Designing Success

Before You Use AI With Client Work: 7 Things Every Interior Design Studio Needs

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Explore the AI safe policy KIT here Check out Studio Build HERE If you’re using ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or other AI tools inside your interior design business, there are a few decisions worth making before client information starts casually finding its way into AI. Because “is AI safe?” isn’t actually the right question. The better questions are: What information are you uploading? Whose intellectual property is it? Do you have permission to use it? Which AI account are you using? What happens to that information after you upload it? And does everyone in your studio know the rules? A quick but important disclaimer: I’m an AI educator and business strategist, not a lawyer. Everything discussed in this episode — including the frameworks, questions, clauses and policy considerations — is designed to help you identify what your studio needs to think about and document. It is not legal advice. Ultimately, these are operational questions and starting points until you seek independent legal counsel about what is appropriate for your business, your contracts and your clients. In this episode of Designing Success, I’m sharing key excerpts from my recent AI safety webinar for interior designers and breaking down what actually happens when you upload information into an AI platform — including transmission, processing, output and retention. Then we get practical. I walk through seven things I believe every interior design studio should consider documenting when using AI with client work: A current client AI clause An internal AI use rule or policy A restricted data list An approved AI tools register A simple redaction process A human review checkpoint A contractor and team AI acknowledgement We also look at my Stop, Pause, Play traffic-light framework for deciding what information can go into AI, what needs to be redacted or assessed first, and what should stay out altogether. Because the goal isn’t to become terrified of using AI. It’s to stop making the decision from scratch every single time you open ChatGPT. Decide once. Document it. Then operate by it. And this conversation goes beyond AI safety. Towards the end of the episode, I explain the difference between a safe, useful and scalable AI studio — and why jumping straight to agents and automations before documenting how your business actually operates is usually just accelerating the mess. Safe AI has boundaries. Useful AI has context. Scalable AI has documented processes it can reliably help execute. If your SOPs are still living in your head, your business knowledge is scattered across folders and your workflows depend on you remembering what happens next, AI isn't ready to magically take the business off your plate. That’s the work we do first. In this episode: What happens when you upload a client file into AI Transmission, processing, output and data retention explained simply Why different AI plans and accounts offer different levels of control Personal vs business/team vs enterprise AI accounts The questions to ask before putting client information or third-party IP into AI How to minimise and redact client information before uploading The Stop, Pause, Play framework for assessing AI risk Seven areas to consider documenting in your studio Why your team and contractors need to understand your AI rules too The difference between safe, useful and scalable AI Why documented SOPs and workflows are the foundation for genuinely useful AI automation AI Safe Studio Policy Kit If listening to this has made you realise, Ohhhh… we probably need to actually write some of this down, I’ve already built you a starting point. The AI Safe Studio Policy Kit is a ready-to-customise operational pack designed to help interior design studios ask the right questions and begin documenting their decisions around AI use, client information, approved tools, restricted data, redaction, human review and team expectations. It is intentionally a starting point, not a substitute for legal advice. Once you’ve worked through the questions and made some preliminary decisions, you can take that thinking to your own legal counsel to review what is appropriate for your studio. [LINK TO AI SAFE STUDIO POLICY KIT] Ready to make your whole business AI-compatible? The policy piece helps you build the safe foundation. Studio Build tackles the bigger operational piece underneath it. Over six weeks, we document how your studio operates, centralise the knowledge and context currently living across your head, folders and platforms, map your repeatable workflows and identify where AI can safely and reliably start taking work off your plate. Instead of building your business around whichever AI platform happens to be winning the Mario Kart race this week, we build a documented business that can plug into the tools as they evolve. The final Studio Build cohort for 2026 begins 8 September. Explore Studio Build: Designing Success is hosted by Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist, business coach and educator helping interior designers build smarter, more documented and AI-ready design businesses. Subscribe to the podcast for practical conversations about AI for interior designers, interior design business systems, marketing, pricing, studio operations and building a design business that doesn't require you to personally remember absolutely everything. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

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The Instagram Strategy That Added 4,500 Followers in 30 Days

