Designer and UA Designs founder Sarah Brohm joins Laurie Laizure on the To-The-Trade for real talk on process, pricing, and growth. Sarah’s nursing background shaped her bias for systems and client care, which shows up in selection trackers, job site codes, and contractor-first communication that keeps clients out of the weeds.

The firm averages about 15 whole homes per year, aiming to have the design complete by framing walkthroughs, then rolling right into furnishings. Their flat design fee is based on estimated hours multiplied by the studio rate and includes two revisions, with extras billed as needed. Fit checks up front ensure budget alignment and trust.

To guard margins, Sarah runs EOS and reviews invoicing, budgets, and profitability weekly. As expectations for CAD, SketchUp, Enscape, and Revit have grown, the team increases planned hours and runs periodic time studies so pricing stays honest.

Client experience is formalized. UA Designs offers a certificate of completion and price transparency guarantees, prioritizing rapport and a finish-line mindset.

The studio’s kitchens and cabinetry division reduces vendor fatigue and yields cohesive results by keeping a single visionary in charge of casework, finishes, and furnishings. Trade shows, lunch-and-learns, and monthly education keep the whole team sharp.

On AI, Sarah says designers should use it more effectively, especially to sync changes across platforms and to eliminate redundant tasks, freeing up time for design. Looking forward, she wants fewer projects with deeper scope, ultra-dialed installs, a larger studio, and, eventually, an integrated design-build offering.

On this episode of the To-The-Trade interior design podcast, host Laurie Laizure and co-host Nile Johnson welcome SEO pioneer Ross Dunn for real talk on how search is shifting for the trade. Ross explains why he prefers “answer engine optimization,” and how AI overviews assemble responses by fanning out to multiple queries, which reshapes how content should be planned. Designers should build topical hubs that cover the real questions clients ask, not just pretty pictures.

From the website basics, Ross and Laurie highlight common issues on design sites, such as missing service areas, thin project pages, and unlabeled images. They suggest including descriptive copy for each project, using meaningful file names, and adding human-readable alt text that benefits screen readers and search engines.

For local SEO, Ross emphasizes hyperlocal proof, such as community sponsorships and charitable ties, that generate authentic mentions and links. Social mentions can be influential, but platforms with restricted access are unreliable signals. Reviews, including video reviews, are powerful tools for building trust in the interior design business.

Operational must-dos for the episode include updating WordPress, maintaining 90-day rolling backups, testing contact forms monthly to prevent losing leads, and using Google Search Console since third-party rank reporting is now limited. GA4 should track conversions that represent genuine leads, not vanity metrics. For performance, Ross advises designers to use GTmetrix and emphasizes that speed keeps prospects engaged.

He also promotes his new SEO Grok resource and reminds listeners of his long-running SEO 101 podcast for ongoing learning. Designers seeking sustainable visibility should continue publishing case-study style project pages, include genuine words, and build authority gradually.

This episode of the To-The-Trade highlights designer Dara Segbefia, principal of The Zen Experience, whose holistic interiors focus on mental health and wellbeing. Her specialty, transforming teacher lounges and school spaces, began with a project connected to her daughter, Zen, and a principal client. It expanded after teachers said they finally felt seen and respected in a space designed for them.

Dara explains how improved staff energy influences students, transforming lounges into hubs that support relaxation, collaboration, and daily functioning, including small but important wins like adding a second microwave and planning for both introverts and extroverts.

We also explore the interior design business. Laurie and Dara speak openly about pricing and safeguarding margins, including the idea of a 10 percent admin fee to cover unavoidable project friction, documentation, and supplies, so resentment doesn’t arise when profit diminishes.

For client management, Dara shares the systems that keep her grounded, including a morning routine that avoids social media and email, skipping morning meetings, and aligning with clients who respect her boundaries. Community matters too, from designer meetups to accountability voice notes that lighten the load.

The episode closes with real-world operations, featuring a project manager who handles logistics and time tracking, allowing Dara to stay in her creative lane. Additionally, a field story is shared that proves why humor is sometimes the only tool left when an installation goes sideways.

