What to Ask a Potential Interior Design Business Coach or Mentor BEFORE Hiring them
© Dakota Design Company 2017-2024 | All rights reserved. This content may not be reproduced, distributed, or used without permission.
The question of ethics comes up a lot with the creative small business owners we talk to. This is true not only for our clients—who are interior designers—but also with other business owners we interact with who support both our business and interior designers’ businesses (including marketing consultants, brand designers, PR consultants, attorneys, CPAs, bookkeepers, copywriters, HR consultants, photographers, stylists, etc.).
And, if your business is in the online space, it can sometimes feel like there are NO ethical constraints and stealing is rampant. A small percentage of people even behave as though they will never be caught, or they just blame “their copywriter,” who must have done any infringing or copying without their knowledge.
When it comes specifically to the coaching/consulting/education space, it’s even more difficult to discern who is actually qualified versus who isn’t. I’ve observed that people can feel uninhibited about self-labeling themselves as a coach regardless of whether they have the relevant skills, knowledge, expertise, or training.
In light of some recent experiences in the industry, I’ve noticed instances where content I’ve created has appeared elsewhere without my authorization, raising important questions for both myself, my peers, and interior designers across the world (the world, people!!).
Since sharing that post linked above, I've received messages from businesses that felt misled and from other professionals concerned about how these actions might impact the reputation of our industry as a whole. To help others navigate this space confidently, I wanted to share some key questions I would consider if I were an interior designer looking to hire an interior design business coach, consultant, or mentor
But first, let’s discuss the difference between the commonly used terms: consultant, coach, and mentor.
I am always very clear to state that I am not a business coach.
I am a consultant.
And I am definitely not a mentor (though I have considered offering mentorship).
And I am not an interior designer.
I am a business consultant who works with luxury service providers, primarily interior designers, though I have also worked with architects, wedding planners, etc. I have been doing this work (as a consultant) since 2017, and prior to that, I owned a wedding planning business from 2007 to 2014 (I retired from that business when my second daughter was born).
Below is a definition I agree with, paraphrased from Consulterce:
Business consultants are paid to solve a specific problem at hand. They focus on delivering a solution to their client’s problem.
The client pays for the expertise and recommendation to solve a certain problem. However, the client does not play an active part in working out the solution themself.
A business coach does not solve the client’s problem by presenting them with the solution.
Instead, a business coach challenges the status quo and stimulates discussions based on their client’s strengths and already available resources. The coach acts as a mindful mediator to help their counterparts arrive at their desired destination.
A mentor is someone who acts as a trusted guide and advisor for the mentee, with the main goal of transferring knowledge relatively informally and over a long lapse of time.
In short:
a consultant gives you the answers based on their area of expertise
a coach helps to pull the answers from inside you to help you arrive at your desired outcome
a mentor guides you, transfers knowledge, and shows you how they did it
Despite these distinctions, I often see these terms used interchangeably or incorrectly, particularly by people claiming to act in these capacities. This is very frustrating and misleading to those who are seeking help and cannot discern who is truly qualified versus who is not.
So, first up, you have to know what kind of help you need in your interior design business and what style of support may be the best fit to offer that type of help.
Do you have a specific problem that needs solving?
Do you have blocks, and you can’t get past them? Are you stuck?
Do you need more experience?
If your goal is to work with someone who is a coach and mentor and you specifically want to work with an interior design-specific business coach and mentor (smart - it is important to stick to this industry because there are so many nuances), then I want to make sure you know what questions to ask to find someone who is experienced and can actually help your business.
If a potential coach or mentor is an interior designer who didn’t have a successful business or lacks the depth of experience you’re looking for, you may not find their guidance as beneficial as someone with a stronger track record. After all, it can be hard for someone to guide you effectively if they haven’t been able to achieve similar success themselves or haven’t seen their methods work across several businesses.
Below are some ideas for questions you could ask when considering hiring an interior designer who also offers coaching and mentorship. Of course, you don’t need to ask them all of these if the person’s experience in the industry as an interior design business owner is evident (via their website, PR, local reputation, partners, accrediting organizations, etc.), but if it’s not, these questions can help you better understand how they can best support you.
And, if you’re considering working with someone like me, who is NOT an interior designer and is NOT a business coach, but is a consultant, I’ll share some examples below of how I would answer these questions.
Questions to Ask Before Hiring an Interior Design Business Coach/Mentor
What types of projects does your interior design firm specialize in?
How many interior design projects do you complete in a year?
What is the typical project size, scope and budget of the projects you are accustomed to doing?
