ArtsDesignBusinessMarketing

Six Figure Designer

Pam Durkin

Struggling to find great clients and design projects? Not making enough money and struggling to manage the projects you have? This is the show for YOU!

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21 episodes
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English

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Monday · 24 min
Ep 175: She 5X’d Her Fee: $17K → $96K. What Changed First?
If you’re an interior designer who keeps hitting the same comfortable design fee, this episode is for you. I’m sharing Tina’s story of going from a $17,000 design fee ceiling to a $96,000 fee and the shift was not that she suddenly became five times better at design. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why your historical design fee may not be relevant to the opportunity sitting in front of you. What needs to be underneath a higher design fee, including time, talent, expertise, responsibility, value, and the financial impact on your business. Why confidently communicating your value matters when a client starts asking hard questions about your fee. How your own pricing mindset can become the biggest thing standing between you and a bigger opportunity. Why a bigger fee does not automatically make a project a better fit and the questions I want you asking before you say yes. How one breakthrough fee can change your reference point and expand what you believe is possible for your interior design business. Related Resources If you’re working through your own fee ceiling, these are natural next steps for thinking differently about pricing and the opportunities you choose. Your Highest Design Fee Starts Before the Proposal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcSfLsKWptE Overcoming Fear Increasing Rates Designers: https://pamela-durkin.com/marketing-by-design/overcoming-fear-increasing-rates-designers/ 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
September 14 · 21 min
Ep 174: The Design Fee Dilemma
If your interior design fees go down when you really want a project and shoot up when you’re hoping a client says no, the fee may not be the real problem. I see designers shaving down fees because the project would look great in their portfolio or because they’re afraid the client will walk. Then, there’s the “make it worth my while” fee, hoping the project will disappear. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why lowering your design fee to win a project can perpetuate the false belief that you simply need more clients. • How a suspiciously high fee can be an avoidance strategy. • Why a bigger fees don't magically turn a bad-fit project into a good one. • How to separate project fit from interior design fee • The one question I want you to ask before you hit send. Related Resources If this episode hit a nerve, these are the natural next step for getting clearer about pricing and saying no without asking the fee to do the dirty work. Blog: Pricing Process Power of No: https://pamela-durkin.com/marketing-by-design/pricing-process-power-of-no/ Podcast Ep 143: Pricing, Process & the Power of No: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00lGOKfpKcs 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
September 7 · 14 min
Ep 173: Are Smaller Projects Just Keeping You SMALL?
If your small interior design projects are supposed to lead to bigger work, the question is simple: are they actually doing it? A lot of interior designers keep smaller services on the menu because they seem like an easier yes. A paint consultation, a decorating-only service, or a one-room package can feel like a smart way to get a client in the door, build trust, and eventually move into a larger project. But here’s the rub: if that next step is not actually happening, you may not have a strategy. You may just have more small projects . In this episode, you’ll learn: How to look at the actual data and see how many small interior design projects have really turned into larger jobs. Why a smaller service needs a clear purpose instead of simply sitting on your website and hoping someone finds it. The question I want you to ask yourself Why smaller projects can take nearly the same communication, scheduling, attention, and mental bandwidth as larger ones. How to tell whether your small offer is a real stepping stone to bigger work or simply a safer-feeling way to avoid selling the larger project. Why your time, marketing, and attention should support the kind of work you actually want more of. I’m not telling you to eliminate every smaller service. I like having one available when business is slow, you need a fill-in, or the right client needs a smaller starting point. But you need to know what that service is there to do. Related Resources Flexibility in Service Offerings Designers: https://pamela-durkin.com/marketing-by-design/flexibility-in-service-offerings-designers/ 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
August 31 · 12 min
Ep 172: Do you really need more clients? [Try this first]
FREE WORKSHOP 9/30: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop If you want better clients for your interior design business, taking every project that lands in front of you may be the very thing keeping you stuck. In this episode, I’m challenging the automatic “I need more clients” response and asking you to look at whether you actually need more work, or better opportunities. This is for interior designers who are busy, tired, and still wondering why the calendar isn’t translating into enough profit. When opportunities feel rare, it’s easy to talk yourself into projects that are too small, poorly matched, underpriced, or loaded with red flags. But when you have a steady rhythm of inquiries, you get something most designers don’t think enough about: choice. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why “more clients” can simply create more of the same problems • How to tell whether small projects are actually leading to larger, better-fit work • Why inconsistent inquiries make you more likely to chase, discount, or ignore warning signs • How a steadier flow of opportunities can change the way you price and evaluate projects • Why project fit, profitability, and creative satisfaction matter more than filling every open spot • The question to ask before saying yes just because an opportunity is in front of you Related Resources If this episode hit a nerve, these two resources will help you keep thinking about fit instead of sheer volume. More Referrals Aren’t the Answer If They’re Not a Good Fit: https://pamela-durkin.com/marketing-by-design/more-referrals-arent-the-answer-if-theyre-not-a-good-fit/ Ep 109: How to sign more GREEN FLAG clients!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwzSlOYYJ4Y 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
August 24 · 27 min
Ep 171: A Client Brought AI Images to the Interview. Now What?
