The Interior Design Business CEO podcast helps designers stop feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed and empowers them with the tools and strategies they need to start feeling calm, confident, and in control of their business. Join Certified Life and Business Coach, and award-winning Interior Designer, Desi Creswell, as she pairs mindset with effective tips, tools, and processes to help you stop feeling pulled in a million different directions, and start building a profitable, fulfilling ...
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In today's world being a talented interior designer isn't enough to ensure that you have a profitable and successful business. Design school curricula doesn't always equip you with the business skills to have your interior design business be everything you imagined it would be! A Well-Designed Business® is here to fill in the gaps and give you real live business skills from some of the top interior designers. Your host, LuAnn Nigara shares her 40 years of success in the interior design indus ...
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1062: 9 Years of A Well-Designed Business®—How Vision & Bold Action Can Grow Your Business
33:52
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33:52Today With LuAnn Nigara: Vision, Intuition & Taking Bold Action in Your Business. 9 years. Over 1,000 episodes. More than 9 million downloads. Today, A Well-Designed Business® celebrates a major milestone—and I could spend this episode reflecting on the journey. But if you know me, you know we’re going deeper than that. This isn’t just a celebratio…
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121. Negative Thought Spirals: 5 Ways to Stay Calm and Focused
28:52
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28:52I'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. …
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1061: Amhad Freeman: Beyond the Man Cave—Carving a Niche in Luxury Interiors for Single Men
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1:08:50Today With Amhad Freeman: Today on A Well-Designed Business, I’m sitting down with Amhad Freeman, an incredibly talented interior designer who has built a thriving business by focusing on a very specific niche—designing for high-level single men and developers. Now, if you’re wondering how niching down that specifically can lead to success, trust m…
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1060: Design Trade Service: Quality Vendors, Trade Pricing and AI. Your Go to Sourcing Platform
1:01:12
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1:01:12Today With Greg Wyers and Jennifer Points Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. For today’s sponsored episode, I am excited to welcome Greg Wyers and Jennifer Points, president and marketing specialist at Design Trade Service. Design Trade Services is an exclusive online marketplace for designers created to streamline the sourcing process and let yo…
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120. Choosing New Design Business Opportunities Without Overload
30:54
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30:54I 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…
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1059: Rachel Usher: Creating Community and Strength in the Interior Design Industry
1:19:36
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1:19:36Today With Rachel Usher: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, I sit down with an inspiring designer, entrepreneur, and community builder to talk about resilience—both in life and business: Rachel Usher. We dive into the challenges of running a design firm, navigating industry roadblocks, and the power of creating a supportive n…
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1058: What Would Lu Do?: Why the World Still Needs Interior Designers; A Pep Talk for You
13:19
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13:19Today With LuAnn Nigara: As an interior designer, at some point, someone—whether it’s a potential client, a trade partner, or even a stranger at a party—is going to question the value of what you do. They’ll say, “With the internet and so many resources, why does anyone need a designer?” And when that moment comes, are you ready to answer with conf…
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119. Taking the Leap: Risk & Reward When You Invest
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27:04In 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 uncertain…
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1057: What Would Lu Do?: Designing Your Legacy: How to Create a Business That Stands the Test of Time
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33:00Today With LuAnn Nigara: Your business is more than just a source of income—it’s your story, your impact, your legacy. In this episode of A Well-Designed Business, I’m helping you design a business that leaves a lasting impression. Together, we’ll explore: What legacy truly means and why it matters. How to align your mission, core values, and daily…
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1056: Power Talk Friday: Ashley La Fond: How Working With a Professional Organizer Can Transform Your Client Experience
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56:22Today With Ashley La Fond: Are you delivering beautiful spaces that truly work for your clients’ lifestyles? In this episode of A Well-Designed Business, I’m joined by Ashley La Fond, founder of Of Space & Mind, to explore how professional organizers can revolutionize your design process. We dive into the ways Ashley collaborates with designers—lik…
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118. Enough Chances to Succeed: Staying Committed to Pursuing Your Goals