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. If Instagram has felt like you’re posting into the void lately, Trial Reels might be worth your attention. In this episode of Designing Success, I’m sharing the Instagram growth strategy I’m actively testing in my own business — and the results have been pretty hard to ignore. In the last 30 days, I’ve added around 4,500 Instagram followers, had a Trial Reel reach 300,000 views, and while recording this episode, five Trial Reels posted across one day had put my business in front of around 50,000 new eyeballs. And no, this does not mean I’m suggesting you add five beautifully edited Reels to your already ridiculous weekly to-do list. Trial Reels work differently from your normal Instagram content because they’re designed to be shown predominantly to people who don’t already follow you. That makes them a really interesting top-of-funnel marketing tool for interior designers who want to increase Instagram reach, grow an aligned audience and ultimately create more opportunities for enquiries and in-home consultations. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how I’m approaching them. We talk about: What Instagram Trial Reels are and why they’re different from posting to your normal feed Why Trial Reels should be treated as top-of-funnel content The simple 6–9 second B-roll format I’m using How I’m repurposing videos already sitting in my camera roll rather than constantly creating new content Why strong opinions and specific points of view make better Trial Reel hooks How interior designers can use their expertise to create content potential clients actually care about The problem with designers constantly creating content for other designers How I’m using ChatGPT and Claude to turn existing long-form content and IP into Trial Reel ideas Why every Instagram content strategy needs an actual business goal behind it How I’m tracking views, comments and performance so I can work out what’s actually driving growth How you could adapt this strategy to generate more followers, DMs, enquiries or interior design consultations I also share the exact workflow I’m currently using to create five Trial Reels in around 20–30 minutes — without filming five new videos every morning. Because the point isn't more content for the sake of more content. It’s using content you already have, pairing it with a stronger message, putting it in front of people who don't know you yet, and then paying attention to what actually works. FREE AI + CLIENT DATA WEBINAR I’m also running a free live webinar for interior designers: What’s Really Happening When You Upload Files to AI? The Truth About Client Data, Intellectual Property & AI for Interior Designers We’re talking about client files, transcripts, floor plans, intellectual property, privacy, AI tools, internal policies and what responsible AI use actually looks like inside an interior design studio. No AI panic. No “delete ChatGPT immediately” nonsense. Just a practical conversation about understanding the tools we’re increasingly using inside our businesses. Register free here: Register even if you can’t attend live and you’ll receive access to the replay. WANT THE SYSTEMS BEHIND THE STRATEGY? Inside Studio Build, we go much further than simply asking AI to write a few Instagram captions. We build the documented business underneath it — your systems, processes, SOPs, AI workflows and marketing infrastructure — so AI actually has something useful to work with. The next round of Studio Build kicks off in September and is the final cohort for the year. Explore Studio Build HERE Topics: Instagram marketing for interior designers, Instagram Trial Reels, interior design marketing, social media marketing for interior designers, Instagram growth strategy, how to get interior design clients, content marketing for interior designers, AI for interior designers, ChatGPT for interior designers, Claude AI, interior design business, interior design business coaching, marketing an interior design business, Instagram Reels strategy, Studio Build. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

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AI in Design: Client Data and IP Policy's

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Clients are starting to ask interior designers how they use AI with their private information — floor plans, budgets, family details, meeting transcripts. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, breaks down what actually happens to uploaded data, why your account type changes the answer, and how to build a simple studio policy so you can answer with confidence instead of stumbling through it. Register for the free webinar (24 August): → What's really happening when you upload files to AI: Explore Penelope, proposal GPT here Get your Contract Clause HERE ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── Why clients are starting to ask about AI in interior design What actually counts as "using AI" in your studio Protecting your own IP from AI in client contracts What client information should never go into AI How to redact client details before you prompt AI What actually happens when you delete an AI chat Does your AI account type change your privacy protection What is shadow AI and is it happening in your studio Getting client consent to record and transcribe consults How to build a simple AI policy for your studio ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Free webinar — What's really happening when you upload files to AI: [link] → DM "contract" on Instagram for the AI IP clause: @the_rhiannonlee → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: [link] → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: [link] → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: [link] ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee → Website: rhiannon-lee.com Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

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What I told a room of designers about AI at The Design Show, Sydney.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Register for the AI Safe Webinar, HERE Join the weekly email list HERE learn how to build out project management in Notion HERE Interested in my speaker fee card and customising a talk for your business or group? email me at hello@rhiannon-lee.com and I'll point you right to it. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

