Designing Success

Hosted by Rhiannon Lee

Marketing Arts Design

Website RSS feed

Episodes

190

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-AU

About the show

Designing Success from School to Studio by Rhiannon Lee is dedicated to filling in the gaps in your design course to encourage you to build a sustainable business that supports your dream lifestyle. Are you searching for strategy, systems and support? Looking for a community to bounce industry issues around in? In this podcast, we will cover the interior design business infrastructure you need to supplement your design school curriculum with practical insights and actionable advice. We also cover all things marketing, product innovation, client acquisition, and more. Go beyond the theory, filter through the stuff that doesn’t serve you and get on with creating. You will find real talk with industry professionals, practical tactics from business realists that leave you reenergised and focused on exactly how to improve the current landscape of your own business. For more behind the scenes of the interior design industry, check out oleander and finch in Instagram https://instagram.com/oleander_and_finch or head to www.oleanderandfinch.com

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 12, 2026Episode 19339 min

AI in Design: Client Data and IP Policy's

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Clients are starting to ask interior designers how they use AI with their private information — floor plans, budgets, family details, meeting transcripts. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, breaks down what actually happens to uploaded data, why your account type changes the answer, and how to build a simple studio policy so you can answer with confidence instead of stumbling through it.Register for the free webinar (24 August):→ What's really happening when you upload files to AI: Explore Penelope, proposal GPT here Get your Contract Clause HERE ──────────────────────────CHAPTERS──────────────────────────Why clients are starting to ask about AI in interior designWhat actually counts as "using AI" in your studioProtecting your own IP from AI in client contractsWhat client information should never go into AIHow to redact client details before you prompt AIWhat actually happens when you delete an AI chatDoes your AI account type change your privacy protectionWhat is shadow AI and is it happening in your studioGetting client consent to record and transcribe consultsHow to build a simple AI policy for your studio──────────────────────────RESOURCES MENTIONED──────────────────────────→ Free webinar — What's really happening when you upload files to AI: [link]→ DM "contract" on Instagram for the AI IP clause: @the_rhiannonlee→ Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: [link]→ Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: [link]→ Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: [link]──────────────────────────ABOUT RHIANNON LEE──────────────────────────AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre.→ Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee→ Website: rhiannon-lee.comThanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

August 5, 202631 min

What I told a room of designers about AI at The Design Show, Sydney.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Register for the AI Safe Webinar, HERE Join the weekly email list HERE learn how to build out project management in Notion HEREInterested in my speaker fee card and customising a talk for your business or group? email me at hello@rhiannon-lee.com and I'll point you right to it. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

July 29, 20261 hr 3 min

20 years and beyond with Mandie Wright, of Infinite Interior design and renovations.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

