152 | Build a Thriving Interior Design Business Without a Design Degree: Insights From Michelle Lynne

Have you always loved furniture, picking out paint colors, making spaces feel beautiful, or helping friends with their homes, but never thought you could actually get paid for it? That’s exactly how Michelle Lynne felt.

In this episode, she shares how she followed a corporate path, managing restaurants and a recruiting firm, until a turning point pushed her to pursue what she truly loved: interior design. Then she built a 7-figure design business without a degree.

Her story proves that your creative passion isn’t just a hobby. It can become a thriving business with the right mindset and support.

If you’re starting out without formal training, Michelle explains why investing in a coach or mentor is the smartest move you can make. It saves you from years of trial-and-error and gives you the clarity and confidence to run your business like a pro.

Michelle also talks about her signature program which offers step-by-step systems designed to help you grow a design business with confidence and profit. Plus, she introduces Sidemark, a powerful tool that saves you time and money by replacing multiple apps with one easy-to-use platform made just for designers.

Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Tune in now and take your next step today.

Featured Guest:

⁠Michelle Lynne⁠ is the owner of ML Interiors Group, a successful interior design firm based in Dallas–Fort Worth, Texas. She is also the founder of ⁠The Design Bakehouse⁠, formerly known as Designed for the Creative Mind, where she teaches interior designers and decorators how to run a profitable and systemized design business.

Her signature program, The Interior Design Business Bakery, has helped hundreds of designers scale to multiple six figures with confidence and clarity.

She also hosts the ⁠Designed For The Creative Mind⁠ podcast and organizes the annual Interior Design Business Success Summit. Through all her ventures, Michelle is passionate about helping other designers skip the trial-and-error and grow businesses they love—while staying true to themselves.

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:

📌 Discover the benefits of investing in a coach or mentor to fast-track your growth and avoid common mistakes in the interior design industry

📌 Find out how using the right tools, like Sidemark, can simplify your business, save you time, and help you stay organized as you grow

📌 Overcome your self-doubt and gain confidence and clarity

Check out the show notes >>> Build a Thriving Interior Design Business Without a Design Degree

Related Episode:

✨ Episode 132: Stress-Free Framework to Attract Clients to Your Design Business With Ben Rutledge

NEXT STEPS:

🎯 Join the My Design Mentor to kickstart a successful career in 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 & Michelle Lynne's Bio

01:44 Michelle’s Unconventional Journey into Design

05:07 Transition From Home Staging to Interior Design

07:05 The Struggles of Building a Design Business

08:56 Introduction to the Design Business Bakery

14:17 The Story Behind the “Bakery” Branding

16:19 Authentic Branding and Lessons Learned

20:16 Inside ML Interiors Group & Studio Works Co-Op

26:22 Sidemark: Software for Designers

29:29 Advice for Aspiring Designers