Optics matter. Client's trusting you know how to manage money--matters. Understanding there is no free lunch--matters.

Here is the drum roll take away.

It takes money to make money. Ta da!

Professional designers understand that it costs money to travel to market to learn about the products they specify ( and usually sell for a profit) -- or how important it is to pay for a good attorney in your state to develop a contract to suit your needs--or to get a CPA help to know when to become an S corp. -- Yes Virgina! it costs money to do these things.

Who sold people the fairy tale this is a cheap business to get into?

It is not. There are money and time costs.

If it were a cake walk, everyone would do it. And by the grace of all intelligent creatures--- anyone who balks at pay to play, orders 9.99 contracts off Etsy, crowd sources tax advice---- and then has the huevos to complain about clients shopping them or not wanting to pay their 200 buck an hour fees??? Are ya kidding me with this?

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

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I am PASSIONATE--and if you have gotten my weekly newsletter the past two weeks then you would know all those years ago in college my young professor's advice stuck. So we are re-releasing one of our most popular episodes and trying to reignite the flame in those that may feel it dwindling!

Are you giving clients the yearning for more? Showing passion is one of the most important things you can do as a business to demonstrate to your clients what it is that you are bringing to the table.

Passion for my work is why I get up in the morning and being excited about what the day holds---and have an eagerness to jump into it. It’s not always roses and mai tais but still--I am passionate about what we do so it keeps me going.

Do not be afraid to be excited about what is happening in your business. Clients feel this energy and will gravitate to you if you embrace it authentically.

We discuss the need to bring your A-game every day because you want to cultivate that enthusiasm and excitement for your clients as you begin their project.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

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• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

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• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

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Happy New Year! What better way to start off the year than with my top 5 marketing strategies for small business owners grow their businesses.

Marketing is a mindset and not just an activity, and it takes time and effort to see results. This is not simply a standalone entity, it is ingrained in the essence of any business. Every interaction, from the moment a potential lead first encounters your brand, contributes to your marketing efforts.

To build a brand that resonates and connects, you need to define who you are and who you aim to reach intentionally and this mindset should permeate all aspects of your business.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

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• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

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The process of procurement in a busy design firm is NO joke. You are not running popsicle stand, you are running a firm with various moving parts and you have to be able to have a way to track what is coming and going through your business. This is where checks and balances come into play to avoid costly mistakes and keep the firm running smoothly.

We know discussing purchase orders can be a little bit boring but by practicing a proper purchasing process and using purchase orders can make or break your interior design business.

Why?

Because a purchase order ensures accuracy in tracking and forecasting, as well as plays a key role in auditing and cross-checking bills and expenses. We want to be able to have clear communication with vendors and this ensures that all the necessary details of a transaction with a vendor are documented, thus making it easier to communicate and avoid misunderstandings.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm

Cheryl is going solo this week while Liz takes a well-deserved little vacation. Cheryl is discussing managing client expectations and making sure you are not keeping them in the dark--you need them to trust the process! There is a level of professionalism that comes with the importance of managing clients' expectations during their project.

Setting clear expectations with clients from the beginning, communicating clearly, defining project timelines, and always guiding the client through the process will manage the client's needs and manage the potential risks in the project. By creating a plan and forecasting future steps in advance this also helps to avoid surprises and disappointments and a key aspect of running a successful interior design firm.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm

How can you be team player without giving up your own rights? Working with contractors can be a tricky relationship when they want you to stay in your lane--BUT it doesn't have to be. Creating a team approach with positioning in your marketing, the copy that you use, the verbiage that you talk about, and how you talk about it with other people, all of that is so important. We discuss how important positioning to the client about it being win-win-win and how to sell this to the client and they actually need both components of this is because we do different things and we focused on different things.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm

Who doesn't love an install day!? Sure, it can be hectic and exhausting but this is where you get to see the fruit of your labor come together. Cheryl went solo this week talking about In Detail's top tips for a successful install day!

Having a team in place for installation that understands the logistics and are able to convey it to your movers AND your client is one of the keys to success. A strong install day is the icing on the cake for clients, so it's important to plan ahead and communicate clearly with your team and the movers.

Did we miss any top tips? Share one of your faves and we will feature it in our newsletter!

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm

How important is project management in interior design?

Bottom line: Very.

Because it saves your client money in the long run! This starts with having a clear and cogent scope of work to be able to refer back to when issues arise within the project. Project management, how it is handled and why you do it can make or break a project. This means being able to handle a client's question without running for the hills and not only reminding them but also affirming their decision in why they hired you. This will allow you to ensure a smooth and successful project with a client that trusts you and understands the value of project management.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm

Have you ever stopped to think where your time is spent vs your energy output? The truth is we could be sabotaging ourselves and our capacity to work if we are not managing our energy.

We all have relentless demands and unexpected challenges we deal with on the daily and we all tend to slip into negative emotions—the fight-or-flight mode—often multiple times in a day.

We must take little and simple steps to recharge to recognize the costs of energy-depleting behavior and actions and then take responsibility for changing them, regardless of the circumstances or excuses. Our energy is what propels us forward to utilize time in the best possible manner.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm

This week was a bit of a whirlwind coming home from High Point! We had the pleasure of having Jude Charles as a guest and we got to meet in person while we were attending Market.

Jude Charles is a filmmaker and for over 18 years and has been producing documentaries for entrepreneurs. He has produced stories for Google, Steve Harvey, LuAnn Nigara, Rick Campos, and dozens of visionary CEOs. He is also the author of Dramatic Demonstration. This book is a roadmap that teaches you how to dig deep to find compelling stories that no one else knows, and then leverage those stories to grow your business. Jude’s mission is to lead and empower entrepreneurs to have relentless, unwavering courage.

We had a great discussion with Jude about the power of storytelling and pulling back the veil of your brand identity and how this can help designers connect with their audience in a more authentic way. We also discussed the importance of being vulnerable and showing the real person behind the brand.

Chery and Liz emphasizes the importance of showing behind the scenes and the unique process and challenges that each designer brings. We also discuss and emphasize the importance of building relationships with clients, rather than viewing them as simply a source of income while sharing practical ways designers can identify and showcase their core values to attract aligned clients and opportunities.

To get your free resource from Jude - click here

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room.  It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm - One on One Business Strategy Program

The Design Paradigm