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How Interior Designers Can Work Less, Earn More, and Reclaim Their Time

COULD YOU SHARE A SUCCESS STORY OR A CASE STUDY THAT HIGHLIGHTS HOW YOUR SERVICES HAVE POSITVELY IMPACTED AN INTERIOR DESIGN PROJECT OR BUSINESS?

Katie: The saying ‘You don’t know what you don’t know’ couldn’t be more true for so many of the clients and students we work with. Because of my 1:1 experience with design firms across the U.S. and Canada, I’m able to share what actually works and what doesn’t.

We once worked with a California-based design firm that was completely slammed. Tons of projects, totally buried in work. But despite the full pipeline, they weren’t paying themselves and were heading straight toward burnout. The numbers didn’t add up.

Once we dug into their pricing, process, and the results they were delivering to clients, it became clear: they were significantly undercharging—and treating every project differently. Different fees, different process, different service levels.

We 5x’d their pricing, reviewed every active project, and had every existing client sign a standardized contract, which hadn’t been part of their process. Then we mapped out the stage of every project so the team could be better utilized to support new leads and existing clients. From there, we defined a standard process for every service they offered.

WHAT ARE SOME COMMON CHALLENGES YOU SEE INTERIOR DESIGNERS FACING TODAY, AND HOW DO YOUR SERVICES HELP ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES? 

KATIE: Interior designers often struggle with unclear pricing and service offerings, a lack of boundaries and confidence, burnout, and inconsistent or missing processes. Many find themselves undercharging, overdelivering, and working without strong systems or contracts – ultimately allowing clients to run the show. 

At Dakota Design Company, we help designers leverage data to gain clarity and confidence, develop a menu of services they love, and price for both profit and efficiency. We help them implement step-by-step processes for every phase of the client journey, allowing them to reclaim time for creative, revenue-generating work.  

HOW DO YOU COLLABORATE WITH INTERIOR DESIGNERS TO ENSURE THIER VISION AND BRAND IDENTITY ARE ACCURATELY REFLECTED IN YOUR WORK? 

KATIE: Through coaching, consulting, and proven frameworks; we tailor our support to each designer’s business stage and goals. Our offerings include: 

  • Foundations – our online program for brand-new designers with no industry experience
  • Designed to Scale® Method – our signature 16-week proven framework with group coaching and consulting
  • The Workroom – live and on-demand trainings
  • The Design Library – a collection of premium templates for everything from contracts to emails.

We also offer our blog, where we share expert insights and practical strategies based on my experience working privately with over 100 design firms. Every resource is designed to help designers run a more profitable, well-oiled business while elevating their client experiences.

WHAT FIRST STEP SHOULD A DESIGNERS TAKE TO INQUIRE ABOUT WORKING WITH YOU? 

KATIE: Start by visiting dakotadesigncompany.com and taking our quiz to discover your best next step. Whether you’re just getting started or ready to scale, the quiz will point you toward the right resource for where you are in business.

About Katie

Katie began her career in the events industry, where she built a reputation as a thoughtful and detail-driven wedding planner before shifting her focus to operations consulting. Drawing on her background in high-end service, she founded a consulting firm that now serves interior designers and other luxury service providers across the country.

She leads an all-female team that specializes in operations consulting, systems implementation, and education—helping design businesses of all sizes become more efficient, profitable, and intentional. While interior designers make up the majority of their client base, Katie’s methodologies apply to any service-based business looking to elevate the client experience while streamlining the backend.

Katie is not a designer, not a business coach, but a consultant with a deep understanding of how systems shape success. Her work has helped transform countless creative businesses by building operational foundations that allow founders to scale with clarity and confidence.

Work With Katie

Hi, I’m Cassie

The Interior Designers' go-to resource for all things marketing—helping you attract dream clients, build your brand, and make social media work for you, without the overwhelm.

Sell the problem you solve, not the product you have

  • I promise you do not need to reinvent the wheel every time you sit down to post. Some of the best content ideas are probably already sitting in your camera roll, your inbox, your discovery calls, and the conversations you’re having with clients every week. A project you’ve already shared can become 10 different posts when you stop thinking only about the finished photos and start talking about the decisions, process, problems you solved, and details that went into it. The question you answered on a discovery call last week? That’s a post. The opinion you have about a design trend? That’s a post. The reason you made a specific decision in a project? Also a post. You probably have a lot more to talk about than you think. You just have to start looking at what you already do every day as content. #designmarketing #interiordesignmarketing #socialmediastrategy #contentmarketing #interiordesigners
  • If you’re an interior designer with a smaller following, please don’t assume that means your Instagram isn’t working. Some of the accounts getting great inquiries aren’t the ones with hundreds of thousands of followers. They’re the ones that are really clear about who they are, what they do, who they work with, and what makes their approach different. Of course, we want your audience to grow. But while you’re growing it, don’t overlook the people who are already there. Focus on creating content that shows your expertise, gives people a feel for your perspective, and makes the right potential client think, “This is exactly who I’ve been looking for.” 500 of the right people can be a lot more valuable to your business than 5,000 people who were never going to hire you. Save this one for the next time you find yourself getting a little too caught up on your follower count. 😉 #marketingstrategy #interiordesignmarketing #contentstrategy #interiordesignbusiness #socialmediamarketing
  • Virality isn’t bad. It just shouldn't be the main goal. We love seeing a client's post take off. More reach, more eyes on their work, more opportunities for the right people to discover their brand. Of course, that’s a win. But a post reaching 500k people only tells us part of the story. For most interior designers, the goal isn’t to become internet famous. It’s to become recognizable, trusted, and sought-after by the right people. That means creating content that reaches potential clients, stays top of mind with referral partners, builds authority in your market, and gives someone a reason to choose your firm when they’re ready to hire. Virality can absolutely be part of that. But the bigger goal is creating consistent visibility with the people who matter most to your business. Because reach is exciting, but reaching the right people is what makes it valuable. #interiordesignmarketing #marketingstrategy #interiordesignbusiness #socialmediamarketing #contentstrategy
  • My saved folder is full of spaces that feel layered, lived-in, and full of personality, and this kitchen checks every box. Design: @housesevendesign Photo: @josephgbradshaw #interiorinspiration #kitcheninspiration #collectedinteriors #designinspiration #kitchendesign

