Are we CRAZY?! 😅

Short answer: maybe.
Long answer: moving provinces, buying a house under pressure, on a tight timeline, in a totally new place was not exactly the master plan… yet, here we are. And we've been slowly making the best of it!

In this episode, I spill the whole story:

👉 how my husband and I moved to Ontario
👉 the house purchase that came with plenty of anxiety attacks, second-guessing, and a few oh no moments
👉 meeting the absolute coolest neighbours (a nice perk!)
👉 uncovering a laundry list of home issues we somehow missed - including some serious Realtor & home inspector oversights
👉 and the plot twist: we’re now becoming clients ourselves as we jump into a renovation we never planned on (slightly freaking out, obviously)

The irony? We intentionally spent more to buy a home that was “already renovated” so we wouldn’t have to do much.
Spoiler alert: we bought the house… and a multi-phase reno. 🙃

So if you’re listening and you’ve survived a home renovation -please do me a favour: drop a comment or send me a message and tell me how it actually went. I need your wisdom.

Stick around, because I’m taking you along for the ride with me.
🛠️ February 9th the hammers start swinging, and ✈️ we hop on a plane to get out of our contractor’s way. Wish us luck - we’re going to likely need some! 😬🍀

DESIGNLIFEINC.

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

Hey, Happy New Year!

I've been a little MIA on here for a while... and let me share why quickly in this episode before I jump right into a few of the things I have planned for 2026... AND then let's get right into the nitty gritty of 3 private coaching calls I recently had with interior designers just like you.

In this episode I talk in more detail about 3 coaching calls I had with designers from both Canada and the United States - we dig deep to the heart of some very common issues & setbacks many designers are facing right now in their own businesses, and the solutions we were able to identify together ASAP.

With actionable, bite-sized steps to work towards, each designer left feeling empowered to make the changes they knew they needed to make, and step into a more confident and inspired role as the leader of their business.

Coaching might seem like some far-off 'thing' that's only for established designers or designers who are already making big the big bucks... but let me tell you this: coaching within the first 1-5 years of your design business is monumental in helping you move the needle in big ways, faster! And it doesn't need to break the bank either.

Wherever you're listening from, I know there's going to be a little nugget in today's episode for you... something you needed to hear to help you shift gears and implement new strategy or tactics in your own biz.

I work 1:1 with new and seasoned designers each month - if you've been thinking of having someone sit down and walk you through (and finally solve!) some of the struggles you're facing in your own business... let this be your sign to book a session with me, today!

Episode Mention: "Furnishings & Procurement for Interior Designers" - Workshop Recording link HERE

DESIGNLIFEINC.

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

Ok so here's the deal... there's a little secret I'm going to share with you: I will wager a guess that over 85% of interior designers out there right now - EVEN the ones that have been in business for several years - have zero clue what it takes to:

• actually pay their living & lifestyle expenses
• actually pay their overhead and keep their lights on
• actually build a profit into their fees

They're randomly guessing at what to charge their clients per hour.

And how do I know this?? Because THIS WAS ME!! This was me for well over 5-7 years in my own business... I was terrified of my numbers and actively avoided figuring out what my run-rate was and what I needed to be charging in order to make my whole life work.

And the whole time I was guessing, I actually thought I was BROKE.... But here's the kicker: once I sat down with some help and finally figured out my numbers, my whole world changed. And I started making some serious money.

This episode is dedicated to the Minimum Hourly Rate - what it is, why you need to know yours (even if you charge flat fee or PSF methods), and HOW we're going to figure out yours together!

GET THE MINI COURSE FOR LESS: as a special thank you for listening to me ramble on about the business of design here every week, I want to offer you 15% OFF the price of the course. Use the code: POD26 at checkout and claim your offer!

Purchase pricing course: HERE

DESIGNLIFEINC.

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

This episode is a little different than all the other episodes I've launched so far... but f*ck it - I feel this message couldn't come at a better time for us interior designers...

