A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Today With LuAnn Nigara:

Somewhere on a coaching call this week, a designer told LuAnn the same story she hears constantly: her client is insisting on seeing the invoice, certain she's entitled to know what that ten thousand dollar sofa actually cost. It feels reasonable in the moment. It isn't, and in this episode LuAnn walks through exactly why, using the same standard your clients already apply to a restaurant, and to a national retailer like Restoration Hardware, without ever questioning it once.

From there, the episode moves into the number most firms get wrong without realizing it. A 35 percent markup, the default for most of this industry, doesn't produce a 35 percent margin. It produces something closer to 26 percent, and that gap is quietly the difference between a business that pays you and one that just keeps you busy. LuAnn backs the target margin up with real, named sources, not opinion, including CPA Greg Crabtree's philosophy that gross margin, not revenue, is the true top line of a business.

She also breaks down what she calls the checkbook lie: why a healthy-looking bank balance in a growing firm can quietly mask a business that isn't actually profitable, and why that problem gets easier to hide the bigger a firm gets, not harder.

The episode closes with two concrete action steps: the exact math to run on your own last project, and how to start consolidating your vendor relationships to command real trade pricing instead of scattered discounts that never add up to a healthy margin.

For the full formula breakdown behind markup versus margin, go back and listen to Episode 279⁠⁠: Pricing for Profit: Understanding Margin vs Markup⁠

Have a Question for WWLD?

Head to: ⁠luannigara.com/WWLD⁠

Submit your question and it might be featured in an upcoming episode.

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.

To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

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 279: Pricing for Profit: Understanding Margin vs Markup

Today with Jude Charles:

My guest today has interviewed over one hundred homeowners after they hired an interior designer, and he asks every single one of them the same two questions. Why did you choose this designer? And what would your life look like if you hadn't?

Jude Charles is back on A Well-Designed Business for his fifth appearance, and this time we get into what he has learned after three years fully immersed in the interior design industry. He has produced more than twenty docuseries for interior designers, architects, and builders, and today he shares what homeowners actually say when the cameras are rolling and their designer isn't in the room. Spoiler, it is almost never about the portfolio.

We talk about the two questions Jude asks every homeowner, the right client filter he uses in his own business, and why the most expensive investment most of your clients will ever make deserves more than a pretty picture. If you have ever wondered what is really winning you the project, this episode will change how you think about your own marketing.

More About Jude Charles:

For over 20 years, Jude Charles has been producing documentaries for entrepreneurs. He has produced stories for Google, Steve Harvey, and dozens of visionary CEOs.

Jude is the author of Dramatic Demonstration. This book is a roadmap that teaches you how to dig deep to find compelling stories that no one else knows, and then leverage those stories to grow your business.

Jude’s mission is to lead and empower entrepreneurs to have relentless, unwavering courage.

Connect with Jude Charles:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

Watch the Docuseries!

http://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

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

Other Shows Mentioned:

Episode 516: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: Video Storytelling for Your Brand

Episode 626: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: How to Tell Your Story to Connect with Clients in Interior Design

Episode 718: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: The Power of Dramatic Demonstration in Your Business Videos

Episode 724: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: Using Video to Close More Interior Design Deals

Episode 1000: 1000th Episode! LuAnn Nigara is Interviewed by Jude Charles!

Episode 542: Brad Leavitt: AFT Construction: A Builder’s Perspective on the Design Build Process

Episode 560: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Design Book

Episode 580: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Two “B” Words: Budget & Builders

Episode 615: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Overcoming Resistance in the Design-Build Process

Episode 649: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Understanding Design-Build from the Builder’s Perspective

Episode 878: Throwback Tuesday: Brad Leavitt: A Builder’s Perspective on the Design Build Process

Episode 1130: Jen Davidson: Running an Interior Design Business, or Just Working at One You Happen to Own?

Episode 1059: Rachel Usher: Creating Community and Strength in the Interior Design Industry

Episode 1179: The Business of Interiors Community Summit: The Room That Changes Your Business

RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party

Watch LuAnn's docuseries produced by Jude Charles

Design Masters

Studio Designer

Mydoma Studio

Sunbrella

Today with Kate Ahl:

Today with Kate Ahl, founder of Simple Pin Media and a 12-year Pinterest marketing veteran, we are talking about where Pinterest stands right now in 2026 — and why it might be the smartest marketing move interior designers aren't making. Kate has managed over a thousand Pinterest accounts, her team has been with her between five and eleven years, and last year she became a verified Pinterest educator working directly with Pinterest itself. She knows this platform at a level most people don't, and she is here to give it to us straight.

