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In Good Space
In Good Space explores the business behind home staging and interior design.
Hosted by Alisa Sparks, founder of Linden Creek, the show breaks down what it takes to build a profitable, scalable creative company in the home industry.
Episodes cover staging strategy, real estate marketing, pricing, systems, team growth, and franchising, grounded in real-world experience.
Homeowners, real estate agents, builders, staging professionals, and entrepreneurs exploring franchise opportunities will gain a clearer understanding of how successful staging and design companies are built.
Episodes
24 episodes
Why We Expanded Beyond Home Staging And How It Changed Everything
Betting our whole income on one service leaves us one market swing away from a real crisis, especially in real estate. We walk through how staging evolved into interior design and why having both creates stability across boom and bust cycles.&n...
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Three Smart Questions To Ask Before Buying A Franchise
We break down the three questions franchise buyers often fail to ask, starting with whether a model works for average owners or only top performers. We also share what real franchisor support looks like and how to judge lifestyle fit before you...
How To Grow A Home Staging Business Through Real Relationships
“Digital is dead” sounds scary until you realize what it frees you to do: stop chasing clicks and start building a business people actually talk about. We dig into what we’d focus on first if we were launching a home staging or interior design ...
4 Corporate Skills That Transfer Directly to Franchise Ownership (No Design Experience Needed)
We talk through the most common fear we hear from prospective franchise owners: not having an interior design background. We share why transferable business skills often matter more than technical design at the start and how passion for design ...
3 Home Staging Stats in 3 Minutes
We break down the real home staging numbers that explain why some houses sell quickly while others stall, and how furnishing changes the entire buyer experience. The big takeaway is simple: buyers decide with emotion first, and smart staging tu...
Why Neutral Home Staging Helps Buyers Say Yes
Neutral design isn’t boring, it’s a smart way to help a home appeal to more buyers and sell with less friction. We break down why taste-specific rooms can stall a sale and how texture-driven neutrals create warmth without forcing an emotional r...
How AI Is Changing Work and What It Means for You
We share takeaways from the International Franchise Association conference and why we see AI as a tool that amplifies people rather than replaces them outright. We dig into what automation means for white-collar jobs, why service-based work may...
Three Questions Before You Stage
We break down the three questions that matter most before hiring a home stager so you can protect your price and speed up your sale. We focus on staging as a marketing strategy and we push for results you can measure.• asking for a clear...
Five Affordable Updates That Can Raise Your Home’s Sale Price
A top-dollar sale often comes from small, smart updates rather than a massive renovation. We break down five high-ROI ways to make your home feel modern, clean, and worth more before it hits the market. • swapping dated hardware...
How A Finance Day Job Sparked A Luxury Home Staging Brand
We tell the behind-the-scenes story of how Linden Creek grows from a creative side project into a luxury home staging company, then evolves into a franchise. We unpack the real pivots that matter, from validating demand to building systems that...
Function-First Interior Design
Beautiful spaces work because we design for real people and real routines, not just a perfect-looking room. We break down how function-first thinking leads to smarter layouts, better materials, and a home that still feels elevated even when lif...
What Are You Willing To Trade For Scale
We get honest about the costs that come with growing a business and why “wanting growth” is not the same as being ready for it. We break down the real tradeoffs in time, money, focus, and family and how to navigate a growth season without losin...
Why Home Staging Works And How It Changes Buyer Behavior
We show why staging is a marketing tool, not just decorating, and how it shapes buyer behavior from the first photo to the final walkthrough. We share tactics to depersonalize, design for MLS photos, highlight strengths, and steer attention awa...
Math Over Magic: The Four Metrics That Grow A Staging Business
We break down the four metrics that actually move a home staging business: top-line revenue, profitability, job volume, and average ticket. We show how seasonality, activity, and smarter scoping turn uncertainty into a plan you can run....
Why Staging Works: The Psychology Behind Buyer Decisions
We break down why staging works on buyers’ emotions and how it turns a quick walk-through into a long, memorable visit. We show how staged rooms clarify function, photograph better, and support stronger prices while reducing objections during i...
Strategic Planning, Smart Delegation, And Networking That Keeps Revenue Flowing
We dig into why some owners scale while others stall, and we share the three levers that turn frantic weeks into steady growth. We break down practical planning, real delegation, and relationship habits that keep the pipeline healthy.• ...
Home Staging Pricing Strategy: Charge What You're Worth
Pricing home staging shouldn’t feel like throwing darts in the dark. We open the books on how to move from guesswork to a grounded, repeatable system that protects your profit and elevates your value. If you’ve ever underbid a project, overwork...
We Built A Marriage And A Company By Owning Different Lanes
We share the real story of building a company as a married team, from a rocky first date to defining CEO and COO lanes that actually work. The visionary–integrator model, fast decision rules, and kid-first presence shape how we lead, grow, and ...
Do You Really Need An Interior Designer?
Do you actually need to hire an interior designer? In a world filled with Pinterest boards and AI tools, it’s a fair question. In this episode, Alisa Sparks unpacks when bringing in a designer is a smart investment, and when doing it yourself m...
Growth Breakpoints: Fix These Three First
Growth doesn’t implode overnight. It starts with one crack. We unpack the three places where scaling companies tend to break first: communication, quality control, and owner leadership. From replacing hallway talk with shared systems to redefin...
Systems That Make Staging Profitable
The most beautiful rooms hide the most important truth: flawless staging runs on rock-solid systems. We share the real playbook we use to turn chaotic install days into smooth, profitable operations.If you’re a home stager or design ent...
Interior Design or Home Staging? Here’s the Real Difference
What’s the difference between home staging and interior design, and why does it matter for your bottom line? In this episode of In Good Space, Alisa Sparks breaks down the strategic distinctions between staging and design, and why confusing the...
How I Turned a Creative Company into a Franchise
What happens when your business runs so well it no longer needs you? For the founder of Linden Creek, that realization didn’t lead to a hammock and margaritas. It sparked a bold move: turn years of hard-earned systems into a franchise designed ...
Why Home Staging Matters: The Real Impact on Buyers
What actually makes home staging so powerful? In this episode, Alisa Sparks explains why home staging is more than decorating. It’s a strategic marketing tool that helps homes sell faster and for more money. She breaks down the psyc...