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ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES
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MEMBERS-ONLY ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY
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PRIVATE LIBRARY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
| ACTIONABLE BUSINESS STRATEGIES I MEMBERS-ONLY ARTICLES PUBLISHED WEEKLY | PRIVATE LIBRARY OF EXPERT INSIGHTS & ADVICE FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Dear Dakota | What to do When a Client Doesn’t Provide Feedback on Their Interior Design Presentation
Dear Dakota,
What should I do when a client doesn’t provide timely feedback on their interior design presentation?
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
Dear Dakota | How To Protect Yourself as An Interior Designer from Contractor Mistakes
Dear Dakota,
How do we protect ourselves from a contractor's mistake or hold a contractor accountable for a portion of the cost?
Join The DTS Files to see the advice and insights I shared with this designer.
Dear Dakota | How to Encourage Clients to be Distraction Free During Meetings
Dear Dakota,
How can I encourage clients to be fully present and free from distractions for our check-in sessions and review meetings?
For example, I have one client who brings their young children to our meetings and another who continues to take work calls and answer emails and text messages during meetings. The clients are pulled in several directions in trying to review their designs and tend to their children / answer emails, etc., and meetings inevitably run longer than scheduled, causing additional frustration. It also results in a fair amount of "I don't remember seeing that" from the client because they are not fully present when drawings and materials are being presented the first time.
I try to be as patient as possible because I know we all have significant demands on our time, but my time isn't infinite and it is incredibly difficult to move the needle in any direction during these meetings. I've gone so far as to offer meeting times after work hours and on weekends to ensure someone else can be home to watch the kids or the endless phone calls can stop. How do I get my clients to prioritize our time together?
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
Dear Dakota | How Do I Handle Storing Client Items Being Shipped to My Home
Dear Dakota,
I am ordering decor right now for a client's interior design project, and it's all being delivered to me so I can check through it all and make sure i) I like items sourced online and ii) everything is in perfect condition. But my house is starting to fill up with boxes!!
What is the best process for ordering and holding decor, furnishings, etc. for a client? Larger items, I would have delivered directly to the client, and I would check on-site for the condition. But I'm specifically talking about the smaller items like mirrors, hardware, fixtures, etc.
I am not large enough to pay for a storage facility yet. Is that what I should aspire to retain at some point?
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
Dear Dakota | How to Structure Design Fees for Multi-Unit Housing Projects
Dear Dakota,
I am struggling with my fee structure proposals whereby I make good profit but also retain clients, make them happy, and get repeat business.
For instance, I’m bidding on a ground-up assisted living residence. Rooms will be replicated (cookie-cutter) and public spaces aren’t vast. I don’t yet know the budget and this is my client’s first time with a project like this.
Help!
Join The DTS Files to get the advice and insights I shared with this designer.
Dear Dakota | What Is The Best Way To Set Up An Interior Design Sample Library?
Dear Dakota,
I’d love to know more about setting up a design library for my boss. As a former librarian of books, I know my way around a library. However, I am not familiar with design libraries and best practices for them. I would love practical information on doing this.
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
Dear Dakota | A Deep Dive into Commercial and Hospitality Design Projects vs. Residential Projects
Dear Dakota,
Can you tell me whether the processes are the same for commercial and hospitality projects as for residential ones? What do I need to do if I want to expand into these project types?
Join The DTS Files for my advice and insights.
Dear Dakota | My Vendor Went Out Of Business, But I’ve Already Paid For My Client’s Furnishings! HELP!
Dear Dakota,
My vendor just went out of business, and I’ve already paid them for my client’s furnishings. I cannot get ahold of anyone and am freaking out. What should I do?
Join The DTS Files for my step-by-step advice.
ACCESS A PRIVATE LIBRARY OF EXPERT ADVICE for INTERIOR DESIGNERS
My strategies have shaped the way thousands of interior designers and luxury service providers do business.
Inside The DTS Files, you’re getting the original insights straight from the source—tested, refined, and backed by my experience working with 100+ design firms.
And because this is a members-only space, I can go deeper than ever before—sharing the real strategies that help designers build profitable, sustainable businesses with confidence.
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PRICING PLAYBOOK for INTERIOR DESIGNERS
The Complete Guide to Pricing Your Design Services
Grab my pricing playbook, The Complete Guide to Pricing your Interior Design Services, to learn:
the six most common pricing models for designers
who each one is best for, and
how to know if your pricing model is broken
NEED BUSINESS SUPPORT ASAP?
SHOP TEMPLATES
Plug-and-play templates, questionnaires, processes, and guides for interior designers who want to stop reinventing the wheel with every new project.
The Design Library helps you streamline client communication, set clear expectations, and protect your time—so you can spend less time in your inbox and more time designing. Inside, you’ll find:
✔ Professionally written client emails and marketing guides for every step of the process.
✔ SOPs to standardize service delivery and create a seamless, high-end experience.
✔ Contract templates with sample scopes to protect you, your team, and your clients.
What took me years to refine can be in your inbox in minutes.
*for interior designers only, not interior design business coaches, consultants, mentors, strategists.
SHOP WORKSHOPS & TRAININGS
Learn from my team (comprised of industry experts and educators) and me all the things they don’t teach in design school. And we know because two of the women on my team went to interior design school!
After consulting with and doing hands-on implementation for over 100 interior design business owners, I’ve seen what works (and doesn’t) across every business model imaginable. We are familiar with various software types, team structures of 1 to 20, and the challenges that are coming, whether you’re on your way to your first $100,000 or already making multiple millions.
On-demand trainings for your busy schedule.
*for interior designers only, not interior design business coaches, consultants, mentors, or strategists.
JOIN 16,000 DESIGNERS EVERY FRIDAY
Proven strategies and tools to streamline and elevate your interior design business.
COMPLIMENTARY QUIZ FOR INTERIOR DESIGNERS
Feeling stretched thin in your design business?
You’re busy—but is your business actually working for you? If you’re constantly putting out fires and second-guessing what to focus on next, this 2-minute quiz will show you exactly where to start.