To-The-Trade with Interior Design Community

Rhobin DelaCruz has been designing for over 18 years, but he didn't attend High Point Market until about 2.5 years ago. The turning point was business coaching, specifically understanding that designers who build direct vendor relationships and sell to their clients themselves can capture 20 to 100 percent profit on goods, compared to the 10 to 20 percent that comes from sending someone to a retailer. That math made the trip worth taking.In this episode of To-The-Trade, Rhobin talks with Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson about how his approach to the market has evolved with each visit. His first was about observation. His second was intentional: meet the right people, make a lasting impression, and leave market with contacts who would remember his name. That shift in strategy set off a chain of relationships that has shaped his business in ways he didn't see coming.This spring, Rhobin is a High Point Market Style Spotter. He's leading a Saturday tour focused on just two showrooms, Classic Home and Sunpan, and plans to highlight the campus's outer areas that most attendees skip. His practical navigation advice: download the app, group your visits by building, and wear broken-in shoes. Fashion is a real thing at High Point, but the market day calls for comfort first.Some of his best advice is the bigger picture: go in with a strategy, but stay open to who you meet. That's how the Design Besties came together. Rhobin met Whitney Atkinson, Laurie Johnson, and Nikki Watson at the VRD Summit, and the four bonded on a group showroom tour at his second market. He started a group text after the trip. Two years later, they're in daily contact and serve as each other's informal board of advisors.From that group came the Teachers Lounge Movement, now a 501C3 nonprofit. When Nikki suggested designing a teacher's lounge for a local school instead of her own backyard, the group immediately said yes. The emotional reveal from that first project changed the trajectory of all four designers' work. Their High Point collaboration with High Point by Design brought in over 20 brands and more than $50,000 in donated furniture.The episode also covers how visibility in this industry is actually earned, why follow-up is the skill most designers undervalue, and why the path to becoming a Style Spotter or panel guest has nothing to do with paying to play.Rhobin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rhobindelacruzdesigns/Website: https://rhobindelacruz.com/

Houston designer Juliana Ewer has been going to High Point Market almost every year since 2018. In this episode of To-The-Trade, she and host Laurie Laizure make the practical, financial, and professional case for why market attendance matters not as a perk, but as a real competitive edge.The conversation starts where Juliana always starts: product knowledge. You can't do a sit test online. When a client says they want a firmer seat or a fabric that holds up to daily family life, the designer who has been in the showroom and sat in the chair already knows what to recommend. Laurie adds that the market also helps you spot saturation. She walks through the boucle moment, when every showroom in the same year had the same off-white fabric, and experienced designers immediately clocked that it was already over. You only see that pattern from a bird's eye view.The quality difference between trade-only and retail brands is clear. If the general public knows a store by name, the company has spent a lot of money on marketing rather than on materials. The brands at High Point that don't run national campaigns typically reinvest that budget into the product. Juliana illustrates this with a vendor who, months after delivery, identified a frame issue from a single photograph and coordinated a full pickup and rework around her client's schedule, including a family wedding. That level of service is what protects a designer's reputation when something goes wrong.Practical market tips run throughout the episode: comfortable shoes, leave the laptop at home, let vendors mail the catalogs, and plan your showroom route around the education sessions. The 313 Space gets a recommendation for its natural light and boutique vendors. The Antique and Design Center at Market Square opens a day early on Thursday, and things move fast. Hooker's outdoor deck is the reset button when the day gets overwhelming.Juliana leads Insider Tours for High Point Market Authority and is leading a Hotspot Tour this year as part of the StyleSpotter program. She came to market for the first time as a new designer in 2018, went to every education session she could find, and met a stranger on the shuttle who became a lasting friend. The market is where relationships are built with vendors and other designers, and sometimes with the version of your business you didn't know you were building.

Jill Erwin started her interior design business in 2006, survived the recession, and recently hit the 20-year mark with a rebrand: Just Jill Home. She joined Laurie and Nile on To-The-Trade to discuss what it actually takes to get to the point where you charge what you are worth and stay there. Pricing was the throughline. Jill has spent years attending industry panels where designers reference rates without ever naming a number. Her take: just say it. Based on the market data Laurie shared, designers at the 20-year mark are operating in the $250 to $300 per hour range, with major metro markets pushing considerably higher. Jill confirmed she is moving toward $250 in Richmond and is clear-eyed about why: that is what her experience is worth. To give clients a lower-risk entry point, Jill developed two introductory service tiers she calls Quick and Fast (2.5 hours) and Short and Sweet (5 hours). Both were designed to let her assess a client's and a project's fit before moving into a full contract. If the dynamic feels off, she has a structured way out. If it feels right, she moves forward. The contract itself has evolved over 20 years, adding photography rights, scope protections, and other clauses she learned to include the hard way. Design philosophy came through in the specifics. She described a multigenerational family room near the Chesapeake Bay where she fit seven individual seats, a sofa, and a round leather ottoman into a cohesive plan, each piece chosen for how a specific family member actually uses the room. She also talked through a repeat client who came back after 15 years as an empty nester. Jill designed a custom coffee station with navy cabinetry and a bistro table, built around how the client now starts her mornings. The broader conversation circled back to the same point Jill has spent 20 years learning: designers who undercharge are not just hurting themselves. They are giving away equity that belongs in their own businesses and households. The client benefits. The designer absorbs the cost. Jill's new website, Just Jill Home, launches May 1, 2026. She can be found on Instagram at [@justjillhome](https://www.instagram.com/justjillhome/).

Maria Khouri grew up in Beirut during Lebanon's 15-year civil war, moving 12 times in 10 years. She has spent her career making homes in San Francisco that feel like exactly that: home. Her boutique firm handles high-end residential work across the US and into Europe, and her commercial clients hire her for the same reason her residential clients do. They want spaces that feel personal.In this episode, Maria walks through the elements that define her practice. Every project includes one piece made by a Lebanese artisan, a signature Easter egg that connects her two countries and opens clients' eyes to artists and art forms they have never encountered. Her onboarding process relies on a 20-slide visual presentation that shows clients exactly what working with her entails, from mood boards to reveal day. She credits this tool with a measurable improvement in her closing rate.The pricing conversation is one of the most honest in recent memory. Maria charges $300/hour in San Francisco and argues that even flat-fee designers should know their effective hourly rate. Without that math, she says, you are likely leaving money on the table and will not know why. Nile and Laurie weigh in from their own experience, and the tension is productive. There are real reasons to charge both ways. The key is knowing what you are actually earning.The highlight of the episode is the story about the Hermes scarf. A Los Altos Hills client asked Maria to translate a framed Hermes scarf into a foyer floor. The result was a custom marble mosaic featuring 25 different stone colors, designed in collaboration with an Italian artisan who flew his team to California for the installation. The client still talks about it.Maria also shares how she uses AI for renderings and elevations without compromising her design process or her clients' IP. She is thoughtful about what she will and will not give a platform access to, and that carefulness is a lesson for any firm. Trust your gut on clients, she says. The same goes for the tools you let into your business.Quick-fire round: bouclé is overused, invest in antiques, wallpaper never gets old, and please pay attention to your outlets and plugs.Visit Maria at [mariakhouri.com](https://www.mariakhouri.com/) and follow her work on Instagram at [@mariakinteriors](https://www.instagram.com/mariakinteriors/).

