The Chaise Lounge Podcast

Cheryl Broadhead: Bob’s Your Uncle Design (BYU)

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with Cheryl Broadhead of Bob's Your Uncle Design. Cheryl shares her journey into design, her successful working relationship with her business partner, and selecting an unconventional name for the business.

Getting to know Cheryl Broadhead

Cheryl is calling into The Lounge from Vancouver on a cold, rainy day. She is a partner at Bob’s Your Uncle Design, a multi-family design firm. She prefers dogs, PCs, and wine. Cheryl learned from her parents not to be afraid to fail and imagines herself working in law if she wasn't a designer.

How did Cheryl get into design?

Cheryl went to school for fine arts and was a nanny in Italy after school. As an au pair, she met an architecture student from Australia. Cheryl’s new friend encouraged her to get into design. Cheryl went back to school and the rest is history.

While Cheryl was still in school, she started working at a local multi-unit design firm. She was able to get her friend, Adda, hired there too. They worked on condo and townhouse developments by compiling sample boards and getting to know AutoCAD. They eventually moved on from this position and went their separate ways.

Years later, tired of winter in Toronto and wanting a change, Cheryl reached out to Adda about moving and starting their own business. Adda was interested and they started working together.

Adda and Cheryl didn’t want a namesake because then it’s often all about the principle, not the firm as a whole. They liked the team environment and wanted a name to reflect that. They started Googling names, but everything was taken. Adda’s husband originally suggested Bob’s Your Uncle (BYU Design) and it stuck. The name shows that they work hard but have fun too.

What does the business look like today?

Bob's Your Uncle consists of 18 employees which include two principles (Cheryl and Adda), a studio design lead, a CAD team lead, 3 dedicated CAD operators, designers at all levels, a controller, an admin, and two dogs - Molly Brown and Polly. The team works on multi-unit residential (mostly) large condo projects.

BYU gets involved early in the process when permits are submitted. They work with architects and engineers as well as developers and marketing teams. Projects can last up to four years and BYU is involved from beginning to end. Cheryl likes working in the multi-unit industry because she enjoys planning homes for people. These individuals cannot afford large spaces, so Cheryl and team make these smaller spaces the best they can be. She wants people to be proud of their home.

BYU Design is a pretty young team and Cheryl likes leading young teams to bridge together generations. She is a self-proclaimed “Chatty Cathy” and doesn’t see age as a challenge.

Since 2010, BYU Design has added about four employees per year, steady and manageable growth. The mentality and structure of the firm have changed recently as lead positions were created.

Both Cheryl and Adda are great delegators, but also still do a lot of leg work as principles. They are working their way out of this. BYU Design has been successful as a partnership due to Cheryl and Adda’s commitment to working together. They both communicate clearly, compromise and balance each other's strengths and weaknesses.

To learn more about Bob’s Your Uncle Design, please visit byudesign.com.

 Wrap Up

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com. Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!

Sarah Blank: The world of Kitchen Design

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with Sarah Blank. Sarah shares her passion for being a kitchen and bath designer, how she started her own business, and what she loves about the industry.

Getting to know Sarah

Sarah is calling in from Stamford, CT, where she is working from home. Sarah enjoys Dwell for modern architecture and Period Home Magazine from a Classicist perspective - each at opposite ends of the spectrum. Sarah also enjoys a good handbag, red wine, and spending time at her Vermont vacation home.

How did Sarah get into design?

Sarah was working for her high school history teacher’s brother, Richard, for a summer. Richard was in charge of Bloomingdale’s windows. He told Sarah she needed to enroll at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York. She transferred and the rest is history!

After graduating, Sarah obtained a position working in kitchen design and has never left the industry. In 1994, she met Richard Sammons, a classical architect. Through him, she became involved with the Institute of Classical Architecture and Art. Sarah said that Classicism isn’t a style, but rather a language that you design by, rules and principles that are all about proportion.

