How should you respond to clients when you really don’t want to do the project? How do you set boundaries in your business and train others how to respect them? Should you stop charging a flat rate and start charging by the hour?  In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Kate Lester of Kate Lester Interiors, to discuss:Why Kate quit her six figure job in corporate America to become an interior designerWorking in a home office before you start paying for an office outside the homeAll the things design school failed to teach her How to teach people to respect your boundariesCharging an hourly rate - it is the only way to goWhy you need to run a profit and loss statement at the end of every projectHow Kate was able to buy and store vintage pieces Leaning into your style and who you areA story of how staying true to one’s process leads to better business in the long run
Mentioned: Kate’s website 
 Kate’s Instagram 
 Our links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s Instagram Shaun’s Instagram For more information - Check out the website Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon 


92: A Conversation with Kate Lester

They're not that hot, or that young - but hosts Rebecca Plumb (Studio Plumb) and Shaun Crha (Wrensted Interiors) spill the tea every week on how a new generation of interior designers run their business. Join a community exploring the emotional, practical, and humorous side of the interior design business.

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Self-Improvement

Today’s guest, Ashley Ausland, shares her journey of growing her design business over the last few years while dealing with personal hardships—divorce, cancer, and becoming a single mother of four kids. She discusses the lessons she learned about business management, client relationships, and creating homes with soul and timeless appeal. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Ashley Ausland to discuss:Ashley’s journey of starting her business from her garage with no employees to now having a team of 4Ashley’s struggles and healing process of going through divorce and cancer and learning the importance of boundaries, self-care, and forgivenessGrowing her design projects from small remodels to ground-up constructionsVetting clients carefully by looking for red flags like clients who want to change contractsHow Ashley balances her business with caring for her four kids as a single momAshley’s struggles with delegating design work and maintaining creative control over projectsIncorporating vintage elements and old designs into new homesPreserving historical details in home renovationsFocusing on durability and value over trendsAshley’s billing model and the challenges she faces while time trackingThe challenges designers face with sharing their work and receiving feedback
Mentioned: Ausland Interiors Website: https://www.auslandinteriors.com/  Ashley Ausland on Ig: https://www.instagram.com/auslandinteriors/  Ausland Interiors on Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/auslandinteriors/   
 Our links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s Instagram Shaun’s Instagram For more information - Check out the website Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon  Design Resources - Check out our shop Mentioned in this episode: Moe's Home Collection Moe's just released their new Tailored & Timeless Collection.
Create an accout at https://moeshomecollection.com/hydc

119: A Conversation with Ashley Ausland, How her personal hardship lead to growth

Shaun and Rebecca discuss the issues around designers’ rights to their work. They talk about a recent situation where a company used photos of designer Natalie Myers’s work without her permission and modified the pictures a little with the help of AI. They discuss this issue, how having no rights over the pictures of their work is not fair to designers, and finding a fair solution to this issue. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss:How designers are often overlooked for bringing food and maintaining morale on job sites while photographers profit off photos without the designer’s consentThe unauthorized brand use of photos of a designer’s workThe Natalie Meyer situation where a company used her photos without permissionPhotographer-designer relationships The complexity of photo licensing contracts and how the system favors photographers over designersThe lack of control designers have over photos of their own workHow designers can have more control over their workFinding a fair way for photographers and designers to share rights and paymentsPhotographers can share licensing rights and revenue with designers when companies use photos of their designs
Mentioned: Episode 107: Just Stop Vi: Judgement Day https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-young-designers-club-interior-design-business-podcast/id1505427626?i=1000637922368 Natalie Meyer's IG Post https://www.instagram.com/p/C32pAPzrOzF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh;=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== Ethnik Living's Apology https://www.instagram.com/p/C34kSOztN2I/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh;=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== The movie 'The Congress' with Robin Wright has some parallels to what we're talking about: The Congress - Prime Video 
 
 Our links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s Instagram Shaun’s Instagram For more information - Check out the website Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon  Design Resources - Check out our shop

118: Do Designers Have Rights?

