A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Today With Kate O’Hara: Today on A Well Designed Business, Kate O'Hara from O'Hara Interiors reveals her framework for positioning your design business to attract the clients you actually want: entry-level clients need you to be discoverable, mid-tier clients need you to be distinct, and elite clients need you to be discreet. Kate explains the reality that many designers appear to work with one type of client but actually serve different clients 80-90% of the time. She breaks down how each tier has completely different expectations, from entry-level clients who need education and reassurance to elite clients who want designer-driven solutions and white-glove service. The conversation covers where each client tier actually finds designers, the messaging that resonates with each group, and how to align your brand positioning with your business goals. If you're struggling to attract your ideal clients or wondering whether your current approach matches your target market, this episode provides the framework to audit and adjust your strategy. LuAnn Nigara and Kate O'Hara's Ah-Ha Moments “At an entry level, you need to be discoverable. At a mid-tier, you need to be distinct, and at an elite tier, you need to be discreet.” - Kate O’Hara "It's really getting clear on who you want to attract so that your messaging does align." - LuAnn Nigara 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 ⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠ ⁠⁠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. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999! Other Shows Mentioned: Episode 1148 In Good company CEO Conversations with Kate O”Hara A Framework for Understanding Luxury Clients Episode 958: Overheard: What I Wish I Knew Then: With Kate O’Hara, Erika Ward, Jennifer Stoner, and Alex Alonso Episode 1030: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Insights and Strategies on Successful Scaling Episode 1042: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: End-of-Year Business Strategies for Designers: Pipeline, Productivity, and Press Episode 649: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Understanding Design-Build from the Builder’s Perspective Episode 615: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Overcoming Resistance in the Design-Build Process Episode 878: Throwback Tuesday: Brad Leavitt: A Builder’s Perspective on the Design Build Process A BIG Thank You to Today's Sponsor: Kravet Inc. continues to expand with beautiful new showrooms designed to support the way you actually work. Recent openings include Birmingham, Charleston, Water Mill, New York, and Basking Ridge, New Jersey.  Each Kravet showroom features their innovative Workspace model, an interactive environment showcasing furniture, fabric, wallcovering, trim, and carpet samples, thoughtfully merchandised to mirror how designers source. By fabric type. By category. By color. By the way you think. And quick reminder, I’ll be giving a presentation at the Basking Ridge, New Jersey showroom on January 21st, 2026. If you’re local or can get there, I would love to see you in person. Mark your calendar and come say hello. Go to luannnigara.com/event to learn more and RSVP by January 16th

Susan is founder and principal of award-winning Sweet Peas Design, which she launched 13 years ago in the Chicago suburb of Libertyville as a one-woman firm. Today Sweet Peas Design is a full-service studio with a staff of six in downtown Libertyville and a branch office in Chicago. She and her team work with a broad-based clientele of entrepreneurs, corporate executives and professionals.   Susan is an experienced speaker, whether on interior design issues or the business of design. She is a popular speaker on design at libraries on the North Shore of Chicago. Susan has been featured on NBC/LXTV’s  “George to the Rescue” and  “Open House,” and she appeared on CLTV’s “Bring It Home” program. Her work has been published in numerous national and local magazines and newspapers, including Modern Luxury Interiors Chicago, Kitchen + Bath Makeovers, Trends Kitchens, Trends Bathrooms, Color Made Easy, Crain’s Chicago Business  and Chicago Sun-Times’ magazine, Splash.   Today on the show we have Susan Brunstrum! She has a big firm in Chicago and a signature line called LivableLuxe with a tagline that says “the little black dress of interior design.” She is a business woman, she is a woman who knows what she wants, knows how to do business and knows how to present herself. Her firm has won several designer awards but today we are going to focus on the financial part of business. Show Notes: The two project fee basis systems  The six phases of projects How do you utilize the project fee? If you don’t charge for your initial consultation you should! Three things to assess on a client when you first meet them What are the red flags when assessing a client? The difference between advertising and public relations Be patient!   Resources: https://www.sweetpeas-inspired.com – Sweet Peas Design https://www.studiowebware.com  https://www.quickbooks.com