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20 years and beyond with Mandie Wright, of Infinite Interior design and renovations.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

why interior designers keep landing $4k jobs, not $40k ones

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

• Transcript

Emergency meeting - Fable 5 for designers

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Want to watch this and see the screen share version of the apps? chek it out on YouTube here https://youtu.be/LHPePe1tDMQ?si=78-Y9S-9glV8-V54 Fable (Claude's most capable model) is free until July 12th. Rhiannon Lee used hers to audit 40+ AI skills, build a private boardroom of business advisors, create a marketing analytics dashboard, develop an AI-readiness quiz for interior designers, and map out her entire September launch strategy. This episode shows what king-level thinking looks like in a real design studio — and why you shouldn't waste free tokens on cheap work. → Take the AI-Readiness Audit: rhiannon-lee.com (launching after Decor & Design, early August 2026) → Meet Rhiannon at Decor & Design Melbourne: Thursday 12:30pm — DM @the_rhiannonlee ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 Why Rhiannon sat up until 2:30am using her Fable tokens 2:15 The difference between Haiku, Sonnet, Opus, and Fable models 5:40 How to use Fable without wasting credits on cheap work 8:20 Auditing your AI skills library for king-level thinking 11:45 Using Fable to security-audit your WordPress website 15:30 What is a Launch Command Centre and why you need one 18:40 Building a Marketing Analytics dashboard as an artifact 22:15 Inside Rhiannon's private boardroom of six AI advisors 28:05 Who sits on the board and what each advisor does 32:50 Building a PR Scout app to find podcast and speaking opportunities 36:20 Creating an AI-readiness quiz for your studio 39:10 The content engine: turning one piece into five platforms 45:15 What agents are and why Rhiannon is building a marketing agency 48:30 The difference between deploying live vs building as an artifact 51:40 How interior designers can use Fable without coding skills 54:25 Your job going forward: ask the right business questions 57:15 Rhiannon's big goal: help 500 designers stop playing every instrument ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Fable 5 (Claude's advanced model): claude.ai → Rhiannon's Marketing Command Centre: artifact example (in video) → Rhiannon's AI Boardroom: artifact example (in video) → AI-Readiness Audit: rhiannon-lee.com (launching August 2026) → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: rhiannon-lee.com/studio-build → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: rhiannon-lee.com/studio-ceo → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: rhiannon-lee.com ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee → Website: rhiannon-lee.com → Podcast: Designing Success (weekly on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts) Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

Natasha, Emily and Oula, tell it how it is.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Oula, Em, and Natasha all said the same thing: they didn't expect the business structure side of it, they thought it was going to be more about the AI tools. If you've been on the fence about Studio Build what's the actual question you'd want answered before you'd feel ready to commit? Emily Bere — Musa Studio Emily is the founder of Musa Studio, based in Jindabyne in the Snowy Mountains. She works across residential and commercial projects, with a focus on craftsmanship, spatial design, and environments that feel both considered and warm. musastudio Oula — Oulala Interior Design Oula runs Oulala Interior Design, a Sydney-based studio working with homeowners and businesses across residential and commercial projects. Her service suite runs from single-room design plans through to full end-to-end project management, with a focus on spaces that feel warm, refined, and intentional. oulala Natasha Kennedy — Project N Natasha Kennedy leads Project N, bringing over 20 years of creative direction, interior design, and spatial storytelling to her work. The studio doesn't do signature style — it designs by interpretation, working across brand environments, cultural projects, strategic collaborations, and residential design by application. projectn AI for interior designers, interior design business, interior design studio systems, design business coaching, Studio Build Rhiannon Lee, Studio CEO interior design, AI implementation interior design, Notion for interior designers, Claude AI interior design, Google Drive interior design workflow, interior design systems, AI business coach Australia, Rhiannon Lee, Oleander and Finch, Studio Build testimonials, interior design community Australia, how to use AI in your interior design studio, AI coaching for designers Australia, interior design business systems course, Australian interior designers, interior design Australia Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

