Flexible Planning = Interior Design Business Success
Today’s crop of interior design business podcasts has got me 100% excited.
Coming from 4 different people with different personalities & approaches to business success - Marc Müskens, Erin Weir, Desi Creswell and Darla Powell - all 4 episodes highlight my belief that interior design business success requires two things:
A plan, process, guiding philosophy, etc. Your business needs structure. Boring but true.
Within that structure, you have to be flexible. Life is going to hand you opportunities and if you are unable to pivot, you will miss them.
Balancing structure & flexibility isn’t an easy task, but if you can do it…the sky is the limit for your interior design business.
So much good stuff from today’s podcast guests Kathryn Greeley, Isabella Patrick and Cheryl Luckett.
Enjoy :)
Today’s Interior Design Podcast Episodes:
Beyond Interior Design - Marc Müskens - Unlock Your Design Potential: Insights from Marc Müskens - 25 min
Creative Genius Podcast - Gail Doby and Erin Weir - Collected Wisdom (Kathryn Greeley) - 44 min
The Interior Design Business CEO - Desi Creswell - CEO Transformation: Isabella Patrick’s Journey to Success - 59 min
Designed by Wingnut Social - Darla Powell - Get a Licensing Deal by Building Relationships With Vendors - 37 min
Beyond Interior Design - Marc Müskens - Unlock Your Design Potential: Insights from Marc Müskens - 25 min
Marc Müskens is an interior design business coach - Institute of Interior Impact - with a unique approach to helping designers improve & scale their businesses. In today’s podcast episode, Marc pulls back the curtain to his unique method.
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Welcome to an exclusive episode of design revelations with Marc Müskens! Join me on an immersive journey through the labyrinth of interior design success, where I'll share invaluable tips tailored just for you, the visionary interior designer. 🎨✨
In this special edition, I invite you into our world, unraveling the tale of our design studio's inception. Spoiler alert: it's a narrative punctuated with challenges and triumphs, each paving the way for a profound connection with our clients. 🏗️📈
Picture this: harnessing our unique story as a beacon, magnetizing dream clients and projects toward us. Are you ready to transform your design journey? Brace yourself as I unravel my top three tips, crafted to streamline your design process while infusing entrepreneurial endeavors with unyielding fulfillment. Don't forget your notebook; this ride promises to uncover invaluable insights! 🚀📝
But hold onto your seats! The pièce de résistance is our very own masterpiece—the 'Quick A.S.K. Activator.' It's more than just a formula; it's the cornerstone of our success. This innovative method, comprising the three potent pillars of A.S.K.: Assess, Socialize, and Knowledge, has revolutionized our approach. By seamlessly mastering this trifecta, we've not just attracted deserving clients but molded our business around our envisioned lifestyle. Intrigued? I bet you are... 😉🌟
Creative Genius Podcast - Gail Doby and Erin Weir - Collected Wisdom (Kathryn Greeley) - 44 min
In today’s episode, host Erin Weir unearths some pearls of wisdom from veteran interior designer Kathryn Greeley. During their chat, Kathryn reminds all of us that our design careers are NOT going to travel in a straight line. Opportunities will arise as we move along our path and that those opportunities may take you in different - better - directions.
It takes a lot of perseverance, determination, hard work, and a bit of luck to operate an interior design business for more than 40 years. Where you end up may be very different from where you started. Along the way you come to realize that success comes from being true to your passions and following your dreams.
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Kathryn’s signature approach to her design projects is grounded in her design philosophy that they should be collected, not decorated. She is especially attracted to English country house design because of its layering of old and new, high and low, and use of the client’s personal treasures, some of which may have been passed down for generations.
Erin asked Kathryn about her two books and how she came to write them. The first book, The Collected Tabletop: Inspirations for Creative Entertaining, published in 2011, grew out of her love of entertaining and creating tabletop decorations for clients. The second book, The Collected Cottage: Gardening, Gathering and Collecting at Chestnut Cottage, published in 2022, draws on her experience designing her own home as well as her affinity for gardening, cooking, entertaining, and collections. It is a celebration of creating a home that supports one’s desired lifestyle.
