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Designed for the Creative Mind™

Designed for the Creative Mind™

Michelle Lynne 228 Episodes Aug 18, 2026

Your designs are beautiful, but you're struggling with the business of your interior design business. Join successful interior design business owner, Michelle Lynne, of ML Interiors Group each Monday morning as she shares the processes she has found useful in growing her own 7-figure design firm, interviews industry related guests, and brings her own team of designers on for lively conversations. If you aren't happy with the performance of your interior design business, are tired of trading your time for money, and know you were made for more, this show is for you.

Episodes

Ep 239: The Design Besties - Friendship, Collaboration & Designing for a Bigger Purpose
Ep 239: The Design Besties - Friendship, Collaboration & Designing for a Bigger Purpose Aug 18, 2026 39:21 What happens when four professionals in the design industry meet by chance, become fast friends, and decide to use their collective talents to give back? Meet the Design Besties: Nikki Watson, Lori Johnson, Robin DelaCruz, and Whitney Atkinson. What started with a chance meeting at the Vacation Rental Design Summit quickly turned into a daily group text, a genuine friendship, and eventually a nonp
Ep 238: Tended, Part 1: You Are a Business Asset
Ep 238: Tended, Part 1: You Are a Business Asset Aug 10, 2026 24:54 As business owners, we're really good at taking care of everything else. We protect our clients, our teams, our projects, our cash flow, our systems, and our businesses—but somehow, we put ourselves at the bottom of the list. In this episode of Tended, Michelle Lynne gets personal about what happens when the person running the business is running on empty. From skipping appointments and sacrificin
Ep 237: 5 Reasons You May Not Be Getting Affluent Clients w/ Robyn White
Ep 237: 5 Reasons You May Not Be Getting Affluent Clients w/ Robyn White Aug 3, 2026 46:20 In this episode of Designed for the Creative Mind, Michelle welcomes back website strategist Robyn White of RDW Design Studio to talk about one of the biggest questions interior designers ask: "Why aren't I attracting more affluent clients?" Spoiler alert: it probably isn't your pricing. Robyn specializes in helping interior designers position themselves to attract premium clientele, and she share
Ep 236: The Human Advantage - Why AI Makes Value-Based Pricing Non-Negotiable for Interior Designers
Ep 236: The Human Advantage - Why AI Makes Value-Based Pricing Non-Negotiable for Interior Designers Jul 27, 2026 23:21
Ep 235: The Human Advantage - AI Isn't Your Biggest Threat. The Noise Is.
Ep 235: The Human Advantage - AI Isn't Your Biggest Threat. The Noise Is. Jul 20, 2026 18:31 Everywhere you look, someone has a new opinion about AI and the future of interior design. One expert says AI will replace designers. Another says it never could. The constant stream of predictions, hot takes, and fear-based headlines can leave even experienced designers questioning their business. But what if AI isn't actually the problem? In this episode, Michelle Lynne explores why the biggest
Ep 234: The Human Advantage - What You're Actually Selling in the Age of AI
Ep 234: The Human Advantage - What You're Actually Selling in the Age of AI Jul 13, 2026 18:25 AI can generate a beautiful mood board in seconds. But that's not what clients are actually hiring you for. In this episode, Michelle Lynne kicks off a brand-new series exploring what artificial intelligence really means for interior designers. Spoiler alert: this isn't another conversation about the latest AI tools or which software you should be using. Instead, Michelle dives into a much bigger
Ep 233: The Art of Being Principal Series - Why Referral-Only Is Holding Your Business Back with Katie Decker-Erickson
Ep 233: The Art of Being Principal Series - Why Referral-Only Is Holding Your Business Back with Katie Decker-Erickson Jul 6, 2026 44:49 Many interior designers wear "referral-only" like a badge of honor—but what happens when the referrals stop? In this episode of The Art of Being Principal Series, Michelle Lynne and Katie Decker-Erickson unpack one of the biggest misconceptions in the design industry: that referrals alone are enough to build a sustainable business. The truth? Referrals are wonderful—but they're not a strategy. If
Ep 232: The Art and Science of Procurement - In-House, Outsourced, and Everything In Between
Ep 232: The Art and Science of Procurement - In-House, Outsourced, and Everything In Between Jun 29, 2026 45:38 Procurement can either elevate the client experience or become the biggest bottleneck in your business. In this candid roundtable discussion, Michelle Lynne sits down with Alicia Taylor of Alicia Taylor Interiors, Ryann Swan of Ryan Swan Design, and Blair Ryan of The Dove Agency to talk about the realities of procurement in interior design firms. From in-house teams to outsourced solutions, these
Ep 231: Business Behind the Design #2 - AI, Client Delays, and the Future of Design
Ep 231: Business Behind the Design #2 - AI, Client Delays, and the Future of Design Jun 22, 2026 32:36 Are your prospective clients taking longer to sign contracts? Are projects stretching across years instead of months? Are clients questioning purchases, breaking projects into phases, or running your designs through AI before making decisions? In this episode of Business Behind the Design, Michelle Lynne is joined by Ruth Ann Jansen, Melissa Lee, and Erika Bonnell for an honest conversation about
Ep 230: From Clinical Precision to Creative Vision - Embracing Your Past to Build a Profitable Design Business with Katie Rainey
Ep 230: From Clinical Precision to Creative Vision - Embracing Your Past to Build a Profitable Design Business with Katie Rainey Jun 15, 2026 35:03 What if the experience you think makes you an outsider in the design industry is actually your greatest advantage? In this episode of Designed for the Creative Mind, Michelle Lynne sits down with interior designer Katie Rainey to discuss her journey from Doctor of Physical Therapy to owner of a thriving interior design firm specializing in waterfront and lifestyle-driven homes. Katies design philo
Ep 229: Profit Isn't an Accident Part 4 - Stop Duct-Taping Your Business Together
Ep 229: Profit Isn't an Accident Part 4 - Stop Duct-Taping Your Business Together Jun 8, 2026 30:21 If you've ever ended the day feeling like you worked nonstop but still didn't get to the things that actually move your business forward, this episode is for you. In the final installment of the Profit Isn't an Accident series, Michelle explores what happens when all of the little operational problems in a design firm pile up at the same time. The delayed vendor emails, missed lead follow-up, disc
Ep 228: The Art of Being Principal: Conversation with Katie Decker-Erickson
Ep 228: The Art of Being Principal: Conversation with Katie Decker-Erickson Jun 1, 2026 39:25 What does it really mean to be the principal of an interior design firm? In this first episode of The Art of Being the Principal, Michelle Lynne and Katie Decker-Erickson join forces to have the candid conversations most design business owners need—but rarely hear. No fluff. No trendy buzzwords. Just honest discussion about what it takes to lead a profitable, sustainable interior design business.

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