A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

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 industry, and she finds the most successful guests to share their interior design business best practices. This podcast is sponsored by Kravet Inc and Mydoma Studio.

  1. 2d ago

    1226: BEST OF: Eileen Hahn: Scaling from 2 Million to 5 Million

    Today with Eileen Hahn Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! Today, Luann and her guest, Eileen Hahn, dig into how to scale your design business from 2 million to 5 million. Going from 2 to 5 million is not easy, and it does not happen by accident. Intentional is the name of the game when scaling at this level. Who better to take us through that than Eileen? She’s the HR whisperer from LuAnn’s first Power Talk Friday Experts book. Eileen was with us all at LuAnn Live and she also has a chapter in LuAnn’s upcoming second Power Talk Friday Experts book, as well. Oh, and did you know that LuAnn and Eileen are COUSINS? Tune in to their conversation for expert advice on hiring, retaining, and scaling, and be amazed as Eileen takes this overwhelming task of scaling and breaks it down into a simple (not easy, simple) to-do list! Eileen Hahn is a leadership consultant who works with firms like Anheuser-Busch, Ericson Worldwide, General Motors, Legoland, San Diego Padres, and interior design firms, as well as smaller entrepreneurial firms. She teaches leaders in these organizations how to hire and lead exceptional employees who bring fire and energy to their work, achieve high levels of performance, and generate financial results. Eileen’s work has improved productivity, profitability, and employee work passion. It has also brought the employees joy, peace, purpose, and prosperity. Show Highlights: Create a compelling vision statement that defines your firm. Make it something your team can get excited about and feel proud to be a part of. Then take that vision and get real with it – set a monetary goal. Now, back up that financial goal with a sales strategy. It’s human nature to just hope you’ll hit your goal. But just hoping isn’t going to get you where you want to go. To hit your dollar amount goal, you must dedicate considerable time to developing your sales strategy. Dissect your business. Think about: What has worked before? Can this take us to the next level, or is this activity maxed out? What am I going to do differently to scale? Eileen breaks down the overwhelming task of scaling and breaks it down into these simple steps: What do I like doing? What am I good at doing? What market segment do I enjoy working in? Each year you should spend a minimum of 2-3 days of strategic analysis and planning for your business. Quarterly planning is even better! The world is changing and so is business, so we must keep on eye on what is working and plan for new strategies. Understand where you are as the business owner, what you need, and where you see yourself so that you can set yourself up for success with the right people. Eileen shares hiring considerations and tips. If you’re thinking about growth, recognize this time as the last opportunity you’ll have to assess whether each person on your team fits and is utilizing their strengths and skills. Eileen has put in the work for you on preparing Interior Design Firm Hiring Toolkits for hiring Exceptional Designers, Design Assistants, Expediter/Purchasers, Bookkeepers, and Office Administrators. The investment is $297 for each role, or purchase the bundle for a discounted price! Connect with Eileen! Eileen’sWebsite Eileen’s Instagram Eileen’s LinkedIn Eileen’s Interior Design Firm Hiring Toolkits Eileen’s Email Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Talk Friday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Other shows mentioned #363 Eileen Hahn #364 Janelle Photopoulos #127, #388, #549 Corey Damen Jenkins #130, #215 Kate O’Hara #64, #492 Laura Umansky

  2. 5d ago

    1225: MBA: Is AI Recommending Your Interior Design Business?

    Today With LuAnn Nigara: When a potential client asks an AI search tool for an interior designer who solves the exact problem you solve, will your business show up? LuAnn decided to test the question on her own business, and the results were eye-opening. AI understood a lot about LuAnn Nigara Inc., but it missed one of her newest offers and recommended a one-time coaching program from around 2017 that hasn't been available for years. In this solo episode, LuAnn connects this discovery to lessons she's been teaching for nearly a decade, including Fred Berns' “Only,” Deb Mitchell's approach to specific website copy, Melissa Fields' lesson on connecting your differentiators to client benefits, and Robyn White's reminder that beautiful work is not enough. You'll learn how to audit the public information about your own design firm, test the real questions your ideal clients may be asking, and identify where outdated, generic or incomplete information may be getting in the way. The goal isn't to write your website for robots. It's to make sure the information about your business is current, specific and true, so the right clients can understand why you're the right fit. Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Talk Friday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Like Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

