Episode 65: Why Most Design Businesses Fail by Year 5 (And How to Avoid It) with LuAnn Nigara

In this episode, my guest is LuAnn Nigara, host of A Well-Designed Business and a true leader in the interior design industry. If you’ve ever wondered how to run a creative business that actually makes money, this conversation is your wake-up call.

LuAnn shares what she’s learned from building her own business since the early '80s and coaching thousands of designers along the way. We talk about the first few years of business—why they’re so chaotic, how to shorten the learning curve, and what systems actually matter.

You’ll hear:

• Why your first hire probably shouldn’t be a design assistant

• The financial habits that set successful designers apart (and why skipping them is so common)

• How to talk to your team about revenue goals without sounding like a spreadsheet

• And the one mindset shift LuAnn says separates real CEOs from hobbyists

It’s a real conversation about the messy middle of growing a business, what to expect as you scale, and how to make better decisions from the start. Whether you're solo or scaling, you’ll walk away with practical takeaways you can use right away.

Go ahead and hit play. You’re going to learn something that saves you time, money, and maybe a few headaches.

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