AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity are changing how people find and hire home stagers — and most of the content stagers create to market themselves is completely invisible to these tools. In this episode, Heather breaks down what AI actually looks at when it decides whether your business is worth recommending, and what you can do right now to show up in those results.

In this episode:

• Why a beautiful Instagram feed does nothing for your visibility on AI tools — and what does
• The five things AI uses to evaluate whether your business is credible enough to recommend
• Why your Google Business Profile is the single highest-impact place to start
• What "brand consistency" actually means across platforms and why inconsistency costs you
• How to use written content to get in front of clients who are skipping Google entirely
• Why Google reviews are one of the most powerful AI visibility signals — and how to start getting more of them
• The priority order for tackling this without doing everything at once

Resources mentioned:

• Website design for home stagers: https://socialsavvystagers.com/website-design
• Join the Stagers Circle: https://thesocialstager.myflodesk.com/stagerscircle

Connect with Heather:

• Instagram: @socialsavvystager
• Website: socialsavvystagers.com

Most home stagers are pouring time into Instagram, only to wonder why their website traffic is flat and their inquiries are inconsistent. The problem might not be your content. It might be the platform. In this episode, I sit down with Pinterest marketing strategist Annie Russell of Annie Russell Media to talk about why Pinterest is one of the most underused and misunderstood marketing tools for home stagers, and what it actually takes to use it in a way that builds real, compounding visibility for your business.

• The mindset shift that changes everything: why Pinterest is a search engine, not a social media platform, and why that distinction matters for how stagers get found
• The number one Pinterest mistake that is costing stagers leads and traffic, even when they are already posting consistently
• Why auto-publishing your Instagram content to Pinterest is not a strategy, and what to do instead
• The seasonality trap: why posting fall staging content in September means you have already missed your window, and how to plan ahead using a free Pinterest tool
• Whether Pinterest can work for stagers who do not have a blog, and the honest answer about what you actually need to make it worth your time
• How one food blogger’s Pinterest traffic outperformed her Instagram by 26 times, and what that means for visual service businesses like home staging
• Exactly where to start if you are setting up or refreshing your Pinterest account today, including the two places keywords matter most

From Annie:

• 200 Pinterest keywords for home stagers — grab the list here
• Visibility to Growth Checklist — annierussellmedia.com/visibility
• Leads on Repeat — Launching in June for business owners who want a sustainable strategy for getting consistent leads with paid ads. Learn more here. Club members have access to a $500 discount. Join the Club today to get access to your discount.

Affiliate disclosure: I am an affiliate for Leads on Repeat, which means I earn a small commission if you join through my link that I give Club members. I only ever share things I genuinely stand behind.

The Social Stager:

• Instagram: @socialsavvystager
• Instagram (Club): @thesocialstagerclub
• Website: socialsavvystagers.com
• Join The Social Stager Club: socialsavvystagers.com

Annie Russell:

• Instagram: @annierussellmedia
• Website: annierussellmedia.com

Only 18% of sellers actually hire a stager — which means most stagers are fighting for the same small slice of the market. In this episode, Heather sits down with stager and coach Catherine Lewis-Brown to talk about why that doesn't have to be the reality, and what it looks like to build a staging business that serves more clients, charges what it's worth, and isn't limited to physical staging alone.

In this episode:

• Why stagers keep competing on price (and what's actually driving it)
• The difference between marketing staging and marketing your specific value
• How packaging your services can eliminate negotiation entirely
• Why the consultation is one of the most underpriced offers in the industry
• The gaps your competition is leaving open — and how to step into them

Resources mentioned:

• Home Stager Business Strategies Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/themodernstager
• Catherine's website: https://themodernstager.com
• The Social Stager Club: https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club

Connect with us:

• Catherine Lewis-Brown: @catherinelewisbrown
• Heather Cook: @thesocialstager

Why Your Marketing Isn't Working

If you've been showing up consistently on social media, posting your work, and still not getting the leads and inquiries you want, this episode is for you. Heather Cook breaks down why the advice most stagers have been given was never designed to get them results, and what it actually takes to build a marketing strategy that gets you leads, not just likes.

In this episode:

• Why posting for likes and posting for leads are two completely different things — and why that distinction matters for your business
• The difference between a posting habit and a sales strategy, and why one grows your business and one doesn't
• How to turn your before and after content into conversion content that showcases your expertise and gives clients a real reason to hire you
• The Connect + Convert Method — the four types of content every stager needs and the specific job each one does
• Why a strong brand foundation makes your content more impactful, more reflective of your brand, and better at attracting the right clients
• How Heather built a multiple six-figure staging business by marketing her thinking, not just her results

Resources mentioned:

• Join The Social Stager Club
• The Standout Stager: Launching in April inside the Club
• Episode: The Four Types of Content Every Stager Needs:
• Episode: The Real Reason You Keep Losing to Cheaper Stagers
• Episode: From Stager to Staging Authority

Connect with Heather:

• Instagram: @socialsavvystager
• Website: socialsavvystagers.com

Most stagers believe authority is built through their portfolios, certifications, and years in business. It's not.

In this episode, Heather Cook breaks down what brand authority actually is — and what it actually takes to go from being just another stager to being the obvious, go-to choice in your market. She covers the three building blocks of brand authority, why mindset is the piece most stagers skip, and what the shift from vendor to strategic partner looks like in practice.

• Business Coaching Programs — Learn more about Heather's business coaching programs that help stagers build the brand and the business that stands out and gets them paid premium prices
• Brand Development Services — For stagers ready for deeper one-to-one work building their brand authority from the foundation up.
• The Real Reason You Keep Losing to Cheaper Stagers — The companion episode referenced in this conversation. If this episode resonated, start there.
• RESACON — Heather mentions an upcoming session on this topic at RESACON that is worth signing up for.

