Mastering the Business of Interior Design: Success by Design

Epizódok

• 117. The Trade-Offs No One Talks About When Growing a Design Firm 01.07.2026 23p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! Growing your business should feel exciting—but if you've ever wondered why success suddenly feels heavier, this episode is for you. One of the biggest misconceptions in the design industry is that growth automatically creates more freedom. In reality, growth often exposes the parts of your business that have been held together by your own talent, memory, and constant involvement. In this episode, I'm talking about the hidden trade-offs of scaling a design firm, wh...
• 116. Booked Out, Busy, and Still Not Profitable Enough? 24.06.2026 28p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! Most interior designers think they have a revenue problem. But what if the real issue isn't how much money is coming in? What if it's how much money is quietly leaking out? In this episode, Katie breaks down one of the biggest profitability challenges facing design firms today: hidden profit leaks. From scope creep and revision loops to owner over-involvement and untracked labor, many designers are losing thousands of dollars without realizing it. In this episode,...
• 115. A Profitable Design Business Is Not the Same as a Scalable Design Firm 17.06.2026 25p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! One of the biggest misconceptions I see in the interior design industry is the belief that profitability automatically means your business is healthy. It doesn't. You can have beautiful projects, happy clients, strong revenue, and still be operating a business that can't handle another level of growth. In this episode, I'm breaking down the difference between a profitable design business and a scalable design firm—and why that distinction matters if you're trying ...
• 114. Your Business Doesn’t Need You As Much As You Think It Does 10.06.2026 18p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! What if the biggest thing holding your business back isn't your team, your workload, or your schedule? What if it's the fact that your business still depends on you for everything? In this episode, I'm diving into one of the biggest growth barriers I see in interior design firms: owner dependency. It's the moment many business owners reach where the business is growing, revenue is increasing, and the team is expanding—but somehow everything still comes back to the...
• 113. The Art Of The Principle: The Hard Conversations No One Talks About That Will Save Your Business 03.06.2026 37p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! In this special joint episode of Success by Design and Design for the Creative Mind, Michelle Lynne and I kick off a new series called The Art of Being the Principal. We dive into what it really takes to lead a successful interior design firm, move beyond being the operator of your business, and step fully into the role of CEO. If you're balancing design work, team management, marketing, finances, and client demands while wondering why growth still feels so hard, ...
• 112. The Hidden Cost of Saying Yes to the Wrong Projects 27.05.2026 29p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! What if the project draining your energy, your time, your profit, and your team was never actually the problem? What if the bigger issue is that you said yes to it in the first place? In this episode of Success by Design, I’m talking about the subtle “wrong projects” interior designers take on all the time — the ones that seem fine at first. The budget looks decent, the client seems nice enough, and the space has potential. But somewhere along the way, the project...
• 111. The Decision That Will Either Grow or Stall Your Business This Year 20.05.2026 31p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’ve ever finished a project and immediately moved on to the next one, this episode is going to hit a nerve—in the best way. Because what if the thing keeping your business stuck isn’t your clients, your pricing, or your workload… but the fact that you’re not stopping to evaluate what actually happened? In this episode, I’m breaking down the one decision that separates designers who stay stuck from those who scale—and it has nothing to do with doing more. It’...
• 110. What I’d Fix First If I Took Over Your Interior Design Business Today 13.05.2026 41p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, I’m walking you through exactly what I would fix first if I stepped into your interior design business and helped you scale to seven figures. And here’s the truth most people won’t tell you—you don’t need to work more, take on more clients, or post more content. What you actually need is to fix the right things in the right order. If your business feels busy but not profitable, or like everything is urgent but nothing is truly moving the needle, t...
• 109. Lessons from High Point Market: How Interior Designers Actually Attract Better Clients 06.05.2026 26p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, I’m sharing a conversation I recently had with designers at High Point Market—and it’s one I couldn’t wait to bring to you here because it hits on something so many of you are experiencing right now. If you’ve been saying “I need more clients,” but you’re not actively nurturing the relationships you already have, this might be the reframe you need. Because what I shared on that stage—and what I see every day in my coaching work—is that most design...
• 108. Scaling an Interior Design Business Takes More Than Bigger Goals 29.04.2026 32p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, I’m unpacking something I see all the time in design businesses—and it might surprise you. It’s not that you need to think bigger. It’s that your business may not be built to support the growth you say you want. I know how easy it is to believe the next level comes from bigger goals, more confidence, or finally stepping into your “CEO era.” But if your structure is weak, scaling doesn’t create freedom—it creates more chaos. More clients, more pres...
