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In this grounded and thought-provoking episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui explores a feeling that many women in business quietly carry but rarely articulate, the desire to feel safe in their business.

Lisa-Marie invites you to reflect on what safety truly means within your business, and how that feeling is often directly linked to your financial awareness, structures, and sales strategies. Rather than being something abstract, safety is built through clarity, understanding, and intentional decision-making.

She shares practical insights into how you can begin to create stability by understanding your current financial position, building a structured service suite, and developing a clear financial roadmap. Lisa-Marie introduces the concept of the Cashflow Code method, a way of mapping your numbers so that your business feels predictable, supportive, and aligned with your goals.

This episode also explores the importance of setting clear sales targets, understanding your capacity, and creating boundaries that protect both your time and your profitability. When your business is structured properly, it begins to support you rather than overwhelm you.

It is a gentle but powerful reminder that safety in business is not something you wait for. It is something you build.

This episode is an invitation to pause and check in with how your business feels, not just how it looks from the outside.

When you build strong foundations, understand your numbers, and lead your business with clarity and intention, safety becomes something you experience daily, not something you are constantly searching for.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

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In this insightful and grounding episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui is joined by business strategist Helen Thacker to explore what it really takes to stand out in a saturated market.

Together, they unpack the power of simplicity in business, and why refining your messaging is often the missing piece for entrepreneurs who feel stuck, overlooked, or unsure how to attract higher-paying clients. Helen shares her perspective on cutting through the noise by focusing on your zone of genius, and clearly communicating the value of what you do.

The conversation moves beyond surface-level strategy and into the internal work that supports sustainable growth. Lisa-Marie and Helen discuss the role of confidence, identity, and conviction in business, and how these elements directly influence the way you position yourself and your brand.

You can dive Helen’s World HERE

They also touch on the importance of making strategic decisions following launches or busy periods, allowing space to reflect, refine, and move forward with clarity rather than rushing into the next thing.

This episode is a reminder that you don’t need to do more to grow your business. You need to simplify, focus, and stand confidently in what you already do best.

This episode is an invitation to step away from overcomplicating your business and instead return to what truly matters.

When you are clear on your strengths, confident in your value, and intentional with your messaging, you naturally begin to stand out. Not by doing more, but by doing what you do best with clarity and conviction.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

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In this episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui explores a topic that many interior designers quietly avoid but that sits at the heart of building a sustainable and successful business: financial mastery.

Lisa-Marie shares why understanding your numbers is not simply about spreadsheets or accounting, but about leadership. When designers learn to engage with their financial data, they move from reacting to circumstances in their business to making informed and strategic decisions about their growth.

Sign onto our Financial Mastery Class HERE

Tuesday 24th March at 10am (GMT) Online via Zoom.

Once your purchase has gone through you will receive your zoom link.

The conversation touches on the emotional relationship many creatives have with money, and why financial conversations can often feel uncomfortable or overwhelming. Lisa-Marie offers a refreshing perspective, encouraging designers to view their numbers not as something to fear, but as valuable information that helps them shape the future of their business.

Throughout the episode, she explains the importance of financial forecasting, planning ahead, and using your business numbers to guide sales strategies, marketing activity, and long-term goals. When designers understand the financial rhythm of their business, they are able to build stability, make clearer decisions, and create a business that supports both their professional ambitions and their lifestyle.

This episode is an invitation to step into a more empowered role within your business, shifting from simply being the creative behind the work to becoming the CEO who confidently leads it.

This episode is a reminder that financial mastery is not about becoming a financial expert overnight. It is about becoming curious, informed, and intentional with the numbers that shape your business.

When you understand what your numbers are telling you, you gain the clarity and confidence to lead your business forward with purpose.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

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In this insightful episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui is joined by PR strategist Laura Perkes to explore how entrepreneurs, particularly interior designers, can navigate the world of public relations with clarity and confidence.

Laura shares her expertise on how PR is far more than simply appearing in magazines or media features. At its heart, effective public relations begins with understanding what you want to be known for. When you are clear about your positioning, your speciality, and the message behind your work, it becomes far easier to cut through the noise and communicate your value.

Together, Lisa-Marie and Laura discuss how PR has evolved in the digital age, the importance of authenticity in storytelling, and how entrepreneurs can build meaningful relationships with journalists and editors rather than relying on quick wins. Laura also offers practical guidance on pitching, crafting compelling headlines, and using tools such as AI to refine ideas and streamline the creative process.

This conversation is both strategic and reassuring. It reminds business owners that PR is not about chasing attention, but about building a clear reputation over time, one that reflects who you are, what you do, and the impact you want to make.

You Can Dive into Laura’s World HERE

And you can find her Instagram HERE

This episode is a gentle reminder that building your reputation takes time, intention, and clarity. PR is not about chasing recognition for the sake of it, but about thoughtfully shaping how your work is seen and understood.

When you know what you stand for and communicate it clearly, opportunities begin to find their way to you.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

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What actually happens when you stop trying to build your interior design business on your own?

In this episode, I’m sitting down with a number of incredible interior design entrepreneurs who have been inside Design Destiny and Design Thrive, and we’re talking honestly about what shifted for them.

Not just in their business, but in how they lead it.

You’ll hear real stories, the behind-the-scenes moments of doubt, the imposter syndrome, the pricing hesitation, the feast-and-famine cycles… and then the turning points.

Because here’s the truth:
Most designers aren’t struggling because they lack talent.
They’re struggling because they’re building without structure.

Inside this conversation, we explore what changed when these women introduced:

• Clear service frameworks
• Stronger boundaries
• Pricing rooted in value, not fear
• Consistent client acquisition systems
• And perhaps most importantly… community

So many designers operate in isolation. They carry the pressure alone. They second-guess decisions. They undercharge. They over-deliver.