A potential client walks into your consultation with AI-generated images of exactly what they think they want. Do you get defensive? Feel like you need to prove your value? Start explaining all the reasons AI can’t replace a designer? In this episode, I’m talking about why that reaction is probably getting in your way, and why the bigger issue has nothing to do with AI and everything to do with how well you qualify your clients. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
August 17 · 24 min
Ep 170: Does Your Interior Design Business Have Hot Potato Syndrome?
Have you ever noticed how quickly you start backpedaling when a conversation gets even slightly uncomfortable? In this episode, I’m talking about “hot potato syndrome” ,that reflex to soften the ask, explain the fee, loosen the boundary, or offer another option before anyone has actually said there’s a problem. Sometimes the rejection hasn’t even happened; you’ve simply sensed the possibility of it and started reacting. We’ll look at how this shows up around money, boundaries, referral relationships, and asking for what you really want. Because growing into the business you want isn’t just about better strategy. It’s also about becoming the designer who can state the fee, hold the boundary, make the ask, and stay there long enough to let the other person respond. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
August 10 · 25 min
Ep 169: 4 Business Lessons I Learned From a Puppy
Apparently, all I needed to sharpen a few business lessons was a puppy who had never seen grass, hated his harness, and needed to be taken outside approximately 700 times a day. In this episode, I’m sharing four surprisingly useful reminders our new puppy gave me about business. If you’ve been feeling buried under everything you still need to fix, learn, or figure out, this is your reminder that growth rarely happens all at once. Sometimes the smartest move is to stop looking ten steps ahead. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
August 4 · 21 min
Ep 168: The Best Project I Never Took
On paper, it looked like the perfect project. An 8,000-square-foot home, a major renovation and all new furnishings. Exactly the kind of opportunity most interior designers dream about. But I walked away. In this episode, I'm sharing the story behind one of the most important business decisions I ever made and why saying "no" had nothing to do with the budget and everything to do with protecting my process. If you've ever been tempted to bend your pricing, skip steps, or change the way you work because you're afraid to lose the project, this conversation is for you. You'll learn why the projects you decline can shape your reputation just as much as the ones you accept, and why becoming a sought-after designer starts with trusting the way you do your best work. In this episode, we discuss: Why not every dream project is the right project The red flags I recognized before saying yes Why your process is one of your greatest business assets The mistake so many designers make when they're afraid to lose an opportunity How protecting your process builds trust, confidence, and a stronger reputation The mindset shift that helped me stop chasing projects and start choosing them intentionally 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
July 27 · 35 min
Ep 167: Why Inspiration Isn’t Enough: The Business Conversations Designers Need
In this episode, I’m joined by Jen Atkinson, founder of NEDCON, to talk about why designers need more than inspiration to build strong, sustainable businesses. We discuss the conversations our industry often avoids: money, profitability, sales, leadership, and implementation, and why Jen created a more intimate conference experience centered on practical education and honest business growth. I’m also sharing why I said yes to speaking at NEDCON and what I hope designers take away from my session, Money Lessons I Wish I Knew Sooner. To get all the info and tickets to NEDCON, visit www.nedconference.com 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
July 20 · 41 min
Ep 166: Is Your Website Sending the Right Signals to Luxury Clients?
