In this episode of Design Business Freedom, Melissa Galt - interior designer, firm owner, and industry veteran of nearly 30 years - details the contract clauses interior designers secretly wish they could include, and what those wishes reveal about where your agreement needs to be stronger.

From unpaid redesigns and client indecision to boundary violations, scope creep, and emotional labor, these real-world scenarios are costing interior design firms time, profit, and peace of mind. Melissa walks through the professional contract language and structural fixes that protect designers while elevating client experience, without sounding harsh or unapproachable.

This episode is especially for established interior designers and design firm principals generating $200K+ annually who are ready to lead with authority, protect their expertise, and stop absorbing stress that doesn't belong to them.

You'll learn how to:

• (03:09) Prevent endless revisions and unpaid labor
• (04:25) Maintain design authority with high-end clients
• (06:22) Enforce communication boundaries with trades and clients
• (10:45) Stop client-created emergencies and urgency
• (18:35) Strengthen your interior design agreement as your business grows

Your contract doesn't just protect you—it teaches clients how to treat you.

If you're ready to stop hoping for better behavior and start designing better boundaries, this episode will change how you think about your interior design agreement forever.

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If your design pipeline feels a little light as you head into the new year, this episode is your ultimate remedy. We're not talking about frantic marketing tactics or overwhelming reinventions—just 20 simple, strategic, and relationship-driven ways to seed your client pipeline with high-quality opportunities. These aren't just ideas; they're actionable and powerful plays straight from the Profit Pipeline Playbook.

From thoughtful client reconnections to visibility-boosting strategies and authority-building tips, these tactics are designed to help you become magnetic and memorable—without the burnout. Whether you're craving clarity in your messaging, better positioning, or just a few fresh ways to show up consistently, this episode gives you the practical tools to move your firm forward with confidence and ease.

In this episode, you'll hear:

(03:22) Why planting client seeds is more powerful than chasing leads

(07:11) The handwritten note strategy that helped grow a multimillion-dollar design firm

(08:18) How to ask for an introduction (not a referral) and make it easy for them

(14:49) Why thoughtful social media comments can dramatically boost your visibility

(21:10) What to say in your portfolio captions that actually converts viewers into clients

(36:11) The most overlooked way to tell clients you're open for business (and trigger FOMO)

If you're ready to attract better clients, price with confidence, and build interior design marketing strategies that actually work, join me for my complimentary masterclass, "7 Shifts to Grow Your Design Firm Without Burning Out." Or DM me "BEST YEAR" and I'll send the link.

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Success should feel empowering—not exhausting. But for many interior design firm principals, what looks like "making it" from the outside is actually draining them dry behind the scenes. In this episode, Melissa peels back the curtain on what happens when design success becomes unsustainable, and burnout becomes the price you're paying. If you're constantly juggling all the roles, overwhelmed by client work, and finding that your profits are flatlining despite your growth, this conversation is your wake-up call—and your lifeline.

Melissa shares the five critical steps every overwhelmed designer must take to stop being the bottleneck and start leading like the CEO their firm needs. It's time to let go of heroic solo efforts and embrace the structure, support, and strategy that will get you your life back. You'll learn how to delegate with intention, price with clarity, and lead with outcomes—all while eliminating burnout and creating a business that truly supports the life you want.

In this episode, you'll hear:

(01:08) The silent truth behind your growing design firm: it's not sustainable

(03:03) Why overwhelm isn't failure—it's your business begging you to evolve

(05:25) The hidden reasons your profit isn't growing (and how to fix it)

(09:26) The myth of willpower and why scaling requires real structure

(11:21) The magic trio for deciding what only you should do in your business

(14:39) How to build a business that supports vacations, predictability, and peace

If you're ready to attract better clients, price with confidence, and build interior design marketing strategies that actually work, join me for my complimentary masterclass, "7 Shifts to Grow Your Design Firm Without Burning Out", at melissagalt.com/BestDesignYear or DM me "BEST YEAR" and I'll send the link.

You've got this: I've got you always!

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