Dara also shares a future goal: establishing a nonprofit arm to serve schools without budgets, because design dignity should not be dependent on zip code.

In this To-The-Trade podcast conversation, designer and former corporate marketer Rasheeda Gray explains how she transformed a light-bulb staging moment into a successful studio, Gray Space Interiors. Her home sold in three hours, transforming a long-time hobby into a clear pathway forward in 2016. Rasheeda spent three years building the firm at night while maintaining her day job, then exited corporate in 2019. She openly discusses burning through savings faster than expected and then pushing through the early pandemic to achieve one of her best years. The lesson is simple: perseverance and planning matter. Today, her team operates using systems such as a CRM with automated qualifiers, Design Files for boards and management, and QuickBooks for financial clarity. She monitors cash flow constantly and expects her team to be familiar with the numbers. Her offer ladder maintains steady revenue, with full-service options for larger projects and virtual design for clients with limited budgets. eDesign serves as a profit center that stabilizes cash flow. For client management, Rasheeda uses an intake questionnaire, a 15-minute screening, and will walk away during proposals if fit or process alignment isn’t present. Protecting the business and the team is a priority. Media presence is important but in a targeted way. TV appearances on HGTV, A&E, and Magnolia increased visibility, but local morning news segments are more effective for conversions. She actively pitches and dedicates roughly 20 to 25 percent of her time to marketing. Her parting advice to design professionals is to operate based on strategy. Plan the year and quarter, focus on what you love and delegate the rest, and hold yourself accountable with KPIs to enable course correction. 

On this episode of the To-The-Trade  podcast, Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson sit down with Philadelphia-area independent rep and company owner, Jason Levy, who grew up in the trade through a Kravet family franchise and now blends residential and commercial support for designers. He positions himself as a solutionist, a rep who turns twenty conversations into one, sourcing options fast, handling specs, stock, codes, and finishes so designers stay in the profitable part of the project.

Speed and availability are Jason’s edge. He answers after hours, which once landed a Saturday emergency call that grew into a career-defining, multi-scope project. He aims to be known as the fastest rep alive, using technology and solid CRM habits to keep designers moving.

Jason also meets designers where they are, literally and digitally. Rather than over-visiting during a busy summer, he invested in humorous video content with a pro videographer to connect with emerging designers while staying valuable to seasoned pros, showing new programs like a domestically made, quick-turn machine-tufted rug line.

The conversation addresses industry consolidation, the customer experience, and how effective communication, empathy, and product knowledge foster trust. Jason urges representatives to thoroughly research firms and project types, then provide precise, code-smart solutions, whether for hospitality, healthcare, or senior living. Forecasting, he says, starts with watching what firms publish and remembering preferences at the designer level.

A heartfelt moment: Jason’s outlook was shaped by his late mother, a beloved rep whose clients became family, and by a hospitality mindset inspired by “unreasonable” service. Takeaways for the business of interior design, client management for designers, and operations, all anchored in getting answers fast and caring deeply.

Beth Dotolo and Carolina V. Gentry of Pulp Design Studios explain how they manage a firm across Dallas and Seattle, sharing goals, standardized processes, and similar revenue profiles. Their rule of thumb for hiring is straightforward: when leadership spends too much time on high-value design work, they hire or reassign to ensure the right people handle the right tasks. They prioritize investing in team compensation and career paths to maintain their culture and output.

Their main theme is building wealth beyond just fees. Instead of spending on flashy things, Pulp invests surplus funds into assets, like purchasing their Dallas building and a Palm Springs property they renovated into an Airbnb. The focus is on long-term stability, not quick fame. The showhouse segment also provides a creative perspective, where constraints led to memorable design features, such as a secret door and a moody lounge, which generated industry buzz and new business.

Decision-making is structured. Beth tends to approve, Carolina assesses feasibility, and both rely on documented five- to fifteen-year plans with a strategist. Operationally, the team is comfortable working remotely, using cloud-based systems and simple communication tools so both offices can support each other during workload spikes. The episode offers interior designer tips on partnership, pricing strategy, resource planning, and marketing through action, not just posting.

