EP 415 | Director of Operations: Why Interior Designers Need This Role with Amanda Giles

February 11, 2025

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One of the fastest ways to improve your interior design business is to stop forcing yourself to be good at everything. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon talks with Amanda Giles about a pivotal hiring decision that changed everything: bringing on a Director of Operations after multiple unsuccessful attempts to hire an administrator.

Amanda explains why this role—focused on structure, systems, and accountability—made such a dramatic difference in efficiency, quality, and growth. By hiring someone with complementary strengths, she was able to step out of daily operational friction and focus on doing better work, not just more work.

If you’ve been struggling with admin support that never quite works, or you feel like the bottleneck in your own business, this episode will help you rethink what kind of role your firm actually needs.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

  • Why honesty about your strengths and weaknesses leads to better hiring decisions
  • How radically simplifying roles creates a stronger business structure
  • Why understanding the whole business still matters—even when you delegate
  • How to empower your team with real authority and trust
  • Why backing up your team builds confidence with clients and vendors

 

DESIGN INTERVENTION

Interior designers should not apologize for charging for their time and having a significant income. (Thank you, Kimberley Seldon!)

Communication is key. You might say, this is what I heard and repeat anything that felt ambiguous.

 

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About Amanda Giles

Amanda is a Silicon Valley interior designer with a bachelor’s degree in commercial Interior Design from San Jose State University. From working for an architectural firm on large office complexes to styling the bookshelves of her residential clients, Amanda has experience in most aspects of interior design. Since 2014, she has been the owner of DesignFix, which has grown from a small partnership doing single-room projects to a more complex business creating whole-house custom interiors.

www.designfixhome.com

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About Julie Broms

Julie is a seasoned professional who brings nearly two decades of engineering program management experience from Apple and Google to the world of interior design. As Director of Operations at DesignFix she leverages proven project management methodologies to streamline processes and maximize efficiencies for the design firm. Her unique background along her with MBA bridges the gap between systematic precision and creative design, enabling her team to deliver exceptional results while maintaining smooth operations through data-driven decision-making and program management methodologies.

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Legal Disclosure | This podcast is for educational purposes only and provides general business advice for interior designers and design professionals. It is not intended as individual legal, accounting, or professional guidance. Kimberley Seldon and Business of Design® make no guarantees regarding accuracy and are not liable for how information is used. Strategies shared may not apply to every situation—listeners should seek qualified legal, financial, or professional advice before making business decisions. References and resources mentioned may change over time.

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