Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast

Are you taking on more liability in your interior design business than you realize? This week, Rebecca and Shaun are diving into the sometimes confusing world of project management, construction coordination, and business compliance. After hearing about an interior designer facing a workers' compensation audit for potentially operating like a general contractor, they're asking some important questions about where an interior designer's responsibilities should end and how to protect your business from costly mistakes.

But it's not all insurance audits and legal headaches! They're also talking about hiring employees versus independent contractors, outsourcing the parts of your business you don't love, and building a design team that actually understands your creative vision. Plus, they're sharing practical insights on business lines of credit, cash flow management, and why growing your interior design firm doesn't have to mean giving up the creative work that brings you joy. Whether you're a solo designer or growing your studio, this episode is a reminder that running a profitable interior design business means making intentional decisions about your time, your team, and your risks.

In this episode they discuss:

• The difference between interior design project management, design intent management, and construction management—and why defining your scope of work matters.
• How acting like a general contractor could expose interior designers to workers' compensation audits, insurance requirements, and unexpected financial penalties.
• The risks of misclassifying independent contractors as employees, plus why hiring an HR consultant can help keep your design business compliant.
• How Programa simplifies construction documentation, FF&E schedules, and communication with contractors to keep interior design projects organized.
• Deciding which responsibilities to outsource and which creative tasks to keep as your interior design business grows.
• Building an interior design team that understands your studio's values, design philosophy, and approach to client experience.
• Navigating the hiring process, delegating responsibilities, and learning to trust other designers to make decisions without giving up creative control.
• How business lines of credit, credit cards, and strategic cash flow management can support growth and hiring in your interior design firm.

Mentioned:

• High Point Market – The furniture and design industry market where Rebecca and Shaun are speaking on panels.
• Norwalk Furniture – Rebecca's High Point Market panel location.
• Hooker Furnishings – Shaun's High Point Market panel location.
• Hotties on Holiday: Mexico City – Learn more about the March 2027 group trip for interior designers.
• Hot Young Designers Club Blog – Submit your interior design projects for a designer feature and potential SEO-building press exposure.
• Yond Interiors – Julia Miller's interior design studio, mentioned in the conversation about creative roles and business management.
• Gusto – Payroll and HR software discussed for managing employees and payroll taxes.

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

Sponsors:

Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc. Use code HYDC25 to save 25% on an annual plan.

Vintage furniture brings character, personality, and soul to a space, but incorporating it into your interior design business comes with its own set of challenges. From sourcing one-of-a-kind pieces to navigating shipping disasters, pricing antiques, and managing client expectations, there's a lot more to selling vintage than finding a beautiful treasure. In this episode, Shaun and Rebecca welcome Heather Peterson, founder and principal designer of Minneapolis-based Heather Peterson Design, to discuss her approach to vintage sourcing, transparent pricing, and creating a client experience built on trust.

Heather shares how her background in advertising and art curation influences her eclectic, color-filled interiors and how years of hard-earned lessons have shaped her interior design business processes. From creating client education guides and navigating furniture receiving to styling photo shoots, investing in PR, and building a strong design team, this conversation is packed with practical advice for interior designers looking to streamline their operations and grow a more profitable, sustainable business. Plus, Heather shares why developing a recognizable design point of view can attract better-aligned clients and why building a successful design business doesn't always mean building a bigger one.

In this episode they discuss:

• How to source, price, and sell vintage furniture and antiques while educating clients on the true value of secondhand pieces beyond potential cost savings
• Heather's transparent pricing strategy, including her 35% markup on furnishings and materials and 20% markup on labor, reupholstery, and workroom services
• Creating "What to Expect" client guides for vintage purchases, receiving and shipping, installations, and photo shoots to prevent surprises and build client trust
• Managing vintage furniture restoration, freight complications, unexpected damages, and the realities of furniture receiving and procurement
• How professional interior design photography, intentional styling, and developing a recognizable aesthetic can help attract ideal clients and increase opportunities for publication
• Heather's strategy for sourcing and selling styling accessories during installations without pressuring clients to purchase everything
• Building better interior design business systems, delegating responsibilities, working with a business coach, and investing in public relations to grow your studio
• Why designers should define success on their own terms, embrace different seasons of business ownership, and prioritize sustainable growth over simply getting bigger

Mentioned:

• Heather Peterson Design - Website
• Heather Peterson Design - Instagram
• Heather Peterson Design - Press and Publications

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

Sponsors:

Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc. Use code HYDC25 to save 25% on an annual plan.

