Claim OwnershipMastering the Business of Interior Design: Success by Design
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© 2025 Mastering the Business of Interior Design: Success by Design
Description
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.
92 Episodes
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Send Katie a Text Message!! Today’s episode is one I’ve been wanting to record for a long time because it’s built entirely around the questions I hear every single week as a business coach. These are the questions that come up in strategy calls, Voxer messages, office hours, and hallway conversations at High Point. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, unsure about hiring, confused by your numbers, or stuck relying on referrals, you are not alone — and this episode is for you. I’m walking you th...
Send Katie a Text Message!! If you want 2026 to look different than 2025, this episode is where that shift begins. Today, I’m walking you step-by-step through the 2025 Business Audit Worksheet and showing you how to look at last year honestly — without judgment, without overwhelm, and without getting stuck in the past. This isn’t busy work or a reflective exercise for the sake of reflection. It’s about understanding what actually happened in your business so you can make grounded, con...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Welcome back, designers! This is Part 2 of The Design Business Growth Blueprint, and today we’re shifting from the hard-number reality of Part 1 into something just as important - building your 2026 strategy like a true CEO. Not from vibes, not from wishful thinking, and definitely not from “I just want to make more next year,” but from real data, real capacity, and real clarity about the life you actually want to live. In this episode, I’m walking you thro...
Send Katie a Text Message!! 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 kno...
Send Katie a Text Message!! In today’s episode, I’m getting real with you — lovingly calling you out and calling you up. If you’ve been stuck in planning mode, waiting for the “right time,” or drowning in overwhelm while nothing truly moves your business forward, this is your wake-up call. I’m sharing the mindset shifts, micro-actions, and systems my clients use to stop overthinking, start taking action, and create a design business that actually supports their life. IN THIS EPISODE, I TALK...
Send Katie a Text Message!! When you’re deep in the day-to-day of your design business, it’s easy to forget why you started it in the first place. I’ve been there — chasing goals, saying yes to opportunities, and still feeling like something’s off. In this episode, I’m challenging you to step back and look at your business through the lens of a true CEO and visionary. Because you can’t scale what you haven’t defined. IN THIS EPISODE: Why most designers are stuck in their business instead of...
Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’ve ever looked at another designer’s success and wondered, “What do they have that I don’t?” - this episode is for you. I’m digging into the real mindset work behind scaling a design business - and it’s not about better clients, a bigger team, or even a new offer. It’s about confidence. Because growth doesn’t start when your circumstances change; it starts when you decide to trust yourself again. I’m sharing how self-doubt sneaks in even when things are wor...
Send Katie a Text Message!! So many designers get stuck in their businesses because of the beliefs they carry about money, success, and what it takes to grow. In this episode, I’m talking honestly about the most common limiting beliefs I see in my coaching practice — from thinking you have to struggle to make money, to believing that success takes years, to feeling like you’re not ready yet. I’m sharing how these beliefs show up, why they’re keeping you stuck, and, most importantly, what you...
Send Katie a Text Message!! In this episode, I’m kicking off a brand new series all about building a business that works for you — not the other way around. If you’ve ever felt like your design business has more potential than what it’s currently producing, this conversation is for you. I see you out there trying to scale, trying to take home more income, trying to show up for your family and your clients, trying to build something meaningful without burning yourself out. It’s not easy — esp...
Send Katie a Text Message!! This week on Success by Design, I’m diving deep into one of my favorite topics: how to grow your design business thoughtfully, without letting it take over your life. I chat with Heather about the differences between W2 employees and 1099 contractors, and how choosing the right type of hire can make or break your business as you scale. We also talk about coaching, systems, and one-on-one strategies for creatives who have already hit six figures but want to push in...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Welcome back to Success by Design! I’m wrapping up our three-part series, Your Interior Designer Survival Guide Through Economic Uncertainty, with one of the most important conversations we can have right now — how to build a business that bends but doesn’t break. In this episode, I’m sharing how to strengthen your foundation through visibility, creative adaptability, strong systems, the right support network, and emotional sustainability. Whether you’re feeling t...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Hey designers — welcome back to Success by Design! I’m Katie Decker Erickson, and this week we’re diving into part two of our three-part series, Thriving Through Economic Uncertainty. In this episode, I’m breaking down how to create demand even when the market feels quiet — because slowing down doesn’t mean sitting still. I’m sharing the exact mindset and marketing strategies that keep designers (including me and my clients) booked, visible, and confident w...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Welcome to Success by Design! I’m kicking off a brand-new three-part series called The Interior Designer’s Survival Guide Through Economic Uncertainty. Let’s be honest—the economy feels weird right now. Clients are cautious, interest rates are high, and confidence can feel scarce. But while you can’t control the broader economy, you can control your pricing, positioning, and profit strategy. In this episode, we’re diving into how to price confidently when fear st...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Hey designers, it’s Katie Decker Erickson, and today I’m giving you something totally different — no fluff, no hype, and no sugarcoating. This is your five-minute State of the Industry for interior designers, and a heart-to-heart about what’s really going on behind the pretty photos and Pinterest boards. Because let’s be honest — the economy isn’t doing us any favors right now. Margins are tight, clients want miracles for pennies, and too many designers are drowni...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Scaling an interior design business isn’t just about hustling harder—it’s about systems, boundaries, leadership, and strategic support. In this episode, I sit down with my client Shannon to share her journey from feeling overwhelmed to confidently scaling her interior design business. We talk about the unexpected lessons she learned along the way and how coaching helped her master each step of growth. IN THIS EPISODE: How Shannon recognized she needed help and to...
Send Katie a Text Message!! In this week’s episode, to wrap up our Project to Profit Series, I'm getting real about the one step most designers skip that could save you hours, protect your margins, and stop you from repeating the same costly mistakes project after project. Here’s the kicker: research shows that teams who actually take this step improve performance by 20–25% on their very next project. Yep, it’s that powerful. And don’t think this is just for big firms — if you’re a team of o...
Send Katie a Text Message!! What if one happy client didn’t just mean a beautiful portfolio photo — but also became the gateway to three more dream projects? That’s the power of a referral strategy for designers that actually works. In this episode, I'm sharing why most interior design referrals don’t happen by chance — and how to move beyond “word of mouth” into a system that brings you consistent, pre-qualified leads. If you’ve been wondering how to get more design clients without burning ...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Scope creep: two little words that can drain your profits, stretch your timeline, and zap your energy if left unchecked. But here’s the twist—done right, scope creep can actually fuel your profit margins and strengthen client relationships. In this episode, I'm breaking down the sneaky ways scope creep shows up (and why it feels so personal). The #1 mindset shift that transforms extra client requests into profit opportunities. What to say in the moment when a clie...
Send Katie a Text Message!! Every design project begins with excitement, but if you skip one crucial step, that excitement can quickly spiral into misunderstandings, scope creep, and profit loss. That step? Onboarding and expectation setting. In this episode, part of our Project to Profit series, I'm pulling back the curtain on why onboarding isn’t just paperwork and contracts. Done right, it becomes your profit protector, a system that saves you stress, strengthens client trust, and protect...
Send Katie a Text Message!! If you’ve ever said, “I gave a discount just to keep the client happy,” this episode of Success by Design is for you. In this week’s Projects to Profit series, I'm pulling back the curtain on one of the most common traps interior designers fall into: discounting. What feels like a quick win for keeping a client can harm your profit margins, dilute your brand, and erode your confidence as a designer. Check out the full show notes and other resources at https:...
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