Six Figure Designer

Pam Durkin
  • 5.0 (4)
  • Design
  • Updated Biweekly

Struggling to find great clients and design projects? Not making enough money and struggling to manage the projects you have? This is the show for YOU!

  1. 6d ago

    Ep 173: Are Smaller Projects Just Keeping You SMALL?

    If your small interior design projects are supposed to lead to bigger work, the question is simple: are they actually doing it? A lot of interior designers keep smaller services on the menu because they seem like an easier yes. A paint consultation, a decorating-only service, or a one-room package can feel like a smart way to get a client in the door, build trust, and eventually move into a larger project. But here’s the rub: if that next step is not actually happening, you may not have a strategy. You may just have more small projects . In this episode, you’ll learn: How to look at the actual data and see how many small interior design projects have really turned into larger jobs.Why a smaller service needs a clear purpose instead of simply sitting on your website and hoping someone finds it.The question I want you to ask yourselfWhy smaller projects can take nearly the same communication, scheduling, attention, and mental bandwidth as larger ones.How to tell whether your small offer is a real stepping stone to bigger work or simply a safer-feeling way to avoid selling the larger project.Why your time, marketing, and attention should support the kind of work you actually want more of. I’m not telling you to eliminate every smaller service. I like having one available when business is slow, you need a fill-in, or the right client needs a smaller starting point. But you need to know what that service is there to do. Related Resources Flexibility in Service Offerings Designers: https://pamela-durkin.com/marketing-by-design/flexibility-in-service-offerings-designers/ 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  2. Aug 31

    Ep 172: Do you really need more clients? [Try this first]

    FREE WORKSHOP 9/30: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop If you want better clients for your interior design business, taking every project that lands in front of you may be the very thing keeping you stuck. In this episode, I’m challenging the automatic “I need more clients” response and asking you to look at whether you actually need more work, or better opportunities. This is for interior designers who are busy, tired, and still wondering why the calendar isn’t translating into enough profit. When opportunities feel rare, it’s easy to talk yourself into projects that are too small, poorly matched, underpriced, or loaded with red flags. But when you have a steady rhythm of inquiries, you get something most designers don’t think enough about: choice. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why “more clients” can simply create more of the same problems • How to tell whether small projects are actually leading to larger, better-fit work • Why inconsistent inquiries make you more likely to chase, discount, or ignore warning signs • How a steadier flow of opportunities can change the way you price and evaluate projects • Why project fit, profitability, and creative satisfaction matter more than filling every open spot • The question to ask before saying yes just because an opportunity is in front of you Related Resources If this episode hit a nerve, these two resources will help you keep thinking about fit instead of sheer volume. More Referrals Aren’t the Answer If They’re Not a Good Fit: https://pamela-durkin.com/marketing-by-design/more-referrals-arent-the-answer-if-theyre-not-a-good-fit/ Ep 109: How to sign more GREEN FLAG clients!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwzSlOYYJ4Y 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  3. Aug 24

    Ep 171: A Client Brought AI Images to the Interview. Now What?

    A potential client walks into your consultation with AI-generated images of exactly what they think they want. Do you get defensive? Feel like you need to prove your value? Start explaining all the reasons AI can’t replace a designer? In this episode, I’m talking about why that reaction is probably getting in your way, and why the bigger issue has nothing to do with AI and everything to do with how well you qualify your clients. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  4. Aug 17

    Ep 170: Does Your Interior Design Business Have Hot Potato Syndrome?

    Have you ever noticed how quickly you start backpedaling when a conversation gets even slightly uncomfortable? In this episode, I’m talking about “hot potato syndrome” ,that reflex to soften the ask, explain the fee, loosen the boundary, or offer another option before anyone has actually said there’s a problem. Sometimes the rejection hasn’t even happened; you’ve simply sensed the possibility of it and started reacting. We’ll look at how this shows up around money, boundaries, referral relationships, and asking for what you really want. Because growing into the business you want isn’t just about better strategy. It’s also about becoming the designer who can state the fee, hold the boundary, make the ask, and stay there long enough to let the other person respond. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  5. Aug 10

    Ep 169: 4 Business Lessons I Learned From a Puppy

    Apparently, all I needed to sharpen a few business lessons was a puppy who had never seen grass, hated his harness, and needed to be taken outside approximately 700 times a day. In this episode, I’m sharing four surprisingly useful reminders our new puppy gave me about business. If you’ve been feeling buried under everything you still need to fix, learn, or figure out, this is your reminder that growth rarely happens all at once. Sometimes the smartest move is to stop looking ten steps ahead. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  6. Aug 4

    Ep 168: The Best Project I Never Took

    On paper, it looked like the perfect project. An 8,000-square-foot home, a major renovation and all new furnishings. Exactly the kind of opportunity most interior designers dream about. But I walked away.   In this episode, I'm sharing the story behind one of the most important business decisions I ever made and why saying "no" had nothing to do with the budget and everything to do with protecting my process.   If you've ever been tempted to bend your pricing, skip steps, or change the way you work because you're afraid to lose the project, this conversation is for you.   You'll learn why the projects you decline can shape your reputation just as much as the ones you accept, and why becoming a sought-after designer starts with trusting the way you do your best work. In this episode, we discuss:Why not every dream project is the right projectThe red flags I recognized before saying yesWhy your process is one of your greatest business assetsThe mistake so many designers make when they're afraid to lose an opportunityHow protecting your process builds trust, confidence, and a stronger reputationThe mindset shift that helped me stop chasing projects and start choosing them intentionally  9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  7. Jul 27

    Ep 167: Why Inspiration Isn’t Enough: The Business Conversations Designers Need

    In this episode, I’m joined by Jen Atkinson, founder of NEDCON, to talk about why designers need more than inspiration to build strong, sustainable businesses. We discuss the conversations our industry often avoids: money, profitability, sales, leadership, and implementation, and why Jen created a more intimate conference experience centered on practical education and honest business growth. I’m also sharing why I said yes to speaking at NEDCON and what I hope designers take away from my session, Money Lessons I Wish I Knew Sooner. To get all the info and tickets to NEDCON, visit www.nedconference.com 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

  8. Jul 20

    Ep 166: Is Your Website Sending the Right Signals to Luxury Clients?

    Your website may be beautiful, but is it actually making affluent clients feel confident enough to take the next step? In this episode, I’m joined by Robyn White of RDW Design Studio to talk about what luxury clients are really looking for when they land on an interior designer’s website and why trust, clarity and a sense of safety matter more than words like luxury, bespoke or elevated.   We also discuss how to position your portfolio for the work you want next, create a dedicated page for referral partners, and make your inquiry page feel like the beginning of a personalized client experience, not just another contact form. This episode will help you look at your website with fresh eyes and identify the signals that may be building confidence or quietly creating doubt. Robyn is offering to provide those interested with a free Luxury Client Website Appraisal! You can sign up here: https://rdwdesignstudio.com/luxury-client-website-appraisal/ 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

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5
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About

Struggling to find great clients and design projects? Not making enough money and struggling to manage the projects you have? This is the show for YOU!

Information

  • Creator
    Pam Durkin
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    174
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Pamela Durkin Designs, LLC All Rights Reserved.
  • Show Website
    Six Figure Designer

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