What does it look like to build an interior design business where creativity—not just revenue—is the driving force? Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Julia Miller, founder and creative director of Yond Interiors, to talk about protecting the creative vision of a project from the first client inquiry all the way through installation, styling, and photography.

Julia shares how Yond has built a process that allows the team to execute large-scale interior design projects across the country while delivering a high-touch client experience. They get into choosing aligned clients, setting expectations with contractors, preserving design intent, taking on private and NDA projects, and why Julia would rather turn down a lucrative project than sacrifice creative freedom. Plus, Julia explains how she has shaped her role as creative director, why she took styling back in-house, and how The Studio Table is helping other interior designers learn the systems behind Yond’s work.

In this episode they discuss:

• How Julia built Yond Interiors around creativity, strong processes, and doing their best work on every project
• Why Julia sees Yond as the “guardian of the design” and how the team protects design intent through construction and installation
• Creating a high-touch luxury interior design experience by solving problems behind the scenes instead of handing them back to the client
• How Yond evaluates potential clients, projects, contractors, timelines, and creative opportunities before saying yes
• The complicated business and marketing decisions behind NDA projects, private clients, and projects that can’t be photographed or published
• Why creative freedom is a bigger motivator for Julia than money—and why not every well-paying project is the right project
• How Julia defines her role as creative director, collaborates with her design team, and stays involved without needing to control every decision
• Why Julia brought interior styling in-house and how styling and photography have become an essential part of Yond’s creative process and brand

Mentioned:

• Yond Interiors - https://www.yondinteriors.com/
• The Studio Table - https://www.thestudiotable.co/
• Brunel - https://shopbrunel.com/
• Yond Cottage - https://www.yondinteriors.com/projects/yondcottage
• Brunel Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shopbrunel/

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

Sponsors:

Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc. Use code HYDC25 to save 25% on an annual plan.

What if your interior design project tracker could tell you when you actually have capacity for your next client—and forecast the revenue coming with it? This week, Shaun and Rebecca are talking about owning your accomplishments, getting more intentional about the projects you want to attract, and using technology to make running an interior design business a whole lot easier.

Then Shaun shares an interactive project management and capacity dashboard he built with ChatGPT, starting with the idea of a simple spreadsheet and turning it into a custom tool for tracking project phases, scheduling, payments, cash flow, and future studio capacity. They walk through what it can already do, what they’d add next, and why tools like this could completely change how interior designers plan proposals, manage their pipeline, and make business decisions.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why interior designers need to stop downplaying their accomplishments when talking about their businesses
• How confidently explaining the type of design work you want can help attract better-fit interior design clients
• Reframing lead qualification around the projects your studio actually has capacity for instead of simply telling prospects they don’t meet your minimums
• Creating a referral network of other interior designers for leads that aren’t the right fit for your firm
• Why understanding your project pipeline and studio capacity makes it easier to know when you can take on new interior design projects
• How Shaun used ChatGPT to turn a basic spreadsheet concept into an interactive project management and capacity dashboard
• Tracking project phases, payment milestones, design fees, procurement revenue, project coordination, installation fees, and cash flow projections in one place
• How AI-powered tools could help interior designers build custom business systems without knowing how to code

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

Sponsors:

Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc. Use code HYDC25 to save 25% on an annual plan.

Shaun and Rebecca are getting real about the messy overlap between interior design, construction project management, and everything clients assume is included in “project management.” After catching up on home renovations, home office frustrations, and the never-ending search for furniture that actually functions, they dig into how Rebecca is refining her discovery calls to better qualify potential interior design clients and uncover what they really want from their homes.

Then, they tackle a bigger question for interior designers working on construction projects: Are we actually managing the construction, or are we managing the design intent? They talk through contractor responsibilities, client expectations, liability, job site walkthroughs, and why designers need much clearer language around what project management does—and does not—include. They also explore whether construction milestone meetings could become a defined, systematized, and profitable part of an interior designer’s scope of work.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why today’s home office furniture still isn’t meeting the way people actually work from home
• How thoughtful discovery call questions can uncover a client’s priorities, design style, budget expectations, and readiness to hire an interior designer
• Why asking potential clients what they want their new home to give them can reveal the real problem they’re trying to solve
• The difference between construction project management and managing the designer’s design intent
• Why interior designers need to clearly define what “project management” means in their proposals and contracts
• How contractor communication, scheduling, and client expectations can create gaps that designers often end up filling
• Why defining milestone walkthroughs for framing, plumbing, electrical, tile, and other construction phases could protect the design and clarify the designer’s role
• How systematizing and pricing construction site visits could turn an often-unpaid responsibility into a more intentional revenue stream

Mentioned:

• EP160: Renée Biery, “The Only Girl on the Job Site”
• EP90: A Conversation with Rachel Moriarty

Sponsors:

• Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

Sponsors:

Hot Young Designers Club is brought to you by Programa. Learn more at programahq.link/hydc. Use code HYDC25 to save 25% on an annual plan.