In this conversation, Kate breaks down how Pinterest has evolved, what the intersection of AI and Pinterest actually looks like for designers today, and how to use the platform as a real long-game marketing engine for your firm. If you have written off Pinterest, tried it and quit, or never really understood what it could do for your business — this episode is going to make you rethink all of it.

More About Kate Ahl:
Kate Ahl is the founder and CEO of Simple Pin Media, the largest Pinterest marketing agency serving over a vast client base. With 12 years in the Pinterest space, Kate hosts the #1 podcast in Pinterest marketing with over 3 million downloads and is known for her no-fluff, strategic approach to helping businesses grow through Pinterest. She's a member of Pinterest's exclusive educator program and has built her reputation on cutting through the noise to deliver what actually works.

Ah Ha Moments with Kate Ahl:

"Pinterest is not a doom scroll platform. We are not the social media app that you give up in a detox. We are not even social media." — Kate Ahl

"If it doesn't finish the sentence you're typing, it doesn't know it's there." — LuAnn Nigara (on using Pinterest's search bar to test if your niche has an audience)

Connect with Kate Ahl:

Website

Instagram

Youtube

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

Watch the Docuseries!

http://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

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

Other Shows Mentioned:

AWDB #1126: Nicole Heymer: Rethink SEO for ChatGPT and Google AI

AWDB #1171: Jenna Gaidusek: AI Ethics for Interior Designers: Protecting Your Clients and Brand

WTFP #344: Kate Ahl: Using Pinterest to Understand Client Style and Strengthen Your Brand

Today with Arianne Bellizaire & Ben Johnston:

Do we still need to be talking about diversity in our industry? Yes. A thousand times yes. It is so incredibly easy for us to operate inside our comfortable, familiar bubbles and assume that if the door is wide open for us, it must be open for everyone else. But when we don't do the real work, when we overlook the lack of diversity and allow designers of color to face barriers to entry, we are missing out on incredible perspectives and top-tier talent. 

My guests today, Ben Johnston, the 2026 Chair of Diversity Advocacy Alliance, and Arianne Bellizaire, an exceptional luxury designer and a foundational DAA committee member, join the show to break down what real, action-oriented advocacy actually looks like. Together, they pull back the curtain on the lack of representation in the design world, sharing a beautiful, real-world example of how their partnership and true alliance opened a massive door that resulted in an important diversity milestone. Ben and Arianne challenge every single business leader to clear their own blind spots, and use their access to ensure that where real talent exists, there is no barrier keeping it from rising.

More About Arianne Bellizaire & Ben Johnston:

Benjamin Johnston sits at the helm of his eponymous design firm and has dedicated his life to artistic pursuits.  Ben launched his first design business focused exclusively on interior design, allowing him to follow his passion for bringing extraordinary designs to life. Ben eventually expanded the firm to include architecture, offering clients a holistic approach that invites his prestigious team to manage the creation of luxury homes from start to finish.​ His passion for form, function, and design coupled with a keen understanding of market needs has resulted in three licensed collections, including a furniture line for Chaddock, a diverse collection of hand-knotted rugs for Madison Lily Rugs, and a textile and wallcovering collection for Fabricut’s contemporary luxury brand, S.Harris. Next year, Ben will debut his collection of fireplace surrounds and tile mosaics with Material Bespoke Stone & Tile. Ben’s book with Rizzoli, entitled, Refined Interiors: Timeless Homes for Modern Living was released in February 2026.

Arianne Bellizaire is the Founder and Creative Director of Arianne Bellizaire Interiors and a recognized voice at the intersection of design, business, and industry influence. Her work spans residential interiors, multifamily development, and experiential showroom design, giving her a unique understanding of how design translates into business value and opportunity.

Before launching Arianne Bellizaire Interiors in 2013, Arianne built a career in corporate marketing and public relations, a foundation that continues to inform how she approaches design, brand partnerships, and strategic consulting. That background gives her a perspective most designers do not have: an understanding of how decisions are made, how value is communicated, and how visibility is built intentionally. She holds degrees in Mass Communications and Political Communication from LSU, and a Certificate of Interior Architecture from UCLA.

Arianne's work extends beyond interior design into ongoing conversations around business, creativity, and personal growth. She is a frequent contributor on industry panels and media platforms, and co-host of The Hustle Adjacent podcast, where she explores the realities of building a career, navigating growth, and redefining success. Her media profile includes features in Architectural Digest, Forbes, House Beautiful, and she was the lead designer on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition reboot in 2025.

