Today With LuAnn Nigara:

Hi, welcome to A Well-Designed Business! Recently, I listened to Steve Jobs’ biography, and it sparked some big ideas. Steve was more than a tech innovator—he was a master of customer experience, a ruthless prioritizer, and a perfectionist when it came to excellence. In this episode, I’ll reflect on his genius and how we can apply it to our interior design firms.

From branding and systems to productivity and storytelling, we’ll cover practical strategies inspired by Jobs and blended with advice from my Power Talk Friday Experts books. By the end, you’ll have a roadmap to simplify, streamline, and succeed in your business.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why your customer experience is your brand’s story—and how to control it.
• How to create systems that simplify your life and delight your clients.
• Why saying “no” is the key to productivity and growth.
• The art of storytelling to create emotional connections with your audience.
• Why excellence is a daily choice that leads to a lasting legacy.

Grab your notebook and tune in here!

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

The Power Talk Friday Experts books

Sandra Funk’s Interior Design Standard

Darla Powell’s Instagram for Interior Designers

Other Shows:

AWDB #466: Power Talk Friday: Nicole Heymer: You’ve Defined Your Brand…Now What?

AWDB #660: Sandra Funk: Level Up Your Business Through Mentorship, Coaching, and Classes. Sponsored Show: “Interior Design Standard”

AWDB #803: Power Talk Friday: Amber De La Garza: Productivity is Personal – How to Create Systems that Will Work for You!

AWDB #861: Power Talk Friday: Darla Powell: Instagram for Interior Designers

Today With Eileen Hahn:

Today on Power Talk Friday, I am joined by my cousin and hiring expert Eileen Hahn, who brings her 30 years of expertise in helping businesses find and retain exceptional talent. After seeing countless design firms struggle with hiring (and making some expensive mistakes myself), I knew we needed Eileen’s proven 5-step formula for making outstanding hires. Whether you’re building your team or planning your next hire, these simple, actionable steps will transform your hiring process and help you build the dream team your design business deserves.

LuAnn Nigara and Eileen Hahn’s Ah-Ha Moments

“If you do nothing else from this whole process, do an assessment at whatever level that is. Have them do a task you’re going to have them do a week later,” – Eileen Hahn

“Ask behavior-based interview questions because the best predictor of future performance is past behavior,” – Eillen Hahn

More About Eileen Hahn

Best-selling author of The Job You Were Born For: Seven Steps to Align Your Work With Your Life Mission. Influential business consultant who enhances revenue and productivity, while fostering joy and engagement among employees in Fortune 500 companies like Anheuser-Busch, General Motors, Pfizer and over 100 interior design firms. She teaches leaders in these organizations how to hire and lead exceptional employees who bring fire and energy to their work, achieve high levels of performance, generate financial results, and live and work in joy.

Connect with Eileen Hahn

Website

Instagram

LinkedIn

YouTube

Interior Designer Job Descriptions

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

Hiring Toolkits For Interior Design Firms

Other Shows:

#363: Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: Building An Exceptional Interior Design Team

#589: Power Talk Friday: Eileen Hahn: Scaling from 2 Million to 5 Million

#950: Overheard: Insights on Hiring Exceptional People

Today With Melanie Zaelich:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. Many new designers try out consult-based design only to find themselves struggling with scope creep and feeling undervalued.

But my guest today, Melanie Zaelich, runs a thriving consult-only business. She’s a former full-service designer who deliberately chose to transition to this model—and she did so with intention, systems, and processes. Today, she shares how to avoid scope creep, provide clarity, and set boundaries for a successful consult-only design business.

LuAnn Nigara and Melanie Zaelich’s Ah-Ha Moments

“You’ve thought a lot about what you want to do. And that’s what we have to think about. You don’t have the itch for the whole, you know, kit and caboodle of projects that last six months or two years till we get this thing done. Others are just so passionately driven to do it—but it’s not where your passion lies. And the thing is, every industry has all of its lanes, and they all need to be filled by people who are talented and passionate about that lane.” -LuAnn

More About Melanie Zaelich

Melanie Zaelich is an accomplished, award winning interior designer, known for her down-to-earth approach and creativity. As the only interior with a consult-based, à la carte business model in the Twin Cities, Melanie is transforming the way people experience interior design.

