Getting more of the right clients for your interior design firm doesn't happen by accident, nor does it happen overnight. Today on The Kate Show Podcast, I'm talking with Porsche Williams of The Prototype, and she's spilling all the secrets on lead generation for luxury interior designers.

About the Guest

Porsche Williams is the CEO of The Prototype, a business concierge firm specializing in client experience and lead generation for interior designers. Passionate about streamlining business growth, she helps designers attract ideal clients, nurture relationships, and scale confidently while staying focused on their creative vision.

Through The Prototype’s expertise in client experience and lead qualification, Porsche ensures that designers can design freely and manage effortlessly, allowing creativity and operations to work hand in hand. Since 2020, her team has supported luxury interior design and architecture firms across the U.S., Canada, and Australia and partnered with IDS, ASID, Business of Home, MyDoma by Studio Designer, and more.

Now, she’s bringing her expertise to The Designer’s Guide to Reliable Lead Generation, a course designed to help designers build a scalable, stress-free lead generation system while strengthening relationships and driving long-term growth.

Porsche is a wife, a mom of two, and a champion of helping designers run their business, their way—without the overwhelm.

Learn more about her online course for interior designers here: The Designer’s Guide to Reliable Lead Generation https://www.theprototype.net/tdg

Topics Discussed:

1. What are the most common issues that prevent interior design firms from growing? A lack of clients is more of a symptom. What are the actual underlying problems?
2. If a designer is just starting to get her systems in place, what should her first few steps be?
3. What specific online automation or management tools do you recommend for designers?
4. When your team handles discovery calls for interior designers, what information does the designer need to give you ahead of time?
5. Because you are doing the discovery calls, at what point (and how) is the designer brought into the new client relationship?
6. Could you give us a general outline of the ideal lead follow-up process?
7. How does your firm help designers connect with referral partners?
8. Tell us about your course: Who is it for, and what will they gain from it?
9. Tell us how people can buy your course or get on the waiting list.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction and Guest Overview

(2:47) Common Issues Preventing Interior Design Firm Growth

(5:46) First Few Steps a Designer Should Make to Get Her Systems in Place

(9:39) Time Management and Estimating Time

(13:06) Tools & Systems: Project Management, Auditing, Organization, CRM

(28:04) General Outline of the Ideal Lead Follow-Up Process

(33:17) Building and Maintaining Referral Relationships

(44:29) The Designer's Guide to Reliable Lead Generation Course

(50:16) Final Thoughts

If you were hoping for an episode that tells you exactly how much you should be charging for your design, staging, or organizing services... This isn't it. It's next level. Once you've worked out your pricing with your business advisor, bookkeeper, or someone else who understands your business financials as well - if not better - than you do, the next step is to select a pricing strategy, not merely set a price and call it a day.

However, did you know that juxtaposing multiple pricing packages can make one package look better than the other - but it's often causing you to sell something you don't want more of?

For example, did you know that charging a flat rate versus an hourly rate has a certain stigma attached to it? And did you know that you can influence whether people will feel delight at your proposal or utter sticker shock and betrayal just by the pricing strategy you choose?

The right pricing strategy removes the pressure to offer a "better deal" than your competitors because you are instead able to position yourself as the BETTER FIT for your ideal clients - a total boss move.

Let's dive into it.

Stream The Kate Show Podcast wherever you get your podcasts, and watch on Spotify or YouTube.

Resources You'll Love

• Why I deleted my business social media: https://www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate
• Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar
• Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry

Timestamps:

(0:00) Pricing Strategy Introduction and Overview

(2:26) Defining Pricing Strategy

(4:28) Bad Pricing Strategies

(13:09) Good Pricing Strategies

(22:19) Pricing Strategies for Service-Based Businesses

(25:51) Delivering Proposals Effectively

(28:14) Final Thoughts on Pricing Strategies

As an interior designer, stager, organizer, or window pro, you have an ideal client, and you likely know who that person is. The problem I often see, however, is that your marketing rarely states point-blank who that person is, nor are you services being presented as a solution that is truly tailored to THEM. This means that no matter how clearly you know your ideal client, they don't know you, and therefore they won't understand why they should hire you versus your competitor.

Today on The Kate Show, we are going beyond discovering your ideal client and diving into the SIMPLE WAY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THEM so that you can actually start working on their projects.

Stream The Kate Show on Youtube, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. Leave a rating and review if this show has helped you.

