Business of Design® Podcast | Grow a Profitable Interior Design Business with Kimberley Seldon

What if the key to making more money in your interior design business isn’t taking on more projects—but taking on fewer? In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with longtime Business of Design® member Ellen Walker, who recently achieved a milestone many designers dream of: $1 million in revenue and $200,000 in net profit from just three projects. After years of working hard with little financ...

What if the key to greater creativity, profitability, and peace of mind isn't working harder—but creating better systems? In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Northern Virginia landscape designer Ellie Black to discuss what changed when she stopped reinventing the wheel and started implementing proven processes. Together, they explore why so many creative professionals resist structure...

Want to take on larger, more profitable renovation projects with confidence? In this episode, Kimberley Seldon speaks with Jen Dean about one of the most valuable relationships an interior designer can build: the relationship with a trusted builder. While many designers feel intimidated by construction projects, Jen explains why learning to collaborate effectively with builders can lead to smoothe...

What happens when a renovation budget jumps from $2 million to $5 million? In this episode, Kimberley Seldon shares a recent client presentation that forced her to confront one of the biggest challenges facing interior designers today: skyrocketing construction and furnishing costs. Rather than panic, value engineer too soon, or compromise the design, Kimberley prepared two thoughtful options and...

You already invested in the project. You hired the photographer. The installation is complete. Then, like so many interior designers, you treat the photoshoot as the final checkbox instead of what it really is: a marketing asset designed to attract your next ideal client. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Candice Brooke to discuss why photography is far more than documentation—and how...

How do you make smart business decisions when there’s no obvious right answer? In this episode, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Andrea Liebross to explore how interior designers can make clearer, more confident decisions—even when uncertainty, fear, or overthinking get in the way. From hiring and pricing to growth and leadership, every business owner faces moments where the next step feels unclear....

Paint color. Clients think it’s the easiest decision. Designers know it’s one of the hardest. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Susan Jamieson, founder of Bridget Berri Designs and author of Color Rules, to unpack why paint carries so much visual weight—and why even experienced designers can struggle to get it right. From undertones to lighting to sequencing decisions correctly, this...

A room without art isn’t finished—it’s staged furniture waiting for a point of view. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Sarah Hurt to tackle one of the most common confidence gaps in interior design: making decisive art selections. Too often, designers defer to the client—hoping they’ll “find something meaningful”—and in doing so, weaken their authority and stall the project. This conv...

Struggling to get clients for your interior design business? You’re not alone—and it’s probably not a talent issue. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Elizabeth Rees to break down what actually works when it comes to marketing for interior designers. Because the designers landing projects aren’t necessarily more skilled—they’re simply more visible, more consistent, and more willing t...

“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble. It’s what you know for sure… that just ain’t so.” In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with entrepreneur and author Jill Salzman to unpack the hidden thinking patterns that keep interior designers stuck—financially, professionally, and mentally. Because most of the time, the issue isn’t a lack of strategy. It’s the beliefs you’ve bui...

Some episodes are about systems. Some are about mindset. This one is about what happens when life changes everything. In this deeply personal conversation, Kimberley Seldon sits down with interior designer Jodie Carter to talk about loss, resilience, and what it takes to keep going after unimaginable grief. Jodie shares the story of losing her 12-year-old son, Hamish, after years of bullying—and h...

What does it take to build an interior design firm that can withstand economic uncertainty, shifting markets, and hesitant clients? In this episode, Kimberley Seldon speaks with Andria Cowan-Molyneaux, owner of a thriving 18-person, $4M+ interior design firm located in a town of just 17,000 people. In a seasonal economy with no luxury boom to rely on, Andria has built a business designed to stay s...

What happens when an experienced interior designer hits a creative wall—and nothing is working? In this solo episode, Kimberley Seldon walks through a real-time creative block inside a design project: the false starts, overthinking, “good enough” decisions that aren’t good enough, and the creeping doubt that follows. But this isn’t about talent or burnout. It’s about process. Kimberley breaks down...