Where do a majority of your clients come from?
How big is your team, and how long have they each been with you? Include subcontractors and employees.
What software programs do you use to run your business (both for the design side and the operations side)?
Where has your work been published?
What is your company mission/vision?
Will you still be actively taking interior design projects?
How do you use AI/ChatGPT in your coaching business?
Can I speak to two or three former 1:1 clients?
As a coach, how do you track progress and measure results?
Have you coached or mentored other interior design business owners who were at my level?
What will working together look like on a daily, weekly, monthly basis?
Do you have a coaching or mentoring certification?
What is your professional and educational background?
Let’s dig into WHY these questions are important and what they might tell you.
What types of projects and services does your interior design firm specialize in?
If you sign on with a business coach/mentor who only has experience with residential design, and you specialize in commercial design, it could lead to a challenging experience. Similarly, if someone has only done furnishing projects with retail sourcing, and you offer full-service design, architectural services, and custom furniture sourcing, it might not be the best fit.
So, it's important to make sure the coach/mentor has expertise in the same type of projects you do or want to pursue.
I plainly tell everyone: I am not versed in commercial design projects, so if that's your specialty, my services and expertise likely won’t be a good fit. But if you’re a commercial designer looking to move into residential design, I can absolutely help with that.
How many interior design projects do you complete a year?
This gives you a glimpse into the type of firm they are running. Are they a small boutique firm or a high-volume operation? Understanding this can help you determine if their revenue level aligns with the business growth you want to achieve.
For example, if I want to reach $2MM in annual revenue, it might be challenging to do that with a coach who has only ever run a business at $100,000/year. Of course, that doesn't mean it's impossible, but it’s something to consider.
I’d also want to know how many designers they’ve helped achieve similar revenue levels, especially if their marketing is specifically focused on helping designers hit certain revenue goals (note that in the U.S., it's illegal to claim that working with someone will guarantee a specific future revenue number).
The saying 'new level, new devil’ is true—every stage of business comes with a new set of challenges and opportunities for growth.
What is the typical project size, scope and budget of the projects you are accustomed to doing?
Why is this important? Well, if my expertise lies in single-room furnishing projects and your goal is to expand into full-home new construction and furnishings projects, we might not be the best fit for one another. Different types of projects require different skill sets and experiences.
This question can also shed light on the kind of clients the coach or mentor has worked with. Larger projects often involve more licensed professionals (like architects, builders, and subcontractors), which means different logistics and team dynamics. Additionally, a coach's experience working with clients who have varying budgets will affect their approach, marketing strategies, sourcing, and overall client service.
For example, if a coach has worked primarily with high-budget clients, even if you’re planning to work with clients with smaller budgets, you’ll still learn valuable strategies to elevate your client experience. However, if you’re targeting luxury clients and your mentor has only worked with smaller budget projects, there might be a mismatch in their ability to offer advice that fits your business needs.
The key is ensuring that the coach’s experience aligns with your goals and clientele. Understanding the scale of their past projects might help you gauge whether their advice will be relevant and effective for your own business
Where do a majority of your interior design clients come from?
If a coach’s new interior deign clients primarily come from referrals, it could indicate they’ve earned repeat business by acting with integrity and delivering on their promises (and prioritizing an elevated client experience, woo hoo!).
On the other hand, if a coach’s new clients are largely coming from platforms like Instagram or Facebook, it could mean they likely focus a lot of their marketing efforts on these channels. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that and we know many designers who have success marketing on these platforms, but if you're not interested in using social media for marketing, this might not be the right fit for you.
Side note—I always like to work with people whose marketing style resonates with me. For example, if you’re someone who likes to cold pitch potential clients in the DMs, and your business coach or mentor uses a similar approach, it could be a good sign that your philosophies on doing business and attracting clients align. This could mean their marketing advice may be a good fit for you. On the flip side, in my own business, if I hired a coach who marketed solely on Twitter or a platform I wasn’t on, their marketing advice based on their results from Twitter may not be helpful for me. While they could still help me based on other factors, I likely wouldn’t go to them for marketing-specific advice.
How big was your team and who is on it? How long have they been with you? Subs vs. employees.
Business owners who handle everything themselves versus those who build teams have likely faced very different challenges, both professionally and personally. And their business model may reflect this. For example, someone with a ten-person team likely had solid recurring revenue to afford that overhead. However, a business owner who does everything themselves—admin, sales, marketing, delivery—might suggest a different level of infrastructure or team-building experience.
