The messy middle - and simplifying your Interior Design business.

How untangling problems, and dropping what you don't need, is the key to a calmer interior design business.

Sep 05, 2025

Hello,

I’m really interested in what I call the ‘messy middle’. I realise I kind of gravitate towards it.

It’s a joy when I hop on calls with clients and everything is going well. We talk about their plans and vision, where they want to be held accountable, how they can stretch themselves and next steps.

All good stuff. However….

…I really feel a fire in my belly when things are a little off-track. It’s not that I want my clients to be having a hard time, or suffering in some way, it’s just that I feel like dealing with this ‘stickiness’, the mess, is my zone of genius.

Truly, when presented with an issue or problem, I’m soooo excited to get to the heart of what’s going on. I am 100% there with my clients - hacking away at the weeds that are holding them stuck, helping them find a clear path forward in their business.

I’ve been giving this a lot of thought. Why do I feel so engaged in fire-fighting? It’s been prevalent throughout my career. I’ve held positions in Customer Service, as a Customer Account Manager, Conflict Resolution Manager, and EMEA Program Manager for the Customer Services & Support team at Microsoft.

Fancy titles which all led me down the same path: recognising an issue, analysing what the data is saying, generating solutions, course correcting - all leading to a better customer experience.

It’s something I love. Solving problems. Making businesses run smoother - and the people within them happier.

And I just keep thinking, with all this problem solving, “what if it gets to be easier?”

We have a tendency to overcomplicate our businesses. And my mantra for the last few years has been simplify, simplify, simplify. I want CALM and EASE.

It’s what I take into all of my coaching and strategy sessions with clients. In problem solving - and planning - how can we make things easier?

How do we take things OUT of our business, so there’s less. Less to worry about, less stress, less to do, less pressure, fewer decisions, less comparison - and ultimately MORE free time, better energy, more joy and more money.

How could you simplify your business?

Take out a marketing channel that’s not delivering results.
Remove an unnecessary step from a process.
Cancel a subscription or app you no longer use.
Stop offering a service that no longer brings you joy (nor makes you money).
Drop a meeting/course/workshop you don’t need to be at.

Try taking one thing out. One thing off your plate. Let me know what difference this makes?

I have a couple of spots open in September/October for my ‘CALM Reset’ strategy sessions for Interior Designers.

The CALM Reset is ideal for interior designers in the early to mid years of business (typically 2–5 years in) who want a steady pipeline of clients - without the overwhelm.

It’s a 4-session 1:1 coaching and strategy experience.

It’s about finding a renewed sense of direction, increased confidence, and developing a focused action plan for the next stage of your business - all built around your time and energy, and the creative work that lights you up.

This is for you if you've ever thought: