300: Upcycling with Purpose: How Sustainable Design Brings Peace to Your Space

Joining us on the podcast today is Sarah Trop, owner of Fun Cycled in upstate New York. By day, Sarah transforms spaces and furniture through thoughtful, sustainable design, and by night, she shares her creative life as a lifestyle blogger—she's truly fun to follow and watch.

In this episode, we're talking about upcycling—what Sarah lovingly calls Fun Cycling—and how intentional, sustainable design can bring a sense of peace into the spaces we live and work in. We'll also explore what it means to be good stewards of what we've been entrusted with, especially throughout the design process.

This conversation is creative, meaningful, and uplifting—and I know you're going to enjoy it.

Topics Mentioned:

• Repurposing

• Well-being

• Balancing home and health

Key Thoughts:

• There is value in merging old and new items in design.

• It is important to balance home-making with hospitality and stewardship.

• Design can promote emotional and physical well-being.

• New challenges keep us learning.

• We were created to create.

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Sarah:

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: @funcycled

• Facebook: Funcycled

• Website: Funcycled.com

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

299: Year-End Wrap Up: Creating Margin in Life and Business

Joining me today on the podcast is Ceil DiGuglielmo, host of the Sew Much More podcast and owner of the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library. Every year, Ceil and I sit down for an end-of-year business catch-up to talk honestly about what worked, what didn't, and what we've learned. We ask each other thoughtful, leading questions to get a real glimpse into work, life, balance, and how all of those pieces fit together.

Our hope is that as you listen, you'll reflect on your own year and maybe ask yourself some of the same questions. This year, we spent a lot of time discussing what it means to create space and margin in our lives—and the importance of checking in with ourselves rather than looking to a book, a podcast, AI, or anything else for the answers. It's about learning to hear ourselves think again.

Topics Mentioned:

• Margin in our calendar and business

• Client Expectations

• Retirement and Work-Life Balance

• Embracing Wisdom

Key Thoughts:

• Family changes impact life and work.

• Client expectations are changing - wanting more for less.

• Clearing physical and digital clutter allows better focus.

• What are we building towards - what does retirement mean?

• Intentional time management is crucial to balance.

• Goal for 2026 is more time (margin) to think and process information.

• With the rise of AI we need to be careful not to outsource all of our thinking.

• Striving to be a cheerleader for everyone.

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Ceil:

• Email: [email protected]

• The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

• Podcast: Sew Much More

• Learn to Choose Window Coverings

298: How to Scale Your Business Without Diluting Your Brand

Today we're diving into one of the biggest challenges for growing businesses — scaling without losing control of your brand. Growth is exciting, but it can also expose every weakness in your systems, your messaging, and your client experience. So in this episode, we're talking about how to protect your brand's integrity as you bring on more clients, more team members, and more opportunities. Because scaling should amplify your brand — not dilute it.

Topics Mentioned:

• Brand Control and Defense

• Brand Alignment

• Brand Guardrails

• Consistency Builds Trust

Key Thoughts: Clarity Becomes More Critical As You Scale

• Weaknesses in brand clarity become louder and more obvious as you scale.

• Create a documented, teachable brand identity.

• Your offer, audience, client experience, and brand promise should be crystal clear and written.

Systems Are Your Brand's Best Defense

• Systems replicate your standards when you are not in the room.

• Use SOPs and checklists to stay consistent.

• Systems create freedom.

Delegate the Work, Not the Brand Identity

• Team members and outsourced partners need guardrails.

• Define what is flexible and what is non-negotiable.

Consistency Builds Trust Faster Than Marketing

• Every touchpoint communicates something about your brand.

• Consistency creates trust, referrals and brand recognition.

• Inconsistency kills scaling efforts.

Your Team Must Become Brand Stewards

• Team training should include philosophy.

• Teams should connect the dots to the "why".

• Teams that understand the "why" will protect the brand without micromanagement.

Protect the Vision As You Grow

• Many businesses forget to scale vision leading to scattered offers and brand drift.

• Scaling requires strategic "no's".

• Avoid expanding so wide that you lose focus.

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Strategy2Go

• Metrique Solutions

Joining me today on the podcast is Stacey Brown Randall—a returning guest and someone you're going to love hearing from again. Stacey has been on the show twice before, and today she's back to share insights from her brand-new book, The Referable Client Experience.

You may also know her as the author of the multiple award-winning book Generating Business Referrals Without Asking, and as the host of the hugely popular podcast Roadmap to Referrals. Beyond her work as a consultant and coach, she's also a wife and mom of three, bringing a grounded, real-world perspective to everything she teaches.

