Whittney Parkinson, owner of Whittney Parkinson Design, joins host Dave Neff on Talent Scout to share her path from growing up in Kokomo to leading a small, high-end design firm in Indiana. Parkinson talks about learning business by watching her parents build their companies, studying art and illustration, and pivoting from Ringling School of Art and Design to interior design in Chicago.

She explains how working with her father after the 2008-09 financial crisis shaped her fast, hands-on approach, and why psychology classes helped her manage clients, personalities and high-emotion projects. Parkinson also discusses launching her firm in 2016, setting strict boundaries as a mother of three, vetting clients, and focusing on full home renovations and new builds, often in the Meridian Kessler, Meridian Hills, Carmel and Zionsville areas.