2 cent/sqft

Cara McIntire is an Interior Designer and SCAD Alumni with a background in Workplace Design, she has worked at several design firms in Atlanta before making the move to ShawContract as the lead Interior Design Specialist for their new StudioOne Department. She was able to work with key stakeholders within Shaw to build a new department and service at Shaw with the main goal of helping designers get time back in their workday. 

This is an episode that explores what it's like to build your own opportunity. Cara talks us through how this happened. The highs and the lows from being furloughed to moving into a contract position with ShawContract to building a department where she gets to help designers and end users with a portion of their design needs.  We also go into what some of those challenges are when you are doing something new. How you might feel, what other people might think - It all plays into how you can effectively do your job. 

If you would like to learn more about what she does and how her team can help you on your project please visit ShawContract online, or click on the link below.
https://www.shawcontract.com/en-US/Design/StudioOne

Episode Support: We would like to thank Shaw Contract for letting us host from their space. We encourage everyone to swing by the showroom and check it out for yourself, or make sure to use their new service FloorDash by creating an account at ShawContract and selecting FloorDash at checkout. It's a great service that can help you out in a pinch or if you need something ASAP. Make sure you reach out to your ShawContract rep or check out their website to see how they can help you.  Check out their website or reach out to see how they can help you.

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Caitlin Matonak is a Project Manager at May Architecture. She is a Registered Interior Designer and SCAD alumna with an immense passion for Healthcare Design. She is also the 2022-2023 GAIPD President. This week, we sat down with Caitlin to get some insight on the steps to becoming registered as an interior designer and why it's important. We also heard from her about her work as the  2022-2023 GAIDP President. This organization is meaningful to Interior Designers in Georgia, because they watch for legislation that could impact a designer’s professional status. 

This is an episode that will help you  explain what designers do and why it's important to all the people out there that think we just pick paint colors and fluff pillows.

If you would like to join GAIDP or learn more about what they do and how you can get involved please visit their website
https://gaidp.org/
Episode Support: We would like to thank Steelcase for letting us host from their inspiring space. We encourage everyone to swing by the showroom and check it out for yourself. Make sure you reach out to your Steelcase rep or check out their website to see how they can help you.  Check out their website or reach out to see how they can help you.

https://www.steelcase.com/

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Ashton McFarlane is an Associate Project Manager at CBRE here in the Atlanta area. She is a graduate of the UGA Interior Design program and spent 4 years at Hendrick before she made the switch to CBRE. She has worked on several projects, including the recently completed Novelis HQ project, managing them through a successful  design and construction process. I can tell you from personal experience that she is a wonderful person to partner with.

We got a chance to talk about the importance of finding your people, or "crafting your crew" as we are calling it. Being able to have people both personally and professionally to champion for you and bounce ideas off will help you more than you know. This conversation is a look at how you can find those people, curate those relationships and the importance of opening up so that you don't leave it all inside and blow up when you don't mean to.

Episode Support: We would like to thank Tarkett for letting us host from their showroom. We encourage everyone to swing by the showroom and see the great products they offer. Make sure you reach out to your Tarkett rep so they can help you with your flooring needs. Check out their website or reach out to see how they can help you.

https://commercial.tarkett.com/en_US/

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Brian Parker is a Principal over the Interiors group at Cooper Carry here in Atlanta, Georgia. He has been in the industry for 20 plus years, so he has some great stories and insight to share.  Some of the notable projects he has worked on include the Porsche Experience Center out in Los Angeles, Encore & The Interlock, and Coca-Cola TEC Research Tower. 
Pitching is a skill that we would encourage everyone to hone. It doesn't matter if you're right out of school or 25 years into the industry, you can always learn something. One of the biggest things that I took away from our chat with Brian was how important it is to learn to pivot and be fluid.
Episode Support: We would like to Office Images for letting us host from their showroom. We encourage everyone to swing by the showroom and see the great space they have created. Check out their website or reach out to see how they can help you.
https://www.officeimagesinc.com/

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Amanda Miller is a top notch Interior Designer that has been practicing for a little over 10 years here in the Atlanta area. She has some great projects under her belt that include the Atlanta Regional Commission Office and Humble Pie. She is also a registered interior designer and is certified for WELL AP.  All in all, she's a busy girl.

