Staging Sips

Ever notice how planning a team lunch suddenly becomes urgent when you're supposed to be working on something important? That's dread disguised as productivity – and today we're breaking it down. In this episode, I'm sharing the concept of the "dread sprint" from Brooke Castillo, and honestly, I'm using it in real-time to get this very episode recorded. We'll dive into the neuroscience behind why...

Your phone's getting quiet. Your inbox is slowing down. And your brain is getting LOUD. If you're in that space right now where clients are hesitating, agents are skipping staging, and you're wondering how you'll make it through the end of the year, take a deep breath. Nothing has gone wrong. What you're experiencing is what I call an integration period, and it's one of the most misunderstood, yet...

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your staging business isn't adding more but strategically saying no? Today's episode is really a reflection and honestly, a celebration as we're winding down this year. I've had some amazing conversations with the CEOs inside our Accelerate and private coaching, and they are experiencing wins that I have to tell you about. These are wins that I cons...

In this episode of  Staging Sips , Lori reveals a quiet trap that keeps even experienced staging CEOs stuck in operator mode: hiring for help instead of ownership. You'll learn how to spot the difference between helpers who lighten your load temporarily and team members who expand your company's capacity. Lori shares how to shift from being the answer key to being the coach, empowering your team t...

You finally hire someone. You're expecting relief. You're imagining lighter days, fewer tasks on your plate, maybe even some breathing room. But instead? The workload feels heavier. You're fielding more questions, redoing work, fixing mistakes. And you catch yourself thinking, "It would just be faster if I handled this myself." Sound familiar? Here's the thing: this doesn't mean you're doing anyth...

Have you ever heard a seller say, "Staging sounds great, but we just can't afford it right now" ? I have! Maybe you have too! But what if there were a way for your clients to stage their home today and not pay a single dollar until closing? That's exactly what Nick Narodny set out to solve with his company, Titus. Nick grew up surrounded by real estate—his parents and even his little brother are R...

I'm sure you know how the math works. You've probably sat down more than once to calculate exactly what you need to charge to make a profit. There is no problem until when it is time to say that number out loud to a client. It is then that it suddenly feels almost impossible. Belive me, it is not jut you. Here's the truth: pricing is never just about the math. You can have the most perfect spreads...

Ever catch yourself thinking, "If I raise my staging prices, will I lose clients" ? You're not alone. But here's the truth: home staging costs are rising whether you like it or not…tariffs, trucking fees, replacement inventory, all of it. And if the pricing in your staging business has not changed in the last year, it's already outdated. In this episode, I break down why holding onto your old rate...

Ever wonder why some stagers seem to effortlessly attract high-end real estate agents while others struggle to get noticed? Or why certain staging businesses explode with growth while others stay stuck in the same patterns year after year? Meet Marianne Cherico, a personal and professional development coach  for home stagers with 27 years in real estate and nearly two decades of staging under her...

There's a pattern I see repeatedly with successful staging business owners that's quietly sabotaging everything they've built. They're showing up to every install, running every consultation, personally styling every pillow, and wondering why they feel like they're drowning despite having a team on payroll. But here's the reality: if you're still the primary technician, you haven't built a busines...

Picture this: you're on a two-week vacation in Austria. The air is crisp, the scenery is breathtaking, and your phone is blissfully quiet. Not because your home staging business is falling apart, but because it's running better than ever. Projects are getting completed, clients are thrilled, and your team is stepping up, filling in gaps, and owning their roles. You're not "checking in" every five...

This episode is recorded with "special sound effects that you may hear," which buttresses this conversation about interrupting patterns that sneak into our daily operations as home staging business owners. The kind of patterns that don't just slow us down but quietly sabotage the very growth we're working so hard to create. Today, I'm sharing one of the most important mindset shifts I've made and...

You know that moment when things are finally starting to click in your staging business. More inquiries, more visibility, more momentum, and yet behind the scenes, it feels like one more client might break the whole system? That's what we're talking about today. This episode is for the home staging business owner who  knows  it's time to expand but feels stuck waiting for the "right time." It is a...

Rhythm, predictability and structure could not feel any better! If you're running your home staging business week to week, feeling dizzy at the thought of planning beyond 7 days, that is not where you should be. Most staging CEOs think structure will slow them down, but here's what neuroscience reveals: your brain is literally hardwired to crave predictability. And when tasks that feel urgent are...

Is your website just sitting pretty or is it actually working for your business? If you've ever felt like your site doesn't reflect your growth, doesn't bring in the right clients , or still feels like it belongs to your "just getting started" era, this conversation is for you. Lori's conversation today is with Cathleen Barnes, the founder of Cathleen Barnes Consulting, a web and brand design stud...

You didn't start your business to manage chaos—yours or anyone else's. And yet, even with a team in place, delegation doesn't always feel like relief. You find yourself double-checking tasks you've already assigned, mentally tracking details you thought you handed off, or stepping back in when something feels off. Exhausting and far from the freedom you imagined! Often, the root of this tension is...

You've built your business with grit and a whole lot of resourcefulness. You've taken in all the free advice, downloaded the templates, maybe even brought on a little help and yet  something is not just clicking. If you're in that messy middle where you're no longer starting from scratch but nowhere near where you want to be, constantly beating yourself up with "I should be able to figure this out...

Today's episode hits close to home for so many of us juggling team mishaps, last-minute chaos, or repeating the same fire drill. Every business hits rough patches; let's be honest. However, it becomes an issue, a source of concern and a need to re-evaluate things when the same problem keeps showing up. Then, in contrast to "how can I solve this", it is time to ask the  question: Am I fixing the ri...

Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I just need more time"? If you're in the growth or acceleration phase of your staging business, this episode will lovingly challenge that thought. Because what if time isn't the issue at all? Today, we're diving into one of the most important mindset and structural shifts a CEO can make. If your days feel like a non-stop game of calendar blocks, your team sti...

Have things felt… messy lately? You're booked out, your client list is growing, and you should be celebrating—but instead, you're overwhelmed, behind on admin, and wondering how long you can keep this up. If that's you, hit pause on the panic because this episode is your permission slip to see that chaos as progress. In today's episode, we're unpacking what most business owners never talk about: h...

How do you know what your staging business is really worth — and how can you make it worth more? If you've ever assumed that your revenue or hard work alone determines the value of your business, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew. Today, I am joined by valuation expert Steven Denny, who has worked behind the scenes with staging business owners at every level—from those ju...

Is being booked out six weeks straight really the holy grail of business success? While a packed calendar might look like winning from the outside, many staging business owners find themselves stressed, stretched thin, and wondering if this is truly success. Today, I talk about the difference between being "booked out" and being "booked right." You'll discover why a constantly full calendar might...

Today, we are replaying an episode on our 'Most Valuable Podcasts" list ! I hope you learn one or two new things from it.

Are you feeling like your business growth isn't as smooth as you hoped? Like you're taking two steps forward and a couple back? You're in what I call "the messy middle" – that challenging phase where you're growing your team , but things still feel chaotic. This week, I am guiding you into a candid look of what it really takes to build a team that can run your business without you. Frankly, even e...

Feeling overwhelmed by your to-do list but guilty about delegating to your team? You're not alone. Many leaders struggle with what's known as delegation guilt. But in reality, effective delegation isn't about offloading work; it's about empowering your team and investing in their development. High-performing teams thrive when they're trusted with responsibility. They don't want to be shielded from...