1243 episódios
- Today With LuAnn Nigara:
You've hired good people. You've built systems. Your team is busy. So why are you still the person everyone comes to when a decision needs to be made or something isn't getting done?
Building a stronger design team requires more than hiring capable employees and assigning tasks. It requires you to develop as a leader, define who owns what, and give people the authority, training, and accountability they need to succeed.
In this MBA episode of A Well-Designed Business®, LuAnn Nigara draws on lessons from Eileen Hahn, Jennifer Tokatyan, Jamie Van Cuyk, and Kathy Kuo, along with her own experience developing the next generation of leadership at Window Works.
You'll hear why experienced employees still need coaching, how company standards guide decisions when the owner isn't present, and why giving someone responsibility without the authority to follow through creates problems for everyone.
LuAnn also walks through a common situation in interior design firms: several employees complete their individual tasks, but nobody takes responsibility for making sure the entire process gets finished.
In this episode, LuAnn discusses:
Why assigning tasks and transferring responsibility are two different things.
How to define successful performance without insisting that employees do everything your way.
Why developing employee judgment requires changing how you respond to everyday questions.
How to prepare a capable employee for greater responsibility through training and honest conversations.
Why accountability must extend beyond individual tasks to the completion of a process.
How to stay informed about your business without personally managing every detail.
The leadership question: What do you need to become better at so your team can become better at what they do?
If you've built a successful design business but are still making the most important leadership, operational, and financial decisions on your own, explore LuAnn's Chairman of the Board program.
Chairman of the Board is a one-on-one strategic advisory relationship. LuAnn works directly with you on your actual business, your goals, and the decisions that will move your company forward.
She is accepting five business owners for her Chairman of the Board one-on-one advisory program beginning in January 2027. Three of those five spots are already filled, and I have two remaining.
Learn more and apply at luannnigara.com/cob.
Related episode: What Would Lu Do: Does Your Dream Team Still Depend on You?
Ready for an experienced advisor in your corner?
Connect with LuAnn Nigara:
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Power Talk Friday
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:
Boardroom for Creatives
Watch the Docuseries!
https://www.luannnigara.com/cob
Get The Goodies!
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 - Today With LuAnn Nigara:
You hired the team. You built the systems. You have good people working alongside you. So why does it still feel like everything depends on you?
In this episode of A Well-Designed Business®, LuAnn Nigara examines a leadership challenge that can show up at different stages of growing an interior design firm: the difference between hiring people and actually transferring responsibility.
Drawing on her experience growing Window Works with Vin, LuAnn shares how even a profitable, system-driven company with excellent employees can run into trouble when responsibilities gradually shift without being formally assigned.
She also looks at two other common situations: owners who hire management positions before their businesses are ready for them, and owners who delegate work but continue making every decision themselves.
You'll learn why clearly defined roles, decision-making authority, consistent standards, and accountability matter as your company grows. And you'll be challenged to consider whether you're building a team that can operate independently or one that still needs you at every turn.
In this episode, LuAnn discusses:
Why hiring employees and transferring responsibility are not the same thing.
The risk of creating management positions before defining what the business actually needs.
What LuAnn and Vin learned when trusted Window Works employees took on more responsibility without formal role changes.
How micromanaging can teach employees to bring every decision back to the owner.
Why the CEO must remain accountable for the company without personally managing every responsibility.
Ready to strengthen your leadership skills? Explore the Leadership Track in the Boardroom for Creatives and connect with experienced Board Members who help interior design business owners develop teams, establish expectations, and build accountability.
Find a Board Member in the Leadership Track at boardroomforcreatives.com.
And listen for Friday's MBA episode, A Stronger Design Team Starts With Stronger Leadership, when LuAnn will teach the practical steps for transferring responsibility within your design firm.
Connect with LuAnn Nigara:
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Power Talk Friday
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:
Boardroom for Creatives
Watch the Docuseries!
https://www.luannnigara.com/cob
Get The Goodies!