In this episode, we're diving into what it truly takes to create a client experience that naturally generates referrals—without the awkward asks or uncomfortable scripts. You won't want to miss this conversation.

Topics Mentioned:

• Emotional Connection

• Client Experience

• Consistency in Connection

• Referral Strategies

Key Thoughts: The Referable Client Experience Book Overview

• This book explores how businesses can create a client experience that generates referrals.

• The focus is on being a referrable business to begin.

  Enhancing Client Referral Experiences

• It is important to create a referable client experience beyond just delivering results.

• Understanding how people feel when referring others, not just the results, highlights the need for a repeatable process to ensure consistent positive results .

• Focusing on client feelings is crucial for generating referrals.

  Client Experience Emotional Design

• Intentionally craft a client experience to align with desired outcomes.

• "Ideal Client Reaction Script" involves identifying 3-5 key emotions or reactions clients should experience and ensuring your process is crafted to achieve these outcomes.

Enhancing Client Experience with Consistency

• Having a repeatable process allows for consistency in approach and delivery.

• Clear SOPs that are documented encourages the client experience to be analyzed from start to finish.

AI and Human Connection

• AI has a place in client experience models, but it cannot replace human connection.

• Identify which touch points can be automated, and which should be done by a human.

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Stacey:

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: @staceybrownrandall

• Facebook: Stacey Brown Randall

• YouTube: Referrals Without Asking

• LinkedIn: Stacey B Randall

• Website: Stacey Brown Randall

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

• The Referable Client Experience by Stacey Brown Randall

296: How Insurance Builds Wealth: Key Benefits for Financial Growth

Today I'm joined by Susan Glass and Caitlin Raad of The Glass Group, experts in helping individuals, families, and business owners build financial security and confidence through smart insurance strategies.

Susan and Caitlin specialize in showing how different types of insurance can be layered to protect not just a person—but their family, employees, and business as a whole. I've had the pleasure of meeting with both of them several times, and every conversation has uncovered new insights into how insurance can be used as a tool for stability and growth.

So even if the word "insurance" makes you think of that class you wanted to sleep through in college, trust me—this episode is one you won't want to miss.

Topics Mentioned:

• Insurance

• Future protection

• Wealth

• Employee retention

295: Avoiding Common Mistakes When Charging Premium Rates

Raising your prices can feel like a bold move—but what happens when your premium rates don't deliver the results you expected? In this episode, we're uncovering the most common mistakes entrepreneurs and service-based professionals make when charging high-end prices.

Learn how to identify the gaps in your pricing strategy, communicate your value effectively, and attract clients who are ready to invest at your level. If you've ever wondered why your premium pricing isn't landing the way it should, this conversation will show you exactly how to fix it.

Topics Mentioned:

• Profitability

• Premium Value

• Brand Alignment

• Strategic Pricing and Brand Differentiation

Key Thoughts:

• Align premium rates with premium outcomes. Value must match the pricing.

• Align your brand identity, messaging and presentation with the premium pricing to avoid client distrust.

• When pricing and brand and value alignment is done well you will not feel the need to apologize or over explain the cost.

• Target a specific audience instead of trying to appeal to everyone.

• Create transparency in your pricing and billing practices with open and clear communication.

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• • Work with Me

  • The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

  • CFO2Go

  • Metrique Solutions

  • Pricing Without Emotion® Coaching Program

294: Find the Habits Driving Your Business

Discover how uncovering your thinking habits can unlock your greatest potential. In this episode, we sit down with Liz Taylor—former Motorola mechanical engineer turned serial entrepreneur, certified health and Enneagram coach, and Habit Finder specialist. With over 24 years of business experience and coaching since 2015, Liz shares how identifying the thought patterns that drive or derail success can transform high-achieving business owners. Learn how Habit Finder reveals your strengths, exposes hidden roadblocks, and helps you align your God-given talents with your passion for lasting growth.

Topics Mentioned:

• Habits

• Strengths

• Growth mindset

• Listening

Key Thoughts: Exploring Habit Formation

• The Habit Finder Test combines strengths assessment with habit analysis to increase self-awareness.

• It it important to focus on present progress rather than future goals allowing yourself to enjoy the journey.

  Understanding Shaping Habits

• Habits are repetitive actions that can be shaped by identity-based approaches rather than just external triggers.

• Thinking habits, which are often unconscious, can either serve as protective mechanisms or become sabotaging patterns.

• The goal is to replace negative thinking habits with positive ones.

  Truth and Growth in Business

• Explore the path from your habits and how they form thinking patterns.

• Personal growth is necessary for business growth.

Habit Finder Assessment

• The Habit Finder Assessment is a 10-15 minute tool that uses 36 mathematically valued statements to identify thinking patterns and habits.

