The Chaise Lounge Podcast

We are the nearing the end of the 2016 Spring High Point Market, but your host Nick May still has several great interviews lined up for you live from the Market. Be sure to follow us on Instagram to see pictures and videos taken at Market! Today Nick has three interviews for you with a range of topics including the social media side of the interior design business and last but not least Nick interviews a world renowned “International Colour Expert.” Tune in today to learn how to continue to design your design business and if you’ve enjoyed our coverage of the 2016 Spring High Point Market, please leave us a review on Itunes!

Farah Merhi and #Inspiremehomedecor

In the first segment of today’s show, Nick sits down with Farah Merhi, a well-known blogger and social media expert, with over 3.2 million followers in Instagram alone! Farah was born and Raised in Congo, Africa and attended an American school in the Congo. Farah attended college in the states, in Michigan to be exact, where she is based out of today. Farah talks about how interior design was always a part of her life, as her mom was an interior designer. Farah started out studying political science, however with just 3 semester short of graduating with that degree, Farah took a sharp turn and decided to pursue a degree in Interior Design.

Farah’s road to her massive success in social media as it relates design really started with a remodeling project of her own home. After searching for inspiration photos on the web, and finding the content to be lacking, Farah decided to start her own Instagram account to collect imagery that inspired her. She would find images from professional designers to design enthusiasts or simply snap photos of things or places that inspired her. Her hashtag #inspiremehomedecor has grown to a platform now where professionals and non-professional alike can find inspiration. With an initial goal of 500 followers, obviously Farah’s presence in the social media world has grown exponentially. Farah and Nick talk about why the visual aspect of Instagram and similar social media platforms are so successful in promoting design. The two talk about the process of tagging your posts to get the most exposure and impact and how to best reach your audience. To close, Farah states, “I had no idea it was going to get this big, but it’s not about how many followers I have, it’s about what inspires me and what inspires others.”Farah will also be creating a special Pinterest specifically for her finds at this year’s High Point Market, get online and check it out!

Cheryl Kees Clendendon: In Detail Interiors and 1514 Home

Next up, Nick joins designer and retail store operator Cheryl Kees Clendendon from Pensacola, Florida from the Chaise Lounge. Cheryl holds a background in sales and marketing, and eventually transitioned to a successful career in interior design. Cheryl talks about the start of her design business and how it really started just through friends and family asking for her help with their spaces, and as she puts it, “it just snowballed from there.” With no formal education in interior design, Cheryl talks about how her portfolio has been the platform for which she has presented her work. In her business, Cheryl describes her favorite “hat to wear” as the creative side, she is really driven and inspired by materials and loves to sit in her space and just go through materials that inspire her.

Nick and Cheryl talk about the business side of her firm, she states “You are fooling yourself if you think there isn’t a sale component to what you do,” as a designer. It’s just as important to have that expertise as it is to have the creative expertise. Beyond her successful design firm, Cheryl has recently launched into the retail side of the business, with a storefront open in Pensacola, called 1514 Home. Nick and Cheryl talk about how she selects lines to carry in her store,

It’s Day 3 at High Point Spring Market, and Nick again has gathered some awesome talent from the interior design world to interview about their backgrounds and businesses. Nick has the privilege in today’s podcast to interview his guests from the Norwalk Furniture showroom, make sure to listen all the way through today’s podcast to hear a special interview with the President of the Norwalk Furniture company as she and Nick discuss why High Point is such an incredible opportunity for manufacturers and designers alike. As Caroline states, “Anyone who really wants to know what’s important in the home today,” needs to be at High Point Market!

