Running an interior design business can be incredibly rewarding, but let’s be honest: it can also be lonely. You might love the creative work, enjoy transforming homes, and feel passionate about serving your clients, yet still struggle with financial management, project profitability, client challenges, and the many decisions that come with being a business owner. And when things slow down, it’s easy to question yourself, wonder whether you’re doing something wrong, or feel like you should have everything figured out by now.

I’ve learned that growing a successful interior design business isn’t just about having the right skills, creating beautiful spaces, or listening to another business podcast. It’s also about surrounding yourself with people who understand what you’re going through, who will hold you accountable, and who are willing to give you candid feedback when you need a fresh perspective. That’s one of the biggest benefits I’ve experienced through the Design Leaders Collective (DLC), an international community of interior designers who share their experiences, compare business practices, and help one another grow.

In this episode, I’m joined by two of my fellow Design Leaders Collective members, Jodie Carter of Jodie Carter Design in Australia and Andrea Reardon of Andrea Reardon Design in Texas. We talk about how our group evolved from a three-year mastermind into an ongoing community, why financial transparency and accountability matter, and how peer support can help you make better business decisions. If you’re an established interior designer looking for accountability partners, candid feedback, and a stronger business perspective, this conversation will help you understand what meaningful professional support can look like. We’re also opening the door to new members who are ready to contribute, learn, and grow alongside other design business owners.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Why accountability helps interior design businesses grow sustainably

• How financial comparisons improve business management and profitability

• Why candid feedback leads to better business decisions

• How peer support helps designers navigate challenging seasons

• What it takes to join Design Leaders Collective

How Design Leaders Collective Helps Interior Designers Build Stronger Businesses

Running an interior design firm requires more than creative talent. You need sound financial management, effective project management, confidence in your decisions, and systems that support both your business and your life. You also need people who understand the unique challenges of being an interior designer and business owner.

Here is how Design Leaders Collective supports professional growth, business accountability, and long-term success.

1. Find Accountability Partners Who Help You Follow Through

It’s easy to set goals for your interior design business. You might want to improve your marketing, increase profitability, refine your project management systems, or finally make time to work on your business instead of constantly working in it. But putting those goals into practice is another matter entirely.

One of the most valuable aspects of Design Leaders Collective is its accountability structure. Along with monthly Zoom meetings and more in-depth gatherings, members work with individual accountability partners for approximately nine to twelve months before changing partners and gaining a fresh perspective.

This relationship gives you someone to check in with, discuss your progress, and revisit the commitments you’ve made. As Jodie explained, she meets with her accountability partner every other week and uses the alternating weeks to report on the tasks she promised to complete.

My advice: Don’t rely on motivation alone to move your business forward. Find accountability partners who will help you turn intentions into action. Consistent check-ins can help you follow through on business training, improve your systems, and make steady progress toward your goals.

2. Use Financial Comparisons to Understand Your Business

Financial management can feel intimidating when you’re a creative professional. You may be comfortable designing a beautiful space but less confident reading a profit-and-loss statement, forecasting revenue, or understanding why your expenses are affecting your bottom line.

Jodie shared that she initially had no idea what a profit-and-loss statement was. Through the group’s financial reviews, she learned how to read the numbers, forecast business performance, understand consultation conversion rates, and recognize how expenses influence profitability.

Andrea also described how the group worked toward comparing financials consistently. Members had different accounting methods and ways of categorizing expenses, so they needed to establish common ground before their numbers could be meaningfully compared. Today, members review financial information from the preceding six months at their regular six-month meetings.

These financial comparisons help members ask more useful questions about marketing expenses, project profitability, staff costs, and money coming into and going out of their businesses. They also help interior designers recognize opportunities to improve billing practices, track project hours, and understand where profit is being lost.

My advice: Don’t look at your financial statements as numbers you have to endure. Learn to use them as tools for business decision-making. Comparing your financial performance with experienced peers can help you identify patterns, ask better questions, and make more informed choices about your business management.

3. Welcome Candid Feedback Instead of Trying to Solve Everything Alone

When you’re the owner of an interior design firm, you carry a lot of responsibility. You make decisions about clients, contracts, staffing, pricing, marketing, and project delivery. When something goes wrong, it’s tempting to make an immediate change because you’re frustrated or worried.

In our conversation, we discussed how Design Leaders Collective members gradually became more transparent with their financials. Sharing information openly made it possible to ask direct questions about losses, expenses, and project profitability. That transparency created space for honest conversations, including the occasional tough-love moment.

Andrea described it as accountability and tough love, but done with love. That’s an important distinction. Candid feedback isn’t about criticizing another designer or telling someone how to run their business. It’s about helping one another see what might be difficult to recognize when you’re too close to a situation.

Jodie also explained how valuable it is to talk through a difficult client situation before responding. Another member may have experienced something similar, or someone with a fresh perspective may see an option you haven’t considered.

My advice: Build relationships with people who can challenge your thinking without making you feel judged. Before making a major business decision in the middle of a stressful moment, talk it through with someone who understands your work. A thoughtful conversation may help you find a better solution than reacting out of frustration or fear.

4. Lean on Peer Support During Slow Seasons and Difficult Decisions

Every interior design business experiences ups and downs. You may have a full project pipeline one season and struggle to secure new clients the next. Your local market may be quiet while another region is thriving. And even when you’re following your business processes, results don’t always arrive on the timeline you expect.

