The Interior Design Business CEO

I'm sharing the essential habits and practices that have been game-changers for both myself and my clients in creating an interior design business that runs smoothly and supports the life you want to live. These routines will help you feel more grounded, intentional, and in control as the CEO of your business.   Discover how to bookend your week with purpose, schedule time for leadership and focus...

I'm diving into how to recognize when you're caught in a negative thought spiral and practical strategies to break free from it. By learning to manage your mind in these moments, you can cultivate a greater sense of calm, confidence, and focus in your work and life.   I share five powerful techniques to stop negative thought spirals in their tracks. You'll learn how to separate yourself from your...

I share a powerful process for systematically assessing new opportunities and invitations. By asking yourself a series of key questions, you can gain clarity on whether saying yes or no is the right decision for you and your business.   Whether you're considering a new design project, partnership, conference, or even your own ideas, this episode will give you the tools to make confident decisions...

In this episode, I dive deep into the concept of risk tolerance and how it impacts your ability to achieve your biggest goals as an interior design business owner. I explore what risk tolerance really means, how to assess where you currently fall on the spectrum, and most importantly - how to expand your capacity to embrace discomfort and uncertainty in pursuit of the results you truly desire.   I...

In this episode, I share my personal experience of setting and achieving a challenging goal last year - doing a headstand in yoga. Through this lens, I explore the importance of giving yourself enough chances to succeed and staying committed to your goals, even when progress feels slow or difficult.   Discover how to approach your interior design business goals with a mindset of persistence and be...

Have you ever wondered what it takes to build a successful interior design business through meaningful relationships? In this episode, I sit down with Kasey Johnson and Regan Nix, the co-founders of Blue Pencil Collective, a full-service design and architecture firm, to explore this very topic. Kasey and Regan also share their experience bringing on a new partner, Christy Davis, to expand the reac...

I'm sharing the three most impactful things you can focus on in quarter one to gain traction and build momentum in your business. By constraining your focus and committing to targeted strategies, you'll be able to make meaningful progress towards what you truly desire, whether that's bringing in your best-fit clients, increasing your profitability, or creating a smoother day-to-day in your busines...

Do you struggle with follow-through and honoring commitments to yourself in your interior design business? You're not alone. Self-accountability is an essential skill that many business owners grapple with, especially as their companies grow and evolve.   Tune in to discover practical tips for strengthening your self-accountability muscles. I share the key differences between self-accountability a...

At the heart of building a practice you truly love—one that supports you creatively, financially, and personally—is the ability to make thoughtful decisions.    In this episode, I share some powerful questions and beliefs to help you make decisions and pursue your goals with purpose in the coming year. Join me in reflecting on where you are undecided, where you may be straddling decisions, and wha...

Goal aversion can manifest in various ways, some obvious and others more subtle. It might look like telling yourself you're not a goal person, doubting your ability to achieve the goal, or fearing disappointment if you fall short. If you avoid setting goals in your interior design business, or you only feel the resistance to truly committing once you've already set the goal, this episode is for yo...

I share a powerful strategy that will help you stay motivated, accountable, and on track throughout the entire journey: leveraging both progress goals and outcome goals in your interior design business. Utilizing both of these approaches gives you clarity, direction, and ways to evaluate your path forward, all of which are going to increase your likelihood of succeeding.   Learn what progress goal...

As we wrap up the current year and look ahead to the next, now is the perfect time to reflect on what worked well, what didn't, and what you want to create moving forward. Goal-setting is an essential practice for any business owner who wants to build something significant that supports them financially, creatively, and fulfills their desire for growth. I can't wait to share my goal-setting secret...

As we come to the close of another year and begin thinking about goal setting for 2025, knowing what enough means for you is vital for creating the kind of life and business you truly want. And in this episode, I dive deep into the concept of enough and how it impacts every aspect of your interior design business.   I explore how to identify when you need to define enough, the different ways to ap...

I sit down with brand strategist and copywriter for interior designers, Deb Mitchell, to discuss how powerful messaging can transform your interior design business from the inside out. From the importance of authentic brand positioning to crafting a compelling voice that builds trust with your ideal clients, Deb shares her expert insights on the power of investing in strategic messaging for your b...

As interior designers, it's easy to get caught up in the idea that more is always better. Whether it's working on client projects or moving the ball on our business goals, we believe that if we could just be more efficient, more organized, or more disciplined, we could finally get ahead. But what if this constant pursuit of productivity is actually holding us back? What if productivity isn't the p...

In this episode, I sit down with Mark Ostrom, the founder, executive director, and creative director of Joy Collaborative: a nonprofit located here in the Twin Cities that creates uplifting spaces for children with life-limiting conditions. Mark shares the story behind Joy Collaborative and explores how designers can give back in a way that's authentic to their talents and values.   If you're look...

In this episode, I answer a question from a listener who struggles with staying calm and collected when project issues arise. We often absorb the stress of these hiccups to shield our clients from them. However, things are most definitely going to go wrong at some point - whether it's at the project site, during a presentation, or even in response to a client's reaction. So how can we learn to rid...

You probably set yourself an annual financial goal back at the beginning of 2024, and here we are, coming into the final months of the year. Are you on track to hit your goals? Maybe you're falling behind, or perhaps you've already surpassed your target and are wondering if you should raise the bar even higher.   Listen in this week as I show you how to master the art of goal revision. Hear what t...

As CEOs of our businesses, we are constantly faced with decisions about what to keep, what to let go, and what to bring in. But without a clear framework for evaluating these choices, it's easy to get stuck in indecision or cling to things that no longer serve us. That's where the concept of All Killer, No Filler comes in - a simple yet profound way to assess what truly belongs in your business an...

Whether you have part-time or full-time team members, it's crucial to ensure that their roles and responsibilities align with your company's goals. If you want to feel confident knowing that the investment you've made in your team members will optimize payback for you and your design business, it's time to consider conducting a time audit, and I walk you through this process in this episode.   Lea...

Are you holding back in your interior design business due to a fear of rejection? You're not alone. As a designer, putting yourself and your creative ideas out there can feel incredibly vulnerable, and the possibility of hearing no can be paralyzing. But the truth is that learning to work with and move beyond this fear will be transformative for your business and your goals.   Tune in this week as...

This week, I'm joined by my former client and incredibly talented designer, Campbell Minister, as she lets us in on her journey from overwhelmed designer to true designer CEO. Over the past eight years, Campbell has grown her Montclair, New Jersey-based firm to a team of three designers, a director of operations, and a procurement and accounting team. But with this growth has come the challenge of...

As I celebrate the 100th episode of the show, there are important lessons I've learned from this incredible journey of creating what has become a well-reviewed and established podcast. But these insights go far beyond podcasting; they are valuable principles you can apply to any new initiative, goal, or project in your interior design business.   Discover why focusing on small wins and cumulative...

We've covered a lot of ground over the past CEO Summer School episodes – from trading good for great to overcoming Someday Syndrome. Now it's time to reflect on which topic you want to delve deeper into and embody over the next month. In this episode, I guide you through choosing your focus and making it visible so you stay committed to your goals.   Whether you've knocked CEO Summer School out of...

There are two distinct types of confidence that you can leverage in your interior design business to help it grow and also get out of your own way when your brain tells you, "Well, you've never done it before." If it feels like your brain is holding you back from achieving your biggest goals, you're in the right place.   I explore the two types of confidence that every interior design CEO needs to...