Lost Your Mojo? Here’s How to Reclaim the Joy in Your Design Practice!

 How to Reignite Your Love of Your Interior Design Business 

(Spoiler: it’s still in there — you just need to coax it out) 

Every business has its honeymoon period. Those first heady months (or years) when passion and enthusiasm sustain you, and the incredible thrill of your very first schemes made real. You fall asleep thinking about colour schemes, you wake up with lighting plans in your head, and you’re bursting to share your latest find.

But then something shifts.

Maybe it’s the admin. The difficult clients. The feeling that your ideas are good - but your business model isn’t quite right. Or perhaps you’ve grown so much that you’re now running a business that no longer feels like you.

Lost mojo is one of the top reasons that experienced designers join my Recipe for Success Bootcamp, it is incredibly common!

If you’re feeling flat, you are not alone. Here are 5 ways to rekindle the spark:

1. Revisit your first love. 

What drew you to interior design in the first place? Was it colour, materials, space planning, storytelling? Go back to that. Schedule time to play, time to continue learning more about the aspects of design that you love - not for a client, not for Instagram - just for you. [Read Section One below]. 

2. Audit your boundaries. 

Disenchantment often creeps in when our boundaries are frayed. Are you overgiving? Undercharging? Letting clients nibble away at your evenings and weekends? Tighten up, lovingly. [Read Section Two below]. 

3. Refresh your client filter. 

Not every client is your client. If you’ve started saying yes out of fear instead of alignment, it might be time to recalibrate. Ideal clients energise you. The wrong ones drain you. [Read Section Three below]. 

4. Redesign your own business. 

You wouldn’t live with a kitchen that no longer worked. So why tolerate a business layout that doesn’t suit you anymore? Like any space that you've occupied for a long time, you can become blind to the actual impact of your business, perhaps your positioning has become vague or your service offering has become messy - cluttered and confusing? Review your services, your pricing, your working hours. Make it work for you. [Read Section Four below]. 

5. Don’t do it alone (I've saved the best til last!). 

Isolation is a passion-killer. If you’ve been flying solo, it’s time to find your people. Some of the happiest designers I know right now are ones who’ve found their way back to loving their business — and the biggest difference isn’t a new service or a fancy rebrand. It’s community. The kind that really gets you. That lifts you up when you wobble. That reminds you what you’re capable of. [Read Section Five below]. 

We work on all of the above in Bootcamp. It’s part strategy, part mindset reset, part rocket fuel. If your love for the work is still there - but jaded, or buried under a bit of overwhelm - Bootcamp might be just the thing to help you fall for your business all over again. 💫

Let's do a deeper dive into each of the five factors outlined above

SECTION ONE -

Revisit Your First Love (and Let It Lead You Home) 

When confidence dips, or when your business has grown without a strong sense of internal direction, it’s easy to slip into mimicry. You start to shape-shift, unconsciously modelling your work, your tone, even your pricing on what others are doing. It’s a subtle but corrosive shift - and it can contribute to the mojo problem.

The irony is, the more you try to “make yourself up,” the more you lose sight of who you really are. And in interior design, as everywhere else, authenticity is everything.

You know how you feel in your personal life, if you aren't true to yourself. Your business can be impacted in just the same way. 

Your dream clients are drawn to your quirks, your taste, your voice - the very things that set you apart. They want to feel something. So if your public-facing business has started to feel beige and bland, chances are you’ve hidden some part of yourself away.

To get your mojo back, start here:

✴️ Find Your Way Back to What You Love - Make Time To: 

• Re-read the books or magazines that first got you hooked.

• Visit a space that inspires you - not because it’s trendy, but because it speaks to your soul.

• Write a list of the moments in projects when you’ve felt most energised.

• Notice what you save on Pinterest or Instagram when no one’s watching.

 ✴️ Indulge Your Passions

• Set a regular “creative reset” - one hour a week to play with ideas or materials with no commercial goal.