And what you’ll hear in this episode is what happens when that isolation is replaced with structured support, accountability, and strategic clarity.

Confidence grows.
Authority strengthens.
Revenue stabilises.
And business starts to feel calm instead of chaotic.

We also speak about mindset, because no strategy works if you don’t believe you are capable of holding it.

The identity shifts.
The daily habits change.
The way they show up in discovery calls transforms, and that’s when momentum builds.

If you’re an interior designer who feels capable yet stretched… busy yet inconsistent… or quietly aware that there is another level available to you, this episode will resonate deeply.

Because growth isn’t about doing more.

Join Design Destiny and Design Thrive for £358 a month HERE

It’s about building properly.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

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In this honest and uplifting episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui sits down with Alpa Soneji from Studio Alpa to explore her journey inside Design Destiny and the profound shifts that followed.

Alpa shares how, before joining the programme, she felt capable but overwhelmed. Like many women in interior design, she was talented and committed, yet lacking clear structure, consistent boundaries, and confidence in her client communication. Through Design Destiny, she gained clarity around her target client, refined her processes, and built foundations that finally supported her rather than stretched her.

This conversation highlights the importance of mentorship and community for women in business. Alpa reflects on how having structured guidance, accountability, and a room full of ambitious women created momentum and belief. Over the past 18 months, she has not only strengthened her business model but stepped into a calmer, more confident version of herself as a business owner.

It’s a grounded reminder that clarity changes everything. When you understand your services, set boundaries confidently, and treat your work as a business, growth becomes sustainable rather than stressful.

You can dive into Alpa’s world HERE

This episode is for the woman who knows she is capable but feels stretched, scattered, or unsure of her next move. Alpa’s journey is proof that you don’t need to push harder, you need stronger foundations.

When clarity meets structure and is supported by mentorship and community, business becomes something you lead, rather than something that leads you.

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

Send a text

In this inspiring and heartfelt episode, Lisa-Marie Elkhadraoui is joined by Cheryl Olah, who shares her journey from the fashion industry into the world of interior design, and the pivotal role that structure, community, and mentorship played in that transition.

Cheryl reflects on her experience inside the bootcamp and how it gave her the clarity and direction she had been craving. She shares how continuing into Design Destiny and Design Thrive helped her move from feeling unsure and overwhelmed, to confident, supported, and clear in her business decisions.

This conversation explores the importance of understanding your pricing, tailoring your services to your strengths, and surrounding yourself with the right people as you grow. Cheryl speaks openly about the power of women supporting women, the mindset shifts required when stepping into a new industry, and why taking action, even when it feels uncomfortable, is often the key to transformation.

It’s a warm reminder that you don’t need to have all the answers before you begin. With the right guidance, support, and belief, clarity and confidence are built along the way.

This episode is for anyone standing at the edge of change, wondering whether they are ready to take the leap. Cheryl’s journey is proof that clarity, confidence, and success are not reserved for those who have it all figured out, but for those who are willing to be supported and take the next step.

You don’t need to wait for certainty.
You need to decide to begin.

Dive into Cheryl’s World HERE

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

This is your last chance to join the interior designer's blueprint bootcamp today! Find out more details HERE

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode you lovely lot! Xx

Send a text

Are you running a business… or are you just servicing projects?

In this powerful and honest episode, I unpack the identity shift required to move from operating as an interior designer in “project mode” to leading as a structured, strategic interior design business owner.

If you feel busy but slightly anxious…
If you finish one install and immediately think, “What’s next?”
If you’ve never properly forecasted your next financial year…

This episode will hold a mirror up, without judgement and invite you into leadership.

I break down:

• The difference between project mode and CEO thinking
• Why reacting feels productive but isn’t leadership
• How to structure your week like a businesswoman
• What pipeline maturity actually looks like
• Why financial forecasting is non-negotiable
• The mindset shifts required to grow

This is not about working harder, It’s about thinking differently, If this episode resonated deeply, your next step is structure, not more motivation.

Design Destiny & Design Thrive are designed to help you pivot from interior designer to interior design business owner. Design Destiny is for interior designers who are ready to build businesses rooted in clarity, confidence and alignment, not chaos or burnout. Combined with the ongoing mentorship and community inside Design Thrive, it offers a space where women are supported to grow, implement, reflect and evolve together.

Inside we focus on:

– Structured weeks & CEO time
– Service suite clarity
– Sales mastery & pipeline movement
And so much more.

Next group starts 7th April Investment from £358 per month

Learn More HERE

If you’re ready to collapse time and go deeper:

– 9 Month 1:1 Mentorship (1 space remaining) Deposit from £476.00 and prices starting from £1000
– VIP Strategy Days from £1500
– 60 Day Pricing & Positioning Accelerators from £2222

Connect with me on Instagram HERE and reach out and book a discovery call on teamdesignbossdiary@gmail.com

Before you go I am hosting The Designer’s Blueprint Bootcamp, a free, five-day live bootcamp designed to help interior designers rebuild and strengthen the foundations of their business and one of our pillars are building more confidence through internal energetics and what that looks like.

Dates: Monday 23rd February – Friday 27th February 2026 Join HERE

Continue the conversation and connect with Lisa-Marie HERE

Feel free to DM or tag Lisa-Marie after listening to the episode.

And as always if you have loved this episode we would love for you to leave a review and if you screenshot this podcast and share it on your socials, tagging @Design_Boss_Diary in then we have a special gift waiting just for you.

See you in the next episode, you lovely lot! Xx,