Funk: Level Up Your Business Through Mentorship, Coaching, and Classes. Sponsored Show: “Interior Design Standard” Episode 753: Sandra Funk: How to Grow a Thriving Luxury Interior Design Business Episode 801: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: How Mistakes and Obstacles Led to Growth & Transformation Episode 845: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: Stop Apologizing and Start Communicating Episode 895: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: The Millionaire Mindset for Interior Designers Episode 986: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: Boundaries and Expectations are a Few of My Favorite Things Episode 1010: Overheard: Developing Resilience in Interior Design Business Leadership with Antonio Deloatch Jr, Sandra Funk and Robin Burrill Episode 1068: Power Talk Friday: Sandra Funk: How “Sleeping in Your Guest Room” Can Make You RICH Episode 1043: Kristin Bartone: Pivoting Your Interior Design Business When Life Throws You Curveballs Episode 1010: Overheard: Developing Resilience in Interior Design Business Leadership with Antonio Deloatch Jr, Sandra Funk and Robin Burrill Episode 1118: Sponsored Show: Jamie Gasparovic: Why I Invested in the Interior Design Standard -
1215: What Would Lu Do?: Can We Stop Apologizing For Being a Business? 04.08.2026 30минToday With LuAnn Nigara: Somewhere on a coaching call this week, a designer told LuAnn the same An interior designer was arrested a few weeks ago. Grand theft, diversion of construction funds, a client out $67,500 and no kitchen to show for it. That part isn't in question. What happened next is. An industry publication covered the story, and somewhere between reporting the crime and quoting the outrage in the comments, the conversation shifted. It stopped being about catching a criminal and started being about whether the rest of us need to hand our clients the keys to our bank accounts to prove we're not her. LuAnn read that piece and got genuinely fired up, in the best way. In this solo episode, she pulls the article apart, piece by piece. What it actually said versus what it implied. Why the fix being proposed wouldn't have stopped the crime it claims to solve. What real vetting looks like, the kind that has nothing to do with your pricing and everything to do with your credibility. And why "transparency" has quietly been redefined into something it was never supposed to mean. If you've ever had a client ask to see your net cost and felt your stomach drop, this episode hands you the words. Not to defend yourself. To simply say no. Have a Question for WWLD? Head to: luannigara.com/WWLD Submit your question and it might be featured in an upcoming episode. Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 -
1214: Liz Lidgett: A Smart Way to Source Art for Every Project and Budget 31.07.2026 1ч 2минToday with Liz Lidgett: Art is one of the most overlooked ways designers can elevate a project and expand their own margin, and most designers are sourcing it the hard way. In this episode, LuAnn sits down with Liz Lidgett, gallerist, art advisor, and author, to talk about what actually happens on the business side of a gallery, and how designers can work with one the smart way. Liz breaks down how trade programs are structured, what questions to ask before you trust a gallery with a client's project, and the hidden costs that can quietly eat into a client's budget if you don't ask about them upfront. This conversation reframes art sourcing from a task you dread to a part of the business you can actually profit from, as long as you understand the math and let the expert do the sourcing. What you'll learn: How gallery trade programs are typically structured, and why the discount should come from the gallery's side, not a markup on the client's price The exact questions to ask before you send a gallery your first project, references, national versus local reach, artist roster and aesthetic fit The hidden costs in art sourcing that catch designers off guard, framing, installation, shipping Why a 15 to 20 percent commission changes how much of your own time should go into sourcing How to let a gallery's expertise work for you instead of spending hours playing curator yourself More About Liz Lidgett: Liz Lidgett is an art advisor, author and gallery owner. As founder of Liz Lidgett Gallery and Design, she works with people to find the perfect piece of art for their style, space, and budget. Representing over 75 artists from around the world, she has a passion for making the art world accessible. Her book, Art for Everyone, will be published by Simon Element (Simon and Schuester) on April 21, 2026. Liz has also been a contributor for many national publications, working with brands like Better Homes and Gardens, Martha Stewart, and Apartment Therapy. She lives in Des Moines, IA, with her husband, Nick Renkoski, their children, Rocky and Effie, and their ever-expanding art collection. Connect with Liz Lidgett: Website Instagram Facebook Pinterest What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Resources Mentioned: Liz’s Book: Art For Everyone Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1182: Sponsored Show: Studio Kasa, How to Source Art That Elevates Your Projects and Increases Your Profit -