• Sign up for a workshop or course in something you’ve always loved (e.g. textiles, antiques, lighting design).

• Create a fantasy design brief just for you - the dream client, the dream house, the dream budget.

✴️ Let It Shape What the World Sees

When you know what you love, you can start letting that love lead:

• You should have an 'About Me' on social media and on your website: rewrite these to reflect your real fascinations, not just your credentials.

• Share a passion-led post series on your favourite design topics - colour stories, joinery details, architectural lines.

• Choose images for your portfolio or website that show what you want more of, not just what you’ve already done.

• Say out loud: “This is what I love. This is what I’m great at.” And trust that the right clients will hear you.

The clearer you are about what lights you up, the easier it becomes to attract aligned clients - and the more joy you’ll find in the work. Passion is magnetic. Let yours shape your business.

SECTION TWO -

Audit Your Boundaries (Because Leaky Boundaries Lead to Burnout) 

Reclaiming your business starts with boundaries. Not the brick-wall kind, but clear, confident ones that support both you and your client. Improving this is a two-pronged process - part systems and processes, part mindset. Let’s take them in turn:

🛠 Systems and Processes — the Practical Fix

 Here’s where to begin:

🔹 Onboarding materials 

Do your welcome packs and intro emails set out how you work? They should explain:

• Operating hours and response times

• Communication channels (e.g. email only — not WhatsApp)

• Your process, step by step, so clients understand what’s coming next

🔹 Terms and conditions 

Review your T&Cs through the lens of boundaries. Do they: 

• Specify working hours and days off?

• Clarify what’s included and what counts as an extra?

• Support you if you need to enforce late payment charges or reschedule meetings?

🔹 Proposal documents 

Don’t just present a pretty PDF. Every proposal should be:

• Granular — spell out what’s included and what isn’t

• Structured — show how extra work will be costed and approved

• Protective — use clear language about limits, reviews, approvals, and delays

🔹 Meeting allowances and client updates 

Do you send weekly or fortnightly updates, even when there’s nothing to report?

• This trains clients to wait for news instead of chasing you - you have to be disciplined in directing clients to this, and not jumping each time they ask

• It builds trust and reduces interruptions

• It puts you in the driving seat

Strong systems don’t make you rigid - they make you reliable. Clients feel more confident (and therefore relaxed) and you feel more in control. 

🧠 Mindset — the Emotional Anchor

Even with solid systems in place, it takes inner work to hold your boundaries. Especially when you’re faced with high-maintenance clients, blurred expectations, or your own people-pleasing reflexes.

Here’s what to remember:

🔹 You are the expert 

Your client hired you to lead. That means setting the pace, the tone, and the framework. When you let them take control, everyone loses - the work suffers, timelines drift, and your energy drains away. It's so much easier to maintain control than to get it back when it has shifted!

🔹 Firm is not unfriendly 

You can be warm and boundaried. In fact, clearly stated boundaries often feel safer to clients, not harsher. They know what to expect. They trust the process.

🔹 Process is power 

When you follow your own processes - not the client’s whims - you anchor yourself. You protect your time, your creative focus, and the quality of the work. Strong boundaries aren’t selfish. They’re essential.

🔹 Be the grown-up in the room 

Some clients will test you. Not maliciously - just because they’re anxious, or used to getting their way. Don’t get swept up in their emotional weather. Stick to your systems. You’re the professional here.

Rebuilding your boundaries doesn’t happen overnight. But start small: rewrite a section of your welcome pack, adjust one clause in your terms, prep a weekly update template. Every tweak is a vote for a calmer, more confident version of your business.

Need a Hand Holding the Line? 

If your business boundaries are feeling a bit spongey - or if your brain keeps second-guessing what should be non-negotiable - book a one-to-one consultancy. We’ll realign your processes and your mindset, so you can lead with calm, confidence, and clarity.

