Only Girl On The Jobsite

Have you ever promised a client their project would be finished by Christmas, only to realize there were a dozen things outside your control?

I've been there. In fact, I once found myself crawling underneath a fully decorated Christmas tree on Christmas Eve, trying to finish a curtain installation before my client's guests arrived. That experience changed how I handle holiday deadlines forever.

In this episode, I'm talking about what interior designers need to consider as Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas approach. We'll look at the very different challenges of decorating and construction projects, why you need to understand exactly what your client means by "the holidays," and how to communicate realistic expectations without making promises you can't keep.

I'm also sharing how I approach decision deadlines, construction sequencing, trade availability, winter weather, and planning for time away. Plus, I'll talk about the year-end gestures I make for clients and contractors to show my appreciation.

Because your projects don't have to be finished before the holidays, but your clients should absolutely know what to expect.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why I stopped guaranteeing holiday completion dates

• How to uncover what your client's holiday deadline actually means

• How to explain the impact of delayed decisions on construction schedules

• When changing the construction sequence might be worth the additional cost

• How to prepare your clients, contractors, and trades for the holiday break

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/holiday-project-deadlines

I'm currently working on a beautiful historic renovation and addition that's running almost seven months behind schedule. And while that certainly wasn't the plan, it's also been a really valuable reminder of what matters most when construction doesn't go the way we expected.

In this episode, I'm talking about construction delays, what they actually mean for your project, and how to manage them without damaging your client relationships.

Because here's something I think designers need to understand: just because an activity is delayed doesn't necessarily mean your entire project is behind schedule. And before you start giving your client new completion dates, you need to understand the difference.

We're also talking about those uncomfortable conversations with contractors, why consistent communication matters so much, and what an extended construction schedule can mean for your own business and profitability.

You'll Learn:

• Why a delayed task doesn't always mean a delayed completion date

• What to ask your contractor when a project falls behind

• How to communicate delays without making promises you can't keep

• Why a new completion date isn't the same as a recovery plan

• How extended construction schedules can affect your fees, capacity, and other projects

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/how-to-handle-construction-delays

For years, I thought the answer to making more money in my design business was simple: more projects. More clients, more opportunities, more work. But when I finally stopped and looked at what those projects were actually costing me, I realized how wrong I'd been.

As we head toward 2027, I want you to look at what your business is already telling you before you start making plans for next year. In this episode, I'm walking you through five things I believe every interior designer should review, whether you're managing your first construction projects or you've been running your firm for decades.

We're talking about profitability, the projects you'd actually want to repeat, your calendar and capacity, referral relationships, and how to figure out what kind of help your business really needs.

You'll Learn:

• Why more projects don't necessarily mean more profit

• How to recognize patterns in your fees, scope, and project profitability

• What your calendar reveals about your capacity and personal life

• How to attract better-fitting projects through your referral relationships

• How to identify the support your business actually needs before hiring

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-design-business-planning-2027

My guest today has a background that's genuinely unusual in this space, and it's exactly what makes her perspective so useful.

Deb Mitchell is a brand strategist and messaging expert who has worked with interior designers for more than a decade. She helps designers clarify their positioning, find their voice and attract the clients they actually want to work with.

But here's what makes Deb different from most people talking about branding and marketing. Before launching her own business, she worked in-house at a luxury interior design firm, shaping the firm's brand identity and managing client communications. She saw firsthand what attracts premium clients and what helps them trust a designer before that first conversation ever happens.

In this episode, we're talking about the gap between the quality of your work and what your brand may actually be communicating. We get into discovery calls, why your portfolio can't do all the talking for you, the pink flags you shouldn't ignore and the trust signals that help potential clients understand your value.

And yes, we also get into something I will preach all day long: you're interviewing the client just as much as they're interviewing you.

You'll Learn:

• Why attracting the right client starts before the discovery call

• What your website and messaging need to communicate that your portfolio can't

• How to recognize pink, red and green flags when talking with potential clients

• Why your discovery call should be a two-way interview

• How trust signals help clients understand your value and feel confident hiring you

Connect with Deb here:

• Deb's Freebie mentioned in today's episode: https://debmitchellco.kit.com/34e40aabe1
• Website: https://debmitchellco.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/debmitchellco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DebMitchellCo/
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@debmitchellco

Mentioned in this episode:

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/communicate-value-interior-designer

Two designers can walk onto the exact same construction project, look at the exact same room, talk to the exact same contractor or trade, and leave noticing completely different things.

So today I want to take you onto a jobsite with me. This is not a checklist or 10 things you should inspect. I want to show you how I actually think when I walk through that door. Because after 32 years, a lot of it is now automatic, and I want to make it less automatic so that you can start doing it on your next site visit.

