The BEST Interior Design Business Podcasts - Episode 234

In today’s installment of interior design business podcasts, we’ve got nine stupendous episodes from hosts Dennis Scully, Laura Thornton, Rebecca Ward, Michelle Lynne, Rhiannon Lee, Marissa Hamling & Courtney Atkinson, LuAnn Nigara, Cheryl Kees Clendenon, Liz Lapan and Renée Biery.

Today’s podcast guests include John Gabbert, Justine Sterling, Kate Lawrence Parker, Emmy Marek and Lesley Myrick.

If you’re new to the Interior DesignHer podcast collection, I can guarantee that you will find something in today’s episodes that will help your interior design firm become even more successful than it already is :)

Today’s Interior Design Podcast Episodes:

• Business of Home Podcast - Dennis Scully - Furniture is nothing like fashion, says Room & Board founder John Gabbert - 59 min

• The Business of Beautiful Spaces - Laura Thornton - Let's Talk about Four Pillars of Building Trust with our Clients - 29 min

• Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - Expert’s Insights to Building a Successful Interior Design Career With Justine Sterling - 46 min

• Designed for the Creative Mind - Michelle Lynne - Dealing with Unexpected Business Challenges - 32 min

• Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - Off the Record: An Instagram Strategy You Get to Eavesdrop On - 54 min

• Interior Designers Unfiltered - Marissa Hamling & Courtney Atkinson - Finding your Design Groove with Kate Lawrence Parker - 47 min

• A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Emmy Marek: Building a Business While Building a Life - 1 hr, 4 min

• Damn Good Interior Design - Cheryl Kees Clendenon and Liz Lapan - The Biggest Marketing Fail - 34 min

• Only Girl on the Jobsite - Renée Biery - Pricing a Project: Best Practices with Lesley Myrick - 1 hr, 15 min

Business of Home - Dennis Scully - Furniture is nothing like fashion, says Room & Board founder John Gabbert - 59 min

John Gabbert grew up in his father’s business—Gabberts, a popular furniture chain in the midwest—but in the late 1970s he split off on his own. The result was Room & Board, a furniture brand focused on modern design; American manufacturing, and a slow-and-steady pace of growth that has paid off over the decades. 

On this episode of the podcast, Gabbert speaks with host Dennis Scully about the business book that became his bible, why he refuses to take private equity money and how he got away from the industry’s obsession with newness. 

The Business of Beautiful Spaces - Laura Thornton - Let's Talk about Four Pillars of Building Trust with our Clients - 29 min

In the world of interior design, clear communication is key. And one of the most effective ways to ensure that everyone is on the same page, quite literally, is through a well-crafted client-facing document. This document serves as a communication tool, a guide, and a contract all rolled into one.

In this episode, host Laura Thornton breaks down what should be included in this document and why it's beneficial for both you and your clients.

Design Curious - Rebecca Ward - Expert’s Insights to Building a Successful Interior Design Career With Justine Sterling - 46 min

In today's episode, host Rebecca Ward talks with Justine Sterling, an industry veteran with over three decades of expertise, about her journey from Cape Town, South Africa, to Boston and all of the exciting adventures she had in between.

She has a myriad of experiences working with larger firms that played a crucial role in shaping her success. She has a lot of wisdom and insights, emphasizing the immense value of working in larger design firms to broaden your horizons and gain a multifaceted understanding of the design industry.

Why you’ve got to check out today’s episode:

• Explore the pivotal role of large design firms in shaping your design career

• Find out how to smoothly transition from commercial to residential design services

• Overcome self-doubt and find the motivation to start your own design firm

Designed for the Creative Mind - Michelle Lynne - Dealing with Unexpected Business Challenges - 32 min

In this episode, I am taking you on a journey through some challenging times in my business this year, and shedding some light on how to face unexpected situations and overcome fear. From a contractor mishap to personal health issues and team betrayals, I am sharing valuable insights that can help you navigate tough seasons in your business.

How you deal with these disappointments is a key indicator to your long term success in business. Having mental fortitude is key. When the unexpected happens, it elicits fear. Our first response may be to run away and hide and say “forget it”. It's okay to feel overwhelmed, stressed, or even want to escape but it’s important to honor your feelings and emotions during these tough times. And it’s okay to rest and take some time to process your emotions if that is what is needed. 

To move through these times you must look back at the excuses you made for yourself or others during difficult situations and take ownership of your role. Acknowledge the reality of the situation and get real about if it is as dire as it initially seems. Realize that the actions of others, such as team members or contractors, are not a reflection of you but rather their own choices.

You can learn from my experience that betrayal and challenging moments in business are rarely about you personally and people often make decisions based on their own self-interest or needs. Don't take it personally; it's about them. Remember that everyone makes mistakes and bad decisions. You can allow yourself to give grace to others, as you would want for yourself.

This podcast episode serves as a reminder that mental fortitude is crucial in business, and how you choose to react to adversity can greatly impact your long-term success. Embrace your emotions, face reality, and keep moving forward with a focus on your business and your well-being.

