In this episode, Melissa takes you beyond the dashboards and metrics and into the heart of what makes your design business truly thrive — your creativity. You'll explore the often-overlooked power of right-brain leadership and how reconnecting with your imagination can be your secret weapon in a data-dominated world. Melissa shares insights on how intuition and emotion drive not just beautiful interiors, but exceptional business decisions and client transformations.

This is your invitation to pause the analytics and remember why you started designing in the first place. You'll learn how to trust your instincts, innovate instead of imitate, and inspire your clients with vision and feeling — not just formulas. Melissa shows you how to blend the precision of data with the magic of creativity to build a business that's not just profitable, but deeply fulfilling.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR:

• (01:08) Why design is a sensory experience, not a spreadsheet — and why that matters now more than ever
• (03:03) The cost of creative burnout from data obsession — and how one designer found her spark again
• (04:07) How to use your intuition as a powerful business decision-making tool
• (05:32) The role of imagination in leading clients into bold, transformative design choices
• (07:35) Why merging logic and creativity creates a business that's magnetic, original, and profitable
• (08:59) The difference between efficiency and excellence — and how imagination drives both

Do you know exactly what's holding your firm back from those six- and seven-figure projects and the design fees and profit that go with them?

Most interior design firm principals don't. That's why I invite you to schedule your complimentary Design Business Assessment, a confidential 1:1 with me on Zoom.
It's the first high-impact step to diagnosing your bottlenecks—from pricing to process—and getting absolute clarity on the bold action required. Stop working harder, start working smarter.

Book today at melissagalt.com/DBA. When you're ready to reveal your firm's growth opportunities and work with me to get there, let's go.

In this episode, you're going to discover how to harness the power of AI to create a "digital twin" — a smart, always-on brand ambassador that mirrors your tone, values, and voice. Rather than fearing technology, you're invited to design with it, intentionally shaping your AI to sound and look like you so it can consistently communicate your design genius even when you're off the clock.

Melissa walks you through how to capture your unique brand DNA — from your tone and vocabulary to your values and visual identity — and teach it to AI tools like ChatGPT, Jasper, or Gemini. You'll learn how to build a core brand library, train your digital systems, and safeguard your brand integrity while leveraging automation for consistency, scalability, and profitability. If you've ever wished you could be in more than one place at once, this is your blueprint.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR:

• (03:13) What a digital twin really is — and why your design brand needs one
• (05:29) How to define your brand tone, vocabulary, and values for AI use
• (08:06) The secret to identifying your brand DNA with your own content
• (09:59) What belongs in your core brand library to train your AI tools effectively
• (13:27) Automating without losing your voice — how to maintain soul in scale
• (17:29) Why regular audits of your AI-generated content are essential to brand integrity

If you're ready to build your own digital twin — one that reflects your design genius, amplifies your brand voice, and runs while you rest — let's talk.

Head to melissagalt.com/DBA and book your 1:1 confidential Zoom Design Business Assessment. Or DM me with DBA and we'll share a link.

Because your best business partner might not be a person — it might be the smarter, faster, AI-powered version of you, that amplifies your talent to capture better clients, bigger projects and more profit.

You've got this: I've got you always!

In this episode of Design Business Freedom, you're invited to reframe the AI conversation and lean into what makes you irreplaceable as an interior designer. Melissa explores how, in an increasingly automated industry, your real value lies in being profoundly human—tapping into empathy, intuition, and sensory design to create transformation, not just transactions. This episode is a call to deepen your client connections and showcase your unique touch in ways AI can never replicate.

Melissa walks you through the three core areas where the human advantage shines: design discovery, design delivery, and client experience. From reading body language on Zoom to curating sensory design reveals and hosting unforgettable completion celebrations, you'll learn how to make clients feel truly seen, valued, and celebrated. This is how you set yourself apart in a sea of sameness and attract the luxury clients who crave personal connection and presence.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR:

• (02:14) Why AI can replicate images, but not the emotion or transformation behind your designs
• (03:35) The three stages of your business where your human advantage matters most
• (04:41) How emotional intelligence turns your discovery calls into loyalty-building conversations
• (05:51) Elevating your design delivery through sensory experiences clients will never forget
• (09:03) The power of completion celebrations and how they drive referrals and client advocacy
• (12:06) Where to draw the line between automation and personalization for a high-touch, high-profit business
  
  

SUPPORTING RESOURCES:

Do you know exactly what's holding your firm back from those six- and seven-figure projects and the design fees and profit that go with them?

Most interior design firm principals don't. That's why I invite you to schedule your complimentary Design Business Assessment, a confidential 1:1 with me on Zoom.

It's the first high-impact step to diagnosing your bottlenecks—from pricing to process—and getting absolute clarity on the bold action required. Stop working harder, start working smarter.

Take the assessment today at melissagalt.com/DBA. When you're ready to reveal your firm's growth opportunities and work with me to get there, let's go.