You'll Learn:

• What experienced designers look for during each phase of construction
• Why arriving early and building relationships with trades makes you a better project manager
• How to spot potential issues and ask questions without putting anyone on the defensive

Mentioned in this episode:

• Join The Designer's Edge here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/jobsite-tips-for-interior-designers

What happens when you're standing on a jobsite, and someone asks you a question you don't know how to answer? Construction confidence isn't about knowing everything; it's knowing what to do next. Today I share the four-step process I use when construction hands me something new, how to find the right answers, and how to recognize when a question isn't yours to answer at all.

You'll Learn:

• The 4 steps to follow when you don't know the answer on a jobsite.
• How to know who to turn to for the right answer—and when the decision isn't yours to make.
• The difference between a healthy professional stretch and truly being in over your head.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Join The Designer's Edge here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-designers-jobsite-confidence

There's a quiet assumption in the interior design industry that if you spend enough time around construction projects, eventually you'll just "figure it out."

And honestly? Most designers do.

Project by project. Mistake by mistake. Usually while undercharging, overextending themselves, and absorbing responsibilities they never intentionally agreed to manage.

In this episode, I want to talk about something I wish every interior designer understood much earlier in their career:

Construction management is not simply an extension of design work. It is a completely different body of work entirely.

We're talking about:

• the difference between consulting and managing
• why construction responsibilities quietly "creep in"
• how profitability disappears project by project
• why hourly billing often hurts designers more than it protects them
• the importance of a true scope of work
• and how better process leads to better pricing, confidence, and projects

I also share the idea of "pink flags" — the subtle client behaviors that often tell you far more about how a construction project will unfold than obvious red flags ever will.

If you've ever found yourself managing far more than you priced for, questioning your fees, or feeling exhausted by construction projects you thought you understood, this episode is for you.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-designers-lose-money-construction-projects

Today's episode is a little different, and honestly, one of my favorites I've done in a while.

Instead of teaching a specific construction management strategy, I'm bringing you two honest conversations with designers inside The Designer's Edge. Not polished testimonials. Not highlight reels. Just real conversations about what actually changes when designers start putting better systems, pricing structures, boundaries, and construction management processes into place.

You'll hear from Missy Werbrich, whose background in corporate design and outdoor living helped her build incredible transferable skills — but who still found herself dramatically undercharging and looking for a framework that matched the level she was operating at.

Find out more about Missy here:

• Website: https://www.designwithmissy.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/designwithmissy/
• FB:https://www.facebook.com/DesignWithMissy
• LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/200803
• FB: https://www.facebook.com/Werbrichs
• Website: https://www.instagram.com/werbrichs_landscaping/

And you'll hear from Cynthia Lacy, a seasoned designer with decades of experience who realized she had fallen into what she calls "routine without purpose" — and how construction management gave her spark for the business back.

Find out more about Cynthia here:

• Website: https://www.lacyandco.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lacyflips/

We talk about:

• Why so many designers undercharge
• The difference between scope of work and proposals
• Trusting your gut on projects
• Boundaries with contractors and clients
• Why systems create confidence
• The reality of managing construction projects
• And what designers actually need help with behind the scenes

If you've ever wondered whether construction management coaching is really worth it, or whether you're "experienced enough already", I think these conversations will answer that better than I ever could myself.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/construction-management-coaching-interior-designers

Most exceptional homes aren't created by one professional working alone.

They happen when architects and interior designers collaborate well—and that only works when both people understand their role, communicate clearly, and respect each other's expertise.

In this episode, I'm breaking down the real dynamics behind successful designer-architect relationships: how projects get set up, where friction usually starts, how to handle disagreements professionally, and why understanding the difference between "outside in" and "inside out" thinking changes everything.

Because this relationship isn't about hierarchy. It's about building better projects together.

You'll Learn:

• Why the best projects happen when both perspectives are fully respected
• The biggest mistakes designers make in architect relationships
• Why role clarity early on prevents friction, fee issues, and project delays

Mentioned in this episode:

• Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-designer-architect-collaboration

A construction project can feel like it's running perfectly fine, until suddenly, it isn't. A few missed conversations, an unanswered question, or a decision that quietly gets pushed can create delays that were completely avoidable.

In this episode, I'm talking about one simple part of my construction management process that I recently removed from a project…and very quickly brought back. The client's reaction confirmed exactly why I believe it matters so much. If you're managing construction projects and wondering how to create more accountability, better communication, and calmer clients, this one is for you.

You'll Learn:

• Why weekly site meetings prevent avoidable delays and communication breakdowns.
• The difference between active management and reactive consulting on construction projects.
• How weekly meetings and Friday updates create accountability, clarity, and client confidence.

Mentioned in this episode:

• Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

• Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout

• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/weekly-site-meetings-construction-project-management