If a business owner claims “great success” but handles every aspect of the business solo, it might raise questions about whether their claims are true and the long-term sustainability of that model, especially when compared to others who have scaled with teams.
Managing a team is a different skill set entirely, and it's one that grows with experience. If building a supportive, sustainable team and a strong company culture is important to you, working with someone who has experience hiring and nurturing a loyal team can provide valuable insights.
We always say, you don’t know what you don’t know, and I love working with coaches and mentors who know so they can fill in my gaps.
Working with a business coach who has demonstrated a sustainable business model is crucial. Look for mentors who can guide you through the personal and professional aspects of business growth.
What software programs did you use both for design and for ops?
This question is twofold. First, it helps determine whether the coach/mentor can guide you on selecting the right software, which is often a challenge for interior designers in figuring out a software stack that will work for their unique business model and needs.
It also provides insight into the type of designer they were and where their expertise lies. Were they focused on construction-heavy projects or primarily furnishings, were they more specialized in kitchen and bath design, were they also a licensed architect? Or were they a paint consultant or similar who didn't rely heavily on design-specific software and served their clients more in an advisory role?
As someone who recommends and sets up software and implements systems for interior designers, I think it’s important to work with coaches/mentors who understand the software needs specific to this industry so they don't recommend tools that would be a logistical nightmare to set up.
And yes, if someone isn’t familiar with accounting software tailored for interior designers—well, that's a definite red flag for me.
🏃🏼♀️
Where has your work been published?
Note, this question isn’t asking if the person was interviewed. It is specifically asking if their PROFESSIONAL WORK has been published. There is a difference.
Getting published, while not an indicator of legitimacy, is a significant mark of professionalism in the design industry and I know it’s a top goal of many interior designers we’ve worked. When they do get published, it is often a turning point in their careers (whether it helps grow their business or just their confidence).
Being published often suggests that an interior designer has invested in their business, has a long-term vision, and is committed to creating a brand that can sustain future growth. While there are other ways to build a successful design business, this type of investment is an important factor for me when choosing who to work with.
When I invest in coaching or consulting, I want to work with someone who understands the importance of reciprocal value exchange—someone who recognizes what it means to invest time, energy, and resources into building a successful business.
What is your company mission/vision?
I don’t know about you but I want to work with people who are on a mission to do good and who have similar values to me.
If they don’t have a mission or vision, that tells me they may be a little green or might not have a team.
If they have a mission/vision and it’s not aligned with yours, it may not be a fit.
Either way, you should feel connected to their philosophical vision.
Will you still be actively taking interior design projects?
This could be an important question to ask because if their design services business is successful, they likely enjoy their work and may not want to give up that passion or a major revenue stream or dissolve their loyal team.
The successful designers we’ve worked with often build businesses that allow them to delegate less enjoyable tasks to their team, letting them focus on the parts of the process they love most. This is often when I see designers add coaching as an additional revenue stream because their schedule has opened up, and their design business is running smoothly.
If someone is planning to transition out of their design business and into coaching full-time, that could offer some insight into their current and future motivation. It might also influence how much focus and energy they will have to dedicate to you and your success, as well as how they can guide you with a clear understanding of the industry's direction and trends.
How do you use AI and ChatGPT in your coaching practice?
At my company, we have policies regarding the use of AI tools. One of them specifically is that these tools cannot be used to create paid products, blog posts, or original content.
We've seen some individuals use AI tools to generate entire course curricula, masterclasses, or other content included in paid programs. We've also encountered others who rely on tools like ChatGPT for their entire marketing strategy, creating content with minimal human input.
It’s important to know whether the content inside a paid program is being generated solely by AI, without personal insights or expertise from the creator, because it could affect the value you're receiving from the coaching or mentoring experience.
When considering a coach or mentor, ensure their content is rooted in real experience and expertise, not just AI-driven
Can I speak to two or three former 1:1 clients?
Obviously, depending on the length of the coaching agreement or size of the fee, it may not be necessary to seek additional validation if the designer has a solid team, has been published, maintains a professional website and branding, and has positive client testimonials. These are external markers of credibility.
However, if the coach or mentor is newer or doesn’t have as many of these external indicators related to their design business, it may be a good idea to reach out to former clients to learn about their experience. This can provide additional insight into the coach’s approach and effectiveness, ensuring their services are a good fit for your goals.
As a coach, how do you track progress and measure results?
Have you ever worked with a coach who assigns you a list of tasks so long it feels impossible to complete, and then the next session, they don’t even check in on them—only to add even more tasks to your already full plate?