Connect with Melanie Zaelich

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

Digital Course for Interior Designers: Discount Code for LuAnn listeners: LUANNROCKS10

Other Shows:

WTFP #284 Melanie Zaelich: Connecting Charitable Giving and Branding to Elevate Your Business and Life

AWDB #174 Power Talk Friday- Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours

Today With LuAnn Nigara:

In this week’s episode of A Well-Designed Business, I’m sharing the no-fluff, practical strategies you need to set 2025 up for success. From defining what success truly means for you, to aligning your goals with your current season of life, to building the systems that keep you moving forward—this episode is your blueprint. Whether you’re scaling back or ready to seize new opportunities, it’s time to get intentional.

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

LuAnn University – Registration Open!

Today With Kelley Gable:

Today, with Kelley Gable of Gable Interior Designers, we dive deep into the world of niche marketing and luxury coastal design. Kelley shares her journey of redefining coastal aesthetics, moving beyond cliché beach motifs to create sophisticated, contemporary interiors. We explore her unique business model of serving clients with homes in both urban areas and coastal Delaware, and how she’s structured her team to support this dual-location approach. Kelley offers valuable insights on educating clients about modern coastal design, building strategic partnerships with builders, and creating targeted marketing strategies. We also discuss her hiring process for different roles across her two offices, providing practical advice for growing a design team. Whether you’re looking to carve out your own niche or expand your business across multiple locations, this episode offers a wealth of knowledge on positioning your design business for success.

LuAnn Nigara and Kelley Gable’s Ah-Ha Moments

“When hiring, you attract what you put out, so it’s important to attract people who see your vision and what to drink your “Kool-Aid, rather than just hiring too quickly,” – Kelley Gable

“Relationship building blocks are the foundation for how you can get into a new market,” – Kelley Gable

More About Kelley Gable

Owner & Principal Designer, Kelley Gable, was born and raised in Maryland and currently shares her time between the shores of coastal Delaware in Rehoboth Beach and Severna Park, Maryland with her husband and two children.

Kelley’s distinct style can be described as clean, functional and open. She finds beauty in blending her traditional East Coast roots with a casual California lifestyle inspired by laid-back living. With a background in merchandising and design, Kelley brings her ability to marry style and function in each space.

Connect with Kelley Gable

Website

Instagram 

Facebook

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

LuAnn University – Registration Open!

Other Shows:

#851: Power Talk Friday: Alexis Varbero: Making Connections that Matter

#887: Power Talk Friday: Renee Bush: Bringing the Spark Back Into Your Interior Design Business

#982: Power Talk Friday: Rachael Bozsik Johanson: Leveraging Your Superpower to Attract Dream Interior Design Clients

#987: Kate Wood: Discovering and Leaning into Your Niche

#988: On Air Strategy Sessions: Cassandra Thurston: Building a Pipeline to go from Side Hustle to Full Time Interior Design

Today With Karen Post:

Today with Karen Post, we dive deep into her journey of transforming Home Frosting from a staging company into a thriving interior design firm. Karen shares her experience of making a major business pivot while managing complex personal and financial challenges, including significant business loans and partnerships. As a former member of my Chairman of the Board program, Karen offers candid insights about finding the courage to change direction when your current path isn’t bringing you joy, even if you’ve invested heavily in it. She discusses practical considerations like negotiating flexible lease terms and managing inventory, while also sharing how this business transformation ultimately strengthened both her professional success and personal relationships. This episode is a masterclass in strategic pivoting and the importance of aligning your business with your true passions.

