Interior Designers: Do You Need a Business Coach?
Far too many interior designers hire a business coach the same way they pick a contractor off Instagram…someone looked good, someone came recommended, someone's sales page hit right. Sonia Barney was one of them. After years of expensive trial and error building her own residential interior design business, she realised the problem wasn't unique to her. It was everywhere. So she is building Kaivari to fix it. In this episode, we discuss who needs a business coach, what to ask before you hire, where to find one and how to stop paying for the wrong support.
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How do you know when you need a business coach?
The honest answer is that most designers don't know, and that's the problem. Far too many wait until something is visibly broken: revenue has stalled, leads have dried up, or they're working twice as hard for the same money. By that point they're hiring out of desperation, not strategy. The better question to ask yourself is where your business would be in twelve months if nothing changed. If that answer makes you uncomfortable, you might be ready for a business coach.
How do you find the right business coach for YOUR firm?
Start by diagnosing the actual problem, not the symptom. "I need to make more money" is not a diagnosis. It's a result. The underlying cause could be pricing, lead generation, sales conversion, or process inefficiency and each one points to a different type of coach. Sonia's Coach Connection service at Kaivari exists specifically for this step: an objective, structured clarity call that identifies your real gaps before you spend a dollar on anyone.
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[00:00.1]
It. Interior design is a team sport. And if you can build the right team to support you, you will win, you will grow, you will continue to build the business that fits your life to the best. And it doesn't have to be where you're on TV or have multiple locations.
[00:18.8]
It can be the right business for you, where you feel like you've just. You're feeling that joy of the design again. In today's episode of the Interior DesignHer podcast, I'm talking with Sonia Barney, an Idaho- based interior designer and the creator of kaivari -a community platform for interior designers, where Sonia is building a curated stable of interior design business coaches and service providers to help interior designers improve the business side of their businesses.
[00:45.5]
.During our chat, Sonia talks about her own business hurdles and what it actually takes to find the right business coach —not the loudest one on Instagram, not the one your friend used, but the one who fits where YOUR business is right now. .Let's get into it. Sonia, you've been an interior designer for 20 some years.
[01:06.4]
Can you walk us back to the specific moment, if there was one, when you realize that the business side of your business was actually costing you, money, time, confidence, aggravation, whatever. Oh, yeah. I mean, I'm sure a lot of designers have this similar journey, but I started my own business about 10 years into my career, and it came about during a time where I still had littles at home.
[01:31.2]
And I approached it part time, so it was in between drop off and pick up. And I really was just trying to utilize the other part of my brain instead of the mom brain. And I wasn't really approaching it like a business. And so a few years in, I had, a little bit of a light bulb moment of, what am I doing?
[01:52.5]
I am wasting my Like, I wouldn't say wasting. I was spending A lot of time and not paying myself. And I was even at the point of kind of getting bored with it because it wasn't really making money. And I was thinking of other business ideas and jumping down rabbit holes of other businesses.
[02:11.3]
And I really just had this point at which I said, sonia, stop. You already have a business. Why are you trying to start other ones? Why have you not invested in your own business? It could still make money if you put the same effort and energy into it. And so that's.
[02:28.7]
You, know, I started my business in 2015, and so about 2019 is when I was like, focused. I'm gonna lock in. I'm gonna do what I need to so that I can stop wasting time and money and energy and resources and.
[02:44.1]
And really tried to turn it into a profitable business. And that's when I was diving into podcasts and planning on going to industry events, even though Covid completely derailed that momentum. But luckily we have virtual world and things still moved forward just a little bit slower pace.
[03:00.1]
But yeah, it took a few years for that realization to happen and for me to be mentally in a place and ready to invest all my time. Yeah, kind of an aside, maybe the. I've found that story.
[03:17.0]
I have heard that story easily 50 or 60 times. So same thing. Correct? Right, Correct. It's a very common interior designer story, especially for the female interior designers, because we do have that child rearing years and there's a season of life for everybody.
[03:39.0]
But there is a point at which I know I've. I know I'm a better mom when I have work. It helps balance my. My energy and puts. Keeps me focused, makes me wake up every day and, and really keeps me centered. And so I, once my kids were starting to go to school, that was very, very much the case of I need to get back out there and do something that puts on my business brain.
[04:05.5]
It just takes a few years to fully get to the point where you're like, I can. I've got enough of my business brain available to me to make a profitable business. It's okay to have a hobby business for a while. I personally think other people might not think so, but I'm like, it's okay to have different seasons and ebb and flow of how much we focus on it, for sure.
[04:26.6]
I mean, I've heard on numerous, like, interior design business podcasts and just general business podcasts. When you talk with people, especially women, when kids are involved, I mean, the reality is, I mean, moms are ending up doing the lion's share of the parenting.
[04:44.7]
And it's almost like a guilt trip where they say, you know, you can, you know, run this huge business and look after a bunch of little ones at the same time. And it's like, well, Maybe you don't want to. Maybe, you know, for a while it's. It's not a hobby, but it's not a business business.
[05:03.3]
And then as the kids get older, I mean, with me, mine's 11, and my wife runs her own interior design firm, and, you know, I'll hear her in the middle of the business day on the phone. And I know that's something about our kid, right? And, you know, there's nothing wrong with that, right?
[05:22.7]
There is nothing wrong. And I want to give everybody permission to create the. Their version of a balanced work life. It is okay to raise kids. It's okay to have a business. It's okay to figure out what's the, Figure out the percentage of each during your day, and it will change from week to week to month to month and from year to year, and it's okay.