1213: Overheard: Being a Great Interior Designer Won't Make You a Great CEO 28.07.2026 1ч 24минToday with Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario: Being a great interior designer and being a great CEO are not the same skill set, and Kathleen Reynolds and Lauren Vallario both learned that the hard way. Kathleen has run Kathleen Reynolds Interiors in Greenville, South Carolina for eighteen years. Lauren has run Lauren Vallario Designs in Stamford, Connecticut for over ten. Both built real, busy firms. Neither one had actually learned how to run a business until they got coaching. Kathleen carried a bad feeling about one client for nine months, calling it "the client that will not be named" in her own office, before a single five-minute phone call resolved what nine months of worry never could. Lauren was pricing every flat fee project based on nothing, her words, until a simple tool gave her what she calls confidence on paper. Nine months later, she landed the biggest design fee of her career. Both women are actual clients of business coach Nancy Quinn, and what they share in this conversation is their own experience, not a pitch for her program. This episode is about the specific moment every designer eventually hits, when the talent that built the business isn't the same thing that runs it, and what it actually takes to close that gap. More About Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario: Kathleen Reynolds is the founder of Kathleen Reynolds Interiors, a full-service interior design firm based in Greenville, South Carolina, now celebrating 18 years in business, handling everything from furnishings and styling to large-scale construction projects. Her team of four takes an organized, personality-driven approach to each client's home. Their motto: your home, uniquely yours. Kathleen opened her own studio in 2008 to bring an organized, streamlined approach to a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming, and that mission hasn't changed since. As a mom of four herself, she knows what it takes to manage a lot of moving pieces at once, which is exactly the energy she brings to every client's project. Lauren Vallario: The most rewarding part of the job for Lauren is knowing her clients live better and love their homes! Lauren steps in as the calm, friendly, knowledgeable, and collaborative Interior Designer ready to take the overwhelm of the design process off your plate entirely as she creates liveable luxury. With a systematic and creative approach (she’s got a spreadsheet for just about everything!), Lauren will help bring your vision into reality while handling all the details. Her clients love being a part of the process as the design comes together with floor plans, elevations, 3D renderings, mood boards, and flawless execution. Based in Stamford, CT, Lauren Vallario Designs was established in 2013 and provides Bathroom and Kitchen Design to clients located in New York and Connecticut. Connect with Kathleen Reynolds & Lauren Vallario and Nancy Quinn: Kathleen’s Website: kathleenreynoldsinteriors.com Kathleen’s Instagram: @kathleenreynoldsinteriors Lauren’s Website: https://laurenvallariodesigns.com/ Lauren’s Instagram: @laurenvallario.designs Lauren’s Docuseries: Episode 1 Episode 2 Episode 3 Nancy Quinn on Boardroom for Creatives: https://boardroomforcreatives.com/board-member/nancy-quinn/ Profit Insiders Academy: https://profitinsiderscoaching.com/profit-insiders-academy/ What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: Boardroom for Creatives Watch the Docuseries! https://www.luannnigara.com/cob Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Resources Mentioned: This podcast supports the Savvy Giving Design Coalition. Learn more about it here! AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design Nancy Quinn on Boardroom for Creatives Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 15 Nancy Ganzekaufer- Niche is Rich Episode 159 Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – How To Get Confident & Clear on What You Offer Episode 256 Nancy Ganzekaufer- A Powerful Strategy to Attract More Clients Episode 389Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: The Interior Design Profit Formula Episode 783Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders for Interior Designers Episode 841Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders For Interior Designers Group Coaching + Mastermind Episode 869Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders – How Interior Designers Can Price Themselves Right Episode 935Power Talk Friday: Nancy Ganzekaufer: Profit Insiders Academy: Marketing Lessons From Taylor Swift’s Playbook Episode 37Lesley Myrick – Strategies I Used to Build My Business Episode 584Lesley Myrick: Building a Business From the Ground Up, Again Episode 766Lesley Myrick: Offering Interior Design Without Procurement Episode 972Power Talk Friday: Lesley Myrick: Profit Insiders: How Interior Designers Can Leverage Local Marketing
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