The Interior Design Business CEO

Desi Creswell

The Interior Design Business CEO podcast helps designers stop feeling stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed and empowers them with the tools and strategies they need to start feeling calm, confident, and in control of their business. Join Certified Life and Business Coach, and award-winning Interior Designer, Desi Creswell, as she pairs mindset with effective tips, tools, and processes to help you stop feeling pulled in a million different directions, and start building a profitable, fulfilling business that enriches and supports your life as a whole. This show is for you if you find yourself asking questions like: How do I manage my time so I stop feeling so busy? How do I balance running my business with my life? I know what I need to do, why can't I just do it? For more support with creating a life and business you love, visit www.desicreswell.com to learn more about my intimate group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm. read less

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Start Here: Introducing The Interior Design Business CEO Podcast!

Start Here: Introducing The Interior Design Business CEO Podcast!

I am an award-winning Interior Designer and a Certified Life and Business Coach, and I’m on a mission to help interior designers go from stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed, to calm, confident, and in control. I created this podcast to help overwhelmed interior designers just like you to learn how to manage your time, feel more in control of your projects, and streamline your days for productivity and profit. You got into this industry because you love design - not to just create another job for yourself. Now is the time to get back to loving what you do and actually enjoying running your own business. Each week, I’ll combine mindset with tips, tools, and strategies you can use to intentionally create a business that enriches your life as a whole. Because when you thrive, your business will thrive. We’ll cover topics like time management, people-pleasing, boundaries, goal-setting, and more as I share simple, actionable tips to save you time, simplify your day, and increase your profitability. I’m here to coach you on the issues you are facing in your business and to help you create success that is truly self-defined. If you’re ready to blend mindset with strategy, feel empowered in your business, and start feeling more calm and in control today, this is the podcast for you. And if you want more tips, tools, and strategies, visit www.desicreswell.com to learn how I can help you. You can also find out more about my signature group coaching program, Out of Overwhelm.

Episodes

100. 100 Episodes Later: Top Lessons from Podcasting for Interior Designers

100. 100 Episodes Later: Top Lessons from Podcasting for Interior Designers

As I celebrate the 100th episode of the show, there are important lessons I've learned from this incredible journey of creating what has become a well-reviewed and established podcast. But these insights go far beyond podcasting; they are valuable principles you can apply to any new initiative, goal, or project in your interior design business. Discover why focusing on small wins and cumulative effort is key to achieving big things, how patience and commitment work together to help you stay the course, and why examining your beliefs about yourself is crucial for unlocking your next level of potential. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/100

99. What's Next (CEO Summer School Lessons)

99. What's Next (CEO Summer School Lessons)

We’ve covered a lot of ground over the past CEO Summer School episodes – from trading good for great to overcoming Someday Syndrome. Now it's time to reflect on which topic you want to delve deeper into and embody over the next month. In this episode, I guide you through choosing your focus and making it visible so you stay committed to your goals. Whether you’ve knocked CEO Summer School out of the park or it hasn’t gone quite as you hoped or planned, join me this week as I show you what’s next. In this final episode of the series, you’ll hear why making small shifts can compound into the kind of success you want, the importance of acknowledging how far you’ve come, and how to focus on the insights that resonated most with you. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/99

98. How to Increase Your Confidence in Your Interior Design Business

98. How to Increase Your Confidence in Your Interior Design Business

There are two distinct types of confidence that you can leverage in your interior design business to help it grow and also get out of your own way when your brain tells you, “Well, you've never done it before.” If it feels like your brain is holding you back from achieving your biggest goals, you’re in the right place. I explore the two types of confidence that every interior design CEO needs to master. Learn why your level of confidence affects every aspect of your business and how to build unshakable confidence, even when you're venturing into uncharted territory. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/98

97. You at Your Best (CEO Summer School)

97. You at Your Best (CEO Summer School)

Being an interior design entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. Between managing client relationships, juggling multiple projects, and chasing big goals, self-doubt and insecurity are bound to creep in at times. But even amidst the ups and downs, there are moments when you've felt like you were absolutely nailing it. I share how to identify and leverage those times when you’re at your best so you can embody that version of yourself more often. Learn why tapping into your best self always starts with your thoughts and beliefs and how to use those as fuel to generate the feelings and actions that reinforce your ideal state. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/97

