Ep. 04 | A conversation with Amanda Burcham and Lauren Earley

In this episode, Ana sits down with Amanda and Lauren to dig into what advocacy really means for interior designers, from explaining your work to a family member at dinner to testifying before a state legislature. They break down the current national landscape of interior design legislation, what’s being fought for (and fought off), and how any designer can get involved regardless of how much time they have.In this episode we discuss: * What is advocacy? — Lauren’s “ripple effect” framework: from personal conversations to state and federal legislation* The three E’s — Education, Experience, and Examination as the foundation for advocating for the profession* Current legislative landscape — Recent wins (NC, WI, IL, IA, OK, NE, PA), the trend of deregulation in Florida, Utah, and Tennessee, and what’s at stake* How laws get changed — The multi-year process: building coalitions, engaging lobbyists, sponsoring bills, committee hearings, and the rules & regulations phase* The Consortium for Interior Design — Joint advocacy partnership between ASID HQ, CIDQ, and IIDA HQ working toward universal licensure* Arkansas update — Amanda shares what the South Central Chapter’s 14-person advocacy subcommittee is working on, including updating outdated state legislation and encouraging designer registration* How to get involved — Options for every bandwidth level, from 5-minute action alerts to joining a chapter advocacy committee or the National Advocacy CommitteeWays to Get Involved:* If you have five minutes — text the words interior design to 50457 or visit the Consortium’s Advocacy Action Center at www.consortiumforinteriordesign.org. (The Take Action tab will lead you to the Advocacy Action Center. You can also access the Advocacy Action Center via ASID or IIDA’s advocacy pages.)* Note that if you had signed up with any of our previous platforms (Phone2Action or Capitol Canary), you will need to update your contact information.* If you have an hour — contact the Chapter Advocacy Chair / Committee or Lauren Earley, Esq., ASID HQ Director of Advocacy, to see how you can engage locally or nationally, whether writing support letters, offering testimony, or providing other assistance. Contact at: [email protected]* If you have a year+ — get involved with advocacy efforts in your area, from standing meetings or creation and rollout of advocacy alerts and resources, or apply for service on the national Advocacy Committee.Resources Mentioned:* Lauren Earley’s Earley Morning Chats is a social media campaign in its first season (meant to have ten episodes per season), but here is the latest episode with my guest, Kristie Nicoloff. The short clips are available across HQ socials on the second or third Monday each month; as a reminder, the punchy clips are meant to spark conversations and encourage folks to learn more by reaching out and/or reviewing the resources available on Design Connection’s “Advocacy in Action” community group.Design Impacts is a podcast by the South Central Chapter of ASID — elevating, celebrating, and educating our design community.If you have questions, comments, or want to get involved with the chapter — locally, regionally, or nationally — please reach out. Your voice shapes the chapter! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit designimpacts.substack.com