Being the most talented designer doesn’t automatically make you the most successful—influence does. And I’m not talking about Instagram followers or being Insta-famous. Influence in business is about how your market perceives you: as the authority, the one they can trust, the one they want to work with before they even meet you.

In this episode, I’m breaking down what influence really means for interior designers, why it multiplies your results, and the quiet power moves that help you stop chasing clients and start attracting them. I’ll share lessons from the IDS National Conference in New Orleans, stories from my own experience, and a real student transformation that proves influence—not just visibility—is what changes everything.

 IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK ABOUT:

• Why talent alone doesn’t guarantee success (and what does)

• What Jeffrey Shaw’s keynote taught me about how clients make decisions

• The myths about influence (it’s not followers, charisma, or luck)

• The four business habits that build influence:

  1. Consistency in pricing and positioning

  2. Clear and confident communication

  3. Showing up and staying visible (online and in-person)

  4. Delivering on your promises every time

• The habits that erode influence—like apologizing for your pricing, changing your services constantly, or ghosting your market until you need something

• A student case study: how cleaning up her positioning, pricing, and consistency completely shifted her reputation and results

When you build influence, everything in your business gets easier—clients trust your recommendations, pricing conversations feel smoother, vendors and contractors treat you as a priority, and referrals multiply. Influence shortens your sales cycle, strengthens your reputation, and reduces how much effort it takes to land the right projects.

RESOURCES:

 

INTERIOR DESIGN BUSINESS BAKERY - Our year-long mentorship and coaching program:

https://thedesignbakehouse.com/interior-design-business-bakery

 

SIMPLIFY YOUR MARKETING, SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE. All-in-one software that organizes sales, marketing, and business services all in one convenient location.

https://mysidemark.com/

 

MARKETING MEMBERSHIP - Join our hands on marketing & visibility program, no contract, only $59/month.

https://thedesignbakehouse.com/lead-lab

 

Stay in touch with Michelle on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thedesignbakehouse/

 

Join our Free Facebook Community:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/idbizlaunchpad 

 

Get clarity on your next best step today! https://www.designedforthecreativemind.com/reviewguide

 

Have ideas or suggestions or want to be considered as a guest on the show? Contact me! https://www.DesignedForTheCreativeMind.com/contact