184 | How Coaching Makes Your Interior Design Business More Profitable With Sonia Barney

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Are you building your interior design business in a bubble? If you’re anything like I was in my early years, you probably assumed the hard part was the design. You thought, “If I can create beautiful spaces, the rest will fall into place.” But what no one tells you is this: guesswork is expensive. Shooting from the hip on markups, contracts, pricing, and processes can cost you years of profitability—and a whole lot of stress. In this episode, I sit down with award-winning interior designer and business educator Sonia Barney, founder of the Kaivari platform, to talk about why business support is not optional if you want a sustainable, profitable design firm. We unpack the role of coaching, personalized growth, business systems, and strategic mentorship in helping creative entrepreneurs skip years of trial and error. If you’re starting out—or feeling overworked and underpaid—this conversation will help you see why investing in business education and the right coach can completely transform your creative career. Featured Guest: Sonia Barney [https://www.instagram.com/soniabarneydesign] is an award-winning interior designer, business educator, and founder of the Kaivari [https://www.kaivari.com/] platform. With over 20 years in the interior design industry and more than a decade as the owner of Sonia Barney Design [https://www.soniabarneydesign.com/], she has seen firsthand how many creatives struggle with the business side of their firms. Known for her analytical, systems-driven approach, Sonia teaches design business strategy through LuAnn University and is passionate about helping designers connect with the right coaches, resources, and community network to support personalized growth and long-term profitability. What You’ll Learn in This Episode ✳️ Why guesswork kills interior design profitability ✳️ How coaching accelerates personalized business growth ✳️ When to hire different types of coaches ✳️ The power of community for creative entrepreneurs ✳️ How vetted mentorship reduces costly business mistakes Read the Blog >>> The Role of Coaching and Business Education in Your Design Business [https://rwarddesign.com/episodes/interior-design-coaching-profitability-sonia-barney/] NEXT STEPS: 📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves [https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves] 🎯 Join My Design Mentor [https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor/] and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠ [https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/launch-your-business-bootcamp] Check out our Designer's Playlist! *️ Start Your Interior Design Journey [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/47je439lIzMSWXwmKUSacm?si=8a755677153b4c4d] *️ From Newbie to Confident Designer [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JsBmrh9lYN9wMXIiRLSjw?si=4IFDtkIkRZqgk6tIpcLQzA] *️ Switching Gears to Interior Design [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GVerNj9q5KQNTPeqeQ336?si=dLRlc8b0QRCiJlZKhq6mdQ] Grab your freebies: 📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63d183d4b4f015f30446db98] 🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62ca13a9d53d17693563a9b5] Connect With Me: 📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com [podcast@rwarddesign.com] 🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign [https://www.instagram.com/rwarddesign/] 🌎 Website at https://rwarddesign.com/rwarddesign.com [https://rwarddesign.com/] Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week... Timestamps 0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio 3:45 Sonia’s Design Business Journey 6:09 The Turning Point: Investing in Coaching 8:16 Different Coaches for Different Growth Stages 11:29 Building a Team 14:58 The Inspiration Behind Kaivari Platform 16:53 The Role of Coaches and Business Education 19:45 The Importance of Finding the Right Coach 22:16 Kaivari's Features and Future Plans

196 | Cash Flow Management for Interior Designers With Finance Expert Carla Titus

If you've ever found yourself staring at your bank account hoping the number magically went up overnight, or waiting until December to figure out what — if anything — you get to pay yourself this year, this episode is going to feel like a direct message just for you. So many of the designers I work with are talented, passionate, and completely in the dark about the financial side of their business. And here's the thing: that's not a character flaw. It's an education gap. But it is your responsibility to close it — and that's exactly what today's conversation is all about. In this episode, I sit down with Carla Titus, a fractional CFO and financial consultant with over 17 years of experience in corporate financial planning and business strategy. Carla breaks down the practical financial planning strategies every interior designer needs, from simple two-week cash flow forecasting to building financial reserves, paying yourself consistently, and knowing exactly when it's time to bring in a fractional CFO. Whether you're just starting or ready to scale, this conversation will shift the way you think about money in your business — and give you real tools to move forward with confidence and financial stability. Featured Guest Carla Titus [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ceo-financial-clarity-corner-podcast-money-strategy/id1818238749] is a finance expert with more than 17 years of experience in corporate financial planning, analysis, strategy, and online business operations. As the founder of Wealth & Worth Within [https://www.wealthworthwithin.com/], she provides Fractional CFO services, financial consulting, bookkeeping support, and strategic financial planning for entrepreneurs who want to grow their businesses profitably. Carla's mission is to help business owners achieve financial clarity, improve cash flow, and make confident decisions that support sustainable growth and long-term success. What You’ll Learn in This Episode ✳️ Why cash flow is your business's oxygen ✳️ Simple two-week cash flow planning strategies ✳️ How to build financial reserves without overwhelm ✳️ When to hire a fractional CFO ✳️ How to pay yourself consistently and intentionally Read the Blog >>> Cash Flow Management for Interior Designers [https://rwarddesign.com/episodes/cash-flow-management-for-interior-designers-carla-titus/] NEXT STEPS: 🔸 Save your seat! June 24 FREE Webinar: Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) [https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyouready] 🎯 Join the Summer '26 Launch Your Business Bootcamp [https://my-design-mentor.mn.co/plans/1970343?bundle_token=fee51b0c6fd2325ac9157ac423a9579c&utm_source=manual] 🎯 Join My Design Mentor [https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor/] and lock in the lower rate Check out our Designer's Playlist! *️ Start Your Interior Design Journey [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/47je439lIzMSWXwmKUSacm?si=8a755677153b4c4d] *️ From Newbie to Confident Designer [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JsBmrh9lYN9wMXIiRLSjw?si=4IFDtkIkRZqgk6tIpcLQzA] *️ Switching Gears to Interior Design [https://open.spotify.com/playlist/0GVerNj9q5KQNTPeqeQ336?si=dLRlc8b0QRCiJlZKhq6mdQ] Grab your freebies: 📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," [https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves] and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/63d183d4b4f015f30446db98] 🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career [https://view.flodesk.com/pages/62ca13a9d53d17693563a9b5] Connect With Me: 📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com [podcast@rwarddesign.com] 🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign [https://www.instagram.com/rwarddesign/] 🌎 Website at https://rwarddesign.com/rwarddesign.com [https://rwarddesign.com/] Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week... Timestamps 0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio 5:43 Cash Flow Explained 7:19 Practical Processes for Maintaining Healthy Cash Flow 10:18 Building Cash Reserves and the “Buckets” System 11:23 When to Consider Hiring a Fractional CFO 13:37 Strategy-First, Numbers-Second Approach to Business Growth 15:14 Common Money Mindset Challenges Business Owners Face 17:38 The “Hoarder” vs. “Spender” Business Owner Spectrum 19:34 How to Create a Habit of Paying Yourself 21:45 About Wealth and Worth Within: The Story and Services 24:01 The Best Time to Seek Fractional CFO Services

22. juni 202626 min

184 | How Coaching Makes Your Interior Design Business More Profitable With Sonia Barney

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