Kelly Collier-Clark of House of Clark Interiors came to interior design after nearly 20 years in corporate America, a real estate license, and a full life lived before she ever took her first design client. When House Beautiful named her a Next Wave Designer, she found out at a restaurant and cried in the bathroom. It was earned.In this conversation with Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson, Kelly gets into the real work behind confidence, the business logic behind marketing strategy, and why pricing clarity is a professional responsibility, not just a personal choice.On confidence: Kelly is direct. She did the work. Temple University's design program. Paid mentorship. Years of corporate experience in rooms where she was often the only woman and the only Black woman. The confidence she brought to design didn't come out of nowhere. And her message to newer designers is consistent: faith without works is dead. Show up, do the work, and the confidence follows.On strategy: Laurie opens with a marketing story about a small bikini brand that infiltrated a celebrity's inner circle before going directly to the celebrity. Kelly connects it to the sphere-of-influence principles from her real estate training. Know your ideal client. Know where they spend time. Be in those rooms. She's moved intentionally to LinkedIn because that's where her former corporate colleagues, the professionals with real budgets, are spending time.On showing up as yourself: Kelly's best content advice is also her clearest. Clients are doing research before they ever reach out. They're watching your stories. She's had new clients mention her honeymoon location in the first consultation. That level of trust doesn't come from AI-generated captions. It comes from consistently showing up and being authentic over time.On pricing: No designer should charge less than $100/hour. Kelly takes it further: lowballing doesn't just hurt the individual designer. It sets a market standard that affects everyone. New designers especially need to hear this. Running a project doesn't get easier just because you're newer. If anything, it's harder. Charge accordingly.The conversation also covers the "free design" offered by big-box retailers, why it's furniture sales, not design, and how smart designers can use quality comparisons as direct content to attract the right clients.Find Kelly at House of Clark Interiors and on Instagram @kellycollierclark.

Laura Hildebrandt of Interiors by LH joins Laurie Laizure to share how she built a thriving interior design business in the DC area after a divorce left her a single mom of three with no work history or industry background. Starting with home staging in 2013 using furniture from her own house, Laura taught herself design at night, funded her early business on credit cards, and gradually transitioned into full-service interior design.The conversation covers Laura's pricing journey from $75/hour to her current rate of $250, with plans to raise it again. Laurie reinforces that no designer should be under $100 an hour and shares a cautionary story about a builder who tried to pay a designer less than minimum wage for full design services on $5 million homes.Laura walks through her client process: a free 15-minute phone call, a $600 two-hour in-home consultation, and an in-person contract review. She reports a 95% close rate and typically walks out with a signed contract and retainer the same day. Her 15-page contract covers everything from communication expectations to liability protections.Boundaries are a major theme. Laura does not text clients, keeps firm phone hours (9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.), and gives herself 48 hours to respond to email, all of which are written into her contract. Both Laura and Laurie discuss how women in the industry are often pressured to undervalue their work, whether through lowball builder offers, "carrot opportunities" that never materialize, or clients who try to deduct losses from design fees.Laura warns designers never to run subcontractors through their business without a GC license and stresses the importance of collecting fees before final installation. The episode closes with a strong message about work-life balance: exhausting yourself does not produce better work, clients will not remember your sacrifices, and the beauty of owning your business is getting to decide how you live your life.

Ann Feldstein, founder of Moxie Marketing and a 25-year veteran of the interior design industry, joins Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson to discuss why women supporting women is one of the most practical business strategies designers can adopt.Ann's research-backed work on internalized misogyny explores how women unknowingly project societal biases onto each other, from judgment about appearance and life choices to reluctance to share pricing, proposals, and resources with competitors. She traces these patterns to early messaging, fairy tales built on female rivalry, impossible body standards, and a culture that penalizes women for being too direct or too confident.Laurie shares the example of Shelly Hudson's text group of 15 direct competitors who share everything from pricing to wallpaper installers. The result: stronger systems, higher prices, and better businesses across the board. The takeaway is that transparency between competitors is not a threat. It is a growth strategy.Ann draws on her experience as a CrossFit coach to illustrate the confidence gap. She consistently told women to add more weight to the bar because they underestimated themselves. Men almost always had to be told to take weight off. That same dynamic plays out in how designers price, present, and advocate for themselves.Nile adds that everything he learned about business came from women and urges the industry to acknowledge and honor what women bring to the trade. The conversation also examines how men can be better advocates, the AD100 gender imbalance, the "manel" phenomenon, the mental load women carry, and what happens when husbands join successful design businesses and try to restructure what was already working.Laurie announces plans to write personal recognition letters to 10 designers a month and highlights IDC's 15% profit challenge as a way for designers to strengthen their businesses together. Ann closes with a clear message: every opportunity to elevate another woman in the trade benefits the entire industry.

This episode of To-The-Trade is brought to you by AJ Madison Pro, the industry's trusted appliance resource for interior design professionals. Recorded live on the floor of KBIS 2026, this special episode of To-The-Trade brings together high-end designer Nikki Levy and Jenny York, VP of Marketing for Currey & Company, for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to build lasting designer-brand relationships.Nikki runs a South Florida firm with 12 employees, 30 active projects, and $50 million in annual specifying dollars. She is direct about what she expects from brands: live people who answer phones, clean returns, MAP pricing that is actually enforced, and reps who function as educators rather than catalog-delivery services. Jenny explains how Currey & Company has built its designer-first reputation over 37 years, including 48-hour shipping, no minimums, no credit card surcharges, and freight calculators available before checkout.The conversation covers bad rep stories that cost brands six figures in lost business, what designers can do to build goodwill with brands they love, freight billing fragmentation and how to protect yourself, brand storytelling as a client sales tool, and why lighting should never be specced last. For designers looking to strengthen their vendor relationships, and for brands trying to understand what designers actually need, this is a rare conversation where both sides are in the same room and being honest.

PJ Delaye spent 26 years at York Wall Coverings, rising from export director to president of North America's largest wallpaper manufacturer. In this episode of To-The-Trade, he joins Laurie to discuss the wall covering industry's dramatic comeback and why designers should pay close attention.PJ compares today's wall covering landscape to the craft beer revolution. Digital printing has lowered the barrier to entry, and smaller studios are creating bold, personality-driven patterns that major manufacturers might never have attempted. Coupled with a cultural shift away from minimalism toward maximalist, character-rich interiors, wallpaper is firmly back in the mainstream.For designers, PJ makes a clear business case. Wall coverings typically offer a 20 to 40 percent designer discount, providing significantly higher margins than paint. They also serve as portfolio builders and referral generators, because a striking wallpaper pattern prompts the "who's your designer" question in a way paint simply can't.The conversation also covers practical aspects. PJ explains why non-woven backing has become the industry standard for quality wallpaper. Non-woven products are dimensionally stable, allow paste-the-wall installation, enable precise seam matching, and can be removed in full strips. He and Laurie contrast this with peel-and-stick, which helped reintroduce consumers to wallpaper but requires overlapping seams and can split as vinyl shifts with temperature changes.PJ also introduces his new company, Veer Decor, which curates wallpaper from multiple European mills and studios to offer designers a broad, exclusive portfolio. Laurie concludes with ThinkLab data, estimating the North American wall covering market at nearly $12 billion annually, reinforcing that this is a category designers should not overlook.

Heather Cleveland (Heather Cleveland Design, Bay Area) joins Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson to unpack what truly differentiates a successful design firm: process. While talent is everywhere, Heather argues that a refined, repeatable client experience is what wins trust, reduces anxiety, and drives referrals.Heather shares her creative upbringing and her career pivot after a tech layoff, then explains how a role running IKEA’s kitchen department became an unexpected technical bootcamp that strengthened her kitchen and bath expertise. From there, she built a whole-home practice while keeping her first love, textiles and materials, at the center of her creativity.The core of the episode is Heather’s system for “spoon-feeding” clients what they need before they ever have to ask. She outlines a clear sequence of touchpoints from inquiry through onboarding and project milestones, plus personalized gestures that feel thoughtful without resorting to branded swag. Her biggest game-changer is the weekly Friday client email: a consistent update on what happened, what didn’t go right (paired with a solution in progress), and what’s next. That cadence prevents weekend worry spirals and dramatically reduces client check-ins because clients trust the update will come. Laurie connects this to profitability and value communication, noting that proactive communication can prevent the “guilt discounting” cycle many designers fall into.They also dig into the tough part of every project: ending it well. Heather explains how she sets expectations early by telling clients a story about something that went wrong and how it was resolved, so bumps feel normal rather than catastrophic. At the finish, her firm delivers a detailed project “binder,” now digital, built from Programa, including product specs by room, images to clarify what’s what, and manufacturer care guides. This gives clients confidence they’re not being abandoned after the punch list, and it becomes a valuable asset for resale and future maintenance.The episode closes with a focus on learning and innovation: Heather prefers workshops (IDS, Haven Workshop) for actionable ROI, and she shares practical AI uses, such as generating presentation cover sketches from a home photo and creating virtual walkthroughs from photorealistic renderings.

In this To-The-Trade episode, Laurie Laizure interviews Phil Hotarek, a plumbing/HVAC contractor and decorative showroom owner in San Francisco who also leads the Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA). Phil explains DPHA’s role in connecting brands, independent reps, and showrooms through a hotel-based showcase that prioritizes time, access, and real conversation, along with education and ongoing resources to better support designers and specifiers.Laurie highlights DPHA’s roundtable model as a standout: manufacturers, reps, showroom owners, and designers in the same room with a moderator, topics submitted in advance, and a private environment where people can talk honestly about real problems. They reference conversations around tariffs and the shifting economy, and Phil shares that DPHA built this structure by listening closely to annual survey feedback and expanding interactive programming, including webinars, because members wanted more meaningful engagement than passive booth traffic.The episode turns practical quickly. On pricing volatility, they discuss transparency strategies, including how tariffs might be presented to clients, and Phil emphasizes that surprises erode trust. He encourages a more decisive selection phase when pricing can change rapidly. They also discuss growing pressure on manufacturers to be clearer about where products are truly made versus assembled, because that detail matters for both credibility and storytelling.On follow-up and relationship-building, Laurie notes designers’ inbox overload and suggests tactics that respect time and bandwidth: QR codes instead of stacks of lookbooks, sensible sampling (often one per firm), and social-media DMs that continue the conversation after the show. They also explore the importance of product stories that help designers explain value to clients and position boutique decorative brands as intentional choices rather than commodities.Phil closes with a growth goal: reaching 100 designer attendees at the 2026 showcase in Salt Lake City. Laurie shares outreach strategies that could help achieve it.

In this episode, Marsha Sefcik talks with Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson about building a design business that supports the season of life you’re in, rather than forcing yourself into someone else’s “right way.” Marsha shares her journey from corporate sales, training, customer service, and project management to nearly two decades in design, all while raising kids alongside her business. She emphasizes giving yourself grace and modeling problem-solving and professionalism for your family, even when things feel messy.On the business side, Marsha offers very practical guidance. She recommends starting with a “reverse engineer” approach: clarify the net income you need, then work backward into project minimums, services, and pricing decisions. She also explains why time tracking matters—even if you charge a flat fee or a hybrid—because you can’t accurately audit past projects or identify the “chaos leaks” in your process if you don’t know where the hours are going.Marsha shares a real project example where a client’s decision bottleneck (tile selection) stalled momentum, tying it back to setting expectations around options, approvals, and limiting revisions. Laurie highlights how quickly revisions can divert a project from its original vision, and why tightening the approval process protects both design integrity and profitability.They also discuss “shiny object” tech stack creep, with Marsha recommending regular subscription audits and cutting tools you’re not using. From there, the conversation shifts to marketing and pipeline building: relationships matter, newsletters are a missed opportunity for referral-driven designers, and marketing should be viewed as a strategy with ROI, not just random effort. Marsha outlines four marketing pillars: attract, engage, nurture past clients, and delight them.Finally, they explore boundaries and sales. Marsha redefines upselling as education and service, encourages designers to follow up on proposals, and shares how proactive weekly client updates can reduce frantic weekend texts and keep projects moving smoothly.

