Ever feel like you’re not being truly heard by your clients? You’re not alone—communication can be tricky, especially when dealing with different personalities.

In today’s episode, we’re talking D with Sierra Collins! A long-time BOD™ Partner, Sierra has worked with all our Boss Groups and countless members to master the art of effective communication. Kimberley first met Sierra years ago during her own DISC assessment, and the lessons still resonate today.

Sierra breaks down how understanding DISC can transform your client interactions, including:

- Why we’re all a mix of DISC—and why that’s a good thing

- How to hire for a balanced mix of communication skills

- Why having systems and solid contracts can give you the D courage you need

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business. Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

Ever worried that you’re charging too much? Of course you have. You’re an interior design professional! But no more says Kristen Apicerno. Kristen, a Kimberley Seldon disciple, initially struggled with charging appropriate fees for her services. She felt that charging a project management fee was "double dipping" and peers and other professionals agreed. This erroneous attitude severely limited her earning potential, that is, until she joined BOD™. Once she implemented the systems, she realized she was undercharging and tackling the most challenging parts of the project for free.  Hear her story of meteoric success. 

In this episode we learn:

- always take the approach that designer and client are equals, and emphasize that with language

- during every step, tell clients what's going to happen before it happens

- ask purposeful open-ended questions and let the client do most of the talking

- use post-project opportunities to gain repeats and referrals

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business. Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

We're going to talk to about the things you need to do today, if you want to sell your design firm successfully. Today's guest, Brad Farris, is going to share with us the key factors that impact your sale, how to get yourself out of the service delivery, the role growth plans in your future sale, and so much more. It's time to start thinking about your succession plan.

In this episode we learn:

• if you are essential to running the business, you can't sell it

• build a team, then go on vacation…it's practice

• long-term contracts or clients that come back to you repeatedly are more valuable

• build your business in a niche that's not "one-and-done" projects

• building relationships with likely buyers before they need your services

• if you are planning to sell your business, learn the math of how businesses are valued

• your most likely buyer is a competitor or someone who sells a different service to the same buyer

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business. Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

Are you tired of pouring energy into content creation, only to be ignored by social media algorithms? YES. Does it feel like solely relying on social media to market your business might be a mistake? YES. Then consider a low-social strategy that captures the attention of your ideal clients. 

In this episode we learn:

- why website conversion matters to business and how to improve it

- ways to bring more visitors to your website

- how to turn your portfolio into a powerful lead magnet

- 4 templated emails to generate leads

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business.

Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

Building strong connections opens up new opportunities and drives business growth. The Interior Design Community embodies this idea. Today’s guest, Laurie Laizure shares her experience in supporting the interior design field by connecting designers and nurturing those relationships.

In this episode we learn:

- focus on video marketing, targeted toward your ideal client

- reconsider self-naming your business, as it might impede a future sale

- there are enough clients in the 1% for every designer to have 7 jobs annually

- use your platform to address potential clients' concerns upfront

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business.

Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

When was the last time you took a risk? In this episode, we'll hear how one designer did just that when she took on a large project just outside her comfort zone. Then, we’ll hear from her PR firm who’ll share how they leveraged the new project to gain recognition for their clients.

In this episode we learn:

- leverage your expertise to bring fresh insight to new project types

- embrace market changes rapidly

- outsource anything that’s not in your zone of expertise

- plan for lighting early

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business.

Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

What if life-work balance isn’t a tightrope, but rather it’s a scenic drive in your dream car? Systems are the road maps that keep you on course. Delegation is your pit crew making sure the wheels stay on. Slowing down is how you take it all in and enjoy your own success. When you implement smart systems you’ll learn that success is not about perfection—it’s about enjoying the journey.

In this episode we learn:

- map your success route with systems

- create a weekly schedule that prioritizes essential tasks for work and life

- delegate to your team by allowing them to follow your systems

- block time on your calendar for non-negotiables like family, rest, and self-care

- complete a task audit monthly and look for ways to eliminate busy work or outdated habits that don’t align with your current priorities.

- regularly review your systems and goals

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business.

Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

My magic is helping design leaders transform their teams and businesses by embracing an 'improv mindset.' I’m passionate about showing how practices of adaptability, bold humility, and "Yes, and..." can unlock possibility and creative partnership in every team. Through my Connective Influence Model, I share skills like creating "brave spaces" and "listening to learn", as a way to build trust, spark cohesion, and create thriving, people-first cultures.

In this episode we learn:

- the power of holding brave space to create psychological safety

- how to foster curiosity by listening to learn

- self-awareness allows you to be in the moment and present

- the power of bold humility

- why it’s a good idea to know and challenge your patterns

- how to use ‘yes, and…’ to build on others’ ideas instead of dismissing them

Business of Design® is your blueprint for running streamline projects and building a highly profitable interior design business.

Get your business blueprint at

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

We all understand the value of tracking overall profitability, but sophisticated business owners will also want to track profitability by project. Why? Individual projects may vary greatly when it comes to the amount of revenue and profit they generate. Understanding project profitability allows you to focus marketing efforts and tweak offerings to increase overall financial health.

In this episode we learn:

- tracking project profitability allows you to be smarter in terms of marketing

- analyze which types of projects bring you the greatest profit margin

- don’t be afraid of your P&L

- hire a bookkeeper who will differentiate by project

- even when you hire an accounting team, you’ll need to stay involved

Success is not an accident. It's a strategy.

Business of Design® is that strategy. Join today.

https://businessofdesign.com/membership

Key to success for many interior design professionals is hiring someone who excels in areas where they struggle. Amanda Giles shares her experience of hiring a Director of Operations after many unsuccessful attempts to hire an administrator. This detail oriented, office over-seer can significantly improve the quality of work and overall efficiency and allow you to do more work and better work. What’s not to love?

In this episode we learn:

- be honest with yourself about your strengths and weaknesses; nobody is good or bad at everything

- structure your business by radically simplifying for your skills or hiring those with complementary strengths

- work on understanding all the parts of the business, but empower and trust your team to take authority in their area

- teach clients and vendors to trust your team, and back them up 100%