From Solopreneur to a Streamlined Team: How I Built Efficiency Into Our Design Process
When I started Mackenzie Collier Interiors in 2011, I was a one-woman show trying to balance everything from client work to sales and marketing, all while paying off student loans. Over the years, I learned valuable lessons about efficiency, growth, and scaling, which helped transform my business. We've been recognized with awards such as Phoenix's Best Entrepreneur, and Best Interior Design Firm, and have been featured in Dwell Magazine, Forbes, Better Homes & Gardens, and The Washington Post. Today, our small team manages upwards of 50 projects a year. Here’s how I optimized workflows and implemented systems to grow from a solopreneur into leading a team of eight.
1. Recognizing the Need for Efficiency Early On
After graduating during a recession, freelancing was the only option I had. I worked part-time as a nanny to make ends meet, but as projects picked up, it became impossible to juggle everything—completing design work, earning new business, managing finances, and staying on top of industry trends. I realized that to grow my business and pay my bills, I needed to be more efficient.
2. Outsourcing Low-Value Tasks to Maximize My Time
The first big step was recognizing which tasks drained my energy and pulled me away from billable work. Answering phones and booking new leads felt draining, so I hired a commission-based salesperson to take on that responsibility. I also brought on an intern to handle the lower-stakes tasks like running errands, picking up samples, and entering measurements into ACAD. This allowed me to focus on billable work and creative design tasks, optimizing my energy and productivity.
3. Developing SOPs and Systems for Consistency
As the intern grew into a design assistant, I found myself spending too much time answering, “What do I do next?” To address this, I began recording myself doing repetitive tasks and turned those recordings into Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Over time, I built a comprehensive catalog of training, making it much easier to onboard new team members as the business expanded. By systematizing our workflows, we created a strong foundation for consistency and efficiency.
4. Streamlining Business Development and Financial Management
I applied the same approach to the business development side—creating pipelines and tracking systems to improve transparency in finances, marketing, and sales. I used the app Asana to map out workflows for every service we offer, so we didn’t have to reinvent the wheel each time we started a new project. This structure minimized mistakes, allowed us to set client expectations early, and helped us monitor time tracking across projects for accurate estimates. One thing I learned from looking at years of data is that we always tend to estimate low, so now we add a standard 30% contingency on top of every hourly project to cover all of those tasks that “pop up” throughout the process. We use it almost every time, but if we don’t we refund it to the client after the project closes.
5. Building a Culture of Accountability and Regular Check-ins
As the team grew, maintaining open communication and accountability became key. We implemented mandatory Monday meetings to review the status of every project, allowing us to quickly adapt if something was off course. Weekly one-on-ones with each team member created space to address ongoing challenges, check in on workloads, and provide guidance. These regular touchpoints helped ensure the team stayed on track, avoided mistakes, and worked together efficiently. As the team grew, it became difficult to maintain weekly one-on-ones with everyone, so we took a break. However, we quickly noticed the negative impact and have since reinstated them.
Scaling from a solopreneur to an eight-person team wasn’t easy, but it was possible through optimizing workflows, creating systems, and building a culture of accountability. Today, our interior design process is streamlined, efficient, and designed to deliver the best results for our clients. Occasionally, we still unintentionally go off track from our process and we end up regretting it every time! The key to our growth has always been continuous improvement—looking at what worked, what didn’t, and constantly refining the way we work.
About Mackenzie Collier Interiors
Established in 2011, Mackenzie Collier Interiors is a Phoenix-based design firm specializing in residential and commercial spaces. Our team crafts unique environments tailored to client visions, tackling projects from home renovations to large-scale multi-family housing developments. Proudly LGBTQ owned, Mackenzie Collier Interiors prioritizes transparency and efficiency, offering inclusive design services nationwide.