Laurie Laizure interviews Boston-based designer Dane Austin about building a design career with intention, focusing on community, and anchoring projects in comfort and quality. Dane shares that he has known he wanted to be an interior designer since childhood, inspired by his grandparents’ stylish, welcoming home. He steadily pursued that path, earning two degrees over 10 years while working in retail, fashion, and hospitality—experiences that shaped both his taste and his client-service mindset.A key theme is the importance of professional community. Dane shares how he moved from DC to Boston and rebuilt his network by joining organizations, attending events, and volunteering, not just to “get” connections, but to contribute. He advises designers to try groups more than once before deciding they aren’t a good fit, and to focus on one or two organizations at a time to keep involvement manageable.The episode also examines pricing realities and how fee inconsistency affects the industry. Laurie points out that undercharging can be a significant issue for newer designers who lack mentorship and benchmarks. Dane adds that in more transparent designer communities, established professionals often charge much higher hourly rates, which can be eye-opening for designers still determining their prices.From there, the conversation shifts to client education about product quality. Laurie and Dane discuss value engineering in mass-market furniture and why marketing-focused brands can signal internal material compromises. They explain the “designer filter,” which narrows down thousands of options to just a few, based on comfort, durability, maker reliability, lead times, and whether pieces can be repaired or reupholstered. Dane’s main principle is that comfort is the ultimate luxury, and he encourages clients to invest in what they touch and use every day, especially custom upholstery and window treatments.Dane also shares a practical purchasing strategy: build strong relationships with a few trusted showrooms and vendors. Focusing spending enhances support when problems occur and simplifies sourcing. Finally, he redefines what great design provides; it’s not just the final appearance but also the quality of daily life through better lighting, sound, flow, and usability. His process focuses on how clients want to feel in a space, then guides them through decisions as a trusted advisor.

In the last episode of 2025 the To-The-Trade podcast from the Interior Design Community, hosts Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson get real about what it takes to support design pros, and where the business of interior design is heading next. Laurie opens by thanking Nile for the behind-the-scenes work that goes into the show, from guest vetting to shaping questions that actually serve working designers.A big theme is advocacy, and specifically, trust. Laurie shares that a primary focus going into 2026 is helping more people “know and trust” designers because trust is what converts into clients. She also calls out the role manufacturers can play by investing in design business education and marketing support so that designers can sell with more confidence and product backing.They also talk about money in a grounded way. Laurie references an ASID jobs report showing higher average salaries than in past years, but stresses that even improved averages can still fall short of a living wage in many of the markets where designers work. That leads into a larger point, the industry needs more respect, better compensation, and stronger collaboration across trades, vendors, brands, contractors, and clients.One practical concern they raise is the volatility of health insurance costs. Laurie flags that changes to Affordable Care Act subsidies could impact self-employed designers, with some estimating that costs could jump dramatically, putting real pressure on small design businesses. Nile adds that insurance costs can still feel unpredictable, especially when it comes to emergency care pricing.From there, the conversation gets very tactical about how designers can protect revenue and increase project value without burning clients out. They dig into why clients sometimes skip an accessories package at the end, often it is budget anxiety and decision fatigue after months of choices. One solution, phase it. Build in follow-ups at 6 to 9 months to revisit adjacent spaces, accessories, or even the exterior plan once the client has recovered mentally and financially.They offer a clever visual sales tactic, too, using AI photo editing to show clients “with vs without” accessories and art, so the finishing touches are no longer abstract. When clients can literally see what disappears when they cut accessories, it becomes easier to justify the full scope.Then Laurie delivers a decisive “ROI” mindset shift: designers are building equity in clients’ homes. She suggests creating an investment guide using an Excel list of past projects, comparing home values from project start to today, and using that data to talk about how your work increases net worth. That confidence is key when clients ask for discounts, because the equity upside goes into their pocket, not yours.Finally, they zoom out to community culture, learning, and leadership. They talk about embracing imperfection, asking questions like 'markup vs. margin,' and sharing failures so newer designers do not have to spend a decade figuring everything out alone. Laurie and Nile close with a holiday send-off and a big announcement, Nile will serve as a Style Squad ambassador for Design Edge as the podcast heads into its third season.

In this To-The-Trade podcast episode, host Laurie Laizure interviews Montreal-based interior designer Romina Tina Fontana of Fontana & Company about how her background in marketing and graphic design influences her approach to running her studio. After nearly twenty years in advertising, working with major agencies and brands, Romina shifted into interior design by photographing her own home and friends’ houses. A behind-the-scenes Instagram story caught the attention of HGTV editors, who featured her Victorian “bachelorette pad,” helping to launch her interior design career.Romina discusses how she treats her business like a brand, using a consistent palette of yellows and greens and a custom illustration in her logo. She depends on a detailed ten-phase process document that reflects her services agreement. Whenever she has allowed a client to pressure her into skipping or changing a phase, problems have resulted, so she now safeguards that structure and improves it after each project. She has even added a specification phase to emphasize the technical details involved in choosing fixtures and fittings.A significant theme is photography as a strategic business tool. Drawing on her advertising experience, Romina budgets for professional images on nearly every project, sometimes waiting for the right season to show a home at its best. She collaborates with trusted photographers and editorial stylists, like Me and Mo in Toronto, to create vertical vignettes that work for magazines. One Rosedale project styled and shot this way was later published, clearly showing a return on her marketing investment. Her advice to designers is to set aside photo funds from the start and invest in experienced stylists, especially early in their careers.The conversation also covers collaboration with trades, the peer community, and client communication. Romina loves her trades, invites their expertise, and even uses a “love your trades” hashtag. She shares how a London trip with Christopher Farr Cloth turned into an ongoing WhatsApp support group for twenty-five designers, where they talk candidly about billing and custom work. On the client side, she runs Monday and Friday status meetings and sends Friday updates, often by audio message, so clients head into the weekend feeling informed.Finally, Romina and Laurie emphasize the importance of insurance. Romina maintains a binder of coverage for herself and every trade on major projects, while Laurie advises designers and their virtual assistants to carefully consider liability and business structure, especially when managing procurement. It offers a grounded perspective on the business side of interior design, combining creativity with real-world risk management.

In this To-The-Trade podcast episode, Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson interview DC-based designer Isy Jackson, founder of Chelt Interiors, about British-inspired homes, antiques, and sustainable business habits for design pros.Isy explains how her creative roots in the UK, from a fashion sketching Nana to parents who flipped houses and a stepfather in high-end tiling and crystal, taught her to see both structure and beauty in interiors. She describes her style as layered and lived-in, with patina, books, and dogs that make spaces feel welcoming rather than staged.The conversation dives into antiques and sourcing strategies. Before suggesting changes, Isy tours a client’s home to identify what is truly sentimental and must stay. Only then does she bring in estate sales, Georgetown shops, and auction houses like Sloan and Kenyon, Weschler’s, and Quinns, always setting a maximum budget and aiming to bid around half the low estimate. Hence, clients get value without losing control in the auction rush.Holiday decorating shows up as both joy and revenue. Isy and Laurie talk about how seasonal installs can take over one to two months. Still, once decor comes down, clients suddenly see bare rooms and are ready for the next project, making holidays an innovative moment for designers to drive marketing and retention.On money and client transparency, Isy walks through her pricing strategies for designers who want to maintain high trust. She currently bills hourly with frequent invoices so clients always know where they stand, then splits the margin on trade discounts to show how much she saves them below retail. She also uses a room-by-room budget spreadsheet and an investment guide with low, medium, and high ranges, which helps clients understand realistic spending and prioritize investments.Finally, the group tackles overwhelm and boundaries. Laurie describes the cure for overwhelm as true “nothingness,” a reminder that creative energy needs rest, especially during holiday crunch season. Isy shares how communication, personality awareness, and a service mindset help her navigate client and trade conflicts without burning out. The result is an interior designer tips-packed episode on client management for designers who love antiques, history, and thoughtful homes.

