How do you go from flipping builder-grade homes to designing multi-million-dollar projects that align with your true creative vision?

In this episode, Darla chats with Bre Hance, the powerhouse Founder of InHance Design Build, about the real mindset and strategic pivots that helped her level up her business and attract high-end interior design clients.

From her early days taking on “anything that came in the door” to now leading a luxury design-build firm in Los Angeles, Bre shares what it takes to grow with intention, and without losing your soul in the process.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why Bre stopped saying yes to every project (and what she did instead).

✅ How to mentally prepare to work with high-end clientele.

✅ What strategic branding decisions helped Bre level up.

✅ The role of vulnerability, storytelling, and authenticity in attracting luxury clients.

✅ How mindset work and coaching helped her own her worth.

You’ll hear about the fears she had to overcome, the branding moves that changed everything, and how she crafted client experiences that made her irresistible to luxury buyers. This one’s not just inspiring, it’s a blueprint.

Listen now and learn how to upgrade your clients and your confidence.

(00:00) Bre’s small-town roots and big-city mindset.

(04:20) From hustle to high-end: redefining the client journey.

(08:15) The branding shift that unlocked a higher-level audience.

(13:30) How mindset coaching changed her business.

(18:40) Why storytelling and social proof win premium clients.

(22:55) Letting go of fear and stepping into your future self.

Bre Hance is the Owner and Principal Designer at InHance, a Los Angeles-based high-end residential design/build firm. Over the past ten years, InHance has designed over 200 single-family and multi-family residences throughout the country. Bre’s emphasis on bold colors, eclectic yet luxurious design, and her philosophy of elevated everyday living has made her one of LA’s most sought-after designers and design experts.

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Getting Things Done by David Allen.

Business of Design by Kimberley Seldon

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Are your vendor spreadsheets quietly killing your profits and sanity?

Fragmented sourcing isn’t just an inconvenience; it drains time, eats into margins, and creates chaos you can’t afford. Host Darla Powell talks with Lee Anne Blake, CEO of The Expert, about why many designers are frustrated with juggling numerous vendors and outdated processes.

They discuss how client expectations have changed, with buyers wanting smoother, faster, more transparent experiences, and what it really takes to keep up without losing your personal touch or design integrity.

You’ll hear about the real challenges designers face when trying to manage a thousand-row spreadsheet of suppliers, the benefits of consolidating orders without sacrificing variety, and how emerging generations of designers are rejecting slow, clunky systems in favor of something easier.

It’s an honest look at the tradeoffs of stocking-dealer pricing, the risks of vendor instability, and what access to new brands can do for your creative vision and business growth.

You’ll learn:

✅ Why multi-vendor chaos is hurting your margins and your time.

✅ How shifting client expectations demands a more seamless buying experience.

✅ Ways designers can gain leverage with trade programs and consolidated checkout.

✅ What the future holds for sourcing, from better vendor access to stronger client trust.

If you’re an interior designer looking to grow your business while staying sane and profitable, this is the episode that’s going to help you get there.

Listen now and start taking control of your sourcing process before it controls you.

(00:00) Intro and setting up the pain of fragmented sourcing.

(02:42) What The Expert is and how it evolved from consultations to marketplace.

(05:04) How designers can qualify for the consult roster and trade program details.

(09:25) Addressing pricing, discounts, and competitive trade concerns.

(13:19) Client transparency, design fees, and evolving expectations.

(17:03) Generational shifts in buying behavior and the push for streamlined online shopping.

(21:12) Future plans for expanding vendor access and improving designer tools.

Lee Anne Blake is the CEO of The Expert, a leading online marketplace transforming how interior designers source and purchase high-end furnishings. With a career rooted in technology, marketplace growth, and media, she brings deep expertise in building user-friendly, scalable solutions that meet real-world needs.

Prior to The Expert, Lee Anne led growth at Babylist, helping modernize the way new parents shop and plan. She’s also held leadership roles at companies like Google, ShopStyle, PopSugar, and AOL, where she honed her ability to marry technology with seamless customer experiences.

At The Expert, Lee Anne is focused on streamlining the often chaotic sourcing process for designers by offering a curated platform with over 180 brands and tens of thousands of products, all in one place with trade pricing and consolidated checkout.

She’s passionate about empowering small businesses, independent designers, and artisan makers alike, ensuring they have the tools and exposure they need to thrive in a changing, tech-driven world.

Outside of work, Lee Anne is a dedicated mom who’s no stranger to early mornings and the balancing act of career and family, making her deeply empathetic to the time pressures her customers face daily.

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Wingnut Academy is LIVE Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck

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