[05:44.2]
And I just think we live in a world where it's all comparison and it's the shiny object. Oh, they've got this amazing business with this huge team. I'm not saying you can't have that. Maybe this isn't the season. Maybe you're working, building that foundation so you can grow to that. Stop worrying about what other people are doing.
[06:00.3]
Focus on what's healthy for you and your family. For sure. So when you did decide that you were going to go all in and, did you do everything on your own or did you search for mentors or coaches or read a ton of books or.
[06:18.1]
How did you make that shift? Well, those first three years, it was on my own again. I didn't know what I didn't know. I was living in a bit of a bubble. I'm in Idaho. There are no, industry support, like national industry support.
[06:33.7]
Where I live, the closest market cities 3, 4 hours away. So I felt somewhat isolated, and I was just kind of figuring it out by myself in my basement. There's a lot of Googling. AI wasn't the thing, so it was Google and just shooting from the hip, figuring out as we go and making lots of mistakes.
[06:50.8]
And it was then at that, when I was ready to focus and I was like, oh, there's this whole world podcast. Really opened my eye that there's a world of coaches and, people that want to give support out there. I Didn't know if I could access any of them. I was like, maybe they're not for me.
[07:07.2]
But I knew that there was at least some education out there that beyond the traditional education that I could receive. Okay, so tell me a little bit about your design business first. So I'm an interior designer.
[07:23.6]
I specialize in kitchen and bath and residential and commercial, remodels and new builds. I prefer that. I know a lot of designers love the furniture and decor. I will do that. But my preference is floor plans, cabinetry, layouts.
[07:40.4]
Give me, give me space, planning challenges. It's like a puzzle. And I'm like, I just nerd out over it. And I'm like, oh, this is so much fun. That's what I love to do. That's exactly like my wife. She's the same. Exactly the same. She doesn't, she'll, she'll sell sofas and tables and stuff, but that's not her, her passion.
[07:59.2]
It's not my jam. And I love that there are designers that love it because I'm like, you take the ones that are going to worry about the right vase on that mantle. I, Don't really care as much. I think they're all beautiful. Let's put one up there. Yeah.
[08:14.7]
Now describe to me how the idea for Kyvari came out of this. When did you decide, you know, hey, this is something that, you know, is a possible thing for me to do? How did that happen? Oh my goodness.
[08:31.0]
It's a lived experience. It really didn't come to like, as a seedling of an idea till last year. But it's because of all the years leading up to it. I have over the years hired a lot of coaches. Started out with the podcast, then hired local coaches that had no idea about interior design and then moved out to interior design.
[08:53.7]
Specific coaches and different things, different, people and have had good and excellent experiences with all of them. But I wouldn't say everything was like amazing, wonderful things. And then as I've gotten to know other interior designers, I'm like, this is a shared challenge.
[09:12.1]
Is that sometimes it's a little hit and miss. If we hire somebody, we're like, oh, this is going to be great. They're going to several problems. They somebody else referred this coach. They're going to be great. And then they get in, they're like, oh, oh, I have invested tens of thousands of dollars in the wrong coach.
[09:28.0]
That somebody who 1 I don't click with or the program's not structured the way I want it, or I get limited resources from them, and in the end, they're frustrated. And I'm like, oh, it's not just me who has felt frustrated at times. Is there a solution to this?
[09:44.4]
And so, again, I'm a giant nerd. Not only do I like to nerd over floor plans, I also love spreadsheets. And I was like, I probably could combine my nerdiness of data collecting with this shared challenge that designers have and not only help myself, because I'm still always looking for the next coach or the next service provider that can help me in my current interior design business, but I could share that with other designers and help my friends.
[10:13.3]
And so that's that germination of an idea that happened last year, and I've just, from it, built more, of again, what would I have wanted when I started my business or what would I want now as an established business owner? What services, what resources, what help?
[10:29.9]
What would eliminate all of these pains that we go through in the trial and error of growing our business? Yeah, I mean, to be fair to all of the coaches and anyone who is offering a service where they're providing their expertise to someone who is just a little farther, you know, down the path, I mean, it's hard.
[10:51.4]
You don't want to give away all of your, you know, your special sauce, your secrets, all the things you've learned. You can't give all that away. But on the other hand, like you said, if you're going to drop tens of thousands of dollars on a full service coaching package based on just the text that's on a website, that's a massive, massive ask.
[11:13.3]
And it's not. It's. I mean, what do you do? Do you go to, like, the, their. Their Google my business page and look at the reviews? I mean, people go to podcasts. How. Prior to starting Kyvari, how did you feel or find that designers were finding coaches?
[11:34.2]
Like, was it, well, just Googling or. I, I would say podcasts are a huge one. I would say, Instagram's a huge one. If you. You're gonna. You're gonna get a lot from there, going to industry events, you're gonna hear about them, and that's where these really popular, amazing coaches live.
[11:53.4]
But there are. People don't know it. There are hundreds, if not thousands of, interior design specific coaches, not let alone the. The rest that are out there. There's a lot of business coaches, and it's a pretty saturated market. So when I was first looking I honestly didn't know that there were that many.
[12:13.7]
And I kind of felt like I said they weren't, I wasn't, I was too small, I shouldn't find one. So I went for the lowest hanging fruit, which was a, friend referred the Small Business center to get a free business coach. And I have no problem with free business coaches, but I will say that was one of the more challenging ones to work with because one, they didn't know my business.
[12:38.1]
They kept saying, well, why aren't you talking about the pillows and the furniture? And I was like, I don't focus on that. That's not my go to, that's not my selling point. So they didn't fully understand the industry. And then there was also this personality challenge. Great human being.
