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Explore every episode of the podcast Staging Sips

Dive into the complete episode list for Staging Sips. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.

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TitlePub. DateDuration
Leverage The Extraordinary New Staging ROI Data In Your Business06 Dec 202500:21:28

The newest data from the Real Estate Staging Association just dropped for Q2 and Q3, and I need to share something with you that honestly broke my heart a little bit when I saw it. The ROI numbers? Absolutely extraordinary. We're talking about the kind of returns that would make any financial advisor pause and say, "Wait, are we talking about a Ponzi scheme here?"

But here's what got me: The average staging investment sits under $5,000. A $3,800 to $4,300 investment producing anywhere from $58,000 to $100,000 in additional seller equity.

Now, I'm not sharing this to make you feel bad about your pricing or to pressure you into arbitrary price increases. This isn't about comparison or judgment. But when you place those incredible ROI numbers next to what our industry is charging on average, it creates a powerful moment for reflection.

So today's conversation is really about one question: Does the price I charge reflect the value I create?

In this episode, I'm walking you through the latest RESA statistics, breaking down the neuroscience behind why pricing feels so hard and inviting you to start tracking your own data so you can price from confidence instead of fear. Afterall. We are entering into a new season and better now than ever.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The staggering new staging ROI numbers from Q2 and Q3 and why they matter more than ever.
  • Why many staging CEOs undercharge from outdated brain patterns.
  • How to build your own staging statistics and stop relying on national averages to justify your pricing.
  • A reflection framework to help you assess alignment between your pricing and the outcomes you create.

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

MVP: How to Position Your Home Staging Clients for Success Every Time29 Nov 202500:26:55

Most homeowners move so rarely and so few have ever worked with a staging company, that it's no surprise they arrive nervous, unsure, and unclear about what to expect. And that confusion can lead to preventable hiccups for you and your team.

The good news? A little intentional communication goes a long way.

In this episode, I'm sharing simple ways to anticipate your clients' questions, address their concerns, and guide them through the process with clarity.  I'm walking you through simple tools, scripts, and touchpoints you can set up once and use over and over again. All designed to make your clients feel supported and set your team up for seamless, drama-free installations.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why most clients have never worked with a stager and what that means for you.
  • The common worries homeowners feel before staging.
  • How to prep clients so they show up confident and ready.
  • Simple systems and tools that make your communication clearer and easier.

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Stagers: Unlock Faster Cash Flow and Bigger Wins with Nick Narodny of Titus20 Sep 202500:29:19

Have you ever heard a seller say, "Staging sounds great, but we just can't afford it right now"? I have! Maybe you have too! But what if there were a way for your clients to stage their home today and not pay a single dollar until closing?

That's exactly what Nick Narodny set out to solve with his company, Titus. Nick grew up surrounded by real estate—his parents and even his little brother are Realtors and he was building websites for agents back in eighth grade. Fast forward to now, he has created a platform that tackles one of the biggest challenges we face as stagers: getting clients to say yes.

According to stats, only about 20% of homes are staged right now. That means there's an enormous untapped opportunity waiting for us. In this conversation, Nick dives into why sellers and agents hold back on staging, how agents are leveraging staging to win more listings, and some surprisingly creative ways people are using Titus; from sellers buying furniture for buyers to agents boosting their commissions by offering pay-at-close staging.

By the end of this episode, you'll walk away with fresh ideas, new talking points, and a clearer strategy for pitching staging to both clients and agents.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The current state of staging and why there's room to triple (or even quadruple) the number of staged homes.
  • The top reasons sellers and agents skip staging and how to shift the conversation to get more "yes".
  • Tools and resources Titus provides to help home stagers scale their businesses.
  • The broader vision for payment innovation in real estate and what it could mean for the future of staging.

 

RESOURCES: 

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Why Growing Your Staging Business Slowly Could Be An Amazing Advantage09 Sep 202300:27:33

Today, let's explore the intriguing concept of slow growth in the staging business and why it shouldn't be seen as a bad thing in a world that often prioritizes rapid growth over sustainable success.

Drawing from my own experiences, I share valuable insights on how to navigate the journey of slow growth, highlighting the key strategies and mindset shifts that can make a significant difference.

I debunk the fallacy of fast growth, prepare you to embrace slow growth, and also see how it can pave the way for long-term success in your business. 

If you're looking to make the most of slow growth season (which most definitely would come) and unlock its hidden potential, this episode is a must-listen. 

Come let's embrace slow growth together and witness our businesses flourish in the long run. Remember, "success is not always about how fast you grow but how well you grow."

If you have been waiting for Rethink You Accelerate, there is an exciting announcement waiting for you. If you have even joined the waiting list, the news is bigger and better!

See you on the other side!

 

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

  • How slow growth could be advantageous to your staging business.
  • The errors and challenges that come with fast growth.
  • Mindset shifts and strategies that can help you make the most of this phase.
  • What stage of your business slow growth can occur in.
  • The two key concepts for managing your brain through slow growth.

Resources

If you want to learn how to market and grow your staging business, sign up for the waitlist for Rethink You Accelerate. This is a year-long mentorship program, where I help you and other staging business owners plan, grow, flow, and thrive with the results that they've always wanted. Enrollment starts on the 22nd of September, 2023 and being on the waiting list gets you early access. So, sign up  here.

Enjoy the show?

 

What's New at Rethink You (That's Just For You)02 Sep 202300:20:23

Heyyyy there, it's great to be back after a much-needed hiatus! In this episode, I share with you the reasons behind my recent break and the exciting changes happening in my business.

During a mastermind session with my business coach, we discussed plans to expand and grow my business consulting programs. That meant creating a Staging Business School. 

This transition required some serious contemplation about the future and gathering more support to take me out of roles that could be handled by others—including being the project manager of the Staging Sips podcast 

Taking this break was super beneficial. And I want you to know that sometimes, it might be what exactly we need to give our best selves to our lives and business. Rather than lose out on anything, I even experienced growth without active marketing efforts. That was a valuable lesson in the power of rest and reflection.

Now that I am back, I'm thrilled to announce the upcoming launch of the Staging Business School! We will eventually have different tracks tailored to business owners at various stages. As you have always known, I am passionate about helping other staging business owners succeed, and each track will be created with you in mind.

I'm genuinely excited about the future of my business and grateful for your unwavering support. 

Thank you for being a part of this incredible journey! Enjoy this episode and get ready for the adventures to come.

Welcome back!

 

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

The result of my mastermind session with my business coach, Tobi Fairley.

The importance of pauses in our businesses and lives.

The evolution of our new Staging Business School, its three tracks, and whom they are for.

Whether "Rethink You Accelerate" starting this September is the perfect one for you.

 

Resources

If you want to learn how to market and grow your staging business, sign up for the waitlist for the next enrollment period for Rethink You Accelerate. This is a year-long mentorship program, where I help you and other staging business owners plan, grow, flow, and thrive with the results that they've always wanted.

