Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast Podcast Por Rebecca Ward CID | Interior Design Mentor and Coach arte de portada

Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast

Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast

De: Rebecca Ward CID | Interior Design Mentor and Coach
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A show for the curious creatives who want to learn what it takes to become an interior designer. Welcome to the Design Curious podcast! Each week, you'll learn practical skills every designer needs to develop regardless of whether you want to work for yourself or someone else. You'll learn secrets from professional interior designers to help you avoid costly mistakes & regrets. You'll be encouraged & empowered to overcome your fears of change, failure & money. With my 20 yrs of experience, I'll help you on the RIGHT WAY to get started. Discover if interior design is the career for you!Rebecca Ward, CID | Interior Design Mentor and Coach Arte
Episodios
  • 185 | Are You Making These Interior Design Business Mistakes?

    185 | Are You Making These Interior Design Business Mistakes?
    Apr 6 2026
    When most people start an interior design business, they assume the hardest part will be creating beautiful spaces. But in reality, the design isn’t the biggest challenge — the business side of interior design is where many new designers struggle.I've seen talented designers make the same mistakes repeatedly when they first start their businesses. These mistakes don’t happen because they lack creativity or skill. They happen because no one teaches designers the sales guidance, client boundaries, and business structure required to run a profitable design business.In this episode, I’m sharing three common mistakes new interior designers make when starting their design business — mistakes I made in my early days as well. If you understand these pitfalls early, you can avoid wasting time, losing confidence, or creating unnecessary chaos in your projects. My goal is to help you build stronger client relationships, create a clear design process, and run a professional design business from the start.What You’ll Learn in This Episode✔️ Why designers must lead the client, not follow✔️ How boundaries build trust and prevent project chaos✔️ Why interior designers must embrace the salesperson role✔️ How to reduce client decision fatigue during presentations✔️ Essential steps to make your design business officialRead the Blog >>> Interior Design Business Mistakes New Designers Must AvoidNEXT STEPS:📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ 📖 Check out the best books every interior designer should have here.Check out our Designer's Playlist!*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey *️ From Newbie to Confident Designer *️ Switching Gears to Interior Design Grab your freebies:📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my CareerConnect With Me:📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign 🌎 Website at rwarddesign.comThanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...Timestamps0:00 Introduction2:28 Mistake 1: Letting Clients Drive the Project 4:20 Examples of Client-Driven Projects7:44 Setting Boundaries and Scheduling10:54 Mistake 2: Forgetting You Are a Salesperson14:17 The One Strong Design Solution to Clients17:53 Mistake 3: Not Making the Business Official20:00 Essential Business Setup
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    23 m
  • 184 | How Coaching Makes Your Interior Design Business More Profitable With Sonia Barney

    184 | How Coaching Makes Your Interior Design Business More Profitable With Sonia Barney
    Mar 30 2026
    Are you building your interior design business in a bubble?If you’re anything like I was in my early years, you probably assumed the hard part was the design. You thought, “If I can create beautiful spaces, the rest will fall into place.” But what no one tells you is this: guesswork is expensive. Shooting from the hip on markups, contracts, pricing, and processes can cost you years of profitability—and a whole lot of stress.In this episode, I sit down with award-winning interior designer and business educator Sonia Barney, founder of the Kaivari platform, to talk about why business support is not optional if you want a sustainable, profitable design firm. We unpack the role of coaching, personalized growth, business systems, and strategic mentorship in helping creative entrepreneurs skip years of trial and error.If you’re starting out—or feeling overworked and underpaid—this conversation will help you see why investing in business education and the right coach can completely transform your creative career.Featured Guest:Sonia Barney is an award-winning interior designer, business educator, and founder of the Kaivari platform. With over 20 years in the interior design industry and more than a decade as the owner of Sonia Barney Design, she has seen firsthand how many creatives struggle with the business side of their firms. Known for her analytical, systems-driven approach, Sonia teaches design business strategy through LuAnn University and is passionate about helping designers connect with the right coaches, resources, and community network to support personalized growth and long-term profitability.What You’ll Learn in This Episode✳️ Why guesswork kills interior design profitability✳️ How coaching accelerates personalized business growth✳️ When to hire different types of coaches✳️ The power of community for creative entrepreneurs✳️ How vetted mentorship reduces costly business mistakesRead the Blog >>> The Role of Coaching and Business Education in Your Design BusinessNEXT STEPS:📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ Check out our Designer's Playlist!*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey *️ From Newbie to Confident Designer *️ Switching Gears to Interior Design Grab your freebies:📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my CareerConnect With Me:📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign 🌎 Website at rwarddesign.comThanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...Timestamps0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio3:45 Sonia’s Design Business Journey6:09 The Turning Point: Investing in Coaching8:16 Different Coaches for Different Growth Stages11:29 Building a Team 14:58 The Inspiration Behind Kaivari Platform16:53 The Role of Coaches and Business Education19:45 The Importance of Finding the Right Coach22:16 Kaivari's Features and Future Plans
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    33 m
  • 183 | Key Steps That Help Interior Designers Attract Dream Clients

    183 | Key Steps That Help Interior Designers Attract Dream Clients
    Mar 23 2026

    If you’ve ever said, “I’ll take any client I can get,” you’re not alone. Most interior designers start there — saying yes to every project, every personality, and every request… even when it drains their time, energy, and confidence.


    But here’s what I want you to know: dream clients don’t just appear because you’re talented. They’re attracted to clarity, confidence, and structure. And without clear boundaries, a professional contract, and a strong onboarding process, even the most exciting project can quickly turn into one you resent.


    In this episode, I’m walking you through how to identify and attract your dream clients — not by chasing them, but by designing your business in a way that naturally draws them in. When you shift your money mindset, define your non-negotiables, and confidently communicate your process, you stop attracting bargain shoppers… and start attracting aligned clients who respect your expertise and value interior design as a professional service.


    What You’ll Learn in This Episode

    ✔️ Define dream clients with clarity and boundaries

    ✔️ Build a structure before landing your first client

    ✔️ Strengthen money mindset to attract aligned clients

    ✔️ Use niching to attract ideal projects

    ✔️ Leverage networking for warm referrals


    Read the Blog >>> Key Steps to Attracting Your Dream Interior Design Clients


    NEXT STEPS:

    📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves


    🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠


    Check out our Designer's Playlist!

    *️ Start Your Interior Design Journey

    *️ From Newbie to Confident Designer

    *️ Switching Gears to Interior Design


    Grab your freebies:

    📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design

    🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career


    Connect With Me:

    📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com

    🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign

    🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com


    Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...


    Timestamps

    0:00 Introduction

    02:56 Building Dream Clients

    3:48 Setting Non-Negotiables and Client Expectations

    6:24 Money Mindset and Pricing Confidence

    8:25 Recognizing Aligned Dream Clients

    10:54 Networking for Referrals

    13:00 Acting Like Your Future Designer Self
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    17 m
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