Ah Ha Moments with Arianne Bellizaire & Ben Johnston:

"If you look at many of the designers of color who've come to this industry, we come to it later…after we do what we thought we were supposed to do. It’s really difficult to grow up aspiring to be something that you don't have a picture of." -Arianne Bellizaire

"All we want is a chance to be at the table, to be considered with the rest of the talent. That's it...we're not asking you to give us anything that we didn't earn." -Arianne Bellizaire

"We all have to be the change we want to see in this world. and we have to do it with intention and authenticity." -Ben Johnston

Connect with Arianne Bellizaire & Ben Johnston:

Arianne's Website

Arianne's Instagram

Ben's Website

Ben's Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

Watch the Docuseries!

http://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

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

Other Shows Mentioned:
Episode 568Arianne Bellizaire: “A Reluctant and Accidental Leader in #BLM”

Episode 20Arianne Bellizaire – Could Your Hobby or Hidden Talent Be Your Marketing Platform?

Today with Dezign Assist: Kylie Ponton, Corri English:

Today with Corri English, founder and principal designer of Music City Interiors, and Kylie Ponton, principal and CEO of Ponton Interiors, we are talking about what it actually looks like to bring qualified virtual support into your design firm at any stage of business.

Corri is eighteen months into building her Nashville-based studio and already navigating the kind of capacity challenges that come with early success. Kylie has fifteen years of experience, a seasoned team, and systems that most designers are still working toward. They could not be more different on paper — and that is exactly the point. Today they pull back the curtain on their real experiences bringing on Dezign Assist VAs, including the wins, the bumps in the road, and what they know now that they wish they had known sooner. This episode is sponsored by Dezign Assist.

More About Kylie Ponton, Corri English:

Corri English:

By the time Corri English was five years old, she was already working. Theater. Commercials. Voice-over. And already noticing — the way a room changes how people move through it, how a set can carry a character’s whole emotional weight, how the details nobody plans for are often the ones that land hardest. Most people see rooms. She was reading them.

Decades later, that instinct drives everything she builds.

Corri is the founder and principal designer of Music City Interiors, a Nashville-based studio focused on custom homes, renovations, and the kind of spaces that feel like they were designed specifically for the people living in them — because they were. Before launching her design career, she spent years in entertainment as an award-winning actress, singer-songwriter, and voice-over artist, accumulating credits that range from Runaway Jury (alongside Gene Hackman, Dustin Hoffman, and John Cusack) to House, CSI: Miami, Luke Cage, and The Bedford Diaries. She also fronted the country-rock band Brokedown Cadillac, whose music landed in Desperate Housewives, The Mentalist, and Disney’s Race to Witch Mountain, among others.

Every role she played, every song she wrote, every performance she gave was really about the same thing: creating the conditions for an emotion.

That’s still what she does. The medium just changed.

Years on film sets left a mark that can’t be unlearned. She started seeing rooms the way cinematographers see frames — as mood, as character, as the place the story either wants to happen or doesn’t. Songwriting taught her something different but just as essential: the rhythm and architecture required to make separate pieces cohere into something that feels inevitable. Both inform how she approaches a home.

Through Music City Interiors, Corri works with homeowners, builders, and architects on large-scale custom builds and renovations — handling everything from spatial planning and architectural detailing to full furnishings, finishes, and decor sourcing. Her aesthetic leans warm, layered, and slightly cinematic — collected rather than curated, elevated without being cold, detailed without being precious. She’s especially drawn to the projects other designers find difficult: the tricky floor plans, the structural constraints, the rooms that almost work. The puzzle isn’t the obstacle. The puzzle is the point.

Her design philosophy is direct: a home should feel autobiographical. Not a reference image someone found on Pinterest, not a composite of what’s trending this quarter — something that belongs unmistakably to the people who live there. More refined, more intentional, more emotionally grounded than they could have gotten to on their own, but never disconnected from who they actually are.

She doesn’t design for the photograph. She designs for the exhale.

Corri lives in Nashville with her husband, Apple Music Country host Ty Bentli, and their three children — in a house that regularly hosts kitchen dance parties, construction-site field trips, blanket forts, and spirited debates about lighting temperatures she almost always wins.

Ah Ha Moments with Kylie Ponton, Corri English:

“I don't feel like I had time to learn everything the hard way. I just wanted more input, more feedback, more results." - Kylie

“I felt like I had help but not support.” - Corri

"I really do believe almost any firm on the planet could figure out a way to get their stuff done easier, faster, quicker with less headaches if they have qualified support." - LuAnn

Connect with Dezign Assist. Corri English, and Kylie Ponton:

Corri’s Website

Corri’s Instagram

Kylie's Website

Kylie's Instagram

Dezign Assist

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Board Room for Creatives

Watch the Docuseries!

http://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

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