1188: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Scaling Your Design Firm Part 1: The Three Paths Forward episode artwork

EPISODE · May 1, 2026 · 57 MIN

1188: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Scaling Your Design Firm Part 1: The Three Paths Forward

from A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast · host LuAnn Nigara

Today With Kate O’Hara: As you grow your business, you inevitably hit a point where you just can’t force more projects into your pipeline. So…what happens next? Do you bring on another designer? Are there other options? Do you have to let go of creative control if you do bring on another designer? How do you make sure it’s a successful process?  In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kate O’Hara shares the answers to all of these questions. She breaks down the three options you have in terms of growing or scaling your business, and how to make sure that each one sets you up for success.  (Then in Part 2, she highlights how to take the space you create as you scale to diversify your income and create more revenue opportunities.) LuAnn Nigara and Kate O'Hara's Ah-Ha Moments “Now you’re letting go of what happens to those clients when they’re in the hands of your other designers. So you have to have a strong team and people that you really trust to the moon and back.” -Kate “It’s all of the little, tiny little touch points that are coming out on your website, that are coming out in social, that are coming out in the magazine opportunities, the publication opportunities that you have, where you are literally saying we, us, not just the words we us, but all the different ways that it actually is we, us.” -LuAnn “I think we sometimes we forget in our efforts to create really strong company culture and to be this type of firm people want to work for, it doesn't mean we have to be the type of firm that everyone and anyone can work for.” -Kate More About Kate O’Hara Kate O’Hara grew up in the world of design. After a decade with the company, she stepped into the role of CEO + Creative Director, expanding the family design firm into new regions of the U.S. When she isn’t traveling between our Minnesota and Texas offices, you can find Kate speaking at conferences, working with our design team, and connecting with new clients and furniture lines. Connect with Kate O’Hara ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Houzz⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ What’s new with LuAnn Nigara ⁠⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠http://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Today With Kate O’Hara: As you grow your business, you inevitably hit a point where you just can’t force more projects into your pipeline. So…what happens next? Do you bring on another designer? Are there other options? Do you have to let go of creative control if you do bring on another designer? How do you make sure it’s a successful process?  In Part 1 of this two-part episode, Kate O’Hara shares the answers to all of these questions. She breaks down the three options you have in terms of growing or scaling your business, and how to make sure that each one sets you up for success.  (Then in Part 2, she highlights how to take the space you create as you scale to diversify your income and create more revenue opportunities.) LuAnn Nigara and Kate O'Hara's Ah-Ha Moments “Now you’re letting go of what happens to those clients when they’re in the hands of your other designers. So you have to have a strong team and people that you really trust to the moon and back.” -Kate “It’s all of the little, tiny little touch points that are coming out on your website, that are coming out in social, that are coming out in the magazine opportunities, the publication opportunities that you have, where you are literally saying we, us, not just the words we us, but all the different ways that it actually is we, us.” -LuAnn “I think we sometimes we forget in our efforts to create really strong company culture and to be this type of firm people want to work for, it doesn't mean we have to be the type of firm that everyone and anyone can work for.” -Kate More About Kate O’Hara Kate O’Hara grew up in the world of design. After a decade with the company, she stepped into the role of CEO + Creative Director, expanding the family design firm into new regions of the U.S. When she isn’t traveling between our Minnesota and Texas offices, you can find Kate speaking at conferences, working with our design team, and connecting with new clients and furniture lines. Connect with Kate O’Hara ⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Pinterest⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Houzz⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ What’s new with LuAnn Nigara ⁠⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠http://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠ Get The Goodies! For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

NOW PLAYING

1188: In Good Company: CEO Conversations with Kate O’Hara: Scaling Your Design Firm Part 1: The Three Paths Forward

0:00 57:07

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

MG Show MG Show The MG Show, hosted by Jeffrey Pedersen and Shannon Townsend, is a leading alternative media platform dedicated to uncovering the truth behind today’s most pressing political issues. Launched in 2019, the show has grown exponentially, offering unfiltered insights, comprehensive research, and real-time analysis. With a commitment to independent journalism and factual integrity, the MG Show empowers its audience with knowledge and encourages active participation in the political discourse. Ask A Spaceman Archives - 365 Days of Astronomy Ask A Spaceman Archives - 365 Days of Astronomy Podcasting Astronomy Every Day of the Year French Your Way Jessica: Native French teacher founder of French Your Way Boost your French listening skills and test your comprehension with this one of a kind series of podcasts. Get the chance to listen to a real conversation between native speakers talking at normal speed AND customise your learning experience through carefully designed sets of questions (2 levels of difficulty) available for download at www.frenchvoicespodcast.com. All interviews also come with the transcript. French teacher Jessica interviews native speakers of French from around the world who share a bit of their life and passion. Where else would you meet in one same place a French yoga teacher based in Melbourne, a soap manufacturer from Provence, or a couple cycling around the world? That Hoarder: Overcome Compulsive Hoarding That Hoarder Hoarding disorder is stigmatised and people who hoard feel vast amounts of shame. This podcast began life as an audio diary, an anonymous outlet for somebody with this weird condition. That Hoarder speaks about her experiences living with compulsive hoarding, she interviews therapists, academics, researchers, children of hoarders, professional organisers and influencers, and she shares insight and tips for others with the problem. Listened to by people who hoard as well as those who love them and those who work with them, Overcome Compulsive Hoarding with That Hoarder aims to shatter the stigma, share the truth and speak openly and honestly to improve lives.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast?

This episode is 57 minutes long.

When was this A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast episode published?

This episode was published on May 1, 2026.

What is this episode about?

Today With Kate O’Hara: As you grow your business, you inevitably hit a point where you just can’t force more projects into your pipeline. So…what happens next? Do you bring on another designer? Are there other options? Do you have to let go of...

Can I download this A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast episode?

Yes, you can download this episode by clicking the download button on the episode player, or subscribe to the podcast in your preferred podcast app for automatic downloads.
URL copied to clipboard!