 

Enjoy the show?

 

I've Been Through So Many Slow Seasons In My Staging Business. Here's How To Get Through Them.03 Jun 202300:25:20

Staging businesses are seasonal.

If you offer staging services only, this is reality.

We have businesses running 12 months out of the year with services that have big bursts of work and then much quieter times. I call these quieter times "Integration Phases" because we can begin to deep dive into our finances, systems, and service mix.

 

In today's podcast, I share all of the ways our team has used these Integration Phases over the years to make our business stronger. And goodness there are a lot of ideas in here! Enjoy!

 

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Books I've used to grow our business
  • Training Programs I've used to grow our business
  • The beauty of what you can accomplish during Integration Phases

RESOURCES:

Low Value Work Cycles27 May 202300:19:54

We all experience low value cycles in our businesses:

 

  • Those times when we feel depleted and can't give more.  

  • When we don't know what to do.  

  • We don't understand why things aren't working.  

  • We fear that it's all going to fall apart or never get off the ground

  • River of misery

 

This is normal.

 

This is running a business.  Nothing has gone wrong.

 

If you go back to the first 4 episodes, you will learn that you will go through very distinct phases that include: 

 

  • things not working, 

  • you feeling like you are pushing a boulder up hill all the time

  • Not knowing what to do with your time

  • Running out of ideas

  • Feeling uninspired 

  • Feeling overwhelmed and frustrated

So if you are finding yourself in any one of those descriptions, I want you to give yourself some grace and some space.

 

And let's control what only you can control….

 

Resources:

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

 

4 Ways To Create A Successful (and fun!) Home Staging Consultation06 May 202300:29:21

After more than a decade in business, one of my favorite things to hear is that our clients think our home staging consultation is fun! I love hearing this because I specifically designed our home staging consultation (we call our home staging consultation a Styling Evaluation) process to create fun and empowerment. And I did this intentionally.

When I first started my home staging business, staging was still new in my area. Most people had no idea what staging was or what the process looked like. This was great because I could carve my own path and I quickly learned that I wanted my home staging consultation to be a feel-good process for my clients. I wrote about the childhood experience that informs how my team and I talk to our clients here and here.

The reason I place so much importance on having a great consultation is all about energy. So much of what we do involves putting positive energy and momentum into the world. If we don't leave our clients feeling positive, they will be less likely to be successful. Just a fact. They will resist implementing their staging. So I cannot stress enough how important it is to protect our seller's energy and keep as focused as possible on bringing joy into the staging process. So let's dive into 4 ways our team accomplishes this!

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why creating a positive and fun consultation is important.
  • Two words you should never use in your consulation appointment.
  • How to reduce resistance from your clients to your recommendations.
  • How to use education and empowerment to your advantage during the appointment.

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Why Even My Business Advice Might Not Be Right For You29 Apr 202300:21:25

Today I'm going Unstaged on the podcast.  Unscripted and riffing on what I see as a pitfall when newer business owners get advice from those of us who have been running our businesses for longer.

We simply forget.

We forget what it's like to be where you are.

And, while well intended, we can give advice that isn't realistic for a newer business owner.

Listen in to find out why.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The lens that you need to put every piece of business advice through
  • Why established business owners (including myself) unintentionally give advice that isn't always helpful to newer business owners
  • Practical things to consider around your vacant staging services
  • A resource to help you respond from a place of groundedness to most of the requests and situations you find yourself in.

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How To Schedule Your Home Staging Consultations22 Apr 202300:16:16

Tech alert! This week's podcast is a little tech heavy but...learning how to create this process I'm sharing will save you hours of headaches for the resto of your business.

This episode is a deep dive into how we have our clients schedule their home staging consultations. On the face of it, it doesn't seem like scheduling a consultation should be that hard. But, my word, it really can be!

I thought hiring an administrative assistant would make the process of scheduling consultations so much better for our clients and it did.

But, it wasn't a perfect solution.

What I'm sharing today is a much better solution.

 

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • How to streamline all of the ways that a client requests an appointment.
  • How to let your clients schedule when it's convenient for them.
  • How to collect payment up front regardless of who is paying and who is scheduling.
  • Why getting payment at the time of scheduling is the best way to operate.
  • What tools you need to make this process happen.

RESOURCES:

  • Join the Rethink You Waitlist here
  • Follow Lori on Instagram
  • Pretty Links https://prettylinks.com/
  • Acuity Scheduling https://acuityscheduling.com/
  • Leadpages https://www.leadpages.com/
  • Rethink's Scheduling Landing Page https://www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/eval

What's A Lead Magnet? And 11 Ways To Use One To Grow An Amazing Home Staging Business15 Apr 202300:25:31

08Having a lead magnet is an important part of your marketing strategy.

One of the unexpected surprises I had, when I was growing my staging business, is that I actually had to be the Chief Marketing Officer even ahead of being the Lead Stager in my business. And as you grow your business, the scale will be tipped for a period of time in the direction of spending way more time marketing than staging.  

In the beginning, I really resented the amount of time I spent marketing because it never felt like there was a direct return on that time. I had no idea that clients don't start calling right away after a marketing encounter. But what I have learned is that there is typically a delay between our marketing efforts and getting new clients and that delay is totally normal in a business. Totally. Flipping. Normal. 

That means you really need to embrace digital marketing because it takes time and consistency to nurture the seeds that turn into clients. Lucky for us, with the internet, we don't have to do all of the heavy lifting ourselves.

You can rely on one of my favorite digital marketing strategies–the Lead Magnet. It may not sound sexy, but listen in and it just might become your new favorite marketing buddy too!

Click here to sign up for the waitlist for the next enrollment period for Rethink You, the year long mentorship program to help staging business owners see the road ahead, plan for it and grow, flow and thrive.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Where digital marketing falls into your overall marketing activities
  • How to bridge the gap between your in-person marketing activities and bringing them into your digital community
  • What's a lead magnet and what do you need in place to make it an amazing marketing tool for you
  • How to turn one idea into 11 different lead magnets

FEATURED ON THE SHOW:

How To Change Course When Systems Aren't Working in Your Business01 Apr 202300:22:09

Are the systems in your business not working the way you want them to?

 

Systems in business are the equivalent of habits in life.     If you think of systems in this way, they automatically begin to make more sense.     The beautiful thing is you can tackle creating and maintaining systems the same way you would in creating and maintaining a habit—start with improving the smallest thing, repeat it over and over, get back on track quickly when you lapse.    But inside a business, there's one more piece of the equation.    In order to improve systems that aren't working, you need to create organizational habits and alignment.  That's a little different skillset.    This podcast episode will guide you through that process. 
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
  • When is the best time to work on improving your system that isn't working.
  • An easy step-by-step protocol to fix a broken system.
  • A simple goal setting system to get your entire organization working toward a common objective.

