Featured on this episode:

• Join the wait list for The Designers Edge
• Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why small moments of friction are clues, not failures, in your design process.
• How clear boundaries make projects smoother and more profitable.
• What’s actually making designers stand out and get hired for complex jobs right now.

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This Isn’t a Trend Prediction or a Highlight Reel

It’s the end of the year, and usually, this is when you’d expect a rundown of trends, resolutions, or a big goals list for 2026. That’s not what I’m doing today. Truthfully, I’ve never been great at New Year’s resolutions, though I love the intention behind them. I just don’t find clarity from big, sweeping declarations.

What has stood out to me, especially after a few decades in this industry, is that the most important shifts do not announce themselves loudly. They’re subtle. They come up in client questions, in moments of resistance, in something that keeps snagging in your process, whether with clients, contractors, or your team.

So today, I want to share what I’m actually paying attention to. Not a recap of last year or a vision board for next year. I want to talk about what’s forming underneath, and what I’m seeing from designers who aren’t just busy, but steady.

How I Anchor My Year (No Resolutions Required)

If you know me, you know I don’t do resolutions. I never stick to them. But I do pick a word of the year, it’s a way to hold myself accountable and anchor an awareness, personally and professionally.

Last year, my word was “intentional.” I felt like I was just ping-ponging from task to task, from the podcast to my business to client work. 2025 was about slowing down just enough to stop reacting, and start really noticing what was happening.

When something went smoothly, I asked why. When something felt off, I stopped and asked why. I paid attention when something caused tension, either for me or a client.

And the truth is, intentionality showed up in tiny moments. For example:
A prospective client asks something in an initial call. Instead of just answering quickly (thinking that’s what they want), I slow down and ask myself—why this question, and why now? What does this tell me about what I’m communicating, or what they really need?

Sometimes the answer is just timing. Sometimes it’s the language I used. Sometimes it’s that I assumed there was a connection, but maybe they’re not there yet.

Intentionality also meant noticing my own resistance. If I hesitated to explain something, I paid attention. Why am I hesitating? If I rushed to say yes because it felt easier, I would pause. Why am I rushing? Is it discomfort or insecurity coming up, mine or theirs?

That pause became one of the most valuable tools in my business. Because when you start operating intentionally, friction becomes visible.

Noticing Friction Isn’t Bad; It Gives You Back Your Power

Friction, those uncomfortable moments, isn’t great to experience, but when you see it for what it is, you can do something with it. That’s how you take your power back.

For example:
During my Designer’s Edge enrollment this fall, I heard from a lot of designers who wanted in, but ended their email with “timing isn’t right” or “end of year finances are tight.” That’s friction. I asked myself why I was hearing that, and what I could do.

So, I’m running a short, waitlist-only experience this winter, details for those on the list, no pressure, just a new way I’m moving forward intentionally.
Refining matters: in your business, in your process, and even who you invite into the conversation.

My goal is not to let friction just sit and fester. I see it as information, something to be worked with. In my business, I want to spot where the friction is and do something, so things keep improving.

The Hiring Shift: Clients Want Leadership

Here’s the kind of shift I’m watching right now:
Designers aren’t being hired just for a great portfolio anymore. Yes, aesthetics matter, your Instagram and photos still matter, but for complex jobs, the real decision is happening later. It’s in how you answer questions. It’s how you handle uncertainty. It’s how you respond when something isn’t defined yet.

Clients are overwhelmed by construction. Timelines feel made up. Costs seem unpredictable. They want designers who say calmly, “Here’s what we know, here’s how we’ll decide, here’s how I’ll lead you through.” They want to feel your process.

Confidence isn’t a personality trait; it comes from structure. And structure is invisible until it’s missing. If you don’t have it, clients feel that uncertainty. If you do, they feel trust.

Every Question Is Data

I analyze every question that comes up:

• Did I only explain something verbally instead of writing it down?
• Did I introduce an important piece of info too late?
• Did I assume clarity where there wasn’t any yet?