Today With Deanna Metz: In today’s episode of A Well-Designed Business, I’m joined by Deanna Metz from Sunbrella for a sponsored conversation focused on how interior designers can expand their options without compromising standards, performance, or their brand reputation. Sunbrella is a name many designers already trust, but this episode goes deeper into what Sunbrella is offering designers today. We talk about their interior product lines, including stock drapery, performance throws, and fabric by the yard, and where these offerings can strategically fit into a design business when full custom isn’t the right solution for every space. This is especially relevant for projects involving busy families, nurseries, guest bedrooms, secondary spaces, and inside-outside living areas where durability, cleanability, and long-term performance matter just as much as aesthetics. These are not trend-driven products. They are intentionally curated, best-selling fabrics backed by Sunbrella’s decades-long commitment to testing, consistency, and reliability. If you’re an interior designer looking to add flexible, performance-driven solutions to your design toolkit, this episode will help you understand why opening a Sunbrella designer trade account is worth your time. Trade accounts give designers access to trusted performance fabrics, finished products, and resources that can support both your creative work and your business decisions. To explore Sunbrella’s interior offerings and open your designer trade account, visit Sunbrella.com. More About Deanna Metz: Deanna Metz is the Director of Product Management at Sunbrella, the flagship brand of Glen Raven, where she leads go-to-market execution across a diverse portfolio of performance products. With over 15 years in the home and textile design industry, she’s built a career at the intersection of design, business, and product storytelling, translating creative vision into commercially successful products. Before joining Sunbrella, Deanna held leadership roles in design and merchandising, guiding teams through trend research, global sourcing, and product development. She’s passionate about connecting design thinking with business strategy and elevating everyday textiles into meaningful, functional products. Connect with Sunbrella: Website Instagram Facebook Pinterest What’s new with LuAnn Nigara: The Power Talk Friday Tour 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 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: WTFP #212 A Window of Opportunity with Sunbrella’s New Custom Collection

Today With LuAnn Nigara: As one year closes and another begins, LuAnn steps back to talk about what leadership really looks like right now. Not resolutions. Not hustle. Not doing more. In this episode, LuAnn walks you through the CEO-level decisions that matter most when the business starts to shift, whether that shift feels fast, slow, or uncertain. She unpacks why direction matters more than speed, why better filters beat more effort, why consistency outperforms intensity, and how emotional regulation is one of the most important leadership skills you’ll ever develop. Using real-world examples from decades of running Window Works, leading Exciting Windows, coaching Chairman of the Board members, and conversations with business owners across the industry, LuAnn offers grounded perspective on how to lead with steadiness, confidence, and standards. If you’re listening during a break, on a walk, or while resetting for the year ahead, this episode will help you step back into your business with intention and authority. This is not about becoming someone new.It’s about leading the business you’re already building. 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: ⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠ ⁠⁠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

Today With LuAnn Nigara: As the year winds down and routines slow, LuAnn takes this quiet moment to speak directly to you, no guest, no interview, just perspective. In this episode, LuAnn walks through ten patterns she sees business owners repeat over and over again that quietly make their businesses harder than they need to be. These aren’t mistakes. They’re habits, defaults, and decisions that once made sense, but may no longer serve you. Drawing from decades of experience, thousands of conversations, her work at Exciting Windows, Chairman of the Board, LuAnn University, and her role as President of WCAA, LuAnn offers a grounded, CEO-level look at what to stop doing if you want a business that feels stronger, healthier, and more sustainable. This episode is not about goals or resolutions. It’s about perspective. If you have a quiet moment during the holiday break, on a walk, in the car, or with a cup of coffee, this is a thoughtful, focused listen designed to help you pause, reflect, and step back into your role as CEO. 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: ⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠ ⁠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