LuAnn Nigara and Karen Post’s Ah-Ha Moments

“You can’t change anybody else, you can just change your reaction to it.” – LuAnn

“When [you’re] getting funding, you need to think about the worst case scenario. If the story changes, do these details impact you?” – Karen

“When you sign your lease, make sure if you’re committing to a big space that you’ve got flexibility and if you change course, you’re not stuck with that.” – Karen

More About Karen Post

Karen Post – president and lead designer of Home Frosting. Karen is an ever evolving, forever learning entrepreneur. She started her career in visual merchandising, then developed into marketing as an agency owner, international speaker and twice published author and today is an accomplished designer and thought leader.

As a design professional she founded Home Frosting as a luxury staging company in 2016 (without any formal training in staging or interiors) and in 2021 pivoted, twirled and found her true happy spot as a top design firm leader in Tampa, Florida.

Connect with Karen Post

Website

Instagram 

Facebook 

Pinterest 

Houzz

YouTube

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

Kravet Workspace in Basking Ridge, New Jersey

LuAnn University – Registration Open!

Other Shows:

WTFP #43: Peggy Morgans: How Do I Get My Business Ready to Sell?

AWDB #271: Power Talk Friday: Husband & Wife Teams- This Week is LuAnn & Vin Nigara

AWDB #973: Jamie Gasparovic: How Investing In Your Business Can Kick Imposter Syndrome to the Curb

Today With Lindsay Hunter:

Welcome to a Well-Designed Business. If you’ve been listening to the show for any amount of time, you’ve heard me tell you to niche at least a dozen times. So…if you haven’t niched…what’s holding you back?

My guest today, Lindsay Hunter, probably had all of those same fears. But she also had a passion—and she turned that passion into a profitable, thriving niche as the equestrian interior designer.

Today, she’s sharing her story—and how niching opened up doors for her that never would have opened up otherwise.

LuAnn Nigara and Lindsay Hunter’s Ah-Ha Moments

“Thank you for inspiring me to niche my business and to put my horse back on my website and be authentic and myself and feel like I can show up to client meetings in my barn boots.” -Lindsay

“What’s meaningful and being passionately attached to something are two very different things. When you’re really super niched like equestrian design, you can’t fake that. You can’t say you’re an equestrian designer when you haven’t even been in a tack room.” -LuAnn

More About Lindsay Hunter

Lindsay Hunter combines her enthusiasm for interior design with her passion for the equestrian lifestyle to create intentional, inspirational living spaces for people from all walks of life. Past clients appreciate her attention to detail and her ability to bring the best out of any space, no matter how large or small. Lindsay brings a wealth of knowledge, insightful understanding, and elevated scope to every project because she understands why a house should feel less like a building and more like an extension of your life, identity, and passions.

Now based in San Diego, CA, interior designer Lindsay Hunter graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2003 with a Bachelor of Arts in Art History. After an intensive study in art and architecture in Bologna, Italy, Lindsay went on to pursue her studies in Interior Design at Santa Barbara City College where she met the stringent educational requirements necessary to receive her certification in June 2009.

Connect with Lindsay Hunter

Lindsay Hunter Design

Instagram 

Luxury Equestrian Network

Instagram

Magazine

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

The Power Talk Friday Tour

Watch the Docuseries!

https://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Resources:

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

Kravet Workspace in Basking Ridge, New Jersey

Other Shows:

AWDB #833 Flashback Friday: Mikel Welch: Be Determined and Get the Job Done

AWDB #991 Chloe Bullock: Conscious Design

AWDB #987: Kate Wood: Discovering and Leaning into Your Niche

AWDB #896: Cléophée Poli: A Unique Interior Design Niche Serving English-Speaking Clients in Paris

AWDB #830: Anne Gillyard: Capitalizing on Your “You” to Grow Your Interior Design Business

AWDB 759: Power Talk Friday: Rachael Bozsik: Discover Your Goldmine and Unleash Your Marketing

AWDB #174: Power Talk Friday- Fred Berns- Own Your “Only” Word & Tips to Discover Yours

AWDB #15: Nancy Ganzekaufer- Niche is Rich