All Episodes
Trade Tales — 182 episodes
Ask Us Anything: Erica Vassalotti’s guide to photo rights
Why Molly Torres Portnof hands every prospective client an investment guide
Ask Us Anything: Tina Ramchandani on attracting your ideal client
Erica McLain on bridging the gap between science and design
Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level [Rebroadcast]
Why Mandy Cheng won't delegate her firm's finances [Rebroadcast]
Ask Us Anything: Melissa Oholendt’s go-to interview questions for new hires [Rebroadcast]
Why Ali Budd wants to do design TV differently [Rebroadcast]
Ask Us Anything: Blair Moore on protecting your firm from shipping issues
How Angela Harris put wellness front and center in her business
Ask Us Anything: Lucy O’Brien on designing around order minimums
Rayana Schmitz on tapping outside experts to transform her firm
Ask Us Anything: Lauren Caron’s process-driven approach to far-away projects
How Audrey Scheck established her firm’s C-suite
Ask Us Anything: Zoë Feldman on how to measure an employee’s design skills
How Hema Persad built ‘the smallest, most efficient’ team
Ask Us Anything: Christine Vroom on how to pivot when your pipeline falls apart
Why Hanna Li’s design proposals include a sustainability fee
Ask Us Anything: Melissa Oholendt’s go-to interview questions for new hires
Kobel & Co.’s radical take on the client questionnaire
Ask Us Anything: Alison Giese on how to streamline your design presentation
Jess Ebert on why delegation is the key to longevity
Ask Us Anything: Chloe Redmond Warner on establishing processes that fit your firm
Melissa Oholendt on how to become the creative director of your design firm
Ask Us Anything: Alex Kaehler on strategic growth
A surprising path to partnership for Bergman Vass
Ask Us Anything: Dan Mazzarini on how to get client approval for antiques
Yates Desygn on the course correction that saved their team
Ask Us Anything: DuVäl Reynolds on finding new clients in a slowdown
How Evan Millárd used showhouses to launch his design career
Ask Us Anything: Victoria Sass on how to get published [Rebroadcast]
Why Zoe Feldman doesn't believe in complete transparency [Rebroadcast]
Ask Us Anything: Kevin Isbell on what to do when an order goes wrong [Rebroadcast]
Alvin Wayne on making social media the bedrock of his business [Rebroadcast]
Ask Us Anything: Erin Gates on clients who disrupt the design process
Richard Anuszkiewicz on launching a new creative studio
Ask Us Anything: Ashley Hughes on how to level up your clientele
Lilse McKenna on building client confidence
Ask Us Anything: Live with Heather Fujikawa, Jean Stoffer and Grace Start
Why Ariel Okin believes all clients deserve ‘unfailing optimism’
Ask Us Anything: Jenna Chused on rising prices in the tariff era
How Dan Mazzarini built a firm that benefits from a diverse project mix
Ask Us Anything: Anissa Zajac on getting out-of-state jobs right
Heather Fujikawa on always putting the business first
Ask Us Anything: Noz Nozawa on how to find the best talent
For Jean Stoffer and Grace Start, starting slow is the key to growing big ideas
Ask Us Anything: Georgia Zikas on staying nimble amid a business slowdown
Lindsay Anyon Brier on building space for joy into her firm
Ask Us Anything: Dwayne Bergmann on how to purchase another designer's firm
How Luis Fernandez structured his firm to foster creativity
Ask Us Anything: Michael Hilal on how good photography drives growth
Anne McDonald’s roadmap to investing in yourself
Ask Us Anything: Jean Liu on the best way to use credit cards for purchasing
How acquiring another design firm helped Dwayne Bergmann get back in touch with his creativity
Ask Us Anything: Brian Paquette on warehouse insurance that works for designers
How Michelle Gage built the team that helped her escape burnout
Ask Us Anything: Bria Hammel on why full-service firms should always take credit cards
Considering a sabbatical? Chloe Redmond Warner did it—and shares how you can, too [Rebroadcast]
Ask Us Anything: Live with Arianne Bellizaire and Cortney Bishop at High Point Market
The pandemic almost shut down Meg Lonergan’s business—here’s how she revived it [Rebroadcast]
Ask Us Anything: Meagan Camp on helping clients come to terms with storage fees
How Alex Kaehler stepped away from her firm to gain a new vision for its future
Ask Us Anything: Amy Storm on navigating complex contractor relationships
How better boundaries helped Adam Hunter fall back in love with his business
Ask Us Anything: Emilie Munroe on why you should never charge a consultation fee
How eliminating a markup has fueled Bella Mancini’s creativity
Ask Us Anything: Kevin Isbell on what to do when an order goes wrong
How Studio DB took their firm out of its startup phase
Ask Us Anything: Victoria Sass on how to get published
Why Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry get real about the design process on social media
Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level
How making a handbook for her firm helped Isabel Ladd fall back in love with design
Ask Us Anything: Clara Jung on building community as an introvert
How Arianne Bellizaire stopped chasing the industry’s standard of success
Ask Us Anything: Regan Baker on how to scale without putting client relationships at risk
How Jae Joo unlocked better creative control over her projects
Ask Us Anything: Courtney McLeod on developing systems to power your projects
Caroline Gidiere on setting her rates for the clients she wants
Cortney Bishop on the monthly fee that keeps her firm in motion
Jenna Chused on embracing risk in order to grow
Michel Smith Boyd on why a flat fee lets him focus on creativity [Rebroadcast]
How Pure Salt’s cofounders turned a signature look into a successful brand [Rebroadcast]
Jenna Gross on the showhouse that helped solidify her brand
