Welcome to
Success by Design - Mastering the Business of Interior Design
Your Business Reality Check Starts Here
If you’re an interior designer who’s crossing into multi-six figures but still feeling overworked, overextended, or strangely disconnected from the success you’ve built… you’re not alone. In fact, most high-achieving designers hit a moment where the business they created no longer reflects the life or the work they actually want.
And here’s the truth no one likes to talk about:
You can’t fix what you’re unwilling to look at.
In Part 1 of my new two-episode series on the Success by Design podcast, I’m walking you through the uncomfortable but absolutely necessary first step in creating an aligned, profitable business for 2026 (and beyond): getting radically honest with your numbers.
Why Designers Avoid Their Numbers
Many designers run their businesses based on feeling—feeling busy, feeling booked out, feeling like they “probably” made good money this year. But feelings don’t reveal the full picture. Only data does.
When you actually look at the numbers, you start to see things differently:
• Which clients brought in the most revenue and the best margins
• Where your time is actually going (it’s never where you think)
• Which marketing efforts moved the needle—and which were just noise
• The places where you're overextended or unintentionally leaking profit
• What you think is working… versus what actually is
This kind of clarity doesn’t just shift your strategy—
it shifts your confidence.
The Numerical Autopsy Your Business Needs
In this episode, I break down the exact process I use with my private clients to assess what really happened in their business this year. It’s not complicated, but it is confronting. Because once you see the truth, you can’t unsee it.
And that’s a good thing.
When you know what’s working, you can double down.
When you know what isn’t, you can stop wasting energy.
When you know what drained you, you can stop repeating the pattern.
This episode gives you the framework to understand your business clearly—without the emotional swirl, the assumptions, or the “I’ll deal with this later” avoidance that keeps so many designers stuck.
This Sets the Stage for Your 2026 Action Plan
This is only Part 1 of the series. Once you’ve uncovered what actually happened inside your business this year, Part 2 will walk you through turning your insights into a data-backed action plan for 2026—one that aligns with your goals, your capacity, and the life you want to build.
If you're ready to stop guessing and start leading your business like a CEO, don’t skip this one.
Listen to Part 1 now and take the first step toward a business that finally feels aligned, strategic, and sustainable.
Transcript Highlights:
[00:00:00] Introduction & Mini-Series Kickoff
Katie welcomes listeners and introduces a new mini-series focused on designing results in your business for 2026. She opens with a fun “Two Truths and a Lie” to challenge assumptions about business growth and profitability.
[00:01:00] The Hard Truth About Reflection
Katie emphasizes that most designers avoid looking at their numbers. Reflection requires honesty and responsibility — skipping it keeps your business stuck and prevents scaling.
[00:02:00] Why Numbers Are Scary
Designers often prefer creative work over analyzing QuickBooks or profit margins. Katie explains that facing your financial data is essential to move from hustle to strategy.
[00:03:00] From Six Figures to Seven Figures
Katie outlines how understanding your business reality can move designers from low six figures to high six figures or even seven figures — with clarity, boundaries, and less stress.
[00:05:00] Detaching Emotions from Numbers
She shares her personal story of overcoming fear of money and stresses the importance of treating financials as data, not emotional measures of worth.
[00:06:00] Busy vs. Profitable
Busy is not a badge of honor. Katie explains that constant busyness often signals undercharging, lack of boundaries, and poor systems. True success is measured by profitability and sustainability.
[00:08:00] Traits of Profitable Designers
Profitable designers are calm, clear, and strategic. They choose work rather than chasing it, and they leverage processes, systems, and people to maintain profitability.
[00:09:00] The Power of Data
Katie introduces the key metrics to track: revenue by service, profit margins, client load, time spent, and alignment. She stresses the importance of knowing where your money is actually coming from.
[00:12:00] Client Load, Rates, and Capacity
She discusses how to evaluate if your client load is sustainable, if your rates match your value, and the difference between stretching capability versus growing capacity.
[00:14:00] Alignment & Energy
Katie encourages designers to reflect on client alignment, energy levels, and project enjoyment. Creativity and intuition are business metrics too.
[00:15:00] Letting Go of What Doesn’t Work
She shares personal examples of letting go of residential clients and accounting tasks that drained her, showing how releasing misaligned work can boost both joy and profitability.