What can Costco hot dogs and Hermès handbags teach interior designers about running a high-end design business? Quite a lot, apparently. Rebecca and Shaun dig into the wildly different business models behind Costco and Hermès and uncover surprising lessons about luxury, value, trust, vendor relationships, pricing, craftsmanship, and creating a brand clients believe in.

They also catch up on some big personal and business changes, including Shaun’s decision to leave his studio and reduce overhead, Rebecca’s adventures in home renovation and color drenching, and the importance of making strategic business decisions with trusted advisors. From cost-plus pricing and designer discounts to vintage sourcing and what actually defines a luxury client, this episode explores how interior designers can create more profitable businesses while delivering an experience that feels truly high-end.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why Shaun decided to give up his office space, reduce overhead, and make aggressive financial moves for the next chapter of his interior design business
• How working with a CPA and financial advisor can help designers make smarter decisions about expenses, profitability, retirement, and long-term business goals
• Rebecca’s spontaneous color-drenched hallway and the design concept of “compression and release” inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright
• What the Acquired podcast’s deep dive into Costco reveals about limited product selection, strong supplier relationships, customer trust, and delivering exceptional value
• How designers can build deeper vendor relationships and use purchasing power to create better pricing without making a luxury design service feel “cheap”
• Whether a cost-plus pricing model can work for high-end interior design, especially when sourcing custom furniture, vintage pieces, and products from preferred vendors
• What Hermès teaches us about craftsmanship, consistency, exclusivity, brand identity, and creating luxury products that clients desire beyond pure functionality
• The difference between offering a luxury design service and working with a truly luxury client who values trust, access, one-of-a-kind pieces, expertise, and the finished result over price shopping

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

What stories are your clients telling about working with you? Shaun and Rebecca welcome back Rick Campos, founder of Design Biz Survival Guide and a certified Unreasonable Hospitality coach, to explore how interior designers can create a client experience that goes far beyond great service. Drawing from Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, Rick explains why making clients feel seen, heard, and understood can become one of the strongest differentiators for an interior design business.

They talk about identifying client-facing touchpoints, creating meaningful moments without relying on expensive gifts, and tailoring hospitality to what each individual client actually values. Rick also shares how designers can bring hospitality into difficult moments, from delivering bad news to handling installation problems, why picking up the phone still matters, and how thoughtful client experiences can generate repeat business, referrals, and the kind of word-of-mouth marketing money can’t buy.

In this episode they discuss:

• The difference between client service and true hospitality—and why hospitality is about how you make people feel
• How to identify client-facing touchpoints and turn ordinary parts of your interior design process into memorable experiences
• Why generic gifts and branded swag often fall flat compared to thoughtful gestures based on what you’ve actually learned about your client
• How listening, observing, and understanding what an individual client values can help you personalize their interior design experience
• Why human connection and emotional intelligence are increasingly important differentiators for interior designers in an AI-driven world
• How to use hospitality when something goes wrong, including why Rick believes in telling the truth, telling it fast, and personally delivering bad news
• How respecting a client’s time, communication style, family schedule, and desired level of involvement can be a form of luxury hospitality
• Why creating stories clients want to retell can lead to stronger referrals, repeat clients, and long-term growth for your interior design business

Mentioned:

• Design Biz Survival Guide - https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/
• Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara - https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

What happens when you build an interior design business around creativity, connection, and trusting your instincts? Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Whitney Romanoff, founder and principal designer of Meet West Studio in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to talk about her unconventional path from international relations and management consulting to running a growing interior design firm.

Whitney shares how her corporate background shaped her approach to client communication, team leadership, and difficult conversations about money, as well as why creating a genuine connection with clients leads to stronger creative work. They also get into building a design team that gives you more freedom, creating a recognizable interior design brand, finding inspiration through music and travel, making the leap into boutique hospitality design, and learning when outsourcing is smarter than doing everything yourself.

