169. Designed to Thrive: My Holistic Approach to Growth
What if the challenges you’re facing in your business aren’t coming from just one place, but from a combination of how you’re thinking, how you’re feeling, and what you’re doing? In this episode, I’m sharing the Designed to Thrive framework, my holistic approach to growth that brings together mind, body, and strategy so you can build a business that actually works for you.
As this is the final episode before my sabbatical, I wanted to leave you with a core framework you can return to while I’m away. I walk you through each part of this approach and how to use it as a lens when something feels off in your business. Instead of jumping straight to fixing the strategy, you’ll learn how to look at what’s happening from multiple angles so you can identify what truly needs attention.
By the end of this episode, you’ll have a new way to evaluate what’s working, what isn’t, and what to do next. This is a framework you can come back to again and again as your business evolves, helping you move forward with more intention, confidence, and trust in yourself.
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What You’ll Discover from this Episode:
What the Designed to Thrive framework is and how to use it.
Why strategy alone is not enough to create sustainable growth.
How your thoughts and mindset influence your business results.
The role your body and emotional state play in decision-making.
How to diagnose what’s actually not working in your business.
A new way to approach challenges without spinning your wheels.
How to create more clarity and momentum in your business.
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Full Episode Transcript:
Hey designer, you're listening to episode 169, and this one is different. This is the last episode I'll be releasing before my sabbatical, and I wanted to leave you with something substantial, something you can come back to, work with, and use to create real change while I'm on break.
Today I'm sharing my complete coaching methodology, the Designed to Thrive framework. It's built on three essential elements: mind, body, and strategy. As a Master Certified Life and Business Coach and a former interior designer myself, this is the holistic approach I've developed to support each and every one of my clients. And today, I'm walking you through it all in this episode.
Here's why this matters. Most designers focus on just one or two of these elements, and that might be why you feel like you're hitting a ceiling or you're working hard but not seeing the results you want. When you understand how mind, body, and strategy work together, you can effectively diagnose exactly where you're stuck and know what actually needs your attention so you can stop spinning those wheels.
This looks like no longer trying to how-to your way out of a mindset problem, no perfect system or contract can fix, being able to ride the emotional waves of being a CEO instead of crashing to that shore, and no longer hiding in self-improvement when really what you need is to just take your next best step. This is how you build a business that's sustainable, profitable, and actually feels good to run.
This episode, I'll be honest, it is longer than others, but it is essentially a free masterclass. I'm going to walk you through each element of Designed to Thrive, why it matters, how to use it as a lens for any challenge or goal you're facing, and also how to bring it all together so you know what to do next. You can listen to this all at once or break it into chunks, but if you're serious about building a thriving interior design business, one that supports your life instead of consuming it, this framework is definitely worth your time.
Whether you're brand new to my work or you've been listening for years, this episode will give you a complete picture of my approach, and it's something you can return to again and again as you face new challenges and pursue new goals. Let's dive in.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you're ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you're in the right place.
I'm Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let's go.
Hello designer, welcome back to the podcast. I can't believe we're at this point. It is bittersweet today, knowing that this is the last episode I'll be recording for you for a while. If you've missed the last few episodes, I'm going to be taking a sabbatical, starting this May, and that'll run through October-ish, we're calling it. And if you're curious about why I'm taking this break, what I plan to do at that time, you can always go back and listen to the last episode in the feed, 168. I answered some of your listener questions and shared some behind-the-scenes.
With the podcast going on pause, now's a great time to make sure you're signed up for my weekly newsletter, Monday Mindset and Mini Mindset. The intention for both of these is to give you something that positively shifts the trajectory of your week, which of course then creates a ripple effect through your life, your business, the months ahead, everything.
So Monday Mindset gives you more of a concept to think on and apply, and Mini Mindset is one question you read to yourself, you listen for your response, and then decide how to proceed. It takes 90 seconds or less and it is going to be good. It's something new, and I want you to make sure you get it. Being on the newsletter list is also how we stay in touch. Make sure you are the first to know when I send out any announcements or send you an update. You can sign up for Monday Mindset at desicreswell.com/monday-mindset.
With this being the last episode that is going to air for a while, and knowing it's kind of a send-off of sorts, I've been thinking a lot about what I wanted to share and what I want you all to carry with you during this break. And that's really what today is going to be all about. I'm giving you a framework that is highly impactful and also very customizable and meets you where you are. So as you bump up against obstacles, as you see a vision for your future but you don't know where or how you're going to get there, and navigate that growth that we are here to do together, that's what this framework is for. And it's going to be here for you to come back to time and time again.
These concepts aren't going to be tactics or to-do lists here. They are lenses, and I'll explain more about what I mean by that. But it's a way of looking at your business and looking at the challenges or goals that you have, so you can figure out exactly what needs your attention. Whether you're struggling with pricing, client boundaries, team building or accountability, balancing work with parenting, or wanting to get your spark back, you are going to be able to use this framework that I'm sharing today to get clarity on what is really going on and decide what to focus on next so that you can solve for the root issue and not slap on a bandaid.
The three areas I'm going to walk you through today are what I call the Designed to Thrive methodology. You've seen this if you've headed over to the coaching page on my website. And those three areas are mind, body, and strategy. This is the holistic framework that I use in everything that I do. It's what I use with my private clients. It's what I use to create my content, my programs, this podcast, the Monday Mindset newsletter I just told you about, because it addresses the whole picture: how you think, how you feel, and what you do.
And most business advice only focuses on strategy, the doing part. And frankly, we can all get a little bit too inclined on focusing only on strategy: tell me what to do. And of course you have to do things, and doing things is great. We need strategy. But if your mindset's getting in your own way or you're ignoring or shutting down what your body and emotions are telling you, no strategy will fix that. It becomes a really heavy weight to carry and it takes a lot of energy to overcome what's blocking you from implementing the strategy and having it be really effective.
I know you've probably experienced this where you know what to do, but you don't actually do it, or sometimes you can get yourself to do it. It's like you muscle your way through it, but then it's really stressful and draining, and usually you tire out and quit. Okay? So we have to have this full framework in order to systematically and sustainably and permanently solve for issues.
I've talked about this a lot on the podcast, but just to reiterate, running an interior design business, the day-to-day of it, moving your business forward, and of course showing up in your personal life at the same time, it is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot, and this entrepreneurship journey that you are on, it requires business skills, but a lot of what you do requires internal skill sets and internal resilience. And it's why, frankly, a lot of my clients describe sessions with me as business therapy, because many times we are getting into the nitty-gritty of goal setting or leadership or managing business development or client deliverables. And that's really important. Don't let me undermine that. And you have to grow and evolve as a person alongside the business. That is really the way that you thrive.
Today, I want you to understand the Designed to Thrive methodology and walk away with some lenses that you can use to approach whatever it is that you are facing in your business. Or it's like, I want to go there but I'm not there and how do I do it? Or I'm on my way, but I want to make the path smoother. Whatever it is, this mind, body, strategy approach is going to be really helpful.
As we talk about these foundational lenses, there's a few things I want to keep in mind. So the first thing is that it is applicable to everything. So this, what I'm sharing today, is not a one-time fix. It's something that you can use at any stage in your business for any goal that you set, for any obstacle you encounter, and you can keep returning to them time after time because the components are there to evolve with you and deepen with you as you grow as the business owner.
The next thing that I want you to know is that these are lenses, not directives, which means that they are customizable. You're going to decide how to apply them, and based on what you want to achieve in your business and how you want to work, that's going to look different for you than it is for another listener. And that is perfectly fine.
Next, what I want you to know is that while this is conceptual in some ways, it is very actionable at the same time. Looking at your business from these different angles is going to help you see clearly. It is going to help you see what the actual problem is and what the actual solution could be. So you can use this almost as a diagnostic tool where you help laser in on your problem and solution.
I'm going to be sharing a lot of examples today and through this, you can start to spot where your growth lies and also where to focus your efforts. And lastly, what I'll say is that these elements are all interconnected. They're important on their own and they also influence each other and can be used in tandem. So for all of us with perfectionistic tendencies, don't let that pop up here and get hung up on finding the right answer of, oh, is it this one or this one? Just tune into yourself and trust that what stands out is going to be the perfect entry point for you.
Okay? So let's dive into the three components of the Designed to Thrive methodology. It is mind, body, and strategy. And we're going to start with mind.