Stacy Garcia

If you’ve been a long time listener of The Chaise Lounge you’ve probably realized that no two stories are alike when it comes to how each designer Nick interviews got into the interior design business, and today’s first guest is no different. The talented designer and business woman Stacy Garcia got her start in the design world as formally trained surface pattern designer. Tune in to today’s podcast to learn more about what that title entails. Through her training, Stacy was hired as an intern for Ralph Lauren, and soon was hired on as a freelance designer for the well-known design company. Stacy’s career progressed into other design jobs with mass retailers such as Bed, Bath and Beyond, JC Penney, etc. To add to her already extensive resume, Stacy has also worked in hospitality design, a position which she held for about 5 years. The design director was noted to have said the following about Stacy during her time in the position, “When we hired you, you were hired as my assistant but after two weeks it was very clear that you would be running the division!”

After an already extensive career in the textile design world, Stacy branched out on her own, eventually creating her own textile design company known as LebaTex, Inc. It wasn’t long before her new company was approached by the very successful Hunter Douglas window covering company for her first licensing deal. Listen in to learn more about the process behind licensing in the design world and what it can mean for a small business just starting out.

Nick and Stacy talk about her first clients, and how the “confidence of youth” helped her when she was first establishing her brand. Today, Stacy’s company has 15 full time employees, and the distribution of her products is in the hands of hundreds of talented sales representatives. LebaTex, Inc. is a global company with distribution all over the world; Stacy closes with the following statement regarding her vast success, “From a gal who went to art school, who thought she’d be painting for a living, sometimes life has different plans.”

You can learn more about Stacy and her design style through her blog or her website.

Denise McGaha

Next up in today’s show, Nick sits down with a 6 year veteran of the High Point Market, Denise McGaha. Based out of Dallas, Texas, Denise has been in business for 15 years. Nick and Denise start by talking about the importance of the High Point Market, in her words, “It’s a huge opportunity to see what’s new in the market, to get on the front end of the trends.”

Denise’s entry into the interior design world took a very windy route. Denise holds a degree in Agricultural Economics and grew up in a world based around agriculture and livestock. Out of college, Denise gained some experience in retail and eventually started a career as an assistant buyer for the jewelry department for the luxury retailer Neiman Marcus. Denise was lucky to gain some very useful experience as part of the team that launched Neiman Marcus website, which led to other jobs in E-commerce. It wasn’t until after 9/11 that Denise states she really took a look at the trajectory of her career and decided she had some other interests she wanted to pursue, and that included interior design.

High Point North Carolina Spring Market continues on day 2 with two new interviews from The Chaise Lounge. Today Nick May joins Christi Tasker of Puttin’ Out, to glean valuable insight into the PR and marketing side of an interior design business and in the second segment of High Point Market podcast Nick joins well known designer and TV personality Thom Filicia for an in depth interview into his background, how he runs his highly successful firm and brand and many other useful tips for growing your design business. Tune in to hear it all!

Christi Tasker: Puttin’ Out

You may be reading this and wondering what exactly Christi Tasker of Puttin’ Out does, well it’s all in the name. When starting her business and trying to come up with a name that would stick, a friend asked her, “Well, what exactly do you do?” To which Christi replied “I literally put out content all day long!” Christi uses her background in interior design and a career transition to PR to work with interior designers and manufacturers to promote their designs and products.

Christi’s business, Puttin’ Out has been in business since 2010. Before her the successful start of her PR firm, Christi owned an interior design firm outside of Atlanta. Around 2007 she was ready for a new challenge, tune in to hear Christi and Nick discuss the transition from interior design to PR, and how the PR firm has now grown to include a variety of client and brand types, beyond interior design.

In the episode, Christi dispenses information on the best was for a designer to get attention, including advice on how to broadcast yourself, how to present an accurate cost of your work to reflect the budgets you work under and what kind of client you are looking for. Furthermore, Christ and Nick talk about managing client expectations and how Christi works with each of her clients individually, and the differences in her more established designer clients versus someone who is just starting out.

Thom Filicia: Live from “The Bar” a.k.a The Lounge

In this segment of today’s show, Nick Interviews Thom Filicia live at the High Point Market Vanguard Showroom, which Thom refers to as ‘the bar’ after 4 pm. You may know Thom Filicia from the hit television show ‘Queer Eye for the Straight Guy’, of which he was a part of for 5 years. Additionally, Thom has appeared on other networks, including HGTV for several years.

