Your Past Career Is Your Secret Weapon in Interior Design
Why Starting “Late” Actually Gives You a Head Start
Episode 132
In this episode of Design Dialogues, I’m sharing why your second, third, or even fourth career is not a setback — it’s actually your biggest strength as a designer.
I know it’s easy to feel like you’re behind if you didn’t study interiors straight out of school. But the truth is, the skills and experiences you’ve gained in other industries can give you a real advantage in building your design studio. From communication and project management to finance, creativity, and resilience — these are the tools that make clients trust you and projects run smoothly.
If you’ve ever wondered whether your past career was wasted time, I want to reframe it for you: you didn’t start late, you started with a head start.
Hope you enjoy the episode
Beth xx
Why Your Past Experience Matters
Interior design isn’t just about choosing fabrics and finishes. It’s about managing people, money, projects, and expectations — while delivering creativity under pressure. And those are skills many of us already mastered long before we became designers.
Teaching - clear client communication and guiding people step-by-step
Finance - budgeting, contracts, and profitability
Marketing - branding, storytelling, and client attraction
Retail or Customer Service - relationship-building and problem-solving
Creative Fields (fashion, events, photography) - detail, colour, and visual storytelling
What you’ve learned in previous roles directly translates into strengths for your studio today.
Reframing the “Starting Late” Story
Instead of telling yourself, “I’m behind,” try saying: “I started with a head start.”
Unlike someone fresh out of design school, you bring maturity, perspective, and lived experience. Clients notice this — and they trust you more quickly because of it. You’re not just offering design expertise, you’re offering empathy, real-world knowledge, and confidence grounded in experience.
A Practical Exercise to Reframe Your Skills
Here’s one simple way to uncover your strengths:
Write down the last two industries you worked in.
List three skills you developed in each role.
Look at how those six skills can support your design studio.
Find ways to weave them into your brand story, your website, and even how you speak with clients.
This not only helps you see the value you bring, but it also gives potential clients a reason to choose you over someone else.
The Takeaway
Your career journey — no matter how winding — is what makes you unique. Clients don’t just hire you for your design eye, they hire you for your whole story. Every past role, every skill learned, every challenge faced… it all adds depth to the way you run your studio today.
So if you’ve ever felt “late” to the industry, remember this: you’re not behind. You’re building your design business on a foundation of rich, real-world experience — and that’s something no textbook can teach.
This Episode Is Perfect For
Designers transitioning from another career into interiors
Creatives who worry they’re “behind” in business
Anyone looking to weave their past experiences into their brand story
Interior designers ready to reframe their journey as a strength