The BEST Interior Design Business Podcasts - Episode 210

In today’s installment of interior design business podcasts, we’ve got seven great episodes from hosts Dennis Scully, Renée Biery, Rebecca Ward, LuAnn Nigara, Rhiannon Lee, Kimberley Seldon, Gail Doby and Erin Weir.

Today’s podcast guests include Lisa Montague, Marilyn Watson-LaVergne, Hilaire Martin and Drue Lawlor.

Enjoy :)

• Business of Home - Dennis Scully - Sanderson's CEO is bringing the secrets of the LVMH to home - 55 min

• Only Girl on the Jobsite - Renée Biery - Elevating Lighting to Transform Projects - A Designer’s Superpower - 29 min

• Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - 5 FAQs About the Interior Design Career - 15 min

• A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Marilyn Watson-LaVergne: Clients Don’t Buy What We Do, They Buy What We Believe - 56 min

• Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - If I had $2000 to invest in starting my business again, here's what I would spend it on. - 43 min

• Business of Design - Kimberley Seldon - The Office Manager with Hilaire Martin - 39 min

• Creative Genius Podcast - Gail Doby and Erin Weir - Are You Willing to Grow Your Business? (Drue Lawlor) - 42 min min

Business of Home - Dennis Scully - Sanderson's CEO is bringing the secrets of the LVMH playbook to home - 55 min

Lisa Montague is the CEO of Sanderson, the design group that includes Zoffany, Morris and Co, and Clark and Clark, but her own background is not in home but in luxury fashion. Montague spent her early career at Mulberry and then at the LVMH-owned Spanish brand Loewe, acquiring a reputation as a specialist in breathing new life into heritage companies.  

On this episode of the podcast, she speaks with host Dennis Scully about the secrets of the LVMH playbook, a surprising collaboration with Disney, and why the slow pace of the home industry can sometimes be a good thing. 

Only Girl On The Jobsite - Elevating Lighting to Transform Projects - A Designer’s Superpower - 29 min

Host Renée Biery has been talking about interior designers’ superpowers on job sites, and today, she wants to talk about a really practical one and why it is critical for you to be involved in your projects very early on, long before you’re specifying the decorative items. Today, we’re going to dive into the topic of lighting. Find out how to elevate the lighting in your clients’ homes to transform their space and quality of life.

Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - 5 FAQs About the Interior Design Career - 15 min

Is traditional schooling required to become an interior designer? This is a question host Rebecca Ward is often asked.

In today’s episode, Rebecca is answering that question with clarity and inspiration, along with the other frequently asked questions she get from her listeners.

And if you've ever pondered the difference between an interior designer and a decorator, she also delves into the nuances that differentiate the two roles. Explore the unique strengths of each role and find out which one aligns with your strengths and ambitions.

Whether you're fresh out of high school or embarking on a second career and are troubled by questions about the Interior Design Career, this episode is a guide to making informed choices that lead you toward success.

A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Marilyn Watson-LaVergne: Clients Don’t Buy What We Do, They Buy What We Believe - 56 min

In today’s episode, host LuAnn Nigara is joined by Marilyn Watson-LaVergne. In her first career, Marilyn worked in marketing and public relations in New York City, witnessing the progression of branding for products and creative services, including interior design. Now a seasoned designer and owner of Marilyn LaVergne Interiors, Marilyn is teaching us that we can’t be all the things to all the people—and what to do instead. It all starts with identifying what you believe and finding your point of differentiation, because clients don’t buy what we do. They buy what we believe.

Pick It Apart

• [4:50] Marilyn explains the nuances and expertise that go into interior design.

• [10:11] Marilyn talks about how she became passionate about design and transitioned out of marketing to become a designer.

• [14:39] LuAnn and Marilyn discuss the impact a designer can have on their clients’ homes and lives, and what opportunities will bring the best outcomes.

• [21:01] Marilyn suggests once you find your “only,” narrow your focus and seek customers who need that specific trait.

• [27:35] Marilyn emphasizes that designers are not a commodity.

• [39:00] Marilyn and LuAnn discuss the challenges of working in a creative industry, but understanding that what you offer will solve a problem or create an opportunity for your clients will benefit you both.