When I talk about mind, I am talking about mindset. Not positive thinking, not affirmations, but the actual thoughts, beliefs, and stories running through your brain all day long. Some of these are conscious. You hear that inner dialogue, you know those sentences that you hear over and over again, and others of them are subconscious. And whether you're aware of them or not, they are shaping how you feel, what you do, and the results you create, desired or not, the results you want, the results you don't want. We all have these mindsets, and some of them are going to serve us, some of them have served us in the past, but are no longer helpful. And we also have mindsets that prevent us from having what we want or being who we want to be.
What I've seen with coaching so many clients, so many designers out there is that what stands in the way most of feeling how you want to feel and taking the actions you know you need to take are the beliefs you hold. I see it with myself too. It's everything from identity, how you see yourself, to beliefs about money and how it should be earned or spent, to beliefs about how people should or shouldn't be, or if people are genuinely kind and accepting, or are out there waiting to find your flaws or see you make a mistake.
These are all ways that we view or interpret the circumstances that we're interacting with on a daily basis and it has a huge impact on what you're able to accomplish. And that's because you're always going to act in accordance with your beliefs. And when you act in alignment with what you believe, that's just going to go and create more evidence, which then reinforces whatever “truth” is you're telling yourself. And I'm saying truth in quotations because with a lot of these belief systems, we've repeated them so many times that we don't even stop to question if anyone else thinks the same thing or differently or a variation. And having a belief feel like truth can be great when it's one you want to keep and when it's helping you maintain or achieve a result that you want.
But the problem is that when your mindset contradicts your goals, you either can't get yourself moving at all or you're white-knuckling your way through with willpower, which is often how we end up in those start, stop, start, stop cycles.
Let me give you an example of this when I'm talking about the belief contradicting the thing that you want to create. Let's say you have a belief that it's greedy to have more than you need, and you also have set your biggest money goal yet of the year. Just pause for a second and think about what is the contrast there. It's greedy to have more than you need, and I want to make more money. Okay? Those two things are in opposition. So if you believe something is, we'll say bad, it's going to be hard to get yourself to do the necessary things in order to create more money because then essentially, if you do the things to make more money, then you're bad.
Another example is maybe around planning your week. You know time management would be an effective practice to take up so you can stop working weekends and feel like you have more free time. That's great. And something that I help a lot of clients with. I have lots of time management tools that work very well and I'm happy to teach them to you.
But if you believe, "I'm bad at managing my time," which is very much a fixed mindset, as in, this is just who I am and that will never change, the follow-up thought to that identity belief is, "why bother?" right? Like, if you're just bad at managing your time and you're never going to change and it's just always going to be that way, you're going to have a really hard time doing any of the things that would be helpful because you're already believing you're not capable, okay? And then of course this all just reinforces itself because if you don't manage your time, you are overwhelmed, you are working late, you are missing deadlines, and it just further proves then that you're bad at managing your time.
I'll give you one more example, like let's say that you believe time management is restrictive, and you also really value freedom. If you believe that the thing you say you want to do, which is manage your time, if you believe that's restrictive, you're really saying that will take away my freedom, but you value freedom. And so then those two are in opposition and you're believing that those desires conflict, but time management isn't restrictive in my opinion. I've seen it do the exact opposite thing. It creates freedom. But often we have these mindsets that are just running in the background and we don't even have awareness that we're essentially saying doing the thing I'm going to do is going to take away what I want. And if that is hitting a nerve, definitely go listen to episode 78, which talks about this concept of competing desires.
The reason why I'm leading with mindset, it's such an important lens to consider because of the trickle-down effect. What starts as a thought or a belief always is going to show up in the reality you have created. And this is illustrated by one of the coaching tools that you've heard me talk about here on the podcast, which is the model. And that's largely based on cognitive behavioral therapy, otherwise known as CBT. I learned it as I became a master certified coach through The Life Coach School. But here's a quick recap.
There are circumstances in the world. There are facts, events, things people say, things you do, don't do. And then there's thoughts about those circumstances, and that is essentially your story, your judgment, whatever it is that you layer onto the facts. And those thoughts are going to create feelings or emotions, and then the feelings fuel your actions or inactions, and then of course, whatever it is you do or don't do creates some kind of result or outcome for you.
This think, feel, act cycle is how you got to where you are today. Literally today, as in the day-to-day experience that you're having, and today as in the big picture, what you've accomplished over the years. Knowing what your mindset is, knowing what the thoughts, feelings, and actions are that have led to certain results or are leading to the results you have that are in the way of what you want to achieve, that's really important because that is the operating system that you are running on right now and you need to know what that is so that you can give it an upgrade if necessary. And that's where you can move from going out of a default setting to intentionally creating a new think-feel-act cycle leading to these new results.
This is also a great time to spot what are the beliefs that really support you so you can leverage them further. Some of the beliefs you have, definitely, you want to keep. They've helped you get to where you are today and they're going to help you keep going.
When we think about mind, using it as a lens, here's some questions that you can ask yourself when you're feeling stuck or before you're feeling that way, but you have a big goal ahead of you and you're looking to see how you might get in your own way. You can ask yourself these questions: what story are you telling about yourself, the situation, other people? Write it down. And when you think about it that way, how do you feel? Just a one-word emotion. And when you feel that way, what are you doing or not doing? And if you do or don't do those things, what results will you create? Look at where this leads you. What are those results? And if it's taking you somewhere where you don't want to be, it's time to shift your perspective.
The good news is that thoughts are optional, and you can rewire your brain to default to new patterning. And you can choose to see things differently, and sometimes this is done through finding another thought that just is readily available to you. Maybe you hear someone say something and you go, "Oh, I didn't know that was an option." And sometimes you go about it by disproving what you once thought was your one and only truth. And that is very much how you grow into the next version of you as a designer CEO to create these new outcomes.
If some of those thought patterns that showed up in the questions I gave you before look like they're holding you back, you can create some shifts right now through these questions I'm going to ask you.
So first of all, is that thought even true? I mean, do you know that it's actually true? Is it really true? Poke some holes. Another one would be, how could I see this differently? You could also say, what else could be equally true but more helpful? Right? There's never one truth. And lastly, if you already had the results you wanted, how were you thinking about this?
This is a way of tapping into that future self that you've heard me talk about on the podcast. Go to the future, see yourself as the version of you who's already created the result and look back at how they were thinking, feeling, and acting. And that is a great clue to what you should do next.
What you're always doing is looking to move towards a new story that feels believable. It has to feel accessible in some way of like, yeah, I could maybe get on board with that. Otherwise, it's going to bounce right off you and you're not going to move forward. Sometimes these mindset shifts happen quickly once you see the connection or dismantle the story. Other times it takes more work because it's a story you've rehearsed countless times or maybe you grew up in a household where it was reinforced over and over from everyone around you, and you have to retrain your brain to first notice when you're thinking those thoughts and then consciously shift into a new story. So be patient with yourself if that's the case and know that if you keep at it, it will change over time.
What's so valuable about looking at your goals and challenges through the lens of mind or mindset is that once you understand your thinking and the ripple effect that's creating, you can choose what you do about it. What's really interesting too is that sometimes you're even doing the exact same things, but your experience of your actions and the results that you are able to create from doing those actions will also shift and can be better, which is really cool, I think. You also can step out of this place of feeling like everything is happening to you and see where you have influence, and that is really empowering as a business owner.
So obviously, I love mindset work. It is how I have transformed over the years. I've seen it be so effective for my clients. Sometimes shifting your mindset really is all that's needed and you are off to the races. And also, sometimes we have to come at it from a different angle or use a layered approach because maybe the body's holding on to something and your mind can't possibly logic your way out of it. I think we've all experienced that. When the emotion is so strong that it's overriding some of this mindset work, that's when it's time to work with your body. And that's the next component of Designed to Thrive. It is body.
Your body is always communicating with you through your inner wisdom or your inner voice and also through your emotions. As designers, I think we're very used to being highly attuned to other people and what they're experiencing and what their emotions are, but it can be a lot harder to turn it on yourself. And so often, you have to learn to listen first, and then also build the resilience and strength that is required to move beyond your current set point. And of course is how you grow. And so this is a really important piece of achieving new goals and building the business as well.
