Michele Williams is a business coach, financial powerhouse, and industry leader serving thousands of interior design business owners across the globe.
Public speaking and events. Custom programs and private mentorships. Courses taught live or at your own pace. Michele has earned a name as the go-to expert for design industry business owners looking to build profitable, sustainable, and even sellable businesses.
26 +
# of years in the interior design & home industry
5K
# of business owners served across the globe
83%
average profit increase for private clients
“My career started somewhere you’d never expect — and it has made all the difference.”
Unlike most design business coaches, Michele holds a B.S. in Business Administration and spent the first 10 years of her career in a surprising place: financial software development. There, she worked with industry giants like Management Science America and Dun & Bradstreet Software.
She didn’t know it at the time, but this experience would become the heart of what makes her coaching work so impactful — a data-driven, analytical, and systematic approach.
Not theories, but informed decision-making.
“In 2000, I opened a soft furnishings company, where my numbers-driven skills saved me from drowning under the very real weight of trying to grow a business and a family.”
Michele persevered, but she saw so many other designers and workrooms crumbling under uncertainty and overwhelm.
She knew it wasn’t talent her peers were lacking — it was knowledge. No one had taught designers how to build profitable, sustainable businesses. No one had created a manual for balancing work and personal life.
Mentoring her friends in the industry started casually at first. But then, in 2009, she bought into the Custom Home Furnishings Academy, where she created and published educational magazines, hosted webinars, and spoke at teaching events across the US.
Soon, the impact Michele’s students were seeing was too powerful to ignore.
“We sold the company in 2012. I felt called to full-time business coaching and financial advising — and to the designers I’d helped, who had become like part of my own heart.”
Over 15+ years of coaching, Michele has seen even more patterns emerging across design businesses at all stages.
Revenue without profit. Growth without structure. Decisions made without full financial understanding. And the pattern Michele found most important…
Success that looked great on paper but wasn’t sustainable or compatible with the designer’s real life.
“I’ve met so many designers who were told not to focus on money, to prioritize client growth instead. But after reviewing their books, I saw opportunities for them to earn more while actually working less.”
Michele’s work is grounded in numbers, but she knows they’re useless without knowing who your business is for, why you’re running it, and the life you’re called to lead.
From financial analysis to high-level advising, from educational courses to her popular podcast, Profit is a Choice — that’s where she meets you. At the intersection of strategy and a whole-hearted love for you and your business.
Yes, Michele will help you see your path clearly and lead confidently. But her real gift? Inspiring each and every one of her clients to live abundantly.
“I KNEW SHE WAS THE ONE.”
“When I first met Michele, I knew she was the one I wanted to work with. I knew she was extremely knowledgeable and could certainly help me, but it was her kindness and compassion on that really hard day we first spoke that made me realize she was the one I wanted to partner with to find success.”
– Amanda Tomlinson, AK&CO
Join our email community of designers and workroom owners taking control of their financial futures.
Receive by-email coaching 2x per month, lovingly crafted by Michele. You’ll learn how to overcome challenges, step into leadership, and create a business that profits your bank account and real life alike.
