Designer Discussions : Remodeling Business Marketing

A remodel can look perfect on paper and still go sideways the moment framing starts. We talk with residential structural engineer Roger Enters of Epong Engineering about what really protects a project: smart planning, clear communication, and getting engineering eyes on the work before assumptions turn into expensive fixes. Roger shares why residential structural engineering is such a niche, how l...

Your website can be polished and still quietly leak leads. We see it all the time: great designers and remodelers doing strong work, but their site doesn’t show it clearly, doesn’t earn trust fast enough, or doesn’t tell visitors what to do next. So we break down five website upgrades for 2026 that make an immediate difference for the remodeling industry and design professionals who want better in...

Networking can feel like small talk until you realize it can also be the strongest business development system you have. We sit down with Samantha Vogt, president of the NKBA Texas North Plains Chapter and a senior interior designer at Jay Wiley Designs, to get specific about what the National Kitchen and Bath Association really offers working designers and remodelers who want to grow with more co...

PR can feel like a black box for designers and remodeling pros, so we’re pulling the curtain back with the 10 questions we get asked nonstop. We talk about what PR actually is (hint: it’s not just “getting into a magazine”), why earned media builds trust in a way paid ads can’t, and how to think about visibility across online publications, local outlets, trade media, podcasts, and even speaking op...

Social media has never offered more ways to reach clients & it has never been easier to waste an entire afternoon scrolling. We break that tension down with 10 practical social media tips for 2026 built specifically for design professionals who need results without burning out. We start with the foundation, consistency. If a potential client checks your Instagram or Facebook and your last post...

AI search is quietly reshaping how homeowners choose a designer or remodeler, and the rules are not the same as traditional SEO. If you want your business to show up when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for “the best kitchen remodeler near me,” you need more than a pretty website and a few keywords. You need content that answers the questions people actually ask and signals that you’re a credib...

If your design studio feels busy but the bank account never seems to agree, it’s time to zoom out and look at operations. We’re joined by Diane Welhouse of Wellhouse Consulting Services, a certified kitchen and bath remodeler and longtime remodeling professional, to talk about what actually makes a design or remodeling business durable in a tough marketplace. We start with the unglamorous stuff th...

If you’ve ever thought, “I can design a beautiful space, but commercial feels like a different language,” today’s guest is here to change that. Marcy Sagel is the founder of DesignerBank and principal of MSA Interiors, with 25 years in commercial and multifamily interiors. She helps interior designers build practical skills in Revit, Enscape rendering, and large-scale space planning using real pro...

Surprise: the star of KBIS wasn’t a futuristic gadget but the return of character. We dive into a wave of “what’s old is new again,” where doors get beaded and chamfered profiles, mullions and mesh come back with purpose, and stained glass quietly flexes in kitchens and baths. After years of flat fronts and white shaker, this shift doesn’t feel fussy—it feels intentional, with cleaner proportions,...

Planning your 2026 marketing but not sure where to start—or how to fix what’s not working? We break down a practical path that helps design professionals win more of the right projects without burning hours on tactics that don’t convert. It begins with the must-have foundations: a clear ideal client and a website that proves credibility in seconds. From there, we show how to get discovered locally...

What does it take to build a resilient remodeling business that lasts? We sit down with Jeff Russell of Russell Room Remodelers to trace a 37-year journey from a broadcasting grad to a trusted contractor serving the Twin Cities. The conversation moves from hard-won lessons on pricing and financial literacy to the everyday choices that shape trust inside a client’s home. Jeff breaks down why many n...

Tired of starting the year with big marketing goals and slipping back into guesswork by spring? We’re laying out a simple, durable framework to end random acts of marketing and build steady momentum into 2026, designed specifically for design and remodeling professionals who need results without burnout. We break down the five pillars that keep your pipeline healthy: a rock-solid foundation with c...

