Ep 131: How Team Culture Became a Growth Strategy with Lauren Miles
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What if the leadership skills that built a winning team could also build a more profitable, sustainable business?
In this episode of The Real Women Real Business Podcast, Shauna Lynn Simon sits down with Lauren Miles, Owner of Modern by Miles, a full-service interior design firm based in Alabama. After 10 years as a competitive swimming coach, including serving as Associate Head Coach of Women’s Swimming at Auburn University, Lauren found a new creative path after building her family’s forever home in 2020.
Lauren shares how coaching shaped the way she makes decisions, leads her team, builds trust with clients, and creates a strong business culture. She opens up about growing from solo designer to a small but mighty team, why thoughtful leadership matters more than simply paying people well, and how one pivotal pricing moment led her to declare, “this price no longer exists.”
Listeners will walk away with practical insight on hiring, team culture, confident pricing, and building a business where people, profit, and purpose can grow together.
Timestamps:
(01:50) - (09:58) - Lauren’s journey from competitive swimming coach to interior design business owner
(09:59) - (16:39) - Fast growth, quick decisions, trust-building, and bringing coaching skills into design
(16:40) - (24:14) - Growing from solo designer to a team and hiring before everything feels ready
(24:15) - (33:10) - Building team culture, thoughtful recognition, compensation, and helping employees feel seen
(33:11) - (44:29) - Pricing with confidence, letting old fees expire, and protecting team profitability
(44:30) - (50:38) - Mindset and Momentum, money awareness, boundaries, and leadership lessons for business owners
Resources:
Book Your FREE Coaching Assessment Call with Shauna Lynn: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/coachme
Learn more about the show: AboutShaunaLynn.com/podcast
Mindset and Momentum: https://www.modernbymiles.com/mindset-momentum-2026
Ep 124: The 3 Gut Check Questions to Ask Before Changing Your Business Direction: https://www.aboutshaunalynn.com/rwrb-podcast-episodes/gut-check
Connect with Lauren Miles:
Learn more about Modern by Miles: https://www.modernbymiles.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/modernbymiles
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/modernbymiles/
Email: lauren@modernbymiles.com
Lauren Miles is the Owner of Modern by Miles, a full-service interior design firm based in Alabama specializing in new construction, major renovations, and curated furniture projects. Before launching her design business in 2022, Lauren spent 10 years as a competitive swimming coach and finished her coaching career as the Associate Head Coach of Women’s Swimming at Auburn University. After building her family’s forever home in 2020, Lauren found a new creative passion in the design process and began building a business that blends strategy, trust, teamwork, and strong decision-making. Today, she leads a growing team with the same intentionality and culture-first mindset she brought to coaching, helping clients create thoughtful homes while building a business rooted in people, profitability, and long-term growth.
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Interested in partnering with The Real Women Real Business Podcast? Learn more at AboutShaunaLynn.com/partner