I've talked to so many designers in the past two months and so many are feeling somewhat defeated and down-right depressed by the slowdown of our industry in Q1, 2025.

Not to take this lightly - I'm weathering the cooling-of-the-market-storm right there with you - but I wanted to share this little pep talk about the importance of believing in yourself and how seeking external validation from friends and family - ESPECIALLY right now - might be extremely detrimental to your business and mental health.

Grab a coffee, accept the virtual hug & high-five I'm sending your way, and let's chat for a sec about the dangers of external validation and the freedom that comes with knowing who you are, where you're going, and who's going to be there to cheer you along the way (news flash... it's not who you think!)

DESIGNLIFEINC.

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

If you could ask a rock-star interior designer ANYTHING about the secrets behind running a highly successful design business... you'd do it, right!!??

You're in luck! My guest today has over 20+ years of experience under her belt, and is no stranger to the Canadian design scene... Laura Thornton of Thornton Design just north of Toronto sits down to discuss the ups and downs of running an interior design firm, and all of the juicy tidbits and strategies she's established throughout her lengthy career.

We dive deep into the weeds of how she originally left another company to start her own, the mistakes many designers make early on, how she grew her firm with repeat clients and trusted processes, the importance of tracking hours and charging a profitable design fee, her profit academy for interior designers, and so much more!

Grab a coffee and get ready to learn all about running a successful design business with us!

ABOUT LAURA:

FIND Laura online at ⁠⁠⁠www.thorntondesign.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW Laura on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@thebusinessofbeautifulspaces

LISTEN to the podcast HERE!

TAKE Laura's pricing course: theprofitacademyforinteriordesigners

DESIGNLIFEINC.:

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

I meet the most AMAZING people through social media (don't we all!!)... some of the most inspiring and tenacious designers who've jumped right into launching their interior design businesses - the personal journey stories I learn about my followers are so incredible!

In this episode, I chat with Laura Fendley of Laura Fendley Design - her story begins in small-town Ontario, establishing an early career as TEACHER first, and then eventually following her passion and leaving the profession to pursue her own interior design business.

We chat about pushing through the fear of leaving a steady 9-5, how she forged ahead and established imperative industry connections and relationships, and how being a life-long learner has fast-tracked her whole design career.

Laura took my Price Like A Pro: Insider's Guide To Calculating Fees & The Per Square Foot Method online course... and she talks about the absolute transformation she experienced in her business after learning all my own pricing secrets and how I present amazing design proposals to clients!

FIND OUT MORE about my top-selling pricing course for interior designers HERE!

Grab a coffee and settle in to learn more about Laura's incredible journey... you're going to love her !

ABOUT LAURA:

FIND Laura online at ⁠⁠www.laurafendleydesign.com

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW Laura on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@laurafendleydesign

DESIGNLIFEINC.:

FOLLOW on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@designlifeinc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

JOIN the private interior designer community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

Hey listeners!! I'm back... thanks for hanging out while we were away in February, I'm so excited to release the next batch of interviews in the coming weeks!

This short episode is all about the "NO CLIENT" hack that literally changed my business and how I run my life...

So, I don't book clients on Monday's or Friday's.

Yup. You read that correctly.

In order to reduce the amount of anxiety and stress during my weeks, I decided several years back that I needed 2 days to be able to focus on admin, connect with my trades, be available for my design team, or be able to go get groceries or get my freakin' hair done if I needed to squeeze it in!

Which resulted in "No Client Monday's & Friday's"...

And it's changed my life. This hack just might be the permission you've been needing to implement some no-client days in your own business processes... have a listen!

DESIGNLIFEINC.

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

My guest today is a bad ass visionary, successful digital creator, and fellow interior designer! But don't let her soft-spoken nature fool you... she single-handedly took on one of social media's biggest platforms and created a huge knowledge-based community for interior designers, design students, & architects all on her own!