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25:51In 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 bus…
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1055: Naïka André: Do It Scared - A Designer's Journey Through Her First Show House
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58:26Today With Naïka André: Today on A Well-Designed Business, I'm talking about show houses with designer Naika Andre, who just completed her first one at the Kingston Design Show House. For years at WindowWorks, I've seen what makes show houses succeed or struggle, and that's why I love Naika's transparency about the entire process. She shares everyt…
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1054: Power Talk Friday: Hannah Bowyer: Maximizing Efficiency: Streamlining Interior Design with Virtual Assistance
1:03:06
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1:03:06Today With Hannah Bowyer: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, I’m excited to dive into the world of virtual assistance and automation in interior design with the amazing Hannah Bowyer. We’re exploring how these powerful tools can help designers maximize their efficiency and elevate their client experience. I’ll share insights …
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117. Scaling Through Meaningful Relationships with Blue Pencil Collective
55:10
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55:10Have 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 o…
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1053: Jessamy Tsoris: Navigating the Design Landscape: A Journey to Full-Service Interior Design
1:10:07
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1:10:07Today With Jessamy Tsoris: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Today I'm thrilled to share my heartfelt conversation with Jessamy Tsoris, an inspiring interior designer who transformed her career after facing unexpected challenges in the graphic design world. Jessamy opens up about her journey from sitting at a desk for hours to discovering he…
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1052: What Would Lu Do?: Decide to Be Excellent: Goal Setting for a New Year!
22:20
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22:20Today With LuAnn Nigara: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! This week, my wonderful friend, productivity coach, and the host of the Small Business Straight Talk podcast, Amber De La Garza, will kick things off with a heartfelt introduction. In this episode, I will guide you through one of our most popular discussions from 2022: focusing on go…
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116. 3 Essential Things to Focus On in Q1 for Your Interior Design Business
22:47
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22:47I'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,…
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1051: What Would Lu Do?: How to Handle Unrealistic Client Expectations Like a Pro
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33:29Today With LuAnn Nigara: Today on A Well-Designed Business, we’re tackling a scenario every designer knows all too well: when a client’s expectations go completely off the rails. What do you do when the budget doesn’t match the vision, the scope keeps growing, and they want you to manage tasks that were never part of the plan? Whether you’re trying…
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1050: Power Talk Friday: Amy Posner: How Interior Designers Can Be the Expert, Not the Order Taker
1:12:08
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1:12:08Today With Amy Posner: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Are you the expert in your business? The one driving conversations? Solving problems? Showing your clients how valuable you are, setting expectations, and running the ship? Or are you an order-taker, following along, being passive, and serving as a yes-man for your clients? Today, I’m join…
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115. Follow Through on Your Goals: Self Accountability Strategies for Interior Designers
24:57
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24:57Do 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 t…
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1049: What Would Lu Do?: Celebrate Your Wins and Set Your Goals: A New Year’s Challenge
35:38
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35:38Today With LuAnn Nigara: As we wrap up 2024, I’m taking a moment to reflect on the lessons, challenges, and wins from this past year—and looking ahead to 2025. In this episode, I share the stories and milestones that shaped my year, the powerful insights I’ve gained from incredible people, and a challenge for you as you step into the new year. Whet…
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1048: On Air Strategy Session: Melanie Lybrand: Overcoming the Fear of Raising Your Interior Design Rates
1:17:00
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1:17:00Today With Melanie Lybrand: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business! In today’s on-air coaching session, I’m helping my guest, Melanie Lybrand, conquer an ongoing fear of raising her rates–one that’s so strong it keeps creeping back even after she’s committed to changing it. Today, we’re working through the stories she’s been telling herself and making…
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114. Empowering Beliefs and Powerful Questions to Reach Your 2025 Goals
11:35
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11:35At 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,…
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1047: NeKeia McSwain: Saying No to Say Yes: Lessons on Alignment and Leadership
1:06:24
