The Social Stager

Heather Cook
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Marketing

The Social Stager Podcast helps home stagers and design professionals simplify their marketing, strengthen their brand, and show up online with confidence. Hosted by Heather Cook, this podcast blends real-world experience from over a decade in the staging industry with clear, practical marketing insight. You’ll learn how to prioritize your marketing, create content that positions you as an expert, and build a brand that supports long-term business growth. This podcast is for stagers who want marketing that feels intentional, sustainable, and aligned with the business they are building.

  1. 1d ago

    Your Staging Isn't the Problem. Your Business Is.

    Most home stagers believe their business isn't growing because they need better marketing, more services, or another certification. I don't think that's the problem. In this episode, Heather explores one of the biggest misconceptions in the home staging industry: the belief that becoming a better home stager naturally leads to building a successful staging business. She shares the patterns she's observed after working with home stagers across North America, why so many talented stagers get stuck competing on price, and the mindset shift that changes everything. If you've ever wondered why your business isn't growing the way you hoped, this episode is for you. In this episode: • Why becoming a better home stager doesn't automatically build a better staging business • The biggest misconception keeping talented stagers stuck in the early years of business • Why marketing isn't usually the real problem, and what your coaching conversations should actually focus on instead • How adding more services can dilute your positioning and make your business harder to grow • Why the strongest staging businesses become known for one thing before they expand • The business question every home stager should answer before investing more time, money, or energy into marketing • The difference between learning how to stage and learning how to build a sustainable six-figure business • Why your brand is the foundation of your business, and how every decision you make should reinforce what you want to become known for Resources mentioned: • The Booked Out Stager Blueprint (Free) Connect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagers Website: www.socialsavvystagers.com

    20 min

  2. Jun 16

    What Your Staging Certifications Didn't Teach You

    Your staging certification taught you how to stage. What it didn't teach you is how to build a business that stands out, attracts the right clients, and grows past a certain ceiling. In this episode Heather breaks down the three gaps the staging industry consistently leaves open and why closing them is the difference between a staging business that struggles and one that becomes the obvious choice in its market. In this episode: Why finishing your certification program is just the beginning and not the whole roadmapWhy so many stagers build their brand before doing the identity work that should inform every decisionThe three gaps keeping stagers stuck: identity and positioning, a real marketing system, and authority and thought leadershipWhy posting consistently without a strategy produces activity but not leadsThe difference between being visible and being known as the authority in your marketWhy your value isn't in the spaces you produce, it's in the knowledge and expertise you bring to every projectHow the Six-Figure Stager Mastermind was built to close these gaps in the right order Resources mentioned: The Booked Out Stager Blueprint (free three-video training)Six-Figure Stager Mastermind waitlist Connect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagers Website: socialsavvystagers.com

    29 min

  3. Jun 2

    ChatGPT is Recommending Stagers to Clients. Is it Recommending You?

    AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are changing how people find and hire home stagers — and most of the content stagers create to market themselves is completely invisible to these tools. In this episode, Heather breaks down what AI actually looks at when it decides whether your business is worth recommending, and what you can do right now to show up in those results. In this episode: Why a beautiful Instagram feed does nothing for your visibility on AI tools — and what doesThe five things AI uses to evaluate whether your business is credible enough to recommendWhy your Google Business Profile is the single highest-impact place to startWhat "brand consistency" actually means across platforms and why inconsistency costs youHow to use written content to get in front of clients who are skipping Google entirelyWhy Google reviews are one of the most powerful AI visibility signals — and how to start getting more of themThe priority order for tackling this without doing everything at once Resources mentioned: Website design for home stagers: https://socialsavvystagers.com/website-designJoin the Stagers Circle: https://thesocialstager.myflodesk.com/stagerscircle Connect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagerWebsite: socialsavvystagers.com

    31 min

  4. May 19

    Why Pinterest is an Effective Marketing Platform for Stagers

    Most home stagers are pouring time into Instagram, only to wonder why their website traffic is flat and their inquiries are inconsistent. The problem might not be your content. It might be the platform. In this episode, I sit down with Pinterest marketing strategist Annie Russell of Annie Russell Media to talk about why Pinterest is one of the most underused and misunderstood marketing tools for home stagers, and what it actually takes to use it in a way that builds real, compounding visibility for your business. In This Episode:The mindset shift that changes everything: why Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform, and why that distinction matters for how stagers get foundThe number one Pinterest mistake that is costing stagers leads and traffic, even when they are already posting consistentlyWhy auto-publishing your Instagram content to Pinterest is not a strategy, and what to do insteadThe seasonality trap: why posting fall staging content in September means you have already missed your window, and how to plan ahead using a free Pinterest toolWhether Pinterest can work for stagers who do not have a blog, and the honest answer about what you actually need to make it worth your timeHow one food blogger’s Pinterest traffic outperformed her Instagram by 26 times, and what that means for visual service businesses like home stagingExactly where to start if you are setting up or refreshing your Pinterest account today, including the two places keywords matter mostResources MentionedFrom Annie: 200 Pinterest keywords for home stagers — grab the list hereVisibility to Growth Checklist — annierussellmedia.com/visibilityLeads on Repeat — Launching in June for business owners who want a sustainable strategy for getting consistent leads with paid ads. Learn more here. Club members have access to a $500 discount. Join the Club today to get access to your discount. Affiliate disclosure: I am an affiliate for Leads on Repeat, which means I earn a small commission if you join through my link that I give Club members. I only ever share things I genuinely stand behind. Connect With UsThe Social Stager: Instagram: @socialsavvystagerInstagram (Club): @thesocialstagerclubWebsite: socialsavvystagers.comJoin The Social Stager Club: socialsavvystagers.com Annie Russell: Instagram: @annierussellmediaWebsite: annierussellmedia.com