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

A New Way To Approach Marketing Your Staging Business25 Mar 202300:48:44

Have you ever heard business advice that just didn't make sense for you?

Or tried a "proven" strategy that just never worked for you?

Maybe you've been confused by a lack of results doing something that a fellow business owner reaps tons of results from.

Well there may be a very clear and tangible reason why and today's guest, Human Design Expert and Certified Life Coach, Stacy Rowan of Custom Built Life, is going to dive into what might be going on.

I have personally been working with Stacy and I have to say, the revelations, the validation and the understanding of myself and how my energy impacts the people around me has been fascinating and powerful.

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • What is Human Design
  • Why so much business advice can be completely wrong for you
  • Why Imposter Syndrome can impact some people way more than others and what to do about it
  • How to get started learning about you Human Design
  • How to work with Stacy

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

Pricing Mindset Shifts for a Profitable Staging Business13 Sep 202500:18:32

I'm sure you know how the math works. You've probably sat down more than once to calculate exactly what you need to charge to make a profit. There is no problem until when it is time to say that number out loud to a client. It is then that it suddenly feels almost impossible. Belive me, it is not jut you.

Here's the truth: pricing is never just about the math. You can have the most perfect spreadsheet in the world, but if your mindset isn't there, none of it matters. In this episode, we're going to talk about what's happening in that gap between knowing your numbers and actually holding them in a conversation. We'll look at why fear shows up when you raise your rates, why your brain reacts like you're in danger, and how to train yourself to move through it so quoting your price feels calm and confident. Beyond that, I also share one of my favorite tools to help you anchor your value.

If you've been struggling to hold firm on your rates, or if you find yourself freezing up when you get to the money conversation, this is for you. We're going past the spreadsheets and into the psychology of pricing—because the numbers are only half the story.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why fear is a normal response when you raise your prices
  • How to retrain your brain to feel safe quoting your real number
  • The difference between math protecting your business and mindset sustaining it
  • How to use hero metrics to speak about your value with clarity

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

How To Answer Your Client's Most Frequently Asked Questions18 Mar 202300:25:25

One of the most exciting things is getting new clients. But with new clients come questions and sometimes some sticky situations.

For many of us, we can get frustrated and bothered when questions arise about discounts, refunds, appointment requests out of our typical hours, etc. But...if we can reframe our minds to think about these questions as due diligence and not devaluing us and what we do, we can communicate so much more effectively and more like a staging business owner who is grounded and in demand.

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • When and why questions arise for your clients.
  • The one sentence you can add to almost every response that helps create a better experience for both you and your client.
  • Clear ways that you can respond to many of the questions you are asked.
  • Why you want to have a handy set of responses available to you for better communication.
  • When and why you may consider not charging someone a fee for breaking one of the policies in their signed client agreement.

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

How To Never Worry About The Real Estate Market Again11 Mar 202300:19:38
You can have a thriving staging business regardless of the real estate market.

In the book Good To Great by Jim Collins he talks about companies going from good to great.

There were several factors that helped companies make that transition but one is super relevant to our staging businesses.

They were realistic about market forces impacting their business negatively and they made plans to adjust.

Based on this, I'd like to offer something.

Because the real estate market is sensitive to seasonal shifts and larger economic shifts, you need to plan strategically to have a thriving business. One that brings in revenue year-round regardless of what is happening in the real estate market.

In today's podcast, I dive into some ways that you can plan and prepare but also what you can do right now if your business is slower than you would like.

LEARN MORE ABOUT RETHINK YOU HERE! WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
  • How to approach slow times in your business
  • Revenue streams that aren't dependent on the real estate market
  • How to create a revenue plan to help you get through slow times.
RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?
How To Get More Out Of Your Project Management Tools04 Mar 202300:16:20

In the Results Triad, we learn that your Results are a combination of Knowledge, Beliefs and Actions. Today's episode totally taps into the Knowledge and Action parts of the formula.

And you know me, I like teaching you the little (and big) hacks that have helped me grow our staging business in a way that gets me as the CEO out of the way so that my team can manage the business without me.

So, in this episode, I'm sharing 6 super simple ways that we use our Project Management tool to get more done with more consistency inside of our staging business. Gotta love that!

And bonus jonas...they are all so easy to implement and makes using your Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's) much easier and way more efficient.

Enjoy!

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • 6 super easy hacks to uplevel your Project Management game
  • Why these hacks are so powerful
  • A super simple way to get everyone on the same page every time
  • Why using a Project Management tool helps you as a business owner see how work is being completed when you aren't the only stager on your team.

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

How To Get More Done In Your Staging Business25 Feb 202300:17:59

Today I'm geeking out about how you can get soooo much more done in your home staging business even if you are still a team of one. It doesn't seem very sexy or interesting when you call it "Systems" but what systems give you back in time, energy and effort is beyond thrilling! They are also the foundation for a professional business.

Inside our mentorship program, RethinkYou we dive deep into systems because they are the heart and soul of a well-operating home staging business. You can join our waitlist for the next enrollment here.

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The types of systems you may want to create
  • What tool(s) are best to use to document and house your systems
  • The best way to figure out if your system works
  • Once you get a system humming, what can you do to make it even better

RESOURCES:

www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/waitlist

www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How To Evaluate Your Team Better18 Feb 202300:21:20

One of the most important tools to improve your home staging business is conducting regular Employee Evaluations.

In my corporate life, I experienced a ton of evaluations and the most effective were the ones where it was a two way conversation with a manager who had been great at giving me feedback well before the formal evaluation process.

AKA nothing was a surprise.

By creating an environment where feedback is just a daily part of your organization, the better your business will be.

And by creating regular check-ins you increase your visibility on your business as a whole.

You will have greater visibility on how your services, your systems and your processes impact your team.

And you will have greater visibility on team members who are struggling or simply not a right fit for your company.

All of this helps you make better decisions, faster for your company.

In this week's episode, I'm sharing 3 ways that you can evaluate your team that are super simple and easy for you to conduct.

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • You will learn what Equitable Feedback is
  • 3 simple evaluations you can implement in your business asap
  • One super easy way to quickly identify your best team players, those that need more support, and those that need to go

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How To Show Your Employees You Care In A Really Big Way11 Feb 202300:22:00

Loving up on my team is one of my absolute favorite things to do as a business owner.

They are making my dream a reality and it's so important to me to show my appreciation. It's also one of our corporate core values.

Today I'm sharing why loving up on your team is important to your bottom line business results and how you can begin to plan for showing the love.

You know I'm all about systems so you can even create a Gratitude SOP to help you cultivate a habit of showing your team how much you appreciate them by touching on all of the love languages.

