A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Today with Janelle Photopoulos, Amy Peltier and Liz Walton:

Today we're continuing our referral marketing series with three more designers who transformed their businesses by working with Stacey Brown Randall.

Liz Walton shares how she went from throwing spaghetti at the wall to systematically generating referrals, and she's now more profitable while working less. Amy Peltier reveals her brutal boot camp of calling 40 people per week when she moved cross-country, and the consistency lessons that still drive her business. And Janelle Blakely Photopoulos shows how intentional relationship-building brought in $750,000 in referral business, with seven of her last ten projects coming from referrals.

You'll learn why language is everything when sending video messages, why tracking actual dollar amounts changes your approach, and how to position yourself so realtors and architects want you in their back pocket. These designers were already successful, but they recognized that hoping for referrals and systematically generating them are two very different things.

This is Part 2 of our referral series. If you missed Part 1 with Darci Hether, Rebecca Robinson, and Lacey Michalek, listen to that episode first. Stop winging your referral strategy and start building relationships that actually convert.

Connect with Janelle Photopoulos, Amy Peltier and Liz Walton:

Janelle Photopoulos

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

Amy Peltier

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Liz Walton

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

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.

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 69 Power Talk Friday: Stacey Brown Randall – Take Control Of Your Business – Employee Management

Episode 93 Power Talk Friday- Stacey Brown Randall- How To Create an Awesome Client Experience!

Episode 364 Janelle Photopoulos: Leading, Not Simply Running, Your Interior Design Firm

Episode 426 Power Talk Friday: Stacey Brown Randall: Generating Business Referrals…Without Asking

Today With Campbell Minister:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Building a referral-led business isn’t always easy. It takes commitment, dedication, integrity, and accountability. Most of all, it takes the ability to navigate speed bumps and navigate challenges. 

My guest today, Campbell Minister, knows what it takes to do all of those things. She has created clear processes, learned how to set up proactive client expectations, and built strong relationships that bring referrals and repeat business her way. Today, she’s sharing her insights on what it takes to create those relationships and bring referrals your way.

“It’s a testament to understanding the core belief that interior design is a personalized, high-level luxury service. You’re not in competition with everyone, and you’re not the right fit for everyone.” -LuAnn

“Discipline and dedication are it. Really, at the end of the day, what makes me happy is if my clients are happy, so I am always thinking about what it takes to create that client experience. What do you want people to say about you?” -Campbell

“It’s not who’s right or wrong. It’s who’s bringing their perspective and that lens, and what’s their lens for the situation. There’s your story and my story, but there’s always a third story.” -Campbell

Campbell Minister Design (CMD) is a boutique, referral-led decorating firm.

Campbell started her firm in 2016 while taking courses in interior design. She dove headfirst into a new build construction project, forcing her to become intensely focused on project execution, and working under tight construction timelines. Fast forward 7 years later and you will find Campbell leading a team of designers, operational support staff, and tradespeople to bring her clients’ vision to life.

Campbell acts on behalf of her clients at every step of the design process, caring for their home as if it was her own. She leverages strong working relationships with trusted vendors to execute each client’s vision.

As the daughter of a serial decorator, artist, and antique shop owner, Campbell has an innate sense of style and an eye for good design. Merging this background along with degrees in communication, education, and art history, Campbell uses these skills to successfully turn clients’ design ideas into gorgeously real spaces.

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

Pinterest

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

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!

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

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Hiring Toolkit Bundle

#346 Do Not Let Us Design: Taylor Dieterich & Yashlie Negron

#547 Power Talk Friday: Jamie Lieberman of Hashtag Legal: 5 Steps to Sharpen Your Negotiation Skills

#939 Power Talk Friday: Amy Flurry: From Creating Media Opportunities to Creating a Product line; Aloka Home

#282 Blanche Garcia – You Teach Clients How to Treat You

#370 Kesha Franklin: A Different Path to a Career in Interior Design

#374 Ellie Mroz: The Reveal Install & Working with Trades

#704 Power Talk Friday: George Oliphant: George to the Rescue

#871 Power Talk Friday: Desi Creswell: Out of Overwhelm: Why Time Management Begins With Your Mindset

LuAnn Nigara and Campbell Minister’s Ah-Ha MomentsMore About Campbell MinisterConnect with Campbell MinisterWhat’s new with LuAnn NigaraGet The Goodies!Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:Connect with LuAnn NigaraOther Resources Mentioned:Other Shows Mentioned:

Today With Zach Keenan and Zach Perez:

Are you spending more time checking boxes in your project management software than you are actually designing? We all love the idea of technology making our lives easier, but even with tools and systems, we still end up taking a lot of time out of our day to make them work for us. But what if you could fully and seamlessly automate your most annoying, time-consuming tasks…like searching for a specific receipt in a cluttered drive, manually logging site-visit hours, or moving data from one platform to another? 

