ASHLEIGH SCHROEDER
Owner/Principal DesignerNEST KITCHEN, BATH & HOME DESIGNAshleigh Schroeder is the owner and principal designer of Nest Kitchen, Bath & Home Design in the St. Louis area. She entered the kitchen and bath industry more than 20 years ago and spent 15 years with a local design firm before unexpectedly finding herself starting a business of her own in 2019.
What began as a necessity quickly became a passion. Over the past several years, Ashleigh has navigated the challenges of business ownership while continuing to serve clients, raise a family, build a team, and grow a design firm from a one-person operation into a full-service kitchen, bath, and home design company. Along the way, she has learned plenty of lessons—some through success and many through mistakes.
Nest began in a small showroom of approximately 600 square feet and steadily grew through referrals, industry relationships, and a commitment to client service. In 2025, Ashleigh purchased and relocated the business into a 3,200-square-foot showroom and design center, creating new opportunities for collaboration with clients, builders, and industry partners.
Ashleigh holds both CKBD and NCIDQ certifications and serves as Communications Chair for the NKBA Missouri/Southern Illinois Chapter. She is passionate about supporting the design community, mentoring emerging professionals, and sharing the practical business lessons that are rarely taught in design school.
Her presentations focus on the real-world experiences of building and growing a design business, balancing creativity with profitability, and finding the confidence to lead. Through honest storytelling and actionable takeaways, she hopes to help other designers avoid some of the challenges she encountered and feel less alone in the process.
From Alone to Empowered: Growing a Profitable Design Business
Too many talented designers build their businesses in isolation—without contracts, pricing strategies, or support. In this honest and empowering sessi…Too many talented designers build their businesses in isolation—without contracts, pricing strategies, or support. In this honest and empowering session, two experienced professionals share the real story behind going from burnt out and overwhelmed t…Too many talented designers build their businesses in isolation—without contracts, pricing strategies, or support. In this honest and empowering session, two experienced professionals share the real story behind going from burnt out and overwhelmed to building successful, values-based design firms. Through personal storytelling and real-world strategies, the presenters will reveal the practices that helped them move past imposter syndrome and int…Too many talented designers build their businesses in isolation—without contracts, pricing strategies, or support. In this honest and empowering session, two experienced professionals share the real story behind going from burnt out and overwhelmed to building successful, values-based design firms. Through personal storytelling and real-world strategies, the presenters will reveal the practices that helped them move past imposter syndrome and into confident leadership. Attendees will learn the five most important lessons they wish they had known earlier, from setting up repeatable processes to establishing profitable pricing and healthy client boundaries. The session closes with an interactive exercise using an “Imposter Syndrome Bingo Card,” designed to help attendees identify internal roadblocks and replace them with affirming beliefs and actionable steps. Show MoreClick the title to see all detailsShow More