Learn more about rethink you here!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The research behind showing appreciation to your team
  • How to think about acknowledgement as part of your Employee Well Being
  • The four love languages to show appreciation
  • Fun ideas to incorporate to touch upon each of the love languages

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How To Hire The Best New Team Member04 Feb 202300:25:59

One of the very best things you can do for your growing staging business is know how to hire effectively.

When you do your marketing right, and I know you will, you will need help to serve all of those clients who are coming in through your pipeline.

And we want to make sure you have top notch team members. 

Because the wrong hire can really drag down moral and make your life as a CEO not so fun.  

And we're here to have fun, right?!

In this week's episode, I break down our application process and why we make it so hard for just anyone to come and work for us.

We call it our Red Velvet Rope application process and it works like a charm!

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The reason behind our Red Velvet Rope Policy
  • The 4 "Want Matches" you are looking for in each candidate
  • Why you will interview waaaaay fewer people with this process

RESOURCES:

lEARN ABOUT RETHINK YOU HERE:

ENJOY THE SHOW?

What You Need In Place To Hire A New Team Member28 Jan 202300:29:22

I have the best team.

I absolutely love them.

But before I started the hiring process, I had no clue where to even start.

And my first move is always to find someone who has done it before so I don't waste my time or feel confused even for a second.

I did that.

And what I learned not only helped me establish better business practices but hire a team that runs my entire operation to this day.

That's right. My team runs our entire staging business.

 

And that's why I can show up here for you each week because my team is out there doing amazing things for our clients.

So this week I'm sharing the gems I learned from the Productivity Coach I hired alllll those years ago so that you can get started or refine your business back end and hiring process.

And some of it might surprise you!

SIGN UP FOR THE CREATE DEMAND WORKSHOP HERE:

http://www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/createdemand

JOIN THE RETHINK YOU WAITLIST:

http://www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/ryouwaitlist

HANG OUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM:

http://www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The mindset issues that may show up for you before your hiring and onboarding a new team member
  • Why your calendar has to be dialed in so precisely before you hire
  • What 3 tools will make adding team more seamless
  • How to help your new team members know exactly how you like everything done

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

5 Easy Ways To Use An Email List To Grow Your Staging Business21 Jan 202300:22:37

Using an email list to grow my staging business has been, what I call, auto-magical.

Seriously, it's like having a rainbow unicorn on staff.

Here is why.

Your biggest job as the CEO of your staging business is filling your pipeline with clients who will buy from you.

So you must meet people.

In our business that typically starts in person.

The next step is staying in front of them on a regular basis so they remember you when their need for a staging company arises.

That's where your email list comes in.

Email is the very best tool to stay in front of your ideal prospective clients in a super non-salesy way and that grows your authority as an expert and your "know, like and trust" factor.

And with an email list some of this can be done in an automated way. #cuetheconfetti!

But it can do even more than that.

Listen in to find out 5 ways you can use an email list to grow your staging business (and the last one...easiest hack on the face of the planet!)

 

SIGN UP FOR THE CREATE DEMAND WORKSHOP HERE:

http://www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/createdemand

JOIN THE RETHINK YOU WAITLIST:

http://www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/ryouwaitlist

HANG OUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM:

http://www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • What exactly is an email list for business
  • How an email list is different than your regular inbox
  • The power of using an email list for your productivity
  • All kinds of ways you can leverage the power of an email list
  ENJOY THE SHOW?

4 Simple Steps To Selling Your Staging Services Way Better14 Jan 202300:26:04

I don't know about you, but I didn't have a clue how much sales and marketing would be involved in starting and growing my real estate staging business.

I honestly thought the minute I told a Realtor that I was a Stager, they would feel like their prayers were answered and they would hire me instantly and often!

Wow, was I wrong.

And I spent a lot of time feeling frustrated, confused by this.

I went days, weeks and months with a super quiet calendar.

And I was frankly just annoyed at the whole resistance to hiring me.

But as I began to gain slow, and I mean sllllllllllllooooowwww, traction I had a huge epiphany.

I had been marketing based on what I do as a Stager, not the problems I solve as a Stager.

Not that there's anything wrong with it but "helping sellers sell faster and make more money" isn't super effective.

In today's podcast I break down why that's the case.

 

Register for the Create Demand Workshop here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The simple 4-step process that helps you create all of your social media like a million times easier
  • How this process makes all sales calls so much easier
  • The problem with sharing only before and afters in your marketing
  • Why the age old "sell faster and for more money" is a flawed marketing message and how you can create better ones

RESOURCES:

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Why Your Staging Prices Must Rise to Stay Profitable06 Sep 202500:20:36

Ever catch yourself thinking, "If I raise my staging prices, will I lose clients"? You're not alone. But here's the truth: home staging costs are rising whether you like it or not…tariffs, trucking fees, replacement inventory, all of it. And if the pricing in your staging business has not changed in the last year, it's already outdated.

In this episode, I break down why holding onto your old rates is quietly sabotaging your profits, your growth, and even your sanity as a staging CEO. You'll hear the mindset shifts and practical math behind raising your rates without apology (even if your brain feels terrified at first). We talk about the "hidden treadmill" of inventory costs, why undercharging stretches your break-even point forever, and the simple levers you can pull right now to protect your margins.

I'll also share how to reframe price increases for your clients so they see the value, not the politics or inflation talk. And most importantly, you'll walk away with the challenge to step into true leadership—because raising your prices isn't greed, it's stewardship. It's how you build a staging business that thrives.

If you've been waiting for a sign, this is it. Press play, and let's raise those rates like the CEO you came here to be.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why pricing for today keeps you stuck, and why you need to price for the business you're building
  • The hidden treadmill of inventory costs and how it erodes your profits
  • Simple math that shows you can raise rates and still make more while serving fewer clients
  • How to reframe price increases so clients see value 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

3 Simple Steps To Make More Money In Your Staging Business24 Dec 202201:08:59

Making money at every phase of your staging business is simple.

You make money by focusing on Money Generating Activities.

At each phase of business, those MGA's are slightly different.

In the growth phase you need to be out meeting all of the humans.

Growing your self-concept as a staging business owner.

Learning how to talk about what you do. Staying in touch.

Developing the mental stamina to keep doing this over and over again in the face of little or no results.

As you enter Accelerate, your MGAs are all about delegating and creating efficiency.

Stepping aside. Learning how to hire. Learning who to hire. And learning how to let go.

As you enter Leverage, your MGAs are about delegating, efficiency and protecting the revenue.

But at every level, you will repeatedly focus on 3 key things.

Cultivating a habit of working on the specific MGAs for your phase of business.

Combining your real world and online marketing.

Creating (or refining) a revenue plan to support your growth.

This awareness makes you a more purposeful business owner.

This awareness simplifies all of your decision making.

Today's podcast walks you through these three things.

join the rethink you waitlist here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The 3 steps you will cycle through over and over again as you grow your staging business.
  • The most valuable marketing asset you can have.
  • How to know if your pricing will support the business you are building.

