Interior Design Business Podcasts - Episode 231

Today’s collection of the world’s best interior design business podcasts consists of ten episodes from hosts LuAnn Nigara, Jason Lockhart, Maria Martin, and Mirjam Lippuner, Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall, Tobi Fairley, Kate Bendewald, Rebecca Hay and Dennis Scully.

Today’s podcast guests include Vita Vygovska, Charmaine Wynter, Fred Nicolaus and Christi Barbour.

So much good advice for leveling up your interior design business.

• Window Treatments for Profit - LuAnn Nigara - Vita’s Tip in 10 with Vita Vygovska: Why Is Gross Margin So Important - 16 min

• Designer Discussions - Jason Lockhart, Maria Martin, and Mirjam Lippuner - Up Close and Personal Chatting with Charmaine Takeover - 51 min

• Dear Alice - Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall - 5 Things I wish I knew when I was 20 - 48 min

• The Design You Podcast - Tobi Fairley - Ditch Overwhelm with the Start, Stop, Continue Method - 38 min

• Designer’s Oasis - Kate Bendewald - 3 Commitments You Need to Make to Build a Profitable Interior Design Business - 55 min

• Resilient by Design - Rebecca Hay - Managing inconsistent income as a business owner - 26 min

• Business of Home Podcast - Dennis Scully - The Thursday Show: High Point puts an interior designer in the the top spot. Plus: A design media shakeup and more - 52 min

Window Treatments for Profit - LuAnn Nigara - Vita’s Tip in 10 with Vita Vygovska: Why Is Gross Margin So Important - 16 min

This episode is all about the importance of gross margin for window treatment businesses. Host Vita Vygovska explains what gross margin is, how to calculate it, and why it matters for profitability and growth. She also gives some tips on how to improve gross margin by adjusting prices or costs.

Vita's Ah-Ha Moments:

• “The main reason for running a business is to be as profitable as possible. That’s the endgame.” -Vita

• “For every $10 in revenue, $6 is allocated to operating the business.” -Vita

• “The higher your gross margin, the better your business’s likelihood not just to survive - it allows it to thrive.” -Vita

Designer Discussions - Jason Lockhart, Maria Martin, and Mirjam Lippuner - Up Close and Personal Chatting with Charmaine Takeover - 51 min

As they celebrate our 100th episode, hosts Jason Lockhart, Maria Martin, and Mirjam Lippuner turn over the hosting duties to Charmaine Wynter of Chatting with Charmaine and charmainewynter.com. In this episode Charmaine gets up close and personal with the three host (Jason, Maria and Mirjam), along with discussing what's next for the Designer Discussions Podcast.

Dear Alice - Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall - Dear Alice - Jessica Bennett and Suzanne Hall - 5 Things I wish I knew when I was 20 - 48 min

Host Suzanne Hall saw this great Instagram post from Lewis Howes that said “Advice from 40 year old me to 20 year old me: 5 things I wish I knew when I was 20.”

This is a really good conversation to just talk with someone you’re close to or a teenager in your orbit that maybe doesn’t hear this from their parents, but are able to hear from someone they’re close to or look up to. This is also just a really great question to go and ask your peers, or the people around you and we hope you can enjoy our takes on this episode today.

• Advice from 40 year old me to 20 year old me 9:40

• I wish I started sooner 12:25

• Believe we can do anything 17:00

• You don’t need to be right to know everything 24:40

• Don’t compare yourself to anyone 27:55

• Be consistent with everyone 30:30

• Drive beats talent 35:40

• Sometimes seemingly insignificant things can turn into great things 42:00

• Nobody has it figured out 44:30

“‘I will tell you right now, Tom Brady is not the fastest. He is not the strongest. He just has a champion’s mindset.’ I think to the point of pursue your dreams, right? Drive beats talent. It’s a mindset, you guys. It really is.” 21:18

The Design You Podcast - Tobi Fairley - Ditch Overwhelm with the Start, Stop, Continue Method - 38 min

Productivity culture can quickly spiral into overwhelm, telling us to go, go, go, finish what we started, and let our to-do lists run our lives. Implementing the "start, stop, continue" method can help you find the balance you need to run a sustainable business that will serve you in 2024.

Now is the time to get clear on what you want so overwhelm doesn't follow you into 2024. Tune in this week to discover a practical exercise for deciding what you want to start doing, stop doing, and continue doing for the future of your business.

Designer’s Oasis - Kate Bendewald - 3 Commitments You Need to Make to Build a Profitable Interior Design Business - 55 min

Building an interior design business that is profitable takes hard work but it is figure-outable.

Today's episode is all the 3 commitments that you need to make to build your interior design business in a way that is profitable without setting yourself up for burnout and taking on too much to get there. In this episode, we turn the tables, and Katie Gutierrez, from Biographical Design interviews podcast host Kate Bendewald! Here’s a glance at this episode…

• They discuss overcoming financial struggles in a business partnership.

• They share our experiences with pivoting a design business from feeling overwhelmed to thriving.

• They dive into how to create profitability and creativity in your business.

• They touch on how to manage time, finances and marketing as a creative business owner.

• They share how to track metrics and which types of metrics you should be tracking, including project profitability and costs.

Resilient by Design - Rebecca Hay - Managing inconsistent income as a business owner - 26 min

If you've ever felt anxiety over the inconsistent cash flow of your interior design business then this is the episode for you!

Today, host Rebecca Hay is sharing some personal experiences along with 7 actionable tips to help you feel safe and secure in running a business with an unpredictable income. Listen to hear ideas on separate accounts, emergency funds, paying your own salary, and more.

Moral of the story: Don't be afraid of the peaks and valleys, prepare for them!

Business of Home Podcast - Dennis Scully - The Thursday Show: High Point puts an interior designer in the the top spot. Plus: A design media shakeup and more - 52 min

BOH executive editor Fred Nicolaus joins host Dennis Scully to discuss the biggest news in the design industry,including a design media shake-up, an update on the Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams bankruptcy, and a look at Gwenyth Paltrow’s new experiment in Hospitality. Later, Christi Barbour, the High Point Market Authority's first interior designer board chair, shares her thoughts on an evolving market.