We talked about how thoughts create feelings and feelings drive actions. So shifting your thinking is one way to cultivate emotional states on purpose, but sometimes, like I said, approaching the challenge or goal through the lens of emotions can be more effective or more accessible just depending on where you're at. If it's a subconscious belief, maybe you just really aren't aware of what is that narrative that's happening behind the scenes, but what you are aware of is, oh, my body is having a really strong reaction. That's what is right in front of you and so you can take a look at that. Or no matter how much you try and adopt a new way of thinking, it just kind of falls flat or bounces off you.
Sometimes too, we don't want to change our thinking at all or in the moment because what we're feeling is appropriate in the moment or not honoring that experience feels like it's steamrolling yourself, which eventually backfires if you keep just going, you're overreacting, you're too much, or you shouldn't feel that way, it's not a big deal. All those things that would feel awful if someone else said them to us, we can easily get in the habit of doing that to ourselves when we're having an emotional experience, and that can be really challenging.
When you don't learn to work with your body, which emotions really are the language of our bodies, there's the emotional toll of not tending to yourself or being compassionate with your experience. And also the other thing is when you don't learn to work with your body, which emotions are the language of our bodies, your feelings turn into the CEO of the business. The emotions start making decisions, calling out directives, and charting your course. And we of course do not want that to be the case. We can use our emotions to inform decisions, to take next steps, but we also don't want them to be the only thing driving the bus.
I see this a lot when designers are treating their emotions as truth, such as, you know, they say, "I feel anxious,” so then that automatically means something is actually wrong. Not always the case. Or there's a lot of time spent avoiding the emotion. This feels scary to send an editor my pitch for a project, so I think I'm going to go do some emails instead. Okay? There's a lot of energy and a lot of time that gets wasted avoiding emotions and delaying your progress. Or what ends up happening is you act in opposition to your goals. We talked a little bit with that mindset piece and it shows up here as well.
It could be, "I feel guilty upholding that contract, so now I'm going to let it slide." But your goal is to be more profitable or to streamline your projects so that you can move forward with them and wrap things up instead of letting them dangle on and on. Okay? So pay attention to kind of some of those examples and see where maybe that's showing up for you.
It's never a goal of mine for you or for myself to eradicate emotions from popping up. Although as you do some of the emotional work that we're going to talk about, they will lessen in frequency and intensity. But really, what you and your inner voice, that grounded, wise part of you wants is to consistently step forward as the leader. That part of you leading the business, not the emotions.
The other thing we have to talk about here is that going after big goals, calling yourself a leader, holding space for clients or your team, that requires a lot of emotional capacity. And that is something that you can build, it's a skill, and it really is going to serve you to be able to hold space for feeling the discomfort of whatever it is that arises and still be able to one, tap into that grounded, wise part of you, and two, be able to still take action as appropriate.
As you learn to allow and process the sensations experienced with strong emotions, that's without judgment, without feeding into it, and without pushing it away, the better you get at it. You give yourself the opportunity to get to the other side of that experience and say, "Hey, I'm okay. I made it."
So I like to think of the emotion being along for the ride. I don't have to yell at it for being there. It can stay in the back seat. I don't have to kick it out of the car on the roadside. It can have its say, it can give me wisdom even. Sometimes we can learn from some of those emotions. They're there to tell us something, and I can still be the one driving the car.
I talked about this more in episode 90, and that's called “More Ease in Business Growth.” So that could be one that you want to revisit. Not only does learning to work with the body's experience get you moving forward, your emotional bandwidth doesn't have to be all used up with suppression and avoidance. And that frees up your capacity to take more effective action, be more present, whether it's for your team or your home life. There are so many benefits of expanding what you can hold and what you can hold space for yourself and for others. And as you start to practice this, you really will see a difference.
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself if you notice that there's something in your way of moving forward and you want to get clear on how to proceed.
Here are the questions: What is your body trying to tell you? Or a variation on that would be, what is your inner voice want you to know? Here's one I love too. What emotion are you avoiding? Because that's really the thing you're trying to escape. It's not the task, it's not the goal, it's not the decision, it's not the conversation, it is the emotion. So what emotion are you avoiding? And lastly, how can you support yourself to move forward?
Because emotions aren't a stop sign, it's just a sign that there's something or a part of you that needs tending to. That support could come from someone else, it could come from yourself, and all these techniques are going to end up working on expanding your emotional capacity because what it does is it allows you to move toward the experience instead of away.
There's many ways to work on this, like processing emotions by naming the sensations that could sound like, I'm feeling anxious, anxiety feels like buzzing in my chest or sweaty palms and getting concrete with that, that can help slow yourself down. Practicing self-compassion, I did an episode on that too. That's episode 145, “Stop Being So Hard on Yourself.” You could also remind yourself of past similar experiences where you moved through the heightened state and grew and were better off because of it.
This is something that you can lean into time and time again. And every time you do it, you, the version of you who has expanded because of your willingness to move toward that discomfort, that goes with you into the future and it just continues to compound.
The last thing I want to say about this body lens is that as you practice what I'm sharing and test it out and look at things from different angles, I want you to work on increasing your ability to discern between a habitual response and a true knowing, which what I mean is that felt body sense of certainty or truth. Just like you can get stuck in a thought loop, you can also get stuck in a habitual emotional response loop.
What ends up happening is that you've just practiced that emotional state so many times, it's normalized. So it's familiar, but that doesn't mean it's true. An example of this could be, maybe you had a disagreement or something you had to work through with a client a couple of weeks ago, and everything is fine now, but every time you open your inbox, your body starts to brace itself when you see their name. You have not read the message, there's nothing indicating that there's something wrong in the subject line, and yet your body is responding, and it's responding in an old way to this new situation that doesn't actually necessarily have anything to do with what happened. So that is some of those habitual responses.
Another example might be, let's say you were approached to be on a design panel, and when you read through that request, or you get a phone call asking, "Hey, could you do this?" Your body starts clenching up, your heart's racing, you're kind of sweating. If you're treating your emotions as truth, that might say to you, "Oh, you are not cut out for this or who do you think you are? You can't do that." At the same time, if you haven't been on a stage many times or at all, nerves would be completely normal. So your body's reaction doesn't mean that that isn't for you. You might just be in the habit of trusting what feels bad more than what feels good. And if you tune in, you might see this is something you actually do want to do, or maybe not. But we don't want to jump to conclusions just because of that automatic response.
The example with the design panel, you can also see the connection with mind and body here. You could have a belief that maybe you're bad at public speaking and that creates the feeling of insecurity or anxiety or pressure. And so maybe we could look for evidence of how that's not true or some ways that you've spoke successfully and use that to dismantle that belief. That angle could work.
Or it might be one of those instances where the fear feels so pronounced, and your body's holding on to something deeper, like you had something in middle school in the talent show. I don't know, did anyone participate in the talent show? I don't even know if I had one. But you know what I'm saying, like it's an old piece of you that needs to be addressed and comforted and brought up to speed on who you actually are today. So we want to look at what makes sense in terms of do you process through this emotion? Do you look at it from a belief standpoint? And that is really how you learn to work with yourself.
Learning to work with your mind and body are going to help create flow, they're going to get you in action, they're going to help reduce friction, they're going to help you feel better. They are amazing tools. And we also have to address that there are things that must be done and you want to proactively decide how they're done. That's where the third lens comes into play: strategy.
Strategy is all about the actions you take, how you plan, execute, evaluate. It's how you structure your pricing and processes, it's the way you manage your time, how you build out your team, what type of team do you build? Is it remote or is it in office? It's the ways that you market your business. There's so many strategies that are going to help you get to your goals.
So without strategy, if you're just kind of all over the place throwing spaghetti at the wall, you're going to be spinning your wheels, or, and or, you're going to be allowing other people, often clients who have a vocal say in how they think it should be done, you're going to allow them to dictate your path forward. You can have the best intentions and still not have a clear plan. That leads to a lot of reactivity instead of being proactive and steering the ship where you want it to go. And that ends up being just one of those situations where you work hard, but you're not effective.
I think we can all agree strategy is really important. But here's the flip side. If you only focus on strategy, the to-dos and the how-tos, you will eventually hit a ceiling. You're going to feel like you're pushing a boulder uphill, or you're going to go into the on the wagon, off the wagon pattern because the mind and body lenses aren't there to underpin it all.