✨ Sometimes, all it takes is one strong hour to reset the tone.

SECTION THREE -

Refresh Your Client Filter (Because Not Everyone Deserves a Seat at the Table) 

Ideal clients energise you. They trust your process. They respect your boundaries. They’re a joy to work with - and they usually lead to more of the same.

So pause and ask:

• Who have you loved working with - and why?

• Who have you secretly vowed never to work with again - and why?

• Are you saying yes just because someone asked?

This can be a progression, intentionally pivoting your marketing to attract the right clients. If the wrong clients keep showing up, the problem could be your message: it might be the signal you’re sending out. That’s where your business design and brand messaging come in. Let’s go there next.

SECTION FOUR -

How to Start Redesigning Your Business (Without Burning It All Down) 

When you’re neck-deep in client work and feeling disillusioned, the idea of pausing to create a business plan can feel like a luxury you can’t afford - or a distraction from the urgent need to fix things now. But in truth, a thoughtful business plan isn’t a delay - it’s the doorway to clarity.

If your business no longer fits you (or if you don't fit well with the clients you're attracting), you need to stop and reimagine it from scratch. That means asking yourself:

• What role do I want to play in my business?

• What’s distinctive about my approach?

• Who are the clients that bring out my best work?

• What services do they really need - and what should I stop offering?

• How do I reach them with confidence and consistency?

A strong business plan is more than a spreadsheet or a list of goals. It’s a living design document that reshapes your services, realigns your pricing, redefines your working hours, and guides your marketing. It creates a business that works for you - not just one that keeps you busy.

If you want a healthy, thriving business, one that is positioned with a clear runway to future growth, you really need a good business plan. 

AI can be a brilliant partner in this process. Inside my free Hothouse 2025 membership, you’ll find guidance on how to use AI to support your business planning (look under the ‘Files’ tab for prompt-writing tips and tools).

Or, if you’d like structured support with live teaching and one-to-one input, this is exactly what we do in Bootcamp. It’s where tired businesses find their second wind. Message Me if you’d like to join the waitlist or find out more.

SECTION FIVE -

Don’t Do It Alone (I’ve Saved the Best ’Til Last) 

If you’ve been flying solo, it’s time to find your people.

Some of the happiest designers I know right now aren’t necessarily the ones with the biggest projects or flashiest clients. They’re the ones who’ve reconnected with their why - and are surrounded by others doing the same. They’ve found a rhythm, a sense of self-belief, and crucially, a support system.

At the heart of Bootcamp is a powerful community of practice - not just fellow interior designers, but peers who understand the highs, lows, and in-betweens of growing a creative business. They come with different personalities, locations, price points, and styles - and yet the generosity, encouragement, and insight they offer one another is boundless.

There’s no competition here. Just unconditional support, grounded advice, and a shared commitment to doing better - together. 

Conclusion: Find Your People, Reclaim Your Joy 

Too busy working? Don't feel you have time to invest in enjoying your business?

Make time to do the (enjoyable) work that keeps you motivated and inspired. Playing hooky can make us feel guilty - doing things that are fun but that don't directly contribute to the bottom line...but in truth, if it keeps your business on the rails, it's hugely valuable. Set time aside each month to do things that fuel your passion. 

When your mojo goes missing, a refresh is absolutely called for. But perhaps the biggest gift you can give yourself isn’t a new offer or website - it’s company.

Community brings perspective. It calms the fear. It restores your confidence. And it reminds you that you’re not weird, you’re not failing, you’re just on the journey - and that others are too.

If you’re not ready for a full programme like Bootcamp, start small. Join a networking group. Message a peer. Share something you’re working through. Prioritise human connection with others who understand the entrepreneurial life.

Because chances are, the joy your business once brought is still there - it just needs a little help to resurface. And the right company might be all it takes.

And don't forget, if you want to chat about it with peers, we are waiting to meet you in  Hothouse - my free private membership.