  3. Sep 4

    1224: BEST OF: Jennifer Tokatyan: Building a Culture that Drives Business Results

    Today 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 upcoming LuAnn University course, “Build an Exceptional Team that Gets Results,” starting January 2025. LuAnn Nigara and Jennifer Tokatyan’s Ah-Ha Moments “Culture matters the moment you have another human being you are interacting with because you are now interdependent on them to execute on the very things you are trying to deliver,” – Jennifer Tokatyan “Once you clarify yourself as the leader and you exemplify that and are consistent, the whole team will follow. And the ones who don’t, you can show them the door,” – LuAnn Nigara More About Jennifer Tokatyan Jennifer Tokatyan is a leadership consultant and a consulting partner with Eileen B Hahn. Jennifer has over 20 years of experience in small and large organizations across multiple industries in public, private and nonprofit sectors. She has worked with and for Fortune 500 companies as well as fast-paced entrepreneurial start-ups and Founder-led companies including interior design, hospitality, real estate, apparel, retail, manufacturing, non-profit and more. Jennifer provides leadership, talent optimization, organizational development, strategic HR consulting and coaching to organizations seeking to grow their people and business, deliver on their brand promise, create the culture and environment where its people flourish and achieve exceptional results. She has several active interior design clients across the United States and was on the expert panel at LuAnn Nigara’s Power Talk Friday at High Point Market in October, 2022. Connect with Jennifer Tokatyan Website LinkedIn What’s new with LuAnn Nigara RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast Other Shows: AWDB #68: Chad James- “Think Forward” – Employee Management

  4. Sep 1

    1223: BEST OF: Pamela Durkin: Utilize Time Blocking to Increase Productivity in Your Interior Design Business

    Today with Pamela Durkin: Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Today with Pamela Durkin, author of Elevate and owner of Pamela Durkin Designs, we are discussing how to time block our tasks. Pamela is coughing up some great strategies on how we can set specific blocks of time for specific tasks that will help us, get this, “Get more done in one day then you used to get done in an entire week.” Pick it apart: [2:00] Pamela talks to us about time blocking to increase productivity. [8:30] Pamela takes us to the next level of getting a weeks’ worth of things done in a day. [11:15] Pamela explains a strategy for completing the potential tasks we get from when we check all of our emails. [26:00] Pamela and LuAnn discuss the importance of communicating to your clients your time expectancy. LuAnn and Pamela Durkin’s Ah-Ha moments: “We need concentrated time to accomplish anything. We need to be aware of the fact that bouncing around to different tasks can hurt our productivity. ” – Pamela Durkin “If we can think about where we are spending our time and how that relates to money in our business, then you ask yourself if you should even be doing those things.” – Pamela Durkin “Time blocking is more than being efficient, it’s understanding that we have finite hours in the day and if we’re not making enough money by putting these blocks of time in, then maybe we are not charging enough.” – Pamela Durkin “We are imperfectly perfect and always a work in progress. We should always give ourselves a pat on the back for our progress. As long as we are trying and moving forward, it’s all good.” – Pamela Durkin More about Pamela Durkin: Pamela Durkin, ASID, LEED AP ID+C Design is powerful and Pamela wants designers to step into that power. After 30 years in the high-end design business, she is now helping other designers create a business they love through her In Demand Designer Program. She teaches them how to be magnetic and attract the best clients. This method makes owning a design business easier and more fulfilling. Her book, Elevate! can be found on Amazon. Pamela Durkin has been a professional interior designer for over 30 years. She is a past-president of ASID Florida South Chapter and served on the Board of Architecture and Design in NJ. She lives in Naples, FL and in her spare time, loves spending time on the beach and learning new moves in her home dance studio. Connect with Pamela Durkin Website  Instagram  Facebook  LinkedIn  Book What’s new with LuAnn Nigara RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Audiobook: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Book 2: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠ Book 3: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s ⁠Website⁠ LuAnn’s ⁠Blog⁠ ⁠Power Talk Friday⁠ Like Us: ⁠Facebook⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠Twitter⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠Instagram⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 577: Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza, LuAnn is in the “Productivity” Hot Seat Episode 607: Project Management with Specific Deliverables and Deadlines

