π What is Hothouse?
Hothouse is an interior design business accelerator - grow your business faster through collaboration, intentional action, and goal-setting. Each month, we focus on strengthening a key area of professional performance, tracking progress as we go.
π March Intentions and Focus
As ever, this month weβre setting goals, building new habits, and using accountability to drive progress.
π March Focus: Social Media Marketing.
Looking ahead, this month weβre preparing for a big push - a short, high-impact one-day, live social media event that will become a monthly staple. Read more about Race Day below!
Next week weβll hear February progress updates from members who have been focusing on:
β Exam studies
β Social media marketing & content planning
β Business development & networking
β Website building & branding
β Blogging & writing
π‘ So, Mondayβs live session - taking place at 6.30pm (UK) in Zoom - is your chance to set fresh March intentions, including plans for social media posting. Look out for the Zoom link in the Hothouse Facebook group.
β‘ How will you actively push your business forward this month?
π Join Us! Itβs Free
π Click here to join Hothouse on Facebook.
Or search βHothouse - Excellence in Interior Design Businessβ on Facebook.
Know someone who would benefit? Please share this newsletter with themβeveryoneβs welcome!
π‘ New on the Blog β The Future of Human-Centric Lighting
Over the last couple of weeks, Iβve been leading KLCβs BA (Hons) Lighting Design - one of my favourite annual gigs. Not only is it fantastic to meet the students, but itβs also a chance to scan the horizon for the latest advances and developments.
π‘ In my latest blog post, I explore:
β How human-centric lighting in commercial interiors will shape the future of residential lighting design.
β How AI-powered control systems will create bespoke lighting solutions tailored to wellbeing.
β How lighting will impact healthspan and lifespan through scientific advancements.
β° Wrapping Up February β Time Management Mastery
We closed February with the final instalment (fourth of four) of our Time Management series.
π Week Four was all about connecting daily activities to long-term business direction.
β’ We built a framework to ensure ongoing tasks contribute to future success - so weβre not just working hard, but working strategically.
β’ This method ensures that weβre not just keeping busy - weβre driving our business forward with intention.
πΊ Missed any sessions? Iβve combined all four into a single Time Management Playlist on YouTube.
π Or, watch Week Four here.
π Introducing Social Media Race Day β Thursday 27th March, 9.30am - 3pm.
March in Hothouse is all about Social Media Marketing, and weβre launching an exciting new initiative: Social Media Race Day.
π What is Race Day?
A live, one-day, high-energy, focused sprint where we will:
β Plan, create, and schedule your foundation for Aprilβs social media content in just one day.
β Work from a pre-planned, itemised to-do list. (Attend the webinars outlined below to prep for Race Day).
β Meet at 9:30 AM on Zoom to kick off, execute, and wrap up by 3 PM with a final debrief.
β I need pioneers, this is a beta trial, we'll learn from the first run, and apply what we learn in the coming months.
π Reply to this email if youβd like to SIGN UP for either (or both) of the two webinars below, and if you'd like to take part in RACE DAY!
π Prep Webinar 1: Magnetic Marketing β Strategy & Content Pillars
π Thursday 6th March @ 1.30PM (UK)
Before you create content, you need a strategy.
β Define your content pillars β the foundation of your brandβs messaging.
β Align your content with your business goals.
β Ensure your posts serve the full sales funnel.
β Master social media best practices for greater impact.
β Capture video and images naturally throughout your day.
π Prep Webinar 2: Content Systems for Effortless Social Media
π Tuesday 18th March @ 6.30PM (UK)
Stop scrambling. Start streamlining.
β Create a repeatable content system.
β Organise files in a way that removes friction and frustration.
β Use AI to generate captions and hashtags.
β Prepare templates & assets in advance for a polished, professional look.
Even if youβre not joining Race Day, these standalone will help you refine your marketing strategy.
π Pinterest β Start Now for May!
π Save the date: Wednesday 7th May @ 1.30PM (UK)
π‘ Pinterest for Interior Designers β A live webinar with Kat Dooney of Stripe Social.
Why start now?
π Set up a Pinterest Business account and start pinning 1 image per day.
π By May, youβll have a great library ready to convert traffic.
π Unlike Instagram, Pinterest content doesnβt disappearβitβs evergreen.
π My Week in Hothouse
This week, my 'Family' Governing Value took priority. I spent time with my mum for her birthday π proving once again that our Governing Values shape how we allocate time.
π‘ Find out about Governing Values in this blog, and in the Time Management Week One materials.
π What this meant for business:
β Less social media engagement - which reinforces the importance of Race Day in keeping me consistent. My KPI's this week (image above) are alwful - I CANNOT WAIT!
β But! A new blog post, a newsletter, and a new video were all created.
β And! If you've been around from the start, you'll know that my goal for this year (the whole reason I started this process) is to get a total of 1,000 names on my mailing list. +24 this week means that I'm on track to hit target.
β Thank you Hothouse for continuing to provide structure, consistency, and focus.
π Bootcampersβ Board Meeting β 28th February - Highlights
This month, in their live monthly meeting, Bootcamp graduates discussed:
π Social Media Strategy & Tools β Planoly, CapCut, and the new Instagram app, Edits.
π Personal Branding β Showing the human side of your business.
π Website Development & Branding β Defining briefs & costs.
π Overcoming Impostor Syndrome β Owning your expertise.
π Photography & Visualisation β Styling, video, and AI rendering.
π Client Management β Setting boundaries & defining project scope.
π Networking & Business Development β Finding new opportunities.
π Important Dates for March
π Monday 3rd March @ 6:30PM (UK) β Live Wrap-Up for February & March Kick-Off (Zoom link above, and coming to the Hothouse group)
π Thursday 6th March @ 1:30PM (UK) β Magnetic Marketing Webinar
π Thursday 13th March @ 1:30PM (UK) β New Designers Monthly Meeting
π Tuesday 18th March @ 6:30PM (UK) β Content Systems Webinar
π Thursday 27th March @ 9:30AM β 3:00PM β Social Media Race Day
π Friday 28th March @ 9.15AM (UK) β Bootcampers Board Meeting
π Wednesday 7th May @ 1:30PM (UK) β Pinterest Webinar with Kat Dooney
π Bootcamp β EARLY BIRD OFFER - FIRST-COME-FIRST-SERVED!
π‘ TIME-LIMITED: Join the April/May cohort for Β£850 instead of Β£1,180
A group of 10 ambitious and experienced residential designers is about to set off on a collaborative business development journey that will power through the rest of 2025: we won't just make plans, we'll put them to work.
Bootcamp is for designers who are deadly serious about business growth, who want to haul their business up the value chain, leveraging new technology, staying relevant, and future-proofing in a rapidly changing environment.
Bootcamp is for designers with a minimum 3 years' experience running their own residential interior design business, and includes:
β 5 one-hour 1:1 sessions - creating a bespoke plan to drive your business forwards.
β Business & marketing strategy delivered in collaborative group coaching sessions.
β Private Group Board Meetings throughout 2025.
π SIGN UP HERE : for a short time only, join Bootcamp for Β£850, instead of Β£1,180. (Contact me to pay by three instalments).
β¨ Final Thought
π― March is the month we bring social media under control. No more reactive panic posting - weβre making it work for our business goals.
Letβs own our marketing and make 2025 our best year yet!
π Click here to join Hothouse.
Warmly,
Julia
Founder, Hothouse
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