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1:06:24Today With NeKeia McSwain: In today’s episode of A Well Designed Business, I sit down with the inspiring NeKeia McSwain, a trailblazer in the interior design industry. NeKeia shares her journey of embracing authenticity and the importance of showing up as your true self in both personal and professional settings. We dive deep into her experiences, …
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1046: Jennifer Tokatyan: Building a Culture that Drives Business Results
1:07:38
1:07:38
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1:07:38Today With Jennifer Tokatyan: Today on A Well-Designed Business, I speak with Jennifer Tokatyan, leadership consultant and partner with Eileen B Hahn. With over 20 years of experience, Jennifer shares her proven 7-step framework for building strong company culture that drives team performance and business growth. Don't miss information about her up…
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113. Overcome Goal Aversion to Reach Your Full Potential
28:33
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28:33Goal 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 y…
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1045: What Would Lu Do?: Big Decisions, Bigger Lessons: A Behind-the-Scenes Look at My Process
28:03
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28:03Today With LuAnn Nigara: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Have you ever faced a business opportunity that made you stop in your tracks? It’s equal parts exciting and terrifying, isn’t it? On this episode, I share a behind-the-scenes look at how I navigated one of those moments. With insights from trusted advisors like Kate O’Hara, I learned…
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1044: What Would Lu Do?: Think Different: Applying Lessons from Steve Jobs to Your Interior Design Business
39:21
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39:21Today With LuAnn Nigara: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Recently, I listened to Steve Jobs’ biography, and it sparked some big ideas. Steve was more than a tech innovator—he was a master of customer experience, a ruthless prioritizer, and a perfectionist when it came to excellence. In this episode, I’ll reflect on his genius and how we ca…
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112. Progress Goals vs Outcome Goals: Staying Motivated and on Track with Your Goals
15:44
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15:44I 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 li…
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1043: Kristin Bartone: Pivoting Your Interior Design Business When Life Throws You Curveballs
1:25:50
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1:25:50Today With Kristin Bartone: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. What would happen to your business today if something happened with you or a family member that uprooted everything in your life? Would you be able to continue your work. The truth is that even a well-designed business can struggle in life circumstances. My guest today, Kristin Barton…
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1042: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: End-of-Year Business Strategies for Designers: Pipeline, Productivity, and Press
1:25:24
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1:25:24Today With Kate O’Hara: In this episode of A Well-Designed Business, we sit down with Kate O’Hara, CEO of O’Hara Interiors, to discuss effective end-of-year business strategies for designers. As the holiday season approaches and client activity slows, Kate shares actionable tips on optimizing workflow, reconnecting with past clients, creating engag…
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111. 5 Key Ingredients to Make 2025 Your Best Year Yet
21:18
21:18
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21:18As 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 gr…
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1041: Megan Atkinson: Leveraging Relationships with Trades to Build a Strong Business
1:21:18
1:21:18
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1:21:18Today With Megan Atkinson: Today with Megan Rose Atkinson of MEGANROSE Interiors, we're discussing one of the most critical aspects of running a successful design business — vendor relationships. Megan shares her journey from wearing a tool belt with leather pants to building a thriving design firm with locations in Michigan and Arizona. With a "ch…
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1040: Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: 5 Steps to an Exceptional Hire
1:27:49
1:27:49
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1:27:49Today With Eileen Hahn: Today on Power Talk Friday, I am joined by my cousin and hiring expert Eileen Hahn, who brings her 30 years of expertise in helping businesses find and retain exceptional talent. After seeing countless design firms struggle with hiring (and making some expensive mistakes myself), I knew we needed Eileen's proven 5-step formu…
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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…
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1039: Melanie Zaelich: Consultation-Only Interior Design: How to Set Boundaries and Avoid Scope Creep
1:27:49
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1:27:49Today With Melanie Zaelich: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Many new designers try out consult-based design only to find themselves struggling with scope creep and feeling undervalued. But my guest today, Melanie Zaelich, runs a thriving consult-only business. She’s a former full-service designer who deliberately chose to transition to this mo…
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1038: What Would Lu Do?: Make 2025 Your Year!