    57 min

  5. May 5

    Rethinking What a Staging Business Can Look Like with Catherine Lewis-Brown

    Only 18% of sellers actually hire a stager — which means most stagers are fighting for the same small slice of the market. In this episode, Heather sits down with stager and coach Catherine Lewis-Brown to talk about why that doesn't have to be the reality, and what it looks like to build a staging business that serves more clients, charges what it's worth, and isn't limited to physical staging alone. In this episode: Why stagers keep competing on price (and what's actually driving it)The difference between marketing staging and marketing your specific valueHow packaging your services can eliminate negotiation entirelyWhy the consultation is one of the most underpriced offers in the industryThe gaps your competition is leaving open — and how to step into them Resources mentioned: Home Stager Business Strategies Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themodernstagerCatherine's website: https://themodernstager.comThe Social Stager Club: https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club Connect with us: Catherine Lewis-Brown: @catherinelewisbrownHeather Cook: @thesocialstager

    49 min

  6. Apr 14

    Why Your Marketing Isn't Working

    Why Your Marketing Isn't Working If you've been showing up consistently on social media, posting your work, and still not getting the leads and inquiries you want, this episode is for you. Heather Cook breaks down why the advice most stagers have been given was never designed to get them results, and what it actually takes to build a marketing strategy that gets you leads, not just likes. In this episode: Why posting for likes and posting for leads are two completely different things — and why that distinction matters for your businessThe difference between a posting habit and a sales strategy, and why one grows your business and one doesn'tHow to turn your before and after content into conversion content that showcases your expertise and gives clients a real reason to hire youThe Connect + Convert Method — the four types of content every stager needs and the specific job each one doesWhy a strong brand foundation makes your content more impactful, more reflective of your brand, and better at attracting the right clientsHow Heather built a multiple six-figure staging business by marketing her thinking, not just her results Resources mentioned: Join The Social Stager ClubThe Standout Stager: Launching in April inside the ClubEpisode: The Four Types of Content Every Stager Needs:Episode: The Real Reason You Keep Losing to Cheaper StagersEpisode: From Stager to Staging AuthorityConnect with Heather: Instagram: @socialsavvystagerWebsite: socialsavvystagers.com

    28 min

  7. Mar 31

    From Stager to Staging Authority

    Most stagers believe authority is built through their portfolios, certifications, and years in business. It's not. In this episode, Heather Cook breaks down what brand authority actually is — and what it actually takes to go from being just another stager to being the obvious, go-to choice in your market. She covers the three building blocks of brand authority, why mindset is the piece most stagers skip, and what the shift from vendor to strategic partner looks like in practice. LINKS MENTIONEDThe Social Stager Club — The Standout Stager brand clarity course drops inside the Club in April. Six lessons built around helping you build your identity foundation, see your own value, and start showing up as the authority you already are.Brand Development Services — For stagers ready for deeper one-to-one work building their brand authority from the foundation up.The Real Reason You Keep Losing to Cheaper Stagers — The companion episode referenced in this conversation. If this episode resonated, start there.RESACON — Heather mentions an upcoming session on this topic at RESACON that is worth signing up for.

    18 min

  8. Mar 17

    From Stager to Lifestyle Designer

    She came to me wanting to build a stronger staging brand. Halfway through the process, she stopped everything — and built something entirely different. In this episode, I'm sitting down with Danielle Pivirotto, founder of House of Wabi, to talk about her shift from home stager to lifestyle designer and the role branding played in making that transition possible. This isn't just a story about changing directions. It's about what happens when you finally stop forcing your business into a box that was never the right fit. If you've ever had an idea sitting in the back of your mind that you haven't given yourself permission to pursue yet, this conversation is for you. In this episode: Why Danielle fell into staging — and why it never fully felt like hersThe moment during the branding process when everything shiftedHow answering the hard questions revealed what she actually wanted to buildWhy House of Wabi had been living in her notes app for years before it became a businessWhat clarity around your brand makes possible — beyond just better marketingWhy your brand is a living thing and what that means for how you grow Resources mentioned: Brand Development: https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-development Book a Brand Audit: https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-clarity-audit Connect with Danielle: Instagram: @thehouseofwabi Website: thehouseofwabi.com Connect with me: Heather Cook: @socialsavvystager

    33 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Social Stager Podcast helps home stagers and design professionals simplify their marketing, strengthen their brand, and show up online with confidence. Hosted by Heather Cook, this podcast blends real-world experience from over a decade in the staging industry with clear, practical marketing insight. You’ll learn how to prioritize your marketing, create content that positions you as an expert, and build a brand that supports long-term business growth. This podcast is for stagers who want marketing that feels intentional, sustainable, and aligned with the business they are building.

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Cook
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    13
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Heather Cook
  • Show Website
    The Social Stager

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