We are our own worst enemies.

From not taking credit when credit is due, to not valuing our skills, to not shining a light on those skills, to not respecting our future selves & not putting into place concrete plans for those future selves, interior designers are terrible at looking out for themselves.

It’s time to stop. There is a better way. Each of today’s podcast episodes offers a unique insight into how we can stop sabotaging our own success.

Episodes at a glance:

• The Holistic Interior Design Business Podcast - Rachel Larraine - Invisible No More: Empowering Interior Designers to Take Credit for Their Work - 20 min

• Beyond Interior Design - Marc Muskens - The Art of Valuing Your Skills and Time in Interior Design - 39 min

• The Interior Design Business CEO - Desi Creswell - Leading with Your Future Self - 18 min

• Designed by Wingnut Social - Darla Powell - How to Make Authentic Connections on LinkedIn - 30 min

• Window Treatments for Profit with LuAnn Nigara - LuAnn Nigara - C-Suite Talks with Madeleine MacRae: End of Year: PLAN AHEAD - 21 min

• Trade Tales - Kaitlin Petersen - How Caren Rideau found new opportunities within a design niche - 34 min

The Holistic Interior Design Business Podcast - Rachel Larraine - Invisible No More: Empowering Interior Designers to Take Credit for Their Work - 20 min

This week’s episode is inspired by a question host Rachel Larraine received from one of her audience members in Episode 137, and it points to a challenge we all face as interior designers, regardless of how long we’ve been in the industry: taking credit for our work.

We likely will all find a time when we pour a lot of heart and work into a project that we’re proud of, but then the client doesn’t acknowledge us for our involvement—or they significantly downplay our role. This can be so disappointing, but this doesn’t have to be the end of it. While it might seem difficult at first, we can speak up for ourselves and remind them of what we brought to the project. In this episode, Rachel shares seven strategies or tactics that will help you get the credit you deserve.

Taking credit is vital for both personal and professional reasons. Clients who believe in the level and quality of your involvement will not only happily pay for your services, but will refer you to friends & family. Getting your due is vital to your success as a designer.

Beyond Interior Design - Marc Muskens - The Art of Valuing Your Skills and Time in Interior Design - 39 min

What if you could master the complexities of pricing, perception, and professionalism in the interior design industry? That's exactly what we unravel in this episode. We shine a spotlight on understanding your financial needs, communicating the value of your design, and the role of quality versus quantity in your pricing strategies. From tangible design elements to the intangible essence of timelessness, we dissect every facet of design value. Moreover, we share handy tools, such as the QuickAsk Activator, to catalyze effective client communication and trust. 

Ever wondered how money and interior design intertwine? Here's your answer. We discuss the importance of acknowledging your monetary needs, and how to calculate the income required to sustain your lifestyle. We examine the perception of interior design as a fleeting trend and emphasize the significance of creating designs that stand the test of time. Remember – money is a tool for bartering and negotiation, and it should be respected as such. 

Being an interior designer is not just about creativity; it's about managing a business and building trust with clients. We delve into the world of business with clear-eyed pragmatism, exploring how to understand a client's needs and offer tangible solutions. We stress the importance of valuing your expertise, and not giving it away for free. Remember the Picasso story? It's a reminder of how vital it is to appreciate your skills. Plus, we touch upon the challenge of balancing business with personal life, offering strategies to manage multiple projects and make design decisions. It's all about achieving success, both in business and life. So let's get started!

The Interior Design Business CEO - Desi Creswell - Leading with Your Future Self - 18 min

Self-leadership as a business owner is something host Desi Creswell often discusses with her coaching clients, and it’s a key step in her Out of Overwhelm process. Whether it’s your level of confidence, how you plan, or make decisions, leading with your future self has a well of wisdom, guidance, and reassurance to offer, but you first have to learn how to tune into self.

Hear why leading with your future self is an important tool that can help you make decisions, set goals, and align yourself with the business you want to build. Desi’s showing us what happens when you begin tuning into your future self, powerful questions to ask her.

What You’ll Discover from this Episode:

• What the concept of your future self means.

• Why leading with your future self is a vital part of the Out of Overwhelm process.

• How your future self is the solution to tunnel vision and catastrophizing.

• What happens when you access your future self in your decision-making process.

• Powerful questions to ask yourself in leading with your future self.

• My top suggestions for where you can begin leading with your future self.

Designed by Wingnut Social - Darla Powell - How to Make Authentic Connections on LinkedIn - 30 min

In today’s episode, host Darla Powell is chatting with Cara Steinmann - founder of the Ravel Collective and host of Ravel Radio podcast - about how to make real, authentic connections on LinkedIn with people who share your core values. Building relationships this way can actually lead to referrals and growing your business, more so than just contacting someone directly with spam or a sale opportunity.

Window Treatments for Profit with LuAnn Nigara - LuAnn Nigara - C-Suite Talks with Madeleine MacRae: End of Year: PLAN AHEAD - 21 min

In this episode, Madeleine MacRae talks about how to wrap up our year and plan ahead for the next one using a simple process taught by John Maxwell. The process is based on an acronym: PLAN AHEAD, each letter standing for a step that helps you set your intention, goals, and adjustments for the future.

Madeleine's Ah-Ha Moments:

“Simple and easy are not synonyms.” -Madeleine

Trade Tales - Kaitlin Petersen - How Caren Rideau found new opportunities within a design niche - 34 min

Caren Rideau found that specializing allowed her imagination and expertise to reach new heights. The real challenges came when she turned her attention toward professional growth—for her own business, and for the next generation of designers.

In this episode, she shares why using social media to attract clients and employees, the benefits of being a kitchen specialist in an industry filled with full service designers, and how combining design with her other passions has allowed an entirely new brand to emerge.