Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast

What makes your interior design business different and how can you showcase that effectively? When should you hire a social media assistant and how long should you expect to see results? How can you make sure you are effectively networking in order to build relationships and grow your business? 

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Ali Faulkner of AEF Interiors, to discuss:

• Keeping it real and recognizing perfect doesn’t exist
• Adding value to other designers through educational content
• Why Ali continues to invest in social media help 
• How your content can attract both clients and other designers 
• How long it takes to actually grow on Instagram
• Making calculated and informed risks
• Building certain types of relationships early on in your business
• The power of networking + 3 favorite ways to network
• Understanding what it costs to run your business
• Why you need to connect with other interior designers

Mentioned:

AEF Interiors website

Follow Ali on Instagram

Haven Workshop

Her workshop with Tandem

https://with-tandem.com/

https://stan.store/with_tandem/p/diving-into-the-interior-design-process

Our links:

Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts

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Rebecca’s Instagram 

Shaun’s Instagram

For more information - Check out the website

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Design Resources - Check out our shop

Measuring is a pain. It requires a lot of time and physical energy. No one likes it. Thankfully, we have discovered a much better way to measure, that saves us time and saves our clients money. 

This episode is sponsored by Canvas.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Scaling - it’s weird and complex
• The headaches we had in the past when getting measurements 
• Using Canvas.io to scan the client’s home 
• How Canvas is able to capture dimensions with 99% accuracy
• Best practices when scanning a two-story house
• What negatively impacts your accuracy while scanning
• Saving your mental energy so you can focus on the fun part of your job
• Hiring people with special expertise to help with certain parts of the floor plan
• How to charge clients for drawings
• Why you should consider using the Home Designer software

Mentioned:

Try Canvas.io - $150 credit 

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

Today we cover our upcoming plans for High Point Market this fall, an exciting giveaway for our listeners, recent struggles and lessons learned in our businesses, as well as some new trends we noticed at Vegas Market this summer. 

In this episode, we discuss:

• Giving a hotspot tour at High Point Market later this year
• How you can win free products from our online shop
• Feeling very depressed and overwhelmed about finances
• Forgetting important tasks and then putting them off
• Changing the process and format of discovery calls with potential clients
• How the first 3 months of onboarding is so exhausting 
• Feeling creatively zapped but needing to post more content on Instagram
• Getting over our ego and putting ourselves out there
• Upselling clients in the present so they can save money in the long run
• The designs and new trends we saw at Vegas Market
• How designers are now being recognized as major buyers 

Mentioned:

Listener Survey - Have a chance to win a prize!

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

How do you get your work featured in your favorite design magazines? When is the right time to hire a publicist? What should you do if you can’t afford to hire a PR professional?

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Rich Pedine of Rich Pedine Public Relations, to discuss:

• Channeling a passion for interior design into his PR career
• What magazines are looking for 
• The best time to contact a publicist
• How you can double your chances of getting published
• Getting the home owners onboard with publications
• Helping his clients with media training
• Why having strong opinions is a good thing
• Consuming interior design news and media everyday
• Getting photos for your private portfolio
• Why designers need to develop relationships with publicists

Mentioned:

Rich’s website

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

As a designer, you need to keep a list of tradespeople in your back pocket. Today, we go over what that list should look like.

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss:

• The joy of being part of the live Hottie Hangouts
• Receiving a rotten sausage in the mail
• Going to 2023 Highpoint from Oct 14 to Oct 16 
• Asking your vendors who their preferred clients are 
• Feeling icky about charging a referral fee to your contractors 
• Handy-man versus licensed contractor
• Shaun’s secret way of finding people 
• Finding cabinet makers via word of mouth 
• How hard it is to find someone who does both wood restoration and upholstery
• What you need to look for in a wallpaper installer 
• Whether you need a draftsperson or not
• The benefits to having an attorney in your back pocket

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

We believe it is important to stay informed on news and trends within the design space. That’s why we invited Fred Nicolaus, executive editor of Business of Home, to the podcast. Business of Home is the home industry’s leading business media brand, delivering essential news, analysis and insights to interior designers and industry professionals.

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Fred Nicolaus to discuss:

• How so many people don’t know that design is such a fascinating business
• High Point moving away from large retail buyers and towards designers
• Different reasons why it is so important to stay informed with what’s going on in the industry
• Why we think the industry is slow to innovate
• How wealth is distributed among generations 
• Working with home furnishing wholesaler, Four Hands
• Theories on why minimums are so persistent
• Needing wiggle room when it comes to product pricing
• Having a succession internship program for designers who want to retire
• Why mergers will become stronger
• Our opinions on how A.I. will affect the industry

Mentioned:

Business of Home

Business of Home podcast

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

It can be so frustrating when clients start shopping for products on their own, when it’s your role as the designer to do the buying. While this is common and very annoying, there are some things you can do to prevent it. And if you can’t totally prevent it, you can still resolve the issue when it does happen. 

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss: 

• Why clients who shop may not understand how full service interior design works
• Offering a range of different services for clients with different needs
• Asking better questions upfront
• Figuring out why the client doesn’t like what we picked
• What to do when you have wishy-washy prospects
• Why you need clearly written proposals and contracts
• Ignoring certain client behaviors
• How to address client shopping and redirect them to your process
• Why clients want a designer who can take a stance

Mentioned:

Check out some of these helpful business resources

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

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 designer
• Working in a home office before you start paying for an office outside the home
• All the things design school failed to teach her 
• How to teach people to respect your boundaries
• Charging an hourly rate - it is the only way to go
• Why you need to run a profit and loss statement at the end of every project
• How Kate was able to buy and store vintage pieces 
• Leaning into your style and who you are
• A 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 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 

When business gets slow, do you feel like the scarcity mindset kicks in, and you start freaking out about how you are going to generate more money? Feeling anxious and helpless about finances won’t solve your problems. It’s time to stop sulking in bed, take back the power, and make some changes to generate new forms of revenue. 

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss: 

• Not letting fear or ego get in the way when pivoting
• Getting certain work out of the way so you can bill for it
• Bootstrapping new opportunities if you are in a pinch
• Making energetic changes in your environment and in yourself
• Creating newsletters that are interesting and simple
• Why you need to call past clients, contractors, and vendors

Mentioned:

We Should All Be Millionaires

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

How do you overcome FOMO when you have to say “no” to new opportunities that come your way? How do you develop your self-concept, when you were accustomed to working in a strict, corporate environment before becoming a designer? What should you expect when going to trade show events, like High Point Market?

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Rachel Moriarty of Rachel Moriarty Interiors, to discuss:

• The difficulties in saying “no” to cool opportunities that present themselves
• Being like a diamond and performing well under pressure
• A.I. renderings and how crazy realistic they look
• Rachel’s unique job history before becoming an interior designer
• Feeling exhausted after presentations and speeches
• Creating and fostering relationships with others in the industry
• Our experiences with the One Room Challenge
• Appreciating the perspectives of designers with different cultural and regional backgrounds
• High Point Market - It is huge and intimidating, but so worth it

Mentioned:

Rachel’s Instagram

Rachel’s Website

Rachel’s collection of mirrors

Design Hounds

One Room Challenge

High Point Market

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 “Hottie” member - Support us on Patreon