EP 437 | Visibility Is a Growth Tool: Why Interior Designers Need Clear Financial Systems with Will Leonard

July 15, 2025

Listen Now

Financial visibility isn’t about being “good with numbers”—it’s about removing mystery so you can lead your business with confidence. In this episode, Kimberley Seldon gets candid about her own money management journey (including the messy parts) and why learning to truly see your numbers is one of the most powerful growth tools available to interior designers.

Kimberley is joined by Will Leonard, who introduces Zena, a pre-funded spending card designed to simplify expense tracking and make financial organization feel far less overwhelming. Together, they explore how centralizing purchases, categorizing expenses, and doing regular financial check-ins can turn bookkeeping from a dreaded task into a strategic advantage.

If you’ve been avoiding your finances—or managing them in a way that feels reactive and stressful—this episode will show you how visibility creates calm, control, and smarter decision-making across your entire business.

What you’ll learn in this episode:

  • How centralizing business purchases reduces chaos and increases clarity

  • Why a pre-funded spending card like Zena can simplify expense tracking

  • How organizing expenses by project saves time and mental energy

  • Why expense categories can actually improve profitability

  • How real-time tracking supports better decisions without added stress

  • A calmer, more strategic way to prepare for tax season

 

DESIGN INTERVENTION

You can’t grow what you can’t see. Visibility is a growth tool. If your financial systems are scattered or unclear, you’ll always feel unsure. But when you can see your numbers clearly, you make faster, better decisions—and feel more in control.

 

WATCH ON YOUTUBE

Meet Will Leonard

Will has spent his career in finance, sales, and customer success—helping businesses get control of their money and grow with confidence. More importantly, his wife and mother are both full-time interior designers, so he’s seen firsthand how creative work and business challenges collide. Now, Will is part of the team at Zena, where they are building tools that make it easier for designers to manage expenses, stay organized, and run a profitable business.

www.zena.com

Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Zena!

Let us introduce you to Zena—the smarter business card for project-based businesses and built for interior designers.

If you’re tired of chasing receipts, guessing where your money went, or sorting spreadsheets at midnight. With Zena, every purchase and business expense is automatically tracked by project, budgets update in real time, and reconciliation? It’s done for you.

And the best part? You can sign up for free.  No credit card required. Try it with zero commitment.

Head to Zena.com and activate your Zena card in minutes. It’s that easy.

Subscribe to the Podcast

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.

|