Sarah loves what she does and believes in collaboration. Within her first year, Bunny Williams asked to do a job with her. Sarah loved working with her. Bunny is so good at what she does and is so down to earth. Bunny included Sarah in meetings with clients to see how she worked.

Sarah works mostly on kitchens, butler's pantries, and master baths. Some homes have numerous kitchens with different sets of criteria. Kitchens need to be accessible not only for homeowners but also chefs and caterers. Kitchen designers have to blend all needs to be universal and usable.

What does the business look like today?

Today, Sarah’s company is small, which she likes. Kristin and Andrew are her designers, and Chip is her right-hand assistant. Her husband’s company does local construction and contracting and she works with a small group of architects and vendors she loves - mill shops, steel fabricators, etc. She mentions that you need to have vendors and people to make your designs happen.

Sarah’s husband also handles the business side and Andrea helps with social media.

How did Sarah start her own firm?

Sarah says she just knew she was ready to go on her own. She was with her previous company for 17 years and even gave them a years notice. Her first job on her own came from a referral. Sarah recalled how in the beginning, the team could focus on one project at a time, but now they are constantly juggling jobs to keep things in motion.

Sarah started her business in the basement, but then built an addition on her home. Soon, she built a studio, which was a learning experience with the classical language. The space was so beautiful and well designed that a plastic surgeon made her an offer she couldn’t refuse. She ended up selling the studio and now works out of a studio in Greenwich, CT.

Sarah says that execution is exciting for her and takes the most time. She can almost see into the future with her experience and being able to plan. Sarah recommends that you make sure you have contracts in order, understand the law, and do your job well. She has learned this from experience as well, from being involved in a lawsuit. Sarah loves what she does because of what she has been through.

Why kitchen and bath design?

Sarah loves classical architectural and says that you don’t need to be an architect to practice Classicism. If she could do it all over, Sarah wouldn’t change a thing. She uses her talent and ability to put together a home as a whole. What she does cannot be purchased online. Sarah tells us that homeowners want kitchen and bath designers that are detail o...

Barry Wooley: Painter turned amazing Interior Designer

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with Barry Wooley for the second time. Barry shares his journey into design, how he started his business, and how he keeps a family culture alive in the workplace.

Checking in with Barry

Barry is joining The Lounge from Louisville, KY. He and Nick met previously at High Point, where Barry works with Hillsdale Furniture to curate collections and provide input on finishes and hardware.

Barry loves Barcelona, Spain for its architecture, fashion, food, and mixture of old and new.

He also likes cats, Mac products, and convertibles. Barry loves to entertain in his dining room, but you will never catch a glimpse of his TV room, not even on Instagram.

How did Barry get into design?

Barry’s mom was creative and always decorated their homes, and his siblings are all in creative fields. Barry went to school for educational psychology then worked in the corporate world. He took on some design jobs on the side and was able to make the move to full-time by age 27.

Barry’s parents were painting contractors and decorators, which was an advantage for him. He evolved the paint company to paint and decor, and now into a design firm. Barry has no formal education in design, so he started by hiring people to work for the firm. He can’t draw but can come up with solutions. Barry disagrees with some things that are taught in design school but realizes the importance of differing opinions and teamwork.

What does the business look like today?

Today, Barry runs a full-service interior and exterior design firm specializing in residential, commercial, and hospitality projects based in Louisville, KY. He loves the personal connection of residential projects. Barry employs 20 full-time employees within two retail locations. His employees include designers, carpenters, painters, affiliates, etc. He wants to be able to do it all for his clients.

Barry talks about some of the coolest projects he has been involved with including: fantasy interiors in basements, amazing kitchens, upholstering walls, grass cloth on ceilings, and even a bourbon bar in a basement or speakeasy wine cellar with a separate entrance.

How to turn a painting company into a design firm?

Barry began helping his brother and his wife paint and decorate their home. He was able to personalize it without spending a ton of money. He ended up developing a questionnaire to help select colors and soon became known as 'the guy with a painting company who was good at color selection.' This was a natural evolution to move into decorating and selecting furniture. In 1998, Barry was invited to a home expo, then people started hiring him to design their homes. From there, Barry hired designers and developed a resource library and the rest is history.