EOFY - tips for interior designers

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Most interior designers hit 30 June without ever looking down. This episode covers the end of financial year financial habits solo interior design studio owners actually need — from reading your P&L without panic, to auditing subscriptions, pre-purchasing annual software, and having a planning meeting that changes the next 12 months. Practical, no-accountant-jargon, built for Australian designers running their studio like a business. → Get 90% off Xero for 6 months (affiliate link): https://referrals.xero.com/2aphqv8q0y59 → Join the Studio Build waitlist (July 7 cohort): https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/studiobuild ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 Why interior designers don't know their own numbers 3:45 What is a P&L and why you should be reading it monthly 8:20 How to use your education budget before 30 June 12:10 Should you audit your ad spend at end of financial year? 15:30 Are your studio systems good enough to hand over? 19:00 How to pre-purchase annual subscriptions and save 15–30% 22:40 What studio equipment can you claim this financial year? 26:15 How to set a revenue target and work backwards from it 30:00 Why you should know your numbers before you talk to your accountant 34:20 How to celebrate end of financial year as a small business owner ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Xero cloud accounting (90% off for 6 months): https://referrals.xero.com/2aphqv8q0y59 → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au/studio-build → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au/studio-ceo → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au/studio-learn → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee → Website: https://www.rhiannonlee.com.au Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

• Transcript

Ewa Doherty on starting and scaling with an exit strategy

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Starting an interior design business with an exit strategy — rather than building it to keep forever — is one of the most overlooked approaches to studio setup. In this episode, regional NSW designer Ewa shares how she built her supply selection and B2B builder service with saleable IP in mind from day one: documented systems, transferable processes, a packaged service model, and zero dependence on her personal creative genius to deliver results. ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 How finding a podcast on a cruise ship changed the trajectory of a grief-filled career pivot 4:30 Why Ewa started her interior design studio with an exit strategy — and where the idea came from 10:00 What transferable skills from freight logistics and global sales actually do for a design business 16:45 How to get interior design work from builders in a regional area — the exact outreach method 26:00 Should you do B2B builder relationships or wait for residential clients? 33:20 Why Ewa passes 100% of trade discount and charges a procurement fee instead 39:45 How to price interior design services when you genuinely don't know what you're doing yet 46:00 What was harder than expected: the social media problem, and why she stopped caring 52:30 Outsourcing SketchUp, lighting design, and floor plans — what to hand off and how to price it 58:00 How Ewa operates a portable, regional design studio from a motorhome ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Programma project management software: programma.app → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive for interior designers: [link] → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching programme for interior designers: [link] ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

• Transcript

The client who says: "I just need someone to execute my vision," This is why I don't work with them anymore.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. When an interior design client says "I just need someone to execute my vision," they've already decided they're the designer and you're the logistics coordinator. Rhiannon Lee explains what's actually happening in those moments, how to catch it early in the discovery call, and how to use the parachute cord method to realign — or exit — a project that's drifted into fulfillment-only territory. → Join the Studio Build July cohort https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/betabuild ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 What does "I just need someone to execute my vision" actually mean? 2:45 Why execution-only projects almost always end badly 6:10 The difference between a fulfillment model and a creative design service 10:20 How to catch it early — what to say on a discovery call 15:00 What is the parachute cord method? 19:30 How to have the mid-project realignment conversation 25:10 The three things that usually happen when you pull the parachute cord 30:00 Why saying yes to execution-only clients trains the market ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program for interior designers: → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive.https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/betabuild → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

Are you over-delivering in your proposal?

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Interior designers often over-deliver at proposal stage — sharing mood boards, design direction, and creative strategy before a client has signed or paid a deposit. This episode asks whether that's genuinely good service or anxiety dressed up as process. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, unpacks where the habit comes from, what it costs you, and why simpler proposals might actually convert better. → Join the Studio Build waitlist: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/studiobuild ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 Why are interior designers over-delivering in proposals? 3:20 What happens when you give away the design direction upfront 7:45 Is your proposal too long — or are you scared of your own price? 12:10 What a $15,000 course with three Zoom calls taught me about value 17:30 How to hold back the strategy without losing the client 22:05 Should your proposal be a one-pager? 26:40 How to use AI to audit your own proposal right now 31:15 Studio Build live round — what's coming and when ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/studiobuild → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/f2hx86pcv4 ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee → Website: re branded site coming soon Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