[12:54.2]
In a normal situation, I'd be fine. But I left a lot of those calls crying. Not, she didn't know, but I did. I got off and I just felt so defeated because it was, it was harsh. It was not what I needed as a first time coach to have such, like, you need to be doing this.
[13:14.6]
And it just wasn't the language I needed. I was a little tender hearted at that time. And so I have learned that at different phases of our journey, we need different types of personalities. And it's not just their expertise, it's not just their program style, it's not just the cost, it is also their personality that makes a good fit.
[13:35.3]
And so throughout that whole journey of hiring these coaches, I've learned that this is, a consistent challenge between all, all coaches finding the right designer and all designers find the right coach. Wow. Yeah. A lot of times on business podcasts for designers, I'll hear a coach or a more seasoned designer tell younger, less experienced designers that they need to niche down and really find who that ideal client avatar is.
[14:07.8]
But, and I just popped in my head, if you're a business coach, so that first business coach that you dealt with, they didn't, they weren't niche down. They were, I can teach, anybody. And it's like, but they don't know Sonia. They don't know your business at all.
[14:24.1]
And it's like, so you're telling us to niche down and find a specific design client, but you don't niche down. And I mean, I guess that's where you find coaches who focus specifically on designers, but even so, you could break that down by designers who've been in the business for five years or designers who've got aspirations of this massive company where other ones don't.
[14:48.5]
And they're different people. Completely. Completely. And with Kyvari that I'm building, I am interviewing a lot of different coaches and you don't have to be a coach that's specific to an interior design industry, but they do need to understand creatives.
[15:04.5]
They need to understand a, female dominated industry. They need to understand the challenges that we have of balancing work and family and, and so all of the coaches on there truly get what we're challenged with.
[15:19.5]
But there are like, if I was going to have a, offer a designer, a coach or refer them to a coach on processes, I am going to offer them one that understands interior design processes for sure. But if I'm going to offer, if they're like, I need help with mindset or with sales, well, that can go beyond people specific to interior design.
[15:41.8]
So there's a lot of different expertise, that they can focus on and there's a lot of different ways that they can help. And again, every coach is so unique. And design, designers can spend hours. I have spent months researching people and understanding what makes them different.
[16:01.0]
No designer has the time to do that. So if you're going to go out and do it yourself, you are, you're going to have a challenge of potentially hiring the wrong person because you're going to just. Fine, I don't care. I'm just going to click buy because I need somebody right now. So that's what Kyvare is doing is really making it so you don't have to make those impulse purchases and just hire whoever shows up on your algorithm or who, who's ever the loudest on the podcast.
[16:29.6]
It's going to be the one that actually fits for what you need right now. Yeah, zipping back to when you talked about being a nerd and spreadsheets and all the number, huge number of coaches. It's not just coaches on Kybari. No, but I'm curious.
[16:47.2]
So do you have like a massive master spreadsheet of like all of these coaches and then you start picking and choosing the ones you want or do you have a more reasonable list of like 50 coaches or 20 coaches? It's a growing list.
[17:04.0]
Kyvare isn't fully launched yet, so we are still gathering coaches. I vet every single one. So only the ones will be on my spreadsheet are the ones that I have already felt past the bar of. Let's make sure that their experience, they understand the interior design industry or at least creative entrepreneurs that, that I feel that they are reputable experienced.
[17:29.1]
They're not here to. They didn't raise their hand yesterday and say, I'm a life coach. No offense to life coaches, but there's a lot out there. And so I'm like, we want people who can provide actionable advice right away because they've been doing this for years. So, so that's what I'm doing.
[17:45.2]
So that's that list. It is growing. I wouldn't say it's massive, but it's anybody who also understands. I want to be on Kari because I want to connect with designers who are also ready to grow. This is, I've got lots of different member types.
[18:02.7]
We've got the designers that are member types and the coaches that remember types. And then that third one you mentioned, we've got other ones. It's service providers. Because designers sometimes don't want someone just to teach them. They're like, I've learned it all, I just need help. In my day to day work, we provide marketing specialists, VA's, bookkeepers, legal support, whatever you need.
[18:26.5]
I am vetting all these different types of service providers, we call them our resource partners that can come in and actually implement and do services for you, take things off your plate, at different times and seasons of our business growth. We need a different type of help and we want to provide that network of support for you on Kybari so that you, if you are having one of those days, you're like, I need help.
[18:51.5]
You've got a one stop shop to go find the right help. Or use our coach connection tool, which is a service where you work with me to help you better understand and I connect you or refer you to the ones that will help you. I can help do that filtering for you.
[19:10.6]
If I was a coach and I wanted to find myself on kyvari, how would that process work? It's, it's I feel bad for all the coaches because they're going to be like, I don't want to do that. You do. It is an in depth analysis and interview process.
[19:30.8]
And I wouldn't say like crazy, but plan on spending a few hours. You're going to have a questionnaire, you're going to fill it out, then I'm going to review it and then I'm going to have a phone call with you and then I'm going to also get feedback from your past clients.
[19:46.8]
So it's a combination of questionnaire, interview and feedback and that's going to really help me determine are you the right fit for kyvari? And for the designers, I want to make sure that the designers are only getting top tier support.
[20:02.8]
I don't want anybody to feel like they were led down the wrong path. So it's like I'm going to put in the refer the ones I would want to work with and then, after that then they get to be invited and pay. The nice thing is coaches, if you're interested. Same with service providers.
[20:19.2]
You don't have to pay to do the vetting process. Come, I'll vet you. I'll let you know if you're right for Kyvare. And then you pay and join. Join the program. And it's, it's a website for those that are curious what it is.