July 22, 202633 min

why interior designers keep landing $4k jobs, not $40k ones

July 9, 202642 min

Emergency meeting - Fable 5 for designers

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Want to watch this and see the screen share version of the apps? chek it out on YouTube here https://youtu.be/LHPePe1tDMQ?si=78-Y9S-9glV8-V54Fable (Claude's most capable model) is free until July 12th. Rhiannon Lee used hers to audit 40+ AI skills, build a private boardroom of business advisors, create a marketing analytics dashboard, develop an AI-readiness quiz for interior designers, and map out her entire September launch strategy. This episode shows what king-level thinking looks like in a real design studio — and why you shouldn't waste free tokens on cheap work. → Take the AI-Readiness Audit: rhiannon-lee.com (launching after Decor & Design, early August 2026) → Meet Rhiannon at Decor & Design Melbourne: Thursday 12:30pm — DM @the_rhiannonlee ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 Why Rhiannon sat up until 2:30am using her Fable tokens 2:15 The difference between Haiku, Sonnet, Opus, and Fable models 5:40 How to use Fable without wasting credits on cheap work 8:20 Auditing your AI skills library for king-level thinking 11:45 Using Fable to security-audit your WordPress website 15:30 What is a Launch Command Centre and why you need one 18:40 Building a Marketing Analytics dashboard as an artifact 22:15 Inside Rhiannon's private boardroom of six AI advisors 28:05 Who sits on the board and what each advisor does 32:50 Building a PR Scout app to find podcast and speaking opportunities 36:20 Creating an AI-readiness quiz for your studio 39:10 The content engine: turning one piece into five platforms 45:15 What agents are and why Rhiannon is building a marketing agency 48:30 The difference between deploying live vs building as an artifact 51:40 How interior designers can use Fable without coding skills 54:25 Your job going forward: ask the right business questions 57:15 Rhiannon's big goal: help 500 designers stop playing every instrument ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Fable 5 (Claude's advanced model): claude.ai → Rhiannon's Marketing Command Centre: artifact example (in video) → Rhiannon's AI Boardroom: artifact example (in video) → AI-Readiness Audit: rhiannon-lee.com (launching August 2026) → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: rhiannon-lee.com/studio-build → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: rhiannon-lee.com/studio-ceo → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: rhiannon-lee.com ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee → Website: rhiannon-lee.com → Podcast: Designing Success (weekly on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts) Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

July 1, 20261 hr 3 min

Natasha, Emily and Oula, tell it how it is.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Oula, Em, and Natasha all said the same thing: they didn't expect the business structure side of it, they thought it was going to be more about the AI tools. If you've been on the fence about Studio Build what's the actual question you'd want answered before you'd feel ready to commit?Emily Bere — Musa StudioEmily is the founder of Musa Studio, based in Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains. She works across residential and commercial projects, with a focus on craftsmanship, spatial design, and environments that feel both considered and warm. musastudioOula — Oulala Interior DesignOula runs Oulala Interior Design, a Sydney-based studio working with homeowners and businesses across residential and commercial projects. Her service suite runs from single-room design plans through to full end-to-end project management, with a focus on spaces that feel warm, refined, and intentional. oulalaNatasha Kennedy — Project NNatasha Kennedy leads Project N, bringing over 20 years of creative direction, interior design, and spatial storytelling to her work. The studio doesn't do signature style — it designs by interpretation, working across brand environments, cultural projects, strategic collaborations, and residential design by application. projectnAI for interior designers, interior design business, interior design studio systems, design business coaching, Studio Build Rhiannon Lee, Studio CEO interior design, AI implementation interior design, Notion for interior designers, Claude AI interior design, Google Drive interior design workflow, interior design systems, AI business coach Australia, Rhiannon Lee, Oleander and Finch, Studio Build testimonials, interior design community Australia, how to use AI in your interior design studio, AI coaching for designers Australia, interior design business systems course, Australian interior designers, interior design Australia Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

June 3, 202635 min

EOFY - tips for interior designers

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Most interior designers hit 30 June without ever looking down. This episode covers the end of financial year financial habits solo interior design studio owners actually need — from reading your P&L without panic, to auditing subscriptions, pre-purchasing annual software, and having a planning meeting that changes the next 12 months. Practical, no-accountant-jargon, built for Australian designers running their studio like a business.→ Get 90% off Xero for 6 months (affiliate link): https://referrals.xero.com/2aphqv8q0y59 → Join the Studio Build waitlist (July 7 cohort): https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/studiobuild──────────────────────────CHAPTERS──────────────────────────0:00 Why interior designers don't know their own numbers3:45 What is a P&L and why you should be reading it monthly8:20 How to use your education budget before 30 June12:10 Should you audit your ad spend at end of financial year?15:30 Are your studio systems good enough to hand over?19:00 How to pre-purchase annual subscriptions and save 15–30%22:40 What studio equipment can you claim this financial year?26:15 How to set a revenue target and work backwards from it30:00 Why you should know your numbers before you talk to your accountant34:20 How to celebrate end of financial year as a small business owner──────────────────────────RESOURCES MENTIONED──────────────────────────→ Xero cloud accounting (90% off for 6 months): https://referrals.xero.com/2aphqv8q0y59→ Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au/studio-build→ Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au/studio-ceo→ Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au/studio-learn→ Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee──────────────────────────ABOUT RHIANNON LEE──────────────────────────AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre.→ Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee→ Website: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.auThanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