Barry’s projects range from main homes in Kentucky and Indiana, winter homes in Florida, and summer homes on Lake Michigan. There are currently over 30 projects in the works. Barry believes that the busier you are the better you are. And if you love what you do, it all works out.

Barry feels strongly about creating a family-like atmosphere at his company. He is building a new design center with a family room, child care, and a space to eat lunch together. Everyone has their own office but is encouraged to work collaboratively.

On the marketing side, Barry says they do everything from editorial publications, charity events, local TV shows, radio ads, social media and more. He is currently working on a pilot for TV called Ministry of the Interior.

To learn more about Barry Wooley, visit him in real life at 835 East Main Street, Louisville, KY 40206, online or on social media (Facebook and Instagram).

Wrap Up

Industry: Going paperless in the Cloud

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with fellow industry professional, Phyllis Harbinger, on going paperless in the cloud. Phyllis talks about her favorite tools and apps and the pluses and minuses of going paperless. In addition, Nick shares his Design Bloggers Conference talk on podcasting including lessons learned and his favorite episodes.

Checking in with Phyllis Harbinger

While Phyllis has made progress in the last year, she is not completely paperless yet. She mentioned that the more you embrace it, the better it gets. Not only can less paper make things easier, it can also help secure your business processes and information. Search functions are great for digital files and copies. You no longer have to worry about paper files lost in fires or floods and redundancies and relays combat issues with a computer crashing.

Even more specifically, paperless billing doesn’t require a ton of physical storage space. Having to store customer files and documents for seven to ten years can take up valuable real estate in your office or home, but keeping everything digitally can alleviate this physical clutter.

Phyllis recommends doing your homework when it comes to choosing digital and cloud based solutions. She is fond of Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive - each for differing reasons. These three tools are great for collaboration and file sharing. Phyllis is a fan of digital notetaking too. Digital notes make it easier for everyone to be on the same page, for instance, if someone is sick or out of the office. There is also no need to carry physical copies of client files around.

Receipts and invoices are another opportunity to go paperless. Phyllis likes ScannerPro no only for scanning in signed documents, but also for scanning and categorizing her own business receipts too. She also mentioned that some credit card companies use a receipt match, so you don’t have to worry about it on your end.

Next, let’s talk about how you are backing up your computer. You may need more than an external hard drive. Providers like Carbonite and Mozy Pro backup your data every night.

A couple of Phyllis’s other favorite apps include Art Set and Audionote. Art Set lets you draw on your device and turn it into a PDF. In Audionote, you can take pictures, videos, recordings, and notes all in one app.

Phyllis recommends to take baby steps if this causes anxiety for you. Categorize by client, project, year or whatever makes sense for your business.

If you would like to get in touch with Phyllis for paperless advice, public speaking, or just to say hi, shoot her an email at [email protected].

Nick’s talk at the Design Bloggers Conference

 Years ago, Nick and a friend started a small business podcast. They would read stories in business magazines and then were able to get those people on the podcast. Throughout this process, he learned about podcasting and business.

In his painting company, Nick works a lot with designers and found that they often struggled with the business aspect. He saw the opportunity to marry his experience in podcasting and small business with his current design network to create The Chaise Lounge podcast.

The Chaise Lounge is about the business of interior design. The ideal listener is a younger designer that wants to learn. Notable guests on the show include: Thom Filicia, Taylor Spellman, Andrew Joseph, Jason Harris, and Tyler Lynch.

More specifically, Nick reflected on some lessons he learned from a few more guests:

Barrie Livingstone - Go where other people aren’t and where your perfect client is

Ivan Meade - Do what no one else is willing to do

Kelli Ellis - Using your name as a designer

Eric Haydel - Pricing nuts and bolts

Larah and Dieter: A Power Couple in Design and Branding

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with Larah Moravek from Dutch East Design and Dieter Cartwright from Warren Red. This power couple shares their journey from their design beginnings, the chance at meeting through a mutual friend, and how they have joined forces.