[00:16:00] The 80/20 Rule in Business
Katie teaches how 20% of actions produce 80% of results. Identifying your “needle movers” allows you to repeat successes and reduce random luck.
[00:18:00] Marketing & Attracting Dream Clients
Review which clients were your dream clients and why. Use that insight to create processes to attract more of them. Study your own marketing efforts to identify what actually brings ROI.
[00:20:00] Emotional Part: Letting Go to Grow
Katie stresses that business growth requires releasing old versions of your business — retiring services, raising minimums, letting go of draining clients, and stepping into leadership.
[00:21:00] The Accordion Model of Growth
Reflection (contraction) and strategy (expansion) are both necessary. Allow your business to evolve alongside you as CEO.
[00:22:00] Two Truths and a Lie Revealed
The lie: “The more busy you were in 2025, the more profitable you probably were.” Busy ≠ profitable. She closes with a reminder to focus on strategy over hustle and previews the next episode in the mini-series.
I'm your host, Katie Erickson
I’m a commercial exterior and interior designer with an MBA and nearly 20 years in the industry. When I’m not leading my coast-to-coast, multi-million dollar firm, I love sharing real talk on the business of design, blending insights from 20 years as a business professor. I keep it honest—balancing work and chasing my two girls around.
Your Business Reality Check Starts Here
If you’re an interior designer who’s crossing into multi-six figures but still feeling overworked, overextended, or strangely disconnected from the success you’ve built… you’re not alone. In fact, most high-achieving designers hit a moment where the business they created no longer reflects the life or the work they actually want.
And here’s the truth no one likes to talk about:
You can’t fix what you’re unwilling to look at.
In Part 1 of my new two-episode series on the Success by Design podcast, I’m walking you through the uncomfortable but absolutely necessary first step in creating an aligned, profitable business for 2026 (and beyond): getting radically honest with your numbers.
Why Designers Avoid Their Numbers
Many designers run their businesses based on feeling—feeling busy, feeling booked out, feeling like they “probably” made good money this year. But feelings don’t reveal the full picture. Only data does.
When you actually look at the numbers, you start to see things differently:
• Which clients brought in the most revenue and the best margins
• Where your time is actually going (it’s never where you think)
• Which marketing efforts moved the needle—and which were just noise
• The places where you're overextended or unintentionally leaking profit
• What you think is working… versus what actually is
This kind of clarity doesn’t just shift your strategy—
it shifts your confidence.
The Numerical Autopsy Your Business Needs
In this episode, I break down the exact process I use with my private clients to assess what really happened in their business this year. It’s not complicated, but it is confronting. Because once you see the truth, you can’t unsee it.
And that’s a good thing.
When you know what’s working, you can double down.
When you know what isn’t, you can stop wasting energy.
When you know what drained you, you can stop repeating the pattern.
This episode gives you the framework to understand your business clearly—without the emotional swirl, the assumptions, or the “I’ll deal with this later” avoidance that keeps so many designers stuck.
This Sets the Stage for Your 2026 Action Plan
This is only Part 1 of the series. Once you’ve uncovered what actually happened inside your business this year, Part 2 will walk you through turning your insights into a data-backed action plan for 2026—one that aligns with your goals, your capacity, and the life you want to build.
If you're ready to stop guessing and start leading your business like a CEO, don’t skip this one.
Listen to Part 1 now and take the first step toward a business that finally feels aligned, strategic, and sustainable.
Transcript Highlights:
[00:00:00] Introduction & Mini-Series Kickoff
Katie welcomes listeners and introduces a new mini-series focused on designing results in your business for 2026. She opens with a fun “Two Truths and a Lie” to challenge assumptions about business growth and profitability.
[00:01:00] The Hard Truth About Reflection
Katie emphasizes that most designers avoid looking at their numbers. Reflection requires honesty and responsibility — skipping it keeps your business stuck and prevents scaling.
[00:02:00] Why Numbers Are Scary
Designers often prefer creative work over analyzing QuickBooks or profit margins. Katie explains that facing your financial data is essential to move from hustle to strategy.
[00:03:00] From Six Figures to Seven Figures
Katie outlines how understanding your business reality can move designers from low six figures to high six figures or even seven figures — with clarity, boundaries, and less stress.
[00:05:00] Detaching Emotions from Numbers
She shares her personal story of overcoming fear of money and stresses the importance of treating financials as data, not emotional measures of worth.
