The BEST Residential Interior Design Podcasts - Episode 228

We’ve got eight ahhh-mazing interior design business podcasts episodes today from hosts Michele Williams, Terri Taylor, Darla Powell, LuAnn Nigara, Michelle Lynne, Melissa Galt, Rick Campos and Laura Thornton.

Today’s podcast guests are Amanda Scotto, Abigail Wideman, Rebecca Munster, Heather Versalino and Keri Petersen.

If you’re looking to make your interior design business even better than it is today, I guarantee that you will find something in today’s podcasts that will help you level up. Enjoy.

• Profit Is A Choice - Michele Williams - Investing in Yourself to Build Your Business - 50 min

• Interior Design Business - Terri Taylor - Pricing Challenges Part 1 - 27 min

• Designed by Wingnut Social - Darla Powell - Mini News: Utilizing Competitor Research to Market Yourself on Social Media - 13 min

• Window Treatments for Profit - LuAnn Nigara - Rebecca Munster: The Art of Effective Organizational Development - 1 hr, 7 min

• Designed for the Creative Mind - Michelle Lynne - Where Are They Now (Part 2): How The Interior Design Business Bakery Changed This Couple’s Life - 15 min

• The Affluent Creative - Melissa Galt - Unlocking the Principles of Profit: Harnessing Social Media for Your Creative Business - 46 min

• Design Biz Survival Guide - Rick Campos - Keri Petersen: Online Visibility for Your Design Business - 45 min

• The Business of Beautiful Spaces - Laura Thornton - Let's Talk about Holiday Season Deadlines - 23 min

Profit Is A Choice - Michele Williams - Investing in Yourself to Build Your Business - 50 min

Joining me on the podcast today is Amanda Scotto, principal designer and owner of AMA Designs and Interiors in New Jersey. Amanda is a client of mine, and she is going to be sharing her journey starting with where she began, some of her early successes and pivots that she's had in her business, and challenges that she's encountered. She is very transparent, and freely shares with us, giving us an opportunity to learn about resilience, planning, and raising our hand when we need help. It was an awesome conversation and I invite you to listen in.

Topics Mentioned:

• Cash flow

• Investment

• Growth

• Pivots in business 

Key Thoughts:

• I was always inspired by design and architecture and construction from a very young age. My father and grandfather owned a construction business. I basically grew up on the sites, my mom would drive me to visit, and I would have lunch in the trailer with my dad and grandpa. It was at that point where my grandpa sat me on his lap, and he taught me how to read the blueprints and then he showed me how the sketches became the framework, and the framework became the building. Amanda 2:09

• Everybody has to start somewhere. I want to invite you as we take a moment to look back at where you started, let's look back with grace. Let's look back with appreciation. Let's look back without embarrassment. I mean, we all start somewhere. If anybody listening to this podcast hears anything, I want them to not be afraid of their own origin story or embarrassed of their own or even when it takes twists and turns, knocks you down and skins your knees. It's your story and it is part of what has you in the wonderful position that you are in today. Michele 8:24

• That is when I started working with you and we've corrected the problem. I made it through. I'm doing so much better than before and now I have the confidence in my numbers. I am a totally different person than I was a year ago. I'm pulling reports. I'm analyzing my numbers. I'm sitting down with my accountant. we're having these educated conversations on making decisions based on numbers, margins, percentages, like all these things that I did not have the competence, or the knowingness and I can actually happily say that I'm getting my new office space soon. Amanda 43:28

• I think that's what a lot of people miss is the net profit. They look at net profit and think that's profit, I can take it home or look in the bank account and think is there I've paid everything I can take it home instead of saying but what does that bucket of money need to do in the future and have I set it up to do that? And that's a big question to ask. What is the job responsibility of your net profit? Michele 44:41 

Interior Design Business - Terri Taylor - Pricing Challenges Part 1 - 27 min

In this episode of the Interior Design Business podcast, host Terri Taylor is teaching us how to re-frame your money mindset, get comfortable talking about money, and ask for what you’re worth. Many of us have been conditioned to be so uncomfortable talking about money that we find it impossible to confidently present large fees. That’s got to change if you want to run a successful business. 

Topics covered in this episode include:

• Pricing challenges interior designer business owners face 

• How to get comfortable talking about money 

• The right time in a conversation to state your fee 

Designed by Wingnut Social - Darla Powell - Mini News: Utilizing Competitor Research to Market Yourself on Social Media - 13 min

When it comes to marketing yourself on social media, you might be wondering where to start. Today, our Assistant Director Abigail Wideman provides some great insight on what you can do to help improve your marketing strategy.

