11/06/2026
I’ve made mistakes in my home staging business that I would NEVER make again.
And some of them were expensive.
I’ve underestimated how much inventory a project would require.
I’ve accepted jobs that looked profitable on paper but weren’t nearly as profitable once the actual expenses were accounted for.
I’ve accommodated timelines that made absolutely no sense for my business.
I’ve made exceptions for clients who probably shouldn’t have been exceptions.
I’ve learned that a signed contract is only as valuable as your willingness to enforce it.
I’ve learned that just because someone is willing to pay you doesn’t mean you should accept the job.
And I’ve learned that growing your revenue and growing a healthy, sustainable business are two very different things.
Here’s what nobody tells you when you’re starting a home staging company:
- You’re going to make mistakes.
- You’re going to spend money you didn’t need to spend.
- You’re going to learn which clients aren’t worth the headache.
- You’re going to discover that your time, your inventory, and your calendar are all finite resources.
And eventually, if you’re paying attention, you’re going to stop making the same mistakes.
I didn’t build my business by getting everything right the first time.
I built it by figuring out what wasn’t working, changing it, and creating systems and policies so I wouldn’t have to learn those lessons twice.
Experience is expensive. But repeating the same mistakes is even more expensive.
That’s a huge part of why I wrote This Isn’t Decorating: What It Really Takes to Build a Home Staging Business.
Not to pretend I’ve done everything perfectly.
Quite the opposite.
I wanted to share the real lessons, the uncomfortable truths, and the business decisions that nobody talks about when they’re showing you their beautifully staged living rooms.
Because if I can help another stager avoid even ONE expensive mistake I made, that knowledge is worth sharing.
📖 This Isn’t Decorating is available now on Amazon.