She came to me wanting to build a stronger staging brand. Halfway through the process, she stopped everything — and built something entirely different.

In this episode, I'm sitting down with Danielle Pivirotto, founder of House of Wabi, to talk about her shift from home stager to lifestyle designer and the role branding played in making that transition possible. This isn't just a story about changing directions. It's about what happens when you finally stop forcing your business into a box that was never the right fit.

If you've ever had an idea sitting in the back of your mind that you haven't given yourself permission to pursue yet, this conversation is for you.

In this episode:

• Why Danielle fell into staging — and why it never fully felt like hers
• The moment during the branding process when everything shifted
• How answering the hard questions revealed what she actually wanted to build
• Why House of Wabi had been living in her notes app for years before it became a business
• What clarity around your brand makes possible — beyond just better marketing
• Why your brand is a living thing and what that means for how you grow

Resources mentioned: Brand Development: https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-development

Book a Brand Audit: https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-clarity-audit

Connect with Danielle: Instagram: @thehouseofwabi Website: thehouseofwabi.com

Connect with me: Heather Cook: @socialsavvystager

You’re not losing staging jobs because you’re too expensive. You’re losing them because your value isn’t clear.

In this episode, I’m breaking down the real reason you keep losing to cheaper stagers and why this is a positioning problem, not a pricing problem. I share a story from my own staging business, the moment a long-time realtor stopped calling, and what I realized I had failed to communicate about my work.

If you’ve ever felt frustrated watching a lower-priced stager win the job, this conversation will hit home.

In this episode:

• Why price is almost never the real objection
• What is actually happening when a client chooses the cheaper stager

the-real-reason-you-keep-losing…
• The difference between running a staging business and becoming the local staging authority
• Why pretty before-and-after photos are not enough to justify premium rates
• The two shifts you need to make to get out of the race to the bottom
• How defining a signature offer changes the entire sales conversation
• What happened in my own business when I rebranded and clarified my positioning

Resources mentioned:

Brand Development:

https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-development
Book a Brand Audit: https://socialsavvystagers.com/brand-clarity-audit

Connect with me:

Heather Cook: @socialsavvystager

If this episode resonated with you, share it with a stager friend who keeps lowering her prices and wondering why nothing is changing. The more we shift this conversation in our industry, the stronger all of our businesses become.

Running a staging business shouldn't mean working 60-hour weeks or losing your passion for the work. Lori Fischer, founder of Rethink Home Interiors and the Staging Business School, shares how simple systems can help you reclaim time, reduce stress, and grow with confidence.

In this episode:

• Why most stagers hit capacity faster than they realize (and what to do about it)
• The "Groundhog Day" exercise to identify what's working and what's not in your business
• How to start documenting your processes so you can eventually delegate
• The mindset shifts required to move from doing everything to leading a team
• Why pricing and capacity planning are connected (and how to fix both)

Resources mentioned:

• Accelerate by Staging Business School: https://rethinkhomeinteriors.com/sbs/
• The Social Stager Club: https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club
• Free Home Staging Starter Kit: https://socialsavvystagers.com/staging-starter-kit

Connect with us:

• Lori Fischer: @stagingbusinessschool
• Heather Cook: @socialsavvystager

4 Types of Content Every Home Stager Needs

Your content isn't the problem—your strategy is. Heather breaks down the four types of content every stager needs to grow their reach, build authority, connect with their audience, and drive real business results.

In this episode:

• Why posting the same type of content repeatedly isn't converting
• The four content types and what each one does for your business
• How to balance your content strategy without posting more
• Real results: How one staging brand increased reach by 5,000% in 90 days

Resources mentioned:

• The Social Stager Club: https://socialsavvystagers.com/the-social-stager-club
• Free Content Guide: https://thesocialstager.myflodesk.com/instagrampostideas

Connect with me:

• Instagram: @socialsavvystager
• Website: thesocialstager.com
• Email: [email protected]

If reaching out to real estate agents feels uncomfortable, awkward, or discouraging, this episode is for you.

Many home stagers want steady realtor referrals, yet hesitate to put themselves out there because they question their value, fear rejection, or assume they are not established enough. In this conversation, we unpack why mindset is often the biggest blocker and how shifting how you see yourself changes everything about how you show up.

In this episode, I’m joined by Marianne Cherico, a longtime coach and former real estate professional who helps home stagers build confidence, own their value, and create strong, sustainable realtor relationships.

We talk honestly about what actually works, what gets in the way, and how to start taking action even when you feel unsure.

In this episode, we cover:

• Why mindset plays a bigger role in realtor relationships than marketing tactics
• How imposter syndrome quietly stops stagers from reaching out
• Why owning your value comes before visibility and outreach
• What realtors actually care about when deciding who to work with
• How to approach agents without sounding salesy, desperate, or awkward
• Simple ways to start building long-term relationships, not one-off jobs
• Why consistency and patience matter more than quick wins

  This episode is especially helpful if you want more referrals, stronger partnerships, and a clearer way to talk about what you bring to the table.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Marianne’s free resource, Three Steps to Fully Book Consults with Agent Referrals
• Marianne’s podcast, Home Stagers and Designers on Fire
• Work with Marianne
• The Social Stager Club for home stagers who want simple, strategic marketing support
• The free Home Staging Starter Kit, a free week of The Social Stager Club

If marketing or outreach has been holding you back, this conversation will help you rethink how you show up and take the next step with more confidence.