[00:06:00] Busy vs. Profitable
Busy is not a badge of honor. Katie explains that constant busyness often signals undercharging, lack of boundaries, and poor systems. True success is measured by profitability and sustainability.
[00:08:00] Traits of Profitable Designers
Profitable designers are calm, clear, and strategic. They choose work rather than chasing it, and they leverage processes, systems, and people to maintain profitability.
[00:09:00] The Power of Data
Katie introduces the key metrics to track: revenue by service, profit margins, client load, time spent, and alignment. She stresses the importance of knowing where your money is actually coming from.
[00:12:00] Client Load, Rates, and Capacity
She discusses how to evaluate if your client load is sustainable, if your rates match your value, and the difference between stretching capability versus growing capacity.
[00:14:00] Alignment & Energy
Katie encourages designers to reflect on client alignment, energy levels, and project enjoyment. Creativity and intuition are business metrics too.
[00:15:00] Letting Go of What Doesn’t Work
She shares personal examples of letting go of residential clients and accounting tasks that drained her, showing how releasing misaligned work can boost both joy and profitability.
[00:16:00] The 80/20 Rule in Business
Katie teaches how 20% of actions produce 80% of results. Identifying your “needle movers” allows you to repeat successes and reduce random luck.
[00:18:00] Marketing & Attracting Dream Clients
Review which clients were your dream clients and why. Use that insight to create processes to attract more of them. Study your own marketing efforts to identify what actually brings ROI.
[00:20:00] Emotional Part: Letting Go to Grow
Katie stresses that business growth requires releasing old versions of your business — retiring services, raising minimums, letting go of draining clients, and stepping into leadership.
[00:21:00] The Accordion Model of Growth
Reflection (contraction) and strategy (expansion) are both necessary. Allow your business to evolve alongside you as CEO.
[00:22:00] Two Truths and a Lie Revealed
The lie: “The more busy you were in 2025, the more profitable you probably were.” Busy ≠ profitable. She closes with a reminder to focus on strategy over hustle and previews the next episode in the mini-series.
Interested In Sponsoring The Podcast?
Your Business Reality Check Starts Here
If you’re an interior designer who’s crossing into multi-six figures but still feeling overworked, overextended, or strangely disconnected from the success you’ve built… you’re not alone. In fact, most high-achieving designers hit a moment where the business they created no longer reflects the life or the work they actually want.
And here’s the truth no one likes to talk about:
You can’t fix what you’re unwilling to look at.
In Part 1 of my new two-episode series on the Success by Design podcast, I’m walking you through the uncomfortable but absolutely necessary first step in creating an aligned, profitable business for 2026 (and beyond): getting radically honest with your numbers.
Why Designers Avoid Their Numbers
Many designers run their businesses based on feeling—feeling busy, feeling booked out, feeling like they “probably” made good money this year. But feelings don’t reveal the full picture. Only data does.
When you actually look at the numbers, you start to see things differently:
• Which clients brought in the most revenue and the best margins
• Where your time is actually going (it’s never where you think)
• Which marketing efforts moved the needle—and which were just noise
• The places where you're overextended or unintentionally leaking profit
• What you think is working… versus what actually is
This kind of clarity doesn’t just shift your strategy—
it shifts your confidence.
The Numerical Autopsy Your Business Needs
In this episode, I break down the exact process I use with my private clients to assess what really happened in their business this year. It’s not complicated, but it is confronting. Because once you see the truth, you can’t unsee it.
And that’s a good thing.
When you know what’s working, you can double down.
When you know what isn’t, you can stop wasting energy.
When you know what drained you, you can stop repeating the pattern.
This episode gives you the framework to understand your business clearly—without the emotional swirl, the assumptions, or the “I’ll deal with this later” avoidance that keeps so many designers stuck.
This Sets the Stage for Your 2026 Action Plan
This is only Part 1 of the series. Once you’ve uncovered what actually happened inside your business this year, Part 2 will walk you through turning your insights into a data-backed action plan for 2026—one that aligns with your goals, your capacity, and the life you want to build.
If you're ready to stop guessing and start leading your business like a CEO, don’t skip this one.
Listen to Part 1 now and take the first step toward a business that finally feels aligned, strategic, and sustainable.