Thom studied interior design at Syracuse University, however his interests growing up included all things design from modern architecture to industrial design to automotive and boat design. When choosing his path in school, Thom knew his interest always lied within residential architecture, and with the product design aspect of interior design it all aligned to point him full speed toward interior design. Nick and Thom discuss the importance of internships while in school. Thom got his start through a summer and winter break internship with the Parish Hadley design firm in New York City, which ultimately led to a job offer with the firm upon graduating from his degree program.

For the first 8-9 years of his successful career, Thom worked for several design firms before deciding to take a summer off to slow down and determine exactly what his next move would be. It was during that time off that Thom picked up a few clients on his own, which ultimately grew into his very own design firm. Thom states, “It happened organically, and I was able to give my employer 4 months notice before going off on my own and even helped find my replacement.” Thom highlights the important of leaving on good terms and identifies that his moves in his career were always based on looking for the next challenge for him personally and professionally.

Listen in to hear Thom describe a very interesting 2 hours he spent stuck in an elevator, and how that turned into an offer to be a part of a new and exciting show called Queer Eye for the Straight Guy,

High Point Market Spring 2016

Tune in now to hear the first installment from the Chaise Lounge live from the 2016 High Point Market. Your host Nick May sits down with multiple designers in today’s show to talk about their backgrounds, their endeavor’s and their take on this year’s Market.

 

Cozy Stylish Chic with Jeanne Chung

Nick joins fashion designer turned blogger turned interior designer Jeanne Chung based out of Pasadena, California first up in the podcast. After a very successful 20 years in the fashion industry, Jeanne talks about her start in the Interior Design world. After attending the New York School of Interior Design, Jeanne made her way back to the west coast where she started her Interior Design career, using the very effective tool of blogging. In her blog, Jeanne writes about emerging trends and her design style. After just one year in the blog world, Jeanne was asked to be a style spotter at the 2014 High Point Market. Jeanne and Nick talk about her successful development of an e-commerce site for interior furnishings and how that’s now turned into a 1,400 square foot retail space and her goals to expand that significantly over the next several years.

With just one staff member, Jeanne discussed with Nick the importance of multi-tasking and wearing multiple hats, she states, “I needed to know how to do every part of the job before I could tell someone else how to do their job.” When asked how to start a successful blog, Jeanne says “it’s important to tell the ‘why’” behind what you post”. Tune in to learn more about Jeanne’s upcoming retail store opening and how she continues to convey her message through blogging and networking.

 

David Ecton and Lance Jackson of Parker Kennedy Living

Next up, Nick interviews the team behind the Parker Kennedy Living design group and brand, David and Lance. Lance speaks about his background in design generally, starting as an architecture student at SCAD in Atlanta before switching over to Interior Design, and David talks about his first career in IT. Once the two met, David learned more about the Interior Design world through Lance and a partnership was born. Parker Kennedy Living talks with Nick about their first foray at the High Point Market and the building of their vintage furniture restoration business and how travelling the world together as a couple has shaped their business and inspired their designs.

 

Renowned Designer and TV Personality: Libby Langdon

To cap off this episode and the first day at the 2016 High Point Market, Nick has the honor of interviewing Libby Langdon. You may know Libby from several TV appearances on shows like the Today Show, The Rachel Ray Show and a long-running stint as the host and designer for HGTV’s Design Invasion.

Libby believes, “Everything we do over the course of our lives; brings us to where we need to be today.” That said, with Libby’s background of her parent's roles in the interior design world, an early career as a model in NYC, time spent in Fashion School and on top of all that experience with acting and hosting, there is little that Libby  Langdon doesn’t do! Libby describes her business as tri-fold: first the residential and commercial interior design component, second, her media presence on TV, magazines, etc, and lastly her wide range of product designs ranging from rugs to chandeliers to outdoor furniture.

Libby and Nick talk about her experience seeing how real people in America live and how she has translated that into her interior design and as well through her product development.

