One of the the biggest challenges designers face with managing client expectations is how to stop overpromising and start being intentional with your process. After a recent coaching call with one of our designers, Liz had the idea to create this podcast based on why intentionality is more than just “showing up with a good attitude”. Instead, you should be setting clear expectations, mapping out project steps, and slowing down enough to plan properly. By exploring how intentional processes, like job site visits or weekly updates, will improve your communication with clients and streamlines collaboration with subs--this ultimately protects your sanity and your project for problems before they happen while also deliver a stronger, and happier, outcome.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

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Liz is going solo again and giving you her expertise into the art of handling new lead calls with intention and strategy. Liz handles our discovery calls at In Detail and we do a great job at converting our prospective clients because it is not about rattling off your services or rushing into pricing—it’s about active listening. By asking the right questions, paying attention to tone and word choice, and guiding the conversation toward clarity, designers can uncover what a client really needs. We give practical tips (NOT SCRIPTS) for structuring calls, following up effectively, and positioning yourself as both relatable and professional so that your leads naturally progress into paid consultations.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

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***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Little did we know our Pricing and Salary Survey results were going to give us great nuggets of information that we could share for many future podcasts to come! One of the biggest challenges we found designers face is defining their product. Too often, “full-service design” means something different to every designer—and that inconsistency makes it nearly impossible to set confident fees, manage scope, or show clients the real value of design work. The secret lies in creating clear deliverables with a written scope of work, and structured meeting agendas that are always advancing the project. If you are not keeping track of your time--as many do not--this reveals where designers tend to undervalue themselves. You must trust in the value of your own work--define it, control it, manage expectations, and most importantly, position yourself as the expert in the room.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Kitchen and bath design must be treated — and priced — as the high-level specialty it is. These are not "just another room" — instead, they are some of the most complex, high-stakes, and profitable part of your business if you treat it that way. Too many designers undervalue their skills, we discuss how flat fees protect both your expertise and your bottom line, and why being the expert in the room changes everything. From navigating subs and code changes to troubleshooting “transitions up the wazoo,” we are sharing our real stories from the trenches that prove kitchen and bath design demands higher fees and sharper processes.

If you’ve ever charged the same for a bath as you do a living room, then this is your wake-up call. Remember--clients pay for confidence, precision, and advocacy. Our message is clear: stop selling yourself short and start treating kitchen and bath work as the profit powerhouse it can be.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

In this Ask and Answered episode, we break down the real reasons flat fees can transform your business—and why hourly billing might be keeping you small. The mindset shift designers need to make is to stop thinking like a technician and start pricing like a CEO. Flat fees protect your time, boost your authority, and create a better experience for your clients. This isn’t about guessing—it’s about building a smarter, scalable business model that reflects the transformation you deliver. If you're tired of trading hours for dollars, this episode is your call to change the game.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Mentioned in this episode:

The Design Paradigm

How can you be team player without giving up your own rights? Working with contractors can be a tricky relationship when they want you to stay in your lane--BUT it doesn't have to be. Creating a team approach with positioning in your marketing, the copy that you use, the verbiage that you talk about, and how you talk about it with other people, all of that is so important. We discuss how important positioning to the client about it being win-win-win and how to sell this to the client and they actually need both components of this is because we do different things and we focused on different things.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

We have another asked and answered topic this week! We are talking about reframing what many designers see as “wasted” discovery calls. Just because a lead isn’t a fit for full service doesn’t mean it’s a dead end. Consider this as a chance to position your firm as a resource, build brand equity, and generate revenue—especially when you offer varied tiers of service. Start looking for smart strategies to redirect leads, educate potential clients, and how to stay visible—even when they say no. This episode is a must-listen for designers who want to create income stability and long-term opportunity in any market.

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

Subscribe to our Newsletter and get our FREE download

• Hidden Keys for Growth for 2025 - DOWNLOAD NOW

***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***

Public relations isn’t just about getting published—it’s about what you do after the feature goes live. We thrilled to welcome our special guest who we have been working with for over a year. Alex Abramian, founder of The PR Collaborative, talks with us about the evolving landscape of PR for interior designers. With years of experience as a writer and editor for major national publications, Alex shares real-world insights into what editors are looking for right now and how designers at any stage of business can get press without big budgets or agency retainers.

A non-negotiable for us--high-quality photography. The reason being is you can create stories in these photos and it doesn't have to be on a million dollar budget. Editors are currently obsessed with small, personality-filled spaces (think under 1500 sq ft, bold color, cozy vibes, and yes—pets!), and how sharing your client’s story can make a bigger impact than simply showcasing pretty rooms.

If you think you need a massive "luxury project" or a full marketing strategy to get noticed, think again. This episode is packed with practical advice on how to get published and how to leverage that publicity for SEO, credibility, and client trust.

When you are being responsive, opinionated, and authentic, it makes you more appealing to editors—and how early to mid-career designers have more opportunity than ever before to break into editorial PR. Stop waiting for someone to come to you--it's time to show up and start getting noticed.

If you want to learn more & join The Academy - check it out here - https://www.theprcollaborative.co/academy

Alex has generously offered a way to save a bit on the registration too by using DAMNGOOD when you sign up! I told you she was cool!

Have a question--click here to ask us.

Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website

• The best business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today.

The Design Paradigm - The Interior Design Paradigm - Website

• A 12 month comprehensive and powerful business coaching program for creative entrepreneurs who are serious about running a profitable business and being the expert in the room. It is the only coaching program to combine individual attention & accountability with live group workshops, honest video presentations and customized attention to your needs.

Join our FREE Facebook Groups

• Small Business - Think Big - Facebook
• What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group

For designers who need honest talk and a place to work on the business, marketing and promotion small business owners need.

• Subscribe to our