Confidence doesn’t just appear; it’s usually earned by years of experience, gaining wins, and making mistakes. But in today’s shorty episode, I’m sharing a few specific, tangible, bite-sized tools to fast-track you to develop confidence in yourself as a business owner while inspiring and motivating your understanding of your worth and expertise.

These hacks range from delivering what you promise, creating muscle memory around your process ensuring a consistently clear, accessible system as well as setting yourself up for success with your vendors and network that will give you a consistent boost of assuredness that you can tackle anything that comes your way!

 

Episode Highlights
  1. Unlock the Secrets to Confidence: Discover the key factors that can boost your confidence as a business owner, whether you’re just starting out or looking to level up your design game.
  2. Transform Chaos into Clarity: Learn how staying organized can revolutionize your workflow and give you the confidence to tackle even the most complex projects.
  3. Get Noticed and Feel Proud: Find out why being recognized for your work is more than just a confidence booster—it’s a game changer for your business.
  4. The Power of a Supportive Network: Hear how building strong relationships with suppliers and vendors can make you feel like you have a team supporting you every step of the way.
  5. Tactical Tips You Can Implement Today: Rebecca shares practical, actionable advice that you can use right now to feel more confident in running your design business.
  6. Overcoming Self-Doubt: If you’ve ever felt like you need to prove yourself before feeling confident, this episode is for you! Get inspired by Rebecca’s journey from insecurity to success.
  7. Special Invitation: Rebecca has an exciting opportunity for listeners to dive deeper and fast-track their confidence-building journey. Don’t miss out on this exclusive offer!
Episode Resources

Read the Full Transcript ⬇️

00:00:58:00 – 00:01:25:28 Hey, hey, hey! You are listening to Resilient by Design. I’m your host, Rebecca, here today with a little “Shorty” episode. I love these episodes because they’re bite-sized, actionable, and provide a little dose of motivation. Today, we’re talking about confidence, and I hope to inspire a little bit of it in you by offering some really specific, tactical advice on things you can do to build confidence in running an interior design firm.

00:01:25:28 – 00:01:49:07 Yes, experience ultimately builds confidence, but not everyone wants to spend ten years running a design firm to feel that way. We want to feel confident right out of the gate, and that’s what this episode is all about. What gives you confidence as a business owner? I gave this a lot of thought and jotted down some ideas. I want to walk you through specific things that I believe have given me more confidence as a business owner. Yes, it’s experience, but I wondered, what is it about those experiences that have taught me and built my confidence? Because if we can identify those elements, we can find ways to shortcut the process.

00:01:49:14 – 00:02:11:10 Some of you are just naturally confident, and good for you! I’ve always wanted to be one of you, but that hasn’t been my reality. I’m more confident now and improving my mindset, but for those of you who feel like you need to prove yourself before feeling confident, this episode is for you. I’ll walk you through five or six things I’ve thought about in relation to running an interior design and decorating business. What makes you feel confident when approaching a new client, talking to a vendor, or being interviewed on a talk show—or whatever your aspirations may be?

00:02:11:10 – 00:02:42:23 The first thing that gives you confidence is having happy clients. When a client is thrilled with the result and the experience of working with you, it can’t help but make you feel good. It boosts your morale and self-assurance. Part of that confidence comes from knowing that you can deliver what you promise. When you deliver on your promises, clients are happy. And the more happy clients you have, the more confident you’ll feel.

00:02:43:00 – 00:03:00:25 The second thing that makes me feel confident is being organized. I hesitated to include this because some people thrive in chaos and are still confident. But speaking from my own experience, when I was working for another designer in my early years, I felt so much anxiety all the time because of the chaos. I would start a list over here, then switch to Excel, and still feel disorganized. We didn’t have the tools like Asana or Trello back then, and even QuickBooks was an archaic version that lacked necessary features. When I started my own business, I didn’t have a model to follow. I didn’t know where to keep things or how to stay organized.

00:03:00:29 – 00:03:22:21 Now, I have a step-by-step process for myself and my team, documenting everything from A to Z in a design project. This is all stored in Google Drive and Asana. If I feel flustered or unsure about a project, I can just open my computer, see where we are in the checklist, and who is responsible for what. That makes me feel confident.

00:03:22:23 – 00:03:41:28 The third thing, and maybe I shouldn’t say this, but being praised for your talent and work feels great. Who doesn’t want to be featured in a magazine, get retweeted, or have someone share your design on Instagram? It builds your confidence when someone else recognizes the beauty in what you’ve created. It’s important to get your work out there. You could be the most talented designer, but if nobody knows you exist, you won’t get hired.

00:03:41:28 – 00:04:03:26 The fourth thing is knowing who to go to and where to source products. This is a big one. Whether it’s furnishings, lighting, tile, or flooring, having a list of reliable suppliers gives you confidence in taking on new projects. If you have go-to places and people for sourcing, you’ll be more confident presenting ideas to your clients or taking on unique requests.

00:04:03:26 – 00:04:26:00 The last point is knowing that your suppliers have your back. You want to work with vendors who feel like partners so that when things go wrong, they support you and you support them. This attitude shift can happen immediately. Build relationships with your suppliers. When they trust you, they’ll be there for you when challenges arise. It’s a two-way street—if you have their back, they’ll have yours.

00:04:26:00 – 00:04:40:29 Having these support systems in place makes me feel confident when I go to potential clients. I can confidently say we have the capacity to take on your project this fall, or this is how much we charge for our services. I know what I need to do, the systems I have to pay for, and the people I need to pay.

00:04:41:01 – 00:05:03:10 I hope you enjoyed this episode. These small hacks can help you feel confident. Once you establish systems, organization, and a network of designers to support you, you’ll fast-track your learning curve and feel more confident in your business. I’m always here to support you. Join us inside Power of Process. This is going to be an amazing cohort, and I’m so excited to dive in. You can also always chat with me on Instagram. Send me a DM and let me know: Are you feeling confident in your business? Where do you think there’s a missing link? I would love to help you.

00:05:03:12 – 00:05:50:20 Have a great day, and I’ll see you soon!