• The assessment measures six different habits, three external (connections with others, physical creation, and structure) and three internal (mental creation, personal fulfillment, and self-worth) with results showing how individuals naturally think and behave under pressure.

Entrepreneurial Habits and People Management

• Habit Finder can provide insights intro entrepreneurial tendencies, such as resistance to discipline and obsessive thinking, which can be a strength and a potential pitfall.

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Liz:

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: @Coach Liz Taylor

• Website: Coach Liz Taylor

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

• Podcast Episode 35: Play to Your Strengths

293: Unblock Your Cash Flow: Strategies to Free Up Money Fast

Have you ever hit a point where your design business cash flow just isn't flowing? The truth is that money doesn't always stay steady—it moves in and out, up and down. In today's episode, we're digging into how interior designers can get the money moving again with quick cash flow wins, plus a long-term cash management strategy for financial stability and growth.

Topics Mentioned:

• Profitability

• Financials

• Pricing

• Strategy

Key Thoughts:

• We just make much better decisions when we've had good rest, good sleep practice, good eating and health, and then those things start to go away because of the worry and the stress that comes from not having enough money. As we all know, one of the number one reasons is that small businesses fail is lack of cash and lack of cash flow management. Michele Williams

• Start asking is there anything that we need to do on our side as the business to satisfy a need that would allow that money to be paid. Michele Williams

• If you're not billing directly dollar to dollar, penny to penny, it can be very easy to get underwater on that so that you're absorbing more cost because you don't want to pass them along to the client, and after a while you're eating into your profitability. Michele Williams

• Cash flow is usually enhanced by ensuring that we've got the right pricing, that we're monitoring the cost of the product and the cost of running the business, and then that leads us to profitability. Michele Williams

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

• Pricing Without Emotion® Coaching Program

292: Hospitality is Profitable for Everyone

Welcome to today's episode! With me is Rick Campos — a recovering interior designer, podcast host, and design business coach. Rick is certified in Coaching the Unreasonable Hospitality methodology, and we're diving into what it really means to go beyond service and show up with true hospitality. Stick around for practical insights and action items you can start using right away in your interior design business.

Topics Mentioned:

• Hospitality

• Community

• Intentionality

• Listening

Key Thoughts:

• Recognizing where the client touch points are and recognizing the likes and the wants and the desires of that individual client actually slows us down enough to make it an intentional meeting so that we can make sure we're touching all of the things that matter to them. Michele Williams

• I have tested the theory, and it does work because it means you're listening, and all of a sudden that evokes an emotion, a feeling, and that's what makes a true impact. It's what makes an ordinary moment extraordinary. Rick Campos

• The nice thing is you can build it into the business and it's not an accidental. These things are very thought out and planned for even within individual budgets. Michele Williams

• Those are the moments that we focus on, that we drill into. Not the big moments that everyone else is paying attention to because everyone else is already doing it. It's those little moments that's going to set you apart. Rick Campos

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

Contact Rick:

• Email: [email protected]

• Instagram: @Designbizsurvivalguide

• Website: Design Biz Survival Guide

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

• Secret Service: Hidden Systems That Deliver Unforgettable Customer Service by John R. DiJulius III

• Banana Ball: The Unbelievably True Story of the Savannah Bananas by Jesse Cole

• 7 Days Out on Netflix, SE 1; episode 7

291: 3 Ways to go from Hobbyist to Interior Design Professional

Welcome to the show! Today we're diving into how to go from hobbyist to professional—whether you're in interior design or building any creative business. We'll cover three powerful areas that can transform your journey: mindset, boundaries, and intentionality. So, grab a pen and paper, and let's reflect—where are you still showing up like a hobbyist, and where are you ready to level up and own your role as a professional?

Topics Mentioned:

• Mindset

• Boundaries

• Intentionality

• Sustainability

Key Thoughts:

• When we have the mindset of a professional, we're certainly going to create a boundary to make sure that we're making a profit or we're not going to engage in the work. Michele Williams

• Being intentional about what we do, having these mindsets that we talked about of a very professional mindset, creating good boundaries, all of those things start to move us into that proactive stance instead of a reactive stance. Michele Williams

• Having a very intentional, clear focus of what you're doing really creates grounding, it creates trust, it creates an environment where people can get behind it and kind of push that boulder uphill with you because they all know that they're pushing in the same direction. Michele Williams

• Sustainability shows up because we have sustainable processes, we have sustainable team dynamics, and we have sustainable profitability. Michele Williams

Contact Michele:

• Email: [email protected]

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

References and Resources:

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

• E-Myth Revisited by Michael E Gerber