Designer's Oasis

Interior Designer's Business Blueprint   Too often designers either miss red flags due to a lack of experience or choose to ignore them becuase they are eager for the work or the client was a referral from someone you know. They may be in your circle of friends or community and the hard question is really what do you do with these red flags? Today's episode will shed some light on what to look for...

Interior Designer's Business Blueprint   You might not always be able to change their minds but if you can look into why a client isn't moving forward with your services, you can find out where you're losing a client and if it's something that you can adjust in your business. In this episode, I'll dive into the 5 reasons why clients aren't moving ahead with you that I've learned over time with tra...

Aim for excellence and know that perfection is impossible. I want excellence in my business and for projects to be complete and done extremely well, but perfect just won't always happen. Trust me, I get it! I've found that I have been a victim of the perfectionist trap for way too long and am just recently figuring out just how much this has held me back. We are exposed to the pain-free narratives...

People feel more trusting and eager to work with someone when they can see part of the process or learn more about you from the start.  Today's episode is all about my favorite lead magnet idea for interior designers to help you find the right type of client from the start, share your process, and streamline your business. In this episode, we answer questions like… What lead magnet may be the righ...

You don't know what is going to work unless you start doing the work. You will ALWAYS be refining so you just have to get started.   Limiting beliefs, you know those sneaky thoughts that creep in sabotage your progress? When left unchecked, they can wreak havoc on your potential. I hear a lot of limiting beliefs from the designers I work with.    Today I'm sharing some of the common limiting belie...

The experience a client receives and great service is so important. Lucky for me, that comes pretty naturally based on my experience working in fine dining. The goal at the end of a meal is to leave the customer with a full belly, and a dopamine hit from laughter and being with people they love. My goal was to make it feel like an effortless and seamless experience, which is the same goal I carry...

Be willing to own your experience and the value that you bring to your clients and projects. If you feel you're worth what your charging, so will your clients! Want to raise your design rates? Your costs have increased and it's time you raise your rates to match this. It's tempting to put our emotions into these decisions but today is all about sharing how to make this a little easier! In this epi...

Pick one or two to help propel your business into the new year in new light and an organized mindset and business. This episode is all about mini projects to help you set up and organize your design business for the new year. I'm going to be sharing 10 options that will hopefully get your mind thinking about the new year with a fresh start.  In this episode we discuss things like… How to prep your...

I think there's this idea that once you decide on your ideal client, you're done and in reality you need to come back to this many times in your business. Today is all about failures and mistakes in business. I'm pulling back the curtain on the top 5 mistakes I have made in my business. I want to share these mistakes to normalize them and hopefully my mistakes can help you from making those same m...

It's so important to go back and take a look at your intake forms. Maybe you worked with a client who was unsavory, you missed the red flags or you turned down a project because it wasn't a right fit.    Today's episode is all about knowing your ideal client's pain points and how this helps you to talk directly to them. when you are able to do that you can help them see and feel like you get them...

I would stand in the fire everyday for women's empowerment around money.   In today's episode I have the pleasure of interviewing Jenny Karlsson of Financial for Creatives. Jenny is a certified money coach with a special focus on helping creative entrepreneurs. Jenny is the creator of the #moneycompassdeck (a powerful and practical tool that allows you to connect with the energy of money.) She is...

What I started to realize is that I was focused on the wrong thing. I didn't need to - nor should I - compete on price.    About a year ago I was invited to speak at the Designers On Social Summit and today I wanted to share this presentation with you because what I talked about is so near and dear to my heart.    You see, years ago I struggled with pricing my services because I thought I needed t...

You don't want to look back at your life and feel like you missed opportunities to get the most out of life.    Whatever it is, these are the things that matter. Leisure matters. Family time Matters. Time with friends matter. Travel matters. What are the things that matter to you? If we aren't intentional about our time and protect the things that matter, it's too easy to look up and be like, oh m...

My guest today is Carly Teigeler , owner and lead designer of Schematic Design Co, a brand and web design studio that specializes in "Human-Centered Design".   In my interview today, I ask her about what human-centered design is and how we can employ that throughout design.    But we also cover some other really exciting topics as it relates to braind like the 3 things, carly says your brand needs...

You have to be able to evaluate if they are someone who is going to be able to take this design and run with it OR if they are someone who really need full service.   Today I sat down with one of the Designer's Oasis Members, Lauren Sullivan of Well by Design, a luxury virtual interior design studio based out of Tennessee.    Well by Design has been featured in multiple media outlets including Hom...

In this episode, I had the privilege of interviewing Dani Haas of Dani Haas Designs all about her unconventional path to launching her interior design business.   Dani Haas is the founder of Dani Haas Design, a Denver-based interior design firm focused on creating layered, sophisticated, and comfortable spaces. While carefully balancing function and aesthetics, Dani's interiors are known for being...

Each month inside the Designer's Oasis Membership, we invite guest experts to come share more about their area of expertise.  These curated individuals come and provide actionable insight into their areas of knowledge.     Some months we have Design experts such as Porcelanosa who came and taught us about using their XTONE large format porcelain slabs which make beautiful and durable countertops,...

Lack of clarity is debilitating. It prevents momentum, causes stress, is taxing on our relationships and leaves us feeling stuck! This feeling of being stuck is a sign of discomfort, which often means we are on the edge of a major breakthrough.   Regardless of where your lack of clarity is coming from, it can truly get in the way of your business via burnout, indecision, lack of success, lack of v...

Full Service is a high-end or luxury service designed for clients who are typically busy individuals (robust professional career or lifestyle - kids, volunteering, traveling, etc.)    Today's episode is all about how to attract the right kinds of clients for full-service interior design projects. It can be challenging to find clients who are wanting to commit full-service so I am going to share a...

It is not a crime to make money! You can delight your clients, do great work, grow a team, AND make  a good living.   Have you ever dramatically underestimated how long a project would take?    Maybe you were so far over on hours you couldn't bring yourself to invoice the client every hour of work you completed,    Perhaps you were so far in the hole that you just stopped tracking your time b/c yo...

If you aren't tracking your time, you'll never be able to know exactly how profitable your business really is. You won't have those benchmarks that you need. Tracking time can be such a sore subject with entrepreneurs and business owners and the interior design business is no different. It is easy to forget, can feel like an interruption, and can be hard to enforce with a team BUT it is the KEY to...

Clients don't do this everyday. When you normalize issues that come up, it helps to remind clients this isn't a house of cards. This one issue (usually) isn't going to affect the whole project.    Client expectations start at the beginning of the design process. It's imperative to build a good relationship with your client. Make sure you are open, honest, communicative, and direct. This will trans...

Today's episode is all about building a successful relationship with your contractor and how many benefits this may lead to.  Every project is going to have its road bumps. When you have a great relationship with a contractor with open, honest dialogue those moments will feel more like little speed bumps than giant potholes that cause a flat tire. The result is smoother projects and happier client...

Your first hire will always be the hardest. It's kind of like having a baby.    Imagine this - You just returned from a much-deserved 2 week holiday with your favorite person or people and while you were away any one(or perhaps all) of these things happened… You have a new client consultation on the calendar with a fully-vetted client.  You've received the as-built drawings and site photos from a...

I find it's better to guide the client to the service type that you think is the best fit, versus laying out all the options and making your client decide.  Years ago, I had a wonderful Discovery Call with a photographer who I was interviewing for a project.  When we wrapped up, she sent me a drop-dead gorgeous PDF that showcased her work and also broke down her process and all of the investment d...