Looking at design is a big topic, so, we wanted to break it down in manageable chunks. We start our conversation with Amanda Miller, and get sense of how she starts a project. Its important to know that no matter the project, there is process, and each persons process is different when you look at a blank page to start. Amanda gives us her 2 cents on how she develops concepts that will resonate with her clients.

Episode Support: We want to thank OFS, here in Atlanta, for letting us setup and do a podcast live during the annual #ATLCON. If you haven't been by the showroom lately we encourage you to go by. They just got some new furniture in that looks amazing. Also, to all of our designers out there that want a change of scenery and would like to be inspired while they are working, you should consider having a workday from the OFS showroom.

https://ofs.com/

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Happy New Year!  We are kicking off our second season with a discussion around a New Years resolution that a lot of professionals struggle with - Work/Life Balance. We will look at what it means and how it affects us, ways that it changes, and some tips on how to make sure your balance is right for you.

Episode Support: We want to thank Main Solutions in Atlanta for letting us use their lovely space, and encourage you to schedule a visit.  You can also check out their wonderful product lines   -  Carnegie ; Davis ; Division Twelve ; Enwork ; Falcon ; Halcon ; HBF ; HBF Textiles ; Keilhauer ; KFI Studios ; Kirei ; Leland ; Potocco ; Thonet
https://www.mainsolutionsllc.com/

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

In our last episode of this season, we tackle some of the areas of stress that we've encountered in the contract interiors industry.  We also talk a bit about what we each do to try to reenergize ourselves, which leads to a great conversation about NeoCon -- what it is, and why it is at once exhausting and thrilling!  With Neocon just around the corner, it's a great way to get a little taste of what the show is like if you haven't been!

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Trey Champion has had not one but two careers in the creative field. Starting out  in the preforming arts arena and then transitioning to the construction and design field, and it was defiantly different going back to school the second time, but we will let him fill you in. Trey has made his way through the design field as a designer in two different firms where he was able to to learn the ropes and had some great mentors, that helped him along the way. Once he realized that for him the process needed to changes he shifted into rep life where he has been ever since. We were excited and fortunate to talk with Trey about his newest transition to Patcraft, and here his take on what an awesome experience the interview and hiring process was. Throughout our conversation with Trey we talk about great life lessons that I think everyone can take something away from. We hope you enjoy Trey Champion's 2cents

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Ronnie Belizaire has had an amazing career thus far that has took her from the conventional path of I need to be a doctor, to the more creative path as she discovered Interior Design. Ronnie has had the opportunity to and drive to help those in need by offering her services up as an Interior Designer when she helped in the Haiti relief effort, and the stories she has from that experience are humbling and would forever hold a special place in her heart. 
Ronnie was able to take her career to different levels by being practical and true to herself in her journey and has had roles in design, management, furniture, facilities, and is now a thriving VP at JLL. We hope you enjoy Ronnie Belizaire's 2cents.

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.

Ronnie Belizaire has had an amazing career thus far that has took her from the conventional path of I need to be a doctor, to the more creative path as she discovered Interior Design. Ronnie has had the opportunity to and drive to help those in need by offering her services up as an Interior Designer when she helped in the Haiti relief effort, and the stories she has from that experience are humbling and would forever hold a special place in her heart. 
Ronnie was able to take her career to different levels by being practical and true to herself in her journey and has had roles in design, management, furniture, facilities, and is now a thriving VP at JLL. We hope you enjoy Ronnie Belizaire's 2cents.

We hope you got your 2 cents worth!
Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.