A book can be a useful marketing tool, Kathryn explained, helping to attract like-minded clients who want the kind of look you design. (Although, she stressed, she works in many other styles of design as well.) She cautioned designers who are thinking of doing a book that they should not expect sales of a book to be a profitable revenue stream. She also noted producing a book is a difficult process, both physically and creatively.
Along with promoting her book and speaking engagements, Kathryn blogs and posts regularly to Instagram and Facebook to market her firm. Even with all her other commitments, she writes all of her own material because she believes it needs to be in her own voice to be authentic.
Erin asked Kathryn what advice she might have for listeners. She offered three takeaways:
If you have a dream in your heart, follow your dream.
Sharing your home is the best, most unique, personal gift you can give to family and friends.
Don’t think your design career is going to be a straight line. Opportunities arise as you go along that may take you in different directions.
To hear more about Kathryn’s career path, how she has built a successful design business from a small, rural location, and how to get the recipe for her much-sought-after caramel cake, listen to the entire podcast.
The Interior Design Business CEO - Desi Creswell - CEO Transformation: Isabella Patrick’s Journey to Success - 59 min
In this episode, host Desi Creswell interviews one of her coaching clients, diving deep into how her coaching has helped her Out of Overwhelm client, Isabella Patrick grow her business.
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Isabella is the CEO of Isabella Patrick Interiors Inc.: a woman-owned and women-led full-service residential interior design and decorating firm located in Manhattan. I invited her on to celebrate her growth with all of you, and she’s offering her thoughts on how Out of Overwhelm transformed her experience of being a business owner.
Hear the powerful impact committing to group coaching has had on Isabella’s business, and why she decided to come back to Out of Overwhelm for a second round. She’s offering amazing nuggets of wisdom on how coaching has not only supported her business growth but touched all areas of her life.
What You’ll Discover from this Episode:
Where Isabella was in her business when she found Out of Overwhelm.
What Isabella’s experience of overwhelm looked like.
The hesitations she felt about committing to this work.
How joining Out of Overwhelm contributed to Isabella’s business growth.
Some of the most impactful tools and strategies that made the biggest difference for Isabella.
Why we always start with addressing mindset in Out of Overwhelm.
The benefits of being in a group coaching program.
How coaching allows you to take responsibility in a compassionate way.
Designed by Wingnut Social - Darla Powell - Get a Licensing Deal by Building Relationships With Vendors - 37 min
Following the theme of today’s ID business podcasts, today’s Designed by Wingnut Social episode is all about business-boosting pivots, collaborations and shaping your business for success. Unique to Darla Powell’s chat with designer Cheryl Luckett is the investigation into how Cheryl landed a lucrative licensing deal by building relationships with vendors. If this doesn’t get your business brain buzzing…
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Today we're discussing how designer Cheryl Luckett built her business on the back of a career pivot , all the way up to launching a performance textile collection with Revolution Fabrics, available at Wildwood Home. We also discuss setting boundaries in your business and other ways to make self-employment sustainable.
Cheryl Luckett's design journey began at Tennessee State University, where she studied Family and Consumer Science. After obtaining her Registered Dietitian credential at Prairie View A&M University, she excelled in corporate America for over 15 years. It was there that her creative instincts collided with her faith, propelling her towards her true calling in design. Now, at Dwell by Cheryl Interiors, she brings her classic style, vibrant palettes, and cultured details to life. Her collaborations with major home furnishing brands showcase her expertise in textiles, lighting, and furnishings. Recently, she launched a performance textile collection with Revolution Fabrics, available at Wildwood Home. Cheryl's work has graced the pages of Southern Home, Traditional Home, HGTV Magazine, Luxe, and Country Living. Her areas of expertise include Interior Design Business, Branding, and Product Licensing.
