288. A Listener Favorite: The Business of Design & The Power of Process | Katie Decker-Erickson

This week, I'm re-airing one of the highest-listened interviews we've ever done — my conversation with Katie Decker-Erickson, founder of Success by Design. And I'll be honest: when I listened back, it landed completely differently than it did the first time. I was in a different place. I heard different things. That's exactly why good content is worth coming back to.

Katie is a commercial interior designer turned business coach, and she has built her firm on something most designers skip entirely: airtight processes that run in the background so she can focus on the work she actually loves.

We get into scaling — when to do it, when not to, and what has to be in place first. We talk about agility, the myth that more projects equals more profit, and the "lonely work" that no one sees but everyone benefits from.

Whether you're hearing this for the first time or coming back around to it, there is something in this conversation you can put to work today.

You'll learn:

Why scaling before your processes are solid usually backfires What agility actually means in a design business — and why rigid processes create paralysis The "lonely work" that positions you for growth before the big clients arrive

Mentioned in this episode:

Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers

Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance

Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/business-of-design-power-of-process-katie-decker-erickson