Designed by Wingnut Social | Interior Design Business

You may not have grabbed a copy of Pat Flynn’s new book, “Superfans” yet - Darla has it but hasn’t made space in her busy schedule to read it yet - but you need to understand the term all the same.  A superfan is exactly what it sounds like - a person who truly loves the things you do, whatever that might be. They comment on your social media posts. They share your stuff with others, they even rea...

As you’ll hear during the first part of this episode, just the thought of hiring an interior design virtual assistant stripped Darla’s gears a bit. That’s because there’s so much specialization, so many moving parts, and a ton of location-dependent stuff involved in design work. She couldn’t see how an assistant who’s not on location could be effective. But now she’s seen the light - thanks to Bri...

Turn your prospects into super fans with Bonjoro When it comes to making a real and personal connection with clients, video connections beat email, text, or instant messenger, hands-down. And the impact it can have is powerful. But creating a personalized video is tough, from a time and technology standpoint. Until now. On this mini-poddy episode Darla introduces you to a fun new app she’s using c...

Many times, design projects need something special, something unique to set off the entire vibe of what you’re doing in a room. Enter custom furniture design. Yes, it sounds intimidating and like it might require skills you don’t have, but there are ways around that. Darla and Natalie’s guest on this episode is going to explain how you can pull it off. Kelley Bishop is the owner and designer behin...

Tailwind is an incredibly helpful app that enables auto posting and more for Pinterest. Yes, Pinterest - we’ve been a bit neglectful of the platform for a while but since Instagram appears to be in kind of a lateral stall lately, Darla decided to jump back on to see what it might have to offer. Boy! There is a lot that’s happened with Pinterest in our absence! Take a few moments to listen, learn a...

You may be aware that some designers choose an interior design niche, but have you ever considered doing the same in your business? There are many reasons (fears) NOT to niche down, but are they valid? This episode is a conversation with Jen Obermeier, a professional organizer who has learned how fulfilling and profitable it can be to drill down into a niche that enables you to do the specific kin...

There’s lots of complaining out there in social media land about buying followers. On some level we all kinda resent it, because getting followers used to be kind of automatic or organic. But no more - organic is going away. So instead of swimming against the tide of the inevitable Darla decided to go surfing - and tried out a 2 day experiment using Instagram’s promotional feature. And she reeled...

Wingnut Social is an interior design podcast for designers - but there are other types of podcasts produced by designers that go at it from a different angle. Kendrac and Kole have been producing “Inside Design” (their podcast) for just over a year and are using it to a different end - to make themselves known for speaking opportunities and other industry-level events. Have you considered starting...

Everyone needs a good book recommendation, but the problem is that everyone always recommends the same five business books. Today Darla makes some off-the-beaten-path recs that will help your interior design business. While Natalie loves the open seas and the sun, Darla would much rather be curled up with a book, so this episode is her five favorite books that have helped her in life and in busine...

There’s an old saying in business: If you don’t have a system for it, it doesn’t get done. Or we just made that up. Regardless, Mydoma Studio’s Stacy McKenna is on the show today, talking about how automation can help your bottom line. Stacy McKenna is an account executive with Mydoma Studio, a project management suite made by interior designers for interior designers. She has 12 years experience...

You’ve heard about it, you’ve seen the Instagram photos, but is hitting up High Point Market worth it for interior designers? The answer, yes, on this week’s Monday Minisode (not poddy). Today, Darla and Natalie issue a public service announcement. High Point Market may not be until October, but you should be thinking about it and booking your hotel, etc., now, because lodgings go quickly. In fact...

General contractors are a necessary partner when hiring trades to complete the project you designed. But what if you were a general contractor? Today, on the podcast, heading back to school with Nicole White. Nicole White is the principal of Nicole White Designs, which was recently voted a top Southern Florida design firm and one of 10 designers to watch by the Black Interior Designers Network. Ni...

On this week’s Marketing Monday Minisode, the Head Wingnut and the Hungry Ginger talk about the first time they delegated work. Darla was asked to do a 3D rendering of a room, and it took her way longer than could be financially justified. And after hiring out that work, and consulting with a copy of The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks, Darla realized she should be focusing on the work that leverages he...

