19th & Co

19th&CO is the premier back-of-house consultancy for architects, interior designers, and showrooms. Our goals are your business goals!

19th&CO is the premier, all-in-one consultancy exclusively for the design industry - serving architects, interior designers, showrooms, and independent brands. We drive transformation in your business through the streamlining of operations, financial projections, branding, and recruiting the best team.

09/07/2026

Being the hardest-working person in your business shouldn't be the business model.

Labor Day feels like an appropriate time to talk about something our industry has normalized for far too long:

Constant work is not the same thing as sustainable success.

Design-led businesses are complicated.

There are clients to serve.
Teams to lead.
Projects to deliver.
Business development to manage.

And eventually, doing everything yourself stops being evidence of commitment and starts becoming a constraint on the business.

That's where intentionality matters.

What actually requires your attention?
What needs a better system?
What shouldn't be happening at all?

At 19th & Co., our business coaching gives owners of design-led firms space to step out of the noise, clarify priorities, pressure-test decisions, and stay accountable to what moves the business forward.

Because the goal isn't to build a business that demands increasingly more from you.

It's to build one capable of performing without requiring you to carry everything.
Happy Labor Day from 19th & Co.

If you're ready to build a business that works better, not simply one that requires you to work harder, learn more about our coaching for design-led businesses and book a Strategy Meeting via the link in our bio.

09/03/2026

There's growth.
And then there's growth that's recognized on the Inc. 5000.

We're thrilled to celebrate our client, Lauren Lerner and the Living with Lolo team, on being named to the 2026 5000, following an incredible 151% three-year growth.

Building a creative business at this level requires more than exceptional work.

It requires leadership.

Clear priorities.

Strong systems.

The ability to make difficult decisions.

And the discipline to keep moving the business forward as the opportunities, and complexity, grow.

That’s what intentional growth looks like in practice.

Not growth for the sake of growth.

Growth supported by a business capable of sustaining it.

Congratulations , on an incredibly well-earned recognition. We're so proud to celebrate what you and your team continue to build!

08/31/2026

The right systems don't just transform a business. They transform the person leading it.

Over the past month, we've taken you behind the scenes of our work with Carré Designs.

We shared the challenges.

We shared the operational changes.

Now we're sharing the outcome.

Over the course of our five-month engagement, Carré Designs:
• Transitioned from reactive operations to intentional leadership.
• Implemented clearer team structure and workflow systems.
• Strengthened pricing, contracts, and firm positioning.
• Reduced operational friction and mental load.
• Increased clarity, focus, and decision-making confidence.

But the most meaningful result wasn't found in a spreadsheet.

It came from Kristi herself.

"For the first time, I feel like I'm truly running my business, instead of my business running me."
- Kristi Carré Freeland, Carré Designs

That's why we do this work.

Because building a stronger business isn't just about improving operations.
It's about giving business owners the clarity, confidence, and freedom to lead the companies they've worked so hard to build.

Thank you, Kristi, for trusting us with such an important chapter of your journey. It's been an honor to walk alongside you.

If your business has outgrown the systems supporting it, let's build the foundation for your next stage of growth. Book your Strategy Meeting through the link in our bio.

08/28/2026

Not every project that comes through the door is the right project for your firm.

When evaluating opportunities, we encourage our clients to look at the three

F's: Fun, Fame, and Fortune.

Fun. You enjoy the client and the work.

Fame. The project contributes to the portfolio and reputation you're intentionally building.

Fortune. The project makes financial sense for the business.
The goal?

A project should contribute to at least two of the three.

Because choosing the right projects isn't simply about whether you can take on the work.

It's about understanding what that project is contributing to the business you're trying to build.

And yes, sometimes you're going to say yes to a cash-flow project because the business needs the revenue.

That's business.

But the more intentional you become about which projects you pursue, the more your portfolio, profitability, and client base begin to reflect where you actually want your firm to go.

That's the difference between taking the work that shows up and ruthlessly choosing the work that moves your business forward.

Save the 3 F's for the next time you're deciding whether a project is worth saying yes to.

08/26/2026

Most design firms don't have a burnout problem. They have a systems problem.

For years, our industry wore burnout like a badge of honor.

Long hours.
Constant urgency.
Always being available.

Somehow, that became what success looked like.

Thankfully, that conversation is changing.

Founder & CEO Christine Woodward is featured in the Summer 2026 issue of Business of Home, discussing one of the biggest challenges facing design firms today: burnout.