Your website may be beautiful, but is it actually making affluent clients feel confident enough to take the next step? In this episode, I’m joined by Robyn White of RDW Design Studio to talk about what luxury clients are really looking for when they land on an interior designer’s website and why trust, clarity and a sense of safety matter more than words like luxury, bespoke or elevated. We also discuss how to position your portfolio for the work you want next, create a dedicated page for referral partners, and make your inquiry page feel like the beginning of a personalized client experience, not just another contact form. This episode will help you look at your website with fresh eyes and identify the signals that may be building confidence or quietly creating doubt. Robyn is offering to provide those interested with a free Luxury Client Website Appraisal! You can sign up here: https://rdwdesignstudio.com/luxury-client-website-appraisal/ 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
July 13 · 10 min
Ep 165: Did the Nonsense Sneak Back In? The Mid-Year Reset for Designers
At the beginning of the year, we talked about doing things differently, creating space, getting lighter, and deciding what no longer deserves access to you. But halfway through the year, it is easy for the old ways to sneak back in. In this episode, I’m talking about the mid-year reset so many designers need, especially when you are tired from being “on” for clients, contractors, vendors, family, and the business itself. This is not about creating a massive new plan but taking a breath, looking honestly at what is working, what needs to be refined, and what needs to be removed before you carry it into the second half of the year. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
June 22 · 30 min
Ep 164: More Referrals Aren't the Answer if They're Not a Good Fit
In this episode, Pam closes out the V.I.P. Method series by explaining why more referrals are not always the answer if they are the wrong fit. She shares how designers can have referrals coming in and still feel frustrated when those opportunities are too small, too vague, too late, or not aligned with the level of work and fees they want. Pam explains why referral quality matters more than referral quantity, how past clients and industry partners may need clearer language about what kind of work to send your way, and why better-directed referrals can lead to stronger opportunity conversations, better proposals, and higher design fees. This episode leads into Pam’s free live workshop, The V.I.P. Path to Your Highest Design Fee, happening June 24th at 12 PM Eastern. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
June 18 · 44 min
Ep 163: Proposal: Stop Quoting Too Soon - Start Shaping the Opportunity
In this episode, Pam breaks down the “P” in her V.I.P. Method: Proposal. She explains why one of the fastest ways designers undercharge is by pricing too soon, before the real scope, timeline, client expectations, builder responsibilities, and level of support are fully understood. Whether the request comes from a client or a builder, vague language like “we just need help with selections” can hide a much bigger responsibility. Pam shares why asking clarifying questions does not make you look inexperienced...it makes you look professional, in control, and more like a business owner. You’ll learn why your proposal should not be a reaction to a vague request, but a clear recommendation based on the opportunity you have shaped before you price it. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
June 15 · 37 min
Ep 162: What If They Say I’m Too Expensive?
In this episode, I talk about one of the biggest fears designers face when they start thinking about higher design fees: “What if they say I’m too expensive?” This fear often causes designers to shrink, soften, discount, or overexplain before the client has even objected and the real issue may not be about price at all. Sometimes “too expensive” is actually a clarity problem, a scope problem, a fit problem, or a sign that the opportunity was priced too soon. This episode is part of the V.I.P. Method series leading up to my free live workshop, The V.I.P. Path to Your Highest Design Fee, happening June 24th at 12 PM Eastern. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
June 11 · 32 min
Ep 161: Invitation: Stop Waiting for Referrals and Start Creating Access
In this episode, I breaks down the “I” in the V.I.P. Method: Invitation. If reaching out makes you feel like you’re chasing, begging, or being cringey, this episode will help you see it differently. I explain why better opportunities often come through relationships, why people forget about you when you’re not top of mind, and why staying connected in a thoughtful, personal way is a key part of creating access to higher-fee projects. You’ll also hear why the phone not ringing with the right opportunities does not mean you’re not good enough, it may simply mean the right people don’t know what to invite you into yet. I share how to make outreach feel curious, personal, and relevant instead of cookie-cutter, plus I give you one simple exercise to help you reconnect with someone this week. This episode is part of the V.I.P. Method series leading up to the free live workshop, The V.I.P. Path to Your Highest Design Fee, happening June 24th at 12 PM Eastern. Grab your seat with the link below! 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
June 11 · 27 min
Ep 160: Visibility: Are You Known for the Work That Can Support Bigger Fees?