May 27, 2026Episode 18457 min

Ewa Doherty on starting and scaling with an exit strategy

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Starting an interior design business with an exit strategy — rather than building it to keep forever — is one of the most overlooked approaches to studio setup. In this episode, regional NSW designer Ewa shares how she built her supply selection and B2B builder service with saleable IP in mind from day one: documented systems, transferable processes, a packaged service model, and zero dependence on her personal creative genius to deliver results.──────────────────────────CHAPTERS──────────────────────────0:00 How finding a podcast on a cruise ship changed the trajectory of a grief-filled career pivot4:30 Why Ewa started her interior design studio with an exit strategy — and where the idea came from10:00 What transferable skills from freight logistics and global sales actually do for a design business16:45 How to get interior design work from builders in a regional area — the exact outreach method26:00 Should you do B2B builder relationships or wait for residential clients?33:20 Why Ewa passes 100% of trade discount and charges a procurement fee instead39:45 How to price interior design services when you genuinely don't know what you're doing yet46:00 What was harder than expected: the social media problem, and why she stopped caring52:30 Outsourcing SketchUp, lighting design, and floor plans — what to hand off and how to price it58:00 How Ewa operates a portable, regional design studio from a motorhome──────────────────────────RESOURCES MENTIONED──────────────────────────→ Programma project management software: programma.app→ Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive for interior designers: [link]→ Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching programme for interior designers: [link]──────────────────────────ABOUT RHIANNON LEE──────────────────────────AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre.→ Instagram: @the_rhiannonleeThanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

May 20, 202623 min

The client who says: "I just need someone to execute my vision," This is why I don't work with them anymore.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. When an interior design client says "I just need someone to execute my vision," they've already decided they're the designer and you're the logistics coordinator. Rhiannon Lee explains what's actually happening in those moments, how to catch it early in the discovery call, and how to use the parachute cord method to realign — or exit — a project that's drifted into fulfillment-only territory. → Join the Studio Build July cohort https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/betabuild────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 What does "I just need someone to execute my vision" actually mean? 2:45 Why execution-only projects almost always end badly 6:10 The difference between a fulfillment model and a creative design service 10:20 How to catch it early — what to say on a discovery call 15:00 What is the parachute cord method? 19:30 How to have the mid-project realignment conversation 25:10 The three things that usually happen when you pull the parachute cord 30:00 Why saying yes to execution-only clients trains the market ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program for interior designers: → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive.https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/betabuild → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

May 13, 202628 min

Are you over-delivering in your proposal?

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Interior designers often over-deliver at proposal stage — sharing mood boards, design direction, and creative strategy before a client has signed or paid a deposit. This episode asks whether that's genuinely good service or anxiety dressed up as process. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, unpacks where the habit comes from, what it costs you, and why simpler proposals might actually convert better.→ Join the Studio Build waitlist: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/studiobuild──────────────────────────CHAPTERS──────────────────────────0:00 Why are interior designers over-delivering in proposals?3:20 What happens when you give away the design direction upfront7:45 Is your proposal too long — or are you scared of your own price?12:10 What a $15,000 course with three Zoom calls taught me about value17:30 How to hold back the strategy without losing the client22:05 Should your proposal be a one-pager?26:40 How to use AI to audit your own proposal right now31:15 Studio Build live round — what's coming and when──────────────────────────RESOURCES MENTIONED──────────────────────────→ Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/studiobuild→ Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/f2hx86pcv4──────────────────────────ABOUT RHIANNON LEE──────────────────────────AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre.→ Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee→ Website: re branded site coming soon Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates:Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonleeFor more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks.admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled.Six live build sessions.You leave with a working system, not more mess.Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!