RESOURCES:

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Belief Plans | Why You Need Them17 Dec 202200:20:20

I am an in demand stager.

Imagine this was your intentional, practiced thought.

Imagine it was your most practiced thought.

How would you show up to your business in every way with that thought.

What kind of action would you take when that is what you're thinking.

Imagine how empowering that thought can be.

Feel it.

We get to choose the sentences we tell ourselves.

Let's choose empowering ones.

Today I'll share how you can start and why it will make every bit of difference in your business.

join the rethink you waitlist here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why believing your brain is not always the best (it can be a lying, mean girl!)
  • How to build a better action plan for your business
  • Intentional thoughts you can start practicing now and how to make sure you actually do it

RESOURCES:

Book More Home Staging Consultations With This One Simple Strategy10 Dec 202200:26:19
My Strategy for Booking Home Staging Consultations

Before I landed on this strategy to handle all of the incoming sales inquiries into my business, I was pretty much flying by the seat of my pants. I'd answer calls from my car, while I was waiting in car line for the kids, while I was in the grocery store. You name it, I answered my phone every. single. time.

All this to say, not optimal, not sustainable, and not professional. You know I'm about keeping it real even when it outs all of my embarrassing learning moments!

So, as I up-leveled my business, I created my Get Acquainted Call process so that I was a thousand times more professional but also more effective at selling our services. Today's episode is all about how I did that.

We also cover the Get Acquainted Call process in great detail inside of Rethink You, the year-long program where you get access to course modules and me twice a month to get your questions answered. Join the waitlist to be the first to know when enrollment opens next!

JOIN THE RETHINK YOU WAITLIST HERE WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
  • What is grounded selling
  • What's the Sales Triad
  • What are belief plans and belief biases and how they affect your sales
  • What's the flow of the GAC

RESOURCES:

How To Prepare Your Brain For Growing A Home Staging Business03 Dec 202200:33:30

We start a business.

We bring our skills and we bring our past knowledge.

But we also bring our brains.

It's easy to learn strategies.

It's easy to gain knowledge.

It's much, much harder to manage our minds.

Learning to be aware of our thoughts will be one of the most valuable things you can learn.

Because our minds ultimately control how much of our knowledge and skills get put into action.

Our minds control our habits.

Our minds decide whether to keep going or to stop when we don't see results.

Let's not leave it up to chance what our minds decide. Let's prepare ourselves. ]

That's what today's episode is all about.

join the rethink you waitlist here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The one reason why any strategy you learn to grow your business will succeed or fail.
  • The neuroscience behind how humans learn anything
  • The four phases of belief your brain passes through with any challenging task (including your marketing strategies)

RESOURCES:

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How To Price Your Home Staging Services26 Nov 202200:31:03

Creating financial results in your home staging business starts with setting the right price for your services.

That seems so obvious, doesn't it?

But what is the "right" price? How do you figure that out?

Figuring it out is actually easy. It takes a little bit of thought, research and math.

Getting your mind wrapped around what the math tells you is quite another.

That is where most of our work lies.

In today's episode, we dive into the math and the mindset of setting the right price for your staging business. Enjoy!

join the rethink you waitlist here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Two ways to not determine your pricing (that a lot of people do!)
  • The detailed steps to figure out the best pricing for your business
  • How to begin to manage your mind when the math gives you a number that feels uncomfortable

RESOURCES:

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How To Set Your Home Staging Clients Up For Success19 Nov 202200:26:55

The average homeowner moves every 7 years.  

28% of listing agents surveyed by the National Association of Realtors incorporate staging into their listings.

And I betcha not all of those listing agents use staging companies.

Soooo…..

We have to assume most people have never worked with a staging company before.

That can open up all kinds of opportunity for them to be nervous, confused and not be ready for their appointment or installation. And that can put us and our teams into all kinds of awkward situations.

But the beauty is...we can help close the gap on many of these things if we:

  • Spend time thinking about our clients
  • Think about what feelings they may be having 
  • Think about what questions they are having about the process
  • Think about what information they may need to know to help us do our jobs more easily
  • Think about how can we communicate the process as effectively as possible

And today I'm sharing all kinds of ways and tools to help you communicate often and in a variety of ways that won't take a ton of your time once you get them set up and running. Enjoy!

RESOURCES:

How To Create Client Filters For Your Home Staging Business12 Nov 202200:25:58

This week, I want to introduce you to a concept that will absolutely make your business life so much more enjoyable as you grow. It is going to help you find clients who are a very best fit for your services and will help you identify those clients that won't be a right fit or get the best results from the work that you do. They are called Client Filters.

Client Filters are like having a Red Velvet Rope around your business. Even though I believe every new and newish business owner should work with as many clients as possible, I want you to know that Client Filters are available to you right away and that you can be on the lookout for ways to introduce them into your business as you grow.

Because, as you grow, you will want to be running a low-maintenance business that is clean and clear for all of your team and clients to know exactly what they can expect. And you want to be able to reproduce a great working experience for your team and great results across all of your projects. Client Filters help you do all of that. Pretty dang dreamy, right?

And...in this episode, I'll share some of the Client Filters we have inside Rethink Home Interiors so that you can start thinking about yours...

join the rethink you waitlist here

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • What are Client Filters and why they will help make your business experience so much more enjoyable.
  • Why I believe every newer staging business owner should work with anyone willing to pay them in the beginning.
  • How Client Filters help your business work with the very best clients who value what you do and get the best results from your work together.
  • The Client Filters we have at Rethink Home Interiors
  • Why your Client Filter is a protective measure for your business, your team and your client.

RESOURCES:

How to Create Grounded Communication in Your Staging Business05 Nov 202200:24:37

People ask the darndest things, don't they?  Can you stage tomorrow?  Can you give me a discount because I'll bring you lots of work?  Can I pick the furniture you use?

If you're in business long enough, you'll definitely hear at least one of those.  

You may also encounter scenarios like, 4 feet of snow in the driveway leading to the house you're supposed to stage, construction teams still working in the house, dumpsters blocking your access.  And on and on...

These times can totally stress us out and even annoy us or make us feel devalued.

But...there is a better way.  We can plan for these things, maybe understand where their coming from a little better and we can create communication plans that we can dust off in times of need that are neutral, grounded and effective.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • What is grounded communication?
  • The 4 key ingredients to great grounded communication.
  • Why the thoughts in your brain can totally derail your communication (even if you're saying the right words!).
  • Empowering thoughts to develop around communicating your corporate policies.
  • … and more!

RESOURCES:

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How to Create Boundary Alignment For Your Home Staging Business29 Oct 202200:26:58

One of the joys of owning a Staging business is that you meet so many humans. And one of the challenges of owning a Staging business is that you meet so many humans!