Getting to know Larah & Dieter

Originally, Larah is from Illinois. Her family moved to England, then Texas. She has been in New York for the past sixteen years. Larah loves Spanish and Portuguese wines and the movie Captain Fantastic.

Dieter is from Tasmania, Australia. He has been in the US for ten years now. Dieter enjoys beer, wine, and cocktails. Larah and Dieter met through a mutual friend/vendor and are currently married and live in New York.

How did Larah & Dieter get into design?

Dieter always wanted to be an architect. As his parents built their house, he followed the architect around everywhere. Dieter even went so far as to observe meetings between his parents and the architect.

He started to work towards becoming an architect, but was sidetracked as a beekeeper, then hair dresser, then back to studying architecture.

Interior design was never his initial goal. Dieter gained experience in bartending and working in hospitality, which ultimately proved invaluable in his design career. Soon, Dieter started working for a designer in New York, but then the economy dropped. He managed to combine getting laid off with starting his own company.

Larah was not interested in design until later in her life. She grew up interested in poetry and animals. Larah soon found out that she wasn’t cut out for working in a hospital, but she did start to understand how space affected people physically and mentally. She switched her major from biomedical science to interior design.

After traveling for six months, Larah was able to start her own company. Today she typically works on bars and restaurants and wants to create spaces that encourage good social dynamics.

Larah and Dieter began working on projects together and have even begun pitching together. This has allowed for them to expand their bandwidth and offerings to clients. Now Larah and Dieter have decided to merge their companies while keeping Dutch East focused on interiors and Warren Red focused on branding.

What does the business look like today?

Larah and Dieter employ two interior designers who work with them. They like to hire people with prior history in other fields, like law and construction.

As a business owner, Larah finds it challenging to balance big picture ideas and strategy with daily minutiae and client relations. She wants to understand and respect everyone. In addition, Dieter doesn’t have a lot of experience working for someone, so he likes to challenge the status quo.

How to get into hospitality

If you are a designer looking to get into the hospitality design industry, Larah and Dieter would first recommend understanding why this field appeals to you. While there is no right or wrong answer, it can be helpful to know what excites you.

They also recommend looking into who is building and hiring and making connections. Referrals and word of mouth are huge within the design industry. Most things come through an introduction or referral, not cold calls. Larah and Dieter are constantly trying to foster a larger network and engage with people.

What’s next?

Larah and Dieter mentioned that lots of change is happening. They want to allow for themselves and their employees to pursue personal passions and work towards common goals. They are interested in owning and operating a small hospitality location, perhaps a bar.

To learn more, please visit Larah and Dieter on their website.

Barclay Butera:  Interior Design Icon

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with Barclay Butera. He shares his experience of growing up in the family business, what it was like to branch out on his own, and how important it is to surround yourself with good people.

Getting to know Barclay Butera

Barclay joins Nick in the lounge from California. Barclay attributes much of his success to surrounding himself with good people. He likes to vacation in Paris and swap out pillows in his home for each season of the year. He also loves a good issue of Elle Decor or House Beautiful and a Ketel One martini with three olives.

How did Barclay get into design?

Barclay grew up in a family design business in California. From a young age, he worked in the resource library and was trained by his mom and her staff. From there, Barclay studied political science and economics in college and even went on to complete a year of law school. Ultimately, he ended up back at his mom’s company.

Though there were mixed emotions when Barclay decided to start his own business, his education prepared him for the business side and his mom prepared him for many aspects of design. Barclay needed to develop his own way of thinking about design.

What does Barclay’s business look like today?

Barclay currently employs 50 individuals, 22 of which are interior designers. The team is working on around 100 projects at a time, and many are ground-up construction. He is able to stay organized and keep his life balanced by surrounding himself with a great team who understand the business and have common goals to work towards.

