Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast

As the year comes to a close, Shaun and Rebecca take a reflective journey through their professional wins, challenges, and the lessons they've learned. From defining client relationships to leveraging AI for productivity, this episode offers a candid report card on their goals and the shifts they’ve experienced in 2024. Tune in for insights, strategies, and a little humor to guide you into the new...

Don’t treat relationships as one-night stands. Build and maintain strong connections with clients and colleagues beyond just the project – it’s key to success. At the same time, set boundaries because giving too much can drain you. Respectful boundaries allow you to nurture relationships without losing yourself in the process.  In this episode, Shaun and Rebecca talk with interior designer Ni...

Talking about money with clients can be super awkward. But here’s the thing, the real problem might not be the clients, it could be you! In this episode, Shaun and Rebecca discuss their experiences and approaches to navigating these tricky money conversations with clients. They also share their new Interior Design Client Questionnaire tool that makes those money talks a lot less awkward.  In...

Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Jeanne Chung — an interior designer who used to work in fashion for 20 years before switching to interior design. Jeanne shares her story of how she made this big career change, the challenges she faced, and how she built her business from the ground up. In this episode, they discuss: Jeanne’s background in fashion design and her transition from fashion design to in...

Can you send me your template for that project? What do you put in your client contracts? Can you send me the exact document you use for your project management? It’s tempting to ask for the tools, templates, and processes of successful designers, but you know what? There’s more to being successful than copying someone else’s process or templates. In this episode, Shaun and Rebecca discuss the val...

Grow small and incrementally. It’s not a race. It’s a marathon! Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Rona Graf, the founder of Grace Blu Interior Design. Rona shares her journey from being a teacher to starting her own design firm and discusses the importance of slow and steady growth in building a sustainable business. She explains why businesses should focus on sustainable, incremental growth instead...

Shaun and Rebecca are back with another installment of the perennial favorite, the Just Stop series, where they call out things in the design world that seriously need to stop. They discussed Just Stops from the coaching industry (coaches who brag about their income without proving their value) to the frustrations with generic and ineffective outreach emails from vendors, the use of AI-generated r...

Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Stephanie Nelson and Jessica Nelson from Etch Design Group, a full-service design studio. Stephanie and Jessica share their journey from colleagues to co-founders and how their unique skills and deep trust have allowed them to build a successful business. They also talk about harnessing the power of AI to streamline their design process and push the boundaries of th...

What are your project management strategies? How do you set expectations with clients and manage your deadlines? Shaun and Rebecca discuss their project management strategies and methods for setting expectations with clients and managing deadlines in the world of interior design. They also dive deep into the challenges of managing project timelines, client expectations, predicting and planning cap...

Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Crystal Bright, a virtual interior designer. Crystal shares how she grew her business in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Crystal has completed over 400 projects in the past five years and helps other designers transition to virtual work. Crystal explains how she uses AI and tools like 2020 Design Live to streamline her virtual design process and pro...

You know what they say – Niche Is Riche. Finding a niche for your interior design business can make you rich and successful. But how do you get there, hotties? Shaun and Rebecca discuss the importance of finding and defining your niche in your business. They also share different approaches to finding and defining your niche, from being true to your personal style and skills to identifying unmet de...

Today's guest, Jennifer Ramsey, has not only mastered the art of creating stunning personalized spaces but also seamlessly incorporated furniture sales in her design process – a feat that has increased her furniture sales to a new height. In this episode, Jennifer talks about her strategic approach to design and furniture sales that has transformed the way her clients experience the design journey...

Shaun and Rebecca are back with another Ask Us Anything. They answer your questions about marketing, photography, vendors, building and organizing a sample library, managing projects, using tools to help keep your work organized, growing your business, and much more! In this episode, they discuss: Shaun and Rebecca’s plans for the upcoming High Point Market The best marketing strategies for interi...

Why do interior designers need SEO? Why is SEO the key to keeping your interior design business ranking on Google? SEO expert Evan Larkin explains why SEO is so important for your business’s online presence and gives a live SEO audit of Shaun’s website. Listen in to Evan’s observations on Shaun’s website, Wrensted Interiors , and learn what to fix on your own website. In this episode, they discuss...

The design industry can be exciting to explore, but it's not always easy to break into. If you're looking to shift careers and work in interior design, Shaun and Rebecca have some valuable advice for you. They talk about the skills from your previous job that will add value to your design career, the challenges career-shifters face when switching into the design industry, and share tips that will...

Today’s guest, Ashley Ausland, shares her journey of growing her design business over the last few years while dealing with personal hardships—divorce, cancer, and becoming a single mother of four kids. She discusses the lessons she learned about business management, client relationships, and creating homes with soul and timeless appeal. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Ashley Ausland...

Shaun and Rebecca discuss the issues around designers’ rights to their work. They talk about a recent situation where a company used photos of designer Natalie Myers’s work without her permission and modified the pictures a little with the help of AI. They discuss this issue, how having no rights over the pictures of their work is not fair to designers, and finding a fair solution to this issue. I...

Will Brown of Will Brown Interiors believes that interior design should be more than just aesthetics — it should also support clients’ well-being and energy flow within a space. In this episode, Will shares how he uses ancient Feng Shui principles to help clients optimize the flow of energy in their homes. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun speak with Will Brown to discuss: Will’s career transitio...

As a designer, do you prefer working on kitchens or bathrooms? Are kitchens and bathrooms worth the effort in terms of payoff? Doing kitchens and bathrooms requires a lot of work but doesn’t always result in big profits. Shaun and Rebecca are here to discuss tips and strategies for making smaller projects like kitchens and bathrooms more profitable. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss: Chal...

Today’s guest, Garrison Hullinger, overcame adversity to build a thriving design business from the ground up. One of his secrets? Establishing the right process that allows for maximum productivity and profit. Garrison discusses his processes — from the structure of his design team to qualifying clients, delegating tasks, establishing design pillars and vision statements for each project, and more...

Opening an online shop seems like an exciting way to expand your business, but it is a major undertaking that requires careful planning and execution. Shaun and Rebecca are launching their new e-commerce shop and share the good, the bad, and the ugly of what it really takes to launch a fully robust e-commerce shop. In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun discuss: Shaun and Rebecca’s experience launchin...

What tools and apps can help me with time tracking and invoicing? How do I organize my notes and stay organized? Is an iPad worth it for work? How can it be used effectively? Tune in as we share some of our tried-and-true methods for staying organized and productive. With some small adjustments to your processes, these small methods can make a big difference for your business. Just don't call them...

Do you want to take your interior design business to the next level? High Point Market can be the boost you need to take things to the next level. Today’s guest, Stacy Garcia, has built an impressive career over 25 years in the design industry. She shares how instrumental High Point Market has been in fueling the success of her businesses, Stacy Garcia Design Studio and textile company LebaTex. In...

Today, we go back on the journey of where we started and discuss the mistakes we made and the lessons we learned. We share everything we wished we knew when we started — from basic bookkeeping and accounting to choosing the right software, tools, and infrastructure we wish we implemented sooner. In this episode, we discuss: Shaun and Rebecca are hosting the KBIS Panel  Shaun and Rebecca’s ear...

What is your approach to designing projects? Today’s guest, Dan Mazzarini of BHDM Design, shares his unique narrative-based approach to design. By asking the clients questions like “What is the story you want to tell with this house?” Dan helps them pull out their vision and desires beyond just aesthetics. He then works to design a space that brings that narrative to life.  In this episode, R...