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2 1240: Tyler Vieira: What AI Built for Interior Designers Could Mean for Your Business
30/10/2026 | 1h 4minToday with Tyler Vieira:
How much of your workday is spent doing things that have nothing to do with designing? Checking order statuses, entering product specifications, reconciling invoices, following up with vendors. It's all necessary work, but it's also time you aren't spending on your clients, your creativity, or growing your business.
In this episode of A Well-Designed Business®, LuAnn Nigara welcomes Tyler Vieira, CEO of Studio Designer, for a conversation about what happens when AI is developed specifically for the interior design industry.
Since joining Studio Designer in 2022, Tyler has overseen the company's growth from approximately 30 employees to more than 120, serving around 10,000 design firms. With a background in software, Tyler brings a valuable perspective to the challenges of building technology that doesn't just demonstrate what AI could do, but works reliably enough to become part of your everyday business operations.
LuAnn and Tyler discuss why general-purpose AI tools aren't always equipped to handle the complexities of an interior design firm, where industry-specific AI can make a meaningful difference, and how technology could reduce the time you spend on purchasing, tracking products, reconciling invoices, and managing project information.
Tyler also shares a striking example: Studio Designer users created approximately 4.5 million product items in one year. If AI could save just one minute per item, that would represent 75,000 hours of potential time savings across the industry.
But this conversation isn't about replacing your judgment or creativity. It's about understanding where technology can support your business so you can spend more time doing the work that actually requires your expertise.
If you've been wondering how AI fits into your design business, this episode will help you think beyond the headlines and consider the practical opportunities.
Special offer from Studio Designer: Visit studiodesigner.com/awdb to receive 20% off your first two months on a monthly subscription to either Studio Designer or Mydoma.
More about Tyler Vieira:
Tyler Vieira is the CEO of Studio Designer. He has been with the company since 2022 and overseen its growth from 30 employees to over 120 employees. Tyler comes from the software industry and is new to design (his designer and family make interiors decisions at home). When not at work, he and his wife are kept plenty busy by his 6-mo-old and 2.5-year-old sons.
Connect with Tyler Vieira:
Website
Instagram
Facebook
Connect with LuAnn Nigara:
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Power Talk Friday
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:
RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party for A Well-Designed Business Podcast in HPMKT
Boardroom for Creatives
Watch the Docuseries!
https://www.luannnigara.com/cob
Get The Goodies!
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 21239: Nicole Heymer & Kate O'Hara: Going Local vs. Going National: The Choice That Changes Everything
27/10/2026 | 1h 27minToday with Nicole Heymer and Kate O'Hara:
Today with Nicole Heymer and Kate O’Hara, the new owners of the Design Influencers Conference, we’re talking about one of the biggest decisions in a design business, one that most designers never actually make on purpose: local or national. Nicole has spent more than 15 years helping interior designers, architects, and custom home builders build their brands and get found. Kate built the marketing engine behind O’Hara Interiors across multiple markets before launching her own business consulting practice. Between them, they’ve seen this from every side.
We get into how to tell which kind of firm you really are, and why working outside your area doesn’t make you national. Kate and Nicole walk through the formula behind each strategy and what it changes about your website, your social media, your press, and your photo shoots. We also cover which awards are worth chasing and why they now affect whether AI recommends you to the clients looking for you. If you’ve been wondering whether going bigger is actually better, this conversation will help you decide, and you’ll know exactly what to focus on at the Design Influencers Conference, March 1–3, 2027, in Atlanta. Got to designinfluencersconference.com
Aha Moments with Nicole Heymer and Kate O'Hara
“National strategy, going after…a home feature in a national magazine, that takes a lot of bandwidth, a lot of effort, a certain kind of work…You really have to do it on purpose. These things cannot happen accidentally. The decision has to be made.” - Nicole
“This isn’t a coincidence. This is a strategy. This is intentional.” - LuAnn
“There’s so much opportunity. It is overwhelming. And that’s why it is so important to get really clear about who you are and what your goals are and get ruthless about focusing on those because the opportunities become costly distractions very quickly when they pile up.” - Kate
More about Nicole Heymer and Kate O'Hara
Nicole Heymer: Owner and Creative Director, Glory & Brand Nicole Heymer is the founder of Glory & Brand, a boutique creative agency specializing in branding, websites, marketing automation, and strategy. Since 2011, Nicole has worked with a wide variety of clients at every stage in their development, from nationally known interior design firms to local custom home builders. Nicole’s clear, practical take on branding has been featured by a range of design industry resources—from the Wingnut Social podcast to the Design Influencers Conference to the . You’ll find her methods in print, on industry webinars, and as the framework for branding workshops.
