Staging Sips

When you think about growing your staging business, it's easy to assume the next step is better marketing, more social media, or a steady stream of leads. But what if those aren't the exact things holding your business back?

This week, I'm joined by my friend Heather Cook, founder of Social Savvy Stager, to talk about a realization that completely changed the direction of her business. After spending the past year helping stagers with marketing, Heather discovered that the real challenges weren't content calendars or Instagram posts. They ran much deeper. Business owners were struggling with brand...

Some moments stop you cold. This episode is about one of those moments and it came in the form of four words written in my youngest son's handwriting, slipped under my closed office door on a Sunday night.

This is one of the most personal episodes I've ever recorded, and I hope it lands for you the way that night landed for me. Because what started as a wake-up call became the question that changed everything about how I run my business.

What You'll Learn

Have you ever opened your computer in the morning and immediately found yourself clicking between six different tabs just to figure out what's happening in your business?

As we've been onboarding founding members into Harlowe, I've been asking our staging business owners a simple question: How many tools do you log into every day to run your business? The answer is almost always the same…at least three, usually more.

The reality is that most of us didn't build these systems intentionally. We solved one problem at a time. We added a booking tool, then an...

I want to talk about a question I get asked all the time: Where does the admin role stop? Where does the lead stager role begin? And where exactly does the CEO fit into all of this?

The truth is, most of us never learned to think about our staging businesses this way. We started because we loved staging. We learned the craft. We got clients. We grew. And then one day we looked up and realized we were running a company with real complexity while still trying to wear every hat ourselves.

What I...

Most staging business owners don't wake up in the morning excited to think about scheduling. Yet somehow, it becomes one of the biggest invisible jobs in the business.

As I've spent countless hours mapping workflows and talking with staging business owners, one theme keeps showing up. Most scheduling systems work beautifully when the business is small. The challenge comes when growth introduces more team members, more service types, overlapping appointments, public booking links, warehouse logistics, and multiple moving pieces that all need to stay connected.

If you've ever felt like you're the glue holding your...

If you've ever hired someone and still found yourself overwhelmed, still turning away work, and still wondering why your capacity hasn't moved, this episode is for you.

We were recently talking about hiring, growth, and capacity when one business owner shared that she had successfully hired and trained team members, stepped back from doing everything herself, and yet she was still turning away work. Her spring felt better personally, but the business still hadn't truly expanded capacity.

Not only her, but that is what most staging business owners do not realize: having a team does...

AI has become one of those conversations that instantly makes people feel either excited or completely overwhelmed. This episode is for the staging business owner sitting somewhere in the middle. The tools available right now are changing the way businesses operate in real and practical ways, and there is so much opportunity in learning how to use them intentionally instead of avoiding them altogether.

This week, I'm walking through the AI tools I'm personally seeing used well inside staging businesses and sharing practical examples of how they fit into real workflows. ChatGPT, Canva Magic Studio, Plaud, and...

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 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 like I hav...

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, it's time to...

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, not even systems. It is 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...

Think of client filters as your business's "red velvet rope." They're not about turning people away. They're about creating alignment between your home staging services and 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 down what client filters are, when to use them...

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 staging 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...

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 own staging business capacity 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...

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.

Every payment method comes 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...

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...

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 the...

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 pu...

If you've ever posted in a Facebook group asking what other stagers are charging, first of all — no shame. We've all done it. But you probably walked away more confused than when you started, because pricing a vacant staging business is genuinely complicated and a comment section just can't hold that conversation. This is an expensive business model to run, and if the pricing isn't right, it can really hurt you. It does not matter whether you're brand new or you've been in business for years.

In this episode, I'm kicking off a three-part series on pricing yo...

Running a staging business means dealing with all kinds of client requests. Some reasonable, some feeling like they are meant to test your boundaries. "Can you install tomorrow?" "I'll give you a lot of business, so can you give me a better price?" "We don't like the art—can you come change it before photos?"

If requests like these stress you out or leave you feeling devalued, you're not alone. But here's the thing: most of these aren't actually boundary violations. They're just questions from people who don't fully understand how staging works or who skimmed your 20-p...

