A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Welcome! Today, Eric Ross joins us on the show. Eric is a charming southern gentleman and a well-experienced design professional. He is also a seasoned businessman who has figured out how to run his firm in a unique way that really works for him. In today’s episode, he describes how he runs his private interior design studio like a retail store. He explains that he no longer feels the need to change, apologize or adjust the way he works to conform to a client’s expectations. Eric knows himself well, he understands his passions, and he is very clear about what he will and will not do. Be sure to listen in today, to find about his very interesting business model.

Eric is from Nashville. He has been in love with the traditional living design style since he was a child. He has more than twenty years of design experience and his work has been published in Traditional Home, Southern Style, Southern Lady, The Cottage Journal, as well as in many other publications. Eric’s passion is to fan the flame of traditional decorating with a deeply Southern esthetic. Tune in now, for more!

Show Highlights:

Eric explains what he means when he says that he is running his design firm like a store without a storefront.

What the decorating track of Eric’s business is all about.

Eric’s margins are hefty, just like those in a storefront, and all of his design services are included in that pricing.

The way that Eric educates his clients about his philosophy and the way he works.

Talking about transparency.

People will happily pay Eric for his product rather than his time.

Trust is a key issue.

Eric’s business model allows him to have total control over the whole process.

Eric’s advice is to start small with clients. It makes your business more manageable.

The biggest motivator for Eric is seeing the result of what he has created.

Eric’s qualifying process for his new clients.

Eric explains why he does not do discounts.

The opportunities you’re losing by being overworked.

Eric’s goal is to monetize his passion.

Our industry is too high-touch to make it high volume.

It’s okay to mark up because of the value you add to the project.

You don’t have to explain your “no”.

Eric has a new book out, called Enduring Southern Homes.

Links:

Website: Eric Ross Interiors

Facebook: Eric Ross Interiors

Instagram: Eric Ross Interiors

Pinterest: Eric Ross Interiors

Mydoma Studio: A Well Designed Business

Today with Madelaine Mayer:

Today with Madelaine Mayer, licensed architect, certified interior designer, and founder of ADROIT Architecture & Interior Design in New York City, we are getting into what it really means to bet on yourself when everything you have built says you should stay put. Madelaine spent nearly 20 years in commercial and institutional architecture before making the leap to interior design — and the story of how she got there, and what kept her tethered so long, is one a lot of people in this audience are going to recognize.

We talk about the sunk cost trap, the expectations we inherit from the people who love us most, and the permission we withhold from ourselves when our credentials start to feel like an obligation instead of an asset. Madelaine also gets into how that 20-year technical foundation now gives her a genuine competitive edge in the complex, code-heavy world of New York City residential renovation — and what it looks like to build a company culture intentionally, from scratch, when you know exactly what you don't want it to be.

More About Madelaine Mayer:

Since founding ADROIT Architecture & Interior Design in 2022, Madelaine has earned a reputation for infusing complex New York City residences with boundless joy, innovative problem solving, and ineff able style. Drawing inspiration from her extensive travels, contemporary art, and architectural history, Madelaine wields a keen eye to create deeply personal and practical interiors alongside fun and memorable client experiences.

Madelaine has been featured in numerous publications, including Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Apartment Therapy, and Real Simple, and was awarded the Apartment Therapy Small/Cool Best Vibe award for her own home in 2023.

With over 20 years of experience in New York City, Madelaine is a licensed architect, certified interior designer, LEED and WELL accredited, and a faculty member at the New York School of Interior Design. She earned her Masters in Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology and her Bachelors in Architectural Studies and Art History from Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

Ah Ha Moments with Madelaine Mayer:

"There are pressures, internal and external. Sometimes they serve us, sometimes they don't. Sometimes they serve us until they don't. And then our job is to recognize the gift that they gave us, but then to break free and listen to the inside voice that's calling you to do the next thing." — LuAnn Nigara

"Just because something is difficult to achieve, just because something is perceived as elite or having a high barrier to entry, that it therefore has a higher value and it's better or more appropriate or more applicable. And that's just not true." — Madelaine Mayer

"You literally have to decide to be excellent as the boss every day. How do I show up in the inside of my business that no one else sees?" — Madelaine Mayer

Connect with Madelaine Mayer:

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:

AWDB #1100: Best Of Show: Erika Ward: Identifying Your Transferrable Skills with Erika Ward

AWDB #930: April Gandy: The Key to Managing a Successful Renovation Project

Today With Kate O’Hara:

Today on In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara, we’re discussing diversifying your revenue—how to expand your business without losing focus on what’s already working.