[20:34.7]
It's a private platform where you can come join. You've got different tools on there. I could go and spend too much time on that, I won't. But that's essentially what it is, is where you can come. And for coaches, you are not just getting those connections, but you're also getting marketing opportunities on it to help us again, spread your name and give you more visibility to your right clients.
[20:58.1]
And I, mean, the fact is Kyvari is new, but I can, I mean, I see. Obviously I wouldn't have you on, have you on the podcast if I didn't think this was a great idea to discuss. But I can just imagine 10 years from now when you are fully established and you've got, you know, a, great roster of designers and service providers on the platform.
[21:22.2]
You are a, a sales agent for those professionals. So whatever you're charging them, right? I mean, how many clients is it going to take for them to make their money back and be very happy that they joined the platform. Conversely, right now, you're new, I can see some of a, more established coach saying, I don't need this.
[21:43.0]
I've got enough business. Right? So it's time starting out. It is tough starting out, but the price is very competitive. You would Obviously, I don't know everybody's price point for how they're higher or how much they're charging their clients, but on average you get one client from my platform, you've paid for your, your, your platform access, plus you are getting marketing on it.
[22:11.1]
So if you're looking as a truly a leads generation and marketing tool that pays for itself, but then you will be a continuous member and get that great feedback and support and, you will be there as one of our top tier coaches helping these designers.
[22:29.1]
This is an evergreen platform. This is where I want designers to be coming back year after year. Our designer package includes a yearly coach connection call. Because what, what services or coach you might need this year is not to be the same one next year.
[22:47.4]
You're going to be growing, you're going to be at a different place in your life and in your business. And so you might need a different type of support next year. So I'm offering every year a chance to have someone objectively look at your business and help filter and provide you the next support level that you need. Right.
[23:05.3]
And that actually you kind of come in as the, the, the middle person in that. So say I'm, I've been working with a coach for a year and things have gone well, but I feel maybe I've outgrown them or I'm not happy for whatever reason. Then I can reach back out, to you, have that, that conversation and express those feelings to you and say, you know, would there be a better fit?
[23:29.1]
And then you're saying, oh, yeah, I can, blah, blah, blah. And then, and then they're not having to make a decision to quit working with that coach and then go find somebody new. So yeah. And I would say most coaching programs are about a year.
[23:46.2]
Some may go into a couple year programs, but hopefully by that point you feel really confident with them. But yeah, let's say after a year you're like, I've outgrown it, or it wasn't quite the right fit. Let's figure out what was wrong, what didn't you like? Because learning your learning style and the way they teach and way they set the program might be the challenge.
[24:06.5]
You might like them as a person, but you hated that it was group coaching. Well, have you talked to them about their one on one? Like, let's dissect. What was the challenge? Is it that they just didn't provide the level of support you're wanting? You're needing more of an implementer? Okay, well, maybe we pivot to a service provider that you need.
[24:24.7]
There is always someone that could hop in. But I will say this, there is a point at which I might tell somebody, you hired a lot of coaches. You now need time just to implement what they've taught you. Like, don't be a serial coach hirer.
[24:41.6]
Like, you do need time to actually test out their methods and see if they work. And I'll be honest with people, that's what I'm here for. I'm not here to just say, continuously hire coaches. There are times and seasons where you need to just buckle down and work on your business, you solely and, and play with the, the theories and the models that they have suggested.
[25:05.1]
I mean, we all know people who read a ton of self help books or business books or whatever, but they never actually do the thing that they're reading the self help books for. But they'll read another self help. Yeah, it's not a one.
[25:20.9]
Like it's not going to fix it right away. With one coach. You have to put in the work and it's going to take time. If you're willing to do that, almost any coach is going to be a great opportunity for you. But my goal is to help get you the right coach. Because a coach is not a coach, is not a coach.
[25:38.1]
It's not a one size fits all. Let's get the one that's really going to move the needle fastest on your business right now and give you that confidence to keep leaping forward, reaching those goals so that we can give you then the next coach or the service provider that's going to run you down that, run you up that hill where you're wanting to go.
[25:57.0]
Exactly. I was thinking from the designer's point of view, I know when the first coach I hired, this has got to be 25, 26 years ago. And I was told by a client of mine that I was good at what I was doing.
[26:17.7]
At that time I was running two different fitness businesses, one in real life and one online. And he says, you're a great trainer. You get me to do things that I would never be able to do. You've done all this stuff for me, but I gotta tell you, your business sucks.
[26:35.1]
He wasn't a coach. He wasn't, he was just an incredibly wealthy individual business owner who had hired coaches. And he put me on to somebody and he says, I'm going to pay for a few months for you to work with this guy. And oh my God, it was, it was brutal at first.
[26:52.3]
And I think it was brutal because my client had told him to be brutal to me. But there were the things I thought I was doing right and the things I thought I could fix was nothing compared to what they taught me. They taught me so much.
[27:07.5]
And I wonder from personal experience, but also professional, when somebody starts working with a coach, is there kind of a, disconnect but between what they think they need to do to build their business and what they actually need to do and learn so much?
[27:28.1]
Like if somebody, a designer came to me and said, I, I need to make more money okay, yeah, that's a problem. But that doesn't really get to me to the core of what you need. They might say, well, I need someone to make me more money, so I'm going to hire somebody with marketing that's going to help me on the marketing.
[27:46.3]
Is that your challenge? So I'm going to. Every time I talk and do that coach connection, I'm going to ask the designer what. Tell me more, tell me more of where you are. They also, every designer fills out a questionnaire and we do the, the clarity call.
[28:02.4]
I'm going to try to find out, is it because your processes, you're wasting time and losing money there? Where is your money going? Where is that? Is it that you don't have any leads? Do we need to help with your lead generation?
