Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast

Have you ever dreamed of becoming an interior designer but worried that your educational background, previous career, or lack of industry experience might hold you back? Perhaps you studied fashion, art, business, or something completely unrelated to interior design. You love beautiful spaces, have a natural eye for color and texture, and can spend hours imagining how a room could be transformed. But how do you turn that passion into a career? And where do you begin when you don't have a traditional interior design background?

In this episode, I'm talking with Renee Gaddis, a highly sought-after interior designer in Naples, Florida, whose career proves that there's more than one way to enter this creative profession. Renee studied apparel merchandising, design, and production before moving to Florida with her husband. When she couldn't find work in fashion, a conversation with an interior designer opened her eyes to the possibility of applying her existing skills to a different industry. That conversation led to a 13-year career with an established design firm, further education, professional certification, and eventually the launch of her own interior design business.

Renee's story proves that you don't necessarily have to start from scratch to become an interior designer. Your previous experience may give you valuable skills you can transfer into interior design, whether that's understanding textiles, recognizing color relationships, communicating visually, or working with clients. You'll also hear why learning the technical side of design, seeking out experienced mentors, and building strong professional relationships can help you grow into the career. If you're considering a career change into interior design, Renee's journey offers a realistic, encouraging look at how to take those first steps—and why you should understand the demands of the profession before taking the leap.

Featured Guest
Renee Gaddis is an accomplished interior designer based in Naples, Florida, whose residential design work spans projects across the United States, from Rhode Island to Chicago. Originally trained in apparel merchandising, design, and production, Renee transitioned into interior design after discovering how her knowledge of textiles, color, and materials could be applied to creating beautiful, functional spaces.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ How to transfer fashion skills into interior design
✳️ Why technical design knowledge matters beyond aesthetics
✳️ How mentorship can open doors to new opportunities
✳️ Why professional relationships help build a design business
✳️ What aspiring interior designers should know before starting

Read the Blog >>> How to Build an Interior Design Career From a Different Background

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love. 👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

📺 WATCH FREE WEBINARS 📺
"From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves

Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyoureadyreplay

Grab your freebies:
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
2:16 Renee’s Early Career and Textile Expertise
6:09 Learning Space Planning and Construction
7:16 Specialization in Condo Design
10:33 Starting an Interior Design Business
13:33 The Challenges of Managing a Design Team
17:57 Advice for Aspiring Interior Designers

Are you studying interior design, preparing to graduate, or hoping to land your first job at a design firm? You might already know how to create a beautiful space, develop a floor plan, or put together a portfolio. But do you know what happens between the first client consultation and the final installation? Do you understand how materials are specified, projects are managed, budgets are handled, and client expectations are met? These practical skills help turn your creative education into a successful interior design career.

In this episode, I'm answering frequently asked questions from interior design students about how I got started, what I love about the profession, and what I've learned along the way. I'll share what I look for when hiring junior designers, which technical and business skills can help you stand out, how to present your portfolio, and whether professional credentials and design associations are worth pursuing. I'll also explain why communication, networking, curiosity, and a willingness to learn can be just as valuable as your design skills.

If you're starting out and getting hired feels overwhelming, know that you don't need to know everything on your first day. You do need to be willing to learn, take responsibility, ask questions, and build experience over time. My goal is to help you understand what the profession actually involves so you can prepare for opportunities, make informed career decisions, and grow into a confident, capable interior designer.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✔️ How to turn your creativity into an interior design career
✔️ Which technical skills help new designers get hired
✔️ How to present a portfolio that explains your design decisions
✔️ Why business skills, communication, and networking matter
✔️ How to build confidence through experience and continuous learning

Read the Blog >>> Tips & FAQs for Building a Strong Interior Design Career Foundation

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join the webinar waitlist: “Your First Interior Design Client: The Roadmap You Need Before You Say Yes.” 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/firstclientwebinar
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

📺 WATCH FREE WEBINARS 📺
"From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves
Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyoureadyreplay

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

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

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction & Webinar Announcement
3:14 How I Discovered Interior Design
5:09 What I Love and Find Challenging
8:57 What Design School May Not Teach You
11:41 CAD Skills and Junior Designer Opportunities
13:09 What I Look for When Hiring Designers
16:09 The Value of Having Credentials or Belonging to Associations
19:49 Hourly Billing, Flat Fees, and Design Rates
20:55 Learning the Complete Design Process

What if the best interior design solutions don’t come from having all the answers, but from being curious enough to ask better questions?

In this episode with Sarah Broughton of Rowland+Broughton, the Colorado-based architecture and design studio, what really stood out to me was the way Sarah approaches design: not as a collection of separate specialties, but as a holistic, collaborative practice.

She describes this approach as convergent design—bringing architecture, interior design, landscape, makers, products, and other creative disciplines together rather than treating them as isolated pieces of a project.

And at the heart of it all is the client. Great design isn’t simply about creating something beautiful. It’s about listening, anticipating, collaborating, solving problems, and ultimately providing a level of service that creates delight for the person you’re designing for.

