A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast

1085: Best of Show: Shea & Syd McGee: Building a Design Empire Involves a Lot of Hustle


Listen Later

Today With Shea & Syd McGee:

This powerhouse episode from 2016 features the dynamic duo behind one of the most recognized interior design brands today—Shea and Syd McGee of Studio McGee. We’re bringing this gem back because it’s more relevant than ever.

What you’ll learn:

  • How they carved out a distinctive design identity that stood out from the start
  • The early strategic choices that laid the foundation for a now-iconic brand
  • Why transparency and authenticity fueled their rapid online growth
  • How they navigated business roles as a married couple—dividing and conquering with purpose
  • The mindset shifts that transformed obstacles into opportunities

  • LuAnn Nigara, Shea & Syd McGee’s Ah-Ha Moments:

    “Once I decided I wasn’t going to be everything to everyone, my brand started to grow.” — Shea McGee

    “You can’t build a sustainable business if you’re not looking at the financials every single week.” — Syd McGee


    More About Shea & Syd McGee

    Shea McGee is the Chief Creative Officer and Co-Founder of Studio McGee,

    leading the creative direction for all facets within the Studio McGee Inc. portfolio of brands— Studio McGee, the interior design arm, and McGee & Co., the product side. Shea’s path to launching Studio McGee in 2014 began years before when she leM her position at an ad agency in order to manage the remodel of her and her husband Syd’s first California home. Documenting the process on social media, Shea became an early online influencer, quickly attracting a loyal following with her approachable style and ethos.

    The online success led to the launch of her own interior design firm, Studio McGee. The design business experienced rapid growth, paving the way for the launch of their e-commerce brand, McGee & Co., along with a lineup of licensing partnerships and marketing opportunities that amplified their design voice—an autobiography, Make Life Beau+ful, a coffee table book, The Art of Home, a long-running show on Netflix, Dream Home Makeover, and product collaborations with brands like Target, Kohler, Ann Sacks, and Pura.

    Today, Shea is regarded as one of the leading innovators in the interior design industry with her ‘sophisticated but not stuffy’ approach, while maintaining a consistent focus on empowering others to “Make Life Beautiful" by enhancing their daily lives through good design.


    Connect with Shea & Syd McGee

    Studio McGee

    McGee And Co

    Studio McGee Instagram

    McGee And Co Instagram

    YouTube

    The Art Of Home Book


    A Big THANK YOU to Today’s Podcast Sponsor:

    Design Trade Service


    What’s new with LuAnn Nigara

    ⁠⁠The Power Talk Friday Tour⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠http://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠


    Get The Goodies!

    For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠here⁠⁠. To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!


    Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

    Book 1: ⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠

    Audiobook⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠

    Book 2: ⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠

    Book 3: ⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2⁠⁠


    Connect with LuAnn Nigara

    LuAnn’s ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠

    LuAnn’s ⁠⁠Blog⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠Power Talk Friday⁠⁠

    Like Us: ⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠


    Other Resources:

    This podcast supports the ⁠⁠Savvy Giving Design Coalition⁠⁠. Learn more about it ⁠⁠here⁠⁠!

    ⁠⁠AWDB #717 Susan Wintersteen: Interior design firm standards in a nonprofit passion project⁠⁠

    ⁠⁠AWDB #164: Susan Wintersteen- Savvy Giving by Design⁠⁠

    Mydoma Studio – Get 20% off your first three months!


    Other Shows:

    AWDB #1082: What Would Lu Do?: The Big Shift: What’s Changing on A Well-Designed Business and Why

    AWDB #32: Robin Baron – The President of ASID NY Metro Chapter Talks with us about PR and Brand Development

    AWDB #540: Robin Baron: Strategic Thinking on Product Development

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business PodcastBy LuAnn Nigara

    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9
    • 4.9

    4.9

    753 ratings


    More shows like A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

    View all
    How to Decorate by Ballard Designs

    How to Decorate

    823 Listeners

    Business of Design ® | Interior Designers, Decorators, Architects & Landscapers by Kimberley Seldon

    Business of Design ® | Interior Designers, Decorators, Architects & Landscapers

    207 Listeners

    Business of Home Podcast by Business of Home, Dennis Scully

    Business of Home Podcast

    427 Listeners

    Design Biz Survival Guide by Design Biz Survival Guide

    Design Biz Survival Guide

    62 Listeners

    Profit Is A Choice by Michele Williams | Business Coach | Podcaster |Speaker

    Profit Is A Choice

    55 Listeners

    Designed by Wingnut Social | Interior Design Business by Darla Powell

    Designed by Wingnut Social | Interior Design Business

    244 Listeners

    Dear Alice | Interior Design by Alice Lane

    Dear Alice | Interior Design

    1,483 Listeners

    Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast by Hot Young Designers Club

    Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast

    112 Listeners

    Resilient by Design with Rebecca Hay by Rebecca Hay

    Resilient by Design with Rebecca Hay

    41 Listeners

    Trade Tales by Business of Home, Kaitlin Petersen

    Trade Tales

    71 Listeners

    The Interior Collective by IDCO Studio

    The Interior Collective

    285 Listeners

    Designer's Oasis by Kate Bendewald

    Designer's Oasis

    60 Listeners

    Interior Design Business by Terri Taylor

    Interior Design Business

    41 Listeners

    The Interior Design Business CEO by Desi Creswell

    The Interior Design Business CEO

    103 Listeners

    Ideas of Order by California Closets and SURROUND Podcast Network

    Ideas of Order

    130 Listeners