.png)
Founders & Friends
Founders & Friends is where interior designers and creative entrepreneurs come for real conversations about building a business—and a life—that feels good.
Hosted by a designer-turned-founder, each episode dives into honest, behind-the-scenes stories from industry leaders, creative thinkers, and bold business owners who are shaping the design world on their own terms. We talk about the big wins, the hard lessons, the financial truths, and the messy middle of entrepreneurship.
Whether you're just starting out or scaling something big, this podcast is your reminder that you're not doing it alone—and that success can look a lot of different ways.
Come for the insights, stay for the community. This is Founders & Friends—where business gets personal, and conversations get real.
Founders & Friends
42. Chloe Legras Shares Her Secrets to Hiring, Growth & Profitability
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
In this episode of Founders & Friends, I sit down with Chloe Legras, founder of Boxwood Avenue, to discuss the realities of building and scaling a successful interior design business. From her humble beginnings on a cattle ranch and running an Etsy shop to leading a multi-million-dollar design firm, Chloe shares the operational strategies, hiring philosophies, and growth decisions that have fueled her success.
Together, we dive into the challenges of finding the right team members, creating scalable business systems, transitioning to profitable pricing models, and maintaining confidence as a business owner. Our conversation explores everything from remote team management and personality testing in the hiring process to client boundaries, furniture sales, risk mitigation, and long-term growth planning.
Chloe also shares insights into her plans for international expansion, including opening a Paris studio while continuing to serve high-budget American clients. Whether you're a solo designer looking to grow or an established firm owner refining your operations, this episode is packed with practical advice for building a profitable, sustainable, and scalable design business.
Topics discussed include:
• Hiring and building the right team
• Using personality assessments like Myers-Briggs in the hiring process
• Transitioning from flat fees to hourly pricing
• Managing remote teams with Slack and Asana
• Protecting profitability through retainers and pause fees
• Growing through networking instead of relying solely on social media
• Scaling a design firm without sacrificing profitability
• Future growth plans and international expansion
You can find Chloe at:
https://design.boxwoodavenue.com/pages/about
https://www.instagram.com/boxwoodavenue
This Episode was brought to you by Vetted by Design
If you are looking to outsource anything in your design business check out Vetted by Design to find some amazing highly vetted pros you can trust to help you grow your business.
www.vetted-bydesign.com
https://www.instagram.com/vettedbydesign/
Connect with all things Founders & Friends on our Facebook Group & Instagram
*Only for interior designers & pro's who serve the industry