Beautiful installs don’t show the late nights, mental load, and staging business burnout.

There’s a very specific kind of exhaustion that comes with running a staging business. 

People often see the finished installs, the styled shelves, the walkthrough videos, and the polished final product. What they rarely see is the operational side happening late at night, after the installs are complete, where the CEO is trying to hold everything together with proposals, invoices, scheduling, client communication, bookkeeping, and operations, all through systems that were never actually designed for the way staging businesses function. 

The responses to Harlowe echoed, “I thought it was just me.” But as I have always said, it is never just you.

In what ways does running a staging business overwhelm CEOs like you? In what ways do you expect relief with your systems and processes? Let’s talk about that!

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• The invisible workload behind a “beautiful” staging business
• Why so many stagers feel like they’re constantly white-knuckling operations
• The emotional weight of holding an entire business in your head
• What happens when systems finally support the way you actually work

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

The revenue leak you didn’t know you had.

A missed renewal, a lost proposal, a delayed payment… we often brush these off as “one of those weeks.” But often, these tiny, mundane moments are actually red flags pointing to a much larger problem.

Working more closely with staging CEOs lately, I’ve noticed a pattern: a quiet drain on time, energy, and money. It’s not that these Stagers are disorganized; it’s that their systems are failing them. 

Running a staging business on fragmented, disconnected tools creates a massive, hidden mental load and operational bottleneck. Instead of trying to “duct-tape” a broken backend that's causing a revenue leak, it's time to build systems that support your growth. Let’s talk about how to implement a functional fix that serves you for good.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why a booked-out, thriving staging business can still be one admin’s resignation away from chaos
• Four shifts that make the biggest operational difference, regardless of what tools you’re currently using
• What “designing for delegation” means and why it matters even if you’re a team of one
• What Lori has been quietly building for staging businesses, and how to be part of the founding group.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply to be a Harlowe Founding Member: www./rethinkhomeinteriors.com/harlowefounderapp
• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

Delegation guilt isn’t what you think.

Today, let’s dip into the world of mindset to talk about something I see come up over and over again as most CEOs grow their staging business. Not strategy, not pricing, and, believe it or not, not even systems. It is delegation guilt.

And not in the way you might think. I am talking about the guilt that creeps in when you try to step back, when you hand something off to a capable team member you trained really well, and then you become what I can only describe as a weirdo lurker. Checking in, hovering, making sure it all got done. 

Sounds familiar? In this episode, I share my own experience delegating, how I thought I set my little bird free and then very much did not, and what I eventually understood about why. 

I have found the thing about guilt that nobody really talks about: it is not a character flaw, and it is not a sign that something went wrong. It is a signal, pointing you directly to the belief that has not yet caught up to where you are going. Once you understand that, everything changes, and you can be what your staging business needs you to be.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why stepping back feels uncomfortable even when your team is fully capable
• How guilt disguises itself as “being a good business owner”
• The identity shift every staging CEO has to make as they grow
• The one question that reveals the belief driving your guilt

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

Client selection has a direct impact on your staging business.

Think of client filters as your business’s “red velvet rope.” They’re not about turning people away. They’re about aligning your home staging services with the clients who benefit most from them. When that alignment is clear, your staging projects run more efficiently, expectations are easier to manage, and your team can focus on delivering the high-impact results that you actually want to render.

If your staging business feels harder to run than it should, your client mix may be the issue. In this episode, I talk about what client filters are, when to use them, and how they help you build a profitable, scalable home staging business that operates with clarity and consistency.

I also cover a critical question many home staging business owners face: Should you be using client filters while you’re still growing? Or is it more valuable to work with a wide range of staging clients: homeowners, real estate agents, and investors, to gain the experience needed to define your ideal client first?

Listen in to find out!

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• When to implement client filters as a staging business owner
• How to identify ideal staging clients (realtors, investors, and homeowners)
• The Client Filters we have at Rethink Home Interiors
• Why refining your client selection leads to stronger referrals and repeat staging business

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

You're not stuck. You're fixing the wrong problem.

If you feel like you’re solving the same problems on repeat, this episode is your wake-up call…in the best way.

In this CEO Reset episode, we’re unpacking a powerful shift: moving from reactive problem-solving to intentional leadership. When your staging business grows, your old ways of fixing things stop working. And what once felt productive can quietly keep you stuck in cycles of overwhelm, rushed decisions, and temporary fixes.

This conversation will help you pause, step back, and ask a better question: What is this problem actually a symptom of? From missed items on installs to team frustration and time pressure, we’re getting underneath the surface to build real solutions that last.

You’ll also learn the Fix-It Protocol—a simple, repeatable framework to help you diagnose root issues, implement smarter systems, and lead your business with clarity (not chaos).

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why solving the same problem repeatedly means you’re fixing the wrong thing
• How your brain defaults to quick relief instead of real solutions
• The difference between people, process, and tools problems
• A step-by-step breakdown of the Fix-It Protocol (F.I.X.I.T.)

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

When staging business capacity is stretched, service suffers.

If your business feels harder to run than it should, it might not be your strategy. It might be your capacity.

This week, I’m sharing a real-time decision I had to make when I hit a wall with my capacity in my own staging business, and why I chose not to push through. Overextending yourself doesn’t just happen in big, obvious ways. It shows up in squeezed calendars, last-minute yeses, and the quiet pressure to “just make it work” for your clients.

