Episode Details

Designers think their pricing problem is the number, but the real issue is how that number is positioned.

In this episode, Cheryl breaks down why client pushback isn’t about being too expensive but introducing pricing before the value is fully understood. When designers lead with fees, tie their work to time, or fail to clearly communicate the depth of decisions, coordination, and problem-solving involved, clients default to their own (and very often incorrect) assumptions.

We want you to think about reframing pricing as a positioning issue and not a simple math problem. Cheryl walks through how to build context, shift the focus from hours to outcomes, and present design as a high-level service rooted in expertise, not effort. When the value is clear first, the same number lands completely differently and the pushback disappears.

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Cheryl Clendenon is the host of The Damn Good Designer Podcast and an award-winning interior designer, writer, and business coach with 26 years of full-time industry experience. With a prior career