139: The High Cost of Waiting for Interior Design Success
Release Date: 05/19/2025
149: Skip the Scope Creep: The Design Agreement that Safeguards Your Sanity
Design Business Freedom
Believe it or not, I see so many designers flying without a net, which is what I call it when you work without a letter of agreement or with one that has absolutely no protection for you in it. A letter of agreement is just another word for a contract, but it sounds much friendlier. Most importantly, a letter of agreement will outline all stipulations, clauses, and information that you and your client need to set up a positive and professional project timeline. Your business needs to have a document that provides protection for your profits and peace of mind for you as the principal of the...
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148: Speak The Language of Luxury Design to Attract Top Clients
Design Business Freedom
What if I told you that the words you choose can have an impact on your bottom line? One of the best ways to attract affluent clients is by choosing the right words–words that not only magnify the worth of your work but sow the seeds of success. That means discarding limiting words like "expensive" and "cheap" and embracing empowering language that reflects the true value of your projects and services. But, that’s not to say that this is an easy fix! Amending how you use and choose words in your vocabulary can be one of the most difficult changes you can make because the way we speak is so...
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147: Charge Your Worth in Interior Design, Without Apology
Design Business Freedom
When was the last time that you evaluated how you are compensated for your creative services? The last time that you raised your rates to reflect your experience and value? You know what I’m about to tell you: it’s time, in fact, you’re overdue! Today we’re diving into how to accurately charge for your services based on your value rather than your worth. You’ll learn how the solutions that you provide to the three universal problems every client has–health, wealth, and relationships–are your greatest advantage in accurately pricing your services. You’ll understand why it’s...
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146: Your Interior Design Freedom Starts Here
Design Business Freedom
Melissa delivers a heartfelt reminder that the real freedom you crave in your design business—and your life—starts within. She walks you through a powerful, affirming list of freedoms you’re entitled to claim, from releasing self-doubt and shame to designing a business that truly lights you up. This is your invitation to step into your full brilliance and own every part of your creative journey. Whether you’re tuning in post-Independence Day or just need a reset, this short and powerful episode serves as a soul-boosting guide. Melissa's affirmations are designed to help you realign...
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145: How to Leverage Every Project for Future Profit
Design Business Freedom
If you’ve ever found yourself wishing that the stellar work on the latest design project you’ve been devoting your time to would definitively translate into sustained growth even after that project is over…well, you’re in for a treat this episode. There are three specific ways to guarantee that you will grow your business with every project that you take on. Today, I am deep-diving into each method to ensure you get the most bang from each project you take on. I’m walking you through the art of amplifying your brand's credibility using client testimonials, underscoring the value of...
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144: Bootstrapping Your Interior Design Business: My Start Up Story
Design Business Freedom
In this powerful solo episode, Melissa shares the raw and real story of how she launched her interior design business with no funding, a mountain of debt, and sheer determination. You’ll hear her journey from a corporate hospitality career to her first design roles, and ultimately to bootstrapping her own design firm against all odds. This is not just a nostalgic look back—it's a blueprint for how you can start from zero and build a thriving business in the design world today. Melissa walks you through the pivotal moments, gritty lessons, and the massive mindset shifts that made all the...
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143: From Employee to Entrepreneur: Launching Your Own Interior Design Firm
Design Business Freedom
In this inspiring episode of Design Business Freedom, Melissa Galt speaks directly to designers ready to make the transition from working for others to building their own thriving interior design firm. Whether you're still at a big-box retailer or have already made the leap, this episode gives you the mindset shifts, tactical steps, and real-world advice to create success on your own terms. Melissa unpacks the fears, challenges, and opportunities that come with stepping into your role as a business owner and principal designer. She offers practical strategies—from crafting your vision and...
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142: Break the Bottleneck in Your Interior Design Business
Design Business Freedom
If you find yourself constantly pulled into the weeds of your own design business—reviewing invoices, managing installs, fixing mistakes, and replying to every text and call—this episode is for you. Melissa dives deep into why so many interior designers unknowingly become the bottleneck in their own firm and how you can flip the script to reclaim your role as the strategic visionary and principal creative. It's not just about doing less, it's about doing what only you can do—and empowering others to do the rest. You'll learn how to identify your true zone of genius, the one that fuels...
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141: The Interior Designer's Secret Weapon to Q4 Success
Design Business Freedom
In this energizing episode, you're challenged to shift your mindset about the summer season in your interior design business. Host Melissa Gault shares how this often-overlooked stretch can actually be your most strategic and profitable time of year. If you’ve ever slowed down in the summer thinking “it’s just the season,” you’ll walk away with a completely different outlook and a toolkit of actionable strategies to seize the opportunity and set up a stellar Q4. Melissa dives into the specific steps you can take right now—from refreshing your portfolio to reconnecting with past...
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140: From Poverty to Limitless Profit: Your Interior Designer Mindset
Design Business Freedom
In this episode, Melissa dives deep into the subconscious money beliefs that are silently shaping your design business—from the way you price your services to the clients you attract. If you've ever found yourself undercharging, over-delivering, or justifying your rates with “I’m not experienced enough,” this episode is your wake-up call. You’ll learn how your inherited and unexamined beliefs are costing you profit, energy, and growth, and how to reprogram those thoughts for wealth and worthiness. Melissa walks you through not only the common money myths that plague interior...
info_outlineThis episode of Design Business Freedom is all about facing a hard truth: waiting for the “right time” in your interior design business is costing you dearly. Melissa shares from the heart—and with personal stories, coaching wins, and actionable insight—how fear disguised as patience is sabotaging your growth, your profits, and your dreams. Whether you're hesitating to raise your rates, unsure about coaching, or stuck in a cycle of overwork and undercharging, this episode brings clarity to what’s really at stake.
Melissa pulls back the curtain on what happens when you stop waiting and start moving, even when you're not "ready." You’ll hear inspiring client success stories, a strong case for coaching, and real talk about the emotional and financial costs of delay. If you’re longing for more time, more income, and more joy from your business, Melissa offers a compelling roadmap to help you reclaim it all—starting now.
IN THIS EPISODE, YOU WILL HEAR:
- (02:10) Why waiting is the ultimate “bank breaker and profit stealer”—and how to move past it.
- (04:39) The fears designers face around success and failure—and how to reframe them.
- (07:35) How underquoting costs you more than you realize—and what to do about it.
- (10:39) Why “ready” is a myth—and how two designers stayed stuck at $300K for years.
- (17:52) The difference between true business success and burnout masked as hustle.
- (25:26) How waiting impacts your profits, peace of mind, and personal life every single month.
SUPPORTING RESOURCES:
- Book your design business assessment
- Melissa’s free resource: Language of Success: 35 Word Choices to Boost Your Worth and Wealth
When you’re ready to step into a bigger vision in your design business and create exceptional results and celebrations, book-a-call to explore how coaching can take you there faster, with a solid plan, proven process, and smart strategies.