If clients ask multiple times who’s responsible for ordering—that’s not them being difficult. That’s a process gap.
If contractors keep asking questions I thought were answered, same thing.
If late night texts come in about decisions that should have been made earlier: that’s not urgency, that’s timing.

And I apply this the same way internally. If I’m scrambling, I pause and ask why? Did I delay a decision? Did I try to handle something alone? Or did I not document what I should have?

Most scrambles aren’t surprises, they’re predictable problems that just weren’t handled upstream. That’s actually good news, because solvable problems are exactly what we want.

Refinement Isn’t About Doing More

People often ask me about my process. I share what it looks like now, knowing it will definitely evolve again, because I’m always refining.

Every spot of friction is something to study. If it shows up twice, it’s time to fix the system or script that allowed it.

Boundaries: The Quiet Game Changer

Here’s the real shift:
For 2026, my word is “boundaries.” Not walls—not rigidity—but clarity. Boundaries protect my energy, my profitability, and even my clarity.

Boundaries should show up before things boil over. They start in the proposal, in how you define access, and what’s included (and what isn’t). Boundaries let you say yes more precisely, not just more often.

When boundaries are clear, everything downstream runs smoother. Your value is clearer, your time is respected, and you stop struggling with the feeling that you’re doing too much for too little.

Blurred boundaries look like:

• Managing a construction decision that isn’t your role,
• Becoming the default problem solver because it’s faster,
• Absorbing scope creep “because it’s small” or the client is nice,
• Not defining site meetings in your scope,
• Reviewing shop drawings to be helpful but not stating it up front.

None of this feels dramatic in the moment, but over a project, it adds up financially and energetically. The designers who are building solid businesses, they’re not doing more, they’re setting their boundaries earlier and clearer.

Clients respond to that with trust, not resistance. Boundaries don’t create distance; they actually build trust.

Construction: The Differentiator

Most designers are strong with boundaries around decorating. But in construction, it can feel wild—because construction is still the “x-factor” where confidence drops.

You don’t need to become a contractor. But understanding the process, the why behind how things unfold, changes everything.

• When you know the phases, you don’t rush decisions or panic at every bump.
• When timelines shift, you understand why.
• If you don’t know something, you know who to ask or what to do next. You don’t just react in a panic.

Designers who have enough construction fluency don’t scramble so much. They recalibrate, they move steadily, they develop trust.

Attracting the Right Clients: It’s Not Luck, It’s Messaging

If you keep getting clients who push your boundaries or want unlimited access, it’s not bad luck, it’s often messaging.
The words you use, the problems you position yourself as solving, they set behavior.

If you emphasize flexibility without structure, you’ll attract clients who expect anything, anytime. If you emphasize process and leadership, you’ll attract clients who want to collaborate.

When you shift messaging to process and boundaries, it may feel slow at first. Trust that clarity is worth it. The payoff is better projects, better clients, and profit you actually get to keep.

My Real Wish For You This Year

Heading into the new year, I care less about big goals and more about strong, clean, profitable businesses.

Intentionality showed me what was working, and what wasn’t. Boundaries are going to help me protect what’s good.

Longevity isn’t about doing more every year. It’s about refining, clarifying, and minimizing friction every chance you get. Stop seeing friction as a failure. It’s a business tool. Use it for yourself, your current clients, and every project ahead.

If this resonates, start noticing where friction shows up. Ask yourself, why here? Why not earlier? No judgment, just curiosity. That’s where your next level unlocks itself.

The goal isn’t “no friction” it’s less friction, every project.

Like this Episode?

Be sure to check out Episode #259: Building a Business That Fits Your Life: My 2026 Plan

Be sure to check out Episode #257: December Power Moves for Designers: Set Up a Stress Free 2026

Be sure to check out Episode #248: Money, Mindset, and Margins: A Designer’s Guide to Sustainable Growth with Carla Titus

Be sure to check out more episodes on Interior Design Business and Career