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  • I promise you do not need to reinvent the wheel every time you sit down to post. Some of the best content ideas are probably already sitting in your camera roll, your inbox, your discovery calls, and the conversations you’re having with clients every week. A project you’ve already shared can become 10 different posts when you stop thinking only about the finished photos and start talking about the decisions, process, problems you solved, and details that went into it. The question you answered on a discovery call last week? That’s a post. The opinion you have about a design trend? That’s a post. The reason you made a specific decision in a project? Also a post. You probably have a lot more to talk about than you think. You just have to start looking at what you already do every day as content. #designmarketing #interiordesignmarketing #socialmediastrategy #contentmarketing #interiordesigners
  • If you’re an interior designer with a smaller following, please don’t assume that means your Instagram isn’t working. Some of the accounts getting great inquiries aren’t the ones with hundreds of thousands of followers. They’re the ones that are really clear about who they are, what they do, who they work with, and what makes their approach different. Of course, we want your audience to grow. But while you’re growing it, don’t overlook the people who are already there. Focus on creating content that shows your expertise, gives people a feel for your perspective, and makes the right potential client think, “This is exactly who I’ve been looking for.” 500 of the right people can be a lot more valuable to your business than 5,000 people who were never going to hire you. Save this one for the next time you find yourself getting a little too caught up on your follower count. 😉 #marketingstrategy #interiordesignmarketing #contentstrategy #interiordesignbusiness #socialmediamarketing
  • Virality isn’t bad. It just shouldn't be the main goal. We love seeing a client's post take off. More reach, more eyes on their work, more opportunities for the right people to discover their brand. Of course, that’s a win. But a post reaching 500k people only tells us part of the story. For most interior designers, the goal isn’t to become internet famous. It’s to become recognizable, trusted, and sought-after by the right people. That means creating content that reaches potential clients, stays top of mind with referral partners, builds authority in your market, and gives someone a reason to choose your firm when they’re ready to hire. Virality can absolutely be part of that. But the bigger goal is creating consistent visibility with the people who matter most to your business. Because reach is exciting, but reaching the right people is what makes it valuable. #interiordesignmarketing #marketingstrategy #interiordesignbusiness #socialmediamarketing #contentstrategy
  • My saved folder is full of spaces that feel layered, lived-in, and full of personality, and this kitchen checks every box. Design: @housesevendesign Photo: @josephgbradshaw #interiorinspiration #kitcheninspiration #collectedinteriors #designinspiration #kitchendesign
  • If planning your content usually starts with a blank stare and a thought similar to, "What in the world should I post this month?” I hope this helps get the wheels turning. Before you start thinking about individual post ideas, think about what you’re actually trying to get out of your content in the first place. Are you trying to book more full-service projects? Attract clients in a specific area? Educate people on why they should hire a designer earlier? Get more of a certain type of project? Those answers should shape what you’re talking about in your posts. You could have a perfectly consistent content calendar filled out for every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and still spend an entire month talking about things that have very little to do with the clients or projects you actually want. So before you start filling in those little boxes on your content calendar, try to answer these 5 questions first. And if you want more tips and ideas for planning your content, make sure to join my broadcast channel on my profile. 📲 #contentstrategy #interiordesignmarketing #contentplanning #designbusiness #socialmediastrategy
  • You know Instagram can bring in clients. You see other designers getting inquiries from it. You hear people talk about Instagram being one of their biggest sources of leads. Maybe you’ve even gotten a few inquiries yourself. But getting from posting on Instagram to it consistently bringing you the right inquiries is where it starts to get challenging. What do you actually need to post? How often? How do you show your work without just posting pretty project photos over and over? How do you get in front of people who could actually hire you? It’s not about posting more just for the sake of being active. It’s about having a strategy behind what you’re sharing, who you’re trying to reach, and what someone needs to see from you before they’re ready to inquire. If you know Instagram could be doing more for your design business but you’re not quite sure how to get there, you’re exactly who we work with. #interiordesignmarketing #socialmediaforinteriordesigners #interiordesignbusiness #marketingforinteriordesigners
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