Let me give you an example of this. I can teach you clearly how to effectively delegate and manage your team, but if you continue to hold a belief that only you can do it best, you're always going to wish you had more support without actually allowing yourself to receive it. Or you can implement client filters and create an excellent, beautiful spreadsheet showing how many projects you can handle at a time, but if you can't tolerate another person's disappointment when you tell them no, you'll always be saying yes and being over capacity. That's why there's all three lenses here for you, mind, body, and strategy. They have to work together.
Now here's what makes the strategy lens that I'm sharing different from typical business advice. This isn't about doing the right things, it's about doing the right things for you. That's the key difference. I truly believe there's no single right way to build an interior design business. I talked about that in episode 138 of CEO Summer School. You really have to learn to get to know yourself, get to know your business, get to know your clients and your market, and create a customized approach.
Someone telling you this is the one and only, and definitely the best way to run your business may have valuable insights to share, and there might be pieces of advice you do want to implement. And you must also assess what your business needs and what approach works best for you based on your vision and values. When you understand not just where you want to go, but how you want to get there, everything becomes easier. That's not to say it's not without effort, but there's far less friction.
And then when you layer in evaluation of your selected strategies and you're consistently checking in with yourself to see what's working, what's not working, and what you'll do differently as you refine and as you progress, you can track your data, use your discernment, and what ends up happening is you become this self-leader. You become the person who's pointing yourself toward where you want to go, even if you hit some bumps in the road.
I'm going to give you some questions on how to use this lens, and you can use it when you are implementing or refining strategies to achieve a goal. So the first one is, does this help you move closer to where you want to be or is it going to take you off your path? This is an important one. Like you hear a strategy and it sounds really cool, but it's a like three problems down the line from now, kind of thing you need to solve for. Not where you need to put your attention. That goes on a parking lot. Or maybe it's a distraction or a should. So does this move me closer or farther away?
Next one is, are you willing to commit to making this work now and in the future? That doesn't mean you have to commit to it forever, but before you decide, yep, this is the strategy I'm going to go with, make sure it's one that you're willing to commit to for a period of time, because it will not always work the first time. And if you're not willing to work out the kinks, it's something that you need to address before you decide that's what you're going to proceed with.
You also want to look at maintaining the strategy. So what does it require of you? Sometimes we have to sprint a little bit to get something up and running, but is it going to require you to stay in a sprint? So that's something really important to look at too is, are you willing to commit to making this work now and in the near future?
Another question you could ask yourself is, is there an option that leverages your strengths instead of trying to fix your weaknesses? Working with your strengths is always going to be the easiest path forward, not to say that we don't build our skills, but something to consider. And here's the last powerful question: how can this be simple and still get what I want? If both are true, it's simple, and I get what I want, how do I make that happen?
Okay, this is the whole Designed to Thrive framework: mind, body, and strategy. I'm going to do a quick recap before we talk about how to take these lenses and apply them to your unique business.
Mind is mindset. It helps you create beliefs that support how you want to feel, the ways you want to show up, and create the results you want in your life and business. It's also what helps you stay committed and move forward when the inevitable challenges arise and reminds you of what you can control, which empowers you to be the cause of your results.
Body is what helps you navigate the discomfort that comes along the ride with change, and also trust your intuition around what's right for you and what is your path forward. The body lens also helps you stay steady among the turbulence, whether that's leading yourself, your clients, or your team.
And the third lens is strategy. That is the roadmap, the tangible actions that move you forward. Always dialed into what you and your business need. It's what you do to solve problems, and it's always going to be more effective when you use the mind and body lenses to support those actions.
Throughout this episode, I gave you a lot of examples, and I know this is getting to be a longer episode than you're used to. Thank you for sticking with me. But I really wanted to package this up for you. So we talked about how these elements could present, gave you questions to dive deeper, and now I want to briefly talk about bringing this all together.
So what I want you to do is to bring to mind a challenge you're facing right now. Maybe it's something recent or something that has been circling the drain for years or something you see in the future that is coming up that you know you're going to need to address. Once you have that in mind, I want you to ask yourself these three questions: what type of problem is this? Is it mind, body, or strategy?
As a reminder, all these components work together, so just tune into yourself, see what emerges. Probably the first thing that comes to mind. What is it that you need to solve for? What feels like that first domino that's going to fall and make the rest go with or what's the easiest entry point? It's totally fine to do what feels accessible to you to get started. It's all connected, so know that when you address one area, you do create that ripple effect and start to create change in the others as well.
You'll also be pretty quick to know or be onto yourself when you're coming at this from the wrong angle, because you won't feel much better or create any significant movement.
A quick example of that would be when we say, "Oh, I just need an editorial calendar for my Instagram. Then I would feel organized and confident." But you create the grid, you get the plan, but you still feel a little vulnerable. Was the grid helpful? Absolutely. Great idea. And you might also need to do some mindset work around your identity, maybe believing you have a point of view that's worth paying attention to, or maybe there's some emotions that need to be processed around that increased visibility. So that's one of those yes and, this strategy was helpful and you want to support yourself to make the actions even more effective, enjoyable, and consistent with the mind and body piece.
So that's number one. Number two, what feels like your next best step? Maybe it is a how-to, like downloading the Daily Planner off my website. Everyone loves that. Go do it. That's great. And if you're also one of those people who is typically the one to go to strategy first, it could be a place to stretch yourself. Lean in a little bit, ask yourself, how could I approach this from the mind or body lens? That could look like your next step being getting clear on why this emotion feels big and like it's something you have to avoid, or it's setting a timer for three minutes and writing down all the thoughts swirling in your head and questioning them, like, is that true? Is there another way I could see this?
The last question is, what do you need to make the next step a done deal? What is it that you need to do to make that inevitable? So it could be agreeing with yourself, you're going to be clear and direct and ask for some help. It could be the journaling, self-coaching, or practicing some self-compassion. It could be blocking out time on your calendar or scheduling time out of the office where you have a place you love to go work. Could be anything. You are going to know best.
Know that you don't have to do this perfectly, and you certainly don't need to do it alone because you're here, you're part of this podcast community and you also have all of those other episodes in the feed to use as a resource as well. I am so excited for you to take this framework and test it out because when you start working with your mind, body, and strategy in this holistic way, here's what shifts.
One, you just save yourself so much time and energy because you know where to focus and you're making consistent progress. You're also not having that experience of overriding yourself all the time, pushing yourself harder than necessary and dragging around that mental and emotional weight. And your strategies start to work faster and better. That how-to that we all love, that the podcast all share, they get better. And you create a business that is sustainable, not just one that's profitable, not one that's just good on paper or gets all the press, although those are amazing and it can be all of those. It can also be a business where you really feel supported, fulfilled, and resilient in your growth.
None of this framework is about doing it all at once or following the rules. It really is about knowing which element needs your attention right now and trusting that working on one of them will create momentum in the others. So keep returning to these questions as you face new challenges and pursue new goals.
I'll recap them here for you now. What type of problem is this? Mind, body, or strategy? What feels like your next best step? And what do you need to make your next step a done deal? This framework is a tool you can use again and again because building a thriving business isn't a one-and-done deal, and it's not about following someone else's formula. It's about understanding yourself, trusting your body, managing your mind, and leveraging aligned strategy. That's what Designed to Thrive is here for, and now it's here for you on this podcast to use as your guide.
If you have any questions about this episode, have takeaways you want to share, as you experiment, I always would love to hear those. If you're listening to this when it comes out or in the future, send me a message. It really does bring me a lot of joy to hear from you and know how you're using these concepts and applying them to create change.
Now, normally, I would say I'm wishing you a beautiful week, and I'll see you in two weeks or talk to you in two weeks, but my normal sign-off does not apply here. So while I won't be back with a new episode soon, I want each and every one of you to know that you really matter to me. The fact that you take the time to listen, to leave a review, and be here does not go unnoticed.
And I have a hunch that there will be many times in the coming months where I will think, I need to record an episode on that and I won't be here at the mic. So I'll have to make note of those. But know that you have the entire feed to go back to and continue to learn and implement, and someday those ideas will be heard.
Also, if you subscribe to Monday Mindset, you'll get those weekly notes and reflection prompts. If you loved some of the questions I was asking you here throughout the episode, you're going to want to sign up for Monday Mindset. If you're not on the list, do that now. Go to desicreswell.com/monday-mindset.