    1223: BEST OF: Pamela Durkin: Utilize Time Blocking to Increase Productivity in Your Interior Design Business
  5. Aug 28

    1222: BEST OF: Robyn White: Using Your Website to Market to the Luxury Interior Design Client

    Today With Robyn White: We all know that marketing matters. But so often when I’m talking to newer designers, I realize that marketing is misunderstood—especially when it comes to the luxury client. My guest today, Robyn White, understands that. Today, she’s here to talk about what marketing really is, how marketing for the luxury client is unique, and how to incorporate your personality and story into your messaging. Pick It Apart [2:26] Robyn and LuAnn reflect on what marketing really means. [6:54] Robyn explains the difference in marketing to a luxury client. [15:54] LuAnn and Robyn discuss how important it is for your website to show what makes you unique. [27:43] Robyn explains how to convey luxury through your website. [43:14] Robyn and LuAnn reflect on how important your website is. LuAnn Nigara and Robyn White’s Ah-Ha Moments “The more marketing you do, the more you’ll start to realize that people don’t care that much about what you’re trying to sell to them, because it’s not about them. When you turn the tables and make your marketing about how you help them and what problems you solve, they become interested.” – Robyn White “If I can read a page on your website and I can substitute any person’s name for this because there’s nothing so specific that is only you, then you haven’t done your job in explaining who you are or what it’s like to work with you.” – LuAnn Nigara More About Robyn White: Robyn White is the owner and founder of RDW Design Studio, a boutique website design studio located on Cape Cod, MA. Robyn offers a refined website design experience for clients who value quality and want a strategic, sophisticated and simple website designed so they can book more premium clients. Robyn specializes in helping interior designers, architects, stagers and organizers elevate their website so it reflects the high-quality work they provide and so their business has the online home it deserves. Through her impactful and strategic website design, she positions her clients as the premium choice by making the right first impression online. She helps her busy clients go from overwhelmed to overjoyed with their websites by taking care of all the techie stuff without the techie talk. Through her supportive, streamlined and stress-free design process, Robyn designs websites that are not just beautiful, but allow her clients to show up online with confidence and attract their ideal clients. Connect with Robyn White Website Instagram Facebook  LinkedIn Get a Freebie! What’s new with LuAnn Nigara RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Audiobook: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Book 2: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠ Book 3: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 Connect with LuAnn Nigara LuAnn’s ⁠Website⁠ LuAnn’s ⁠Blog⁠ ⁠Power Talk Friday⁠ Like Us: ⁠Facebook⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠Twitter⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠Instagram⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠Podcast Other Shows Mentioned: #466: Power Talk Friday: Nicole Heymer: You’ve Defined Your Brand…Now What? #174: Power Talk Friday- Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours #159: Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – How To Get Confident & Clear on What You Offer #841: Power Talk Friday – Nancy Ganzekaufer – The Profit Insiders for Interior Designers.

    1222: BEST OF: Robyn White: Using Your Website to Market to the Luxury Interior Design Client
  6. Aug 25