Why Mandy Cheng won't delegate her firm's finances
Hannah Oravec on bringing wellness into the design process
Jean Liu’s trick for measuring client commitment
Why Josh Greene’s favorite clients contribute creatively
Swati Goorha on the power of storytelling in design
Considering a sabbatical? Chloe Redmond Warner did it—and shares how you can, too
Leann Conquer on why there is more than one way to build a budget
Why passion is a priority in Anissa Zajac’s hiring process
Jim Dove on why designers need to know how to sell themselves
How Kate Marker found clarity with her fee structure
How Katie Monkhouse rescued herself from burnout [Rebroadcast]
“Trust the process” is right there in Courtney McCleod’s onboarding letter [Rebroadcast]
Donna Mondi on the search for a leadership structure that keeps her close to design
Christopher Courts and Edel Legaspi on navigating a professional uncoupling
Why Ali Budd wants to do design TV differently
Why Kai Williamson lets her clients change their mind
How the pursuit of simplicity defines Brian Paquette’s fee structure
Want to build your brand authority quickly? How Michael Hilal looked abroad
Why Georgia Zikas prizes people over process
Christine Lin on putting client experience first
How Wesley Moon said goodbye to hustle culture
How Amy Storm shifted her team structure in pursuit of healthy growth
How Antonio DeLoatch earns clients' trust with real talk about their finances
How Amy Sklar overcame the fear of charging for her services [Rebroadcast]
Why Clara Jung is cultivating personal freedom and employee growth [Rebroadcast]
Marieanne Khoury-Vogt spent two decades building an entire town. Here's what she learned
How Caren Rideau found new opportunities within a design niche
Why Matthew Tenzin’s firm includes a holistic design consultancy
Why Blair Moore brought receiving in-house
How philanthropy transformed Amy Kartheiser’s firm
How Leslie Murchie Cascino defines success on her own terms
Why Zoe Feldman doesn't believe in complete transparency
“Trust the process” is right there in Courtney McCleod’s onboarding letter
Miranda Cullen found a way to turn a profit on time billing. Now, she’s ready to franchise
Dane Austin on leading his firm with love
Why Regan Baker hired three former clients
Kevin Isbell on finding success with a small firm [Rebroadcast]
How Noz Nozawa learned to invest in herself [Rebroadcast]
Why Bria Hammel wants designers to embrace their sales side
Katie Vance on the secret to synching up a design/build firm
Ahmad AbouZanat on the power of treating clients like guests
Kelly Collier-Clark on paring down her offerings to give her business room to grow
How Katie Monkhouse rescued herself from burnout
Christine Vroom finally started prioritizing her own health—and her business transformed
Byron Risdon on the luxury of slowing down
Why Sarah Goesling isn’t comfortable with being comfortable
How Pure Salt’s cofounders turned a signature look into a successful brand
Why Jenny Wolf isn’t afraid of ambitious employees
How Studio Heimat went from a twosome to a team
Nina Magon on letting go to grow [Rebroadcast]
Erin Gates on finding your voice [Rebroadcast]
Why clients are the essential piece in Rachel Halvorson’s creative work
Why leveling up means longevity for Delia Kenza
The pandemic almost shut down Meg Lonergan’s business—here’s how she revived it
Two decades in, Michael Cox's firm is still a work in progress. He likes it that way
How Shaun Crha found his boundaries
How overcoming imposter syndrome transformed Lucy O’Brien’s business
How Amy Sklar overcame the fear of charging for her services
Authenticity is everything. Just ask Ashley Ross
Why Rydhima Brar always asks clients 'the cocktail question'
Nina Magon on letting go to grow
Why Clara Jung is cultivating personal freedom and employee growth
Why Lauren Caron decided to ‘Marie Kondo’ her clients
Gala Magriñá filters her design business through a holistic lens
Kevin Isbell on finding success with a small firm
Alvin Wayne on making social media the bedrock of his business
Why Tina Ramchandani wants a “soul connection” with her clients
Meagan Camp quit Instagram. This is what she learned
How DuVäl Reynolds attracts team members who share his vision
Toledo Geller on how to survive a crisis (or two)
How Linda Hayslett started designing on her own terms
Erin Gates on finding your voice
Nicole White on having the grace to grow
Refine and repeat: Park & Oak on navigating early-career obstacles [Rebroadcast]
Nile Johnson on making space for creativity [Rebroadcast]
How Emilie Munroe shows clients that she won’t let them fail
Rasheeda Gray switched to design mid-career. You can too
Ramey Caulkins on bypassing supply chain hurdles
Dan Rak on getting the money talk right
Michel Smith Boyd on why a flat fee lets him focus on creativity
How a better contract made Katie Hodges a better designer
Design, real estate and contracting—Keisha Gilchrist's triple threat
Peggy Haddad on the radical accessibility of e-design
Stephanie Sabbe on the path to creative freedom
Why Traci Zeller is cultivating distance (in a good way) with her clients
Sean Leffers on bringing your worldview into your work
How Eneia White started charging what she’s worth
Heidi Caillier and the art of leveling up
How Alison Giese is growing her firm without staffing up
Why Everick Brown Design talks to clients about return on investment
Park & Oak on setting client expectations: "You might cry"
How Noz Nozawa learned to invest in herself
Why Victoria Sass puts the story first
Max Humphrey on rewriting the rules of design
How Eche Martinez turned a small project into a big break
Beth Diana Smith on leaving the corporate world behind
Why Amanda Teal completely changed the way she charged
Nile Johnson on making space for creativity
Trade Tales: Coming soon!