The BEST Interior Design Business Podcasts - Episode 191

We’ve got new 6 interior design business podcasts designed to help you level up the financial outlook of your interior design business.

In today’s installment, we’ve got episodes from hosts Dennis Scully, Kate Greunke, Rebecca Ward, LuAnn Nigara, Beth Bieske and Rhiannon Lee.

Today’s podcast guests include Sara Story, Jessica Harling, Tobi Fairley & Katie Wick.

• Business of Home - Dennis Scully - Sara Story loves a challenge - 47 min

• The Kate Show - Kate Greunke - How to Know Whether Your Business Has a People Problem or a Process Problem - 42 min

• Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - Mastering Interior Design Business: Tobi Fairley's Expert Tips for Success - 40 min

• A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Katie Wick: My Path in Interior Design; My Choice to Be an Employee. - 1 hr, 8 min

• Design Dialogues - Beth Bieske - Why you need to know how you are spending your time. - 12 min

• Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - Showcase your Transferable Skills - 18 min

Business of Home - Dennis Scully - Sara Story loves a challenge - 47 min

A protege of Victoria Hagan, Sara Story opened up her own firm in 2003 and has enjoyed a sparkling career. Her work, which often draws on fine art for inspiration, has won awards and graced magazine covers for two decades. On this episode of the show, Story speaks with host Dennis Scully about her first book, The Art of Home, the perfect length for a client meeting, and why in her spare time, pushing herself to run marathons and climb mountains helps keep her focused.

The Kate Show - Kate Greunke - How to Know Whether Your Business Has a People Problem or a Process Problem - 42 min

Interior designers, home stagers, and organizers, if you’re overwhelmed with work in your business — client work or internal work — you might not need to hire another person. Perhaps you just need better processes and some automation. Perhaps you’re spending too much time doing things that don’t even need to be done. (At all. By anyone.)

Or, it’s also possible that the tasks you’re doing really do need to be done, but would be better done by someone else so that you can stay in your zone of genius, doing what only you can do.

Yet another possibility is that your current team dynamic isn’t working. Perhaps your design assistant isn’t as capable as he or she needs to be. Maybe you spend too much time babysitting your assistant instead of delegating to them.

Maybe you would love to hire another person (or your first person) but you aren’t sure which position to hire first, how much to pay them, where to find them, or how to train them. Meanwhile, you run around like a headless chicken in your business, trying to wear all the hats and be all things to all people…and it’s slowly killing you. 

Wouldn’t you love to know where to find the next person your business needs in order to grow? And wouldn’t you be even more relieved to know that your hiring needs could be satisfied just by adopting better systems and processes? 

If you are concerned that a lack of processes or people is holding back your business from the success you know it can achieve, you won’t want to miss this episode. Host Kate Greunke is talking with Jessica Harling of Behind the Design about all things people and processes.

Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - Mastering Interior Design Business: Tobi Fairley's Expert Tips for Success - 40 min

In today's episode, host Rebecca Ward sits down with Tobi Fairley and talks about the importance of design skills and business knowledge for success in the interior design industry. They dive deep into how to navigate a career in interior design, the benefits of lifelong learning, and the rewards of taking well-analyzed risks.

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:

• Explore the appeal of taking well-calculated risks and setting the pace in your field of expertise

• See the impact of continuous learning and structured education in attaining professional growth

• Realize the importance of having a strong foundation in both design skills and business knowledge for lasting success

A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Katie Wick: My Path in Interior Design; My Choice to Be an Employee. - 1 hr, 8 min

In today’s episode, LuAnn’s guest, Katie Wick, interior designer at Jkath Design Build + Reinvent is here to debunk the unspoken stigma that if you are an interior designer and you don't own your own business, then you won’t be successful. Listen in to learn all of the perks and benefits to working for an interior design company.

Pick It Apart

• [2:30] We kick the conversation off with the benefits of working as an interior design employee.

• [8:45] Katie’s specific role and day to day duties at Jkath Design Build + Reinvent.

• [17:04] Katie explains how she configures her social media while doing design for Jkath.

• [25:47] Additional ways that Katie and Jesse support Katie as an employee.

• [44:05] Katie explains her opinion of the stigma attached to designers who don’t want to necessarily start their own firm.

LuAnn Nigara and Katie Wick's Ah-Ha Moments

• “Working within a firm with established systems and vendors contributes to a designer’s delivery and experience with high level design.” - LuAnn Nigara 

• “There has to be a willingness from both the employee and employer to have the hard conversations and proper communication.” - LuAnn Nigara

• “They’ve been so generous to me and have created a great culture at Jkath. I would never do anything to cause any suffering in the business. And although it is their business, it is my reputation as well.” - Katie Wick

Design Dialogues - Beth Bieske - Why you need to know how you are spending your time. - 12 min

KEY PARTS IN THE DIALOGUE

• 3.05 Beth gives an example of the difference when you are making data driven decisions.

• 8.52 Beth shows how tracking your time is important to help set your revenue goals.

Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - Showcase your Transferable Skills - 18 min

In today’s episode, host Rhiannon Lee dives into the world of transferable skills, exploring how you can identify, leverage, and utilise them to carve out a unique niche in the interior design industry.

Who knows how many hidden transferable skills you’re sitting on right now from your past work life? Reflect on those skills and learn how they can fast track your business, such as marketing, copywriting, or even organisational skills, and consider how to blend them into your design career.

Tune in as Rhiannon discusses practical ways to blend your background and skills to create a standout brand that resonates with clients. By embracing your unique superpowers and staying open to continuous learning and growth, you're not only setting yourself apart from the competition but also paving the way for a fulfilling and thriving design career.