Kate O’Hara: Kate O’Hara is the founder of Lake House Group, an advisory practice that helps founder-led and second-generation businesses navigate growth, operational blind spots, and transitions. She previously served as the second-generation CEO and Creative Director of O’Hara Interiors before intentionally closing the prominent design firm to focus on advisory work and co-owning the Design Influencers Conference. [1, 2, 3]
Connect with Nicole Heymer and Kate O'Hara
Nicole Heymer
O’Hara Interiors Website
Lake House Group Website
Design Influencers Conference Website
Design Influencers Instagram
Connect with LuAnn Nigara:
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Power Talk Friday
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:
Boardroom for Creatives
Watch the Docuseries!
https://www.luannnigara.com/cob
Get The Goodies!
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
Other Shows Mentioned:
Episode 830: Anne Gillyard: Capitalizing on Your “You” to Grow Your Interior Design Business
Episode 323: Amy Flurry: How to Pitch Press and Build Relationships
Episode 369: Power Talk Friday: Stephen Karlisch: Professional Tips for Getting More Out of Your Interior Design Photoshoots
Episode 138: Power Talk Friday – Charlotte Safavi- Why Even An Interior Designer Can Benefit From a Professional Stylist On The Photo Shoot- Today With LuAnn Nigara:
Is your interior design business slower than you’d like right now? This episode covers 4 proven ways to find clients and a 30-day plan so you can start this month.
On Tuesday’s What Would Lu Do, we talked about choosing the marketing that fits who you are. Today is the how. I walk you through 4 strategies. Each one comes with a designer who has done it and has the results to show for it. Listen like a CEO who’s shopping, and choose the 1 or 2 that fit you.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
How Fred Berns (AWDB 226) uses a simple September letter to bring past clients back and position you as their one-stop shop
How Vita Vygovska (WTFP 143) built relationships with 27 firms, and why 10 to 20 targets can give you 3 to 5 real referral partners in 2 to 3 years
How Carolyn Flannery (AWDB 453) turned school auction donations into ideal clients and the friends who follow them
How Jessica Matteson (AWDB 683) used $35 postcards and phone calls to win projects, and how 6 of her 8 projects traced back to that outreach
How I found designers for Window Works in the Yellow Pages in 1984, and how 1 showhouse turned 2 relationships into 5
A 30-day plan that works like a gym habit: 30 minutes, 3 days a week
The years are going to go by whether you do this or you don’t. Choose your 1 or 2 and start this month.
Pair it with Tuesday’s episode: What Would Lu Do: Good Marketing Advice Can Still Be Wrong for You
Connect with LuAnn Nigara:
LuAnn’s Website
LuAnn’s Blog
Power Talk Friday
Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast
What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:
Boardroom for Creatives
Watch the Docuseries!
https://www.luannnigara.com/cob
Get The Goodies!
For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.
Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:
Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action
Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts
Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2
Other Shows Mentioned
Episode 226: Power Talk Friday: Fred Berns – 5 Keys to a Fabulous Fall
Episode 143: Vita Vygovska: Market to Interior Designers by Building Relationships
Episode 453: Carolyn Flannery: Impact Your Pipeline With This One Strategy
Episode 683: Jessica Matteson: The Client Experience Is #1 in Design
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Sobre A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast
In today's world being a talented interior designer isn't enough to ensure that you have a profitable and successful business. Design school curricula doesn't always equip you with the business skills to have your interior design business be everything you imagined it would be! A Well-Designed Business® is here to fill in the gaps and give you real live business skills from some of the top interior designers. Your host, LuAnn Nigara shares her 40 years of success in the interior design industry, and she finds the most successful guests to share their interior design business best practices. This podcast is sponsored by Kravet Inc and Mydoma Studio.
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