• Transcript

Why AI is making hourly billing dangerous for interior designers

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Value pricing means charging for the outcome your client gets, not the hours it took you to deliver it. In 2026, that distinction matters more than ever — because AI is making designers faster, and if you're still billing by the hour, that efficiency is going quietly to your client's pocket, not yours. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, breaks down exactly how to calculate, set, and communicate value-based project fees. → Join the waitlist for the interior design pricing calculator: rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/value GET THE PROCESS MAPPED OUT HERE ────────────────────────── CHAPTERS ────────────────────────── 0:00 Why value pricing matters more in 2026 than ever before 2:45 What's wrong with hourly billing when you're using AI 6:10 What value pricing actually means — and what it doesn't 9:30 How to calculate the transformation your client receives 14:00 How to work out your floor and your ceiling 18:20 How to present your fee without defending your hours 22:45 How to handle "ChatGPT said this should cost $4,000" 26:10 How AI efficiency affects your pricing model — risk or opportunity? 30:00 What to do if you've been undercharging for years 35:15 How to transition existing clients to new pricing 38:40 The interior design pricing calculator — what it does and when it launches ────────────────────────── RESOURCES MENTIONED ────────────────────────── → Pricing calculator waitlist: rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/value → Episode notes (full value pricing framework): [website link] → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive: [link] → Studio CEO — 12-week business coaching program: [link] → Studio Learn — free resources for interior designers: [link] ────────────────────────── ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

“You’re Behind” Is the biggest lie in AI right now.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. AI is not replacing interior designers — it's replacing average ones. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, breaks down why "AI killed my industry" is lazy marketing, how pattern recognition software produces sameness not taste, and what designers need to document right now before AI flattens the industry. Practical, operational, and built for real studios — not theory. RESOURCES MENTIONED → Pre-AI documentation checklist: https://ripple-coat-1f1.notion.site/B... → Rhiannon at The Design Show, ICC Sydney, June 2026: https://designshow.com.au/agenda#site... → Studio Build — 6-week AI implementation intensive for interior designers: https://rhiannonlee.myflodesk.com/stu... ABOUT RHIANNON LEE ────────────────────────── AI strategist for Australian interior designers. Former Oleander & Finch. Creator of the Studio Suite — Studio Learn, Studio Build, and Studio CEO — operational AI implementation for design businesses, not productivity theatre. → Instagram: @the_rhiannonlee Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

Where to actually start with AI in your design business (and what to stop doing)

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Interior designers who feel overwhelmed by AI typically don't have a tool problem — they have a prioritisation problem. Australian AI strategist Rhiannon Lee recommends three starting points: spend four minutes meeting Claude, do a five-minute audit of your most repetitive business tasks, and invest time in free AI literacy resources. Chasing AI image generation is the biggest time drain to avoid. EPISODE OVERVIEW The noise around AI is loud right now. Everyone's screaming that Claude killed interior designers, that you need to understand MCPs and managed agents and agentic workflows — and meanwhile you're just trying to run a studio and not lose your mind. This episode is not that. Rhiannon Lee, AI strategist for Australian interior designers, cuts straight to what actually deserves your attention this week — if you're starting from scratch, if you're overwhelmed, or if you've been dabbling but can't see a clear path forward. Three things. Fifteen minutes. Actual forward momentum. WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE Why the overwhelm is real — and why it doesn't mean what you think it means The wave of AI experts, the screaming headlines, the feeling that you're already behind. Rhiannon talks about why it feels like going from zero to hero overnight, why that's disorienting even for people who are genuinely across it, and why the existential stuff is worth sitting with — without letting it stop you. Claude vs ChatGPT: the honest comparison interior designers actually need Not a feature list. A practical frame. ChatGPT is your dinner bestie who knows your history — great for thinking out loud, voice memos, and unpacking what's in your head. Claude is Lord Business from the Lego Movie — your chief of staff, your executive assistant, the one you brief every morning and who executes without needing to be managed. They're not interchangeable. They work better together. How to use both tools without burning through tokens Rhiannon's actual workflow: think out loud in ChatGPT, get a tight synopsis, take that synopsis to Claude. Minimise spend. Maximise output. It's a small shift that makes a big difference. The five-minute business audit that unlocks everything else Before you build anything in AI, you need to know what to build. Pen and paper. Two columns. What's repetitive and soul-destroying in your business right now? What would you hand to a staff member if you could write the procedure in ten minutes? That list is your AI roadmap — and most designers haven't written it yet. Why AI gives bad results (and it's not the AI's fault) Claude and ChatGPT can both produce incredible outputs. But if they don't know your brand voice, your project process, your pricing logic, or the 40 steps between inquiry and invoice — they're working blind. The output quality problem most designers are experiencing is a context problem, not a capability problem. Where to find free AI education that's actually worth your time Anthropic has guides and libraries. Google has full AI courses. There are university-level accreditations available online at no cost. You don't need to do Studio Build to start learning — but you do need to be intentional about who you're learning from. Rhiannon's filter: have you seen them actually doing this in their own business, breaking things and showing up? If not, they might just be generating content that sounds right. Why chasing AI image generation is costing designers time they don't have This is the big one. At every speaking event Rhiannon has done in the past two years, the same conversation happens: someone's spent days trying to get an AI tool to do renders properly and is ready to quit AI entirely. Here's why it keeps happening — large language models are language first, image second if at all. They're pattern recognition engines. They are not spatial. They are not Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

