Overheard: The CEO Mindset Every Interior Designer Has to Learn (Or Burn Out Trying)

Today With Katy Cassaw, Kat Benson, Heather Peterson and Jillian Richey:

In this Overheard episode of A Well-Designed Business, I sit down with four powerhouse designers — Heather Peterson, Jillian Richey Echevarria, and Katy Cassaw and Kat Benson of Nest Interiors — to talk about what it really means to step into the CEO seat.

Each of these women has worked with business coach Desi Creswell to move from creative chaos to confident leadership. Together, we dig into the mindset shifts that make it possible to run a business with clarity — letting go of control, delegating effectively, setting boundaries, and learning to trust your team.

Whether you’re a solo designer trying to get out of overwhelm or leading a growing team, this episode is a masterclass in how to think like a CEO, and why that shift changes everything.

More About Katy Cassaw, Kat Benson, Heather Peterson and Jillian Richey:

Katy Cassaw and Kat Benson:

Nest Interiors, co-founded by Katy Cassaw and Kat Benson, is a full-service interior design firm devoted to transforming vision into reality. With a focus on residential design, our expertise spans new construction, remodeling, consulting, and product installation. Guided by more than 20 years of combined experience, we craft timeless interiors that balance style and functionality. Each project is an expression of our clients’ unique story, brought to life through a refined mix of design influences—bold, sophisticated, and enduringly livable.

Heather Peterson:

Heather is the mix master and principal designer behind the layered interiors at Heather Peterson Design. Through a collaborative approach, HPD translates clients’ individual tastes and lifestyles into homes that are effortlessly stylish, functional, and truly personal to them. A Columbia University-trained curator and former design magazine photo editor, Heather uses her trained eye and sense of story to create balanced, thoughtful, and distinctive spaces. At Heather Peterson Design, the work encompasses a variety of styles which reflect a wide-ranging passion in interior design.  The team loves the challenge of blending all the things homeowners love, want, and value into a cohesive design.

Jillian Richey:

Jillian Richey Echevarria is the Principal Designer and CEO of Jillian Richey Design, a luxury interior design firm based in Hinsdale, Illinois, and Crown Point, Indiana. Known for her ability to create timeless, highly detailed homes, Jillian partners with clients, builders, and vendors to bring architectural visions to life—from custom cabinetry and millwork to full-scale furnishings and curated accessories.

With nearly two decades of experience in the design industry, Jillian has grown her boutique studio into a thriving business, balancing high-end residential projects with a newly launched lifestyle venture: Jilly’s Boutique Café, a Parisian garden-inspired café and retail space that seamlessly merges her love of design, hospitality, and community.

Jillian is passionate about the evolution of the designer’s role—from overextended creative to confident CEO. She shares candidly about the systems, leadership, and mindset shifts that allowed her to scale her business, raise her design fees, and empower her team. Guided by principles from Who Not How, 10x Is Easier Than 2x, and The Gap and the Gain, Jillian has embraced delegation, profitability, and sustainable growth while keeping her creative spirit at the center of her work.

When she’s not leading design projects or building her café brand, Jillian is a wife, mom of two, and believer that design should be both beautiful and deeply livable.

Ah Ha Moments with Katy Cassaw, Kat Benson, Heather Peterson and Jillian Richey:

“The real mindset here is to not be emotional about any of the findings and to just look at where the gaps were and to create better systems and learn from it.” – Heather

“Your superpower is your Achilles heel. And the superpower of that passion and compassion and that sympathy and that empathy for that homeowner, wanting them to have the best that you can possibly navigate for them, the Achilles heel is everything feels like a stomach punch.” – LuAnn

“Things don’t get easier when you avoid the tough conversation. They get harder.” – LuAnn

“I think you have to just bet on yourself. If you have a lot of passion and a lot of hard work ethic and you know you can do it, I think you just got to bet on yourself and just do it and know that it’s going to be a hard road, but it’s going to be okay.” – Kat

“Just because you can do it all doesn’t mean you should. And trust in your team and trust in who you’re bringing on to carry those roles and make your business more successful.” – Katy

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Other Resources Mentioned:

This podcast supports the ⁠Savvy Giving Design Coalition⁠. Learn more about it ⁠here⁠!

⁠AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project⁠

⁠AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design⁠

Other Shows Mentioned:

⁠Overheard Collection⁠

⁠Desi Creswell Episodes⁠

⁠AWDB #222: Power Talk Friday: Lee Cockerell- Customer Service the Disney Way⁠

⁠AWDB #445: Tori Alexander: Her Production List Increases Efficiency and Profits⁠

A BIG Thank You to Our Sponsor:

Thank our newest sponsor to the show Joon Loloi. If you’re already familiar with Loloi Rugs, you know they’ve been in the trade business for over twenty years, with a genuine focus on personalized service and great design. Joon Loloi comes from the same family and builds on that expertise, but expands into total-home furnishings, everything from furniture and rugs to lighting and wall art, all curated with quality and value in mind. Go to ⁠joonloloi.com⁠ to sign up for your trade account today.