My guests today, Zach Perez and Zach Keenan, co-founders of Aupra, join the show to talk about the power of agentic AI. They specialize in building custom automation solutions that go well beyond basic chatbots to create internal systems that act on your behalf.

More About Zach Keenan and Zach Perez:

Zach Keenan and Zach Perez are childhood best friends turned co-founders. After two distinct personal journeys, they reconnected over a shared interest in business in 2025. Recognizing the growing opportunity within AI, they went on to launch Aupra in August of that year. 

Aupra is an AI Automation company that specifically focuses on the design + build industry. They use AI to automate the most-time consuming work design studios have to deal with. 

AI is so much more than just ChatGPT. Creating internal systems is truly where the magic can happen for businesses. 

As young entrepreneurs they are excited to reveal the opportunity AI automation presents to the design industry.

Ah Ha Moments with Zach Keenan and Zach Perez:

"When it goes from AI to agentic in an agentic system, you give AI the capability to take action by giving it tools and giving AI the ability to use tools... allowing AI to now act on your behalf, but not only act by using those tools, but also remember what it did and then do it again and again and again." -Zach Perez

"Ideally, if we can, you know, reduce the amount of time spent doing tedious tasks, you can focus on the things you actually enjoy doing or that make the business more money." -Zach Keenan

"If I am out there and I’m using multiple things and they’re all working for me, but I am still the managing the human person, moving things from place to place, you might be able to replace that activity for me. I think that’s really the bottom line on this, isn’t it?" -LuAnn

Connect with Zach Keenan and Zach Perez:

Website

Youtube

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

Other Shows Mentioned:

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

Today With LuAnn Nigara:

What happens when you have the opportunity to buy an established interior design business?

And more importantly…

How do you honor someone’s legacy while still protecting yourself financially?

In this episode, LuAnn answers a thoughtful listener question from Hannah Textor, a newer designer navigating a potential transition with a long-time designer nearing retirement.

She explains the questions to ask before acquiring a design business:


What actually gives a business transferable value?


What financials should you review?


How do you evaluate client retention risk?


What happens if everything lives in the owner’s head?


And how do you structure a deal that is fair, realistic, and sustainable?

This conversation goes far beyond valuations and contracts. It’s about understanding the difference between a busy business and a profitable one, recognizing hidden liabilities, and learning why trust is often the most valuable asset being transferred.

If you’ve ever considered buying a design firm, selling one, or transitioning a legacy business, this episode will help you ask smarter questions before making a major decision.

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:

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠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

Welcome to A Well-Designed Business! In this episode, LuAnn chats with Jaclyn Lankiewicz, the woman behind the Instagram handle, Jaclynmari_.

She is the principle of Jaclyn Marie Interiors based in Long Island, NY.

Her journey into interior design, like many, has not been a direct line. Basically, Jaclyn created an Instagram page that was getting so much attention that it prompted person after person to ask her if she would design their space. As you will hear today, her response was, “I finally said to myself, ok, let me do this”.

Jaclyn created an Instagram that has created a design business, and since you already have a design business and want to create more clients through Instagram, perhaps you’ll find her tips to be very helpful.

Listen in to see what we can learn about how to attract clients through Instagram!

Show Highlights:

Keep your feed neutral, bright, and uncluttered.

Edit your pictures properly, paying close attention to wood tones.

Be strategic about what and where you’re posting.

Keep an eye on your nine squares.

A picture of herself, a zoomed-in picture of styling, and a larger picture, such as a whole living room or whole kitchen is another tactic that Jaclyn likes to use.

Sharing a little of her personal life through Instagram helps people feel connected to her.

Another tip that Jaclyn offers is tagging retail vendors because they re-post a lot.

Jaclyn likes to share designers on her story (but not on her feed), and details the reasoning behind this.

Answering every message and comment from followers is a great way of engaging with them and inspiring trust.

How to identify someone whose work you’d like to share, and how to reach out.

Understanding your “why” and saying no to those you don’t wish to collaborate with.

Posting new content every day shows your followers that you’re reliable.

Jaclyn mentions apps that she finds helpful: Videoshop, Unfold, rewardStyle, VSCO, Snapseed, Retouch, and Planoly.

Resources: 

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Podcast – Please SUBSCRIBE, Rate & Review!

Purchase LuAnn’s Book!

The Power Talk Friday Tour

LuAnn Live

Connect with Jaclyn!

Jaclyn’s Website

Jaclyn’shouzz

Jaclyn’s Instagram

Wingnut Social

East End Interiors Trade

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Other guests mentioned from previous episodes:

Sara Lynn Brennan #’s: 463, 514

Darla Powell #’s: 203, 330

Kim Merlitti #’s: 361, 442

Sandra Funk #’s: 2, 145