Episode Details

When construction bids come back higher than expected, it can stop a project in its tracks and shake a client’s confidence fast. Cheryl and Liz discuss exactly how to handle that moment without losing the project's momentum and the client’s trust.

They walk through how to review bids against the scope, where designers should step in (and where they should not), and how to guide clients through smart decisions instead of emotional reactions. You’ll learn how to reframe the conversation, prioritize what actually matters in the design, and use strategies like phasing and scope adjustments to keep the project moving forward.

When the numbers don’t match expectations, this episode shows you how to guide the next steps without losing the project.

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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 in media and radio sales, she brings a rare blend of creative thinking and business acumen to the design world. Cheryl was named KBB Person of the Year in 2021, is a nationally published industry voice with a monthly column in Home Accents Today, and regularly speaks on pricing, scope, p