Over the past couple of weeks, I've been sharing some things in my business that were genuinely challenging. The systems that stretched me, the decisions that felt uncomfortable, the seasons that required me to shift my thinking. I've talked about what was hard and the mindset shifts that came from it. But what I realized I haven't really talked about is how I got to those mindset shifts in the first place.

The truth is, those shifts didn't come from thinking harder or powering through or honestly even journaling. They came from my decision to invest in...

There's a business season that doesn't get talked about enough; the one where growth stops feeling exciting and starts feeling heavy. It's a different phase from when you are the only person and you are tired from being overwhelmed. Here, you're no longer doing everything yourself. What you have running are systems, training, and leadership, but these feel harder than any work you have ever done.

This episode is grounded in what that season looked like inside my own business, because it's a phase so many owners experience but rarely name out loud.

I walk...

Heather Russo is building a luxury staging business in the Boston area. And her path here? Eighteen years in insurance first. I know, right.

She is like most of us out there who didn't set out to build a staging business.

Today, Heather and I talk about what it really looks like to grow a staging business intentionally. From learning how to manage seasonality and capacity, to making decisions that allow the business to support long-term goals instead of constant burnout.

We talk about the moment success starts to stretch you, why hiring...

We love to say we want things to be simple.

Simple workflows.
Simple systems.
Simple days.

But if you've ever felt exhausted by something that looks straightforward on paper, please come closer.

On Staging Sips today, I am pulling back the curtain on why "simple" workflows in a staging business often feel anything but simple. Also, why that doesn't mean you're doing something wrong. Rather, it means you're running a real business with real moving parts.

This episode isn't about adding more software or forcing yourself into tighter systems...

Building an email list was invaluable for growing my staging business. And no, not in a flashy, overnight way. I mean in a steady, reliable "this actually works" way.

And why am I bringing this up again, it is because it is one of the most valuable yet untapped points of growth for your business.

As the CEO of your staging business, one of your most important roles is keeping your pipeline full of the right clients, often starting with face to face moments.

But once those meetings are over, how do you...

Today's episode is intentionally gentle.  We would rather end the year not forcing goals, not creating pressure, and not deciding who you are supposed to become when the calendar turns. Instead, this is a guided CEO year beginning ritual meant to help you step into the year ahead feeling steady, supported, and clear in your role as a staging business owner.

Why? Because the truth is constant "A new year does not make a new you, your capacity does."

To round up the year, let's  take an honest look at what you are carrying into th...

What if the most powerful tool in your staging business isn't your inventory or marketing strategy but the thoughts you choose to think?

What if "I am an in-demand stager" was your most practiced, intentional thought? How would you show up differently? What actions would you take? How would your entire business shift?

The truth is, we get to choose the sentences we tell ourselves. And when we choose empowering thoughts and practice them deliberately, everything changes. Our confidence, our decisions, our results - all that makes your staging business thrive.

Today, I'll...

Can I be honest with you?

Most of us are growing our businesses all wrong. We're adding more clients, more inventory, more team members, more stress and wondering why we feel like we're being dragged behind the business we created instead of leading it.

You've probably 10x'd your to-do list, your warehouse space, and your sleepless nights long before you've 10x'd the care you give yourself. And that? That's the problem.

Because here's what nobody tells you when you're building a staging business: The business doesn't grow because you work harder. It grows...

The newest data from the Real Estate Staging Association just dropped for Q2 and Q3, and I need to share something with you that honestly broke my heart a little bit when I saw it. The ROI numbers? Absolutely extraordinary. We're talking about the kind of returns that would make any financial advisor pause and say, "Wait, are we talking about a Ponzi scheme here?"

But here's what got me: The average staging investment sits under $5,000. A $3,800 to $4,300 investment producing anywhere from $58,000 to $100,000 in additional seller equity.

Now, I'm not sharing this to make you...

Most homeowners move so rarely and so few have ever worked with a staging company, that it's no surprise they arrive nervous, unsure, and unclear about what to expect. And that confusion can lead to preventable hiccups for you and your team.

The good news? A little intentional communication goes a long way.

In this episode, I'm sharing simple ways to anticipate your clients' questions, address their concerns, and guide them through the process with clarity.  I'm walking you through simple tools, scripts, and touchpoints you can set up once and use over and over a...