In this episode they discuss:

• How Whitney left a career in management consulting and took a chance on herself to launch Meet West Studio without a traditional interior design degree
• Building a six-person interior design team and transitioning longtime designers into leadership roles so Whitney can spend more time on creative direction
• Why a distinctive brand, strong point of view, and unexpected references can help an interior design firm attract more aligned clients
• How music, travel, storytelling, and mood boards influence Whitney’s creative process and the cinematic spaces Meet West Studio creates
• Why trust, shared values, and a genuine connection with interior design clients can make both the design process and the finished work better
• Giving yourself permission to see beauty and interior design as a meaningful service that can improve the way clients experience their everyday lives
• What Whitney learned taking on an 88-room boutique hotel, including commercial sourcing, value engineering, and outsourcing large-scale procurement
• Why investing in the right team members and an interior-design-specific financial expert can give firm owners more freedom, confidence, and capacity to pursue bigger opportunities

Mentioned:

• Meet West Studio
• Meet West Studio Instagram
• McGhee Financials
• Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

What if the reason you can’t focus, make decisions, or tap into your creativity isn’t a lack of discipline—but a lack of capacity? Shaun and Rebecca sit down with executive advisor, business coach, keynote speaker, and author Angie Wisdom to talk about protecting the finite mental and emotional resources we rely on to run our businesses and our lives.

Angie breaks down why interior designers are especially vulnerable to capacity overload, how constant decisions and “search friction” drain our brains, and why pushing through burnout usually makes things worse. They also explore nervous system regulation, morning routines, habit building, self-trust, people pleasing, navigating genuinely hard seasons of life, and learning to modify your expectations instead of abandoning what matters to you. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t seem to discipline your way into doing more, this conversation offers a completely different framework for creating sustainable success.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why your brain has a finite amount of daily capacity and how to think of it like the battery on your phone
• The mental, emotional, physical, and nervous system “leaks” that can drain your capacity before the workday is even over
• Angie’s CAP framework—Catch, Ask, Prompt—for recognizing when you’re overloaded and choosing what you need next
• Why interior designers can’t simply hustle or push through creative burnout when there’s no capacity left to access
• How discipline uses valuable mental capacity and why turning behaviors into habits and identity makes them easier to sustain
• How morning routines, proactive decision-making, and reducing “search friction” can protect your energy for the work that matters
• Creating realistic modifications during hard seasons of life instead of waiting to “survive” them before prioritizing yourself
• How self-trust, values, and intentional capacity management can make you a stronger business owner, creative, leader, and service provider

Mentioned:

• Angie Wisdom - https://angiewisdom.com/
• Angie Wisdom on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/angiewisdom_/
• The Non-Negotiable You: Mindset Mastery for Daily Success - https://angiewisdom.com/product/the-non-negotiable-you-mindset-mastery-for-daily-success/

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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

Summer is summering, and Shaun and Rebecca are feeling every bit of the chaos. They catch up on Rebecca’s daughter starting middle school, the impending disruption of a home flooring project, sensory overload, and what it looks like to raise kids who can advocate for themselves instead of having every problem solved for them. They also share an exciting update on the upcoming Hot Young Designers Club Mexico City trip, designed to give interior designers a chance to connect, explore, and actually let someone else handle the planning for once.

Then it’s time to bring back a Hot Young Designers Club classic: Just Stop. Shaun, Rebecca, and the Hotties weigh in on the interior design trends and industry habits they’re ready to see less of—from an endless supply of tiny cordless lamps and default Shaker cabinets to questionable 3D-rendering marketing, publicly dragging your competitors, and asking other interior designers to hand over their expertise for free.

In this episode they discuss:

• Navigating life, work, parenting, and a home renovation when everything seems to be happening at the same time
• Helping kids build independence, organization, self-advocacy, and habits that actually work for their brains
• The upcoming Hot Young Designers Club Mexico City trip and creating an intimate, low-stress travel experience for interior designers
• Why the design industry might officially have enough tiny rechargeable cordless lamps
• Whether 3D renderings belong on an interior designer’s website or Instagram—and how to use them effectively as marketing content
• Why designers can communicate their value without publicly tearing down competitors or other creatives
• The case against defaulting to Shaker cabinets and how designers can help clients make more adventurous cabinetry choices
• Why asking another interior designer to “pick their brain” should come with an offer to pay for their expertise and time

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’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