One quote from the article especially resonated with us:

"The antidote to burnout is ruthless intentionality."

Burnout isn't simply about working too much.

It's often the result of reactive leadership, unclear priorities, weak systems, and businesses that become dependent on one person.

The strongest firms don't simply become more productive.

They become more ruthlessly intentional.

Thank you to for creating space for this important conversation and for recognizing the importance of sustainable leadership within our industry.

Read the full Business of Home feature to learn how ruthlessly intentional leadership and thoughtful systems can help create a more sustainable business.

Read the article through the link in our bio.

08/24/2026

The best businesses are built with as much intention as the work they create.

Today we're celebrating one of our incredible clients, Christine Vroom, who is featured in the Summer issue of .

The article highlights not only one of Christine's stunning California projects, but also something just as important - how ruthlessly intentional systems and boundaries transformed the way she leads her firm.

As Christine shares, strengthening client agreements, hiring an operations manager, and building stronger internal processes helped reduce burnout and create a healthier business.

That story resonates deeply with us.

Because beautiful work deserves a business that's just as thoughtfully designed.

Congratulations, Christine, on this incredible project. We're honored to celebrate the incredible work that you do!

Incredible work, Christine! Follow to see more of her beautiful work, and read her Business of Home feature through the link in our bio.

08/19/2026

Flat fees aren't wrong. Guessing them is.

Let's clear something up.

Flat fees aren't the problem.
Guessing your flat fees is.

Too many creative businesses choose a number based on instinct instead of data.

The result?

Projects that quietly lose money.
Margins that disappear.
Teams that become overworked.
And owners wondering why the business feels busy but never truly profitable.

Every flat fee should be backed by real information.

Track your estimated hours.
Compare them to your actual hours.
Review project profitability.
Adjust your pricing based on evidence, not assumptions.

Pricing isn't about charging more.
It's about charging accurately.
That's how profitable businesses are built.

What's one pricing lesson you've learned the hard way? Share it below.

08/17/2026

Most firms don't need more clients. They need better workflows.

When businesses stop growing, the first instinct is often to focus on marketing.

More leads.
More networking.
More visibility.

But that wasn't the challenge Carré Designs was facing.

The business already had demand.

What it needed was the operational structure and workflow to support the next stage of growth.

Over five months, we worked alongside Kristi to:
• Identify operational bottlenecks
• Clarify leadership priorities
• Strengthen pricing and contract strategy
• Build sustainable workflows
• Create accountability throughout the organization

The goal wasn't to make the team work harder.
The goal was to make the business work better.

Because sustainable growth isn't built on constant hustle.
It's built on ruthlessly intentional systems.

Next week, we'll share what happened because of those changes.

Save this post for the next time you're evaluating your business systems.

08/12/2026

Awards don't define great designers. They recognize years of exceptional work.

One of the greatest parts of our work is celebrating the incredible accomplishments of our clients.

Congratulations to Jennifer Wundrow on being selected for
Readers' Choice Awards - Best of the Country Interior Designer!

Recognition like this is never about one beautiful project.
It's the result of years of ruthlessly intentional leadership, exceptional client experiences, thoughtful design, and an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Jennifer continues to elevate the standard for luxury residential design, and we're honored to celebrate this milestone alongside her.

Congratulations, Jennifer. We can't wait to see what comes next!

Help us congratulate Jennifer in the comments and be sure to follow her incredible work

08/10/2026

From the outside, the business was thriving. Behind the scenes, it depended on its owner more than anyone realized.

Success doesn't always feel successful.

From the outside, Carré Designs had everything many firms strive for.

Beautiful work.

An established reputation.

A steady stream of projects.

But behind the scenes, founder Kristi Carré Freeland found herself spending more time reacting than leading.

After more than a decade in business, growth had become increasingly difficult to manage.

The firm wasn't struggling because of a lack of talent.

It was struggling because the business had outgrown the systems supporting it.

Together, we began identifying the operational bottlenecks that were keeping the business reactive instead of ruthlessly intentional.

Because the next level of growth rarely comes from doing more.

It comes from building a stronger foundation.

Next week we'll take you behind the scenes and share the operational changes that transformed the business.

If your business feels successful on paper but overwhelming, you’re not alone.
Schedule a Strategy Meeting and let's uncover what's holding your business back.

Address

1160 Battery Street, Suite 100
San Francisco, CA
94111

Website

http://19thandco.com/

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