[28:17.7]
Or you, you have a lot of leads, but you can't close a sale? Is that. Do we need to help with your sales? Is it that, you're underpricing? Like, I'm going to ask lots of questions of why, quote, unquote, you need to make more money, like, where, where's that disconnect?
[28:34.9]
And from those multitude of questions that I'm gleaning from the questionnaire and the interview, I'm then going to be able to point them in the right direction of a coach or service provider who is really going to be here to help them with their underlying challenge that's leading to that symptom.
[28:52.1]
And so that information, I'm assuming you would provide to the coaches that you recommend to them so that, that when they, if they. Or the ones that the designer agrees to meet or whatever. So when they design, when they do sit down to talk, they're kind of already understand the designer a little bit.
[29:12.3]
I would love to do that. Again, I built this is based on what I would want. I wouldn't want personally if I had some challenges, that I shared it automatically with other coaches. So what I'm doing is giving a lot, putting a lot into the designer's court.
[29:31.2]
They have the ball. So at the end of the coach connection, they will receive a, a sheet with all of their information. It's like a holding up a mirror to their business based on my bird's eye view of what I'm seeing. These are your goals, these are your gaps in your business.
[29:47.2]
This is what you need to be working on next to achieve those gaps. You can't work on everything. Let's focus on just these goals right now. These are the coaches and service providers I recommend. And then I will give them more intel at that point. The designer has that wonderful sheet that they can use and they can give to the coach if they would like to.
[30:08.7]
But they're already coming to the coach saying, I need to work on this. I already know that this is my challenge for the coaches. I do notify them that you have been matched recently, potentially. Like, let's say Sally Jensen was the person who did the coach connection.
[30:27.3]
Well, I will let them know. Sally, not the full name, but Sally has been matched with you. If you start getting soft stocked by Sally, congratulations. It's because it was from this. Hopefully she will set up a phone call and you guys can continue that process.
[30:45.2]
But I don't want to, like, again, if it was me, I wouldn't want to all of a sudden be bombarded by coaches calling me saying, hey, we got matched, let's get together. Because I'm at a different place of my journey. I might be like, I'm thinking about a coach, but I'm not really ready.
[31:01.2]
So it's a very pressure free process for the designers and it's really just giving them the encouragement and tools so that if they hire, and we hope they do that, they have all the tools in their tool belt to say, I know I need to work on this.
[31:17.9]
I already know about your programs. I know a little bit more about your personality. Now I can ask deeper questions, make sure we get this vibe check and make sure it's the right fit. Okay. Those deeper questions is what I wanted to talk about next. If I'm a designer who I've never worked with a coach before, and I've had this interaction with you and you've given me this bird's eye view of my business and where you think I could or should, look to improve.
[31:46.1]
How do I, like, if I. So I make this connection with this coach, I'm still as the rookie, maybe I don't understand the questions I need to be asking the coach. Right. As opposed to just letting the coach drive the entire interaction.
[32:03.0]
Right. I tell every designer, approach it like you are interviewing for a new employee that's going to be in your business. You're going to come up with this vision of a perfect employee. You're going to understand their personality, their skill set, how often, how much you want them to work, what tasks they're going to do.
[32:25.1]
You're going to have this whole vision in your head and then you're going to, when you're interviewing, you're going to ask based on that, trying to see are they going to match this perfect ideal. But it takes more than just the interview. It takes more than just a phone call or even like, I've had people just purchase off of websites and Instagram, like, don't do that.
[32:45.3]
Like, ask them the question. So one thing that I have for free, my website, and I can even provide a link for your show notes if you have that. These are the questions you ask before you hire your next employee, your next coach. It's coach questions to ask yourself and then questions to ask during the call.
[33:05.1]
And it really, if you spend 5, 10 minutes just reading over those and really truly thinking about it before your call, you're going to have a better idea of whether this is going to be the right coach for you. You don't want to waste your time and money hiring the wrong one just because you assumed they did it.
[33:24.3]
Because other, other coaches provide that service. I'm just going to assume they do it. Now, no one coach is the same. They might have similar skill sets, but their programs are completely different. So you really, truly want to understand. How many times do we meet?
[33:41.2]
What's my access to you? Do you take notes? Do you help follow, follow up? How much are you involved in my business? How long does this last? Like, there are. I. I recently talked to a designer that she was frustrated because she bought this thinking, I'm gonna have this wonderful program and access, really deep access to a coach.
[34:02.2]
And it was one week. And she was like, I only have access for one week. And, she was so frustrated and I felt bad and I, I was like, in the future, you've got to read truly understand, because we can't totally fix our business in one week.
[34:18.8]
If she even knew, if she had that idea from the beginning, oh, this is only one week. She may have paused all meetings to focus on it, but she wasn't prepared. She's like, oh, I only have access to you for one week. That completely changes the game. So always go in ready to ask the deep questions and don't make assumptions.
[34:35.7]
And just right these first calls with coaches, some charge, some don't, and that's okay. They each provide a different level and time with you for each, you know, paying or not paying, but approach it as you're interviewing them and get as much intel as you can.
[34:52.5]
Yeah, I would assume that if those assumptions, are, are potentially a huge stumbling block or a way to make a big mistake of hiring the wrong person at the wrong time, it really is. Again, I am not here to Say there's any bad coach.
[35:09.0]
Even though a coach who made me cry, I was. It was a me thing. It wasn't her. She did help me in my business. There were things that she did help, but it wasn't the right coach I needed at that time. You've got to pick beyond just them being, having an expertise and understanding business.