Getting published in magazines can be huge for an interior designer’s business? So how has one designer, who’s only been in the biz 18 months, been published so much? Find out on today’s episode! Sara Lynn Brennan is an award-winning entrepreneur, CEO and Principal Interior Designer at Sara Lynn Brennan Interiors, the first and only full-service interior design firm in Waxhaw, North Carolina who s...

Apps make life easier for you in 100 different ways. But for interior designers, there are four that can really be game changers. Darla and Natalie break them down on this episode. The first app the two recommend is a graphic design program that is cop- and firefighter-proof: Canva. Canva is an online app that’s plug and play and allows you to make pro-level graphics with a minimum of sweat. Up ne...

One of the most prestigious showhouse projects in the nation is the Kips Bay Decorator Showhouse - a project that benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. This past year Corey Damen Jenkins received a personal invitation to participate in the project - and the work his team did in that house was UH-MAY-ZING! In this episode of Wingnut Social, we talk with Corey about how he became involved with...

Let’s do a little experiment: search for “Interior Design YOUR CITY” right now on Google - and you’ll see Google Local Search listings right at the top. Is your business shown there? It SHOULD be… but if it’s not, never fear. This minisode is all about helping you get set up on what’s now called “Google My Business.” Listen to learn what Google My Business is and where it appears on search results...

Ever see pictures of an incredible event with, say, brands, designers, and a cupcake buffet? That was probably hosted by today’s guest, Veronika Miller, and you probably want to be a part of it. Veronika Miller is a kitchen and bath designer, and marketing specialist, who combined those two superpowers when she founded Modenus Media in 2010. Modenus is a marketing platform that seeks to pair desig...

How to Get Your Trades on Instagram (Seriously) It can be hard to find the right general contractor or tradesman for your interior design projects. So today, Darla and Natalie give tips on how to find trades on, you guessed it, Instagram. On this week’s Marketing Monday Minisode, Darla and Natalie admit that when it comes to working with trades, they’ve kissed a few frogs and have the warts to pro...

Rendering can be key for communicating with a client on how a space should look. But it’s also time-consuming and resource-intensive. Should you outsource it, and how does that work? Ace architectural artist Kelly Fridline tells Darla and Natalie. Kelly Fridline is an architecturally trained interior designer who specializes in providing 3D-renderings for interior designers and their clients. Kell...

Have you ever been shopping online, and then suddenly the only ads you see are for the things you were just shopping for? Find out how that bit of technology can help your interior design business. On this week’s Marketing Monday Minisode, Darla and Natalie dig through the world of Facebook Pixels. That’s the tiny bit of code that you can put on your website and connect with your Facebook Ads Mana...

Interior design is a competitive business, and it can often feel like you need to keep your cards close to the vest in order to survive. But today the Wingnut Social Podcast looks at how a community can help your business thrive. Laurie Laizure is the founder of the Interior Design Community, a social media group that has more than 100,000 followers, where designers connect, learn, and share ideas...

What’s in a name? Pretty much everything, if you ask your favorite interior designer. On today’s Marketing Monday Minisode, Darla and Natalie dig into designing versus decorating.  The inspiration for this discussion came from a discussion in Claire Jefford’s Facebook group (link below), in which interior designers who earned degrees in the field took umbrage with people without degrees calling th...

Photography is the currency of interior designers online. But if you can’t afford to call a big-time photographer, there are things you can do to make the shots you take on job sites look pro. How? Find out from pro Stephen Karlisch. A professional photographer who has been published in Architectural Digest, Veranda, Elle Decor, House Beautiful to name a few, Stephen has consistently helped design...

You gotta have them both, but which one should you devote the most time to? On today’s Marketing Monday Minisode, Darla and Natalie help you pick your favorite kid: Facebook or Instagram. Facebook just isn’t what it used to be when it comes to organic traffic. But there are still ways you can make it valuable for your interior design business. The first is to create a group. If you can start a gro...