Here’s the truth: what feels like good staging service can slowly create stress, inconsistency, and burnout for you and your team.

Let’s talk about how overextending actually happens in staging businesses, why it’s often rooted in fear (not strategy), and how to start leading from a place of intentional capacity rather than reacting.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How overextending leads to team burnout and inconsistent delivery
• The difference between operating your business and leading it
• A simple decision filter to check your real capacity before committing
• How capacity-aware leadership supports long-term growth

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

Are your payment methods hurting your business?

Let’s break down a pattern that quietly creates friction for staging business owners: how clients pay you. What seems like “being flexible” can lead to delayed cash flow, extra admin work, and unnecessary mental load.

All payment methods come with a built-in workflow. Some create ease. Others create chaos. Still, you are in charge of what your business allows and what it no longer supports.

When you tighten your payment processes, you’re not being difficult. You’re building a business that can handle more volume, more consistency, and less stress behind the scenes. Flexibility might feel generous, but every exception adds complexity that your team has to manage.

If things have felt heavier than they should lately, this might be the shift that changes everything. Your payment method is a double-edged tool. It can create convenience for your clients or quietly complicate how your business runs. You can simplify it in a way that supports you both.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why checks, Zelle, and Venmo add more complexity than you think
• The hidden cost of free manual payments
• How to shift your payment policies, simplify your systems and cash flow without losing clients
• What to do about estates, trusts, and complex payment situations

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

Renewal Pricing Is Where Profit Can Be Maximized

Some numbers in a staging project feel more defined than others.

The initial staging fee is usually built with care. It reflects scope, inventory, labor, and experience. It has structure behind it.

Renewal pricing tends to sit in a different category. The number is there, but the reasoning behind it is not always as clearly outlined. It can be influenced by instinct, habit, or what feels reasonable in the moment.

In this episode, we continue the vacant staging pricing series by focusing on how to approach that number with more precision. This is a closer look at how renewal pricing can be grounded in the ongoing value of your inventory and its role inside your business.

Because even when nothing new is being installed, your assets are still actively allocated. They continue to influence capacity, availability, and what your business can generate next.

The opportunity is in understanding how to translate that into a number that is intentional, consistent, and financially sound.

We walk through:

• The difference between “what makes this profitable” vs. “what makes this powerful”
• Why standard renewal math often lands at the bare minimum
• How to shift your thinking from monthly pricing to total asset value
• The 8–12% renewal model that creates stronger margins, flexibility, and cash flow
• How renewals can quietly become one of the most impactful drivers of your bottom line

This episode also addresses the internal tension many owners feel when raising prices.

Because pricing is never just numbers. It’s belief, identity, and decision-making. When you anchor your pricing in clean math, you create stability and confidence that ripple through your entire business.

Renewals are not an afterthought. They are a strategic lever.

And when used well, they fund your growth, your team, and your ability to actually enjoy the business you’ve built.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• Why most renewal pricing models leave money on the table
• The difference between baseline profitability vs. strategic pricing
• How to use the 8–12% inventory-based renewal model
• The real role renewals play in cash flow and business stability
• How to think like a CEO when pricing—beyond fear, competition, or guesswork

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

How Kate Elliott is solving inventory management for home stagers.

What happens when a stager with a tech background gets tired of duct-taping together Trello, QuickBooks, and a CRM that wasn’t built for her? She builds something better.

In this episode, I sit down with Kate, co-founder of Hutch — a purpose-built project management and inventory platform designed specifically for home stagers. Kate shares her journey from SaaS startup life to staging side hustler to software founder, and walks us through exactly what Hutch does, why the staging industry has been underserved for so long, and how better data can finally help stagers price their services for what they’re actually worth.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How Kate went from staging side hustler to software co-founder
• Why so many stagers are stitching together tools that were never built for them, and what that’s costing them
• What Hutch does as an all-in-one staging business tailored platform
• Why your average inventory investment per stage might be the most important number you’re not tracking

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome
• Hutch Staging Website:hutchstaging.com
• Hutch Staging on Instagram:@hutchstaging

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.

The real reason you feel busy but not profitable in your staging business.

Last time, we talked about overhead allocation—the cost of just turning the lights on in your business. Today, we're continuing with the other two pieces that make up the three checks every staging project needs to write for you: the people check and the furniture check.

The people check covers what it actually costs to deliver the service. Your team's time, movers, truck rentals, fuel, all the admin work from the first client call to the moment that last throw pillow is back on the shelf.

The furniture check is about inventory recovery. You're putting thousands of dollars of inventory into every house, and that inventory needs to earn its money back over time.

When you add these together with your overhead allocation, you get your pricing floor—what you need to charge before you ever add profit.

Understanding these numbers is what separates staging businesses that grow and thrive from those that work themselves into the ground.

Let’s now walk through the real numbers so you can calculate your own pricing floor.

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE:

• How to calculate your people and furniture checks
• What inventory recovery means and why every piece of furniture needs to earn its money back
• How to calculate your true floor pricing before adding profit
• How to stair-step pricing increases without scaring yourself

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE:

RESOURCES:

• Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp
• Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate
• Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth
• Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool
• Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome

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

ENJOY THE SHOW?

• Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEO's find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you.
• Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible.