The BEST Interior Design Business Podcasts - Episode 205

Residential interior design is an industry dominated by solo & micro-team entrepreneurs. What separates the successful design firms from their struggling cousins is almost never their design skills…it’s the business side of their business.

In today’s installment of interior design business podcasts, we’ve got some great episodes from hosts Emily Janzen McGrath, Renée Biery, Rebecca Ward, LuAnn Nigara, Beth Bieske and Rhiannon Lee.

Today’s podcast guests include Donna Dube, DeAnna Mackensen, Maria Leigh Palantino and Jennifer Crawford. Enjoy :)

• Business Building By Design - Emily Janzen McGrath - The CEO’s Game Plan: 6 Habits to Dominate Your Week and Supercharge Your Business with Donna Dube - 45 min

• Only Girl on the Jobsite - Renée Biery - The checklists you need in your design business - 25 min

• Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - From Desk Job to Dream Job: DeAnna Mackensen's Interior Design Journey - 27 min

• A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Maria Leigh Palantino: Giving Yourself Permission to Launch an Interior Design Business - 58 min

• Design Dialogues - Beth Bieske - A Dialogue with Jennifer Crawford - 1 hr, 3 min

• Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - Chaos, Kids & Content: A Survival Guide - 31 min

Business Building By Design - Emily Janzen McGrath - The CEO’s Game Plan: 6 Habits to Dominate Your Week and Supercharge Your Business with Donna Dube - 45 min

What is my greatest asset as a business owner and how do I leverage that? How do I as the CEO of my small business get out of the day to day operations and have time for CEO level work???

Host Emily Janzen McGrath chats with Donna Dube as she helps us with the 6 Habits to success

Only Girl On The Jobsite - Renée Biery - The checklists you need in your design business - 25 min

Vetting potential calls, explaining yourself and the work we do, and the value we bring to each project over and over can lead to overwhelm and be exhausting!

It is normal to experience overwhelm, stress, and anxiety when we are being questioned about our value and our services. But I don’t want you to shy away from it or ignore it.

In today's episode, host Renée Biery shares how you can stand firm, lean into your strengths, and explain your services and your value, and why their project would be better served and elevated to a custom level they are seeking by having you be a part of the project.

Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - From Desk Job to Dream Job: DeAnna Mackensen's Interior Design Journey - 27 min

In today's episode, host Rebecca Ward talks with my dear friend DeAnna Mackensen, a retired interior designer in Northern California. She shares her creative journey that started with her innate love for creativity and making things.

She also shares her experience of learning from others and how it has shaped her career as an interior designer. She emphasizes the value of gaining knowledge and skills from different sources, whether it be through formal education or personal interactions.

She also raised one common misconception about interior design and the importance of being compensated for the work of an interior designer.

Deanna's story is a testament to the fact that it's never too late to follow your passion and embark on a creative career. She didn't start off as an interior designer but found her true calling later in life.

If you are looking for career inspiration, tune in and get inspired and motivated to pursue your creative career.

A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Maria Leigh Palantino: Giving Yourself Permission to Launch an Interior Design Business - 58 min

In today’s episode, host LuAnn Nigara is joined Maria Leigh Palantino. Maria came into the interior design industry as her second career. She started a career in fashion design then pivoted, and brought with her many skills from her fashion career that guide her philosophies, design style, and the way she cultivates a memorable experience for her clients. 

For Maria, it wasn’t just about being scared to take the plunge to start a new career. The real challenge was giving herself permission to leave behind not just her expertise but something she had worked so hard for and trust herself to build something new. Today, she’s sharing how she overcame that challenge and created a thriving interior design business.

Pick It Apart

• [4:43] Maria shares how she decided it was time to take the leap to become an interior designer.

• [9:30] Maria and LuAnn discuss how hard it can be to give yourself permission to change careers.

• [24:46] Maria discusses how delegating early in her business created value and allowed her to reach greater heights.

• [33:41] Maria shares how she weaves her fashion design experience into her interior design business.

LuAnn Nigara and Maria Palantino's Ah-Ha Moments

• “The path and life which you're presented with or the career path or the profession that you dedicate your life to, isn't always where you will end up, and that's okay. In the end, it truly will work out—whatever your passion is.” -Maria

• “It does seem like a significant process to actually ultimately give yourself permission to walk away from one race to another.” -LuAnn

Design Dialogues - Beth Bieske - A Dialogue with Jennifer Crawford - 1 hr, 3 min

In this episode of the Design Dialogues podcast, host Beth Bieske interviews Jennifer Crawford.  

Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - Chaos, Kids & Content: A Survival Guide - 31 min

Today's episode is a lifeline for anyone trying to balance work and home life during the school holidays. Let’s get into six practical ways to keep your content rolling even when the house is, well, a madhouse.

Host Rhiannon Lee is covering everything from Educational Carousels on Canva to making the most out of B-Roll footage on your phone. Whether you're struggling to find a quiet moment or have no kids and are just looking for fresh content ideas, this episode is packed with actionable tips. Don’t let the chaos win—tune in and find out how you can keep your creative juices flowing!