Scaling a holiday decorating business is one of the biggest challenges designers face — and in this episode, co-host Heather Lundervold gets refreshingly honest about the growing pains she's navigated over 26 years in the luxury Christmas decorating industry, both interior and exterior.

Heather started the way most of us do — grabbing friends, figuring it out as she went, and learning some hard lessons along the way. But working in high-end residential homes means you can't just send anyone through the door. Clients notice when you're training on the job, and in the luxury space, that's not a risk you can afford to take for long.

Lindsay brings her own perspective to the table, sharing what she learned building a commercial electrical business from the ground up — and how those same principles apply directly to scaling a Christmas decorating company, especially on the commercial side. When the jobs were bigger than their capacity, they subcontracted. When the fear of "training the competition" crept in, they ran the numbers. And when it finally clicked, they were off to the races.

In this episode you'll hear:

• Why hiring friends is almost always a mistake
• How subcontracting can keep you profitable even when you're just getting started
• The difference between employees and 1099 contractors — and why it matters
• What a solid onboarding process actually looks like in a seasonal business
• The mindset shift from doing everything yourself to becoming a true leader
• Free and low-cost legal and business resources (including SCORE and working directly with your insurance agent) to protect yourself as you grow

Whether you're decorating luxury homes, commercial spaces, or both, this episode is packed with real, hard-won wisdom from people who've built businesses in the field — not just talked about it.

The Christmas Design Institute was founded by Heather Lundervold to help you become an interior Holiday Designer.

Choose Your Path:

Path 1: Become a certified decorator and join the designer-for-hire program

Path 2: Launch your own Christmas Business.

Explore both at ChristmasDesignInstitute.com

Christmas Callers was founded to solve one problem - Helping Holiday Professionals land commercial contracts. We pull lists, enrich data, and baby sit leads all to help you be in the right place at the right time.

Book your consultation with us now at ChristmasCallers.com