Stop charging for the process (and other things I'm yelling about while the kids trash the house)

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. Join the email list to get the business restructure challenge, 'Studio Build' updates HERE The kids are on school holidays, there's a triple bunk being installed, and I'm stealing 20 minutes here and there to talk about the pricing shift that's quietly happening in the interior design industry and why you need to get ahead of it. This one's recorded live from the chaos: paint swatches, tent pitching, and small people interrupting every second sentence. It's unpolished, unedited, and exactly the kind of bonus episode you didn't know you needed. What we're talking about: The home reno update no one asked for (but you're getting anyway) — triple bunks, colour drenching, and why I'm not taking myself seriously with this one The 15-day Easter challenge happening on Instagram right now — 20 minutes a day, tidying up the operational side of my business so AI can actually do its job properly The pricing conversation that came up in Studio CEO this week and hasn't left my head since — what happens when you can do in 24 seconds what used to take 2.5 hours? Do you charge less? Spoiler: absolutely not Why billing by the hour is a trap in an efficiency economy, and why you need to stop itemising your scope and start pricing for the outcome The thing to remember: You're getting better. You're getting faster. You're finding smarter ways to run your business. That doesn't mean you charge less — it means you protect your pricing and articulate the value you bring, regardless of how long the admin takes. Where to find the Easter challenge: Instagram — search the highlights, watch along, steal the prompts, and give your own business 20 minutes of attention each day. Next episode: Not for two weeks. I'm with the kids. See you week commencing 20 April. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

Posting AI slop isn't saving you time, it's costing you clients.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. AI adoption jumped dramatically in the first quarter of 2026 ... and so did the slop. In this episode Rhiannon gets into the conversation she's been sitting on: what AI-generated content actually looks like, why it keeps happening, and what the real fix is. Rhiannon takes a straight-from-the-machine AI caption and edits it in real time, cutting line by line and explaining exactly what to look for. The before: The AI slop tells to watch for Negative parallelism it's not because of X, it's because of Y The rule of threes dressed up as wisdom Motivational non-statements that sound profound and mean nothing Emojis doing the emotional heavy lifting The empty in, empty out rule AI is a language model. It predicts the most likely next word based on everything it's ever read. Give it nothing No opinion, no story, no specific point of view & it gives you the average of everything on the internet. Which is, without exception, beige. The knowledge base argument Using AI well is downstream of knowing things. If your marketing knowledge is underdeveloped and you ask AI for a strategy, you'll get something that looks like a strategy | and you won't be able to tell if it's good. The actual investment: micro-learning. Borrow the book. Go to the seminar. Ask AI to teach you things, not just produce things for you. When your understanding goes up, everything you bring to AI gets better. The workflow that actually works Voice note in the car → bring that raw material to AI → let it help you find the structure → edit it back to sounding like you → feed the final version back to the tool and say: this is what went out. Learn from that. The responsibility question Rhiannon's honest answer: she's not going to police anyone's feed. But she's also not going to pretend the bar hasn't dropped. The most useful thing any of us can do is hold the standard in our own work. The one question to ask before you post: did a real person think this? Resources mentioned DM CEO to @the_rhiannonlee for the AI context checklist everything you need to tell AI about your business to start getting results that actually sound like you. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

The AI data conversation nobody in the design industry is having... but should be.

