23. A Deep Dive On Design Process With Candace Plotz

In this episode of Founders and Friends, Ronniesha Rivera sits down with Candace Plotz, founder of Candace Plotz Design, for a candid conversation about building a design business rooted in intention, clarity, and real-life balance.Candace shares her unlikely path into interior design — a leap from a secure career in healthcare and pharmacy into a creative life sparked by renovating her own wartime home. What started as a personal project quickly became the catalyst for a full-time studio, even before she had a formal business plan. (Spoiler: she signed seven clients in her first week.)Together, Ronniesha and Candace unpack what it really takes to grow a firm: building a portfolio from scratch, trusting transferable people skills, and learning the behind-the-scenes processes no one teaches you. Candace also opens up about a major recent shift — downsizing her team and closing her beloved, profitable Homeful storefront so she could return to the creative work she missed most.They dive deep into Candace’s structured intake and design process, her move from hourly to flat-fee pricing (and why she’s considering a hybrid model), and her philosophy of “intentional layering” — designing homes that feel comfortable, effortless, and deeply personal instead of staged.If you’re a designer navigating growth, team structure, pricing, or just trying to build a studio that supports your life and your creativity, this one is for you.Topics we cover:Transitioning careers into interior design (without a safety net)Building a portfolio and landing early projectsThe transferable skills that matter most in designDownsizing your firm on purpose — and why that can be powerfulCreating a repeatable, clear client intake processSwitching to flat-fee pricing + designing a hybrid modelPresenting budgets without letting clients spiral into line itemsDesigning for comfort through scale, proportion, and layeringProtecting work-life balance as a business growsYou can find Candace athttps://www.candaceplotzdesign.com/https://www.instagram.com/candaceplotzdesign/This Episode was brought to you by Vetted by DesignIf you are looking to outsource anything in your design business check out Vetted by Design to find some amazing highly vetted pros you can trust to help you grow your business.www.vetted-bydesign.comhttps://www.instagram.com/vettedbydesign/Connect with all things Founders & Friends on our Facebook Group & InstagramFounders & Friends InstagramFounders & Friends FB group*Only for interior designers & pro's who serve the industry