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28:51Today With LuAnn Nigara: In this week’s episode of A Well-Designed Business, I’m sharing the no-fluff, practical strategies you need to set 2025 up for success. From defining what success truly means for you, to aligning your goals with your current season of life, to building the systems that keep you moving forward—this episode is your blueprint.…
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109. Uplevel Your Brand Messaging & Positioning: Copywriting for Interior Designers with Deb Mitchell
1:05:20
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1:05:20I 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 po…
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1037: Kelley Gable: A Strategic Approach to Success in Dual Markets
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58:38Today With Kelley Gable: Today, with Kelley Gable of Gable Interior Designers, we dive deep into the world of niche marketing and luxury coastal design. Kelley shares her journey of redefining coastal aesthetics, moving beyond cliché beach motifs to create sophisticated, contemporary interiors. We explore her unique business model of serving client…
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1036: Karen Post: A Personal Conversation on Turning Setbacks into Success
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1:10:44Today With Karen Post: Today with Karen Post, we dive deep into her journey of transforming Home Frosting from a staging company into a thriving interior design firm. Karen shares her experience of making a major business pivot while managing complex personal and financial challenges, including significant business loans and partnerships. As a form…
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108. Break Free from the Productivity Trap: A New Perspective on Getting It Done
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18:14As 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…
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1035: Lindsay Hunter: The Equestrian Interior Designer: Getting Ultra-Specific with Your Niche
1:31:41
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1:31:41Today With Lindsay Hunter: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. If you’ve been listening to the show for any amount of time, you’ve heard me tell you to niche at least a dozen times. So…if you haven’t niched…what’s holding you back? My guest today, Lindsay Hunter, probably had all of those same fears. But she also had a passion—and she turned that …
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1034: Donna Hoffman: Lean into Your Strengths to Create Success
1:09:36
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1:09:36Today With Donna Hoffman: Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. Many designers struggle with harnessing their sensitivity in business, often seeing it as a weakness rather than a strength. My guest today is interior designer and business coach Donna Hoffman, sharing her journey from launching a luxury design firm during the 2008 recession to buildin…
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107. Designing for Good: Charitable Giving Strategies for Interior Designers with Mark Ostrom
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48:36In 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 authe…
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1033: Ann Kottler: From Cold Calls to Custom Homes: How to Build Trust with Luxury Builders.
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1:08:10Today With Ann Kottler: Today with Ann Kottler, we're learning all about designing for elite home builders and managing luxury residential projects. Ann is the founder and principal designer of her namesake firm based in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, where she's established herself as the go-to expert for 7-8 figure new home construction and remodeling p…
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1032: Power Talk Friday: Shayna Pellino of 4DBiz: The Four Growth Markers of Successful Businesses
1:13:51
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1:13:51Today With Shayna Pellino: Welcome to A Well-Designed Business. If you're feeling stuck in your business, wondering how to make that crucial transition from being self-employed to running a true business, this episode is for you. My guest today, Shayna Pellino of 4DBiz, has identified clear growth markers in the journey of interior design business …
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106. Project Panic: Navigate Hiccups While Staying Calm
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28:20In 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 …
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1031: Dan Mazzarini: Empowering Your Interior Design Team to Succeed
1:02:57
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1:02:57Today With Dan Mazzarini: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. When you think about the future of your firm, what do you envision? Are you going to stay small? Or do you hope to grow your team? There’s no right or wrong answer. Different business owners have different goals. But if you do want to build a team, you have to learn how to lead efficien…
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1030: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Insights and Strategies on Successful Scaling
1:11:56
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1:11:56Today With Kate O’Hara: Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, I sit down with the incredible Kate O'Hara to dive into the fascinating distinctions between growth-focused and scale-focused entrepreneurs. With her unique perspective as both a founder and a second-generation business owner, Kate shares invaluable insights on how mi…
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105. Pivot with Purpose: Should You Revise Your Year End Goals?
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28:14You 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…
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