Resources You'll Love

• Why I deleted my business social media: ⁠https://www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate⁠
• Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: ⁠https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar⁠
• Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: ⁠https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry⁠

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction

(2:14) The Role of Copywriting in Marketing

(3:39) Website Optimization for Ideal Clients

(10:21) How to Improve Website Content and Structure

(13:23) Components of a Clear and Relatable About Page

(14:45) Portfolio Page Optimization

(15:56) Services Page Optimization

(25:44) Contact Page and Lead Qualification

(28:20) Blog and Lead Magnet Best Practices

(31:57) Email Marketing for Effective Client Engagement

Having worked with so many home industry businesses over the last decade, I often see the same problem at the root of all struggling interior designers, stagers, organizers, etc. THEY HAVE NO CLEAR NICHE.

Some are resistant, fearing they'll lose business (even though they barely have any to lose) if they narrow down their focus. Others would LOVE to have a niche but don't know where to start or what having a niche even means.

Today on The Kate Show Podcast, I'm sharing a few client stories to show you what is possible when you create a specialty around your brand, and how to make it happen.

Resources You'll Love

• Why I deleted my business social media: https://www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate
• Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar
• Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry

Timestamps:

• (0:00) Episode Introduction and Purpose
• (1:18) Client Story: A Case of Hidden Identity
• (7:24) Client Story: A Case of Mistaken Identity
• (11:13) Takeaway: Clear Communication and Repositioning the Specialty
• (14:20) The Role of Objective Feedback
• (15:53) Importance of a Niche or a Clearly Defined Specialty

I started 2025 knowing that a few things needed to end in my business (even though innovation and invention are SOOO intoxicating!). Instead, I had a feeling that God was calling me to shut down several things. At the time, I wasn't sure why, but it has become clear that He intended to trim wasted time and effort from the agency, while increasing the value of client relationships. Pretty genius stuff, actually.

Today on the podcast, I'm sharing the impact that deleting social media is having on my business.

In place of social media, I created a non-business mailing list entitled "Just Kate," where I connect with my email subscribers in a much more personal way once or twice per month. If you'd like to join that list, go to www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate.

You can expect things like silly stories about my kids, photos of my family, my politically incorrect rants, what I'm currently struggling with (it's always something), life hacks that I've only just learned (because apparently I've been living under a rock), and of course, pregnancy / baby updates. Basically, it's girl talk in your inbox. Go to www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate to get on the list.

Resources You'll Love

• Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar
• Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry

Timestamps:

(0:00) Why I Deleted My Business Social Media

(3:11) Impact of Social Media on Business

(9:03) Changes in Business Strategy

(12:00) Marketing Masterminds and Client Interaction

(15:03) Advice for Cutting the Fat from Businesses

(21:39) Consistent Email Marketing and Evergreen Content

(23:27) Building Non-Professional Relationships

How do you know if your lead magnet is working? Should you change your lead magnet? What is the best lead magnet to have if you run a business in the high end, residential home industry? Today on The Kate Show, I'm giving you the exact answers.

Resources You'll Love

• Why I'm deleting my business social media: https://www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate
• Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar
• Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry

Timestamps:

(0:00) Common Questions About the Effectiveness of Lead Magnets

(01:13) Signs Your Lead Magnet Isn't (or won't be) Successful

(06:26) Effective Lead Magnet Formats

(08:22) Effective Lead Magnet Topics

(10:03) Setting Up and Promoting Lead Magnets

(13:57) Signs of Lead Magnet Success

(15:13) Email Marketing Best Practices

(18:34) Conclusion and Final Tips

It isn't often that I'm confronted with marketing advice that is just SO wrong that it's hilarious. And I am immediately sobered by the fact that I have seen my own clients' businesses harmed by following such advice.

"I was paying this coach thousands of dollars, so I thought she knew what she was talking about," is a statement my returning clients have made a little too often.

Let me be clear, business coaches are not marketing professionals. And marketing pros are NOT business coaches. I've been asked to provide coaching numerous times. I will always continue to say no.

Why? Because merely running one or two successful businesses doesn't qualify me - or anyone else - to be a coach. And being a business or branding coach doesn't mean they know anything about marketing.

This topic is pretty personal to me. I've read too many sad emails from my clients who were given advice that resulted in one of their worst, least profitable years in business.

Harmful advice such as...

