"I need more website traffic," is a common statement that hits my inbox from interior designers, home stagers, and organizers who want more clients. However, many business owners aren't aware of their existing website traffic stats. This presents a problem: Unless you know where you are, you can't know where you need to go. "I look at my website analytics, but I can't make sense of them." Relatable much? If either of these situations describes you, prepare to be enlightened. Today on The Kate Sh...
Mar 20, 2023•26 min
Do you ever feel like growing your business is an insurmountable task? Maybe you have young kids and no extra time. Maybe you're working out of your garage. Maybe you don't "come from money" or you have very few connections. If you are feeling discouraged or intimidated by your lofty business goals, you need to hear the wisdom shared by today's guest. Today I'm talking with Taylor Angel of Angel's Linings. Not only is Taylor the third generation in her family-run, multi-million dollar business, ...
Mar 06, 2023•34 min
Do overthinking, stress, and worry describe your day-to-day while running your business? Do you feel the need to clone yourself just to keep everything together? If so, today's episode of The Kate Show is for you....and for me. I'm not sure if I've ever had a podcast guest pinpoint SO WELL the exact issue that so many of us female entrepreneurs face: Overthinking, which leads to stress, which leads to stalling, with leads to nothing getting accomplished except poor decisions or chronic indecisio...
Feb 20, 2023•37 min
How do you market your business if you've relocated? There's nothing worse than getting to a new location and having the stress of moving and unpacking, only to realize that you have no projects lined up and not so much as a warm lead in your inbox. But there is good news! This discouraging situation is highly preventable. If you've already moved and haven't done any of the marketing preparation I am sharing today, don't worry. You can play catch-up. However, I do hope you're reading (or listeni...
Feb 06, 2023•20 min
Are you feeling uneasy about whether you are doing everything you can to market your design, staging, organizing, or window treatment business? If so, it's time to refocus. Don't let yourself get stuck in a rut, doing the same marketing tasks over and over without ensuring that one flows into the next and that you can track the appropriate results. Spoiler alert: Not every marketing activity should result in new clients. For example, pinning on Pinterest will not directly bring you more clients,...
Jan 23, 2023•31 min
Today's episode of The Kate Show isn't a tutorial on how to be a great mompreneur — because I actually have no idea how to do that. Instead, I'm sharing a few of the struggles, solutions, and boundaries I've uncovered thus far in my journey. If you run a business and have kids or plan to in the near future, it's time to listen up. It's about to get real.
Jan 09, 2023•28 min
Have you ever wished you could hire someone to help with your interior design firm without having to spend weeks training them or months holding their hand? If so, it's time to consider skipping your next intern and jumping straight to a true, experienced professional. Today's guest on The Kate Show is easily seen as the fairy godmother of interior design businesses. She's experienced, she adapts to your business, and she will make your business more efficient while helping you stress less.
Dec 19, 2022•26 min
If I could go back to 2014 and give myself some words of wisdom as a new business owner, I'd have a lot to say. I'd give myself a heads-up on every mistake the "older" me would make and share how the "younger" me could avoid those pitfalls. The thing is... Those experiences, especially the bad ones, brought me something incredibly valuable as an entrepreneur: Wisdom. My friend, today's episode of The Kate Show is for the newbies. If you recently started your journey in the home industry, as in, ...
Dec 05, 2022•22 min
Do you use Linktree in your Instagram bio? While it's popular and seems like a great idea, Linktree is actually taking all the traffic that should be going directly to your website. This is no fault of Linktree; it's just how technology works. Rather than using a third-party tool like this to redirect your social media fans to wherever they need to go, and thus lose the website traffic, you should instead be using a page on your own website for this exact purpose. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sho...
Nov 21, 2022•12 min
In the interior design world, delays and backorders happen, even on a regular day. Add into the mix both economic and political global upheaval — with a dash of supply chain issues — and you've got yourself a cocktail that isn't all that easy to swallow. How do you keep track of which products or materials are ordered, en route, delayed, or delivered? You might have to hire a team member for that position or somehow squeeze it into your already-full schedule. Or...you might want to work with a s...