Let's talk about something so many stagers quietly struggle with: figuring out how to stand out in a sea of gorgeous rooms and beautifully staged homes. If you've ever caught yourself scrolling and thinking, "We're all posting pretty pictures… so how am I supposed to be different?" this is your "guide to"

I'm sitting down with Heather of Social Savvy Stager today. Heather ran her own staging business for over a decade, doing all the installs, presentations, and wearing the marketing hat long before it had a name. Along the way, she realized something many of us fe...

"If this task had to be repeated 100 times, would you still want to be doing it?"

This is the question I ask every staging CEO, and honestly, it's the one that opened the door to the world of automations for me. In this episode, I am sharing why automations became one of my favorite leadership tools. Not because they're techy or trendy, but because they create clarity, consistency, and real breathing room inside a business. Especially a staging business like ours where there are so many processes and repeats.

From my early days building simple...

Ever look up and realize you've been so busy staging homes that you haven't actually led your staging business? That's exactly what we're unpacking in this episode. I'm taking you inside our 2026 Planning Day with the staging CEOs in my Accelerate program.

We talked about what worked, what didn't, and the power of asking one simple question: Where did hesitation cost me this year? You'll hear how these CEOs are shifting from being stagers who run around installing to owners who build companies, learning to trust their installation teams, and approaching their pricing and financials with real...

Ever notice how planning a team lunch suddenly becomes urgent when you're supposed to be working on something important? That's dread disguised as productivity – and today we're breaking it down.

In this episode, I'm sharing the concept of the "dread sprint" from Brooke Castillo, and honestly, I'm using it in real-time to get this very episode recorded.

We'll dive into the neuroscience behind why you avoid certain tasks, why productive procrastination still leaves you drained, and how to train yourself to push through the dread faster. Whether it's sending that proposal, looking at your financials, or...

Your phone's getting quiet. Your inbox is slowing down. And your brain is getting LOUD. If you're in that space right now where clients are hesitating, agents are skipping staging, and you're wondering how you'll make it through the end of the year, take a deep breath. Nothing has gone wrong.

What you're experiencing is what I call an integration period, and it's one of the most misunderstood, yet most important, phases of business growth. This is when your systems, your team, and your brain get to catch up to the last level you created before you...

What if the most powerful thing you could do for your staging business isn't adding more but strategically saying no?

Today's episode is really a reflection and honestly, a celebration as we're winding down this year. I've had some amazing conversations with the CEOs inside our Accelerate and private coaching, and they are experiencing wins that I have to tell you about.

These are wins that I consider non-traditional. But rather, they are the more valuable, more powerful ones from what I'm calling "the clean no". The phase where you assess an area with a...

In this episode of Staging Sips, Lori reveals a quiet trap that keeps even experienced staging CEOs stuck in operator mode: hiring for help instead of ownership.

You'll learn how to spot the difference between helpers who lighten your load temporarily and team members who expand your company's capacity. Lori shares how to shift from being the answer key to being the coach, empowering your team to think, decide, and act like owners so your business can finally run without you.

Whether you're hiring your first assistant or managing a growing operations team, this episode w...

You finally hire someone. You're expecting relief. You're imagining lighter days, fewer tasks on your plate, maybe even some breathing room. But instead? The workload feels heavier. You're fielding more questions, redoing work, fixing mistakes. And you catch yourself thinking, "It would just be faster if I handled this myself." Sound familiar?

Here's the thing: this doesn't mean you're doing anything wrong. What it really signals is that you've stepped into a stage of growth that nobody actually warned you about. Up until now, you've been the single point of failure in your business. But there's a...

Have you ever heard a seller say, "Staging sounds great, but we just can't afford it right now"? I have! Maybe you have too! But what if there were a way for your clients to stage their home today and not pay a single dollar until closing?

That's exactly what Nick Narodny set out to solve with his company, Titus. Nick grew up surrounded by real estate—his parents and even his little brother are Realtors and he was building websites for agents back in eighth grade. Fast forward to now, he has created a platform that ta...

I'm sure you know how the math works. You've probably sat down more than once to calculate exactly what you need to charge to make a profit. There is no problem until when it is time to say that number out loud to a client. It is then that it suddenly feels almost impossible. Belive me, it is not jut you.

Here's the truth: pricing is never just about the math. You can have the most perfect spreadsheet in the world, but if your mindset isn't there, none of it matters. In this episode, we're going to...