We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Lisa Meddin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Lisa below.

Lisa, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with a story that highlights an important way in which your brand diverges from the industry standard.

Most landscape designers are creative solopreneurs who would rather spend time designing and interacting with clients than focusing on the business side of things.

In 2017, after fourteen years as a landscape designer, I realized I couldn’t “do it all” anymore. Between client meetings, design work, marketing, social media, and managing the business, I was fast approaching burnout. I had also reached my capacity for how many designs I could produce annually, which limited my income as a designer. It became clear that I’d hit a plateau and needed a new approach.

With that in mind, I began researching how to grow the business while reducing my personal workload. I started working with a business coach who specializes in system creation, business automation, and building processes that allow for redundancy.

I implemented small business automation and CRM software, which required me to break down every business and design process step by step. This allowed me to create automated communications that reflected my brand voice for both prospective and current clients. Over the next year, I developed automations for every step of the client journey.

To further reduce my workload, I began hiring other talented landscape designers. Since each design requires between 25 and 40 hours of work, this shift freed up a significant amount of my time. I redirected that energy toward refining my systems, enhancing my marketing strategies, and most importantly, reclaiming my work-life balance.

Five years later, I work just 15 to 25 hours per week, and my income has more than doubled. In addition, I’m helping other designers increase their income and providing over half a million dollars of work to my partner landscape contractors who install our designs.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

In 2003, I founded Harmony Design in Williamsburg, VA—though launching a business at forty wasn’t in my original plan. At the time, I was working as the in evironmental education for James City County, where I built public-private partnerships to encourage citizens to adopt water conservation and watershed stewardship practices. To strengthen my expertise, I enrolled in the University of Richmond’s landscape design program, deepening my knowledge of plants, their habitats, and their water needs. Inspired by new possibilities upon graduation, I left the security of my government job to venture into business ownership.

Through perseverance, trial and error, and hard work, Harmony Design grew into a successful venture—until the 2008 recession hit. The downturn devastated the building trades, and with limited opportunities in the area, I made the difficult decision to return to the West Coast, a place I had loved in my twenties. Portland called to me with its vibrant energy and close-knit feel, but rebuilding was a challenge. For seven years, I bootstrapped and worked in roles that didn’t fulfill me, all the while driven by my goal of relaunching Harmony Design.

By 2017, after extensive market research, I recognized an opportunity: Portland lacked designers offering the classic, formal landscape style I had mastered on the East Coast. So, I rebranded as Harmony Design Northwest and set out to build a successful design practice.

What I’m most proud of is building a business that reflects who I am. As a highly sensitive person (HSP), I wanted to create a company that aligned with my personal and professional values, allowing me to be my authentic self. My approach is grounded in empathy, compassion, and creating meaningful relationships with clients. It’s not just about what clients need; it’s about who they are and how we can create outdoor spaces that enhance their lives. In a city with many talented designers, what sets Harmony Design Northwest apart is the experience we provide—our clients feel safe, cared for, and confident that their vision will be brought to life with skill and integrity.

What I’m most proud of is building a business that truly reflects who I am. As a highly sensitive person (HSP), I’ve created a company grounded in my core values, allowing me to lead with authenticity and empathy. My approach emphasizes building genuine relationships with clients, focusing not only on their landscape needs but on who they are as individuals. In a city with a wealth of design talent, what sets Harmony Design Northwest apart is our commitment to not just great design but to a positive, fun and stress free design journey where clients feel respected, supported, and confident that their vision will come to life with skill and integrity.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Like many businesses, COVID forced me to pivot from in-person meetings to virtual platforms like Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams to effectively communicate with clients and present designs.

After years of relying on and enjoying in-person interactions, I initially felt apprehensive about how well virtual meetings would work and how clients might respond. But with some quick learning and practice, my design team and I developed a presentation style that put clients at ease. In fact, I’ve come to see benefits in virtual presentations —they save time, keep us focused on the design, and allow clients to review their plans from the comfort of their homes. I also found that clients didn’t need to be physically present in their yards to understand the vision; their familiarity with their own space made virtual presentations just as effective.

Since most of us were learning to use Zoom together in those early days, clients were open to the change. This experience taught me that sometimes the biggest challenges lead to valuable, lasting improvements.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

A lesson I had to unlearn was the belief that my company could only succeed if I maintained control over every aspect of it.

For years, I thought that every client interaction had to go through me to ensure success. But when I faced four consecutive ankle surgeries that left me unable to walk or drive for over a year, I was forced to let go of that idea. I couldn’t attend meetings or handle day-to-day operations, which pushed me to rely on the systems and team I had in place to keep the business running.

Fortunately, the years I’d spent creating automated systems and hiring skilled designers paid off. My team stepped up, handling initial consultations with confidence, and our automated CRM ensured that leads were captured and guided through the client journey seamlessly. I could focus on my recovery, knowing clients were being taken care of.

Without this experience, I might never have realized that my company didn’t depend on me for every detail. Instead, I learned it could thrive through the skills of others and the strength of the systems I’d built. Now that I’ve recovered, I’ve chosen to continue delegating consultations to my designers, freeing myself up to focus on the bigger picture and enjoy a healthier work-life balance. This lesson taught me that letting go can be a powerful way to help a business grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: http://harmonydesignnw
• Instagram: @harmonydesignnw
• Facebook: @harmonydesignnw
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisameddin/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2bTHZarZc7n3yGcti62T4g
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/harmony-design-northwest-portland-2

Image Credits

Lisa Meddin