When hiring, Barclay looks for a fresh perspective to help him stay current in design and licensing as well as self-starters who love the business. On a daily basis, Barclay could be running errands, be in client meetings, be spending time in the showroom, or be dropping his pup off at doggie daycare.

The showroom aspect of his business is closely related to the design business. He is able to bring in more foot traffic through the showroom and convert many of those patrons into design clients. He uses the showroom as a tool to show people what they do. Barclay says that the hardest part is being open six days a week and staffing those hours, but in the end, the benefits outweigh the costs.

The showroom has helped Barclay with licensing deals too. The successes in the showroom have helped him prove himself when approaching manufacturers. About fifteen years ago, Kravet approached Barclay with a licensing deal on fabrics, and today, even more products are in the mix, like carpet.

Barclay acknowledges that the awards that he has received are wonderful, but even more valuable are the invitations to speak to students, trade audiences, or business owners and entrepreneurs. He wants to give back and appreciates that he is recognized as a successful entrepreneur.

How does Barclay spend his time?

Barclay has invested money in advertising but also invests his time into getting involved in the community. He is able to spend about a third of his time on business and marketing, a third on licensing, and a third designing, which he loves. Barclay looks at each project from the aspect of the person who will experience it.

In regards to licensing, Barclay mentions that these deals can be hard to come by. He recommends being patient and developing your brand and audience in the meantime so that you are prepared and have something to offer when the time does come.

With the availability of information and products on the Internet, Barclay has seen his margins affected. And while it is difficult to combat how websites, social networks, etc. have impacted the industry in terms of margin, Barclay has decided to stress his superior level of service. The need for good service is imperative.

Jason Harris and The Design Network

On this episode of The Chaise Lounge, Nick chats with Jason Harris of The Design Network. He shares his experience of starting a brand new TV network, working in the furniture industry, and his thoughts on the future of the design industry.

Getting to know Jason Harris

Jason Harris is calling from High Point, NC, the furniture capital of the world, Furnitureland South. Jason is married with 5 children. He was able to merge his passion for technology and business with his family’s company in the design industry.

While Jason jokingly mentions that he is not that talented in any one thing, he does state that his talent is discerning the skills and abilities in others. He is forward thinking and likes connecting the dots. Jason also enjoys reading the news, a vodka tonic with orange, and he can’t go anywhere without his phone.

How did Jason get into the furniture industry?

Jason’s dad started in Furnitureland South in 1968. He found a small office, leased the space, and when his business partner backed out at the last minute, he didn’t give up. Through connections and handshake deals, he received credit to get the business off of the ground. From humble beginnings, Jason’s dad grew the business to over $3 billion in sales for all time.

As the company transitioned to new leadership, Jason took on sales and marketing and his brother, Jeff, focused on operations. More recently, Jason has stepped back as he has ventured into establishing The Design Network.

Where did the idea for The Design Network come from?

Coming out of a bad economy, Jason had heard many in the design industry focus on issues with supply chain and sourcing. He realized that these businesses were leaving the audience out of the equation. In general, the brands were not making connections with the end consumers. Even on HGTV, at the time, there was more of a focus on real estate rather than being able to identify brands and products to serve needs.

That’s when he developed the concept for The Design Network. No one was curating or developing quality content in the design space and Jason wanted to fill this gap. Everyone thought he was crazy for starting a television network, but rather Jason was thinking about what was next for consumers and the future of TV, which is apps. Jason wants more than one way to push communication. He wants people to interact with it to make it easier to discover ideas, find a designer, plan and shop.

How did Jason start a TV network?

Similar to his father, Jason decided to bootstrap and grow incrementally by developing a website, then procuring content. He was able to look for designers with production capabilities and put the creation in their hands. Over time, Jason and his team have learned about when and where to make videos available, how to promote on social media, and even how to cater the content to different platforms, more specifically shorter, snackable videos centered around decorating and design.

