Today we welcome Dalia Soles, founder of Design Assisted, a project management agency and strategic partner for interior design businesses. In this episode, Dalia shares her journey from graphic design to interior design and ultimately her transition from designer to industry partner. We dive deep into the complexities of the business of design, and Dalia shares the moment she realized she could be of better service to design business owners, which prompted the development and launch of Design Assisted. Dalia is a champion of community over competition, and she is dedicated to supporting and empowering design business owners through personalized and meaningful partnership.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• Dalia shares how her creative background in graphic design became a gateway into the interior design industry.
• She reflects on her early experience working in a wallpaper library and how it introduced her to textiles, wallpaper, and the trade side of design.
• Dalia discusses her time working at Celerie Kemble's Palm Beach studio and how that experience deepened her respect for the design profession.
• She opens up about realizing that while she loved the design industry, the problems she wanted to solve were rooted in process, organization, and business support.
• Dalia explains how the pandemic unexpectedly pushed her to bet on herself and launch Design Assisted.
• She describes how Design Assisted helps overwhelmed designers with healthy pipelines scale their businesses without burnout.
• Rick and Dalia discuss the importance of outsourcing revenue-generating tasks, delegating strategically, and building a support system.
• Dalia shares why community has been essential to her survival in business and how trusted relationships have shaped her next chapter.

NOTABLE QUOTES

• "I had no choice but to bet on myself."
• "The kind of clients that come on usually are people who are stressed out, inundated. They have a really healthy pipeline. They just need some relief."
• "Our mission now is to help interior designers scale their business without burnout at the end of the day."
• "The secret's out because it's community."

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

• Design Assisted Website: https://www.designassistedco.com/
• Design Assisted Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designassisted/

SPONSOR LINKS

• Design Manager: https://designspec.com/survivalguide
• Interior Design Society: https://interiordesignsociety.org/