# 031: Building Your First Team: Lessons Learned Growing a Design Business

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/interior-design-san-diego-presented-by-asid-san-diego-7471756/031-building-your-first-team-lessons-learned-growing-a-design-business
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/interior-design-san-diego-presented-by-asid-san-diego-7471756/031-building-your-first-team-lessons-learned-growing-a-design-business.md
Podcast: [Interior Design San Diego - Presented by ASID San Diego](https://stenobird.com/podcast/interior-design-san-diego-presented-by-asid-san-diego-7471756)
Published: 2026-06-11T13:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://interior-design-sd.captivate.fm
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/bed7976e-a72d-4b42-b1b4-d07ea9f49db2.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/interior-design-san-diego-presented-by-asid-san-diego-7471756/episodes/031-building-your-first-team-lessons-learned-growing-a-design-business
Duration seconds: 1734

## Resource

Growing a design business doesn't start with hiring a full-time employee—it starts with building the right support system. In this solo episode, Rachel Larraine Crawford shares her personal journey of growing Tiger Veil from a one-person operation into a collaborative team. From hiring an accountant as her very first business investment to bringing on a full-time team member and mentoring emerging professionals, Rachel offers an honest look at the lessons, mistakes, and mindset shifts that shaped her approach to building a team. Whether you're wondering if you're ready to hire, feeling overwhelmed by wearing every hat in your business, or trying to determine what support would create the biggest impact, this episode provides practical guidance to help you move forward with confidence. In This Episode, You'll Learn: Why your first "hire" may not be an employee at all How to identify which tasks only you can do as the founder of your business The difference between creating support and simply hiring staff Why hiring should be viewed as an investment in growth, not just an expense A practical framework for determining your next hire Lessons learned from a hiring decision that wasn't the right fit The value of mentoring emerging professionals and design interns How to build a team in stages as your business grows Get your Interior Design First Hire Readiness Checklist Here. Stay Connected: Sign Up for Our Newsletter ASID San Diego Website LinkedIn Follow us on Instagram Ask your question, share a topic of interest or be our guest here. Subscribe to the podcast so you don’t miss upcoming episodes Share this podcast with a fellow designer in your community Questions, sponsorship or feed back: sandiegoasid@gmail.com

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