Featured Guest:
Sarah Broughton is a principal and co-founder of Rowland+Broughton, an Aspen- and Denver-based architecture and design studio she founded with her husband, John Rowland, in 2003. A licensed architect and Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Sarah is recognized for her leadership in sustainable design and professional advocacy. Her work spans architecture, interior design, hospitality, residential projects, product design, and civic work, with a strong emphasis on collaboration, place, wellness, and artistic integration. She and John have built a multidisciplinary practice that embraces a convergent approach to design and actively mentors the next generation of designers.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Why curiosity makes designers better collaborators
✳️ How convergent design creates a seamless client experience
✳️ Why designers should anticipate client needs
✳️ How iteration strengthens the creative design process
✳️ Why great design is ultimately a service

Read the Blog >>> Interior Design as a Collaborative Service

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Get on the waitlist for the Launch Your Business Bootcamp Winter Season 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/launch-your-business-bootcamp
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

📺 WATCH FREE WEBINARS 📺
"From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves
Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyoureadyreplay

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

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

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
3:32 Sarah’s Journey From Architecture to Convergent Design
6:18 The Advantage of Combining Architecture and Interiors
9:38 Building a Multidisciplinary Design Team
14:54 Blending Architecture, Interiors, and Product Design
18:18 Why Progress Matters More Than Perfection
20:13 The importance of mentors
22:40 Getting Unstuck by Returning to the Basics

Running an interior design business can be incredibly rewarding, but let's be honest: it can also be lonely. You might love the creative work, enjoy transforming homes, and feel passionate about serving your clients, yet still struggle with financial management, project profitability, client challenges, and the many decisions that come with being a business owner. And when things slow down, it's easy to question yourself, wonder whether you're doing something wrong, or feel like you should have everything figured out by now.

I've learned that growing a successful interior design business isn't just about having the right skills, creating beautiful spaces, or listening to another business podcast. It's also about surrounding yourself with people who understand what you're going through, who will hold you accountable, and who are willing to give you candid feedback when you need a fresh perspective. That's one of the biggest benefits I've experienced through the Design Leaders Collective (DLC), an international community of interior designers who share their experiences, compare business practices, and help one another grow.

In this episode, I'm joined by two of my fellow Design Leaders Collective members, Jodie Carter of Jodie Carter Design in Australia and Andrea Reardon of Andrea Reardon Design in Texas. We talk about how our group evolved from a three-year mastermind into an ongoing community, why financial transparency and accountability matter, and how peer support can help you make better business decisions. If you're an established interior designer looking for accountability partners, candid feedback, and a stronger business perspective, this conversation will help you understand what meaningful professional support can look like. We're also opening the door to new members who are ready to contribute, learn, and grow alongside other design business owners.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Why accountability helps interior design businesses grow sustainably
✳️ How financial comparisons improve business management and profitability
✳️ Why candid feedback leads to better business decisions
✳️ How peer support helps designers navigate challenging seasons
✳️ What it takes to join Design Leaders Collective

Featured Guests:
Jodie Carter is the founder of Jody Carter Design, based near Sydney, Australia. With more than two decades of experience in interior design, she works on high-end residential projects, including beautiful coastal waterfront homes and historic properties.

Andrea Reardon is the founder of Andrea Reardon Design, serving the Dallas, Texas, suburbs. She specializes in residential interior design and has increasingly focused on accessibility design, including remodels for families with special needs.

Read the Blog >>> How Design Leaders Collective Helps Interior Designers Build Stronger Businesses

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Design Leaders Collective: Contact me at podcast@rwarddesign.com to request membership information and details about the recruitment presentation.
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

📺 WATCH FREE WEBINARS 📺
"From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves

Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyoureadyreplay

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

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

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guests Bio
5:48 The Origins of Design Leaders Collective
11:15 Financial Management and Accountability
15:36 Collaborative Benefits and Meetings
19:16 Who Can Join Design Leaders Collective?
30:35 How to Explore Membership Opportunities

If you’re an interior designer trying to build a business, you’ve probably heard that you need a strong brand. But what does that actually mean? Is it your logo? Your color palette? The beautiful images on your website? While all of those things can help identify your brand, they aren’t what makes your business different.

The more important question is: Why should a potential client choose you over another interior designer? When designers look similar from the outside, clients can easily start comparing portfolios, services, and—eventually—prices. That can make it incredibly difficult for a small business or solopreneur to establish a competitive advantage.

In this episode, I talk with Jon Czeranna, co-founder of Wit & Craft and creator of the Brand Lab, about brand positioning for small businesses and interior designers. Jon shares a structured positioning framework that helps you identify your competition, uncover market gaps, understand your ideal client, articulate what makes your business unique, and build a brand story around that difference.

And if you’re a newer designer without a large portfolio, Jon shares something that can help you build your online presence right away.

Featured Guest
Jon Czeranna is the co-founder of Wit & Craft and creator of the Brand Lab. With more than 20 years of experience in advertising, branding, and graphic design, Jon focuses on helping small businesses and solopreneurs uncover and articulate their competitive advantage. Through the Brand Lab, he teaches entrepreneurs how to approach brand positioning, ideal client profiles, brand stories, messaging, and brand voice so they can better connect with customers, differentiate themselves from competitors, and build a stronger foundation for business growth.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Why your brand is more than visual identity
✳️ How to identify gaps in your marketplace
✳️ How to define your ideal client profile
✳️ How to articulate your unique positioning
✳️ How to build an online presence without experience

Read the Blog >>> Foundation for Building Your Interior Design Brand

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

📺 WATCH FREE WEBINARS 📺
"From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves

Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyoureadyreplay

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

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

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
2:12 Jon’s Journey Into Branding and Positioning
4:26 Where New Designers Should Start With Branding
7:48 The “Only Statement” Positioning Exercise
9:50 Building a Website Without a Large Portfolio
11:31 Identifying Your Ideal Client Profile (ICP)
13:46 The Story Behind the Brand Lab and Its Offer
19:06 One Branding Question Every Designer Should Answer
21:11 Using AI Without Losing Your Brand Voice