And also subscribe to the show, the podcast, if you are not subscribed. So that way, when it comes back, when there's a new episode or update, it's just going to be there, ready and waiting. You don't have to go look for me, okay? So until we speak again, I am wishing you many, many beautiful weeks to come.
Thanks for joining me for this week's episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit DesiCreswell.com, where you’ll get immediate access to a variety of free resources to help you take what you learn on the podcast and put it into action. And if you love what you’re hearing, be sure to rate, review, and follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. I’ll talk to you next week.
Today I'm sharing my complete coaching methodology, the Designed to Thrive framework. It's built on three essential elements: mind, body, and strategy. As a Master Certified Life and Business Coach and a former interior designer myself, this is the holistic approach I've developed to support each and every one of my clients. And today, I'm walking you through it all in this episode.
Here's why this matters. Most designers focus on just one or two of these elements, and that might be why you feel like you're hitting a ceiling or you're working hard but not seeing the results you want. When you understand how mind, body, and strategy work together, you can effectively diagnose exactly where you're stuck and know what actually needs your attention so you can stop spinning those wheels.
This looks like no longer trying to how-to your way out of a mindset problem, no perfect system or contract can fix, being able to ride the emotional waves of being a CEO instead of crashing to that shore, and no longer hiding in self-improvement when really what you need is to just take your next best step. This is how you build a business that's sustainable, profitable, and actually feels good to run.
This episode, I'll be honest, it is longer than others, but it is essentially a free masterclass. I'm going to walk you through each element of Designed to Thrive, why it matters, how to use it as a lens for any challenge or goal you're facing, and also how to bring it all together so you know what to do next. You can listen to this all at once or break it into chunks, but if you're serious about building a thriving interior design business, one that supports your life instead of consuming it, this framework is definitely worth your time.
Whether you're brand new to my work or you've been listening for years, this episode will give you a complete picture of my approach, and it's something you can return to again and again as you face new challenges and pursue new goals. Let's dive in.
Welcome to The Interior Design Business CEO, the only show for designers who are ready to confidently run and grow their businesses without the stress and anxiety. If you're ready to develop a bigger vision for your interior design business, free up your time, and streamline your days for productivity and profit, you're in the right place.
I'm Desi Creswell, an award-winning interior designer and certified life and business coach. I help interior designers just like you stop feeling overwhelmed so they can build profitable businesses they love to run. Are you ready to confidently lead your business, clients, and projects? Let's go.
Hello designer, welcome back to the podcast. I can't believe we're at this point. It is bittersweet today, knowing that this is the last episode I'll be recording for you for a while. If you've missed the last few episodes, I'm going to be taking a sabbatical, starting this May, and that'll run through October-ish, we're calling it. And if you're curious about why I'm taking this break, what I plan to do at that time, you can always go back and listen to the last episode in the feed, 168. I answered some of your listener questions and shared some behind-the-scenes.
With the podcast going on pause, now's a great time to make sure you're signed up for my weekly newsletter, Monday Mindset and Mini Mindset. The intention for both of these is to give you something that positively shifts the trajectory of your week, which of course then creates a ripple effect through your life, your business, the months ahead, everything.
So Monday Mindset gives you more of a concept to think on and apply, and Mini Mindset is one question you read to yourself, you listen for your response, and then decide how to proceed. It takes 90 seconds or less and it is going to be good. It's something new, and I want you to make sure you get it. Being on the newsletter list is also how we stay in touch. Make sure you are the first to know when I send out any announcements or send you an update. You can sign up for Monday Mindset at desicreswell.com/monday-mindset.
With this being the last episode that is going to air for a while, and knowing it's kind of a send-off of sorts, I've been thinking a lot about what I wanted to share and what I want you all to carry with you during this break. And that's really what today is going to be all about. I'm giving you a framework that is highly impactful and also very customizable and meets you where you are. So as you bump up against obstacles, as you see a vision for your future but you don't know where or how you're going to get there, and navigate that growth that we are here to do together, that's what this framework is for. And it's going to be here for you to come back to time and time again.
These concepts aren't going to be tactics or to-do lists here. They are lenses, and I'll explain more about what I mean by that. But it's a way of looking at your business and looking at the challenges or goals that you have, so you can figure out exactly what needs your attention. Whether you're struggling with pricing, client boundaries, team building or accountability, balancing work with parenting, or wanting to get your spark back, you are going to be able to use this framework that I'm sharing today to get clarity on what is really going on and decide what to focus on next so that you can solve for the root issue and not slap on a bandaid.
The three areas I'm going to walk you through today are what I call the Designed to Thrive methodology. You've seen this if you've headed over to the coaching page on my website. And those three areas are mind, body, and strategy. This is the holistic framework that I use in everything that I do. It's what I use with my private clients. It's what I use to create my content, my programs, this podcast, the Monday Mindset newsletter I just told you about, because it addresses the whole picture: how you think, how you feel, and what you do.
And most business advice only focuses on strategy, the doing part. And frankly, we can all get a little bit too inclined on focusing only on strategy: tell me what to do. And of course you have to do things, and doing things is great. We need strategy. But if your mindset's getting in your own way or you're ignoring or shutting down what your body and emotions are telling you, no strategy will fix that. It becomes a really heavy weight to carry and it takes a lot of energy to overcome what's blocking you from implementing the strategy and having it be really effective.
I know you've probably experienced this where you know what to do, but you don't actually do it, or sometimes you can get yourself to do it. It's like you muscle your way through it, but then it's really stressful and draining, and usually you tire out and quit. Okay? So we have to have this full framework in order to systematically and sustainably and permanently solve for issues.
I've talked about this a lot on the podcast, but just to reiterate, running an interior design business, the day-to-day of it, moving your business forward, and of course showing up in your personal life at the same time, it is not for the faint of heart. It takes a lot, and this entrepreneurship journey that you are on, it requires business skills, but a lot of what you do requires internal skill sets and internal resilience. And it's why, frankly, a lot of my clients describe sessions with me as business therapy, because many times we are getting into the nitty-gritty of goal setting or leadership or managing business development or client deliverables. And that's really important. Don't let me undermine that. And you have to grow and evolve as a person alongside the business. That is really the way that you thrive.
Today, I want you to understand the Designed to Thrive methodology and walk away with some lenses that you can use to approach whatever it is that you are facing in your business. Or it's like, I want to go there but I'm not there and how do I do it? Or I'm on my way, but I want to make the path smoother. Whatever it is, this mind, body, strategy approach is going to be really helpful.
As we talk about these foundational lenses, there's a few things I want to keep in mind. So the first thing is that it is applicable to everything. So this, what I'm sharing today, is not a one-time fix. It's something that you can use at any stage in your business for any goal that you set, for any obstacle you encounter, and you can keep returning to them time after time because the components are there to evolve with you and deepen with you as you grow as the business owner.
The next thing that I want you to know is that these are lenses, not directives, which means that they are customizable. You're going to decide how to apply them, and based on what you want to achieve in your business and how you want to work, that's going to look different for you than it is for another listener. And that is perfectly fine.
Next, what I want you to know is that while this is conceptual in some ways, it is very actionable at the same time. Looking at your business from these different angles is going to help you see clearly. It is going to help you see what the actual problem is and what the actual solution could be. So you can use this almost as a diagnostic tool where you help laser in on your problem and solution.
I'm going to be sharing a lot of examples today and through this, you can start to spot where your growth lies and also where to focus your efforts. And lastly, what I'll say is that these elements are all interconnected. They're important on their own and they also influence each other and can be used in tandem. So for all of us with perfectionistic tendencies, don't let that pop up here and get hung up on finding the right answer of, oh, is it this one or this one? Just tune into yourself and trust that what stands out is going to be the perfect entry point for you.
Okay? So let's dive into the three components of the Designed to Thrive methodology. It is mind, body, and strategy. And we're going to start with mind.
When I talk about mind, I am talking about mindset. Not positive thinking, not affirmations, but the actual thoughts, beliefs, and stories running through your brain all day long. Some of these are conscious. You hear that inner dialogue, you know those sentences that you hear over and over again, and others of them are subconscious. And whether you're aware of them or not, they are shaping how you feel, what you do, and the results you create, desired or not, the results you want, the results you don't want. We all have these mindsets, and some of them are going to serve us, some of them have served us in the past, but are no longer helpful. And we also have mindsets that prevent us from having what we want or being who we want to be.