Nov 07, 2022•25 min
"Live and learn," has been the most cliché and yet the most accurate theme of my life, and I know that I'm not alone in this. Today on The Kate Show, I'm getting personal with you and sharing some of my top regrets — and top wins — since starting my business eight and a half years ago. Why talk about my regrets? Because those who don't know their history are doomed to repeat it (another cliché that I firmly believe). If I said I wouldn't do anything in the past differently, I would risk bringing...
Oct 03, 2022•31 min
As someone who runs a marketing agency, I often work with home professionals who are trying to sell a digital product. I KNOW it can be difficult, especially when you are first getting started. Unfortunately, selling digital products isn't as simple as creating a PDF and setting a price on your website. Today on The Kate Show, I'm walking you through how to create, set up, market, and sell your first digital product. I'll be sharing a list of tools I recommend for creating and delivering your pr...
Sep 19, 2022•26 min
Does your interior design, organizing, or home staging business seem to get clients from Instagram? While we don't see this very often in my agency (nor do my colleagues in the marketing industry) we do come across the occasional home pro who gets good clients and projects from Instagram. By the way, this episode is a continuation of popular episode #164 entitled, "3 Reasons Luxury Interior Designers Don't Get Clients from Instagram." While some of the data in that episode will be repeated here,...
Sep 05, 2022•17 min
Many moons ago, I had my friend and business partner Jaquilyn Edwards on the podcast to discuss our venture together. Years later, that venture is thriving (and growing our members' businesses!), plus, we are always looking to take it up a notch. Today on The Kate Show, Jaquilyn and I will be discussing blogging for the home industry in more depth than you might have heard before. While our last interview on the podcast was about blogging basics, today's conversation is at the next level. Our di...
Aug 15, 2022•54 min
Nearly every interior designer, stager, window specialist, and organizer has a Google Business Listing. If you don't, you need to set one up immediately. Not only does your business get placed on the map when people are looking for your specific set of services in their local area, but it's also a place to collect client reviews and share photos, events, and blog posts. Having a completely filled-out Google listing for your business enhances your credibility. However, most people don't take full...
Aug 01, 2022•18 min
No one is an overnight success, yet some people have had their success brewing steadily on the back burner for years before really cranking up the heat and stepping into the spotlight. Interior designer Sara Lynn Brennan is no exception. I might be biased, as my agency has had the honor of working with Sara off and on throughout the years, but I do think she is a stellar example of what you can accomplish when you take ownership of your own success, ignore the naysayers, and let your passion fue...
Jul 18, 2022•44 min
Today on The Kate Show, I have the huge honor of introducing a new online tool created by my dear friend and confidant, Michele Williams. Her online financial dashboard tool makes it kindergarten-easy to actually understand the budgets, trends, and health reports of the money in your business. If you're like me and don't have "a head for numbers" — or you're just sick of analyzing spreadsheets and like to be efficient — welcome to Metrique, the financial dashboard for service-based businesses.
Jul 04, 2022•52 min
Sustainable, non-toxic building materials are hot right now...and will be trending for all the right reasons for the foreseeable future. As your clients become more attuned with protecting their homes from carcinogens and other chemicals often found in flooring, your need to source from reputable retailers will only increase. Whether you focus on biophilic interiors, green design, or just want to be done with off-gassing materials, you need to consider using Revel Woods hardwood flooring for you...
Jun 20, 2022•41 min
Do you wish your interior design, home staging, professional organizing, or window treatment website would get more traffic? Optimizing your website for search engines is a must. However, search engine optimization (SEO) isn't just about using the right keywords. SEO also includes making sure your website loads quickly, is mobile-friendly, accessible to those with eyesight disabilities, and easy to navigate. Navigation requirements include putting buttons and headlines in the right places...usin...
