EP 060 | How Interior Designers Build Confidence with Laura Martin Bovard (Part 1)

May 16, 2018

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What if the biggest factor influencing your success isn’t your talent—but your belief in your own value?

In this episode, Kimberley Seldon speaks with Laura Martin Bovard about confidence, self-worth, and the mindset required to become a mature business owner. Together, they explore how designers can stop playing small, embrace their value, and create businesses that support both their financial and personal goals.

For interior designers who are ready to grow, lead, and charge appropriately for their expertise, this conversation offers practical insights into developing the confidence to succeed.

In this episode, we learn:
• Why supporting and challenging one another helps elevate the design industry
• How confidence and resolve help designers ask for—and receive—what they deserve
• Why treating your business like a career, not a hobby, changes everything
• How strong systems and structures create freedom, profitability, and better outcomes
• Why self-worth influences pricing, client relationships, and business growth
• How adopting a professional mindset helps you become the business owner you aspire to be

 

Take Aways

A Letter to My Young Designer Sisters and Brothers (PDF)

Brother vs. Brother on HGTV – Launches May 23, 2018.

Meet Jim Gilliam, founder of Nation Builder, and Kimberley’s nephew (the one that gave her insight on her value!) – The Internet is my Religion

 

Design Intervention

Hire a professional to photograph your rooms. The investment will be worth it.

 

Laura Martin Bovard started LMB Interiors from her dining room table as a solopreneur and new mom, in 2002. She has since grown her firm into a multi-million-dollar business, currently employing six additional designers, plus design assistant, expediter, marketing director, and design intern.

Laura is passionate about beautiful interior design, self-care, and spiritually-conscious personal and business growth — and how these intersect, both in how she designs welcoming, soulful spaces for her clients, and in how she runs her business and mentors newer designers.

She says, “What matters to all of us is community; how we as humans can be our best, most resourced selves, bring our gifts to others, and include others in our lives. We hunger to create beauty and connection in service of our community, our clients, the tribe of humans. This is why I do this work.”

LMB Interiors’ residential portfolio features updated, livable designs for modern families and individuals stewarding historically-significant turn-of-the-century and mid-century homes in the Bay Area. The firm’s commercial projects include tech start-up spaces, real estate offices, and a number of beloved local eateries, which happen to be owned by her sister and brother-in-law, restaurateurs Rebekah and Rich Wood.

Through LMB Interiors, Laura invests in her community and supports the health of the planet by prioritizing local sourcing, artisans, and vendors, and the use of ecologically conscious materials.

Laura is a featured designer in the upcoming sixth season of “Brother vs. Brother,” a spin-off of the “Property Brothers” franchise, to air on May 23rd, 2018. She is frequently invited to speak about philanthropy and ethical business practices in interior design on panels at the San Francisco Design Center and at industry events. Her firm has received numerous awards, including Best of Oakland, Oakland Magazine readers’ choice awards, 2015 and 2018; Best of Houzz, Service, 2013, 2016, 2017; and Best of Houzz, Design, 2018.

www.lmbinteriors.com
@lmbinteriors

www.divinehustler.com
@divinehustler

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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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