We will be constantly working with people who haven't worked with a stager before so they may have misinformed expectations about staging (I'm looking at you HGTV!) or they may flat out just be demanding or miserable people.

They may not understand that you can't install a vacant tomorrow when you have just seen the property for the first time today. They may ask if they can come to your warehouse to choose the furniture for their project. They may ask you to come back and replace the coffee table because they aren't a fan of that style.

Either way, boundaries are going to (or should) become your business's best friend very quickly. And I say your business's friend because you are not your business. Your business needs boundaries even if you aren't great at having them in your personal life (no shame, I'm a recovering people pleaser!)

In this week's podcast, I'm diving deep into boundary and policy alignment for your business. I'll be giving you food for thought about the kinds of boundaries and policies you may want to put into place, how you communicate them, and what to do if clients don't honor your boundaries.


Listen in to find out how your boundaries affect your business, the truth about emergencies, and the importance of thinking from a place of neutrality.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:
  • What's the difference between boundaries and policies?
  • How to set the right boundaries and policies.
  • How to communicate boundaries effectively.
  • Why you need to separate your boundaries from your business boundaries.
  • … and more!
RESOURCES: ENJOY THE SHOW?
3 Phases of Growing A Successful Staging Business Part 3 | Leverage Phase22 Oct 202200:25:53

Intro

Hey, everybody! Welcome episode 4 of the Staging Sips Podcast. I'm your host, Lori Fischer, and I started this podcast to share the lessons that I've learned along my staging business journey so that you don't have to make the same mistakes I've made while reaching for your ultimate goal.

In today's episode, I talk about the third and final phase of business - the Leverage Phase. 

This is your time! 

Everything you worked for in the Growth and Accelerate Phases of your business begins to come to fruition. This week I'm taking you behind the scenes to see what a Leveraged Business looks like. It isn't all rainbows and daffodils but it's pretty darn nice!

Your team is getting (mostly all the time) in flow, your processes are getting tighter and clearer, you have more room to breathe, you are helping more people. Enjoy this...embrace it and thank your past self for sticking with it and taking the steps to get you here. She (or he!) deserves your respect and admiration. As Snoop Dogg says, "I want to thank me" and you should too.

Listen in to find out how to build and motivate your team, reconnecting with who you are, and implementing strategies ahead of time.

What You'll Learn from This Episode:

  • How you can shed your business hats.
  • How to move from 5000-foot to 30,000-foot responsibilities.
  • How to deal with negative thoughts as your business grows.
  • … and more!

If you want to learn how to market and grow your staging business, sign up for the waitlist for the next enrollment period for Rethink You. This is a year-long mentorship program, where I help you and other staging business owners plan, grow, flow, and thrive with the results that they've always wanted.

Resources

Enjoy the show?

3 Powerful Ways Home Stagers Win More Business With Marianne Cherico30 Aug 202500:36:46

Ever wonder why some stagers seem to effortlessly attract high-end real estate agents while others struggle to get noticed? Or why certain staging businesses explode with growth while others stay stuck in the same patterns year after year?

Meet Marianne Cherico, a personal and professional development coach  for home stagers with 27 years in real estate and nearly two decades of staging under her belt. In this episode, Marianne pulls back the curtain on everything from developing your signature style that gets you remembered, to the exact messaging that makes agents see you as their secret weapon for winning listings. She shares real stories from her coaching clients who've gone from zero to spanning multiple states, and why she actually wants her clients to hear "no" 50% of the time.

This conversation is packed with those "aha" moments that make you want to immediately revamp your entire approach to working with clients and agents. Marianne did not just talk theory. Like she always does, she gives  the specific language, mindset shifts, and strategic moves that transform stagers from order-takers to indispensable business partners.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • How to shift from competition to collaboration with other stagers and build a network that lifts everyone up
  • How to develop a signature style that makes you memorable and gets you design jobs 
  • Why pricing yourself so 50% of your clients say no is actually the goal, 
  • The presentation and follow-up system that keeps you top-of-mind with agents without feeling salesy or pushy

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

3 Phases Of Staging Business Growth Part 2 | Accelerate Phase15 Oct 202200:46:45

Intro

Hey, everybody! Welcome episode 3 of the Staging Sips Podcast. I'm your host, Lori Fischer, and I started this podcast to share the lessons that I've learned along my staging business journey so that you don't have to make the same mistakes I've made while reaching for your ultimate goal.

In today's episode, I talk about the second of three phases of business - the Accelerate Phase. I will be walking you through what you can expect to see in your business during this phase, and we take a look at growing your team for the first time.

Listen in to find out how you can become more efficient as your business accelerates, scaling and budgeting, automation, and creating a "you not needed" business plan.

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

  • How to be committed to solving the problems that your business was designed to solve.
  • How to plan your cashflow for quiet seasons.
  • The importance of automation.
  • Why you need to engineer your pricing from real numbers.
  • … and more!

If you want to learn how to market and grow your staging business, sign up for the waitlist for the next enrollment period for Rethink You. This is a year-long mentorship program, where I help you and other staging business owners plan, grow, flow, and thrive with the results that they've always wanted.

Resources

Enjoy the show?

3 Phases Of Staging Business Growth Part 1 | Growth Phase08 Oct 202200:36:26

Hey, everybody! Welcome to episode 2 of the Staging Sips Podcast. I'm your host, Lori Fischer, and today starts a three-part series that I've put together on growing a staging business.

In today's episode, I walk through the the first of three phases of business - the growth phase. I will also be sharing some of the benchmarks of this phase, how to stop your brain from stopping your growth, and how to overcome some of the most common hurdles that your business could come across.

Listen in to find out how to effectively grow your business so that you can begin reaching for your goals.

 

What You'll Learn From This Episode:

  • How to stop your brain from being a bad roommate.
  • The advantage of using social media and emails.
  • How to plan for the future of your business.
  • Which important questions you need to be asking yourself.
  • … and so much more!

If you want to learn how to market and grow your staging business, sign up for the waitlist for the next enrolment period for Rethink You. This is a year-long mentorship program, where I help you and other staging business owners plan, grow, flow, and thrive with the results that they've always wanted.

JOIN THE RETHINK YOU WAITLIST:

www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/waitlist

 

HANG OUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM:

www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

How To Take Waaaay Better Action In Your Staging Business01 Oct 202200:18:50

Have you ever wondered why--even when you know what you should be doing to grow your staging business--you don't do it?  Today, we're going to dig in and start to uncover the mystery of your inaction.  If you learn nothing else from any other episode in this podcast, this one thing will be a game changer!

JOIN THE RETHINK YOU WAITLIST:

http://www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/ryouwaitlist

HANG OUT WITH ME ON INSTAGRAM:

www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

How to Delegate Staging Without Losing Clients or Quality23 Aug 202500:21:02

There's a pattern I see repeatedly with successful staging business owners that's quietly sabotaging everything they've built. They're showing up to every install, running every consultation, personally styling every pillow, and wondering why they feel like they're drowning despite having a team on payroll.