Filmmaker Jude Charles joins the To-The-Trade podcast to explain how docuseries content helps designers sell the real value of their work. Instead of chasing a viral post, he urges designers to create a human, long-form story that shows process, judgment, and personality, so clients start with trust. His journey began with a three-part series for a Pompano Beach designer who needed more than portfolio photos to explain his team’s value, and it accelerated after a project with LuAnn that highlighted a deep appetite for narrative in our field.

The strategy is simple: let prospects meet you before they actually meet you. Include the docuseries in your inquiry and consult the flow. This approach shortens the time to a positive response and smooths projects because clients already understand how you think and lead. Jude’s three rules of authentic storytelling—lived experience, emotion, and evidence keep the content honest and persuasive. He demonstrates this by sharing his own burnout and recovery story, including a parking lot emergency that redefined his identity beyond work.

A notable example is builder Brad Leavitt. Even with a solid platform, Brad needed to understand how a docuseries fit into his business. The series begins with his Father’s Day stroke, a human moment that garners attention and empathy before highlighting the work. Laurie notes that design is a high-stress, high-stakes service, and a docuseries can prepare clients to be patient when schedules slip, which helps with better client management for designers.

Design pros, this is your playbook for integrating technology into the experience and the business of interior design. Katye McGregor Bennett explains why the integrator, your behind-the-walls systems partner, belongs at the table before drywall. That early involvement lets lighting, audio, networking, and security serve the design vision, and it keeps you out of tech support. Pair with a proper service plan and remote monitoring, and the integrator handles issues while you lead the relationship.

Start every project with the network, the home’s digital foundation, then layer categories like motorized shades and high-performance displays. A solid network reduces glitches, supports heavy use when the household is active, and future-proofs for growth. Watch power quality too; a stressed grid can cause flicker and crashes, and an integrator can diagnose and stabilize.

Lean on the Home Technology Association’s Integrator Finder, assessment form, and budget calculator to vet partners and start transparent, experience-focused conversations with clients. Test tech at home or in your studio to build language and confidence, then position it as part of wellness, aging in place, and daily joy.

Bottom line, curate two to four trusted integrators, align on aesthetics and communication, scope realistically with HTA tools, and let tech elevate the client’s lifestyle and your margins.

Laurie Laizure, Nile Johnson, and Phyllis Harbinger get practical about the business of interior design. Phyllis outlines her transparent purchasing model, where clients pay vendors directly, while her team manages the logistics. She charges a 35 percent cost-plus purchase management fee over net on everything. Her contract states she is not responsible for vendor malfeasance or damages, and if a replacement is needed, she manages it for the same fee.

She avoids the term “retainer,” opting instead to collect a defined design fee at signing, a choice reinforced by legal guidance that “retainer” can require refunds if projects end early. She also protects IP and has clients initial every page.

Day-to-day, Phyllis relies on daily team huddles, shared agendas, minutes, and Zoom recordings, which make approvals traceable and keep clients accountable. Design-wise, it is FFF, form follows function, with a deep understanding of how clients actually live and work.

Expect mindset gems too, from positive expectation resets to a reality check on TV budgets versus trade economics

Host Laurie Laizure sits down with Lee Hershberg, founder of Design Edge, a traveling, invite-only trade event created exclusively for interior designers. Drawing on decades of experience with KBIS, High Point, and Las Vegas Market, Lee designed the event to close the gap between manufacturers and the many designers who can’t attend large markets.

Design Edge is intentionally smaller and more focused, making it easier for designers to connect with senior brand leaders, exchange feedback, and find new products without the overwhelm of large show floors. The event features three parts: brand booths, a Maker Stage for product storytelling, and an Education Stage with sessions on contracts, luxury clients, and profit growth.

Laurie and Lee highlight shifting from a “product” mindset to a “product partner” approach, fostering collaborative relationships where brands understand and support a designer’s unique needs. They share real-life examples of successes and failures, encouraging designers to come prepared to ask questions, provide feedback, and discuss what’s working and what’s not.

With stops planned across the U.S., Design Edge offers a high-impact, low-cost way for designers to source smarter, partner better, and ultimately grow their businesses.