FREEDOM THROUGH LEVERAGE

You thought the business side of design would be easier by now.

A woman with curly blonde hair sitting on a bright blue Adirondack chair outside on grass, wearing a black leather jacket, a white t-shirt with a graphic, black pants, and colorful black and blue sneakers. She is smiling and looking to her right.

I help architecture and interior design principals who are tired of treading water. I find what's actually holding your studio back and fix it, so you can get back to design and clients, and the business can thrive.

Let's Talk Shop

A mid-size architecture firm went from invoicing an average of 3.5 percent below forecast to 11 percent above it in our first four months together.

Design school taught you the craft. Nobody taught you how to run the business.

The projects are ambitious, and you’ve got some great clients. The pipeline looks decent. But every challenge still comes back to you.

Projects run out of fee by CA. Clients ask for extras, and the team just does them. Invoices go out late, so the money shows up late. Your best designers got promoted into running teams with no training, so they struggle, or you take the work back. Meetings eat whole afternoons and nothing gets decided. And when a project goes over, it’s somehow nobody’s problem. In other words, yours.

You learned your craft in firms and studios where nobody talked about fees, follow-up or cash flow. Then you opened your own and ran it the same way.

The design work is excellent, but the business behind it hasn’t kept up.

That’s exactly what I fix.

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An advisor who’s been there

I'm Carla, a recovered architect.

I spent 14 years in architecture, in firms of 3, 13 and 130 people. I've built two businesses of my own. Then I spent two years coaching 200+ building-sector owners through 1,600+ one-on-ones.

Design pros have the talent to run a great firm. They've almost never seen one run well. I have.

I look at four parts of your firm: Money, Goals, Roles and Systems. Then I build what's missing with you and your team, in your own files and software: the dashboard, the weekly rhythm, the role scorecards, and the fee conversations everyone's been avoiding. That's why it keeps running after I leave.

And when a hard call comes up, you've got someone who's been there to think it through with. I'll tell you straight what I'd do.

Let's Talk
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How I got here

14 years Practising architect, in firms from 3 to 130 people

1,600+ One-on-one coaching sessions led with business owners, since 2024

2,500+ Monthly profit and loss statements analysed, dissected, and acted on

2 fitness businesses built from scratch. One online, grown to six figures and sold in 2019. One grown to seven figures, with 500+ members, bootstrapped through COVID.

Governor General’s Medal for the Wood Innovation and Design Centre, with Michael Green Architecture, 2016

What changes

You see the numbers that matter while there's still time to act on them. Projects get managed to the fee. And the cash shows up when you planned for it.

A mid-size architecture firm:

Great design and great clients. But invoicing fell short of forecast most months, by as much as 15 percent in a bad one. We built workflows for better financial visibility, overhauled the weekly meetings so the right data was in hand, and went looking for money that wasn’t on the forecast: client work we could pull forward, and additional services we could bill for. In the five months before we started, invoicing averaged 3.5 percent below forecast. In our first four months together, it averaged 11 percent above, and beat forecast in three of the four.

A solo interior design studio:

Annie came to me saying she needed more leads. What she actually had was contractors setting her fee and small invoices sitting unsent for months. Three months in, she'd gone from invoicing about $7,000 a month to about $10,000. She landed her first project above her $24,000 target, and when the client pushed for a discount, she offered less scope instead of a lower fee.

"I didn't cave and lower my fees, which I would have done previously."

What you can expect

  • One dashboard with your forecast, cash and project health, accurate and current, so you spot problems while they're still small.

  • First we measure where the fee is actually going. Then we put checks in place, so your team flags overages early and comes to you with a plan.

  • Extras get billed, invoices go out on time, and the money lands when you expected it.

  • Your project leads learn to run a team and a budget, everyone knows what they're accountable for, and the processes are written down. Less of it lands on your shoulders.

  • Hours come out of operations and go back into design and clients. And you can unplug on the weekend.

You're a fit if...

You lead a firm of 10 to 50 people

You're a founding or managing principal. The portfolio is strong and the work keeps coming in, but your systems, roles and leadership haven't kept up with the design. Maybe there's a transition coming: new principals stepping up, a senior leader leaving, or your own exit a few years out.

You're a solo principal or run a small studio

You're a good designer. Your clients like you, contractors trust you, and you're still paying yourself whatever's left at the end of the month. You want a steady paycheque, fees you can hold, and your evenings back.

You're stepping into a bigger leadership role

You've just been made a principal or partner, you're taking over from a founder, or you're a senior leader who wants someone experienced in your corner. Or you're the principal, and it's someone on your team who needs the support. One-on-one coaching, built around your goals.

Probably not a fit if...

Your firm is over 50 people, you're after a quick fix or a software recommendation, you’re not ready to delegate, or you’re not willing to be coached personally.

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What clients say

  • Clear, Focused Direction

    “Working with Carla was a game-changer for my business. I came to her managing multiple complex, overlapping endeavors across design, construction, real estate, and law, trying to figure out the right way forward. Carla’s personal, hands-on approach was instrumental in helping me organize and strategically balance these simultaneous efforts. 

    We were able to make enormous advancements on all fronts in a short amount of time.

    She was simply amazing at helping me train my focus for maximum efficiency and the highest return on investment. If you are balancing complex commitments and need clear direction, Carla is the expert you want in your corner."

    — Roger A Lipman, AIA, LEED AP

  • Clear, Practical Solutions For Immediate Impact

    "Working with Carla over the past 2 years has been one of the best decisions I’ve made for my business. When I first started with her, we were struggling to implement consistent processes and falling short of our profit goals. Carla quickly identified where we were getting stuck and, almost effortlessly, began offering clear, practical solutions that made an immediate impact. What sets Carla apart is how naturally she sees opportunities for improvement. Her suggestions are not only insightful but also realistic and tailored to help you focus on improving your day-to-day. She doesn’t just give advice—she helps you build systems that stick. Thanks to her guidance, we now have solid processes in place, a much clearer direction, and, most importantly, we’re consistently exceeding the goals that once felt out of reach. If you’re looking for a coach who combines sharp intuition with real-world strategy, Carla is exceptional!"

    —Steve Gore, Founder & CEO SRG Construction

  • Now We Have the Structure We Need

    "Working with Carla as a business coach was an excellent experience! Working with her for over a year, she always provided us with great support and advice. When we came to Carla we were inefficient and lacked many of the procedures needed to run a successful business. Now we have the structure to set us up for success!"

    —Noah Friesen, Friesen Renovations

  • Empowers You to Apply Knowledge

    "Carla has the patience of Job. She helped us so much from the beginning that I don’t think we would have ever followed through with it all without her. Knowledgeable and can teach in a way that not only helps you learn but empowers you to apply that knowledge. It was a true honor to get to know and work with her."

    —Lance Horner, Buffalo Ridge Construction

"Give me a lever long enough and a fulcrum on which to place it, and I shall move the world." — Archimedes

Let's find the lever that makes the biggest difference in your business.

LET'S TALK SHOP

Bring your biggest challenge. We'll talk it through, no strings attached.