Designing Success - Rhiannon Lee - Off the Record: An Instagram Strategy You Get to Eavesdrop On - 54 min

This week, host Rhiannon Lee has gone back to her coaching archives and decided to share (with permission) snippets from an anonymous frameworker's 90 minute zoom session. This wasn't all we discussed in her mentor session, however it felt like a hugely beneficial part that could really help others feeling pressure to post and who just need a stripped back and simple strategy to approach consistency on Instagram,  

This mentor session included a pretty universal brand strategy for intentional marketing. 

There are a few little glitches where I've removed names and brands for anonymity but I'm sure you can forgive those for a real fly on the wall experience with coaching. 

Interior Designers Unfiltered - Marissa Hamling & Courtney Atkinson - Finding your Design Groove with Kate Lawrence Parker - 47 min

In today’s episode, hosts Marissa Hamling & Courtney Atkinson sit down with the talented Kate Lawrence Parker, the creative force behind Kate Lawrence Interiors. They delve into Kate's remarkable journey from her early days in designing her own developments to the thriving interior design business she leads today. Kate opens up about the pivotal moments that shaped her career and the inspiration that fuels her design philosophy.

A Well-Designed Business - LuAnn Nigara - Emmy Marek: Building a Business While Building a Life - 1 hr, 4 min

In today‘s episode, host LuAnn Nigara is joined by Emmy Marek of Emmy Couture Designs, an award-winning full-service interior design firm based in Scottsdale, Arizona, and serving clients nationwide.

In 2016, after working for both an architectural design firm and a luxury design-build firm, where she became fluent in creating custom homes, Emmy decided to go into business for herself, opening Emmy Couture when she was only 26 years old.

Since then she has spent her time growing her luxury design firm and growing her family. Now, with two children under the age of five and projects all over the country, Emmy is a study in balance, efficiency, and organization. But she won’t take all the credit. She says it takes having a good team at home and at work is key to making it all happen. Emmy and I are discussing how she manages everything, how she finds time for herself and the relationships that mean the most to her, and why she is driven to do it all.

Pick It Apart

• [2:01] Emmy talks about being a young entrepreneur—starting Emmy Couture when she was only 26 years old and having two children within the next five years.

• [6:22] LuAnn asks Emmy what drives her to want to build this luxury design firm during this season of her life with young kids. 

• [16:29] Emmy speaks about her business growing organically and mainly through referrals, but LuAnn reminds her and everyone listening not to neglect the importance of intentional marketing.

• [20:35] Emmy tells LuAnn about her design philosophy and how it crosses many aesthetics according to her individual client’s tastes.

• [27:32] LuAnn and Emmy discuss the importance of staying organized and the systems Emmy uses in her business, including how she uses Mydoma.

• [33:22] Emmy shares some of the ways she takes care of herself and her relationships.

• [42:05] LuAnn and Emmy discuss the importance of knowing your worth and how that ties into the way you run your business.

LuAnn Nigara and Emmy Marek's Ah-Ha Moments

•  “Your dreams can always happen if you have a good team. So whether your team is inside your business, or your team is at home, it takes both to be successful.” – Emmy Marek

• “You must be intentionally marketing, especially the machine and the empire that you're building. And don't overlook it and don't take it for granted.” – LuAnn Nigara

• “It is a struggle of staying organized and staying on top of things. And so you really have to be in your organized niche—keeping everything on track.” – Emmy Marek

• “There are ways that we can show appreciation and give value and support the people that work for us. Because, by the way, we need them.” – LuAnn Nigara

Damn Good Interior Design - Cheryl Kees Clendenon and Liz Lapan - The Biggest Marketing Fail - 34 min

If you are dissatisfied with your current client base or having issues with clients not trusting the process, consider re-framing your marketing efforts.

In this episode, Cheryl and Liz discuss the importance of how you market your firm in the ways that you probably do not often think about.. When you undervalue your creative skills by “discounting” your services into generic “packages” or “blocks” you inadvertently convey that you're just another commodity. . If you're eager to attract clients who truly value your talent and aren't fixated on , discounts or lowest cost, join us for today's discussion.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• [01:31] Determining the type of client you want to attract and how the discount dynamic hurts you

• [06:03] What is the solution to changing your business image 

• [08:12] The words you use matter, and you get what you ask for, so teach clients your worth

• [15:15] Pricing, budgets, blocks of time are examples of selling time 

• [23:10] What client do you want to serve

• [32:56] Cheryl’s damn good truth for this episode 

Only Girl on the Jobsite - Renée Biery - Pricing a Project: Best Practices with Lesley Myrick - 1 hr, 15 min

In today's episode, host Renée Biery and her friend Lesley Myrick discuss best practices of pricing a project and what it actually looks like to be profitable through margins, hourly, or flat fee rates. 

Lesley shares her experience of participating in a panel at HighPoint, where experts discussed the challenging aspects of pricing interior design and construction management projects. Lesley emphasizes the absence of a one-size-fits-all pricing formula and the importance of finding your perfect approach. She highlights the significance of not only establishing upfront pricing but also analyzing the numbers on the back end to ensure profitability.

Lesley shares essential insights on pricing strategies, including the benefits of educating clients about project duration, the transition from hourly rates to flat fees, and the art of confidently stating your price. She dispels the fear of profit and the reluctance to walk away from unfit clients, stressing the importance of leading the design process and choosing the right projects.