Over the past couple of weeks, I've been sharing some things in my business that were genuinely challenging. The systems that stretched me, the decisions that felt uncomfortable, the seasons that required me to shift my thinking. I've talked about what was hard and the mindset shifts that came from it. But what I realized I haven't really talked about is how I got to those mindset shifts in the first place.

The truth is, those shifts didn't come from thinking harder or powering through or honestly even journaling. They came from my decision to invest in my own education and business coaching. More specifically, from a mindset shift I had to make about what coaching is actually for.

When I first stepped into the world of business coaching, I thought I was going to get all the answers. I thought they would tell me exactly what to do, what the right next move was, what the perfect strategy was. And while that happened, it didn't happen the way I expected. I had to recalibrate my thinking because what coaching did best wasn't hand me answers—it was to help me make better decisions for my business and give me access. And why are both crucial for growth as a staging business owner?

This episode unpacks that.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why free resources expand awareness but don't always sharpen decisions
• How high-level CEOs measure ROI on coaching investments
• Why access to higher-level thinking matters more than having all the answers
• How to extract gold from any coaching container, even if you miss every call

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

There's a business season that doesn't get talked about enough; the one where growth stops feeling exciting and starts feeling heavy. It's a different phase from when you are the only person and you are tired from being overwhelmed. Here, you're no longer doing everything yourself. What you have running are systems, training, and leadership, but these feel harder than any work you have ever done.

This episode is grounded in what that season looked like inside my own business, because it's a phase so many owners experience but rarely name out loud.

I walk through what was really happening for me during that stretch; the mental exhaustion of training and delegation, my nervous system constantly on edge, and what understanding the neuroscience behind growth helped me finally see. I also share a turning-point conversation with a long-time client that forced me to choose: keep being the value in my business, or start building it into the business itself.

If you're building a team, feeling the weight of growth, or questioning why this phase feels so uncomfortable, I hope this episode helps you make sense that this season isn't a mistake.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why growth often feels worse before it feels better
• Why training is harder than just doing the work yourself
• The difference between clients who want outcomes and clients who want access
• How to advocate for your team instead of rescuing situations

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

Heather Russo is building a luxury staging business in the Boston area. And her path here? Eighteen years in insurance first. I know, right.

She is like most of us out there who didn't set out to build a staging business.

Today, Heather and I talk about what it really looks like to grow a staging business intentionally. From learning how to manage seasonality and capacity, to making decisions that allow the business to support long-term goals instead of constant burnout.

We talk about the moment success starts to stretch you, why hiring often has to happen before you feel ready, and the shift from doing all the things to teaching, documenting, and letting go of control. Heather also shares what changed when she brought on support and later welcomed her husband, Tony, into the business to help with operations and growth.

If you're in a season of growth and figuring out what needs to change so the business can keep up, you'll hear yourself in this one.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why the term "hobby business" is damaging to women in this industry and needs to retire
• How to price your services when you're not making money 12 months out of the year
• The signs you've hit capacity and actually need help
• What it's really like bringing your spouse into the business as a partner

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome
• Rethink Home Interiors: rethinkhomeinteriors.com/
• Glen Street Staging on Instagram: www.instagram.com/glenstreetstaging
• Glen Street Staging: glenstreetstaging.com
  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

We love to say we want things to be simple.

Simple workflows.
Simple systems.
Simple days.

But if you've ever felt exhausted by something that looks straightforward on paper, please come closer.

On Staging Sips today, I am pulling back the curtain on why "simple" workflows in a staging business often feel anything but simple. Also, why that doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. Rather, it means you're running a real business with real moving parts.

This episode isn't about adding more software or forcing yourself into tighter systems. It's about understanding the invisible complexity behind your day-to-day operations so you can stop carrying unnecessary frustration and start making clearer, calmer decisions as the CEO of your Staging Business.