[35:28.3]
It's. It's a deeper connection there. Right. But I mean, and the same thing for an interior designer and their clients. I mean, you could be technically the best interior designer on planet Earth, but if you can't interact with the homeowner in a way that puts them at ease, makes them feel confident that you are the person for this project, you're not going to have a successful business.
[35:53.5]
Though there was hard and soft skills that kind of have to come together. Oh, and it's a great idea of way that we can understand it. We're not. Every client is the best client for us as a designer and vice versa.
[36:10.5]
We're not the right designer for them. So have that same filtering tool and mindset when you're hiring coaches. They might be wonderful coach, but it doesn't mean they're going to do well for you right now. So obviously I do not know Kyvari as well as you do.
[36:28.9]
If I'm an interior designer other than, than just getting matched with somebody, what do I get? What do I get from becoming part of Kyvari? Kaivari is this online platform, private space where you can connect with people who understand your industry.
[36:48.6]
I look at it as, this is your safety net. These are the people you go to that understand you. There's obviously coaches on the platform, resource providers. There are also our peers. And so one of the great things that I am excited to have on Kyvari are our cohort groups.
[37:08.5]
I am part of a designer group. We met at an industry event a year and a half ago and we still meet every month virtually. We're not in the same market. We are not, we have variously, you know, different styles of business, but we all come together and chat.
[37:25.8]
And I had gleaned so much confidence and support and even business advice just from being with my peers. So if you are somebody who, like me, especially and you're in an isolated area, or you're kind of feeling like you're behind, alone, living on an island, trying to build this in a bubble, then the cohorts are a great way to connect with other designers and really feel like you can ask the right questions.
[37:57.4]
And someone's going to peel back the layer of their business because they're not competing with you. They're going to peel back and show you the nuts and bolts of the business. I love that. So if that's an extra layer that Kyvarti is providing is building in these, this peer group and the experts and linking you together and making sure that you always have a home to go to.
[38:19.7]
If you have questions, you don't have to crowdsource anymore. You can have people who truly understand your business by building these relationships with them. And is that within the Kvari site itself or is it. Oh, it is fantastic.
[38:35.2]
Yeah, yeah. All of that's in the site. So you have your private group. No one else can jump in. It's not like anybody can sneak in and observe. You guys have your own private group. There's online resources there. So there'll be virtual seminars so you can continue to get education for free on there.
[38:53.0]
So it's like you don't have to hire a coach or a resource partner to still get the education that's going to come from Kai Bar. We've got a library of resources that coaches have already put information in there. So you can go and search and be like, I wonder if anybody has a tool for this probably on there.
[39:10.0]
And so this. And you can even just ask like, I'm looking for someone who can help me with spreadsheets. If you put it in the chat, I'm sure a coach is going to be like, yeah, I can help you. Let's, let's chat and learn a little bit more of what you need. This is your one stop shop to getting that true business support.
[39:28.0]
And it wouldn't just be a designer coach or service provider conversation. It can be designers talking to designers. Oh for sure. Yeah, you can talk to anybody. You can go straight to your small group or you can do the bigger group. There's just multiple group access that you can achieve.
[39:47.8]
So like, I mean I, I've worked with a ton of designers, ever since COVID on the operations side of the business. And as a result have gotten pulled into different Facebook groups. Groups. And some of them are wonderful.
[40:04.6]
Some of them are even the ones that, even the ones that are wonderful. Not everybody on the group is wonderful. Right. And you know, some I, can just smell the desperation sometimes when someone's asking a question and you can see they're completely flummoxed on this, this business concept or this one specific thing and they ask a question, and nobody responds to it.
[40:28.2]
And then, you know, the next day, someone puts up some. Some question that really doesn't mean anything, and they get, like, 18 people chiming in with all this advice. And I'm like, what's wrong with this person over there? Nobody's trying to help them out. And, you know, and I truly, like. I.
[40:44.6]
I'm on those Facebook groups, too, and there has been some value that's come from it, and I'm not trying to replace that. But I do find that the best support comes from people who know you, and you have to take the time to get to know people. That's why I'm like your peer group, a cohort, or even people that are within your community that you've connected with.
[41:05.6]
Stop crowdsourcing those questions. Talk to people who know you and are invested in helping you. I just think that there's this anonymity that we love about social media that makes it so that I can put my random question out there and hope to get the right answer.
[41:21.2]
But you don't know where it's coming from. You don't know that they have your best interest at heart. You hope they do, but you don't know if they even have the experience to give you a real answer. So talk to people, you know. Yeah, like, to. You get a. You get some answers from, you know, three, other interior designers on that Facebook group, but you know absolutely nothing about them.
[41:42.8]
And why are you taking their advice? It might be the best advice ever, but you don't know that it is or it isn't. I appreciate when the. It's typically a coach who's, like, leading one of these Facebook groups that they chime in and they give their expert advice. That's what we need. We need the people that we know and we trust to kind of be that voice of reason.
[42:02.9]
And with Kyvari, I want you to all to know that I've vetted all of them, so they're all coming in with that voice of reason. And I don't. You don't have to take it face value. You can still continue that conversation with them, but it is a place where you're going to feel more comfortable that the people there truly have your best interest at heart.
[42:24.1]
Okay, I've got a couple more questions where I might need you to put on your designer hat and your Kyvari hat at the same time. If I'm a designer and I know that I want to take my business to the next level, or I know I'VE got holes that need to be fixed and I'm willing to drop $5,000 in the next year on, on whether it's education or something like that.
[42:51.5]
How do they decide? How do they decide? Do I, do I hire a coach? Do I look at, at tools or software or AI or, or do I hire somebody? Like if I, if obviously if I, you know, listen to a podcast and there's a great coach coach on, I'm going to be like coaching.