What happens when a remodeling company is born from service instead of sales? We sit down with Houston’s Marlon Stepp to unpack how a volunteer effort after floods and hurricanes became a design-build firm trusted by homeowners, hospitals, gyms, restaurants, and neighborhood nonprofits. The throughline is simple and rare: show up first, do what you say, and put displaced families at the front of t...

A new year calls for a smarter format. We’re kicking off 2026 by opening the studio doors to the people building design and remodeling businesses every day—so you hear what’s working, what isn’t, and how to fix it without guesswork or gimmicks. Think of it as a workshop you can return to, with clear steps, practical tools, and honest stories that help you create momentum in your marketing. We shar...

A year of experiments revealed a simple truth: design businesses grow faster when they trade constant posting for consistent systems. We open our playbook and revisit the strategies that delivered real results—using social more strategically, running an email newsletter that actually brings referrals, and treating PR as a core engine rather than a nice-to-have. Along the way, we unpack what we lea...

If your marketing swings from frantic bursts to total silence, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken. We’ve seen the same pattern in studios and remodelers for years: a few social posts, a one-off newsletter, a trade show, then disappearing when jobs heat up. The result is a lead drought that shows up right when you’re busiest. We’re changing that with a straightforward, design-first framework th...

Want homeowners to find you on sites they already trust—and choose you faster? We pull back the curtain on a marketing system built for design and remodeling businesses, where credible PR, a sharp website, and practical SEO work together to lift authority and generate better leads. Miriam lays out a step‑by‑step approach to fast media wins using HARO, SOS, and Qwoted, then shows how to pitch edito...

Want a website that quietly does the heavy lifting—qualifying visitors, building trust, and turning the right people into clients? We dig into the 2026 web trends that matter for design professionals and remodelers: practical customer experience improvements, content that speaks directly to an ideal client, and AI tools that uncover what you’re missing behind the scenes. We start with the visitor...

Prospects decide who to trust long before they ever call, and the media they read shapes those choices. We break down a fast, practical PR system for design and remodeling professionals who want to be discovered as experts—without spending five figures a month on an agency. You’ll hear why third‑party credibility changes buyer behavior, how quick expert quotes outperform long project pitches for b...

Robbie Maynard, a seasoned interior designer with over three decades of experience in San Diego, California, joins us to reveal her remarkable transformation from PR novice to confidently landing features in House Beautiful, Forbes, and Martha Stewart Living. With refreshing candor, Robbie shares how she initially felt "petrified" when submitting her first pitch to editors. "I thoug...

Ever wonder who's really behind the Designer Discussions podcast? Meet Jason, Miriam, and Maria – three industry experts who joined forces to create a no-nonsense resource for design professionals navigating the complex worlds of marketing, PR, and business growth. Jason brings a unique dual perspective as both an architect and marketing agency owner. His journey began teaching at LSU, implem...

Ever wondered why design school taught you everything about color theory but nothing about growing a successful business? That glaring gap in education is exactly what The Designer's Academy addresses—and after two incredibly successful years, we're opening enrollment for our third session this October. The Academy began as a simple PR membership but evolved when we realized designers ne...

The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet as AI reshapes how content is discovered, shared, and monetized online. For creators and business owners who've invested years building valuable online resources, this evolution presents both challenges and opportunities. In this eye-opening episode, Maria breaks down how AI systems are fundamentally changing website traffic patterns and pote...

The rules of search have fundamentally changed, and businesses that don't adapt risk becoming invisible online. Gone are the days when keyword optimization alone could propel your website to the top of search results. Today, AI-powered search has revolutionized how potential clients find and evaluate businesses. When someone searches for information related to your services, they're like...

Tired of endlessly creating social media content with little return? This eye-opening episode reveals how content calendars can transform from tedious scheduling tools into powerful opportunity generators for your design business. Miriam and Maria challenge the common misconception that content calendars merely help you post consistently. Instead, they demonstrate how planning eight weeks ahead cr...