How do you find balance between creative passion and business success? Can your intuition guide you to make the right decisions, even when faced with overwhelming growth? In this episode, Katie Decker-Erickson reveals the deeply personal and professional journey that took her from solopreneur to leading a thriving design firm—and the life lessons learned along the way.
Katie’s story is all about grit, growth, and letting your intuition guide the way. Starting in 2007, she took ColorWorks from a solo venture to a fully-fledged firm that serves multifamily, commercial, medical, and government clients. But it didn’t happen overnight—Katie shares the hard-earned lessons from her journey, and the moments that shaped her both personally and professionally.
This conversation goes deep, y’all. We cover everything from how Katie transitioned out of residential design (“I realized it just wasn’t for me!”) to her love for the business side of design. But more importantly, Katie gets real about the importance of knowing when to say no and why she’s passionate about helping other women succeed in this industry.
She didn’t just stop at running a successful design firm—Katie also founded Success by Design, a coaching business and podcast for designers who want to master the business side of things. And yes, she does it all while raising a family, navigating explosive business growth, and somehow finding time to coach and podcast. How does she do it? You’re about to find out.
So if you’re ready to get inspired, learn from Katie’s wisdom, and have a few laughs along the way, hit play!
THIS EPISODE IS SPONSORED BY:
The DesignDash Podcast is sponsored by Monogram Luxury Appliances.
Monogram is a long time partner and go to for us at DesignDash, as well as our design firm, Laura U Design Collective. We love them because they believe in three main pillars that we, as creatives, can easily get behind: sourcing superior Materials, offering high-quality Performance, and taking Ownership. Each of these upholds their commitment to high quality, innovation, and homeowners.