In this episode of the To-The-Trade interior design podcast, host Laurie Laizure welcomes Los Angeles-based designer and Kitchen Design Innovator of the Year, Shannon Ggem. Shannon shares how her bi-coastal practice blends New England sensibilities, antiques, and California ease, and how she uses biophilic or dopamine-driven design to connect people to nature and the makers behind their homes.Laurie and Shannon dive deep into empathy as a core business skill in interior design. Shannon explains how highly sensitive, empathic designers can almost read a client’s mind, and why that is both a gift and a trap. She walks through the specific language she uses in client management for designers, such as telling clients they cannot hurt her feelings and having couples rank choices on a scale to make decisions clearer and faster.The conversation shifts into pricing strategies for designers and the fear many clients have around being “sold to.” Laurie pushes back on the big box narrative that designers are expensive middlemen, contrasting it with heavily marketed, value-engineered retail. Shannon opens up about her responsibility to vet factories, materials, and human rights, and why she refuses to sell low-quality products that will fail and damage trust.They also tackle overdelivery, shaving hours, and how constant unpaid emotional labor leads to burnout and resentment. Real stories about showing 167 sconces, clients chasing dupes and bargain antiques, and brands navigating tariffs all highlight why the designer’s professional filter matters. Shannon closes by calling designers to clean up their business practices, educate clients upfront on budgets and fees, extend empathy to vendors and trades, and protect their own boundaries so they can keep serving at a high level.

Designer and UA Designs founder Sarah Brohm joins Laurie Laizure on the To-The-Trade for real talk on process, pricing, and growth. Sarah’s nursing background shaped her bias for systems and client care, which shows up in selection trackers, job site codes, and contractor-first communication that keeps clients out of the weeds.The firm averages about 15 whole homes per year, aiming to have the design complete by framing walkthroughs, then rolling right into furnishings. Their flat design fee is based on estimated hours multiplied by the studio rate and includes two revisions, with extras billed as needed. Fit checks up front ensure budget alignment and trust.To guard margins, Sarah runs EOS and reviews invoicing, budgets, and profitability weekly. As expectations for CAD, SketchUp, Enscape, and Revit have grown, the team increases planned hours and runs periodic time studies so pricing stays honest.Client experience is formalized. UA Designs offers a certificate of completion and price transparency guarantees, prioritizing rapport and a finish-line mindset.The studio’s kitchens and cabinetry division reduces vendor fatigue and yields cohesive results by keeping a single visionary in charge of casework, finishes, and furnishings. Trade shows, lunch-and-learns, and monthly education keep the whole team sharp.On AI, Sarah says designers should use it more effectively, especially to sync changes across platforms and to eliminate redundant tasks, freeing up time for design. Looking forward, she wants fewer projects with deeper scope, ultra-dialed installs, a larger studio, and, eventually, an integrated design-build offering.

On this episode of the To-The-Trade interior design podcast, host Laurie Laizure and co-host Nile Johnson welcome SEO pioneer Ross Dunn for real talk on how search is shifting for the trade. Ross explains why he prefers “answer engine optimization,” and how AI overviews assemble responses by fanning out to multiple queries, which reshapes how content should be planned. Designers should build topical hubs that cover the real questions clients ask, not just pretty pictures.From the website basics, Ross and Laurie highlight common issues on design sites, such as missing service areas, thin project pages, and unlabeled images. They suggest including descriptive copy for each project, using meaningful file names, and adding human-readable alt text that benefits screen readers and search engines.For local SEO, Ross emphasizes hyperlocal proof, such as community sponsorships and charitable ties, that generate authentic mentions and links. Social mentions can be influential, but platforms with restricted access are unreliable signals. Reviews, including video reviews, are powerful tools for building trust in the interior design business.Operational must-dos for the episode include updating WordPress, maintaining 90-day rolling backups, testing contact forms monthly to prevent losing leads, and using Google Search Console since third-party rank reporting is now limited. GA4 should track conversions that represent genuine leads, not vanity metrics. For performance, Ross advises designers to use GTmetrix and emphasizes that speed keeps prospects engaged.He also promotes his new SEO Grok resource and reminds listeners of his long-running SEO 101 podcast for ongoing learning. Designers seeking sustainable visibility should continue publishing case-study style project pages, include genuine words, and build authority gradually.

This episode of the To-The-Trade highlights designer Dara Segbefia, principal of The Zen Experience, whose holistic interiors focus on mental health and wellbeing. Her specialty, transforming teacher lounges and school spaces, began with a project connected to her daughter, Zen, and a principal client. It expanded after teachers said they finally felt seen and respected in a space designed for them.Dara explains how improved staff energy influences students, transforming lounges into hubs that support relaxation, collaboration, and daily functioning, including small but important wins like adding a second microwave and planning for both introverts and extroverts.We also explore the interior design business. Laurie and Dara speak openly about pricing and safeguarding margins, including the idea of a 10 percent admin fee to cover unavoidable project friction, documentation, and supplies, so resentment doesn’t arise when profit diminishes.For client management, Dara shares the systems that keep her grounded, including a morning routine that avoids social media and email, skipping morning meetings, and aligning with clients who respect her boundaries. Community matters too, from designer meetups to accountability voice notes that lighten the load.The episode closes with real-world operations, featuring a project manager who handles logistics and time tracking, allowing Dara to stay in her creative lane. Additionally, a field story is shared that proves why humor is sometimes the only tool left when an installation goes sideways.Dara also shares a future goal: establishing a nonprofit arm to serve schools without budgets, because design dignity should not be dependent on zip code.

In this To-The-Trade podcast conversation, designer and former corporate marketer Rasheeda Gray explains how she transformed a light-bulb staging moment into a successful studio, Gray Space Interiors. Her home sold in three hours, transforming a long-time hobby into a clear pathway forward in 2016. Rasheeda spent three years building the firm at night while maintaining her day job, then exited corporate in 2019. She openly discusses burning through savings faster than expected and then pushing through the early pandemic to achieve one of her best years. The lesson is simple: perseverance and planning matter. Today, her team operates using systems such as a CRM with automated qualifiers, Design Files for boards and management, and QuickBooks for financial clarity. She monitors cash flow constantly and expects her team to be familiar with the numbers. Her offer ladder maintains steady revenue, with full-service options for larger projects and virtual design for clients with limited budgets. eDesign serves as a profit center that stabilizes cash flow. For client management, Rasheeda uses an intake questionnaire, a 15-minute screening, and will walk away during proposals if fit or process alignment isn’t present. Protecting the business and the team is a priority. Media presence is important but in a targeted way. TV appearances on HGTV, A&E, and Magnolia increased visibility, but local morning news segments are more effective for conversions. She actively pitches and dedicates roughly 20 to 25 percent of her time to marketing. Her parting advice to design professionals is to operate based on strategy. Plan the year and quarter, focus on what you love and delegate the rest, and hold yourself accountable with KPIs to enable course correction. 

