When Irvington, New Jersey–based interior designer Beth Diana Smith launched her firm after a career in finance, she tapped into her corporate skillset to satisfy her process-oriented mind while allowing her creative side to thrive and grow.

Beth Diana Smith on leaving the corporate world behind

Business of Home's editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen talks to interior designers about nurturing creativity, finding a firm’s financial footing, setting goals and discovering their own version of success as a result.

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Kai Williamson on why hiring a senior designer first transformed her business, how she landed on a per-square-foot fee structure, and how she realized that doing good work and feeling good about the work aren’t always the same thing.

Why Kai Williamson lets her clients change their mind

Brian Paquette on why aesthetics alone won’t make him say yes to a project, what he learned from downsizing his team, and how a focus on simplicity inspired his approach to billing.

How the pursuit of simplicity defines Brian Paquette’s fee structure

Michael Hilal on why he’s not afraid to hire a team with more experience than himself, why he’s rethinking his approach to media after a whirlwind of early press attention, and the fine line between inspiration and copycats in the design industry.

Want to build your brand authority quickly? How Michael Hilal looked abroad

Georgia Zikas on why her whole team is involved in the hiring process; how she manages offices across two cities, and why she hired a CFO to keep her firm’s goals in sight.

Why Georgia Zikas prizes people over process

Christine Lin on the process of finding projects that are more closely aligned with her firm’s aesthetic, why she would never equate her business with a retail store to defend a product markup, and how she established professional development paths within her firm to help her team grow.

Beth Diana Smith on leaving the corporate world behind

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