1221: How designing for EVERYONE helps EVERYONE win in interior design (+ business!) w/ Rachel Jackson
In this episode, Brian sits down with Rachel Jackson, an interior designer who has carved out a powerful niche by creating wellness-centered, sensory-friendly spaces. Rachel shares her incredible journey of turning personal experience—navigating her own ADHD and her son’s sensory needs—into a thriving business that supports neurodiverse households. This conversation is a masterclass in finding your unique value proposition, serving an underserved market, and building a business fueled by a powerful mission. For any entrepreneur struggling to stand out, Rachel’s story proves that when you lean into your authentic purpose and design for a specific need, everyone wins.
💡 What You'll Take Away For YOUR Business
- How to turn your personal challenges and life experiences into a highly specific, profitable business niche.
- The power of a deep-dive client onboarding process to uncover the true needs and "end goals" of your customers.
- Why focusing on an underserved community isn't limiting—it's your greatest opportunity for impact and growth.
- The "Curb Cut Theory" for business: How creating solutions for a specific group can create benefits for everyone.
- How to build a brand mission that attracts your ideal clients and creates a "rising tide lifts all boats" community.
- Simple, powerful frameworks for recognizing patterns in customer feedback to define your core service.
- Strategies for balancing the competing needs of different stakeholders (in a family or a business) under one "roof."
📝 About Rachel Jackson
Rachel Jackson is an Austin-based interior designer specializing in wellness-focused, sensory-friendly spaces. Her work centers on neurodiverse households, crafting environments that promote emotional regulation, comfort, and everyday ease.
Committed to advancing neuroinclusive design, Rachel combines hands-on client work with educational guides and training programs for designers, educators, and healthcare professionals supporting neurodivergent individuals.
Her mission is rooted in accessibility and impact—bringing thoughtful, inclusive design to those who need it most. At the core of her work is a guiding belief: when we design for everyone, everyone wins.
🎯 Rachel’s BEST Piece of Advice for Wantrepreneurs and Entrepreneurs
"Find your community... It's collaboration, not competition at the end of the day."
📢 Memorable Quotes
- "A designer can go in and make something beautiful... but if the storage isn't there, if you haven't addressed your clutter beforehand... there's so many levels to making interior design both beautiful and functional."
- "We are all drawn to things that make us feel good. And so what's really cool is aside from trends... when you take a look at those inspiration images... you're able to narrow down and hone in on what you're truly drawn to for your project."
💡 Actionable Takeaways
- Audit your client onboarding process. Are you asking questions that get to the root of their problem, or just scratching the surface? Go deeper to deliver more value.
- Stop putting things where they "belong" and start storing them where you use them. Apply this principle of "eliminating friction" to your own workflows and business processes to boost efficiency.
- Look for an underserved community within your industry. Ask yourself who is being overlooked by mainstream solutions and how you can create something that truly works for them.
🔗 Links & Resources
