logo
episode-header-image
Sep 2024
34m 36s

108\\ How to Grow Your Design Business W...

Rebecca Ward, CID | Interior Designer, Interior Design Mentor, Designers Coach
About this episode

Are you struggling to scale your interior design business while balancing family life? Or perhaps you're considering adding commercial projects to your list of services.

In this episode, Katie Decker, a successful commercial color consultant and business coach, shares her inspiring journey and practical strategies to help you achieve sustainable growth.

Katie's path to success was anything but linear. From starting in communications to flipping houses and discovering her passion for color consulting, she navigated various challenges before finding her niche in the commercial design industry. Her story demonstrates that with the right mindset and business understanding, you can transform your creative talents into a thriving, scalable enterprise.

Discover Katie's proven methods for transitioning from residential to commercial design, effectively managing rapid growth, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Whether you're looking to scale up or down, Katie's coaching expertise can help you build a business that aligns with your values and life stage.

Tune in and unlock the secrets to growing your interior design firm while staying true to your "why" and enjoying the journey.

Featured Guest:

⁠Katie Decker-Erickson⁠ began her career in commercial color consulting as a part-time passion project in 2007. With her MBA, today, her company, ⁠Color Works⁠, has grown into a multi-million dollar commercial design company, currently operating in over 20 states nationwide, with a fully remote team of more than a dozen individuals.

Katie is known for her business acumen (having grown her interior design firm by 1500% in a year).

Today, she works with billion-dollar Real Estate Investment Trusts, managing the design of multiple large-scale portfolios, hundreds of properties, and more projects, focusing on design impact experience.

With 15 years in the industry and 18 years teaching graduate & undergraduate courses at four universities, and a wild passion for women's empowerment, entrepreneurship, and financial literacy, Katie is now coaching other designers toward similar success and what scalability looks like, both personally and professionally. When not positioning her team and clients for success, she enjoys travel, hiking, and being on the water.

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:

  • Learn how to scale your design business successfully
  • Assess if adding or moving into commercial design is the right step for your design business.
  • Get empowered with practical strategies for overcoming designers' common struggles like undercharging and feeling undervalued

Check out the show notes >>> How to Grow Your Design Business While Staying True to Your “Why”

NEXT STEPS:

Grab your freebies:

Take a Quiz!

Listen to Related Episode:

Join the Design Mentor to kickstart a successful career in interior design!

Email me at podcast@rwarddesign.com if you have suggested topics

DM me on Instagram at @rwarddesign if you have a burning question

Leave me a rating and review! Click here

Visit my website at rwarddesign.com to learn more about my services

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Up next
Oct 6
159 | From Dreaming to Designing Series #1: How to Identify Your Design Niche
Wondering why your message isn’t reaching anyone? It is because you’re trying to appeal to everyone. Many interior designers run into this problem when they haven’t defined their niche.With so many designers out there, those who specialize tend to stand out, get more referrals, a ... Show More
15m 55s
Sep 29
158 | The Smart Way to Transition From Residential to Commercial Design With Marcy Sagel
“Residential was never my preference. I landed here because I graduated right as the pandemic hit, and the entire industry stalled—except residential.”Or maybe you’ve caught yourself saying, “I’m bored with residential and want to switch to commercial projects.”Many interior desi ... Show More
33m 27s
Sep 22
157 | Sneak Peek Inside Sacramento Thrive Retreat for Interior Designers
Do you ever feel like you’re running your design business on autopilot—too busy with client deadlines to pause and ask yourself if this is really the life and business you want? Many interior designers fall into the trap of working nonstop but never taking the time to reflect, re ... Show More
33m 26s
Recommended Episodes
Mar 2024
100 Strategies to Grow Your Design Business with Chris Do
It's a milestone worth celebrating! The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast is proud to announce its 100th episode! Over the past 100 episodes, we've had the privilege of hosting some of the sharpest minds in the creative industry. Our guests have shared their experiences ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 1
134- Part 4: Let's Talk Profit Strategies, Follow the Profits, Not all Projects are Sexy
Send us a textWelcome to the grand finale of our four-part Profitable Design Series with Laura Thornton!In this essential episode, Laura helps you shift from just designing beautiful spaces to designing a truly profitable business. Learn why reviewing your numbers regularly is mo ... Show More
13m 1s
Mar 2024
97 Building Your Design Agency Dream Team
In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, we talk about expanding your design business and building your dream team. From feeling swamped with administrative tasks to struggling to attract top-notch clients, we've all been there. If you've heard my other ... Show More
32m 37s
Apr 2025
157 What Separates $3K Designers from $10K+ Designers
Most designers stay stuck at $3K projects because they’re pricing wrong, targeting the wrong clients, and positioning themselves as just another freelancer. The difference between a $3K designer and a $10K designer isn’t design skills. It’s how they run their business. In this ep ... Show More
22m 17s
Sep 2024
🎙️Episode 10 - Interior Design Meets Architecture.🎙️
🎙️Episode 10 - Interior Design Meets Architecture🎙️In this lively episode, Hayley and Cheryl are joined by architect Pippa Jacobs to explore the intersection of architecture and interior design. Cheryl, with her background as a Part 1 architect turned interior designer, bridges ... Show More
1h 37m
Sep 29
Julie Wainwright: Getting Real Real About Building a Billion-Dollar Business
Julie Wainwright is the visionary founder and past CEO of The RealReal, the luxury resale giant that disrupted the fashion industry and redefined what it means to build a billion-dollar brand. In her new book, Time to Get Real: How I Built a Billion Dollar Business that Rocked th ... Show More
1h 16m
Jun 2025
How to grow a marketing freelancer / consultancy business in 2025 - Mel Barfield & Ben McKinney
Today, we spoke to Mel Barfield and Ben McKinney (Indie Business Club podcast and Copy Or Die copywriting agency) on how to stand out and grow your business as a freelancer or contractor. Whether you're already solo or pondering a career change, this session will be packed with t ... Show More
57m 35s
Aug 2024
A Playbook for First-Time Founders with Nancy Twine
If you’re in the thick of building, scaling, your pivoting your business or your career: LISTEN UP! (Yes, in all caps!)This episode is for you.Today’s guest is sharing a blueprint on how to grow, pivot, and scale successfully (even if you’re literally starting from scratch.)Nancy ... Show More
44m 19s
Jan 2025
660. "How do I build a profitable and thriving product-based business?" | Coaching Session
Welcome back product bosses! Do you ever feel like you’re pouring your heart into your products but still struggling to turn your passion into a profitable business? You’re not alone. Many product-based business owners start with a great idea but get stuck when it comes to buildi ... Show More
43m 24s
Dec 2024
Girls That Startup: How to Think About Your Business in 5, 10, 20 Years
Welcome back to Girls That Startup, a weekly series where we spill the tea on how to create a seven-figure side hustle - because no one saves their way to wealth. You’re joined by Sim, a seven-figure business owner, and Maia, an entrepreneur in the making.This week, Sim and Maia ... Show More
22m 31s