• 107. The Smarter Way Interior Designers Increase Profit (Without More Clients or Higher Prices) 22.04.2026 44p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, I’m joined by Heather McManus, founder of The Designers Collaborative, and we’re diving into a conversation that challenges what most designers believe about profitability. Because if you’ve been told the only way to make more money is to raise your rates or take on more clients, I want you to hear this—there’s another way. And it might completely shift how you think about your business. IN THIS EPISODE: Why making more money doesn’t always mean r...
• 106. The Hiring Mistake Keeping Interior Designers Overworked 15.04.2026 21p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’ve been feeling stretched thin and thinking, “I just need to hire another designer,” this episode might shift everything for you. I’m breaking down why hiring an assistant designer is often not the solution you think it is—and what’s actually keeping you overworked, overwhelmed, and stuck in your business. IN THIS EPISODE: Why hiring an assistant designer often doesn’t solve overwhelmThe difference between task support and true decision ownershipHow being t...
• 105. Why You Don’t Have a Million-Dollar Interior Design Business Yet 08.04.2026 39p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’ve ever thought, “I want more in my business, but I don’t know if I can handle more,” this episode is for you. Today I’m breaking down one of the biggest reasons interior designers struggle to scale—and it’s not your talent or your work ethic. It’s your business model. If your business is built on the assumption that you have unlimited energy and capacity, it will eventually hit a ceiling. In this episode, I walk you through what’s really keeping you from r...
• 104. Why Being Busy Isn’t Growing Your Interior Design Business 01.04.2026 19p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! If you feel busy all day but your interior design business still isn’t growing, this episode is going to hit home. I’m breaking down why constant hustle isn’t the problem—and why your business might actually be designed to keep you stuck. IN THIS EPISODE: I’m sharing what I see behind the scenes with so many interior designers: full calendars, constant work, and zero real growth. If you’re working nonstop but not seeing more profit, freedom, or scalability, it’s n...
• 103. Why Your Interior Design Projects Keep Going Over Budget 25.03.2026 23p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! Have you ever wrapped up a project and thought… how did we get here again? You started with a clear vision, a solid plan, and a client who seemed aligned. But somewhere between the mood board and install day, the budget unraveled. Now the client is stressed, you’re reworking the same design over and over, and a project that once felt exciting feels heavy. In this episode, I’m breaking down the real reason interior design projects go over budget—and it’s probably n...
• 102. Why Interior Design Clients Keep Changing Their Minds (And How to Fix It) 18.03.2026 17p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! Have you ever had a client approve everything… only to start unraveling the design a few days later? One change turns into five. The sofa shifts, then the rug feels off, then suddenly the entire room is back on the table. Your timeline gets pushed, your energy gets drained, and the project becomes far more complicated than it ever needed to be. In this episode, I’m breaking down what’s really happening when clients keep changing their minds—and why it’s usually no...
• 101. Scaling an Interior Design Business Beyond Referrals 11.03.2026 20p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! Referrals feel incredible as an interior designer. They’re proof your clients love your work and your reputation is strong. But there’s something most designers don’t realize—referrals alone are not a growth strategy. In this episode, I’m talking about the quiet ceiling referral-driven businesses often hit. When your pipeline depends on referrals, your growth depends on someone else’s timing. That’s why so many designers experience the frustrating feast-or-famine ...
• 100. 100 Episodes Later: The Real Reason Interior Designers Feel Stuck 04.03.2026 18p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! After 100 episodes of Success by Design, there are a few patterns I simply can’t ignore anymore. They’ve shown up in coaching calls, DMs, and quiet conversations after the mic turns off. And if you’re building an interior design firm right now — especially one you want to sustain you long-term — this episode is going to feel personal. Here’s what I know for sure: your problem is not your design talent. I have never sat across from a designer and thought the issue ...
• 99. Why High Demand Doesn’t Mean You’re Ready to Scale Your Interior Design Business 25.02.2026 22p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’re booked out, have steady inquiries, and your revenue looks solid — but you still feel capped — this episode is for you. High demand does not automatically mean you’re ready to scale your interior design business. If you can’t take on more without breaking something, it’s not a marketing problem. It’s a structural one. In this episode, I’m breaking down why revenue growth and scalability are not the same thing. So many six-figure designers assume that beca...
• 98. Signs You’ve Outgrown DIY Business Advice as an Interior Designer 18.02.2026 16p

  Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’re running a multiple six-figure interior design firm and finding that the business advice you used to love now feels surface-level, this episode is for you. DIY business advice isn’t bad. In fact, it’s incredibly helpful when you’re building momentum. But there comes a point when quick tips, Instagram soundbites, and six-week tactical courses stop moving the needle. If you’re still working too hard for the results you’re getting, it may not be an effort pr...