Transcript Highlights:
[00:00:00] Introduction & Mini-Series Kickoff
Katie welcomes listeners and introduces a new mini-series focused on designing results in your business for 2026. She opens with a fun “Two Truths and a Lie” to challenge assumptions about business growth and profitability.
[00:01:00] The Hard Truth About Reflection
Katie emphasizes that most designers avoid looking at their numbers. Reflection requires honesty and responsibility — skipping it keeps your business stuck and prevents scaling.
[00:02:00] Why Numbers Are Scary
Designers often prefer creative work over analyzing QuickBooks or profit margins. Katie explains that facing your financial data is essential to move from hustle to strategy.
[00:03:00] From Six Figures to Seven Figures
Katie outlines how understanding your business reality can move designers from low six figures to high six figures or even seven figures — with clarity, boundaries, and less stress.
[00:05:00] Detaching Emotions from Numbers
She shares her personal story of overcoming fear of money and stresses the importance of treating financials as data, not emotional measures of worth.
[00:06:00] Busy vs. Profitable
Busy is not a badge of honor. Katie explains that constant busyness often signals undercharging, lack of boundaries, and poor systems. True success is measured by profitability and sustainability.
[00:08:00] Traits of Profitable Designers
Profitable designers are calm, clear, and strategic. They choose work rather than chasing it, and they leverage processes, systems, and people to maintain profitability.
[00:09:00] The Power of Data
Katie introduces the key metrics to track: revenue by service, profit margins, client load, time spent, and alignment. She stresses the importance of knowing where your money is actually coming from.
[00:12:00] Client Load, Rates, and Capacity
She discusses how to evaluate if your client load is sustainable, if your rates match your value, and the difference between stretching capability versus growing capacity.
[00:14:00] Alignment & Energy
Katie encourages designers to reflect on client alignment, energy levels, and project enjoyment. Creativity and intuition are business metrics too.
[00:15:00] Letting Go of What Doesn’t Work
She shares personal examples of letting go of residential clients and accounting tasks that drained her, showing how releasing misaligned work can boost both joy and profitability.
[00:16:00] The 80/20 Rule in Business
Katie teaches how 20% of actions produce 80% of results. Identifying your “needle movers” allows you to repeat successes and reduce random luck.
[00:18:00] Marketing & Attracting Dream Clients
Review which clients were your dream clients and why. Use that insight to create processes to attract more of them. Study your own marketing efforts to identify what actually brings ROI.
[00:20:00] Emotional Part: Letting Go to Grow
Katie stresses that business growth requires releasing old versions of your business — retiring services, raising minimums, letting go of draining clients, and stepping into leadership.
[00:21:00] The Accordion Model of Growth
Reflection (contraction) and strategy (expansion) are both necessary. Allow your business to evolve alongside you as CEO.
[00:22:00] Two Truths and a Lie Revealed
The lie: “The more busy you were in 2025, the more profitable you probably were.” Busy ≠ profitable. She closes with a reminder to focus on strategy over hustle and previews the next episode in the mini-series.
insightful conversations & super RELATABLE!
Excited for a podcast directed towards interior designers that covers the business and creative mindsets needed to run a successful firm. Throwing in life balance to every conversation makes this super relatable. Great conversations.
Colorful Conversations is like having a fun chat with your artsy friend who also knows how to create success! Katie's podcast is a must-listen for folks who love design and want to make money from their creative passions. She keeps you in the loop about the latest design trends while dropping priceless tips on turning your creativity into a successful business. Whether you're a design enthusiast or a budding entrepreneur, Katie's show is a goldmine of ideas and inspiration. So, tune in and get ready to blend style and success with her friendly and informative episodes – you won't want to miss it!
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Here's What listeners Are saying...
Listener Reviews
insightful conversations & super RELATABLE!
Excited for a podcast directed towards interior designers that covers the business and creative mindsets needed to run a successful firm. Throwing in life balance to every conversation makes this super relatable. Great conversations.
Colorful Conversations is like having a fun chat with your artsy friend who also knows how to create success! Katie's podcast is a must-listen for folks who love design and want to make money from their creative passions. She keeps you in the loop about the latest design trends while dropping priceless tips on turning your creativity into a successful business. Whether you're a design enthusiast or a budding entrepreneur, Katie's show is a goldmine of ideas and inspiration. So, tune in and get ready to blend style and success with her friendly and informative episodes – you won't want to miss it!
Why Don't you leave us a Review too?
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