With me on the podcast today is Kymberlyn Lacy of Kymberlyn Lacy Interiors, and I am so excited for this conversation. Kymberlyn is an incredibly talented designer who has built strategic partnerships with vendors across the country and is truly someone to watch in the interiors industry. She's innovative, forward-thinking, and always leading the way.

But what makes today's episode especially meaningful is her newest project—her children's book, A Designer Like Me, developed alongside the STEM coalition. It's a beautiful story designed to help kids see themselves in creative careers and recognize that there's a place for them in the world of interiors and design.

We'll talk about the book's development, the inspiration behind the main character, Fawn, and how Kymberlyn is thinking about legacy, representation, and opening doors for the next generation. It's a heartfelt, inspiring conversation you're going to love.

• Legacy building

• STEM

• Creativity

• Life altering events and health challenges can lead to significant shifts in not only perspectives, but in careers.

• Legacy becomes more important as we age and as we face these challenges.

• Design is closely tied to STEM, even if we think of it more as creative in nature.

• Having a diverse representation of an industry is powerful.

• Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

• Email: inquire@kymberlynlacyinteriors.com

• Instagram: @kymberlynlacyinteriors

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kymberlynlacy/

• Website: kymberlynlacyinteriors.com

• Website: adesignerlikeme.com

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

Joining me on the podcast today is Kathy Pace. Kathy is a dynamic, high-energy coach who teaches sales through a lens of trust—trust in ourselves, trust in the process, and trust in the client's ability to clearly share what they want and need.

In this episode, we're reframing the sales conversation and exploring how trust transforms the entire experience, making it more authentic, effective, and enjoyable for everyone involved. Get ready for an energizing, insightful, and fun conversation about sales that just might change how you think about it.

• Trust in Pricing and Process

• Confidence in execution

• Human to human sales connection

• Trust in pricing and processes provides confidence for execution of the sales process.

• Aggressive sales tactics can erode trust.

• Human to human approach transforms client's lives rather than just closing a transaction.

• ReCEPT (Relaxed, Connected, Engaging, Personalized, Transformational).

• Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

• Email: kathy@kathypace.com

• Instagram: @chattykathypace

• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/kathycraggpace/

• Website: kathypace.com

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

On the podcast today, I'm joined by Courtney Bramlett, owner of The Good Sower, and the powerhouse behind marketing and operations at Scarlet Thread.

In this episode, we're talking about the alignment of resources—how you're investing your time, energy, and effort into the areas of your business that truly matter and will move you to the next level. Together, we are bringing a practical, grounded perspective on focusing your resources with intention so your business can grow without unnecessary overwhelm.

Get ready for a fun, insightful, and energizing conversation.

• Alignment of Resources to Strategy

• Prioritization of Goals based on company vision

• Focus resources and reduce unnecessary tasks

• Understand business fundamentals before implementing solutions.

• Budget for what is important.

• All resources should be aligned with the company strategy.

• Small steps in the right direction are better than none.

• Business investments need to be balance with owner's compensation.

• Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

• Email: courtney@thegoodsower.com

• Instagram: @Courtneybramlett_

• Website: The Good Sower

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

Joining us on the podcast today is Sarah Trop, owner of Fun Cycled in upstate New York. By day, Sarah transforms spaces and furniture through thoughtful, sustainable design, and by night, she shares her creative life as a lifestyle blogger—she's truly fun to follow and watch.

In this episode, we're talking about upcycling—what Sarah lovingly calls Fun Cycling—and how intentional, sustainable design can bring a sense of peace into the spaces we live and work in. We'll also explore what it means to be good stewards of what we've been entrusted with, especially throughout the design process.

This conversation is creative, meaningful, and uplifting—and I know you're going to enjoy it.

• Repurposing

• Well-being

• Balancing home and health

• There is value in merging old and new items in design.

• It is important to balance home-making with hospitality and stewardship.

• Design can promote emotional and physical well-being.

• New challenges keep us learning.

• We were created to create.

• Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

• Email: sarah@funcycled.com

• Instagram: @funcycled

• Facebook: Funcycled

• Website: Funcycled.com

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Metrique Solutions

Joining me today on the podcast is Ceil DiGuglielmo, host of the Sew Much More podcast and owner of the Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library. Every year, Ceil and I sit down for an end-of-year business catch-up to talk honestly about what worked, what didn't, and what we've learned. We ask each other thoughtful, leading questions to get a real glimpse into work, life, balance, and how all of those pieces fit together.

Our hope is that as you listen, you'll reflect on your own year and maybe ask yourself some of the same questions. This year, we spent a lot of time discussing what it means to create space and margin in our lives—and the importance of checking in with ourselves rather than looking to a book, a podcast, AI, or anything else for the answers. It's about learning to hear ourselves think again.

• Margin in our calendar and business

• Client Expectations

• Retirement and Work-Life Balance

• Embracing Wisdom

• Family changes impact life and work.

• Client expectations are changing - wanting more for less.

• Clearing physical and digital clutter allows better focus.

• What are we building towards - what does retirement mean?

• Intentional time management is crucial to balance.

• Goal for 2026 is more time (margin) to think and process information.

• With the rise of AI we need to be careful not to outsource all of our thinking.

• Striving to be a cheerleader for everyone.

• Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

• Email: ceilwdi@gmail.com

• The Curtains and Soft Furnishings Resource Library

• Podcast: Sew Much More

• Learn to Choose Window Coverings

Today we're diving into one of the biggest challenges for growing businesses — scaling without losing control of your brand. Growth is exciting, but it can also expose every weakness in your systems, your messaging, and your client experience. So in this episode, we're talking about how to protect your brand's integrity as you bring on more clients, more team members, and more opportunities. Because scaling should amplify your brand — not dilute it.

• Brand Control and Defense

• Brand Alignment

• Brand Guardrails

• Consistency Builds Trust

• Weaknesses in brand clarity become louder and more obvious as you scale.

• Create a documented, teachable brand identity.

• Your offer, audience, client experience, and brand promise should be crystal clear and written.

• Systems replicate your standards when you are not in the room.

• Use SOPs and checklists to stay consistent.

• Systems create freedom.

• Team members and outsourced partners need guardrails.

• Define what is flexible and what is non-negotiable.

• Every touchpoint communicates something about your brand.

• Consistency creates trust, referrals and brand recognition.

• Inconsistency kills scaling efforts.

• Team training should include philosophy.

• Teams should connect the dots to the "why".

• Teams that understand the "why" will protect the brand without micromanagement.

• Many businesses forget to scale vision leading to scattered offers and brand drift.

• Scaling requires strategic "no's".

• Avoid expanding so wide that you lose focus.

• Email: Team@ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• Facebook: Scarlet Thread Consulting

• Instagram: @ScarletThreadATL

• Website: ScarletThreadConsulting.com

• LinkedIn: Michele Williams

• Work with Me

• The Designers' Inner Circle - Become a Member Today

• CFO2Go

• Strategy2Go

• Metrique Solutions

Today I'm joined by Susan Glass and Caitlin Raad of The Glass Group, experts in helping individuals, families, and business owners build financial security and confidence through smart insurance strategies.

Susan and Caitlin specialize in showing how different types of insurance can be layered to protect not just a person—but their family, employees, and business as a whole. I've had the pleasure of meeting with both of them several times, and every conversation has uncovered new insights into how insurance can be used as a tool for stability and growth.

So even if the word "insurance" makes you think of that class you wanted to sleep through in college, trust me—this episode is one you won't want to miss.

• Insurance

• Future protection

• Wealth

• Employee retention