Last but certainly not least, Libby and Nick talk about the success of Libby’s book entitled Libby Langdon’s: Small Space Solutions. Listen in to hear how Libby got her book off the ground and how she keeps her voice present in all the aspects of her...

In today’s podcast, you’ll get to know the driven and talented designer and entrepreneur Jennifer Wagner Schmidt. Nick interviews Jennifer at the Interior Design Society’s National Convention in Dallas, Texas. At the convention, Nick and Jennifer connected as co-panelists on a special event called “Building a Break-through Brand,” which is precisely what you can hear more about in today’s show!

Jennifer holds a degree in Public Relations, and after a successful career in corporate PR working with high-tech PR, Jennifer slowly and deliberately transitioned to a career in interior design. After 6 or 7 years in the corporate world, Jennifer was ready for a new lifestyle that included raising her children and an encore career in interior design, eventually starting her own firm, JWS Interiors, located in Washington D.C. Jennifer states the following when asked how it all began, “I distinctly remember my mom buying me a new bedspread and it was the best day of my life!” She spent hours rearranging her room and folding down the bedspread just so like she’d seen in the magazines. So looking back she feels “Interior design was in my DNA since I was a child.”

Interior Design 101

Believe it or not, Jennifer has taken just one single course in Interior Design, Interior Design 101. From there Jennifer started working with friends and neighbors, designing individual rooms. Starting up, she had 1-2 clients and made less than $1,000 in profit the first year. When first starting her design business, Jennifer was still working in her PR position. Eventually, her new business grew, with more clients and higher profits each year. Her advice to starting a new business is this, “You can do it, but you have to take your time and plan, do your research.” Jennifer knew she was taking a big risk leaving her corporate job, but it was a calculated risk. Any extra time she had was spent attending any and every free seminar she could find on small business development. JWS Interiors has now been in business for 10 years.

Order yourself a Box of Chic!

Not only is Jennifer a successful Interior Designer, she has recently launched a start-up business known as Box of Chic. Jennifer followed the rapid growth of the product-based startups like Birchbox and Stitchfix, that provide custom selected samples mailed directly to the consumer, and she thought “where is this in the Home Décor world?” With that thought, Jennifer started Box of Chic which sends customers 4-5 personally selected; value priced home décor items that come with custom styling advice from Jennifer. Within two weeks of the launch of Box of Chic, Jennifer received extremely exciting news from none other than The Today Show, who wanted to feature her business on air! Jennifer states that along with the influx of new orders, her presence on The Today Show gave her new business credibility and leverage as an entrepreneur to say, “Hey, The Today Show contacted me, not the other way around.”

Pick up the Phone and Tell your Story

With her background in PR, Jennifer has never been shy about making the call to promote herself and her business. Her advice to students and new professionals is this, “You have to get over the fear of calling people up and talking about your work, pick up the phone, have confidence and tell your story and the story of the space you’ve created”. Nick and Jennifer continue their talk with advice on photographing your work, creating a portfolio and utilizing social media and your web presence to showcase your work. Tune in to hear some great tips about when the best time of the day is to post to social media and get your name out there.

What’s next for Jennifer Wagner Schmidt

Looking to the future, Jennifer hopes to keep her business small to continue her ability to directly interact with each and every one of her clients. She is also excited about some new opportunities tha...

I met with Eric Haydel today who was the last speaker here at the design bloggers conference in Atlanta. Eric comes from Louisiana and has now relocated to Boston. While Eric originally went to school for communications and worked with several politicians he switched to interior design due to an amazing roommate who bought his first supplies and pushed him in a different direction. After receiving a master’s degree in Interior Design from Boston Architectural College he started Eric Haydel Design and has been a growing success since its launch 7 years ago.

Eric had such an interesting tactic to his speech here at ADAC, he provided all of us with peanut butter M & M’s with the point of showing us that any brand can redesign themselves like M&M did when the blue ones. Eric fully believes in trying things on a new level, when he hires interns he asks them what they want to learn, this allows that person to grow in areas of their strengths and be successful in the part of design that they are passionate about.