But here's the reality: if you're still the primary technician, you haven't built a business. You've built yourself a very expensive job with multiple employees to manage.

In my coaching work with staging CEOs, especially inside Accelerate, I see this tension constantly. Staging business owners who are afraid that stepping back from client-facing work will lower quality, so they stay in the grind . But the exhaustion they feel doesn't come from the amount of work. It comes from a deeper misunderstanding: your value as a CEO is very different from your value as a solo stager.

That's why today I'm sharing the exact framework I used to transform my business from "Lori's company" into Rethink Home Interiors—, with systems ensuring quality without requiring my physical presence at every project. It is also the approach that is helping Accelerate owners reclaim their role as CEO without sacrificing the standards that built their reputation.

I hope this episode becomes a turning point for you, revealing how to delegate staging tasks so you can step out of the technician role and step fully into business ownership.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The Real Source of Your Exhaustion (And It's Not What You Think)
  • How to create systems for quality instead of being the quality control bottleneck yourself
  • What clients genuinely care about versus what your perfectionist brain thinks 
  • How to use the 10-80-10 Framework for delegating without losing your standards or your mind

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

The Neuroscience of Reclaiming Your CEO Time16 Aug 202500:18:15

Picture this: you're on a two-week vacation in Austria. The air is crisp, the scenery is breathtaking, and your phone is blissfully quiet. Not because your home staging business is falling apart, but because it's running better than ever. Projects are getting completed, clients are thrilled, and your team is stepping up, filling in gaps, and owning their roles. You're not "checking in" every five minutes…you're actually relaxing.

Sounds dreamy??? Yes, it is! But that does not happen by accident. It is not luck, and it is not because everything magically fell into place the day you left. It's the result of reclaiming your CEO time before you thought you were ready. It is a reward of putting the right structures and support in place so you can step away without fear, guilt, or chaos waiting for you when you get back.

In this episode of the Staging Sips podcast, I am going to walk you through how to stop running your business from a place of reactivity and start leading it from a place of intention. You'll learn how to strategically remove yourself from work that doesn't require your unique genius, why "waiting for the right time" is actually a trap that rewires your brain to stay busy, and the exact mindset shift that moves you from panic mode into builder mode.

If you've been wearing every hat, clinging to every decision, and telling yourself this is "just a busy season"…it's time to see what's really possible when you protect your CEO hours like your most valuable asset.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why capacity before you're ready is the fastest path to sustainable growth.
  • The two CEO filters and how to apply them to every task.
  • The exact mindset shift that moves you from panic mode into builder mode.
  • Practical "buy-back" moves to free the right hours for the right work.



RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!



ENJOY THE SHOW?

What If Wanting It More Is the Problem09 Aug 202500:21:11

This episode is recorded with "special sound effects that you may hear," which buttresses this conversation about interrupting patterns that sneak into our daily operations as home staging business owners. The kind of patterns that don't just slow us down but quietly sabotage the very growth we're working so hard to create.

Today, I'm sharing one of the most important mindset shifts I've made and helped my clients make in their staging businesses: realizing that wanting success more isn't always the answer. Sometimes, it's the problem.

We often have the constant drive to push harder, say yes to everything, discount just enough to close the deal, or keep our phones by our side all night just in case a client reaches out. We convince ourselves that landing the next project, hitting that revenue goal, or the emergency install squeezed into an already maxed-out calendar is the right thing for our business.

But underneath that hustle is often anxiety dressed up as work ethic, and it's costing us more than we realize.

Starting with the experiences of other home staging business owners who've lived through that same cycle, you'll also hear how making small but intentional shifts, rooted in what I call sufficiency energy, can help you lead your staging business with more clarity, confidence, and ease without dialing down your ambition.

I hope this episode helps you exhale, assess your position, and make one powerful move toward the kind of home staging business that holds your success, not just chases it.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why obsession energy often leads to burnout, micromanaging, and decision fatigue  and how to interrupt that cycle
  • Real-life client examples and personal stories from inside Rethink You Accelerate that show how these patterns play out (and how to shift them)
  • Mindset tools to support better decisions, cleaner processes, and business boundaries that actually build trust
  • How to spot the subtle ways you're operating from fear — and how to return to belief

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

How to Build Capacity in Your Staging Business Before You Feel Ready02 Aug 202500:20:24

You know that moment when things are finally starting to click in your staging business. More inquiries, more visibility, more momentum, and yet behind the scenes, it feels like one more client might break the whole system? That's what we're talking about today.

This episode is for the home staging business owner who knows it's time to expand but feels stuck waiting for the "right time." It is also for the staging CEO juggling growth with resistance, order with chaos, and strategy with self-doubt. If your brain is whispering, "I'm not ready," but your calendar and cash flow say otherwise, you might want to pay attention because your business is already signaling that it's time to grow, whether you feel ready or not.

This conversation isn't just about systems and structure. It is about what happens in your mind when your business starts demanding more of you. Today, I'll walk you through what capacity actually looks like, why your hesitation is normal (but costly), and what small, bold moves shift you out of hustle and into real leadership.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • The real definition of business capacity  
  • Why your brain throws up resistance every time you try to expand
  • How undercharging is actually a capacity problem
  • The three essential beliefs that successful CEOs use to build capacity before they feel ready 

 

RESOURCES:  

 

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

Momentum Isn't Magic, It's a Management System26 Jul 202500:22:50

Rhythm, predictability and structure could not feel any better!

If you're running your home staging business week to week, feeling dizzy at the thought of planning beyond 7 days, that is not where you should be. Most staging CEOs think structure will slow them down, but here's what neuroscience reveals: your brain is literally hardwired to crave predictability. And when tasks that feel urgent are carried into days? You are stuck in threat response mode resulting in decision fatigue, overthinking, and burnout!

Today you'll discover why business owners who install simple rhythms; weekly CEO hours, monthly metric reviews, quarterly planning sessions don't just grow faster, but with less stress and more strategic clarity.

You'll learn why creating these consistent rhythms for not just productivity can transform how you lead, creating space for clarity, reducing pressure, and allowing you to lead with more intention.

Your desired home staging CEO self is already unlocked.  You just have to do the work you most avoid.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why your brain craves predictability (and how that affects how you lead).
  • Weekly, monthly, and quarterly rhythms that create momentum on autopilot.
  • How to build cadence into your week even if it's just you and a whiteboard.
  • How to handle client curveballs and unexpected requests when you have solid business rhythms supporting you

 

RESOURCES:  

 

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

Want vs. Need: Building a Website That Converts With Cathleen Barnes19 Jul 202500:34:08

Is your website just sitting pretty or is it actually working for your business? If you've ever felt like your site doesn't reflect your growth, doesn't bring in the right clients, or still feels like it belongs to your "just getting started" era, this conversation is for you.