96. Becoming Your Future Self: A Leadership Journey

96. Becoming Your Future Self: A Leadership Journey

Leading with your future self is all about focusing on where you're going, rather than where you've been. By setting intentions and taking action in alignment with the version of you that has already created the vision you hold for your business, you can access a well of inner guidance and wisdom. While your future self isn't perfect, they are farther along the journey and can offer valuable insight about the now. Discover how tapping into the wisdom and perspective of your future self can help you make better decisions, stay motivated, and achieve your biggest goals. Hear why now is the perfect time to see what you can do to set your future self up for success, and how to lead with your future self to gain a fresh perspective on your role as CEO of your interior design business. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/96

95. Business Blind Spots (CEO Summer School)

95. Business Blind Spots (CEO Summer School)

In this episode, I share examples of common blind spots and provide strategies to help you proactively identify what might be getting in your way. By cultivating greater self-awareness and learning to compassionately examine your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, you can skillfully navigate challenges and achieve the outcomes you desire in your business. Discover how business blind spots limit your growth and a powerful reflection question that will give you clarity on your current blind spots. With this knowledge, you learn how to make looking for blind spots a regular part of your business-building activities so you can make profound changes to accelerate your growth. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/95

94. Beyond Later: How to Overcome Procrastination

94. Beyond Later: How to Overcome Procrastination

How are you delaying the daily tasks you just don’t want to get to? Where in your life or business are you prone to saying, “I’ll do it later?” If you often procrastinate with the best of intentions but find yourself never actually getting to the task, you're in the right place. Whether you’re putting things off in the short term or imagining grandiose plans that you never actually take action on, the truth is both hinder your progress toward achieving the goals you want. Learn how to recognize your Later Habit patterns and how to conquer them for good. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/94

93. Someday Syndrome (CEO Summer School)

93. Someday Syndrome (CEO Summer School)

If you are currently delaying the results you want to see and the interior design business CEO you want to become, you’re not alone. We all engage in someday-ing our biggest dreams. Visualizing the result you want without actually putting in the effort can give you the positive emotional experience you want, but when it becomes your norm, your dreams will stay in the distant future forever. I explore the concept of Someday Syndrome in-depth and give you a variety of ways to begin thinking about how you might be engaging in this habit both in your day-to-day and long-term planning. Learn the downsides of only taking imaginary action, how there might be an underlying fear or resistance you need to address first, and how to lessen the tendency and impact of putting things off. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/93

92. Reframing Your Reality

92. Reframing Your Reality

Last week, we discussed how feeling stuck between a rock and a hard place in your business is primarily a mental habit. The lens through which you view your life and business is similar. Recognizing your current lenses and considering other options lies at the heart of the mindset work I teach my clients, and I’m guiding you through this process today. Learn how to name your lenses and identify whether they’re truly serving you. I’m offering you a few examples of how your current lenses are coloring your experience, and why switching them out for other options could improve the way you experience every area of your life and business. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/92

91. Rocks & Hard Places (CEO Summer School)

91. Rocks & Hard Places (CEO Summer School)

If you know what you want to achieve next but only see two different yet equally undesirable options, you might be stuck in rock-and-a-hard-place thinking. Perhaps you’re faced with challenging circumstances or courses of action that feel uncomfortable, and you just can’t see beyond the 'bad' options. This is where today’s CEO Summer School lesson comes into play. Hear examples of how designers find themselves stuck between a rock and a hard place, and why, although disempowering, it can feel comfortable to stay frozen. Learn how to strengthen the skill of cognitive flexibility, and why applying your creative thinking skillset as a designer will allow you to see all the options you could be pursuing. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/91

90. More Ease in Business Growth

90. More Ease in Business Growth

As your business grows, you will continually cycle through periods of comfort and discomfort. Increasing your capacity for discomfort is an ever-evolving skill that is vital if you want to expand your vision of what’s possible. It all begins with accepting the fact that discomfort is part of the process, and this week, I’m inviting you to consider how you could be more willing to embrace discomfort. Learn why willingness is required for you to reach your vision of success, and how to begin increasing your capacity for discomfort. Hear what happens when you increase your ability to be with difficult emotions, and why embracing discomfort is the secret to your success as an interior design business CEO. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/90

89. Are You Willing? (CEO Summer School)

89. Are You Willing? (CEO Summer School)

When you think about where you want your business and life to be one year from now, what do you need to be willing to do and feel to make your vision a reality? This is your prompt for our CEO Summer School episode this week. Being willing is an essential ingredient to your success because it's how you’ll create new results and grow with your company. So where do you start? I invite you to grow your willingness as the CEO of your business. Hear why doing new things will require a certain level of stretching outside of your comfort zone, how to increase your capacity to hold the discomfort of being willing, and what happens when you grow your ability and desire to be willing. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/89