With his branding and marketing, Eric believes in evolution. Since his business has started he has changed his brand three times. While he works on his brand Eric is also the youngest president in over 40 years of ASID New England. Here Eric talks about how the design industry is growing and expanding on a daily basis where of course he threw in his background of how political the design industry can be.

https://vimeo.com/150941967

Eric Haydel: How Much Do Interior Designers Make

Eric and I discussed pricing today: how much do interior designers make, while he wishes that as an industry there was a large discussion regarding money, he now believes that transparency is key in pricing. He uses contracts with his clients and he believes that regardless of how long the contract is that it should include all of the intentions of him and his clients. He wants everyone to see and know what to expect from each other. Eric has an hourly rate but he always requires a design retainer up front at 100%, this is a minimum charge of $2,300 this is used for the hourly fee and the administrative work that is done on each project. He is honest in a way that allows his clients to know what to expect and he has found that for his client base this is the best route to go. Eric was extremely upfront with all of his pricing structure with me and it was great to have such a candid interview.

After such an intense conversation of pricing I was able to dig into Eric’s current passion of being the president of ASID where he has been extremely fortunate to have an extended term. He talked to me about being thankful in this industry and that while setting up the ASID’s gala he wants every designer, volunteer, employee, everyone who attends to be thanked for their time.  He said with complete passion in his voice that being thankful and grateful is a part of the industry that does not happen for him enough and until you are sick of him saying thank you and I’m grateful then he hasn’t said it enough.

Eric was a remarkable designer to interview today and I am grateful that I got to sit down with him in person.

Eric did inform me that if you want to get in touch with him, just google him. I’ve done the google work for you.  Here is Eric’s information if you have any questions for him.  His Instagram is @ericmhaydel or [email protected]

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!

Today we are all about High Point Market 2016. We talk to Michelle Wiebe from Studio M down in Tampa, FL. The 25 year design veteran and style spotter is talking all things High Point Market today. Including some highlights of the educational classes, parties, launches and of course all the amazing networking. Check out this video she was featured in from last year's Market.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=my4vnXKzsNE

Michelle is a style spotter for High Point Market this year and has been for years.  She not only spots the hot trends, but is also tasked with finding and leading the group of style spotters. The style spotters is a group of 8 people from all over the country looking for pieces that stand out to post and market. You can follow the High Point Market Style Spotter Page Pinterest page to see what is being updated from the style spotters.

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com

One of my last interviews at the Design Bloggers Conference was with Christopher Kennedy.  When I started this interview with Christopher I knew nothing about him so today was a great way to learn all about this incredible designer.  Christopher once worked for Disney, had a stint as a stock broker, and eventually found his way into interior design.

After losing his father he moved to Palm Springs and followed his Dad’s advice of doing what you love so he started working for Steve Chase and Associates.  From there he opened his own doors at Christopher Kennedy Inc.   Christopher now sells his designs in several showrooms across the country from LA to New York.  He has recently published California Modern.  If you want to win a copy of this email me at [email protected] with your address and say “I want California Modern by Christopher Kennedy” and the first email I receive will get Christopher’s book in the mail.

Christopher still charges an hourly fee on his design products but in his perfect world, he wishes that all designers charge price per-square-foot.   Along with his design, he has launched a 100% American made furniture line.  He said a statement that stood out with me of “What you focus on expands” these words are very obvious in his design and furniture.  Christopher believes that design is a huge part of the lives for the clients when he gets to enter their homes and gets to know them on a personal level and he wants everyone to know that you should always have positive thoughts and what you focus on will expand for you and your clients.

Every year Christopher host a designer show house called The Christopher Kennedy Compound.  Other cities have a designer show house, so why not Palm Springs!

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com

Drew McGukin: Rising New York Interior Designing Star

Nick joins designer Drew McGukin of Drew McGukin Interiors live on a chaise lounge at the Design Blogger’s Conference in Atlanta. In this week’s podcast find out Drew’s perspective on leading a successful design team, his latest endeavors, including designing and manufacturing a customizable furniture collection, and how he got to where he is today.