Right now, Jason is receiving lots of pitches for new shows. While it is fun to have these conversations, the team has limited bandwidth. In the next iteration, The Design Network will allow designers to upload their own content and will allow viewers to buy products while watching. This strategy allows Jason to build credibility over time and bring in new talent. Jason’s overall vision is to build the world’s best community of interior designers.

If you are interested in joining The Design Network, signing up is free! You will need to fill out the application online and provide your resale certificate and W9. Your online presence is also considered. You will be able to gain exposure as a designer as well as earn commissions.

Learn more at TheDesignNetwork.com

Wrap Up

If you would like to hear more episodes,

April Force Pardoe: A Force Within the Interior Design Industry

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with April Force Pardoe of April Force Pardoe Interiors. She shares her experience of starting her own business, how she translates graphic design to interiors, and her support system within the industry.

Getting to know April Force Pardoe

April is calling into The Chaise Lounge from Elkridge, Maryland and is a long time listener of the podcast. April has been running her business for nine years. A few of her favorite things include House Beautiful magazine, a Mac over a PC, and a Cape Cod vacation. She also enjoys a gin and tonic and a good Netflix binge.

How did April get into design?

April received her Master of Arts in Publication Design with a focus in graphic arts and design. She has always been creative and good with color. April started working in event planning where she gained experience in logistics and coordinating using 3D structural layouts.

Eventually, the event planning schedule was too much with young children, and April decided to get into interior design and start her own business.

April has not had any formal education in interior design but is always looking for webinars and seminars. It took her about six months to launch her business. Her intuition, graphic design, and logistics experience have served her well, even down to the fine details.

How does April find clients?

April has only advertised once (in a mom’s club newsletter), and she got one client from it. She also took a design class on how to approach the design of a room. April asked a friend to be her guinea pig and her friend has been an advocate ever since.

April also has a touch base program internally where she schedules phone calls, mailings, and cards to stay top of mind with current and past customers. She also writes a newsletter and blog, manages her social media accounts, and creates video content.

What’s April’s business like today?

In the past, accounting has been April’s least favorite part of the business, but now she has a person to help with that. April mentions that having the right people to help is wonderful. She likes being able to take a vacation and unplug. April is still learning to delegate more and the art of doing it well. On the other hand, April geeks out on the data behind her business. On a quarterly basis, April reviews her business and time spent on certain tasks and strategies on how to become more profitable.

April attends High Point in the spring and networks with a group of designer friends every other month. This is a great and supportive group that shares resources, contractors, challenges, and more.

April has been consistently busy for the most part but has experienced a slow spring. She decided not to get down or worried, but rather reached out to past customers, visited them, and even sought out speaking engagements. April recommends to keep putting yourself out there no matter what.

Learn more at April’s website, Instagram, Facebook, or email.

Wrap Up

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com.  Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business

Stacey Tiveron Fills a Gap in the Market with Steelyard

On this episode of The Lounge, Nick chats with Stacey Tiveron from Steelyard. She shares her background from TODL to Steelyard and the gap Steelyard fills in the market. Then, Farah Merhi joins Nick for the second installment of her three part series on personal branding. This time, Farah talks about working with brands.

What is Steelyard and how did it get started

Stacey Tiveron is dialing in from Florida and enjoying some beautiful 80-degree weather. She describes Steelyard as the connector between professional designers, architects, facility managers and the brands that serve them. Through her own work experience as a design researcher, she is able to understand the needs of a professional buyer. When Stacey was employed at a design firm in the 90’s, she worked on residential, commercial, and hospitality projects. She managed all of the resources for the projects and saw how fragmented the industry was.

Stacey soon realized how much time and money was wasted on product research and specification, so she built interactive catalogs for the Internet to help designers become more profitable.

While other businesses with similar offerings have failed, Steelyard (previously TODL) has succeeded. This success can be attributed to approaching things from the designers’ perspective as well as employing the appropriate experience and background. Stacey has brought on a partner with a software and channel distribution background. Rather than attempting to disrupt the market, Steelyard wants to support and empower the industry to work together and make everyone more profitable by removing redundancies and wasted time.

