Building Skills, Systems, and Confidence with Addie Ashworth
Episode 7 | The Staging Insider Podcast
Guest: Addie Ashworth Founder of Ashworth Home
Host: Felicia Pulley, Creative Director of RESA
“The moment I stopped treating my business like a temporary hustle and started building real processes, everything changed.” – Addie Ashworth
Treating Your Business Like a Business Changes Everything
“Once I really started building actual processes for how I run my business, everything changed. Structure replaced the guesswork and gave me stability I did not have in the beginning.” — Addie Ashworth
Addie’s turning point came when she shifted from reacting day to day to running her business with intention. She built foundational systems for pricing, communication, scheduling, and client management, which gave her clarity and control. With structure in place, she could grow without burnout, operate more professionally, and make better decisions for her clients and her team.
You Cannot Grow Without Letting Go
“Hiring people who are like minded and who I can trust has been one of the most important parts of growing my business. Bringing others in freed me from survival mode and gave me space to lead.” — Addie Ashworth
For Addie, hiring was not just about expanding her team. It was about creating the capacity her business needed to move forward. She learned how to train people who did not come from design backgrounds, how to set clear expectations, and how to build trust within her team. Once she stopped doing everything herself, she gained the bandwidth to focus on growth, sales, and strategy, turning her business into something sustainable rather than exhausting.
Episode Highlights & Timestamps
00:00 – The pricing mistake that left Addie $200 in the hole (cold open)
00:31 – Welcome to The Staging Insider + who this episode is for
01:13 – Meet Addie Ashworth and the Columbus, Ohio staging market
02:30 – Becoming a RESA® Approved Instructor and teaching “Staging to Sell”
10:25 – Corporate retail, Forever 21, and what visual merchandising taught Addie
24:36 – Burnout, moving back to Ohio, and needing a reset
25:21 – Building and running a visual warehouse in corporate retail with her husband
30:05 – “You should start a staging business” and why that terrified her at first
32:11 – Selling real estate and doing occupied staging without realizing it
33:09 – The first big occupied project that re-ignited her love of hands-on work
42:15 – Transferring personal savings, buying first inventory, and the tiny storage unit
43:00 – Basement, garage, storage unit: the early inventory days
43:31 – Designing a local retail store and using flyers to book early projects
54:55 – Letting go of her real estate license to go all-in on staging
56:23 – Breakfast sponsorships and getting in front of agents on purpose
57:05 – Networking as a natural connector and building repeat-agent relationships
1:13:01 – Free team app, time tracking, and communication systems (Connecteam)
1:16:12 – From basement and garage to six storage units to a real warehouse
1:16:59 – Outgrowing the space and choosing a small-business-friendly complex
1:17:17 – Stageforce for inventory, SKUs, and using it as a CRM
1:13:33 – Why systems like Connecteam feel intimidating but actually make you more profitable
1:39:58 – Using stats, Stageforce, and RESA tools to market like a pro
1:42:10 – The value of community, education, and not reinventing the wheel
1:44:00 – Wrap-up and how to connect with Addie and RESA resources
Listen To the Addie Ashworth Episode of The Staging Insider Podcast with Felicia Pulley
Episode Description
Episode 7 of The Staging Insider dives into the real work of building a staging business with Ohio stager and RESA Approved Instructor Addie Ashworth. Addie shares how she entered the industry after being furloughed, how her background in real estate and professional training shaped her approach, and what she learned about pricing, systems, and long-term sustainability.
Addie talks candidly about the early mistakes that cost her money, how she learned to communicate her value, and why building structure into her operations changed everything. She opens up about hiring and training team members who did not come from design backgrounds, how she created clear expectations in the field, and what she looks for when evaluating new talent.
The conversation also explores how Addie transitioned from basements and storage units into a functional warehouse, what she learned about inventory control, and the importance of developing a warehouse workflow that supports efficiency and profit. Addie and Felicia discuss the value of using RESA resources, education, and national statistics to strengthen credibility and guide business decisions.
This episode is ideal for new and growing stagers, stagers preparing to hire their first team member, those overwhelmed by inventory and warehouse logistics, and anyone ready to build systems that support confidence and sustainable growth.
About Addie Ashworth
Addie Ashworth is the owner of Ashworth Home, a staging and design company serving the Columbus, Ohio market. With a background in real estate and professional training, Addie brings a strong understanding of client communication, education, and expectations to every part of her business. After being furloughed during the pandemic, she transitioned into staging full time and quickly built a reputation for her thoughtful styling, clear processes, and commitment to professional growth.
Addie is also a RESA Approved Instructor for the Staging to Sell, What Every Agent Should Know continuing education course, where she helps real estate agents understand the value of staging through data, strategy, and practical application. Her approach combines creativity with structure, and she is open about the lessons she has learned along the way—especially around pricing, hiring, inventory management, and the importance of building systems that support a long-term business.
Today, Addie leads a growing team and manages a warehouse-based operation that reflects her evolution from solo stager to small-business owner with a vision for sustainable, steady growth.
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About The Staging Insider
Hosted by Felicia Pulley, Creative Director of the Real Estate Staging Association®, The Staging Insider takes you behind the scenes with today’s most influential stagers. From creative strategies to business realities, every episode dives into what it really takes to thrive in the staging industry.