What I've seen with coaching so many clients, so many designers out there is that what stands in the way most of feeling how you want to feel and taking the actions you know you need to take are the beliefs you hold. I see it with myself too. It's everything from identity, how you see yourself, to beliefs about money and how it should be earned or spent, to beliefs about how people should or shouldn't be, or if people are genuinely kind and accepting, or are out there waiting to find your flaws or see you make a mistake.
These are all ways that we view or interpret the circumstances that we're interacting with on a daily basis and it has a huge impact on what you're able to accomplish. And that's because you're always going to act in accordance with your beliefs. And when you act in alignment with what you believe, that's just going to go and create more evidence, which then reinforces whatever “truth” is you're telling yourself. And I'm saying truth in quotations because with a lot of these belief systems, we've repeated them so many times that we don't even stop to question if anyone else thinks the same thing or differently or a variation. And having a belief feel like truth can be great when it's one you want to keep and when it's helping you maintain or achieve a result that you want.
But the problem is that when your mindset contradicts your goals, you either can't get yourself moving at all or you're white-knuckling your way through with willpower, which is often how we end up in those start, stop, start, stop cycles.
Let me give you an example of this when I'm talking about the belief contradicting the thing that you want to create. Let's say you have a belief that it's greedy to have more than you need, and you also have set your biggest money goal yet of the year. Just pause for a second and think about what is the contrast there. It's greedy to have more than you need, and I want to make more money. Okay? Those two things are in opposition. So if you believe something is, we'll say bad, it's going to be hard to get yourself to do the necessary things in order to create more money because then essentially, if you do the things to make more money, then you're bad.
Another example is maybe around planning your week. You know time management would be an effective practice to take up so you can stop working weekends and feel like you have more free time. That's great. And something that I help a lot of clients with. I have lots of time management tools that work very well and I'm happy to teach them to you.
But if you believe, "I'm bad at managing my time," which is very much a fixed mindset, as in, this is just who I am and that will never change, the follow-up thought to that identity belief is, "why bother?" right? Like, if you're just bad at managing your time and you're never going to change and it's just always going to be that way, you're going to have a really hard time doing any of the things that would be helpful because you're already believing you're not capable, okay? And then of course this all just reinforces itself because if you don't manage your time, you are overwhelmed, you are working late, you are missing deadlines, and it just further proves then that you're bad at managing your time.
I'll give you one more example, like let's say that you believe time management is restrictive, and you also really value freedom. If you believe that the thing you say you want to do, which is manage your time, if you believe that's restrictive, you're really saying that will take away my freedom, but you value freedom. And so then those two are in opposition and you're believing that those desires conflict, but time management isn't restrictive in my opinion. I've seen it do the exact opposite thing. It creates freedom. But often we have these mindsets that are just running in the background and we don't even have awareness that we're essentially saying doing the thing I'm going to do is going to take away what I want. And if that is hitting a nerve, definitely go listen to episode 78, which talks about this concept of competing desires.
The reason why I'm leading with mindset, it's such an important lens to consider because of the trickle-down effect. What starts as a thought or a belief always is going to show up in the reality you have created. And this is illustrated by one of the coaching tools that you've heard me talk about here on the podcast, which is the model. And that's largely based on cognitive behavioral therapy, otherwise known as CBT. I learned it as I became a master certified coach through The Life Coach School. But here's a quick recap.
There are circumstances in the world. There are facts, events, things people say, things you do, don't do. And then there's thoughts about those circumstances, and that is essentially your story, your judgment, whatever it is that you layer onto the facts. And those thoughts are going to create feelings or emotions, and then the feelings fuel your actions or inactions, and then of course, whatever it is you do or don't do creates some kind of result or outcome for you.
This think, feel, act cycle is how you got to where you are today. Literally today, as in the day-to-day experience that you're having, and today as in the big picture, what you've accomplished over the years. Knowing what your mindset is, knowing what the thoughts, feelings, and actions are that have led to certain results or are leading to the results you have that are in the way of what you want to achieve, that's really important because that is the operating system that you are running on right now and you need to know what that is so that you can give it an upgrade if necessary. And that's where you can move from going out of a default setting to intentionally creating a new think-feel-act cycle leading to these new results.
This is also a great time to spot what are the beliefs that really support you so you can leverage them further. Some of the beliefs you have, definitely, you want to keep. They've helped you get to where you are today and they're going to help you keep going.
When we think about mind, using it as a lens, here's some questions that you can ask yourself when you're feeling stuck or before you're feeling that way, but you have a big goal ahead of you and you're looking to see how you might get in your own way. You can ask yourself these questions: what story are you telling about yourself, the situation, other people? Write it down. And when you think about it that way, how do you feel? Just a one-word emotion. And when you feel that way, what are you doing or not doing? And if you do or don't do those things, what results will you create? Look at where this leads you. What are those results? And if it's taking you somewhere where you don't want to be, it's time to shift your perspective.
The good news is that thoughts are optional, and you can rewire your brain to default to new patterning. And you can choose to see things differently, and sometimes this is done through finding another thought that just is readily available to you. Maybe you hear someone say something and you go, "Oh, I didn't know that was an option." And sometimes you go about it by disproving what you once thought was your one and only truth. And that is very much how you grow into the next version of you as a designer CEO to create these new outcomes.
If some of those thought patterns that showed up in the questions I gave you before look like they're holding you back, you can create some shifts right now through these questions I'm going to ask you.
So first of all, is that thought even true? I mean, do you know that it's actually true? Is it really true? Poke some holes. Another one would be, how could I see this differently? You could also say, what else could be equally true but more helpful? Right? There's never one truth. And lastly, if you already had the results you wanted, how were you thinking about this?
This is a way of tapping into that future self that you've heard me talk about on the podcast. Go to the future, see yourself as the version of you who's already created the result and look back at how they were thinking, feeling, and acting. And that is a great clue to what you should do next.
What you're always doing is looking to move towards a new story that feels believable. It has to feel accessible in some way of like, yeah, I could maybe get on board with that. Otherwise, it's going to bounce right off you and you're not going to move forward. Sometimes these mindset shifts happen quickly once you see the connection or dismantle the story. Other times it takes more work because it's a story you've rehearsed countless times or maybe you grew up in a household where it was reinforced over and over from everyone around you, and you have to retrain your brain to first notice when you're thinking those thoughts and then consciously shift into a new story. So be patient with yourself if that's the case and know that if you keep at it, it will change over time.
What's so valuable about looking at your goals and challenges through the lens of mind or mindset is that once you understand your thinking and the ripple effect that's creating, you can choose what you do about it. What's really interesting too is that sometimes you're even doing the exact same things, but your experience of your actions and the results that you are able to create from doing those actions will also shift and can be better, which is really cool, I think. You also can step out of this place of feeling like everything is happening to you and see where you have influence, and that is really empowering as a business owner.
So obviously, I love mindset work. It is how I have transformed over the years. I've seen it be so effective for my clients. Sometimes shifting your mindset really is all that's needed and you are off to the races. And also, sometimes we have to come at it from a different angle or use a layered approach because maybe the body's holding on to something and your mind can't possibly logic your way out of it. I think we've all experienced that. When the emotion is so strong that it's overriding some of this mindset work, that's when it's time to work with your body. And that's the next component of Designed to Thrive. It is body.
Your body is always communicating with you through your inner wisdom or your inner voice and also through your emotions. As designers, I think we're very used to being highly attuned to other people and what they're experiencing and what their emotions are, but it can be a lot harder to turn it on yourself. And so often, you have to learn to listen first, and then also build the resilience and strength that is required to move beyond your current set point. And of course is how you grow. And so this is a really important piece of achieving new goals and building the business as well.
We talked about how thoughts create feelings and feelings drive actions. So shifting your thinking is one way to cultivate emotional states on purpose, but sometimes, like I said, approaching the challenge or goal through the lens of emotions can be more effective or more accessible just depending on where you're at. If it's a subconscious belief, maybe you just really aren't aware of what is that narrative that's happening behind the scenes, but what you are aware of is, oh, my body is having a really strong reaction. That's what is right in front of you and so you can take a look at that. Or no matter how much you try and adopt a new way of thinking, it just kind of falls flat or bounces off you.
