184 | How Coaching Makes Your Interior Design Business More Profitable With Sonia Barney

Are you building your interior design business in a bubble?

If you’re anything like I was in my early years, you probably assumed the hard part was the design. You thought, “If I can create beautiful spaces, the rest will fall into place.” But what no one tells you is this: guesswork is expensive. Shooting from the hip on markups, contracts, pricing, and processes can cost you years of profitability—and a whole lot of stress.

In this episode, I sit down with award-winning interior designer and business educator Sonia Barney, founder of the Kaivari platform, to talk about why business support is not optional if you want a sustainable, profitable design firm. We unpack the role of coaching, personalized growth, business systems, and strategic mentorship in helping creative entrepreneurs skip years of trial and error.

If you’re starting out—or feeling overworked and underpaid—this conversation will help you see why investing in business education and the right coach can completely transform your creative career.

Featured Guest:

Sonia Barney is an award-winning interior designer, business educator, and founder of the Kaivari platform. With over 20 years in the interior design industry and more than a decade as the owner of Sonia Barney Design, she has seen firsthand how many creatives struggle with the business side of their firms. Known for her analytical, systems-driven approach, Sonia teaches design business strategy through LuAnn University and is passionate about helping designers connect with the right coaches, resources, and community network to support personalized growth and long-term profitability.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

✳️ Why guesswork kills interior design profitability

✳️ How coaching accelerates personalized business growth

✳️ When to hire different types of coaches

✳️ The power of community for creative entrepreneurs

✳️ How vetted mentorship reduces costly business mistakes

Read the Blog >>> The Role of Coaching and Business Education in Your Design Business

NEXT STEPS:

📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves

🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start building a design career with clarity, confidence, and support, 👉https://rwarddesign.com/my-design-mentor⁠

Check out our Designer's Playlist!

*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey

*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer

*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:

📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design

🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:

📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com

🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign

🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps

0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio

3:45 Sonia’s Design Business Journey

6:09 The Turning Point: Investing in Coaching

8:16 Different Coaches for Different Growth Stages

11:29 Building a Team

14:58 The Inspiration Behind Kaivari Platform

16:53 The Role of Coaches and Business Education

19:45 The Importance of Finding the Right Coach

22:16 Kaivari's Features and Future Plans