Will Brown of Will Brown Interiors believes that interior design should be more than just aesthetics — it should also support clients’ well-being and energy flow within a space. In this episode, Will shares how he uses ancient Feng Shui principles to help clients optimize the flow of energy in their homes. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Will Brown to discuss:Will’s career transition from corporate graphic design to interior designWill’s experience working at Hallmark and how it influenced his careerHow Will got introduced and certified in Feng Shui principles How Will’s clients receive the idea of Feng Shui Will’s process for integrating Feng Shui into his interior design process and consultationsSome examples of Feng Shui practices that Will suggests for clients Recommendation of Mindful Homes by Anjie Cho as a guide for enhancing the main areas of a homeHow Will tailors his Feng Shui solutions based on a client’s individual needs, interests, and comfort levelWill’s way of helping clients understand and optimize the flow of energy in their homes through Feng ShuiClearing misconceptions about Feng Shui Bringing in an ad hoc team based on project needs and how it helps him stay focused on his role as the creative directorAbout the Midwest Design & Furniture Fair — Date, venue, competitions that are going to happen there, and more!
Mentioned: The Mindful Design Feng Shui School New York: Mindful Design Feng Shui School Will’s website: Will Brown Interiors Will’s Instagram: @willbrowninteriors on Instagram  Using a Bagua Map for your home: How to Use a Bagua Map: Simple Steps for Powerful Change | LoveToKnow Mindful Homes by Anjie Cho: https://amzn.to/3vMEeIN  Midwest Design & Furniture Fair: Midwest Design and Furniture Fair Our links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s Instagram Shaun’s Instagram For more information - Check out the website Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon  Design Resources - Check out our shop Mentioned in this episode: Moe's Home Collection Moe's just released

117: How Will Brown helps clients approach Feng Shui in their homes - Will Brown Interiors

As a designer, do you prefer working on kitchens or bathrooms? Are kitchens and bathrooms worth the effort in terms of payoff? Doing kitchens and bathrooms requires a lot of work but doesn’t always result in big profits. Shaun and Rebecca are here to discuss tips and strategies for making smaller projects like kitchens and bathrooms more profitable. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss:Challenges and benefits of working within the limitations of kitchen and bathroom spacesDifficulty in finding a contractor who only does bathroom or kitchenThe crucial role contractors play in referralsWays to make kitchen and bathrooms more profitable and enjoyableDoing minimum expenditures on kitchen and bathroom to guarantee more revenueNot adding things that you don’t have any markup onHow can designers guarantee more revenue through minimum purchasing requirementsHow some contractors undermine design decisions by suggesting cheaper alternativesImportance of bringing up material purchases early in the project Challenges of photographing home renovation projects that include NDAsCobbled together approach for making money in kitchen designThe risks and rewards of custom cabinetryBuying products directly from manufacturers and selling them without a third-partyValue of offering design-only services for self-managed clients

 Mentioned: Client Purchasing Guide https://shop.hotyoungdesignersclub.com/products/client-purchasing-guide Check out Episode 82 with Linda Hayslett https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hot-young-designers-club-interior-design-business-podcast/id1505427626?i=1000595637345 Patreon Episode - Can kitchens and bathrooms be profitable? https://www.patreon.com/posts/design-to-go-how-99023498?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm;_source=copyLink&utm;_campaign=postshare_creator&utm;_content=join_link 
 Our links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s Instagram Shaun’s Instagram For more information - Check out the website Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon  Design Resources - Check out our shop Mentioned in this episode: Moe's Home Collection Save an extra 10% off your purchase using code HYDC10 at checkout. https://moeshomecollection.com High...

116: Can kitchen and bathrooms be profitable?

Today’s guest, Garrison Hullinger, overcame adversity to build a thriving design business from the ground up. One of his secrets? Establishing the right process that allows for maximum productivity and profit. Garrison discusses his processes — from the structure of his design team to qualifying clients, delegating tasks, establishing design pillars and vision statements for each project, and more. He shows how creativity and profits can thrive with the right planning structures in place. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Garrison Hullinger to discuss:Garrison’s career path and how he got into interior designHow Garrison started his business without technical design skillsHow neighborhood requests turned into his first design projectsThe structure of Garrison’s design team and how the roles are organizedHow Garrison communicates vision and guidance to his design teamWorking during an economic downturn and seeing it as an opportunity for growthThe importance of delivering outcomes and ROIHow Garrison and his team balance creative ideas with practical constraintsGarrison’s process of qualifying prospectsGarrison’s experience breaking into multifamily projectsGarrison’s process for client meetings and project reviewsThe importance of finding collaborators for successful projects
Mentioned: Design Biz Retreat: Design Biz Retreat Garrison on Instagram: Studio Garrison (@studiogarrisoninc) on Instagram Garrison’s website: Garrison Hullinger Interior Design 
 Our links:Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s Instagram Shaun’s Instagram For more information - Check out the website Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon  Design Resources - Check out our shop Mentioned in this episode: Moe's Home Collection Save an extra 10% off your purchase using code HYDC10 at checkout. https://moeshomecollection.com

115: How process leads to profit with Garrison Hullinger - Studio Garrison

Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast

92: A Conversation with Kate Lester

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