The McClain Method | Business Tools For Interior Designers

Welcome to Episode 24 of The Designer Within Podcast! Can you believe it's already December? Time flies! Today's episode is a bit different—it's a broadcast of a segment from a recent online presentation I did for designers. The topic? How to "social media-proof" your company.  In the original hour-long presentation, I covered various aspects, but I've condensed it to...

I can guarantee you one of two things: either this year has flown by for you or dragged by at a glacial pace (bonus points if you know that reference).  Either way, it's time to stop, pause, reflect, and look back on what actually occurred over the last 12 months. Good, bad, and indifferent. This is a practice I started years ago and continue to this day, and I encourage you to do the same so...

Whether this has been a blockbuster year for you or just so-so, you still might have revenue goals for your business that you want/need to reach before 2023 bids us farewell. Well, I have some ideas for you! I'm going to share 4 ways to bring in revenue (and brand awareness) now and even in the years ahead. In this episode, I will discuss relatively quick methods of adding revenue streams to...

You, my designer friend, are your best and most important client. Everything that makes your business what it is starts with you! Why, then, do we always put the issues of others ahead of our own needs? Why do we think that a client's feelings are more important than our own? If your foundation is not secure, you are of no use to anyone, especially those in your business. In essence, just lik...

Did that episode title get your attention?! I hope so, because it should! I bet you are working hard to market your business and bring in new clients, but are you doing ALL that can you can? Well, we're going to find out today when we discuss Call To Actions or CTA's. CTA's might just be the superpower that you have been missing in your marketing efforts. They're easy, impactfu...

Communication is essential to anyone in life, but especially important to business owners or anyone who serves others. Inevitably, confrontations will also occur in our business lives and we need to know what communication methods can best diffuse and ultimately resolve a confrontation. That's what I'm discussing in today's episode. Here are the topics for this episode: 1) My specif...

I'm SO excited about this episode of The Designer Within podcast! It's chock-full of big news that I can't wait to share with you! My Design Success Academy is now open for it's Beta Launch!  This has truly been a labor of love for me to revise my online education programs in a way to make them even more effective and easier to implement than ever! If you're not sure what...

Luxury...it means something different to everyone, but a lot of the definitions simply come down to the fact that someone is getting their heart's desires & wishes. In this shorty episode, I'm sharing some simple tips to follow when searching for and closing a luxury interior design client. You will learn: - How to move your own mindset out of the way to best serve your client - What...

Hey ya'll! Today, I welcome my friend and colleague in the design industry, Courtney Porter.  In this super duper detailed episode, Courtney and I dish about SO many things in our industry, but all centering around High Point Furniture Market. Here are the fun topics we discuss in this episode: - What is the "new" luxury design market and how are designers & manufacturers addres...

Today we welcome Jude Charles as our guest on The Designer Within podcast! Jude is a author, filmmaker, and consultant, but more so he is a powerful storyteller who especially loves partnering with us Interior Designers (thankfully!) Jude helps entrepreneurs make money by using the power of storytelling. I truly loved this conversation because I too understand and value the power of a story.  I fi...

In this podcast episode, I am talking about listening to your heart. 💓 This could apply to all aspects of life, but for the purpose of this podcast, I am taking a sample of the first chapter of my book, The Designer Within, and diving deeper into Chapter 1 (also aptly called "Listen To Your Heart."💓💓 This episode is for both homeowners (clients) AND designers, so I want EVERYONE to li...

Well, it's here! My first episode with a guest! And this one is special. Today's guest is Jess Ponce, Jess is not only a great speaker, author, & brand coach, but he's also a friend with a direct connection to my book! Listen in to find out how. Here's what you will learn in this action packed episode FULL of good brand advice for a business of any size: What is your brand...

Happy Bookiversary to Me! It's the one year anniversary of my book, The Designer Within, but for this anniversary, the gifts are for YOU! On this podcast episode, I am pulling back the curtain to why I wrote my book, what's inside it, and diving deep into the first portion of my book, which is my actual design process! In this episode, you will learn: My Detailed 6 Step Design Process Ho...

Transparency and Clarity are the building blocks for a successful working relationship between creatives and clients, and the "How We Work" document is a crucial component. Today, I want to share with you my exact How We Work document and the components inside it that create a better working relationship with our clients and my team. In this episode, we will discuss: What a How We Work d...

Dreaming is crucial to the success of any entrepreneur. It is not lazy, on the contrary, it is actually proactive...but proactive in a very special way. In almost an autopilot kind of way. Dreaming has been a huge part of the success of many business owners and public figures in the course of history, including me. Today, I'm going to share with you how making time to dream is a crucial part...

Sounds simple enough, right? Book a trip...Take a trip... Not so easy when you are a business owner! There are so many things to consider: current clients, potential clients, vendors, trades, existing orders, new orders, and so much more. Well fret no more my friend. It's time to finally take that vacation and avoid burnout before you burn totally out. In this episode you will learn: 🌴The fa...

Today we're delving into a crucial aspect of interior design projects that can make or break the entire experience: setting clear expectations around timelines and responsibilities for all parties involved, from the inception of an idea to the final reveal. The timeline is truly the heartbeat of a quality interior design project, without a realistic timeline, nothing gets accomplished.  In th...

Pricing is not always the most fun topic in any discussion, but we are running a business, so it's 100% necessary! The easiest way to prevent issues around pricing conversations is to set very clear expectations for your clients. In this episode Setting Pricing Expectations , which is Part 2 in my 3 Part series on Setting Expectations, I'm spilling the tea on all the specific ways that I...

Expectations can make or break a business. More specifically, CLEAR and OBTAINABLE expectations lay the groundwork for client, vendor, and overall business success. In this episode, we begin PART 1 in a 3 PART SERIES: "The Importance of Setting Expectations." This episode will lay the foundation for better understanding the what and why of clear expectation setting, why we are sometimes...

SUCCESS! Not a long word, but possibly a long definition. In this episode, we will discuss YOUR definition of success and how to break free from what society tells you success should be. It could be a tough question to answer, but I'm going to give you a guide map to follow to set your goals to achieve true success catered just for you. I'll share my own journey to personal success and h...

I. LOVE. MARKETING! (It's more powerful if read in your best Oprah voice). But the fact is true! I DO love marketing and sales, but only on my terms. How is that even possible you ask? Well let me tell you. In this episode of The Designer Within, I have whittled down my favorite Marketing & Sales methods and techniques to my top 5 tips.  By using these simple and easy to follow methods, y...

As  entrepreneurs or anyone working in a client facing business, we often find ourselves balancing our personal and business lives, and authenticity is the key to success in both areas. Authenticity is about being true to yourself and your values, expressing your genuine thoughts and emotions, and aligning your actions with your beliefs, motives, and personality. In the context of business, it mea...

Processes are Powerful! Before your eyes glaze over, hear me out! Detailed systems and processes literally saved my business (and my sanity) from extinction. In this VERY detailed episode, I discuss why I implemented processes into my company, how YOU can do it in 3 easy steps, and the huge benefits for your professional and personal life. Grab a pen, grab a coffee, and let's get the PROCESS...

Welcome to the first episode of The Designer Within Business podcast! All of the episodes are designed to help you along your journey as an interior designer and business owner. Today's episode is the " why ." Why do I operate my design business as a business ? Why do I place such stringent policies and processes in place for my clients (and me) to follow? Why did I want to share al...