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 discuss why onboarding isn’t just about paperwork and contracts. Done right, it becomes your profit protector, a system that saves you stress, strengthens client trust, and protects your margins.

Here’s what you’ll discover in this episode:

• Why onboarding is the foundation of client trust and project success.

• The four pillars of a strong onboarding process: welcome + orientation, rules + responsibilities, a communication map, and a clear process timeline.

• How proposals, contracts, and welcome packets work together to eliminate scope creep and prevent budget blowouts.

• Real-world coaching examples where small onboarding tweaks transformed chaos into clarity (and protected profit).

“You’d never start a project without a scope of work, so why start a client relationship without one?”- Katie

If you’ve ever had a client assume you’re their GC, expect daily check-ins, or stall your project with weeks of silence, this episode will change how you onboard forever. Because clear expectations at the start aren’t just good business practice, they’re the key to running a sustainable, profitable design firm.

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Click Here to read the full episode transcript.

This episode of Mastering the Business of Interior Design: Success by Design is brought to you in partnership with Leah Bryant Co.