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The Interior Design Business Blueprint: Podcasts for Residential Design Entrepreneurs

Interior Design Business Podcasts - Episode 170

Today’s curated collection of interior design podcasts include episodes from hosts LuAnn Nigara, Rachel Larraine, Rebecca Plumb & Shaun Crha.

Podcast guests include Adrien Cotton & Rebecca Hiller.

3 interior design podcasts to help elevate your interior design business blueprint.

  • A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Power Talk Friday: Adrien Cotton: Design Your Midlife Wellness for Confidence - 58 min

  • The Holistic Interior Design Business Podcast - Rachel Larraine - Collaborating with Local Galleries & Art Dealers with Rebecca Hiller of Madison Gallery - 34 min

  • Hot Young Designers Club - Rebecca Plumb & Shaun Crha - Squad Goals - 1 hr, 25 min


A Well-Designed Business - Power Talk Friday: Adrien Cotton: Design Your Midlife Wellness for Confidence - 58 min

Today on A Well-Designed Business, host LuAnn Nigara is joined by Adrien Cotton, menopause expert, transformational concierge wellness coach, and founder of Alexandria Wellness.

Adrien’s luxury services and holistic approach bring beauty and confidence to her clients. Like many interior designers, Adrien operates a very personal pursuit that can impact every facet of an individual or family’s life and well-being. 

Driven by systems, efficiency, and meaningful connections, Adrien is here to share effective business insights that will move the needle in any industry. We talk about qualifying clients, building a solid team, the importance of systems and consistency, and the value of human connection.

Pick It Apart

  • [5:45] Adrien explains her intake process and how she has refined it to make sure her clients are committed.

  • [12:03] LuAnn and Adrien discuss the back end of her business and how her team supports all of her business efforts.

  • [17:29] Adrien explains how she pivoted into concierge wellness and established her brand. LuAnn relates that to how many designers come into the industry as a second career.

  • [21:02] Adrien talks about the importance of knowing your numbers in accounting and data, as well as the importance of systems.

  • [26:51] Adrien explains her system for an editorial calendar throughout the year.

  • [30:34] LuAnn tells Adrien how she uses ChatGPT for rough drafts and idea generation, but explains that the human element is still necessary.

  • [39:29] Adrien and LuAnn discuss the value of human connection and how concierge wellness and luxury interior design are both rooted in that connection because you can’t just Google them or use AI for them and get a personalized answer.

  • [45:37] Adrien mentions her master menopause course and walks through how her concierge small groups work.

LuAnn Nigara and Adrien Cotton's Ah-Ha Moments

  • “I'm not a trend and I'm not a fad. I'm not a cleanse, I'm not a diet. I'm a lifestyle.” - Adrien Cotton

  • “If any designer thinks [AI] is replacing the interior design industry, then they're not really fully in touch with what their actual intellectual property is.” – LuAnn Nigara

  • “The human brain thrives on connection with another human being. And so a designer or a wellness expert—we're connecting with someone who's going to trust us to make their life a little bit more beautiful.” – Adrien Cotton

  • “I'm serving them in a way that they can't Google. And I will work just as hard as they do.” – Adrien Cotton

  • “You want to get up every day and live in your ‘why’ and do what you do. Because…when you can do that and make money at it, you can do that and support your family or yourself…then that is the day that you're not working.” – LuAnn Nigara

You can check out this podcast episode here:


The Holistic Interior Design Business Podcast - Collaborating with Local Galleries & Art Dealers with Rebecca Hiller of Madison Gallery - 34 min

If you’re looking for beautiful, unique pieces of art that fit your clients and their spaces perfectly, you might want to consider working with local galleries and art dealers.

In this episode, host Rachel Larraine talks with Rebecca Hiller of Madison Gallery in Solana Beach about how they work with designers and collectors to find the perfect pieces. Rebecca also shares with us how she found her way into the art world and why she loves working with artists.

You can check out this podcast episode here:


Hot Young Designers Club - Squad Goals - 1 hr, 25 min

As a designer, you need to keep a list of tradespeople in your back pocket. In this episode, hosts Rebecca Plumb and Shaun Crha go over what that list should look like.

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss:

  • The joy of being part of the live Hottie Hangouts

  • Receiving a rotten sausage in the mail

  • Going to 2023 Highpoint from Oct 14 to Oct 16 

  • Asking your vendors who their preferred clients are 

  • Feeling icky about charging a referral fee to your contractors 

  • Handy-man versus licensed contractor

  • Shaun’s secret way of finding people 

  • Finding cabinet makers via word of mouth 

  • How hard it is to find someone who does both wood restoration and upholstery

  • What you need to look for in a wallpaper installer 

  • Whether you need a draftsperson or not

  • The benefits to having an attorney in your back pocket

You can check out this podcast episode here:


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