Want to know what’s really behind under-earning, decision fatigue, and burnout in design businesses? It’s not pricing, marketing, or even workload — it’s the decisions designers make long before a project ever begins. Kimberley Seldon is joined by life coach Andrea Liebross to explore why hesitation is so costly, how “nice” projects quietly drain CEO energy, and what it looks like to lead your bus...

Procurement can make or break an interior design business. In this candid panel conversation, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Alexander Spalding of Daniel House Club and interior designers Jamie Gasparovic and Meredith Huck to talk about one of the biggest pain points in the industry: how to manage procurement without sacrificing profit, time, or sanity. Together, they unpack why so many designers r...

At some point in every design career, curiosity starts to feel like restlessness. You’re capable. Experienced. Successful. And yet—something feels contained. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Edith Ponciano to explore what it really takes for interior designers to expand beyond residential work and step into hospitality, hotel, and restaurant design. This isn’t about reinventing you...

Diversity in interior design isn’t a side initiative—it’s a leadership responsibility. In this episode, recorded in partnership with the High Point Market Authority’s Diversity Advocacy Alliance (DAA), Kimberley Seldon sits down with DuVäl Reynolds, an active member of the DAA, to explore how access, representation, and leadership are shaping the future of the design industry. Together, they discu...

When inquiries slow down or leads don’t convert, most interior designers assume they need better marketing. But in many cases, the real issue isn’t visibility—it’s sales. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon is joined by returning guest and marketing strategist Daniela Furtado to unpack what a healthy sales funnel actually looks like in a design business. Together, they dig into the real numbers behi...

Most interior designers believe growth means saying yes to more projects, being more available, and pushing harder. In this solo episode, Kimberley Seldon explains why that mindset is exactly what keeps design businesses stuck, overextended, and exhausted. Drawing on a tap-dancing metaphor that lands harder than expected, Kimberley reframes growth as a design problem, not a motivation problem. She...

AI has interior designers asking the wrong question. The real issue isn’t “Will this replace me?”—it’s “Where does responsibility live in my business?” In this grounded, practical conversation, Kimberley Seldon is joined by Sheilah MacSporran, CEO and co-founder of DesignFiles, to cut through the hype and talk honestly about what AI can—and cannot—do inside a design firm. This episode reframes AI...

Design doesn’t exist in a vacuum. It responds to real life — and sometimes, real loss. In this thoughtful conversation, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Megan Reilly, co-founder of WestEdge Design Fair, to explore how the role of interior designers is evolving beyond aesthetics and into responsibility. They discuss how design shows up during disruption and rebuilding, why resilience and smarter mat...

Your calendar can look reasonable and still leave you exhausted. Your team can be busy and still underperform. Your revenue can grow while your sanity quietly erodes. That disconnect isn’t a motivation problem — it’s a capacity problem. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with financial strategist Megan Dahle to unpack why so many interior designers hit an invisible ceiling in their busine...

After decades in business, many interior designers reach a quiet crossroads: Is this as good as it gets? In this thoughtful, grounded conversation, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Michael Abrams and Gina Valenti to explore what it really looks like to evolve a design firm after 25 years—without chasing trends or reinventing yourself for attention. Michael and Gina share how experience becomes a co...

Frustration in your design business isn’t a personal failing—it’s information. And if the same frustrations keep showing up in different forms, they’re not exceptions. They’re patterns. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon unpacks the most common frustrations interior designers face—working nonstop yet feeling financially uneasy, absorbing problems instead of fixing them, guessing instead of knowing—...

Most interior designers don’t avoid their numbers because they’re bad at math—they avoid them because no one ever explained the financial system in a way that actually made sense. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon sits down with Hannah Cole, artist turned tax expert, to dismantle the myth that creatives “just aren’t good with money” and reveal the real issue: running a business while guessing inst...