187: Melissa Sanabria | Creating Structure out of Ambiguity

Today we welcome Melissa Sanabria, principal and founder of Sanabria & Co based in Washington, DC. In this episode, Melissa shares her journey from a successful career in finance to launching her own interior design firm—and the real transferable skill that helped her thrive in a creative business. She walks us through the intentional strategies she implemented during the transition, including a three-year planning period, data-driven decision-making, and a commitment to investing in her business early on. Melissa also unpacks her top three foundational strategies and opens up about how community and peer support are key to her survival in the business of design.

SHOW HIGHLIGHTS

• Melissa's transition from a 15-year finance career to founding her design studio
• The three-year strategic plan she followed before launching her business
• How her analytical mindset, not her financial degree, fueled her business success
• Her top three strategies for launching a sustainable and scalable design firm
• Why thinking big and investing early helped her avoid growing pains
• The critical role of data tracking in achieving profitability and refining systems
• Her flat-fee pricing model and how she uses time tracking for continuous improvement
• Why trusted peers and a supportive design community are essential to survival

NOTABLE QUOTES

• "I was very used to creating structure out of ambiguity… that to me was very clear and easy to do—sounds like a design process to me."
• "If you're starting a restaurant, you're not like, 'I'm just going to be the cook and the server and the hostess.' You have to invest. You're going to take a risk."
• "I just look at the value I bring and what I want to make—and that's how much I charge."
• "Being successful means that I have options… that I can dial it up or dial it down, and the sky's the limit."

SUPPORTING RESOURCES

• Sanabria & Co Website
• Sanabria & Co on Instagram
• Register for the Design Biz Retreat

SPONSOR LINKS

• Design Manager
• Daniel House Club
• Hooker Furnishings