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Mastering the Business of Interior Design: Success by Design
As an interior designer, do you find yourself caught between your love for design and the realities of running a profitable business? Whether you're launching your firm or scaling to new heights, the business side of interior design can be complex—and often overwhelming.
That’s where Katie Decker-Erickson comes in. As a business coach for interior designers and the founder of a multimillion-dollar design firm, she knows firsthand what it takes to build a thriving, sustainable business while staying true to your creative vision. With nearly 20 years in the industry and a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Katie is actively in the trenches—elevating her own firm while helping other designers master the business of design.
We’ll answer questions like:
How do I get more interior design clients?
What should I charge for interior design services?
What are the best marketing strategies for interior designers?
How can I grow my interior design business?
How do I build a brand as an interior designer?
How can I scale my interior design business?
What systems do I need to run a successful interior design business?
How do I create a client onboarding process for my design firm?
Is it worth hiring a coach for my interior design business?
This show delivers actionable tips on how to grow an interior design business with smart, sustainable strategies. You'll get insights on marketing your interior design services, building a strong brand, streamlining your systems, and scaling your firm—without burning out.
If you're an interior designer, firm owner, or creative entrepreneur ready to build a profitable, passion-filled business, you're in the right place.
Tune in, and let’s grow your interior design business—together.
Mastering the Business of Interior Design: Success by Design
87: Your Business Reality Check Starts Here
In this kickoff episode of our two-part series, I’m taking you behind the scenes of the work most designers avoid: facing the truth about what actually happened inside your business this year. Before we can build your 2026 vision (that’s coming in Part 2!), we have to strip away the assumptions, the emotions, the “I think I made money here… maybe?” and look at the real data. I’m talking revenue, margins, client load, time spent, energy, alignment—everything. I know this work is uncomfortable. But this is the difference between running a busy, high-cortisol design business… and building a profitable, strategic, scalable one.
In this episode, I dive into:
• Why most designers avoid looking at their numbers—and why that avoidance keeps you stuck
• The “numerical autopsy” that reveals what actually worked in your business
• How assumptions lead to hustle… but truth leads to strategy
• The difference between being busy and being profitable, and the real markers of each
• The revenue vs. margin conversation designers desperately need to hear
• How to evaluate your client load, your time, and your emotional bandwidth
• The 80/20 rule for figuring out which actions created the majority of your results
• How to identify your dream clients and reverse-engineer where they came from
• What your marketing actually delivered this year (and what was just noise)
• The one thing you already know isn’t working… and why you’re still doing it
• What it takes to build capacity instead of just pushing your capability until it snaps
This episode is your permission—and your push—to stop guessing about your business and start knowing. Because when you know the truth, you can actually make decisions that move you toward clarity, profitability, and a business that finally feels aligned with who you are now.
Part 2 is coming next, and that’s where we’ll take everything you uncover today and turn it into a vision and action plan for 2026 that isn’t emotional, frantic, or based on old patterns—but strategic, grounded, and sustainable.
If you’re ready to stop avoiding your numbers and start leading your business like a CEO, this one is for you.
Connect with Katie
LinkedIn
Business Strategy Sessions for Interior Designers
Free Resources for scaling your interior design firm
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