What Steelyard looks like today

Steelyard is an interactive catalog at a product level focusing on a median price point up to luxury items. With over 400 brands and 100,000+ products, Steelyard continues to grow on a weekly basis. The brands want to best serve designers and create repeat customers and thus, are held to specific standards.

Steelyard offers products in the FF&E category - furniture, fabrics, and equipment, also described as the finish side of a project. Steelyard is also able to connect designers with brands via showrooms, dealers and reps, and even corporate offices depending on the company.

Learn more about Steelyard at their website or call 1-800-631-1111.

Farah on working with brands

Farah Merhi is a designer, stylist, social media influencer, and founder of Inspire Me Home Decor. Farah touches on working with brands and offers the following words of wisdom: “Focus on your goals, objectives, and moving forward. Don’t focus on what others are doing.”

In Farah’s role, she has a team to help with Inspire Me Home Decor. While brands reach out to her on a regular basis, her team also finds brands that are a good fit to pitch projects to. The resulting collaborations can come in a couple of forms like licensing (creating your own designs through a brand) and sponsorships (endorsement and advertising for the brand).

Rather than focusing on the size of your audience, Farah recommends being creative and unique. Your following does matter ultimately, but if you don’t stand out initially, it won’t. Farah also suggests being transparent with your audience, being consistent with your personal brand, and partnering with brands that speak to your design aesthetic.

To learn more: about Farah, visit Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, and Inspire Me Home Decor.

Wrap Up

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com.  Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big,

Alicia Cannon: An Interior Designer Since Day 1

On this episode of the Lounge, Nick chats with Alicia Cannon. Alicia talks about keeping her business small, working in New York, and her love for hospitality.

Getting to know Alicia

Alicia Cannon joins Nick in the lounge from BDNY. Recently, she was able to enjoy a vacation off of the coast of Spain. She is also into Pinot Noir and loves accessorizing with scarves. In terms of home decor, she is proud to have purchased a piece from her friend, a Roman artist.

How did Alicia get involved in the Interior Design industry?

Alicia has been interested in design since she was “in the womb.” Her mom attended design school in New York while pregnant with Alicia. Even as young as sixth grade, Alicia knew she was going to be an interior designer.

In high school, Alicia continued to fuel her passion by attending architecture school during her summer breaks. Alicia was able to then attend the Pratt Institute for Interior Design. After graduating, she started working in the industry at Gensler, but found herself burnt out after a short time. Alicia then transitioned to a completely different industry, packing materials, where she learned sales and business development.

Alicia was drawn back into the interior design industry and took a job in California with Cheryl Rowley, where she picked up some experience with hospitality. Since, Alicia moved back to the east coast, worked with an architect, and now owns her own business.

What the Business Looks Like

Alicia’s company, AJC Design, currently employs six designers, and her father even helps with IT bookkeeping and day to day business operations. She likes keeping things small and family- oriented.

The firm currently works on six to eight projects at a time, with 90% being hospitality-based. The residential portion is mostly repeat business that includes new construction and remodels across New York, Texas, and Colorado.

Alicia and her designers follow a pretty specific workflow when taking on new projects with clients that include a meet & greet, a design immersion meeting to get to know the client and to learn what the brand is about, then they build a design narrative or story that dictates the concept. From there AJC starts on schematic designs and design documents.

Working in New York

Alicia says that logistics are a nightmare in New York. She has to measure the elevator, the freight elevator, the windows, and even how high up the unit is. Often, sofas have to be cut in half by a Sofa Doctor to get to where it needs to go, and then is re-assembled once it's there.

Her biggest project is also located in New York at the Harlem Renaissance Theater, which has 211 rooms and was built in 1917. It is a state-owned project, which creates its own set of hoops to jump through. She was able to work on this project through building rapport and relationships with those in the industry.

Learn more at Alicia’s website, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

Wrap Up

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com. Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!