Drew got his start in the design industry after a successful run in the residential real estate market in Atlanta, Georgia. By flipping and altering the homes he was listing, Drew discovered his true passion for Interior Design.

After spending 18 months at the New York School of Interior Design, Drew was determined to give 110% of his energy to Interior Design in New York City.

Design=Collaboration

When it comes to Drew’s team, he strongly enforces a motto of “Design equals Collaboration.” Drew believes that every member of his team should be able to see themselves in their work, creating a rewarding culture within his business. Within the firm, Drew sets the design direction for each project; then encourages his talented team of designers to interpret that direction. Drew manages 95% of the business development of Drew McGukin Interiors.

From Interiors to Furniture

Drew has recently been focusing his talents on a capsule furniture collection designed and manufactured 100% by him. Listen in to find out how Drew has curated this line to be truly customizable; allowing other designer’s to select finishes and materials to suit their client’s needs. The furniture line came to be after simple social media postings featured the pieces Drew was creating for his own client’s and projects. His goal is always to have the “work speak for itself” thus making it easy to market and sell.

Make a list, and Check it off

In the podcast, Drew speaks about the need for designers to be flexible in their design and with their clients. With communication being key in this industry, Drew wants to “let people (clients) be who they are, and meet them where they are”. The firm’s proposal and design process starts with providing a top to bottom cost estimate to get the space to reflect the design that the clients have selected Drew to create. From there, Drew has an open dialogue with his client’s to determine where and how far they wish to take the design.

Drew and Nick discuss the power of social media, and the role it has played in the growth of Drew McGukin Interiors. Drew believes strongly in keeping the personal touch and authenticity of his work present in all of his posts.

For students and new professionals, Drew offers the following advice “Surround yourself with successful people,” don’t be afraid to ask those you admire for advice, find mentors, take internships and seek out opportunity.

What’s Next for Drew McGukin

Drew is looking forward to the future expansion of his already successful furniture collection. He will also appear on an upcoming episode of Design Smackdown on the Design Network which will go live in April. Check back here for a link once the show has aired. Lastly, Drew is thankful for the design industry, which has been good to him, the incredible opportunities he’s had and the amazing people he’s met. Learn more about Drew at DrewMcgukin.com and follow him at @drewmcgukin on Instagram.

Updates from The Chaise Lounge

The Chaise Lounge is excited to announce that we will be attending the High Point Market event in North Carolina April 16th-20th. Contact Nick at [email protected] to connect with The Chaise Lounge at this awesome event!

As always connect with Nick on Facebook, Instagram @thechaiselounge and now on Twitter (@Nickinthelounge).

Lastly, we’d like to give a shout-out to our fantastic sponsors, Design Manager and Benjamin Moore Paints.

If you would like to hear more episodes,

Phyllis Harbinger hits hard with the number one topic of leadership. Phyllis believes the leading and allowing other to shine in the process shows true leadership. Leading isn't just limited to your team or staff. You must lead your subs, vendors, traders, etc as well. In this process, you are empowering others to lead and you are showing them to lead.

Mindset is a aspect of leadership. You must look at things from abundance. Thinking positive and staying positive with create positivity.  Connecting with your team will also help to create a positive working situation. Enjoy time with you team outside of the work environment and build relationships that you and your team can grow with. Think about this and tell us your feedback.

What is the most important aspect on your leadership style? What did you respect most about you favorite boss/leader? 

Alycia Wicker is a former interior designer turned kickass online marketer for interior design. She believes strongly in your online presences is a way to invite people into your world. It's a tour of your virtual pad. Make your website clear with your intention and where you are taking people. Your website should be appealing but should focus on what is it in for the client and what they will get. Your personality should shine through but also be constant. You don't want to be one person online and another in person. Her website shows designers through coaching how to start/improve your online activity and presence for the ever changing online world.