88. A New Approach to Work-Life Balance

88. A New Approach to Work-Life Balance

This week, I’m revisiting the concept of creating Your Life and Business Vision. This is an essential piece of goal-setting and business planning because this is where you’ll be creating a roadmap for self-defined success. Everything from what you prioritize to what you absolutely won’t do can all be clarified and filtered through your vision, which means you get to streamline how you spend your time, energy, and attention. You’ll hear how it helps you create a perfect work-life blend unique to you, what happens when you don’t have a clear vision for your life and business, and how to get started. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/88

87. Trading Good for Great (CEO Summer School)

87. Trading Good for Great (CEO Summer School)

Welcome to the first episode of our CEO Summer School series! If you could wave a magic wand, what would great look and feel like in your business one year from now? Trading what feels good for what could be great can feel risky. Our brains aren’t inclined to search for what could be great when things feel good enough, so it’s your job to proactively nudge it in this direction, and I’m here to help you. Learn what trading good for great will require of you and why answering this prompt for yourself will likely feel uncomfortable and challenging. I’m highlighting a few things to consider as you practice thinking about your business in this way, and what trading good for great looks like for me in my business. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/87

86. Hitting the Reset Button in Life and Business

86. Hitting the Reset Button in Life and Business

Whether it’s a client falling through, a key employee leaving, or receiving a health diagnosis, those big life-shaking moments are opportunities to reset. It’s moments like these, where you learn that anything can change in an instant, that remind us of the importance of creating space to proactively reset instead of having one forced upon us. That’s what I’m helping you do in CEO Summer School. Learn what a forced reset is and how these moments are opportunities for reflection, making new decisions, and reprioritization. Hear about the forced resets I’ve encountered in my life and business, and how CEO Summer School will help you proactively hit the reset button so you’re not forced into one down the line. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/86

85. CEO Summer School Is in Session

85. CEO Summer School Is in Session

Summer tends to be an exceptionally busy time for all of us. Your schedule is probably all over the place, you might be taking time off from work, and you probably want to get out and enjoy the sun. However, while you might want to devote less time to your business over the summer, you can’t ignore it. You want to be ready for the rest of 2024, and CEO Summer School is the perfect way to set yourself up for success. Learn what you can expect from CEO Summer School, how I’ll help you reassess and plan your interior design business goals every single week, and why I’ll be going to summer school right alongside you! Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/85

84. Quality Questions for a Better Business

84. Quality Questions for a Better Business

If you’ve ever wondered why the mindset aspect of my work is so critical in my sessions with clients, this topic exemplifies exactly why. Your brain is with you 24/7 and has the power to completely transform your life and business. When you start asking high-quality questions, you essentially train your brain to become solution-oriented, and I’m showing you how to start in this episode. Whether you want to make more money, up-level your clientele, overcome procrastination, or are unsure of what goal to pursue next, tune in this week to hear why asking high-quality questions is the solution to it all. Learn how all solutions originate from high-quality questions, what happens when you’re in the practice of asking open-ended, curious questions, and how to start training your brain to think in this way. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/84

83. Calendar Stressing You Out? It’s Time to Uncommit

83. Calendar Stressing You Out? It’s Time to Uncommit

The lessons we’re taught around productivity often center around being more committed or disciplined to our goals and business vision. However, I’m taking a different approach this week and showing you how being less committed or uncommitting could be the solution to your productivity issues. Learn the power of uncommitting and when the practice of uncommitting might be called for in your business. I’m showing you how uncommitting can be helpful, the value of doing an audit of your current commitments, and how you’ll free up your time and mental bandwidth when you uncommit. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/83

82. Pep Talk: Control Enthusiasts

82. Pep Talk: Control Enthusiasts

A love of control is a tendency that is especially prevalent in the interior design industry. But the truth is, we can't control everything. So it's time for a pep talk about what you can and can't control in your interior design business, and every other area of your life. I share why it's important to have a clear idea of what you can actually control in your interior design business. Learn exactly what you can and can't control, so you can influence the things you can control, and start letting go of the things you can't. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/82

81. Quantity Creates Quality

81. Quantity Creates Quality

If you’re prone to overthinking, over-planning, over-perfecting, or over-tweaking aspects of your interior design business, this is a must-listen episode. You might be under the illusion that you’re ensuring the highest quality outcome by delaying taking action, but this is far from the truth. That’s why, this week, I’m flipping this common saying on its head and showing you how your business would benefit from putting in the reps, rather than waiting on perfection. Learn how quantity creates quality and examples of where the concept can be applied in your interior design business. I’m showing you why overthinking creates an illusion of productive action, how increasing the number of actions you take is what will increase your skill, and what to expect once you begin practicing the belief that quantity creates quality. Get full show notes and more information here: https://www.desicreswell.com/81