LuAnn Nigara and Marilyn Watson-LaVergne's Ah-Ha Moments

• “Clients don’t buy what we do, they buy what we believe.” – Marilyn Watson-LaVergne (quoting Simon Sinek)

• “You have a specialized service [as a] designer. That means you have a specialized client.” – Marilyn Watson-LaVergne

• “If we mean everything to everybody, then we actually mean nothing to anybody.” - Marilyn Watson-LaVergne

• “You have something. You may not see it. And it might be because it's so close to what you do that you don’t realize how valuable it is.” – LuAnn Nigara

• “You have to know that what you're offering is a solution to a really big problem or you're capturing an opportunity. But either way, you are leaving your client in a better position than they were before the two of you met.” - Marilyn Watson-LaVergne

Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - If I had $2000 to invest in starting my business again, here's what I would spend it on. - 43 min

Have you ever dreamt about a do-over with your business? In today’s episode, that's exactly what host Rhiannon Lee is doing, with five years insights and the blessing of hindsight (not to mention the advancement of tools and technology already!) She’s going back to the basics and telling you exactly where she would invest my money from the beginning to get the foundations right the first time.

Business of Design - Kimberley Seldon - The Office Manager with Hilaire Martin - 39 min

So many design professionals dream of hiring an office manager to, well, manage the office day-to-day. What’s that like? What are the benefits and challenges of adding this person to your team? What should you pay for the service? Should this person be a designer? In this episode, non-designer Hilaire Martin, answers all these questions and more.

In this episode we learn:

• what’s the difference between a COO and an Office Manager

• what size firm would benefit from an office manager

• be honest with yourself, it’s OK if your current process isn't working

• map out your internal process, especially the client facing side of your business

• good motivation vs. bad motivation for hiring an office manager

• start small and identify one area you want to improve

• define what you want to accomplish for that one area

• celebrate the small and big wins

Creative Genius Podcast - Gail Doby and Erin Weir - Are You Willing to Grow Your Business? (Drue Lawlor) - 42 min

Every owner wants their business to be a success. But not every owner is willing to do the work and make the changes necessary to achieve that success. That includes making changes in one’s mindset and being open to new ways of thinking and doing things. A coach can help. They can motivate, challenge and guide you. They also will support you and join you in celebrating your achievements.

In this podcast, host Erin Weir talks with Drue Lawlor. A long-time interior design business owner, Drue, like Gail and Erin, pivoted some years ago to training interior designers to be better at operating their businesses. Later, she joined Gail Doby Coaching & Consulting, now Pearl Collective, as a coach and contributor to the weekly email newsletter. She also has a long history of volunteering with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) at the local and national level. She is the co-author, along with Michael Thomas, of Residential Design for Aging in Place.

Drue started out her interior design career working with her mentor. It wasn’t until later, when her mentor retired, that she went into business for herself. She soon realized that, while her mentor taught her much about design, she didn’t teach her anything about the business side of running a design firm. She’s had a calling ever since to convey to other designers the importance of having business knowledge.

“I tell them,” said Drue, “you either need to find a partner who is very good at business or learn it yourself. Or you’ll go out of business.”

One of her favorite things to talk about with designers she coaches is changing their attitude toward marketing. “It’s always surprising to me that people do not like marketing,” she said.”They look at it as if it were some terrible roadblock.” Her approach is to get them to see that they can tap into their strengths and get really creative with their marketing.

Another area that Drue likes to work on with her coaching clients is team building. For her, it starts with knowing what your values are and what the culture of your firm is. Then you build a team to fit that. “You can train for skills,” Drue advised, “but hire for attitude.”

Erin and Drue talked a lot about the value of working with a coach and what it’s like to work with a coach. Before ending their conversation, Erin asked Drue what advice she had for someone thinking about working with a coach. Drue posed three questions:

• Are you willing to grow your business and do what it takes to get where you want to be?

• Are you coachable? Are you willing to give up trying to do it all yourself?

• Can you feel that you’re worthy—of investing in a coach, of finding the value in what you have to offer clients?