Sometimes too, we don't want to change our thinking at all or in the moment because what we're feeling is appropriate in the moment or not honoring that experience feels like it's steamrolling yourself, which eventually backfires if you keep just going, you're overreacting, you're too much, or you shouldn't feel that way, it's not a big deal. All those things that would feel awful if someone else said them to us, we can easily get in the habit of doing that to ourselves when we're having an emotional experience, and that can be really challenging.
When you don't learn to work with your body, which emotions really are the language of our bodies, there's the emotional toll of not tending to yourself or being compassionate with your experience. And also the other thing is when you don't learn to work with your body, which emotions are the language of our bodies, your feelings turn into the CEO of the business. The emotions start making decisions, calling out directives, and charting your course. And we of course do not want that to be the case. We can use our emotions to inform decisions, to take next steps, but we also don't want them to be the only thing driving the bus.
I see this a lot when designers are treating their emotions as truth, such as, you know, they say, "I feel anxious,” so then that automatically means something is actually wrong. Not always the case. Or there's a lot of time spent avoiding the emotion. This feels scary to send an editor my pitch for a project, so I think I'm going to go do some emails instead. Okay? There's a lot of energy and a lot of time that gets wasted avoiding emotions and delaying your progress. Or what ends up happening is you act in opposition to your goals. We talked a little bit with that mindset piece and it shows up here as well.
It could be, "I feel guilty upholding that contract, so now I'm going to let it slide." But your goal is to be more profitable or to streamline your projects so that you can move forward with them and wrap things up instead of letting them dangle on and on. Okay? So pay attention to kind of some of those examples and see where maybe that's showing up for you.
It's never a goal of mine for you or for myself to eradicate emotions from popping up. Although as you do some of the emotional work that we're going to talk about, they will lessen in frequency and intensity. But really, what you and your inner voice, that grounded, wise part of you wants is to consistently step forward as the leader. That part of you leading the business, not the emotions.
The other thing we have to talk about here is that going after big goals, calling yourself a leader, holding space for clients or your team, that requires a lot of emotional capacity. And that is something that you can build, it's a skill, and it really is going to serve you to be able to hold space for feeling the discomfort of whatever it is that arises and still be able to one, tap into that grounded, wise part of you, and two, be able to still take action as appropriate.
As you learn to allow and process the sensations experienced with strong emotions, that's without judgment, without feeding into it, and without pushing it away, the better you get at it. You give yourself the opportunity to get to the other side of that experience and say, "Hey, I'm okay. I made it."
So I like to think of the emotion being along for the ride. I don't have to yell at it for being there. It can stay in the back seat. I don't have to kick it out of the car on the roadside. It can have its say, it can give me wisdom even. Sometimes we can learn from some of those emotions. They're there to tell us something, and I can still be the one driving the car.
I talked about this more in episode 90, and that's called “More Ease in Business Growth.” So that could be one that you want to revisit. Not only does learning to work with the body's experience get you moving forward, your emotional bandwidth doesn't have to be all used up with suppression and avoidance. And that frees up your capacity to take more effective action, be more present, whether it's for your team or your home life. There are so many benefits of expanding what you can hold and what you can hold space for yourself and for others. And as you start to practice this, you really will see a difference.
Here are some questions that you can ask yourself if you notice that there's something in your way of moving forward and you want to get clear on how to proceed.
Here are the questions: What is your body trying to tell you? Or a variation on that would be, what is your inner voice want you to know? Here's one I love too. What emotion are you avoiding? Because that's really the thing you're trying to escape. It's not the task, it's not the goal, it's not the decision, it's not the conversation, it is the emotion. So what emotion are you avoiding? And lastly, how can you support yourself to move forward?
Because emotions aren't a stop sign, it's just a sign that there's something or a part of you that needs tending to. That support could come from someone else, it could come from yourself, and all these techniques are going to end up working on expanding your emotional capacity because what it does is it allows you to move toward the experience instead of away.
There's many ways to work on this, like processing emotions by naming the sensations that could sound like, I'm feeling anxious, anxiety feels like buzzing in my chest or sweaty palms and getting concrete with that, that can help slow yourself down. Practicing self-compassion, I did an episode on that too. That's episode 145, “Stop Being So Hard on Yourself.” You could also remind yourself of past similar experiences where you moved through the heightened state and grew and were better off because of it.
This is something that you can lean into time and time again. And every time you do it, you, the version of you who has expanded because of your willingness to move toward that discomfort, that goes with you into the future and it just continues to compound.
The last thing I want to say about this body lens is that as you practice what I'm sharing and test it out and look at things from different angles, I want you to work on increasing your ability to discern between a habitual response and a true knowing, which what I mean is that felt body sense of certainty or truth. Just like you can get stuck in a thought loop, you can also get stuck in a habitual emotional response loop.
What ends up happening is that you've just practiced that emotional state so many times, it's normalized. So it's familiar, but that doesn't mean it's true. An example of this could be, maybe you had a disagreement or something you had to work through with a client a couple of weeks ago, and everything is fine now, but every time you open your inbox, your body starts to brace itself when you see their name. You have not read the message, there's nothing indicating that there's something wrong in the subject line, and yet your body is responding, and it's responding in an old way to this new situation that doesn't actually necessarily have anything to do with what happened. So that is some of those habitual responses.
Another example might be, let's say you were approached to be on a design panel, and when you read through that request, or you get a phone call asking, "Hey, could you do this?" Your body starts clenching up, your heart's racing, you're kind of sweating. If you're treating your emotions as truth, that might say to you, "Oh, you are not cut out for this or who do you think you are? You can't do that." At the same time, if you haven't been on a stage many times or at all, nerves would be completely normal. So your body's reaction doesn't mean that that isn't for you. You might just be in the habit of trusting what feels bad more than what feels good. And if you tune in, you might see this is something you actually do want to do, or maybe not. But we don't want to jump to conclusions just because of that automatic response.
The example with the design panel, you can also see the connection with mind and body here. You could have a belief that maybe you're bad at public speaking and that creates the feeling of insecurity or anxiety or pressure. And so maybe we could look for evidence of how that's not true or some ways that you've spoke successfully and use that to dismantle that belief. That angle could work.
Or it might be one of those instances where the fear feels so pronounced, and your body's holding on to something deeper, like you had something in middle school in the talent show. I don't know, did anyone participate in the talent show? I don't even know if I had one. But you know what I'm saying, like it's an old piece of you that needs to be addressed and comforted and brought up to speed on who you actually are today. So we want to look at what makes sense in terms of do you process through this emotion? Do you look at it from a belief standpoint? And that is really how you learn to work with yourself.
Learning to work with your mind and body are going to help create flow, they're going to get you in action, they're going to help reduce friction, they're going to help you feel better. They are amazing tools. And we also have to address that there are things that must be done and you want to proactively decide how they're done. That's where the third lens comes into play: strategy.
Strategy is all about the actions you take, how you plan, execute, evaluate. It's how you structure your pricing and processes, it's the way you manage your time, how you build out your team, what type of team do you build? Is it remote or is it in office? It's the ways that you market your business. There's so many strategies that are going to help you get to your goals.
So without strategy, if you're just kind of all over the place throwing spaghetti at the wall, you're going to be spinning your wheels, or, and or, you're going to be allowing other people, often clients who have a vocal say in how they think it should be done, you're going to allow them to dictate your path forward. You can have the best intentions and still not have a clear plan. That leads to a lot of reactivity instead of being proactive and steering the ship where you want it to go. And that ends up being just one of those situations where you work hard, but you're not effective.
I think we can all agree strategy is really important. But here's the flip side. If you only focus on strategy, the to-dos and the how-tos, you will eventually hit a ceiling. You're going to feel like you're pushing a boulder uphill, or you're going to go into the on the wagon, off the wagon pattern because the mind and body lenses aren't there to underpin it all.
Let me give you an example of this. I can teach you clearly how to effectively delegate and manage your team, but if you continue to hold a belief that only you can do it best, you're always going to wish you had more support without actually allowing yourself to receive it. Or you can implement client filters and create an excellent, beautiful spreadsheet showing how many projects you can handle at a time, but if you can't tolerate another person's disappointment when you tell them no, you'll always be saying yes and being over capacity. That's why there's all three lenses here for you, mind, body, and strategy. They have to work together.
Now here's what makes the strategy lens that I'm sharing different from typical business advice. This isn't about doing the right things, it's about doing the right things for you. That's the key difference. I truly believe there's no single right way to build an interior design business. I talked about that in episode 138 of CEO Summer School. You really have to learn to get to know yourself, get to know your business, get to know your clients and your market, and create a customized approach.