Window Treatments for Profit - LuAnn Nigara - Rebecca Munster: The Art of Effective Organizational Development - 1 hr, 7 min

In today’s episode, host LuAnn Nigara’s special guest Rebecca Munster is here to introduce an awesome four-part framework. LuAnn and Rebecca dive into the secrets of team building, communication, leadership transitions, and continuous process improvement. 

Rebecca is a pro at transitioning from command and control to mission control, and she's here to empower you to foster independent problem-solving among your employees. She is the founder of Rebecca Munster Designs, a full service boutique firm that specializes in window coverings, soft furnishings, upholstery, and wallpaper.

Designed for the Creative Mind - Michelle Lynne - Where Are They Now (Part 2): How The Interior Design Business Bakery Changed This Couple’s Life - 15 min

In this episode, host Michelle Lynne interviews Interior Design Business Bakery alums Heather Vercellino and her husband Joe about how impactful being in The Bakery has been for not just Heather’s interior design business, but how it has trickled into every part of their life. 

Joe and Heather emphasize the importance of having a coach and getting the right support when building a business.. When you show up, do the work, and have the right tools, it gives you the confidence needed to be successful. 

The ripple effect from joining the bakery has impacted their personal lives, Heather’s business, and Joe was able to apply those same business principles and have courage to start his own business that now has affected and impacted over a million of our youth through the Lionheart organization, where Joe speaks on stages and leads an amazing collaborative effort to give our youth a strong sense of self worth and combat many of the challenges our youth face today. 

Listening to their story of how one choice- to join The Interior Design Business Bakery has rippled through from Heather and her being able to build a profitable and sustainable design business, to igniting her husband Joe and giving him the confidence to pursue his passions, and how them leading their family and businesses with purpose and passion and with ease, is truly inspiring. 

The Affluent Creative - Melissa Galt - Unlocking the Principles of Profit: Harnessing Social Media for Your Creative Business - 46 min

Social media is an amazing tool that, when used correctly, can serve and support your business’ success. It is not something that you need to dedicate gobs of time to either, as long as you can use it strategically. Selecting only certain feeds to follow, setting specific goals for engagement and activity, and not overwhelming yourself by managing too many accounts are just some of the strategies host & busines coach Melissa Galt dives into throughout today’s episode.

Today, I’m sharing with you 12 specific principles to follow when using social media to increase your profit. With each principle, I will also leave you with a couple of action steps you can start trying immediately to help you move forward. We are all about taking action here, and these steps are smart, targeted strategies that you can implement on your creative journey to success. 

In this episode, you will hear:

• Why using social media strategically is so important for your business

• What the 12 Social Media Principals of Profit are and how to implement them 

• Specific action steps for each principle for a clear and actionable way forward

Design Biz Survival Guide - Rick Campos - Keri Petersen: Online Visibility for Your Design Business - 45 min

In today’s episode, host Rick Campos welcomes Keri Petersen, founder of KP Spaces based in Seattle, WA. They discuss Keri’s journey of figuring out the back end of the business of design and the self-work she had to put in to grow her business with confidence. We dive deep into the concept of SEO and online advertising and the impact it has had on the visibility of her business. Keri also pulls back the curtain on some of the misconceptions about paid advertising and why it’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Keri's understanding of the importance of marketing is astonishing. We delve into the world of AI for selecting keywords, vetting clients, and attracting both big and small projects. Keri's survival guide for design businesses emphasizes the need for visibility and growth. By mastering SEO and Google Ads, you can make your business stand out, just like KP Spaces. 

Prepare to be inspired and learn how to navigate the intimidating world of paid advertising with confidence.

Show Highlights:

• The importance of SEO and online advertising in boosting business visibility and growth.

• The significance of self-work for business owners and how it affects boundaries, pricing, and project choices.

• Challenges faced in launching a design business and the importance of setting a vision for the business.

• Strategies for mastering SEO and paid advertising to attract bigger projects.

• Keri's experience using AI to select keywords and vet clients.

• The importance of gratitude and presence in defining success in the design business.

The Business of Beautiful Spaces - Laura Thornton - Let's Talk about Holiday Season Deadlines - 23 min

In today’s episode, host Laura Thornton dives into a topic that's incredibly timely as we approach the holiday season: staying focused and on track during the last few months of the year. This period is notorious for being the busiest time for designers, and it's crucial to manage your time and client expectations effectively while scheduling time for your self and reflect on 2023 and looking forward into 2024.