"Stop blogging and email marketing. That is just for newbies." (No one is above marketing or consistent client communication.)

"You need to sound more elevated." (No, you just need to align with your ICA better, be personable, and talk to them consistently. See the first point.)

"Rebranding would solve your revenue problems." (This is a bandaid approach that costs YOU time and money without addressing the actual financial problem.)

Resources You'll Love

👉 Why I'm deleting my business social media: https://www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate

👉 Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar

👉 Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction: Laughable Marketing Tips and Their Impact

(4:01) Marketing Tips That Will Keep You Pointed in the Wrong Direction

(18:20) Marketing Mindset and Positioning

(23:15) 4 Principles of Building Brand Trust

As the owner of an interior design, staging, organizing, or window treatment business, you've likely had a few thoughts about your SEO. You might have even hired someone to work on it. But what if you haven't been getting increased website traffic after months of paying for that work? Or what if you WERE getting traffic and it suddenly dropped off the face of the earth?

If that describes your situation, your website might be using black hat SEO, and as the owner of the business, you need to get that fixed as soon as possible.

Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the difference between black hat and white hat SEO, the dangers of using black hat tactics, and how to know if those tactics were used on your website. Plus, I'll share what you can do to fix or improve your SEO the right way going forward.

Stream this episode wherever you get your podcasts or watch it on YouTube and Spotify.

Resources You'll Love

• Why I'm deleting my business social media: https://www.katethesocialite.com/just-kate
• Get a marketing plan for your home industry business: https://www.katethesocialite.com/marketing-calendar
• Get a complimentary 1:1 marketing audit LIVE with Kate: https://calendly.com/socialite/socialite-vault-inquiry

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction to Black Hat vs. White Hat SEO

(5:00) The Basics of SEO and Its Importance

(8:07) What Is Black Hat SEO and Its Examples Tactics

(14:16) What Is White Hat SEO and Ethical Practices

(16:49) How to Fix Your SEO and Use White Hat Tactics Exclusively

(19:38) Warnings and Final Advice

You open Instagram and start scrolling, realizing with more than a little guilt that you haven't posted anything for your own business in AGES.

"No wonder I don't have more clients," you think glumly to yourself. "I just really don't enjoy creating posts or reels."

Is this you? Keep reading.

Many of my new clients experience some or all of these fears:

What a hard place to be in, somewhere between dread and obligation. I often find that every single one of these marketing fears can be alleviated by looking at statistics rather than focusing on your own emotions or on what your colleagues are supposedly doing successfully.

Today, we're diving into the numbers to determine whether social media has changed enough that it actually constitutes a good place for you, as a home pro, to market your business. When I dove into the research studies and stats to prep for this episode, I was both shocked and validated.

You will be, too.

Listen to The Kate Show wherever you get your podcasts or watch it on YouTube and Spotify.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction: Social Media's Impact on Business Owners

(4:11) Social Media Statistics and Trends From Social Media Examiner

(8:55) Effectiveness of User-Generated Content

(9:42) Word of Mouth Marketing vs. Social Media

(15:10) The Importance and Effectiveness of User-Generated Content in SEO vs Influencer Content

(17:30) Marketing in the High-End Home Industry: Email Marketing vs Social Media

(18:16) Final Thoughts on Social Media Marketing for the Home Industry

The biggest question I get asked by new clients to my agency is, "Which newsletter topic should I send first?" While there is no singular right answer, often a good place to start is with an official welcome email.

But if you're new to the realm of marketing, you might first be asking, "Why even bother with email? Isn't email archaic? I don't even read my own emails!"

That's a great question, so we are going to start the discussion by going over some stats so that you can make an informed decision on whether to use email marketing to grow your business. After that, we'll go over best email marketing practices, and I'll share some amazing stories of my clients who raked in 6 and 7 figures, just from sending email newsletters. Lastly, I'll share a month-by-month breakdown of the topics or types of newsletters you should be sending throughout the year as a home professional.

Let's get started!

Stream this episode wherever you get your podcasts or watch it on YouTube and Spotify.

Timestamps:

(0:00) Introduction to Effective Email Marketing Strategies and Industry Insights

(4:23) Email Marketing Statistics and Trends for 2024

(10:51) Best Practices for Email Marketing

(15:55) Client Success Stories that Prove Email Marketing has Big ROI

(19:50) Ideal Email Marketing Topics and Examples