This episode is part of the V.I.P. Method series leading up to my free live workshop: The V.I.P. Path to Your Highest Design Fee: 3 Shifts to Get Seen, Invited, and Paid for Bigger Design Projects Join me live on June 24th at 12 PM Eastern. Register for the free workshop here: luxuryclientacademy.com/vip-method Your highest design fee does not start when the proposal goes out. It starts much earlier — with what you are known for, who is inviting you into the conversation, and how clearly the opportunity is shaped before you ever present a number. In this episode, we’re diving into the V in the V.I.P. Method: Visibility. Many designers are showing up, posting, sharing their work, and even getting referrals — but they are not always becoming known for the kind of projects that can actually support bigger fees. Visibility by itself is not enough. The real question is: Are you visible for the right work? Because if people do not know what kind of projects to send you, they may send you anything...or nothing at all. In the next episode, we’ll talk about the I in V.I.P.: Invitation. Once you know what you want to be known for, the next question is: who is already near the clients, projects, and opportunities you want? 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
June 8 · 38 min
Ep 159: Your Highest Design Fee Starts Before the Proposal
Join me for my FREE live workshop, The V.I.P. Path to Your Highest Design Fee, where I’ll show you the three shifts that help designers get seen, invited, and paid for bigger design projects. Wednesday 6/24, 12pm Eastern. 👉Save your seat at luxuryclientacademy.com/vip-method Your highest design fee does not start when you send the proposal. It starts much earlier, with the opportunities you attract, the people inviting you into the conversation, and the way you shape the scope before pricing it. In this episode, Pam introduces the V.I.P. Path to Your Highest Design Fee: Visibility, Invitation, and Proposal. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
May 25 · 45 min
Ep 158: The $20,000 Refrigerator Was Just the Beginning
In this episode, I’m debriefing the Naples Experience (my Signature in-person event), but not in the way you might expect. Yes, there was a $20,000 refrigerator, a private chef that works with the cast of Yellowstone, luxury showrooms, a private sunset cruise, and homes ranging from $8 million to $84 million. But the REAL transformation happened when the designers stepped away from the endless client requests and daily to-do lists and immersed themselves in a room full of smart, driven, curious women who are building businesses at the next level. In this episode, I'm talking about why luxury has to be experienced before it can be confidently sold, how proximity and exposure demystify the high end, and why unforgettable client experiences are what create raving fans. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
May 18 · 43 min
Ep 157: When the Dream Project Is No Longer a Yes For YOU
In this episode, we’re talking about the surprising growth moment when a project you once dreamed of is no longer an automatic yes. After a coaching call inside the Luxury Client Academy, I’m sharing the story of a designer who was presented with a large, exciting project that looked incredible on paper, but the builder quality, client expectations, reuse requests, and overall project conditions didn’t feel aligned. This conversation became a powerful example of what happens when your standards evolve, your discernment sharpens, and you stop making decisions from urgency. We’ll explore how to recognize when hesitation is actually information, how to qualify projects beyond size and budget, and why turning down a “dream” project can be one of the clearest signs that your business has grown. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop
May 11 · 29 min
Ep 156: If You Say This Word, I GUARANTEE You’re Undercharging
In this episode, we’re talking about one tiny word that could be quietly costing you thousands in your design business: “just.” If you’ve ever said, “It’s just a small bathroom,” “It’s just a few finishes,” or “It’s just a consultation,” you may be unintentionally minimizing the expertise, decision-making, and professional value you bring to your projects. I’ll unpack why designers use this word, how it affects your pricing, and why work that feels easy to you is often the exact thing your clients need most. Plus, you’ll learn how to catch yourself before you undercharge and start describing your work in a way that reflects the true value of your experience. 9/30 FREE WORKSHOP: From Scrambling for Clients to In Demand. Grab your seat >> HERE https://luxuryclientacademy.com/free-workshop

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