Episode
184 | How Coaching Makes Your Interior Design Business More Profitable With Sonia Barney
- Published
- Mar 30, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2009
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Summary
Are you building your interior design business in a bubble? If you’re anything like I was in my early years, you probably assumed the hard part was the design. You thought, “If I can create beautiful spaces, the rest will fall into place.” But what no one tells you is this: guesswork is expensive. Shooting from the hip on markups, contracts, pricing, and processes can cost you years of profitability—and a whole lot of stress. In this episode, I sit down with award-winning interior designer and business educator Sonia Barney, founder of the Kaivari platform, to talk about why business support is not optional if you want a sustainable, profitable design firm. We unpack the role of coaching, personalized growth, business systems, and strategic mentorship in helping creative entrepreneurs skip years of trial and error. If you’re starting out—or feeling overworked and underpaid—this conversation will help you see why investing in business education and the right coach can completely transform your creative career. Featured Guest: Sonia Barney is an award-winning interior designer, business educator, and founder of the Kaivari platform. With over 20 years in the interior design industry and more than a decade as the owner of Sonia Barney Design , she has seen firsthand how many creatives struggle with the business side of their firms. Known for her analytical, systems-driven approach, Sonia teaches design business strategy through LuAnn University and is passionate about helping designers connect with the right coaches, resources, and community network to support personalized growth and long-term profitability. What You’ll Learn in This Episode ✳️ Why guesswork kills interior design profitability ✳️ How coaching accelerates personalized business growth ✳️ When to hire differ…