If I could go back to 2014 and give myself some words of wisdom as a new business owner, I'd have a lot to say. I'd give myself a heads-up on every mistake the "older" me would make and share how the "younger" me could avoid those pitfalls. The thing is... Those experiences, especially the bad ones, brought me something incredibly valuable as an entrepreneur: Wisdom.

My friend, today's episode of The Kate Show is for the newbies. If you recently started your journey in the home industry, as in, you launched your business less than two years ago, you'll want to listen closely. I'm not dropping any wisdom that is new to the face of the earth, but if you can take a nugget of something with you to make your journey easier, then my job will be complete and I'll shut down my podcast. Just kidding, I have a lot more podcasting to do.

Do you use Linktree in your Instagram bio? While it's popular and seems like a great idea, Linktree is actually taking all the traffic that should be going directly to your website. This is no fault of Linktree; it's just how technology works. Rather than using a third-party tool like this to redirect your social media fans to wherever they need to go, and thus lose the website traffic, you should instead be using a page on your own website for this exact purpose. Today on The Kate Show, I'm showing you exactly how to set up your own version of Linktree and why pit really, really does matter.

In the interior design world, delays and backorders happen, even on a regular day. Add into the mix both economic and political global upheaval — with a dash of supply chain issues — and you've got yourself a cocktail that isn't all that easy to swallow. How do you keep track of which products or materials are ordered, en route, delayed, or delivered? You might have to hire a team member for that position or somehow squeeze it into your already-full schedule. Or...you might want to work with a specialized company. Interior designers, meet MaterLog, your single contact to track all of your deliveries and help you troubleshoot issues as soon as they arise. Today I'm speaking with MaterLog founder, Mariah Samost, on how their system works, why they created it, and how many hours per week it saves the stressed-out interior designer.

"I need an email sequence, but I'm not sure what it should say."

If you've ever thought about this, you aren't alone. Unfortunately, there are many coaches and online course creators who will try to convince you that your home industry business needs a long, complex email sequence in order to generate leads. While this might be true of other industries, it's not an effective strategy for interior design, window treatment, home staging, or organizing businesses.

Not only does that advice result in a massive amount of work for you, but it also annoys the heck out of the unfortunate souls on your email list. Annoyed people won't hire you. If you want to stop sabotaging your leads and putting a big, heavy roadblock in your sales funnel, you need to hear this episode of The Kate Show.

Today I'm sharing the three-part email sequence your home industry business should be using. Email newsletters and email marketing in general are powerful tools, but they can't be used in the exact same way across all industries. The home industry is cultivated by relationships and referrals. Waves of marketing emails will quickly wipe out what you've built, but a steady and reasonable trickle will promote long-lasting business growth.

"Live and learn," has been the most cliché and yet the most accurate theme of my life, and I know that I'm not alone in this. Today on The Kate Show, I'm getting personal with you and sharing some of my top regrets — and top wins — since starting my business eight and a half years ago. Why talk about my regrets? Because those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it (another cliché that I firmly believe). If I said I wouldn't do anything in the past differently, I would risk bringing the same old baggage into my future. On the other side of that argument, however, are the things I would do again — the things I am proud of — the things that I didn't think I could do until I did them. If you've made mistakes despite your best intentions, or if you've made great choices without even realizing it, this episode is for you. It is my hope that you will feel seen, heard, and encouraged to keep moving forward in your business.

As someone who runs a marketing agency, I often work with home professionals who are trying to sell a digital product. I KNOW it can be difficult, especially when you are first getting started. Unfortunately, selling digital products isn't as simple as creating a PDF and setting a price on your website. Today on The Kate Show, I'm walking you through how to create, set up, market, and sell your first digital product. I'll be sharing a list of tools I recommend for creating and delivering your product, as well as how to get more eyes on the product itself. If you've dreamed of selling digitally but didn't know where to start, or you've tried and felt stuck, this episode is for you.

Does your interior design, organizing, or home staging business seem to get clients from Instagram? While we don't see this very often in my agency (nor do my colleagues in the marketing industry) we do come across the occasional home pro who gets good clients and projects from Instagram. By the way, this episode is a continuation of popular episode #164 entitled, "3 Reasons Luxury Interior Designers Don't Get Clients from Instagram." While some of the data in that episode will be repeated here, this episode has been updated to reflect 2022 and include additional information.

Many moons ago, I had my friend and business partner Jaquilyn Edwards on the podcast to discuss our venture together. Years later, that venture is thriving (and growing our members' businesses!), plus, we are always looking to take it up a notch. Today on The Kate Show, Jaquilyn and I will be discussing blogging for the home industry in more depth than you might have heard before. While our last interview on the podcast was about blogging basics, today's conversation is at the next level. Our discussion ranges from learning the benefits of using our blog post builders to going fully custom with your blogging, the actual purpose of a blog post, what to do after you publish one, and so much more.

Get ready to take some notes — and stick around for a special promo code at the end. Jaq and I would love to work with you for the betterment of your business marketing.

Nearly every interior designer, stager, window specialist, and organizer has a Google Business Listing. If you don't, you need to set one up immediately.

Not only does your business get placed on the map when people are looking for your specific set of services in their local area, but it's also a place to collect client reviews and share photos, events, and blog posts. Having a completely filled-out Google listing for your business enhances your credibility.

However, most people don't take full advantage of their Google Business Listing. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing eight ways you can optimize your listing for the specific goal of increasing your website traffic. Once those leads are on your website, it is your website's job to convert them (so you'd better have a good one!). But let's start at the very beginning. You have the unique opportunity to tell the biggest search engine on earth how to help new leads find you. Let's take advantage of this top the max, shall we?

No one is an overnight success, yet some people have had their success brewing steadily on the back burner for years before really cranking up the heat and stepping into the spotlight. Interior designer Sara Lynn Brennan is no exception. I might be biased, as my agency has had the honor of working with Sara off and on throughout the years, but I do think she is a stellar example of what you can accomplish when you take ownership of your own success, ignore the naysayers, and let your passion fuel you. Today, I'll be asking Sara in-depth questions regarding the story behind her success, her ideal client, and her systems and processes. If you are just getting started in your interior design business or you feel stuck in a rut with your business of several years, this episode of The Kate Show is for you.