[43:09.7]
That's my solution. But how do you know, how do you know what's best for you? Well, if you've got 5,000, let's just say take a small portion of that and pay for Kyvari because that's going to give you the first step to having that clarity. I say clarity over before commitment.
[43:27.5]
So understand what your challenges are in your business. So if you, you aren't doing Kyvari even though I highly recommend it, you need to get that clarity first of what really is the challenge in your business. It could be taking the questions that you asked before you hire.
[43:45.1]
That's going to help with some of those, providing that clarity. But it's also getting someone who's objective and unbiased to help you see your business for what it is. We all lie to ourselves. It's just human nature to want to sugarcoat or gloss over maybe some rough patches or focus on something or hyper focus on it and say that's my problem, that's my challenge and forget that there's actually something else that the underlying problem.
[44:14.6]
And so you need somebody objective and can help diagnose that challenge in your business to then help you determine are you going to do it. So again, Coach Connection is like a, your business matchmaker. I'm here to help you see your business for what it is and, and refer the people that can help you work on the gaps in your business, work on those next step goals.
[44:41.7]
It is going to be a process. But to assume I'm just going to spend 5,000 and put it somewhere and I'm going to get that return on investment is not wise. It is, it is. I've seen it over and over again of people wasting that money or more on the wrong fit just because they assumed, oh, they're messaging hit, hit right on.
[45:04.2]
And I, I'm sure that they're gonna, I'm gonna, I assume that that's gonna solve all my problems. It isn't. Yeah, yeah. You can't jump from problem to solution by putting diagnosis in between. Right. You. You are able to focus and find the appropriate solution, Correct?
[45:24.8]
Okay. The other question. You're still a designer, right? You're not all Kyvari. You're still a designer. I'm curious how you running your business and the problems you. The bumps in the road that you continue to run into, how does that inform how you've built Kyvari and maybe, you know, things you want to do in the future with it?
[45:50.5]
As I've said, I've built this because I wanted to solve this problem for myself. I lived it. My friends have lived it, and I have the. The nerdy side of me that knows I can do the research and do that, but I have waffled.
[46:06.9]
I'm, like, do I stop doing design work? Do I continue doing this? I have chosen to keep doing my design work, one, because I love my team and I love my clients, and I still enjoy space planning and doing all that. But I also see it as a way for me to stay on the pulse of what the industry is needing.
[46:26.1]
And it is. I'm constantly collecting data. This is helping me better understand the needs of the designers, needs of, the coaches, the needs of the service providers so that we can all work together. A rising tide lifts all ships. And so I'm over here collecting the data to help everybody rise together.
[46:45.7]
And I think if I stopped or if I wasn't a designer, that. Well, first off, if I wasn't designer, I have no clue about this deceptively complex business, and that would not be helpful. So it really is taking an interior designer to do it. But staying in the industry is helping me provide better resources, better education, and making sure that, like, one thing we haven't talked about is that we will be providing, more education within the platform.
[47:15.4]
Free seminars, free, Q and A sessions with different coaches and stuff. And those aren't just random. They will truly be based on what people are being challenged with. So if it's a particularly rough season and people are needing help with understanding AI or marketing or, tariffs or whatever it is, we will be pulling from the experts to teach on that so that you are getting the help you need.
[47:42.0]
And if I didn't understand what was happening in the industry and if I wasn't talking to the designers more, I wouldn't be able to provide them that level of education that's pinpointed and strategic to what they need. Yeah. And to that point, I think you're.
[47:57.5]
The community aspect of Kyvari can actually serve you as almost like a little Bit of research, right? Oh, yes. What people are talking about, and sometimes, you know, what they're talking about today may be a trend that, not a trend in, like, design trend, but in a business trend where six months down the road, more people are talking about it, but you're kind of got the canary in the coal mine of actual working designers identifying issues.
[48:29.0]
Correct. We will be, polling the audience. We will be asking. And the nice thing is I can also give that information back to the coaches and the, the service providers and say, hey, guys, this is what people are being challenged with. And I've already had some coaches change how they approach things because they're like, oh, this is, this is.
[48:50.9]
I'm boots on the ground. I'm getting the intel from, from the actual people, and it's helping them lead better and teach better. And I, again, I just think the rising tide is going to help lift all of our ships and help us connect and help one another better and stronger.
[49:07.2]
Okay. I'm curious if you could picture a designer who just, you know, starts working with you and starts working with, whether it's a coach or a service provider. What does success actually look like for that designer?
[49:24.5]
A year, two years, five down, Five years down the road in your mind? Best possible outcome. What do you see happening for designers who decide to sign on to Kyvari? Best possible would, be that they are making great money, greater than they could even imagine, that they've got better life balance, that they feel, this freedom.
[49:50.7]
I still at times feel this, like, am I doing it the right way? Is this the best solution? I want them to feel this confidence of, this is the right way to run my business. And we are just chugging along. This is a train rolling down the tracks and there's obviously, you're going to keep working on it, but that they are working towards their goals and they couldn't be happier.
[50:12.1]
I imagine if I had had Kyvari when, you know, seven years ago, when I was really starting to focus on it, where would I be today? I would be miles ahead. I would be a completely different business if I had had that support. And that's why I want people to know is you can't build an isolation. It.
[50:32.0]
It interior design is a team sport, and if you can build the right team to support you, you will win, you will grow, you will continue to build the business that fits your life to the best. And it doesn't have to be where you're on TV or have multiple locations.
[50:50.8]
It can be the right business for you, where you feel like you've just. You're feeling that joy of the design again. We all got into it because we wanted to feel the joy and sometimes we get bogged down by the business. So wouldn't it be nice to make it so the business isn't bogging us down anymore and we just go back to doing what we love?