Andrea shared a vulnerable example of going through a period without signing new clients. It raised the kinds of questions many designers recognize: Am I doing something wrong? Should I change my marketing? Should I be doing something differently?

Having a supportive community doesn’t mean someone will always have an immediate answer. It means you have people who understand the pressures of running an interior design business and can help you assess what’s happening without assuming you’ve failed.

I believe this perspective is especially important because the people around you may not understand the realities of your creative career. Within Design Leaders Collective, members can compare experiences across different markets, share what is and isn’t working, and remember that a difficult season doesn’t necessarily mean the business is broken.

My advice: Don’t interpret every quiet month as proof that you need to change everything. Reach out to your accountability partners, review the information available to you, and consider the experiences of other designers. Peer support can help you stay grounded, make thoughtful adjustments, and keep moving forward when business feels uncertain.

5. Build a Business That Supports the Life You Want

Professional growth isn’t simply about earning more money, adding more employees, or taking on more projects. It’s also about building a business that allows you to live the life you want.

Jodie shared that she now works four days a week and has trained her clients, builders, and trades to respect that schedule. Previously, she often felt as though she was always behind and could never stop working. With better boundaries and more productive workdays, she has been able to reclaim her weekends.

Her experience is a powerful reminder that business success should support your life rather than consume it.

Design Leaders Collective also encourages members to share systems, software recommendations, and lessons from group training. When one designer tests a new tool or learns a better way to manage a process, the others can benefit from that experience instead of having to figure everything out independently.

The goal isn’t for every member to run an identical firm. It’s to learn from one another, adapt ideas to individual circumstances, and create businesses that work for the people running them.

My advice: Define what success means to you before deciding what your business should become. Use accountability, peer support, and business training to build systems that improve profitability and productivity while protecting your time. A successful interior design business should make room for your personal life, too.

Membership Criteria for Design Leaders Collective

If you’re interested in joining Design Leaders Collective, it’s important to understand that this community is built for interior designers who are committed to growing their businesses and supporting one another over the long term. Membership is intended for designers who have owned their businesses for at least three years and have completed and implemented the 15-step business and project management training from Business of Design.

Members must also be willing to make a three-year commitment to the group. This commitment helps build the trust, consistency, and meaningful relationships that make the community valuable. Members share business experiences, discuss financial performance, exchange resources, and hold one another accountable.

If you meet these criteria and are ready to be part of a supportive community that values honesty, collaboration, and continued growth, reach out to me, Jodie, or Andrea to explore membership opportunities and learn more about the recruitment process.

Final Thoughts: The Right Community Can Change Your Career

You don’t have to figure everything out on your own. Having a group of designers who understand your challenges, celebrate your wins, and offer honest feedback can change the way you approach your business.

Whether you’re navigating financial uncertainty, working through a difficult client situation, or trying to create more balance in your life, the right community gives you perspective and reminds you that you can move forward. You can learn from books and podcasts, but having people who will walk alongside you, hold you accountable, and help you put those lessons into practice is something special.

If you’re ready to grow as a business owner and build an interior design firm that supports the life you want, I’d love for you to explore the next step with us.

Meet Jodie Carter

Jodie Carter is the founder of Jody Carter Design, based near Sydney, Australia. With more than two decades of experience in interior design, she works on high-end residential projects, including beautiful coastal waterfront homes and historic properties. Her work has also been featured in publications, and her own distinctive, layered home was published in Country Style Magazine. Through Design Leaders Collective, Jody has developed a deeper understanding of financial management, project profitability, business accountability, and the importance of building a business that supports her life. Her experience demonstrates how the right professional community can help an established designer navigate difficult seasons and continue growing.

Connect With Jodie Carter

Website:Jodie Carter Design
Instagram: @jcdstudio
Previous Episode:
Ep12: Why Attitude and Will Are All You Need To Be A Successful Interior Designer with Jodie Carter

Meet Andrea Reardon

Andrea Reardon is the founder of Andrea Reardon Design, serving the Dallas, Texas, suburbs. She specializes in residential interior design and has increasingly focused on accessibility design, including remodels for families with special needs. Before dedicating herself full-time to her design business, Andrea worked in corporate finance while building her firm. Her financial background and experience with Design Leaders Collective have helped her develop a stronger understanding of business financials, accountability, and strategic decision-making. Andrea brings a valuable combination of financial knowledge and creative business experience to the group, demonstrating the benefits of learning alongside designers with different strengths and professional backgrounds.

Connect with Andrea Reordan:

Website: AR Design
Instagram: @andrea_reordan_design
Previous Episode:
Ep08: From Side Hustle to Full-Time Career: How to Start a Second Career as an Interior Designer With Andrea Reordan

Your Next Steps

If you’re serious about building your interior design career or growing your interior design business, you don’t have to figure everything out alone.

My Design Mentor is designed to give you the support, education, and community you need to keep moving forward. Inside, you’ll find 12 learning modules, a book club, special projects, a community of designers for feedback, and monthly one-on-one coaching calls with me where we can focus on the specific challenges you’re facing in your career.

Join My Design Mentor and let’s build your design career together.

Free Webinar

• “From Passion to Profit”: Learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
• Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch)

Resources & Freebies

• Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
• Furnishings Investment Guide
• Remodel Budget and Timeline Guide
• 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career
• The best books every interior designer should have

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