On this episode of the To-The-Trade  podcast, Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson sit down with Philadelphia-area independent rep and company owner, Jason Levy, who grew up in the trade through a Kravet family franchise and now blends residential and commercial support for designers. He positions himself as a solutionist, a rep who turns twenty conversations into one, sourcing options fast, handling specs, stock, codes, and finishes so designers stay in the profitable part of the project.Speed and availability are Jason’s edge. He answers after hours, which once landed a Saturday emergency call that grew into a career-defining, multi-scope project. He aims to be known as the fastest rep alive, using technology and solid CRM habits to keep designers moving.Jason also meets designers where they are, literally and digitally. Rather than over-visiting during a busy summer, he invested in humorous video content with a pro videographer to connect with emerging designers while staying valuable to seasoned pros, showing new programs like a domestically made, quick-turn machine-tufted rug line.The conversation addresses industry consolidation, the customer experience, and how effective communication, empathy, and product knowledge foster trust. Jason urges representatives to thoroughly research firms and project types, then provide precise, code-smart solutions, whether for hospitality, healthcare, or senior living. Forecasting, he says, starts with watching what firms publish and remembering preferences at the designer level.A heartfelt moment: Jason’s outlook was shaped by his late mother, a beloved rep whose clients became family, and by a hospitality mindset inspired by “unreasonable” service. Takeaways for the business of interior design, client management for designers, and operations, all anchored in getting answers fast and caring deeply.

Beth Dotolo and Carolina V. Gentry of Pulp Design Studios explain how they manage a firm across Dallas and Seattle, sharing goals, standardized processes, and similar revenue profiles. Their rule of thumb for hiring is straightforward: when leadership spends too much time on high-value design work, they hire or reassign to ensure the right people handle the right tasks. They prioritize investing in team compensation and career paths to maintain their culture and output.Their main theme is building wealth beyond just fees. Instead of spending on flashy things, Pulp invests surplus funds into assets, like purchasing their Dallas building and a Palm Springs property they renovated into an Airbnb. The focus is on long-term stability, not quick fame. The showhouse segment also provides a creative perspective, where constraints led to memorable design features, such as a secret door and a moody lounge, which generated industry buzz and new business.Decision-making is structured. Beth tends to approve, Carolina assesses feasibility, and both rely on documented five- to fifteen-year plans with a strategist. Operationally, the team is comfortable working remotely, using cloud-based systems and simple communication tools so both offices can support each other during workload spikes. The episode offers interior designer tips on partnership, pricing strategy, resource planning, and marketing through action, not just posting.

Filmmaker Jude Charles joins the To-The-Trade podcast to explain how docuseries content helps designers sell the real value of their work. Instead of chasing a viral post, he urges designers to create a human, long-form story that shows process, judgment, and personality, so clients start with trust. His journey began with a three-part series for a Pompano Beach designer who needed more than portfolio photos to explain his team’s value, and it accelerated after a project with LuAnn that highlighted a deep appetite for narrative in our field.The strategy is simple: let prospects meet you before they actually meet you. Include the docuseries in your inquiry and consult the flow. This approach shortens the time to a positive response and smooths projects because clients already understand how you think and lead. Jude’s three rules of authentic storytelling—lived experience, emotion, and evidence keep the content honest and persuasive. He demonstrates this by sharing his own burnout and recovery story, including a parking lot emergency that redefined his identity beyond work.A notable example is builder Brad Leavitt. Even with a solid platform, Brad needed to understand how a docuseries fit into his business. The series begins with his Father’s Day stroke, a human moment that garners attention and empathy before highlighting the work. Laurie notes that design is a high-stress, high-stakes service, and a docuseries can prepare clients to be patient when schedules slip, which helps with better client management for designers.

Design pros, this is your playbook for integrating technology into the experience and the business of interior design. Katye McGregor Bennett explains why the integrator, your behind-the-walls systems partner, belongs at the table before drywall. That early involvement lets lighting, audio, networking, and security serve the design vision, and it keeps you out of tech support. Pair with a proper service plan and remote monitoring, and the integrator handles issues while you lead the relationship.Start every project with the network, the home’s digital foundation, then layer categories like motorized shades and high-performance displays. A solid network reduces glitches, supports heavy use when the household is active, and future-proofs for growth. Watch power quality too; a stressed grid can cause flicker and crashes, and an integrator can diagnose and stabilize.Lean on the Home Technology Association’s Integrator Finder, assessment form, and budget calculator to vet partners and start transparent, experience-focused conversations with clients. Test tech at home or in your studio to build language and confidence, then position it as part of wellness, aging in place, and daily joy.Bottom line, curate two to four trusted integrators, align on aesthetics and communication, scope realistically with HTA tools, and let tech elevate the client’s lifestyle and your margins.

Laurie Laizure, Nile Johnson, and Phyllis Harbinger get practical about the business of interior design. Phyllis outlines her transparent purchasing model, where clients pay vendors directly, while her team manages the logistics. She charges a 35 percent cost-plus purchase management fee over net on everything. Her contract states she is not responsible for vendor malfeasance or damages, and if a replacement is needed, she manages it for the same fee.She avoids the term “retainer,” opting instead to collect a defined design fee at signing, a choice reinforced by legal guidance that “retainer” can require refunds if projects end early. She also protects IP and has clients initial every page.Day-to-day, Phyllis relies on daily team huddles, shared agendas, minutes, and Zoom recordings, which make approvals traceable and keep clients accountable. Design-wise, it is FFF, form follows function, with a deep understanding of how clients actually live and work.Expect mindset gems too, from positive expectation resets to a reality check on TV budgets versus trade economics

Host Laurie Laizure sits down with Lee Hershberg, founder of Design Edge, a traveling, invite-only trade event created exclusively for interior designers. Drawing on decades of experience with KBIS, High Point, and Las Vegas Market, Lee designed the event to close the gap between manufacturers and the many designers who can’t attend large markets.Design Edge is intentionally smaller and more focused, making it easier for designers to connect with senior brand leaders, exchange feedback, and find new products without the overwhelm of large show floors. The event features three parts: brand booths, a Maker Stage for product storytelling, and an Education Stage with sessions on contracts, luxury clients, and profit growth.Laurie and Lee highlight shifting from a “product” mindset to a “product partner” approach, fostering collaborative relationships where brands understand and support a designer’s unique needs. They share real-life examples of successes and failures, encouraging designers to come prepared to ask questions, provide feedback, and discuss what’s working and what’s not.With stops planned across the U.S., Design Edge offers a high-impact, low-cost way for designers to source smarter, partner better, and ultimately grow their businesses.