Jun 06, 2022•16 min
I've been building my business for over eight years, and scaling has been the plan for about the last six of them. A few years into scaling, I had numerous other business people say things like..."That idea won't work." Or, "How are you able to offer these services at such a streamlined rate? My team would need to charge at least $1,000 per month for blog posts, email marketing, and sales funnels. It's really suspicious." Well, any good business coach will tell you that each service you offer sh...
May 16, 2022•24 min
Today, I'm talking about geofencing: What it is and when you would or would not want to implement this advertising technique in your business. This topic was suggested by my agency's wonderful client and good friend in real life, Georgiana Schwandt. Georgiana runs Incredible Windows here in Wisconsin...as her third career. ?? Her energy is inspiring and her work ethic is extraordinary. She's always keeping her hand on the pulse of the dynamic home industry, and I wasn't at all surprised that she...
May 02, 2022•18 min
Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the success secrets that our ideal clients have used again and again to go from basically broke to barely finding enough time to drink their morning coffee. If you've questioned whether having a great website, consistent email marketing, and even a solid blogging strategy will actually grow your business, hold on tight.
Apr 18, 2022•24 min
Have you ever considered starting a podcast? I've been contacted by a few of you who are actively planning the launch of your podcasts and feel confused about the technical side. Plus, you're wondering what to do if you run out of things to say. (You won't, by the way. ??) And you're curious how important sponsors are. Today on The Kate Show, I'm answering all your questions regarding podcasting. Let's jump right in!
Apr 04, 2022•20 min
It isn't every day I get to host an accomplished, award-winning interior designer on the podcast, and Michelle Lynne did not disappoint. With her Texas charm and no-nonsense approach to business, she and I hit it off the moment we first met back in Palm Springs last fall. I wanted to have Michelle on the show because: 1) she runs a profitable design firm without a huge team, and 2) she bases her design business coaching on the principles she had to learn the hard way. The best lessons come from ...
Mar 21, 2022•46 min
"How can I create a marketing calendar for my business?" I get asked this question by entrepreneurs across the home industry, from interior design and staging to organizing and window treatments. I love when people ask this question because it shows that: a) they want to take real action in their marketing, and b) they recognize that marketing should be intentional, not haphazard. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the marketing calendar I recommend to nearly all my agency's clients. Whether yo...
Mar 07, 2022•13 min
Branding is not your logo. I used to think having a logo was the core of having a brand, but I didn't realize until years into running a business that the logo is just the icing on the cake. If you've ever worked with a branding professional, you know about the lengthy and in-depth process you must go through for a graphic designer to understand your brand. The logo, while often the most exciting part of the branding process, is one of the last things to be created — and for good reason. Today o...
Feb 20, 2022•21 min
Rather than blasting your ears with more marketing rants today, I'm shifting focus to a much more personal topic: My maternity leave! With our second baby due in June 2022, I am faced, yet again, with planning for a 3-month leave. Because many of you are soon-to-be mothers or hope to be, you might be wondering how (and if) it's actually possible to take 12 weeks off when you have your baby while also running your own business. The short answer: Yes. The long answer: Well, that's why I'm making t...
Feb 06, 2022•24 min
Several years ago, I made the executive decision to design websites exclusively on Squarespace. Prior to this, my agency was designing websites on nearly any platform, largely Wordpress. However, we kept running into the same issues... Issues that cost my team hours of time and our clients hundreds of dollars. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing exactly why we recommend Squarespace over WordPress, Wix, Weebly, and Showit.
Jan 24, 2022•19 min
Today on The Kate Show, I'm going to show you exactly how you should use social media as a home industry professional and what you should and should not expect from it. Spoiler alert: If social media is causing you stress, you are doing it wrong.
Jan 17, 2022•21 min
Wouldn't marketing be easier if you just knew what to say...ahead of time? Planning your content marketing in advance is smart for two reasons: First, it allows you to marinate on the topics ahead of time and avoid writer's block when the time comes to create. Second, it allows you to batch create content. I've adapted the process my agency uses for content planning into something that makes sense for home professionals like you. If you are looking to create cohesive, professional marketing cont...
Jan 10, 2022•31 min