Yeah, not exactly the most helpful approach and something I have certainly experienced myself when working with a coach in the past.
An experienced coach or mentor should track your progress and help you stay aligned with your long-term goals, using tools like goal setting or KPIs to keep everything on track.
Have you worked with other interior design business owners who were at my level?
You want to make sure the coach/mentor has experience with the challenges that accompany your level of business. If you are at the start-up stage, have they coached others at a similar level? If you are 15 years in, do they have experience with that level of business owner?
If the coach/mentor hasn’t navigated those particular business-related challenges themselves, then you’ll want to ask for examples of similar situations where they have helped clients achieve what you want to achieve (of course, without sharing anyone’s personal information).
What will working together look like on a daily, weekly, monthly basis?
This is important so you have a solid understanding of what the actual support will look like. Sometimes a sales page can be confusing and you want to make sure you know the type of access and support you’ll have, and how hands-on and responsive the coach or mentor will be to your needs. Also, do they have a support team or additional coaches in their program, or will they be the only one providing support and coaching?
Their contract should also clarify this.
I had an experience once where I signed up for a group coaching program because I thought the business owner would be doing the coaching. She wasn’t. In fact, she wasn’t involved in the program at all and had hired other coaches to help us. It was still a good experience, but we definitely felt duped because it was her expertise we were all seeking.
Do you have a coaching or mentoring certification?
In a field where so much is unregulated, this could be helpful to have a better understanding of the methods a coach or mentor uses and any training or certifications they’ve been through that could help better support you. Many coaching programs teach proven strategies and frameworks, so asking about their background can give insight into how they support their clients and whether their approach aligns with what you’re looking for.
What is your professional and educational background?
There’s no one-size-fits-all qualification when it comes to coaching or mentoring (unless, of course, it's a regulated and licensed industry). The backgrounds of effective coaches and mentors vary widely. However, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of their qualifications and whether their methods are proven so you can make an informed decision.
Often, successful coaches and mentors have achieved high levels of success in their field, before becoming coaches. For example, if you need a gymnastics coach, who would be better than Simone Biles?
#GOAT
Not all coaches and mentors have reached the pinnacle of success in their careers, but many have relevant experience, applicable education and training, or proven results that qualify them to counsel and instruct.
I don’t think there is a right or wrong to what professional qualifications someone should have (unless, of course it’s a regulated and licensed industry). The backgrounds of effective coaches and mentors vary widely. But I DO think—for you to make an informed decision about a coach or mentor—you should have a clear understanding of their qualifications and whether their methods are proven and whether they understand business in general.
In addition to these questions I have shared, you’ll likely have your own questions based on what’s important to you.
I know I personally like to work with female business owners who have kids when I’m looking for advisory support.
It’s a non-negotiable for me. There is a different level of understanding of time, capacity, and reality when you are running a business and managing a family. This alignment is important for me.
Another important thing to keep in mind once you’ve chosen a coach, mentor, or consultant is to carefully review the fine print in their service agreement before signing.
You’ll want to ensure the contract protects both parties from potential issues, including misrepresentation or fraud. If either party is found to be involved in fraudulent activity, it should be possible for the other party to terminate the agreement.
The scope of the engagement should also be clearly outlined, making it clear what is included and what is not. This will help prevent misunderstandings down the line.
Contracts do not ONLY support the business owner. They also protect the client. They can always be revised through negotiation. As a former wedding planner, I negotiated terms with almost every single vendor I worked with for my clients.
So if you read the contract and don’t like something, you can certainly try to negotiate the terms. Lord knows your interior design clients do it!!
Now, if you were to approach me to work with you as a business consultant (remember, I’m not a coach), your questions for me may be slightly different than those above because I personally am not an interior designer. But I could easily provide answers to the questions above, and I would base them on the businesses I have operated and consulted with (not sharing any confidential information of course).
So I could say I’ve worked with interior design businesses that are just starting all the way to making $4MM+ in annual revenue. My sweet spot is the $1MM-$4MM revenue level. I’ve worked with designers who have been published in X, Y, and Z, and while I didn’t personally help them get published, we have a great contact who can. You get the idea!
The bottom line is to know what you need (figure that out here) and then do your due diligence to ensure you find the coach, consultant, or mentor who will help you achieve your goals.
If you are an interior design business coach or mentor and would like to contribute a question to this article, please reach out to my team at support@dakotadesigncompany.com. We would be happy to include your tips and cite you.
Looking for more? Keep reading:
