How to Grow Your Interior Design Business
Let me tell you something that might surprise you:
Mapping Your Entrepreneurial Journey with Strategy
Running a business isn’t just about having talent. It’s about knowing how to evolve.
If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the demands of your business—or like you’re just barely keeping up—it’s not because you’re doing something wrong. More likely, it’s because you haven’t been given a clear roadmap for where you are in your entrepreneurial journey… and how to move forward.
We believe every business owner is on a path that deserves to be honored and supported—from the early hustle to CEO-level strategy. But most entrepreneurs get stuck simply because they don’t know what stage they’re in or what kind of help they need next. That’s where strategy comes in.
The Problem: You Can’t Keep Doing It All
Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been running your business for years, one thing is true: trying to do everything yourself will eventually lead to burnout.
In the beginning, it might have worked. You said yes to every client. You figured it out as you went. Maybe you didn’t have a crystal-clear offer or client avatar—and that was okay. You were surviving. Selling. Testing.
But now? You’re exhausted. Your systems are messy. Your team (if you have one) relies on you for every decision. You’ve built something valuable, but you don’t know how to step out of the weeds long enough to truly grow.
The Journey: 3 Stages Every Business Owner Must Navigate
Just like you don’t start as a CEO in a corporate job, you don’t become the visionary of your business overnight. You grow into it.
We see this journey unfold in three clear stages, echoed in books like The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber and Fix This Next by Mike Michalowicz.
1. The Technician Stage (The Accidental Business Owner)
This is where most of us begin. We know how to do the work. Clients show up. We say yes. And before long, we’re running a business—even if that wasn’t the plan.
In this phase, your focus is sales. You’re proving that people will actually pay you for your work. You’re learning on the fly—who your ideal client is, what your strengths are, and how you want to structure your offers.
But you’re also doing everything yourself. You wear all the hats. You can’t imagine handing tasks off, and you probably believe no one else can do it “quite like you.”
That’s normal.
In fact, this stage is valuable. It teaches you what you’re capable of, and it gives you the hands-on experience needed to lead others. But staying here too long? That’s where the danger lies.
2. The Manager Stage (Stepping Out of the Weeds)
Eventually, your success catches up to you. You can’t handle the workload alone. Projects pile up. Client demands increase. You realize something has to change.
Welcome to the management phase.
Here, your role shifts from doing the work to managing the work—either by outsourcing, hiring a team, or building systems that reduce your involvement. You start asking:
What can only I do?
What do I love doing?
What can I delegate, automate, or offload?
Many business owners stall at this stage. Why?
Because it requires mindset shifts around control, value, and identity. Especially for women, there’s a false belief that doing everything ourselves somehow increases our worth. But busyness isn’t a badge of honor. It’s a trap.
Letting go doesn't make you less valuable. It makes you sustainable. Scalable. Strategic.
This stage is also where you begin building the infrastructure of your business—documented processes, team onboarding systems, client experience workflows, and yes… profit-focused financial planning.
3. The Visionary Stage (Owning the Future)
Few make it here. But this is where real growth happens.
You’ve built a solid team. You’ve stepped back from the day-to-day. You’ve clarified your role as the strategic leader, guiding the business toward a bigger vision—one rooted in legacy, impact, and longevity.
This is where you start asking the big questions:
What kind of company are we becoming?
How do we impact our clients, our team, and the world?
What innovations can we bring to our industry?
You’re not just thinking about tasks or timelines. You’re creating space to think deeply, dream boldly, and plan intentionally. And it doesn’t matter if you want a firm with 3 people or 30. The role of visionary is about your mindset—not your headcount.
But here’s the truth: you can’t wait until you reach this stage to start thinking strategically. Strategy isn’t a luxury—it’s a necessity.
The Solution: Start Thinking Like a Strategist—Today
If you want to lead your business well, you have to think beyond today. That starts with carving out intentional time for strategic thinking—not just reacting to what's in front of you.
We know that sounds simple. But let’s be honest—it’s not.
Most entrepreneurs are so busy working in their business that they rarely work on their business. You’re constantly solving client problems, juggling team dynamics, managing timelines, and trying to maintain some sense of balance. At the end of the day, your business—the very vehicle that’s supposed to serve you—gets whatever scraps of energy you have left.
We see it all the time. Brilliant designers, creatives, and service providers who are masters at their craft—but who’ve never been taught how to lead their business strategically. The result? They hit a ceiling. They stall out. They burn out.
And often, they assume strategy is some complicated, 30-page corporate document with graphs and forecasts and buzzwords. But here’s the truth:
Strategy isn’t a document—it’s a discipline.
It’s a mindset you build over time. It’s the daily habit of stepping back to ask:
Where am I going?
How do I want to get there?
What’s distracting me from the path?
What do I need to say no to, so I can say yes to what matters most?
Even the most creative, visionary business owners can’t answer those questions on the fly. You have to create space to think. To reflect. To listen to what your business needs next. Because when you make space for strategic thinking, you start making decisions that align with your goals instead of just reacting to problems.
Quick Exercise: 20 Minutes to Reset Your Strategy Mindset
Before you jump into your next task, give yourself just 20 minutes to do the following:
Set a timer for 5 minutes
In silence, write down everything that’s been consuming your attention lately—projects, problems, clients, ideas. Get it all out.Highlight anything that isn’t moving you closer to your long-term vision.
Circle the distractions. Notice where your energy is going. Ask: Is this the best use of my time as the business owner?Now take 10 minutes to answer these three questions:
What is my business ultimately trying to become?
If I could only do three things in my business this quarter, what would they be?
Where do I need help in order to focus on those three things?
Choose one small action you can take today to move toward that vision—whether it’s blocking off time on your calendar to think, delegating a task, or saying no to a distraction.
This simple exercise helps you begin practicing what it means to think like a strategist—not just once, but regularly.
Get my free video training on how to run your own business strategy day for your business here.
A Clear Path Forward: The 8-Week Business Strategy Group Coaching Program
At Scarlet Thread Consulting, we’ve coached business owners at every phase of the journey—from first-year freelancers to multi-million-dollar CEOs. And we’ve learned this: strategy can’t wait.
That’s why our 8-week group coaching program is designed to help you create a clear, actionable strategy for your business—whether you’re in the Technician, Manager, or Visionary stage.
Here’s what you can expect:
Clarity on who you are and what your business offers
Tools to track and prioritize your goals across four quarters
Group coaching sessions for accountability and support
Downloadable worksheets and templates you can keep and reuse
A safe space to think deeply and plan intentionally—with guidance every step of the way
This isn’t just theory. We give you the tools, the support, and the structure to move forward with confidence.
Because you don’t need another week of spinning your wheels. You need a strategy that helps you build the company of your dreams with the same care and attention you give to your clients.
Are You Ready to Step Into the Role You Were Meant to Play?
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re leading a team, there’s one truth that remains:
A thriving business requires vision—and a strategy to back it up. You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Join our next cohort starting August 7 and finally give yourself the time, space, and support to build a business that’s not just profitable—but purposeful.
👉 Learn more and register at https://www.scarletthreadconsulting.com/strategy-group-coaching-program