31. From Designer to Owner-Builder: Lessons Learned on the Job with Stephanie Ferrara

About this episode

Camilla Ingall interviews Stephanie Ferrara about her journey as a designer and owner-builder while managing motherhood and business growth.

In this episode, Camilla sits down with Stephanie Ferrara, founder of Laidback Lee Design, to explore how she built a growing design studio while renovating her own family home as an owner-builder and raising two young daughters. Steph shares how a Covid job cut sparked her leap into business, what she’s learned from flipping character homes, and how stepping onto site as a woman and now a builder has reshaped her confidence and communication. Together, they unpack the realities of running a design studio in the thick of motherhood, delegation, renovation setbacks, and the mindset shifts that help Steph stay grounded through it all. In this episode, we explore: • How Steph launched Laidback Lee Design and grew it into a five-person studio • The emotional and practical realities of motherhood while running a design practice • What it’s really like to be an owner-builder and manage a full renovation • The mindset shifts required to delegate, hire, and step back from doing everything yourself • Timeless design vs personality-driven design and how Steph navigates both • Why slowing down, working with your capacity, and trusting your path matters in business and in life Whether you’re…

People in this episode

Host: Camilla Ingall

Guest: Stephanie Ferrara

Topics covered

• design studio
• owner-builder
• motherhood
• renovation
• mindset shifts
• business growth

Keywords

• design
• renovation
• motherhood
• business
• owner-builder
• mindset
• Laidback Lee Design

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Laidback Lee Design

Places: Covid

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