[51:08.7]
For sure. You nailed it with that. Perfect. I've reached the end of my list of questions. Is there anything that you think I've missed that you would like to share with the audience? Oh, you. Doug, you've really hit a lot of, like the nitty gritty of what Kaivari is.
[51:24.6]
I, I could talk for hours and days about the services and features of the platform, but I really just want people to know that it is a place where you can feel like you are heard and you are supported and have that safety net behind you.
[51:41.9]
It is where you don't have to have this expensive trial and error game anymore and just be like, I'll just keep throwing darts to the wall and hope something works. This is to solve that problem and give you that confidence. So if you're looking for it, I highly suggest this is the time to hop on.
[51:59.5]
At the time of our recording, we are getting ready to launch. It's not fully launched. It is a growing community, but it's been in with a smaller beta group. Once we launch, we're. We'll be doing the Coach connection and all the platform features.
[52:15.2]
If you get in now during pre sale, and again, I don't know when this is going to go to air, but if you get in through pre sale, you're going to get it at a highly discounted time. So hop on now so that you can be one of the founding members and get that really reduced rate. But even if this comes out after the, after we've launched, we've.
[52:35.6]
I have intentionally kept it a low price for interior designers because I want you to invest in your business by hiring coaches and service providers. Bring those experts into your team. This is not a high price thing. This is just really a tool to have as your background, like insurance for your whole business.
[52:56.7]
When does that window close? That. The pre sale window? Well, I wish I knew exactly. There's still some tech things that I can't fully predict when all the tech will be figured out, but my goal is to have it, end of April, beginning of May, to be fully launched.
[53:13.7]
If by chance, we totally can't get it at that time. Just plan on second quarter of 2026. How about that? I'll tell you what I'll do. I will. I mean, I've.
[53:28.8]
I've got half a dozen podcasts in the. The bank. They're waiting to go to be put online, but I may massage things around a little bit so that I can get you online sooner so that people can take advantage of that price. I think that's a good idea. I would. It would be amazing. Yes.
[53:45.1]
Yeah, I think I can do that. Okay. I think we should just end there. That was perfect. We're gonna save people money and then help them transform their business into the perfect business that they want. This would be great. I'm, so happy you came on the podcast. I appreciate it, Doug.
[54:01.5]
I really loved our conversation. Me too. Thanks, Sonya. I'm a big believer that in any business, you're always going to pay for knowledge -in time, in errors or with money. .If you've got the money, I think you should consider reaching out to Sonia at Kaivari,, if only to have a good conversation to see if Kaivari is right for you.
[54:21.6]
..Kaivari is almost ready to launch, and if you move quick, Sonia is still offering a presale price for those designers who grab early access. .And if you're not ready to consider hiring a business coach, Sonia has some free resources to share -including a guide to the questions you should ask before ever hiring a business coach or service provider.
[54:41.9]
I will include the link in the show notes. .Alright, that's it for today's Interior DesignHer podcast. .Next week, I'm going to dive back into my AI for interior designers content. The week after that, I'm sitting down with Timala Stewart of Decorated Interiors to discuss interior design procurement.
[54:59.9]
.If you received any value from today's podcast, please like, share and subscribe., It may not seem like a big deal, but these are the signals the algorithm rewards. it would mean the world to me.
Key Takeaways
Clarity before commitment. Before you spend money on a coach or service provider, diagnose what your business actually needs. "I need to make more money" is a symptom, not a diagnosis. Hiring a marketing coach when your real problem is pricing will not fix it.
Treat hiring a coach like hiring a team member. Know what you need before the call. Ask how the program works, how often you meet, how long it runs, and what access you get. Don't assume. One designer Sonia mentioned didn't know she only had one week of access, and she only found out after she bought.
Fit matters as much as expertise. A coach who is technically excellent may not be the right coach for you at this stage of your business. The same coach who made Sonia cry was genuinely helpful, it was a fit issue, not a quality issue.
Stop crowdsourcing business advice from strangers. Facebook groups have their place, but business advice from people who don't know you, your market, or your situation is a gamble. Seek support from people who are invested in understanding your specific business.
The right support changes as your business grows. The coach you need this year is not the coach you'll need in three years. A yearly clarity check on where your business is and what it needs next is more valuable than loyalty to a program you've outgrown.
Interior design is a team sport. The designers who build the business they actually want aren't doing it alone. The goal isn't to need less help, it's to get better at finding the right help.
Conclusions
The Business Case for Getting Support Right
Hiring the wrong coach doesn't just waste money; it wastes time, confidence, and the runway you have to grow. The designers who get the most out of working with coaches are the ones who know what problem they're solving before they sign anything. They go into that first call with questions, not just hope. They understand what the program includes, how long it runs, and what access they're actually getting. That level of preparation changes the outcome of every coaching relationship.
Your Blueprint
Before your next coaching conversation: write down what is specifically not working in your business right now. Not "I need more money"…go deeper. Is it that you have no leads? Or leads that don't convert? Is it that you're underpriced, or that your process is leaking hours? Once you can name the actual problem, you can find the person who is best equipped to help you solve it. Sonia's free coach-hiring question guide at kaivari.com is a good place to start, it walks you through exactly what to ask before you commit.
What Changes When You Build the Right Team
When the support you have actually fits where your business is, something shifts. The business stops being the thing that drains you and starts being the thing that runs alongside the work you love. The joy that brought you to interior design in the first place, the space planning, the client relationships, the moment a room comes together, gets room to breathe again. That's the version of your design business that's worth building toward. And you don't have to build it alone.
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