    1221: BEST OF: Deb Mitchell: Attract the Right Clients With Stand-Out Copy

    Today with Deb Mitchell: Welcome to A Well-Designed Business, it’s Power Talk Friday! LuAnn shares a conversation with Deb Mitchell on today’s show. You may know Deb on Instagram as DesignWriterDeb. She’s a writer specializing in serving interior designers. Did you know that your own writing style can differentiate yourself from other designers in the way it reflects your personality and your style? And that the most impactful way of writing speaks to the client? Listen in for tips on how you can make this happen, or how you can work with Deb if you’re needing a little extra help in communicating effectively with your ideal client. Deb Mitchell’s career as a professional writer began when she responded to an ad in a local Charlotte, NC magazine seeking volunteers for a readers’ panel. On a tour of the magazine’s offices with the other selected panelists, the idea for an article came to her and when she mentioned it to the editors, they hired her on the spot as a writer. Nearly ten years and hundreds of articles later, Deb decided to blend her design feature writing experience with her pre-writing career experience in high-end retail sales to help interior designers move their businesses forward with strategic copywriting and content marketing services. Today, Deb’s client list is ever growing with designers at nearly every stage of business. Most recently, she’s joined forces with two experts, a branding designer and a website developer, to offer designers an all-in-one option for fully custom designed and copywritten WordPress websites. Deb has by-lined articles in publications such as Casual Living, Design Texas, Lake Norman Magazine, and Today’s Charlotte Woman, and on The Renegade Writer blog. Her ghostwriting has appeared in dozens of top shelter publications and design blogs. Show Highlights: Start the writing process with getting to know your clients. What do they care about? When writing, differentiate yourself by considering how you are different from your colleague in aesthetic, processes, delivery of services, and personality. Make your writing reflective of you. Don’t write a bio that’s so vanilla we can substitute another designer’s name for yours. Don’t be intimidated about writing. Get your ideas out of your head and get someone to take a look at your copy and help with editing. Create a “messaging” folder – it’s a living document used to hold your core words, thoughts, and phrases. Add to it as you come up with copy that helps define you and will resonate with your clients. Start by finishing these statements: I believe my clients deserve… I believe my clients should experience… When speaking about me, someone said… To create consistent messaging, refer to this file when writing your social media, creating a new web page, or preparing to speak on a panel. Read your reviews to get ideas and reflect the language your clients use. LuAnn and Deb cover the services that Deb offers. Connect with Deb! Deb’s Email Deb’s Website – Schedule a Free Consultation Today! Deb’s Instagram Deb’s Facebook Deb’s Pinterest Websites Mentioned: Blakely Interiordesign Victoria At Home Links : Is Chairman of the Board Right for YOUR Business? LuAnn Nigara COB Get the Goodies! – For checklists, resources, and extra goodies! Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action    A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts LuAnn’s Website LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review! LuAnn’s Blog Power Talk Friday Other shows mentioned: #174 Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours #125 Nicole Heymer: How to Brand Your Business #544 Natalie Norcross: Natalie Norcross: 5 Things To Do To Get PR #364 Janelle Photopoulos: Leading, Not Simply Running, Your Interior Design Firm

  7. Aug 21

    1220: BEST OF: Deborah Rosenberg: Tailoring Your Interior Design Firm to Your Core Beliefs

    Today with Deborah Rosenberg: What happens when your personal beliefs become part of the way you run your business? In this Best Of episode of A Well-Designed Business®, LuAnn sits down with Deborah Rosenberg, principal of DiMare Design, to talk about her decision to build a design firm committed to humane, cruelty-free interiors. Deborah’s approach grew out of her own evolving awareness of how animal-derived materials are produced. Eventually, she began looking at the leather, wool, down, and other materials she was specifying professionally and asking herself a bigger question: If these choices no longer aligned with her personal values, why would she continue making them in her business? That decision ultimately became a defining part of her firm. LuAnn and Deborah explore what it means to take a deeply held belief and allow it to influence your business model, your sourcing decisions, and the clients you attract. They also discuss an important lesson for every interior designer, whether or not humane design is part of your own philosophy: Having a clearly defined point of view does not necessarily limit your opportunities. Done thoughtfully, it can distinguish your firm and establish you as the expert for the clients who are looking for exactly what you do. This conversation is a reminder that your core values are not words you choose for your website. They are standards that should help you make decisions about how you operate, what you offer, and what you are willing to stand behind. What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠here⁠. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Audiobook: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Book 2: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠ Book 3: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2⁠ Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s ⁠Website⁠ LuAnn’s ⁠Blog⁠ ⁠Power Talk Friday⁠ Like Us: ⁠Facebook⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠Twitter⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠Instagram⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠Podcast

  8. Aug 18

    1219: CEO Conversations with Kate O'Hara: Stop Defending Your Pricing to Your Clients

    Today with Kate O’Hara: Kate O'Hara is back on A Well-Designed Business, and if you have never heard our past conversations with her, go find them after this one. They are some of the most listened to episodes in this catalog. This time we go straight at the conversation that makes emerging designers freeze. A client asks to see your trade invoices. A client asks what your markup is. And instead of feeling entitled to run your own business, you feel like you have to defend it. Kate spent 20 years at O'Hara Interiors, nearly 10 of them as CEO, before she made the deliberate decision to close a business she built across studios in Minnesota and Texas and start Lake House Group, her advisory practice for founder-led and second-generation companies. She has trained more designers on how to have this exact conversation than almost anyone in the industry. Here is the reframe that changes everything. When a client asks about your markup, they are not asking about money. They are asking if they can trust you. When they ask why something costs so much, they are asking if it is a smart decision. When they ask why you chose a certain vendor, they are asking whose interest you are actually protecting. Once you hear it that way, the defensiveness goes away and curiosity takes its place. Kate walks through exactly how she handles it in a discovery call, why the questions almost always trace back to a client's past experience with a designer, or no experience at all, and why she is willing to walk away from any project, no matter the size, if it does not feel right from the start. From there, the conversation moves into the mechanics you actually need. Flat fee versus hourly, and the different way you protect a meeting from scope creep in each one. Retail pricing versus trade pricing versus sourcing something truly one of a kind, and why what you share with a client shifts across each one. How to present an investment as a range instead of a single number, then narrow it room by room so the client feels informed without feeling gouged. And why breaking a final bill down item by item, even when the total never changes, can quietly talk a client out of loving what you designed for them. Kate is also now co-owner of the Design Influencers Conference alongside Nicole Heymer of Glory and Brand, happening March 1 through 3, 2027 in Atlanta. And if this conversation told you what it told me, that Kate is one of the sharpest minds in this industry, you can book 50 minutes with her directly through the Boardroom for Creatives. More About Kate O’Hara: Kate O'Hara is the founder of Lake House Group, an advisory practice that helps founder-led and second-generation businesses navigate growth, operational blind spots, and transitions. She previously served as the second-generation CEO and Creative Director of O'Hara Interiors before intentionally closing the prominent design firm to focus on advisory work and co-owning the Design Influencers Conference. [1, 2, 3] Connect with Kate O’Hara: O'Hara Interiors Website O'Hara Interiors Instagram Lake House Group Website Design Influencers Conference Website Design Influencers Instagram Fay + Belle Website Fay + Belle Instagram What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: ⁠Boardroom for Creatives⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠here⁠. Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here: Book 1: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Audiobook: ⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠ Book 2: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠ Book 3: ⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2⁠ Connect with LuAnn Nigara: LuAnn’s ⁠Website⁠ LuAnn’s ⁠Blog⁠ ⁠Power Talk Friday⁠ Like Us: ⁠Facebook⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠Twitter⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠Instagram⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠Podcast⁠ Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1030: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Insights and Strategies on Successful Scaling Episode 1042: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: End-of-Year Business Strategies for Designers: Pipeline, Productivity, and Press Episode 1148: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: A Framework for Understanding Luxury Interior Design Clients Episode 1157: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Marketing to the Three Tiers of Luxury Clients and How to Attract Each One Episode 1188: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Scaling Your Design Firm Part 1: The Three Paths Forward Episode 1202: Ceo Conversations with Kate O’Hara:Is Your Next Idea a Revenue Driver or a PR Play? Part 2

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4.9
out of 5
776 Ratings

About

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 industry, and she finds the most successful guests to share their interior design business best practices. This podcast is sponsored by Kravet Inc and Mydoma Studio.

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