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. You've probably pasted a client brief into an AI tool this week. Maybe a site visit transcript. A proposal draft. A mood board description with the client's full name, address, and renovation budget attached. And there's a reasonable chance you've never read the terms of service of the tool you pasted it into. This episode is about that gap .. and what to do about it. Interior designers hold some of the most sensitive personal data of anyone in a professional context. Home addresses. Security system details. Access codes to properties mid-renovation. Renovation budgets. Insurance information. Family composition. Most of that data is flowing through AI tools right now with terms of service nobody has read. And the AI education space — including me — has been almost completely silent about it. This isn't an anti-AI episode. I use AI every day in my studio and couldn't go back. This is the episode I wish someone had made two years ago, before most of us clicked yes to everything and hoped for the best. We cover: > What data you're actually holding as a designer and why it's higher-risk than most industries > How free-tier AI tools handle your inputs > and what 'training on user data' actually means in practice > AI agents, connected permissions, and why the hiring analogy matters more than people think > What Australian privacy law says and what it means for your studio — Training AI with your creative work > and the IP question nobody has a clean answer to yet > Four steps to audit what you've already connected and make deliberate choices going forward Plus the three questions I ask before connecting any AI tool to a client-facing part of my business. The three questions: Where does my data go — and does it stay there? What access am I actually granting — and can I revoke it instantly? If this tool was compromised tomorrow, what's the blast radius? DM me privacy on Instagram (@the_rhiannonlee) to continue this chat Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

Build your Interior Design Project databases automatically with AI

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. I uploaded a six-month-old transcript from a client consult and got a complete Notion project dashboard in about eight seconds. Find out how HERE Every action item, every room, every design direction we discussed — colour-coded, categorised, with checkboxes and notes. I hadn't touched the output. It just built it. This is for you if you finish a site visit, come home, and three weeks later you're trying to remember whether the client wanted warm oak or white oak on the joinery. This is not a client-facing tool. It lives entirely behind the scenes — your own running record of every promise you made in that room. You need: a transcript, Claude connected to Notion, and one prompt. That's it. Four steps. The full instructions are in the comments — grab them, try it today. 🔍 In this video: Claude + Notion for interior designers | AI project management for design studios | how to use Claude with Notion | interior design workflow automation | AI tools for interior designers 2026 | turning client consult transcripts into Notion databases | project tracking for interior designers 📩 Get the full instructions + prompt: [link in comments] Timestamps 0:00 The problem this solves 0:45 Live demo — the Notion dashboard 2:30 Filtering by room and priority 4:00 The exact prompt to use 5:15 How to connect Claude to Notion Rhiannon Lee helps interior designers integrate AI into how they actually run their studios — not just how everyone else uses it. Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!

rethinking how we renovate, with Bradley Montag

Text me and tell me what you think of this ep. In this episode of Designing Success, I sit down with interior designer Bradley Montag to talk about the intersection of design, property, and town planning. Bradley began his career as a town planning lawyer before transitioning into interior design, giving him a unique perspective on how homes should be renovated, extended, and designed. We explore how understanding planning regulations can influence design decisions, why heritage homes deserve thoughtful renovation, and the common mistakes people make when buying or renovating property. We also discuss the reality of renovating older homes, honoring architectural history, and why designing a home purely for resale often results in bland spaces with no personality. Finally, we dive into marketing for designers — including social media, thought leadership, and how creatives can communicate their value more confidently when pricing their services. If you're interested in interior design, property renovation, heritage homes, or building a design business, this conversation offers both practical insight and honest industry perspective. Find Bradley on Instagram @bradleymontag or on TIK TOK @bradley.montag Download the free guide mentioned in this weeks BONUS episode: https://oleanderandfinch.myflodesk.com/aicontext Thanks for listening to this episode of "Designing Success: From Study to Studio"! Connect with me on social media for more business tips, and a real look behind the scenes of my own practicing design business. Grab more insights and updates: Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/the_rhiannonlee For more FREE resources, templates, guides and information, visit the Designer Resource Hub on my website ; https://www.rhiannon-lee.com/ Get your interior design studio running on AI in 6 weeks. admin, client follow-ups, content, and operations handled. Six live build sessions. You leave with a working system, not more mess. Studio BUILD ( now open) Remember to subscribe to the podcast and leave a review. Your feedback helps me continue providing valuable content to aspiring interior designers. Stay tuned for more episodes filled with actionable insights and inspiring conversations. Thank you for your support!