The Only Thing Standing Between You and Your Design Career

On a recent coaching call (I don't have much time to allocate for these, so they are a rare treat for me), a follower shared that she'd recently had a project where the client was so happy that she paid her an additional 70% more than the contracted amount they'd agreed on.

And there's a lesson here that I see all the time- a blind spot many of you aren't aware of, or one I want to point out now for those of you who are still on your journey to build up to having clients in the first place.

There is a version of self-doubt that is so quiet and so constant that you stop noticing it - we all go through this at different points & we get SO used to it that we just ignore it as a fact of life or our circumstances at that moment. But there's a difference between honest self-assessment and making yourself small. And I hear that second one all the time, especially from people a couple of years into this who wonder why things aren't clicking the way they hoped.

Here's what I want you to understand: not having every skill refined yet is not a reason to wait - and just because you aren't as skilled or experienced in one area doesn't mean you don't excel in another. I still don't do AutoCAD well. I don't do drawings the way a technically trained designer would. I built a national commercial interior design firm anyway, and I now teach people how to build theirs. The gaps don't disqualify you. They're just areas of growth that you will continue to build on.

REMEMBER: True self-awareness is not just being honest about where you fall short... if you can't recognize where you are strong (this applies to every single area of life), then you are NOT self-aware.

What actually holds people back is not the gaps in their technical skills. It's the story they're telling themselves about those gaps.

Know what you're actually selling

One of the most powerful moments in that call was when I asked her to describe what happens to her when she walks into a space. First of all, she looked away, lit up, and started explaining with a totally different energy & body language than the first part of the call. She said she looks at it through two lenses - she wants to decode who the client truly is and find what they need even when they can't articulate it themselves, and she feels a responsibility to honor the integrity of the space. Classic finishes. Layered personality. Anti-trend.

That is a point of view. That is a niche. It's the secret sauce design skill that does NOT come from going through 4+ years of college training. That is what gets designers hired, and THIS is why she got that 70% bonus.

But was she presenting herself as someone with that skill? "Designer" doesn't communicate that. And no, the answer was no. She was competing with pretty pictures on Instagram and feeling like she was losing. The problem wasn't her work. The problem was that she wasn't communicating what made her work hers, what unique experience & process you get working with her & how that impacts the results of the project.

Clients don't hire the prettiest portfolio. They hire the designer who makes them feel understood. When someone trusts that you get them, that you hear what they're saying and also what they're not saying, that is worth more than a perfectly styled shoot.

Own your actual story

She had a glowing review from a client who started out hesitant, didn't know what she wanted, and ended up paying more than she was charged because she felt so taken care of. That story was sitting in a highlight on Instagram. Not talked about. Not turned into content. Not used to show potential clients exactly what working with her looks like. And she didn't realize that should be fueling her confidence & drive.

That's a missed opportunity, and it's one I see constantly.

You don't need perfect projects. You need honest ones. Talk about the project where the client had strong opinions that didn't match your taste and how you navigated that. Talk about what you understood about the client that led you to every decision you made. Talk about the review. Talk about what she said. People connect with that. They trust that. And the ones who connect with it are exactly the clients you want to attract.

The Degree-less Design Course goes deep into how to position yourself, communicate & market your value, and build a career that actually reflects who you are as a designer. Don't wait until you're a few years in and frustrated to get it right. Build your career correctly from the beginning with all areas considered & nail your ideal clients & projects with confidence... and profitability that doesn't just rely on a happy client's bonus at the end.

XO

Shira