Someone telling you this is the one and only, and definitely the best way to run your business may have valuable insights to share, and there might be pieces of advice you do want to implement. And you must also assess what your business needs and what approach works best for you based on your vision and values. When you understand not just where you want to go, but how you want to get there, everything becomes easier. That's not to say it's not without effort, but there's far less friction.
And then when you layer in evaluation of your selected strategies and you're consistently checking in with yourself to see what's working, what's not working, and what you'll do differently as you refine and as you progress, you can track your data, use your discernment, and what ends up happening is you become this self-leader. You become the person who's pointing yourself toward where you want to go, even if you hit some bumps in the road.
I'm going to give you some questions on how to use this lens, and you can use it when you are implementing or refining strategies to achieve a goal. So the first one is, does this help you move closer to where you want to be or is it going to take you off your path? This is an important one. Like you hear a strategy and it sounds really cool, but it's a like three problems down the line from now, kind of thing you need to solve for. Not where you need to put your attention. That goes on a parking lot. Or maybe it's a distraction or a should. So does this move me closer or farther away?
Next one is, are you willing to commit to making this work now and in the future? That doesn't mean you have to commit to it forever, but before you decide, yep, this is the strategy I'm going to go with, make sure it's one that you're willing to commit to for a period of time, because it will not always work the first time. And if you're not willing to work out the kinks, it's something that you need to address before you decide that's what you're going to proceed with.
You also want to look at maintaining the strategy. So what does it require of you? Sometimes we have to sprint a little bit to get something up and running, but is it going to require you to stay in a sprint? So that's something really important to look at too is, are you willing to commit to making this work now and in the near future?
Another question you could ask yourself is, is there an option that leverages your strengths instead of trying to fix your weaknesses? Working with your strengths is always going to be the easiest path forward, not to say that we don't build our skills, but something to consider. And here's the last powerful question: how can this be simple and still get what I want? If both are true, it's simple, and I get what I want, how do I make that happen?
Okay, this is the whole Designed to Thrive framework: mind, body, and strategy. I'm going to do a quick recap before we talk about how to take these lenses and apply them to your unique business.
Mind is mindset. It helps you create beliefs that support how you want to feel, the ways you want to show up, and create the results you want in your life and business. It's also what helps you stay committed and move forward when the inevitable challenges arise and reminds you of what you can control, which empowers you to be the cause of your results.
Body is what helps you navigate the discomfort that comes along the ride with change, and also trust your intuition around what's right for you and what is your path forward. The body lens also helps you stay steady among the turbulence, whether that's leading yourself, your clients, or your team.
And the third lens is strategy. That is the roadmap, the tangible actions that move you forward. Always dialed into what you and your business need. It's what you do to solve problems, and it's always going to be more effective when you use the mind and body lenses to support those actions.
Throughout this episode, I gave you a lot of examples, and I know this is getting to be a longer episode than you're used to. Thank you for sticking with me. But I really wanted to package this up for you. So we talked about how these elements could present, gave you questions to dive deeper, and now I want to briefly talk about bringing this all together.
So what I want you to do is to bring to mind a challenge you're facing right now. Maybe it's something recent or something that has been circling the drain for years or something you see in the future that is coming up that you know you're going to need to address. Once you have that in mind, I want you to ask yourself these three questions: what type of problem is this? Is it mind, body, or strategy?
As a reminder, all these components work together, so just tune into yourself, see what emerges. Probably the first thing that comes to mind. What is it that you need to solve for? What feels like that first domino that's going to fall and make the rest go with or what's the easiest entry point? It's totally fine to do what feels accessible to you to get started. It's all connected, so know that when you address one area, you do create that ripple effect and start to create change in the others as well.
You'll also be pretty quick to know or be onto yourself when you're coming at this from the wrong angle, because you won't feel much better or create any significant movement.
A quick example of that would be when we say, "Oh, I just need an editorial calendar for my Instagram. Then I would feel organized and confident." But you create the grid, you get the plan, but you still feel a little vulnerable. Was the grid helpful? Absolutely. Great idea. And you might also need to do some mindset work around your identity, maybe believing you have a point of view that's worth paying attention to, or maybe there's some emotions that need to be processed around that increased visibility. So that's one of those yes and, this strategy was helpful and you want to support yourself to make the actions even more effective, enjoyable, and consistent with the mind and body piece.
So that's number one. Number two, what feels like your next best step? Maybe it is a how-to, like downloading the Daily Planner off my website. Everyone loves that. Go do it. That's great. And if you're also one of those people who is typically the one to go to strategy first, it could be a place to stretch yourself. Lean in a little bit, ask yourself, how could I approach this from the mind or body lens? That could look like your next step being getting clear on why this emotion feels big and like it's something you have to avoid, or it's setting a timer for three minutes and writing down all the thoughts swirling in your head and questioning them, like, is that true? Is there another way I could see this?
The last question is, what do you need to make the next step a done deal? What is it that you need to do to make that inevitable? So it could be agreeing with yourself, you're going to be clear and direct and ask for some help. It could be the journaling, self-coaching, or practicing some self-compassion. It could be blocking out time on your calendar or scheduling time out of the office where you have a place you love to go work. Could be anything. You are going to know best.
Know that you don't have to do this perfectly, and you certainly don't need to do it alone because you're here, you're part of this podcast community and you also have all of those other episodes in the feed to use as a resource as well. I am so excited for you to take this framework and test it out because when you start working with your mind, body, and strategy in this holistic way, here's what shifts.
One, you just save yourself so much time and energy because you know where to focus and you're making consistent progress. You're also not having that experience of overriding yourself all the time, pushing yourself harder than necessary and dragging around that mental and emotional weight. And your strategies start to work faster and better. That how-to that we all love, that the podcast all share, they get better. And you create a business that is sustainable, not just one that's profitable, not one that's just good on paper or gets all the press, although those are amazing and it can be all of those. It can also be a business where you really feel supported, fulfilled, and resilient in your growth.
None of this framework is about doing it all at once or following the rules. It really is about knowing which element needs your attention right now and trusting that working on one of them will create momentum in the others. So keep returning to these questions as you face new challenges and pursue new goals.
I'll recap them here for you now. What type of problem is this? Mind, body, or strategy? What feels like your next best step? And what do you need to make your next step a done deal? This framework is a tool you can use again and again because building a thriving business isn't a one-and-done deal, and it's not about following someone else's formula. It's about understanding yourself, trusting your body, managing your mind, and leveraging aligned strategy. That's what Designed to Thrive is here for, and now it's here for you on this podcast to use as your guide.
If you have any questions about this episode, have takeaways you want to share, as you experiment, I always would love to hear those. If you're listening to this when it comes out or in the future, send me a message. It really does bring me a lot of joy to hear from you and know how you're using these concepts and applying them to create change.
Now, normally, I would say I'm wishing you a beautiful week, and I'll see you in two weeks or talk to you in two weeks, but my normal sign-off does not apply here. So while I won't be back with a new episode soon, I want each and every one of you to know that you really matter to me. The fact that you take the time to listen, to leave a review, and be here does not go unnoticed.
And I have a hunch that there will be many times in the coming months where I will think, I need to record an episode on that and I won't be here at the mic. So I'll have to make note of those. But know that you have the entire feed to go back to and continue to learn and implement, and someday those ideas will be heard.
Also, if you subscribe to Monday Mindset, you'll get those weekly notes and reflection prompts. If you loved some of the questions I was asking you here throughout the episode, you're going to want to sign up for Monday Mindset. If you're not on the list, do that now. Go to desicreswell.com/monday-mindset.
And also subscribe to the show, the podcast, if you are not subscribed. So that way, when it comes back, when there's a new episode or update, it's just going to be there, ready and waiting. You don't have to go look for me, okay? So until we speak again, I am wishing you many, many beautiful weeks to come.
Thanks for joining me for this week's episode of The Interior Design Business CEO. If you want more tips, tools and strategies visit DesiCreswell.com, where you’ll get immediate access to a variety of free resources to help you take what you learn on the podcast and put it into action. And if you love what you’re hearing, be sure to rate, review, and follow the show wherever you listen to podcasts to ensure you never miss an episode. I’ll talk to you next week.
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