If you've been telling yourself, "This shouldn't feel this hard," I've got you today.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why workflows that look simple often carry hidden layers of decision-making and emotional labor
• How complexity quietly builds as your staging business grows, even when your services stay the same
• The difference between a workflow problem and a capacity problem
• Why forcing simplicity too early can actually slow you down

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.

Building an email list was invaluable for growing my staging business. And no, not in a flashy, overnight way. I mean in a steady, reliable "this actually works" way.

And why am I bringing this up again, it is because it is one of the most valuable yet untapped points of growth for your business.

As the CEO of your staging business, one of your most important roles is keeping your pipeline full of the right clients, often starting with face to face moments.

But once those meetings are over, how do you stay top of mind without chasing people or feeling awkward about it?

An email list.

An email list quietly does the heavy lifting is more than just staying in touch and strengthens relationships in the background while you focus on serving clients and running your staging business.

Even better, much of it can be set up once and continue working for you consistently, without requiring more of your time.

Today, I'm walking you through five strategic ways an email list can support the growth of your staging business and help the right clients say yes when the timing is right.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• What exactly is an email list for business
• How an email list is different than your regular inbox
• The power of using an email list for your productivity
• All kinds of ways you can leverage the power of an email list

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

Today's episode is intentionally gentle. We would rather end the year not forcing goals, not creating pressure, and not deciding who you are supposed to become when the calendar turns. Instead, this is a guided CEO year beginning ritual meant to help you step into the year ahead feeling steady, supported, and clear in your role as a staging business owner.

Why? Because the truth is constant "A new year does not make a new you, your capacity does."

To round up the year, let's take an honest look at what you are carrying into the new year and what no longer needs to come with you. I am talking about the kind of CEO you want to lead as, how you want to make decisions, and what support actually needs to be in place for your staging business to grow without asking you to overextend yourself.

Best believe a new year might not require you becoming someone new. It could just be about setting yourself up to lead the year at a pace you can sustain.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why capacity is what actually shapes the year ahead
• What you're ready to release so you don't carry last year's weight forward
• How to intentionally choose the CEO identity you're leading from
• Gentle January anchors that stabilize you for your Staging Business leadership

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome
  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

What if the most powerful tool in your staging business isn't your inventory or marketing strategy but the thoughts you choose to think?

What if "I am an in-demand stager" was your most practiced, intentional thought? How would you show up differently? What actions would you take? How would your entire business shift?

The truth is, we get to choose the sentences we tell ourselves. And when we choose empowering thoughts and practice them deliberately, everything changes. Our confidence, our decisions, our results - all that makes your staging business thrive.

Today, I'll walk you through how to create your own belief plan, why it works, and how this one practice can make every bit of difference in your business.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why believing your brain is not always the best
• How to build a better action plan for your business
• Intentional thoughts you can start practicing now
• How to stick to the belief plans you make

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

Can I be honest with you?

Most of us are growing our businesses all wrong. We're adding more clients, more inventory, more team members, more stress and wondering why we feel like we're being dragged behind the business we created instead of leading it.

You've probably 10x'd your to-do list, your warehouse space, and your sleepless nights long before you've 10x'd the care you give yourself. And that? That's the problem.

Because here's what nobody tells you when you're building a staging business: The business doesn't grow because you work harder. It grows because YOU grow. Not your hustle. Not your sacrifice. You - the human running the show.

So if you're heading into 2026 feeling exhausted, stretched thin, or like you've abandoned yourself somewhere along the way... this episode is your permission slip to stop. To draw a line in the sand. To remember that you are not just the CEO of your business you ARE the business. You're the asset. And it's time you started treating you like one.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• The difference between external 10x (hustle harder) and internal 10x (upgrade your capacity)
• Why most entrepreneurs abandon themselves in pursuit of their goals—and how to stop
• How to use internal vs. external locus of control to shape your business outcomes
• The 10x prompt that will make your next-level decisions crystal clear
• Why choosing a word of the year matters (and words like "asset," "sufficiency," and "anchored" might be perfect for you)

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you. Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.