Episode 44 of To-The-Trade features Ariene Bethea of Dressing Rooms Interiors Studio in a lively chat with Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson. Known for her fearless use of color, love of vintage, and warm personality, Ariene shares her winding journey from HR to interior design.She recalls the pivotal moment when redesigning her boss’s office revealed her passion for the trade, explaining why rigid design “rules” from school didn’t fit her style. After a stint at Bassett Furniture, she expanded her Etsy vintage shop into a retail store. While the shop attracted clients, not all shared her bold style, teaching her to only showcase the work she truly wants to do. They discuss client management, why “products lead to projects,” and why high-pressure sales tactics don’t belong in luxury design. Laurie and Nile encourage Ariene to consider writing a book that blends her maximalist aesthetic with a sustainable, anti-fast-furniture message. Ariene also previews her growing lampshade line and future lighting plans. The conversation is rich with business insights, design philosophy, and encouragement for creative entrepreneurs to stay true to their style.

Julie Sellers of @ellevatedoutcomes joins Laurie Laizure on the To-The-Trade podcast to talk about what really holds designers back from growing and how to fix it. From solopreneurs to firms with 25 employees, Julie shares why so many creatives become the bottleneck in their own business and what it takes to scale sustainably.With a team of high-level strategists—including CFOs, COOs, and legal experts—Elevated Outcomes helps design professionals move from feeling overwhelmed to being organized, using systems and strategies that align with their personal goals. They explore pricing strategies for designers, debunk the myth of passive income through accolades, and explain why profit is not the same as salary.This is a must-listen episode for any interior designer who aims to grow intelligently, not just extensively.

In this episode of the To-The-Trade podcast, Laurie Laizure chats with Jenny Warner, founder of J Thomas Designs, about her evolution from a hands-on childhood in construction to leading a profitable interior design firm with confidence and clarity.Jenny shares the pivotal moment she realized she was undervaluing her time, and how that realization helped shift her mindset around billing and profit. With 24 years of experience under her belt, she now advocates for designers to understand every layer of a project, from tile installation to taxes, and to never lose sight of their value.Jenny also reveals how she intentionally built her team, starting with a bookkeeper and later hiring part-time help that suits her business rhythm. Her leadership style blends flexibility with professionalism and includes thoughtful touches, such as spa rewards after intense installations.The conversation also touches on legacy planning and future growth. Jenny and Laurie explore how to refine your client pipeline, resist the temptation of vanity projects, and invest in the right kind of support for long-term success.This episode is packed with candid insights and practical strategies for design entrepreneurs navigating the business of interior design.

In this episode of To-The-Trade, Laurie and Nile are joined by Jenna Gaidusek, founder of eDesign Tribe and eDesign U, for a conversation about digital entrepreneurship in interior design. Jenna shares how her military lifestyle inspired her to build a location-independent design career and how she shifted from traditional interior design to creating a virtual design empire.Jenna explains how she built a strong online community and educational platform to help designers grow. She shares automation tools, tips for confidently pricing services, and her belief that designers should embrace authenticity and modern workflows. She also discusses integrating technology platforms like MyDoma to make the design process more efficient.The conversation is filled with honest insights about balancing creativity with entrepreneurship, building scalable systems, and redefining what success means. Jenna’s energy is practical, motivating, and rooted in real experience. Her message encourages designers to adopt new business models and craft a future on their own terms.

Rebecca Plumb and Shaun Crha of the Hot Young Designers Club join To-The-Trade to share how a chance meeting turned into a podcast that now supports a broad audience of interior designers. What started as a friendship and support system became a business during the pandemic, and they’ve navigated everything from burnout to business structures together.They reveal how their podcast grew from casual Zoom recordings into a platform that offers honest, unfiltered conversations. The pair emphasizes the importance of designers having a community, especially when working alone, and how their honest friendship helps others feel seen and understood.They also discuss the challenges of growing pains in monetization, hiring assistance, and managing client expectations. Audience feedback has been incredibly supportive, with many listeners crediting the show for helping them through burnout and business doubts. Topics such as setting boundaries, raising prices, and building confidence in business decisions are fan favorites.A notable segment focuses on the controversial topic of photo copyright and the inequity designers face with usage rights. The duo advocates for fair contracts and transparency. The episode highlights the significance of community, vulnerability, and treating design as a professional discipline.

Interior designer and HGTV alum Justin Q. Williams joins Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson to discuss launching his design firm at 18, the power of social media, and building a personal brand. He shares insights into managing projects while filming on national TV, developing product lines, and fostering authentic relationships within the design community. Justin also discusses the impact of mentorship and his passion for design, which began in his childhood.

Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson talk with Shelly Hudson, founder of Hudson Home, about her journey from corporate design to running her own studio. Shelly shares lessons in managing client expectations, pricing with confidence, and creating deeply personal spaces. She also discusses mental wellness, the significance of community, and finding balance in a purpose-driven design business.

Laurie Laizure interviews interior designer Nikki Levy, who shares her bold career pivot from fashion retail to interior design and discusses how she built a thriving firm with a team of nine. Nikki opens up about the lessons she has learned in pricing, setting boundaries, establishing structure, and preserving her passion while scaling a business. Her advice for fellow designers emphasizes authenticity, confidence in pricing, and the power of systems that support creativity.

Laurie Laizure interviews Marie Cloud of Indigo Pruitt Design Studio, exploring how she creates deeply personalized spaces rooted in emotional and sensory experiences. Marie discusses her use of neuroaesthetic principles to enhance wellness through intentional design, from detailed client interactions to sensory-focused project reveals. She shares candid reflections on managing the growth of her firm, setting boundaries for a balanced lifestyle, and her dedication to diversity and mentoring emerging designers.

In this insightful episode of "To-The-Trade," host Laurie Laizure and co-host Nile Johnson sit down with interior designer and neuroaesthetics expert Eryn Oruncak. Eryn delves into how neuroaesthetics, the science of how environments affect the brain and nervous system, can profoundly transform living spaces to improve mental health, emotional well-being, productivity, and overall happiness. Drawing on personal experiences and interactions with leading scientists, Eryn highlights the tangible benefits of this evidence-based approach, illustrating how intentional design can lead to enhanced sleep, reduced stress, healthier lifestyles, and even career advancement.The conversation explores practical applications for interior designers, including strategies for effectively introducing neuroaesthetic concepts to clients, reading subtle cues and reactions, and designing spaces that foster desired emotional states and behaviors. Eryn shares valuable insights into sensory-rich environments, the importance of proper lighting and artwork selection, and how designers can confidently leverage scientific principles to enhance their professional value. Throughout, Eryn passionately advocates for elevating the interior design profession by harnessing scientific knowledge, ultimately benefiting not only individual clients but society at large.