With over 35k followers and 1.5M+ views on YouTube, Andrea Trujeque - or Andrea Tru as she's more commonly known to her loyal design fans - sits down with me in this episode to share her journey from newly graduated interior designer to inspiring digital content creator!

Originally from Mexico and now living in Vancouver, Canada, Andrea has helped thousands of designers through her videos and ever-growing Instagram page to level up their careers and gain the skills and confidence required to pursue careers interior design and architecture fields.

The launch of her highly successful online SketchUp course has helped transform design aficionados and interior designers all over the world from complete beginner to pro level, giving students the tools and expertise to create their own stunning, 3D design projects.

Grab a coffee and settle in for a listen... you'll be inspired by Andrea's love for design and passion for teaching others!

SPECIAL OFFER: listeners of this episode can sign up for Andrea's SketchUp course and receive 30% OFF the regular price by using the affiliate link below!

*Click HERE for access to the course*

ABOUT ANDREA:

FIND Andrea online at ⁠www.truconcept.ca

⁠⁠⁠FOLLOW Andrea on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠@aandreatru⁠

WATCH Andrea on YouTube HERE

DESIGNLIFEINC.:

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MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

So this episode is one from the Life Chat (Youtube series) archives - but it's a good one!

I chat with a former mentor client of mine, someone who didn't come from a formal design background but grabbed life by the horns anyway and broke into the design industry on her own.

Melissa Heaman is the founder and principal designer of Harbour Mill Design. Focusing on an artistic approach of mixed design aesthetics centred on natural elements and functional living, Melissa tailors her design process for each individual client’s needs for a truly custom experience. Her collaborative approach to impressive design includes working with a great team of reputable contractors, tradespeople, skilled artists and expert installers.

We talk about how design & decor blogging paved the way into working on her first design projects, to taking on larger-scale projects, and even venturing into design retail - all within the first 5 years of launching her business!

Currently she's on a break from working with clients to focus on time with family - a decision she made after consciously stepping back from a storefront she launched during the pandemic.

We end our chat focusing on the importance of listening to and honouring your pace above all... an inspiring message for interior designers at any stage in their own careers!

ABOUT MELISSA:

FIND Melissa online at harbourmilldesign.ca

⁠FOLLOW Melissa on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@harbourmilldesign

DESIGNLIFEINC.:

FOLLOW on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@designlifeinc⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

JOIN the private interior designer community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.

She's Baaaaaaack........ we pick back up right where we left off in Part 1 (episode #16) for Part 2 of our sit down/catch up together!

I just love this incredible soul - today's guest is one of the most genuine and authentic people I've yet to meet in this industry - who rocks at roller derby and manifested her way onto ⁠The Marilyn Denis Show⁠ twice! We first crossed paths several years ago when I attempted a quasi-rescue from the comments section of an online designer group (more on that in episode #16 - Pt 1)...

Michelle Binette - self-taught interior designer, avid puzzler, & tenacious implementer of all-things tech & A.I., has continually inspired me with her passion for growth and her endearing transparency around what it's actually like growing an interior design business from the ground up.

We catch up after nearly a year of busy #designlife to candidly chat about retainers and how interior designers could and should be implementing them, the dreaded P-word (people-pleasing) and how working to overcome perfectionism is one of the keys to thriving in business, and what happens when you offer furnishings procurement and the client wants ALL your trade discounts... there are a few real life stories thrown in for some context you definitely won't want to miss!!

Grab a coffee and settle in... we cover so much!

ABOUT MICHELLE:

FIND Michelle online at ⁠⁠⁠michellebinette.com⁠

FOLLOW Michelle on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠@michellebinette⁠.design

*Catch an older episode together from Michelle's own podcast: Real Talk Design ⁠HERE⁠

DESIGNLIFEINC.:

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JOIN the private interior designer community on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

MENTORSHIP - If you're looking for high-level 1:1 mentorship opportunities, expertly designed templates, guides & resources, and courses on how to elevate your business game and create a thriving interior design business, check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠designlifeinc.ca⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Do it different. Do it better. Elevate the industry.