EP 106 | How Interior Designers Can Fast-Track Business Growth with Sara Malek Barney

April 1, 2019

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How do you build a successful interior design business when you’re starting with no clients and no formal design training?

In this episode, Kimberley Seldon speaks with Sara Malek Barney about the strategies that helped her launch and grow a thriving design firm. Drawing on lessons from the entertainment industry and her experience as a Business of Design™ member, Sara shares practical tactics for building a recognizable brand, finding the right clients, and scaling efficiently.

From developing a niche market to leveraging outsourcing and networking opportunities, Sara explains how intentional business decisions can accelerate growth and create a strong foundation for long-term success.

In this episode, we learn:
• Why a flexible business plan helps guide growth and identify your unique market position
• How serving a specific niche, such as young families, can support long-term success
• Why not all successful designers consider themselves naturally creative
• How outsourcing tasks allows business owners to focus on higher-value work
• Why networking and attending industry markets can create valuable opportunities and connections
• How understanding your income goals helps shape business decisions and growth strategies
• Why continuous learning is essential for staying competitive and growing your expertise

Client Expander SEO company that Sara recommends.

 

Design Intervention

Create a website that features great photography. Focus on one social network only and get good at using it strategically.

 

Sara spent the first 15 years of her professional career working in the fast-paced entertainment and sports industries, as an executive at companies such as SXSW, Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and The Ellen DeGeneres Show. Always sitting at the intersection of creativity and business, her true love for design emerged after years of helping friends and family turn their spaces into meaningful, accessibly beautiful areas. She believes the design process should be highly collaborative and feel uniquely authentic to each individual.

An Austin-native, Sara spent nearly a decade in sunny Los Angeles, California, where she met her writer husband, Dana, while they were both chasing the Hollywood dream. Now back on home turf, Sara and Dana enjoy endless amounts of queso and college football with their two daughters, Blake and Decker.

Sara has a Degree in Corporate Communication, with a minor in Business from the University of Texas at Austin and a Degree in Interior Design from the Interior Design Institute. She was named one of Fortune Magazine‘s Most Powerful Women {Next Gen} and is also a member of the American Society of Interior Designers.

When not interior designing, you can find Sara drinking rosé, wearing sequins, dancing to boy band music, trying to solve a NYT crossword, watching Seinfeld (yes, still), trying to be a cool mom, and daydreaming about Napa.

www.bandddesign.com

Insta: @jointhebandd

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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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