Kate O’Hara, CEO and Creative Director of O’Hara Interiors, joins me to unpack what it really looks like to grow beyond design. We talk about service expansion—adding furnishings to construction, or vice versa—opening a second location, stepping into commercial, and what to know before diving into retail or e-commerce.

We also get honest about the “fun stuff”—books, licensing, TV, speaking, and podcasts—and why those often fall into the PR bucket, not the profit one. Kate shares how to test new ideas as CEO-level experiments, keep your core business airtight, and balance quick wins with long-term plays that build lasting opportunity.

If you’re ready to grow with intention, this conversation will help you run every next move like a CEO.

LuAnn Nigara and Kate O'Hara's Ah-Ha Moments

“When you are diversifying, each moment of diversification is an experiment.” - Kate

“When you go to diversify…you’ll immediately see what isn’t buttoned up in your core business.” - Kate

More About Kate O’Hara

Kate O’Hara grew up in the world of design. After a decade with the company, she stepped into the role of CEO + Creative Director, expanding the family design firm into new regions of the U.S. When she isn’t traveling between our Minnesota and Texas offices, you can find Kate speaking at conferences, working with our design team, and connecting with new clients and furniture lines.

Connect with Kate O’Hara

⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠Houzz⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

⁠⁠⁠⁠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.

Today with LuAnn Nigara:

The Boardroom for Creatives Is Open. Here's Why I Built It.

After nine years and over 1,400 episodes of bringing the best voices and the most qualified experts to this community, LuAnn built something new.

In this episode she tells the full story, the heartfelt emails she couldn't answer the way they deserved, the Instagram DM that crystallized the problem, and the interview with Corey Damon Jenkins that made everything click into place.

She also goes behind the scenes: the genius moment followed by the tech panic, the two green lights she got in a single afternoon from her coach Amber De La Garza and her husband Vin, and what happened when she started inviting Board Members into the room.

The Boardroom for Creatives is a curated platform where you book a private 50-minute session with a vetted expert personally selected by LuAnn. Someone she would send her own clients to. No long-term commitment. No contracts. No pay to play.

Board Members are taking appointments now.

👉 boardroomforcreatives.com

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:

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 William Kauker and Dawn DiGregorio of Mr. Steam:

We all know that wellness-focused design is steadily trending. And in today’s sponsored show, we’re talking about what exactly that means in terms of bathroom design, and how you can be ahead of the cutting-edge to meet clients before they even know what they’re looking for. 

My guests today, William Kauker and Dawn DiGregorio of Mr. Steam, join the show to talk about how steam showers can change the game for your clients. They talk about the language behind wellness design in bathrooms, why steam is so important, and they break down the operational logistics that might be holding you back from implementing these features into your designs. Learn how to start creating a new, elevated experience for your clients in every bathroom design. To learn more go to luannnigara.com/mrsteam

More About William Kauker and Dawn DiGregorio:

Dawn DiGregorio

Vice President and General Manager- MrSteam / Feel Good Inc.

With over 25 years at MrSteam, Dawn continually drives success in planning, business and product development, customer service, technical service, human resources, operations, sales, and marketing while building a culture that empowers every individual to innovate, grow, and thrive.

 

Dawn has devoted herself to the promise of fostering positive relationships that unite groups while allowing individuals to find their voice, grow their talents and succeed.

 

Dawn pridefully and passionately approaches every initiative with a focus on care and service, truly embodying the MrSteam-Feel Good Inc. ethos; “We feel good when you feel good.”

William Kauker

Director of Marketing- MrSteam / Feel Good Inc.

The peanut butter and the chocolate. The strategist and the creative marketer.

 

William’s CV is a legacy of leading global advertising agencies tasked to champion some of the world’s biggest consumer and business brands.

 

William is now focused on delivering elegant solutions that help shape and guide the product, marketing and brand experience for MrSteam / Feel Good Inc. where every innovation is thoughtfully designed, and every individual is empowered to champion making people feel good.

Ah Ha Moments with William Kauker and Dawn DiGregorio:

"We don't make faucets tile or plumbing fixtures, we make steam showers, and now saunas too. And when designers call with questions, how-to questions and the like, they're talking to people who have spent their entire careers on this one experience." -Dawn "People are not just saying, I want a beautiful bathroom anymore. They're saying, I want to change my life. I want my home to make me perform better in my life." -William 

"So it sounds like Mr. Steam is built on this philosophy, number one. This is not like, oh, by the way, we have a product and we can make an angle out of it. This is a core culture belief for your company." -LuAnn

"We really do need to steam. We need to be aware that steam will be part of the project as soon as possible. It's not something that could be an afterthought, right?" -William

Connect with Mr. Steam:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

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