The Collective for Designers

The Collective for Designers 🤓 Business Consulting for Designers Nationwide
👭 Denver Co-working & Design Community
Efficiency. Confidence. Creativity. Connection.

Things that are completely normal with AI… but unhinged in real life 😅Asking AI for feedback on a design plan is a littl...
06/03/2026

Things that are completely normal with AI… but unhinged in real life 😅

Asking AI for feedback on a design plan is a little like asking someone to review a project without dimensions, site conditions, lead times, budget constraints, contractor input, or knowing how the people actually functionally use the space. Oh what it is exactly like that.

It can generate ideas fast. Real design is everything happening behind the scenes.

If you’ve ever had to explain why the “perfect” layout doesn’t fit through the doorway… you already know.

Send this to your design bestie who’s translating AI confidence into real-world decisions all day.

Ever look at your calendar and think, "How am I this busy and still not making what I expected?"You're not alone.One of ...
06/02/2026

Ever look at your calendar and think, "How am I this busy and still not making what I expected?"

You're not alone.

One of the biggest mistakes we see designers make is assuming their capacity equals their working hours.

It doesn't.

Because you're not just designing.

You're answering emails.
Managing vendors.
Reviewing proposals.
Coordinating deliveries.
Updating clients.
Handling bookkeeping.
Marketing your business.
And solving problems nobody warned you about.

That's why most designers are only 50–70% billable.

And if your pricing, revenue goals, or workload assumptions are based on 100% billability...

The math gets ugly fast.

The good news?

This is a numbers problem. And numbers can be understood.

Send me a DM and we'll send you our free workbook, "What Your Design Business Actually Needs to Earn."

It will help you calculate:
✓ Your actual capacity
✓ Your monthly revenue goal
✓ Your minimum profitable hourly rate

And if you're looking at your business thinking, "Honestly, the backend is the bigger issue..."

Book a Discovery Chat through the link in bio.

Early Bird enrollment for Foundations includes a complimentary 1:1 Strategy Session through June 14.

IYKYKSend this to the designer who’s out here running a luxury business on a “we’ll figure it out” system.
05/29/2026

IYKYK
Send this to the designer who’s out here running a luxury business on a “we’ll figure it out” system.

Most designers don’t struggle because they lack talent.⁠⁠They struggle because no one handed them the “how to run a busi...
05/28/2026

Most designers don’t struggle because they lack talent.⁠
⁠
They struggle because no one handed them the “how to run a business” manual… and yet still expect themselves to just figure it out. (Is that you?)⁠
⁠
So you did what any smart, capable person would do:⁠ You said yes to a project.⁠ Then another.⁠ Then another.⁠ And now you have a real business.⁠ With real clients, real money, and real pressure…⁠
⁠
…but also real questions like:⁠
“Wait… how am I supposed to price this?”⁠
“Why does every project take longer than I thought?”⁠
“Is it supposed to feel this chaotic?”⁠
⁠
Meanwhile, the “strategic starters” are over here like:⁠
“I refuse to learn this the hard way.”⁠
⁠
Different personalities. Same destination.⁠
⁠A business that feels harder than it should.⁠
⁠
Because this isn’t about working more.⁠ It’s about having a way to actually run what you’ve built.⁠
⁠
Send this to your design bestie who’s either in her “I have a plan” era…⁠
or her “how did I end up running a business?” era.

Design school didn't teach you how to measure your business.So most designers rely on: gut feelings, busy schedules, and...
05/28/2026

Design school didn't teach you how to measure your business.

So most designers rely on: gut feelings, busy schedules, and bank balances.

The problem? None of those tell you if you're actually making money.

These 3 numbers do.

They show you:
- what you should be charging
- how your time is actually being spent
- and whether your projects are profitable

If you don't know them, you're not running a business. You're guessing.

Most designers don’t actually know if they’re profitable. They look at their bank account, see money moving, and assume ...
05/26/2026

Most designers don’t actually know if they’re profitable. They look at their bank account, see money moving, and assume things are working.

But revenue isn’t profit.

And staying busy doesn’t mean you’re getting paid well.

If you’re not tracking your Target Profitable Hourly Rate,
it’s really easy to build a business that looks successful but doesn’t actually support your life.

This is one of the biggest gaps we see with “accidental” entrepreneurs.

You’re doing the work. Please give yourself credit.
You just haven’t been given the tools to measure if it’s working.

We break this down inside Foundations, especially in our financial literacy module.

If you’re tired of guessing, book a discovery chat and we’ll walk you through it.

Send this to the designer who’s been “meaning to get their systems together”for a while.
05/22/2026

Send this to the designer who’s been “meaning to get their systems together”
for a while.

The deadline isn’t the real deadline.Because if your call is booked after June 14…you were never actually in the running...
05/21/2026

The deadline isn’t the real deadline.

Because if your call is booked after June 14…
you were never actually in the running for the bonus.

We’re enrolling for Foundations right now. AND offering a 1:1 Strategy Session for early sign-ups.

But our calendar fills about 2 weeks in advance.

So waiting quietly becomes missing it.

If you want the bonus,
book your call this week.

Friends don't let friends build in isolation.Most designers don’t talk about the hiding in the "pantry" moments.The mome...
05/20/2026

Friends don't let friends build in isolation.
Most designers don’t talk about the hiding in the "pantry" moments.

The moments where you’re hiding from your family just to answer a "quick" client text because you haven't been taught how to set a boundary that sticks. Or the 1 AM laptop glow where you’re wondering if everyone else has a business manual that you somehow missed.

Hear us when we say this: You haven’t failed.

You’ve just outgrown "winging it." Your talent is a 10/10. But if your business systems are still at a 2, you aren't running a firm, you’re running a charity for people who can already afford custom upholstery.

It’s time for the business side of your craft to be as custom and intentional as the spaces you design.

The waitlist for our next Foundations Cohort is officially OPEN. ✨

Stop playing "Google Roulette" with your contracts and marketing. Join a community of designers who are reclaiming their time, their profit, and their 6 PM "Off" switch.

Friends don’t let friends do this alone. Click the link in our bio to join the list.

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Denver, CO

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Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

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https://portal.thecollectivefordesigners.com/public/form/view/680fb5ec8e74dd003aa

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