Host Laurie Laizure and co-host Nile Johnson welcome Laura Umansky, founder of Laura U Design Collective, to discuss her path to becoming a renowned interior designer. Laura reveals how her Texas upbringing and early career experiences shaped her distinctive style and strong business sense. She shares practical insights into successfully managing both domestic and international projects, highlighting the value of structured processes, clear communication, and maintaining healthy client relationships. The conversation also touches on overcoming client conflicts, the importance of setting boundaries, and how travel continually fuels her creative inspiration.

Host Laurie Laizure and co-host Nile Johnson discuss social media and digital marketing for interior designers with expert Emanuela Schneider. They address the challenges designers encounter in marketing, effective strategies for content creation, and the necessity of adapting to changes like the rise of ChatGPT over traditional search engines. Emanuela shares practical tips for crafting engaging social media content, including behind-the-scenes insights, authentic branding, and effective community engagement. They also explore how designers can optimize platforms such as Pinterest, Instagram, and LinkedIn, and provide practical advice on managing client expectations and evaluating the value of awards and professional associations.

Designer and entrepreneur Scott Meacham Wood joins Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson to talk about his new Somerset House collection of wallpaper and textiles. From his Ralph Lauren days to launching his line, Scott shares how storytelling, texture, and visual emotion guide his design philosophy. He reflects on his early blogging experiences, the importance of community, and the delicate balance between art and commerce. The episode delves into his collaborative process, his love of photo shoots, and how he thoughtfully blends vintage inspiration with modern execution. It’s a compelling look into the mind of a designer who knows how to make florals fierce and business beautiful.

Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson talk with Laura Thornton, a seasoned interior designer who transitioned from a potential law career into design, influenced by her family’s construction background. Laura emphasizes the challenges and strategies of staying profitable during uncertain economic times, focusing on financial acumen, thoughtful outsourcing, and clear client communication. She also provides insights from her Profit Academy, highlighting the importance of tracking numbers, avoiding being price-shopped, and building sustainable profits. Laura addresses marketing and branding, discusses the real impact of media exposure, and advises on managing burnout through effective delegation and prioritization.

Laurie Laizure interviews architect and Mattoboard founder Guy Ailion, who discusses how digital sampling can solve interior designers’ biggest headaches: outdated libraries, sample waste, and slow sourcing. Mattoboard lets designers create realistic 3D material boards that replicate the tactile studio experience, without the waste. They talk about the platform’s upcoming collaboration features, virtual sampling’s environmental impact, and how AI can assist (not replace) human creativity. Guy envisions a future where designers “visualize to draft,” turning creative ideas into presentations faster than ever.

Laurie Laizure sits down with designer Kevin Twitty to discuss his journey from math major to an interior design professional. They explore essential business strategies for designers, including mastering SEO, networking within the Interior Design Community, and building resilience when entering new markets. Kevin shares how authenticity, community support, and adaptability have been key to his success. Designers will leave this episode inspired to rethink their marketing strategies, nurture their professional networks, and build stronger businesses.

Welcome to this episode of ‘To the Trade’ hosted by Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson. We’re thrilled to have Meredith Huck joining us today. Meredith shares her journey from corporate software sales to founding her interior design business, House of Huck. We discuss her experiences, challenges, and successes in building a design business that balances livable luxury with coastal casual elegance. Meredith elaborates on the freedom and personal growth of being self-employed, the importance of communication with clients and contractors, and her upcoming renovation projects. She also offers valuable business insights and heartfelt stories, including having an ice cream flavor named after her! Please tune in to be inspired by Meredith’s passion for design and dedication to truly making her clients’ homes special. Don’t miss her tips on starting and running a successful design business.

Join Laurie Laizure from To The Trade as she interviews Heather McManus from the Designers Collective. Heather shares her journey into the design industry, from her early struggles with learning disabilities to her education at Pratt and her first job in a workroom. She discusses her professional growth, her experience with high-end design, and the challenges she faced, including getting priced out by the internet. Heather explains the concept of the Designers Collective, a community focused on leveraging collective buying power and maintaining trust and professionalism among members. Watch to learn about the importance of education, networking, and community support in the ever-evolving design industry.

Join Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson from ‘To The Trade’ as they interview Katie Decker-Erickson, a skilled designer, coach, and MBA graduate. Katie recounts her transition from leading a multimillion-dollar design firm to helping fellow designers realize their aspirations. The conversation explores various topics, including the necessity of distinguishing personal identity from business, strategic planning, financial oversight, marketing tactics, and the essential role of community engagement. The episode also addresses best practices for naming a design firm and fostering a strong company culture. If you’re eager to elevate your design business and step into a successful CEO role, this episode is filled with valuable insights and actionable advice.

In this episode of ‘To the Trade’, Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson reconnect after months apart, sharing experiences from Italy, especially the Mercanteinfiera and Modern Art Fair. They discuss the event’s significance for designers and insights from industry experts. They highlight Cheminne Taylor-Smith role in organizing impactful events and the importance of networking among designers. Laurie and Nile provide tips for navigating High Point Market, improving relationships with trade brands, and creating quality designs. The episode concludes with plans for future events and community engagement to enhance collaboration and growth in the design industry.

Join Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson from To The Trade as they chat with renowned Canadian designer Jean Stephane Beauchamp. In this insightful episode, Jean shares his journey from studying fine arts and psychology to establishing his design firm over 25 years ago. Discover his design philosophy centered on enhancing the quality of life through beautiful and functional spaces, and learn about his views on trends, timeless design, and the impact of interior design on well-being. Jean also discusses the influence of travel on his work, the importance of authenticity in social media, and the recent challenges faced by Canadian designers amidst political tensions. This episode is a must-watch for anyone passionate about interior design and looking to deepen their understanding of the industry's evolving landscape.

Join Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson from To The Trade as she chats with Todd Howard Ezrin, the principal of Tobe DesignGroup. Todd shares his expansive journey from managing a small boutique design firm in Bethesda, Maryland, to handling international projects, including award-winning retail spaces. He opens up about the challenges and triumphs of scaling a business, maintaining vital relationships, and the significant impact of his philanthropic efforts. Discover his strategies for growing a design firm, balancing client-centric projects, and nurturing a company culture built on trust and community. If you're an aspiring designer—or simply interested in the design industry—this episode is packed with insights on managing a thriving business while making a meaningful difference.

Join Laurie Laizure as she chats with Mia Johnson, a dynamic interior designer who transitioned from a corporate project management career to thriving in interior design. In this captivating episode, Mia discusses her early inspirations, the pivotal moments that shaped her career, and the importance of community and mentorship in the industry. Mia also shares valuable insights on project pricing, managing client relationships, and staying authentic while growing her business. Discover how Mia balances creativity with business acumen and learn about her plans to further engage with the design community through various multimedia platforms.