The Kate Show

Sustainable, non-toxic building materials are hot right now...and will be trending for all the right reasons for the foreseeable future. As your clients become more attuned with protecting their homes from carcinogens and other chemicals often found in flooring, your need to source from reputable retailers will only increase. Whether you focus on biophilic interiors, green design, or just want to...

Do you wish your interior design, home staging, professional organizing, or window treatment website would get more traffic? Optimizing your website for search engines is a must. However, search engine optimization (SEO) isn't just about using the right keywords. SEO also includes making sure your website loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, accessible to those with eyesight disabilities, and easy t...

I've been building my business for over eight years, and scaling has been the plan for about the last six of them. A few years into scaling, I had numerous other business people say things like..."That idea won't work." Or, "How are you able to offer these services at such a streamlined rate? My team would need to charge at least $1,000 per month for blog posts, email marketing, and sales funnels....

Today, I'm talking about geofencing: What it is and when you would or would not want to implement this advertising technique in your business. This topic was suggested by my agency's wonderful client and good friend in real life, Georgiana Schwandt. Georgiana runs Incredible Windows here in Wisconsin...as her third career. ?? Her energy is inspiring and her work ethic is extraordinary. She's alway...

Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the success secrets that our ideal clients have used again and again to go from basically broke to barely finding enough time to drink their morning coffee. If you've questioned whether having a great website, consistent email marketing, and even a solid blogging strategy will actually grow your business, hold on tight.

Have you ever considered starting a podcast? I've been contacted by a few of you who are actively planning the launch of your podcasts and feel confused about the technical side. Plus, you're wondering what to do if you run out of things to say. (You won't, by the way. ??) And you're curious how important sponsors are. Today on The Kate Show, I'm answering all your questions regarding podcasting....

It isn't every day I get to host an accomplished, award-winning interior designer on the podcast, and Michelle Lynne did not disappoint. With her Texas charm and no-nonsense approach to business, she and I hit it off the moment we first met back in Palm Springs last fall. I wanted to have Michelle on the show because: 1) she runs a profitable design firm without a huge team, and 2) she bases her d...

"How can I create a marketing calendar for my business?" I get asked this question by entrepreneurs across the home industry, from interior design and staging to organizing and window treatments. I love when people ask this question because it shows that: a) they want to take real action in their marketing, and b) they recognize that marketing should be intentional, not haphazard. Today on The Kat...

Branding is not your logo. I used to think having a logo was the core of having a brand, but I didn't realize until years into running a business that the logo is just the icing on the cake. If you've ever worked with a branding professional, you know about the lengthy and in-depth process you must go through for a graphic designer to understand your brand. The logo, while often the most exciting...

Rather than blasting your ears with more marketing rants today, I'm shifting focus to a much more personal topic: My maternity leave! With our second baby due in June 2022, I am faced, yet again, with planning for a 3-month leave. Because many of you are soon-to-be mothers or hope to be, you might be wondering how (and if) it's actually possible to take 12 weeks off when you have your baby while a...

Several years ago, I made the executive decision to design websites exclusively on Squarespace. Prior to this, my agency was designing websites on nearly any platform, largely Wordpress. However, we kept running into the same issues... Issues that cost my team hours of time and our clients hundreds of dollars. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing exactly why we recommend Squarespace over WordPress,...

Today on The Kate Show, I'm going to show you exactly how you should use social media as a home industry professional and what you should and should not expect from it. Spoiler alert: If social media is causing you stress, you are doing it wrong.

Wouldn't marketing be easier if you just knew what to say...ahead of time? Planning your content marketing in advance is smart for two reasons: First, it allows you to marinate on the topics ahead of time and avoid writer's block when the time comes to create. Second, it allows you to batch create content. I've adapted the process my agency uses for content planning into something that makes sense...

As you assess your expenses in the New Year, you might be wondering whether you're paying too much when you combine the costs of the dozens of online tools you use to run your business. Whether you use multiple platforms that happen to offer the same features, or you simply don't need the features you first thought you needed, now is the time to clean house. On this episode of The Kate Show, I'm w...

Can you spot a "bad client" a mile away? For years, I struggled with this and still occasionally let one slip through. After assessing my own misjudgments (late night worrying about how on earth I got my team into such a predicament, basically) and after speaking with many of you who have generously shared your "nightmare client" stories, I thought it was worth an episode. If you are new to the ho...

Your costs need to increase, and you aren't sure how to tell them. Lead times aren't getting any shorter, and demand remains high, at least for now. How do you expertly explain to your upcoming and current clients that they might have to pay more and wait longer for their projects to be completed? Today on The Kate Show, we are discussing exactly that, along with handy scripts you can copy and pas...

If you've heard the phrase, "Mindset is everything," and felt a little confused about what to do with that fact, this episode of The Kate Show is for you. Today, I'm having another conversation with fellow home industry marketing entrepreneur, Salimah Mamdani, about all the mindset shifts that need to happen if you are trying to grow your business as a designer, stager, organizer, or window treatm...

If you're flat-out scared to stop chasing every advertising and social media opportunity, but you're also exhausted from keeping up with the constant changes, you need to hear this episode. Today, I'm sharing five popular marketing tactics I don't use to market my own business. Trust me, you'll be surprised by what I don't do. I hope it gives you the freedom to "cut the fat" from your own marketin...

Do you struggle with how to price your services as an interior designer, home stager, window professional, or pro organizer? The real issue isn't how to price, but instead how to take control of your perceived value. Perceived value is another way of stating "how valuable you appear to be" to a potential client. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the top nine mistakes that are damaging your perce...

Whether you are an interior designer or not, if you would like a real-life perspective on how to thrive amidst discomfort in your business and flex your faith vs. worry muscles, this episode is for you. Being invited to speak at this high-level retreat in the distinguished Kimpton Rowan Hotel was a huge growth marker for my business and quite an honor. I had amazing conversations with luxury inter...

I'm not sure which is more difficult — figuring out a topic for a newsletter or blog post or actually writing the darn thing. Do you struggle with this, too? If you know what you want to write about but can't seem to craft the words around it, or you can't figure out what topic to write about (much less how to write it!), you are in the right place. Today on The Kate Show I'm sharing 10 blog post...

This episode of The Kate Show is for any interior designer, home stager, window pro, or organizer who worries that she'll never be successful, or that the success she already has simply won't last. For those of you who might no longer experience these struggles, you will find much camaraderie in this very personal, transparent episode.

The home industry is crazy right now. I have seen most designers, stagers, and beyond fall into one of two camps: Either they are wildly busy and losing their minds, or they are scrambling to make ends meet and wondering if their businesses will last through 2021. If your goal is to help your home industry business create steady revenue even when the economy does weird things, you need to hear thi...

Often, the key to success in business isn't about knowing the right people, but about being the right person — one that is willing to learn and work hard. If you are looking for a legacy business that exemplifies empowerment, look no further. Today on The Kate Show, you'll learn that most of the obstacles we face as aspiring entrepreneurs are internal. What we believe about ourselves and the world...

On today's episode of The Kate Show, I'm speaking with Openhaus co-founder Carson Clement. Rather than simply showing your customers a photo of your SideDoor product, Openhaus 3D home tours will let you show it in your client's actual home. This gives context to what you are selling and can make that sale so much easier. If you aren't selling products, Openhaus can be a great way to showcase your...