Lori's conversation today is with Cathleen Barnes, the founder of Cathleen Barnes Consulting, a web and brand design studio known for creating strategy-first, high-converting websites for interior designers and creative business owners.

After climbing the corporate ladder for over a decade and reaching the role of eCommerce Director at a global company, Cathleen pivoted. She chose to take her skills into a more meaningful space helping designers and service providers elevate their digital presence with clarity, intention, and a whole lot less stress.

Whether you're looking to rebrand, update, or completely reimagine your website, Cathleen offers a real-world, actionable roadmap for making your site your hardest-working employee, not just an online business card.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • What makes a website strategic vs just stylish
  • How to make your website function like a backend assistant
  • The most common problems your website should be solving
  • What to include (and what to rethink) on your homepage

 

RESOURCES:  

 

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!



ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

 

Stand Out as a Stager With Heather Cook22 Nov 202500:41:22

Let's talk about something so many stagers quietly struggle with: figuring out how to stand out in a sea of gorgeous rooms and beautifully staged homes. If you've ever caught yourself scrolling and thinking, "We're all posting pretty pictures… so how am I supposed to be different?" this is your "guide to" 

I'm sitting down with Heather of Social Savvy Stager today. Heather ran her own staging business for over a decade, doing all the installs, presentations, and wearing the marketing hat long before it had a name. Along the way, she realized something many of us feel but don't say out loud: our industry teaches us how to stage beautifully, but not how to talk about our work in a way that connects, converts, and brings in the clients we want. That realization became the heart of the work she's doing today.

Heather shares her thoughtful, step-by-step approach to branding and helps you uncover what makes you you in a market that often tries to flatten everyone into the same box. We also get into her Connect and Convert content framework, detailing the four types of posts every stager needs in order to move beyond pretty pictures and into real results.

If you're ready to get out of the price-shopping trap to build a brand that feels authentic and different, this episode is going to feel like a deep breath.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why pretty visuals aren't enough and what actually creates a brand that converts
  • How to uncover your differentiators even if you're brand new.
  • Why most stagers get stuck in growth content  and what types of posts you must add in
  • The biggest messaging mistakes Heather sees and how to avoid being commoditized by the market

 

RESOURCES:  

 

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

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How to Build a Team That Believes in the Mission—Not Just the Job12 Jul 202500:22:19

You didn't start your business to manage chaos—yours or anyone else's. And yet, even with a team in place, delegation doesn't always feel like relief. You find yourself double-checking tasks you've already assigned, mentally tracking details you thought you handed off, or stepping back in when something feels off. Exhausting and far from the freedom you imagined!

Often, the root of this tension isn't just about team performance. It's about connection. When team members don't fully understand how their role supports the mission of your staging business, it's easy for their actions to fall flat and for your brain to stay on high alert. But that's not dead-end. Rather, it is a problem with a solution that starts with you.

Today, I talk about the mental residue that so many staging CEOs carry even after building a team. Showing you not just how cognitive residue makes you stuck at hovering rather than trusting, you'll get neuroscience-backed tools, clear frameworks, and mindset strategies to help you delegate with confidence and get your time (and peace) back.

Whether you're hiring your first assistant or leading a full team, this episode is your guide to a team that doesn't just follow instructions but one that functions with confidence and purpose.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why your brain stays on alert even after you've delegated
  • How to use the IPO framework as a practical delegation tool
  • How to reset your delegation mindset using Brooke Castillo's Thought Model
  • How to do a team inventory to spot loose ends in your team and fix them

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

You Weren't Meant to Build This Alone: Why Coaching Isn't a Luxury—It's a Lever05 Jul 202500:11:28

You've built your business with grit and a whole lot of resourcefulness. You've taken in all the free advice, downloaded the templates, maybe even brought on a little help and yet  something is not just clicking.

If you're in that messy middle where you're no longer starting from scratch but nowhere near where you want to be, constantly beating yourself up with "I should be able to figure this out by now", you are not alone.

What you may not just know right now is that even the most successful business owners don't build in isolation. They get support. And that transition from "scrappy startup" to "scalable business" requires a completely different skill set than what got you here.

And what happens when you try to muscle through alone? You end up working harder, not smarter. You're busy, but not necessarily building the business you actually want.

In today's episode, I talk about why this phase feels so frustrating and more importantly, how to break free from it. What's important for where you are headed is leverage - getting the right support at the right time so you can finally build a business that works for you, not against you.

If you've been waiting for the "right time" to invest in strategic support, this epsiode is your sign.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why so many staging CEOs hit a plateau even after gaining traction
  • How high-achieving CEOs unknowingly build their businesses for survival instead of leadership
  • How coaching shifts your mindset from "What should I do?" to "Here's what I'm doing—how can it be stronger, simpler, faster?"
  • What real transformation looks like inside the Accelerate program

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

Are You Solving the Right Problem? (And how to know!)28 Jun 202500:26:24

Today's episode hits close to home for so many of us juggling team mishaps, last-minute chaos, or repeating the same fire drill.

Every business hits rough patches; let's be honest. However, it becomes an issue, a source of concern and a need to re-evaluate things when the same problem keeps showing up. Then, in contrast to "how can I solve this", it is time to ask the  question: Am I fixing the right problem?

Here's the kicker: If you've been fixing the same problem again and again… odds are, you're solving the wrong thing.

This week, we're diving into how to actually diagnose the real issue and implement solutions that don't just offer temporary relief but create lasting momentum.

If you've been feeling like you're constantly in reaction mode, this episode will help you step fully into your CEO role—with sharper focus and smarter decisions.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why you might be "fixing" the same issue repeatedly—and what that really means
  • How your brain tricks you into solving the wrong thing (hello, temporary relief)
  • A neuroscience-backed reframe to help you shift from reactive to strategic
  • How to apply the FIXIT Protocol to get out of firefighting mode and lead like a CEO

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

You Don't Need More Time. You Need Better Protocols21 Jun 202500:26:06

Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I just need more time"? If you're in the growth or acceleration phase of your staging business, this episode will lovingly challenge that thought. Because what if time isn't the issue at all?

Today, we're diving into one of the most important mindset and structural shifts a CEO can make. If your days feel like a non-stop game of calendar blocks, your team still needs you to make every decision and your brain is carrying the entire operating manual, you'll want to listen to this episode mindfully.

This isn't just about scaling. It's about reclaiming your time, restructuring your business, and stepping into the CEO role your company needs. Not the one it's outgrown.

 

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

  • Why the feeling of needing "more time" is just a symptom, not the root issue
  • The neuroscience behind burnout and why your brain defaults to YOU as the shortcut
  • How to identify whether your business has outgrown its structure
  • The 3 CEO reactive loops and how to break them

 

RESOURCES:  

If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!

 

ENJOY THE SHOW?

 

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