Imagine a Place

During NeoCon 2023, Doug sat down with Stefanie Ince—a career coach who helps people find their passion and purpose in work. The conversation goes all the way back to the basics of sleeping enough, eating healthy, and getting enough exercise. These three basics tend to fall to the wayside when people get wrapped up in their work. But more than the basics, what makes you happy? It's important to be...

In this episode, Doug interviews Adam Goodman— the third generation CEO of Goodmans Interior Structures . The Black Lives Matter movement deeply affected Adam and spurred him to confront systemic racism within his own company. Goodman gives you his game plan on confronting systemic racism inside his company and it comes with a heavy dose of self vulnerability and a heaping side of courage. He unco...

Creating environments that support your health, your happiness, and your well-being is a passion for Erin Peavey,—Architect and Health & Well-being Design Leader at HKS. She's also well known for her TEDx Talk "Can design heal loneliness?" Her passion was born from personal experience as Erin cared for her mother during her battle with cancer. Daily walks in the community with her newborn daughter...

Recently Doug came across an article in Work Design Magazine by Kendra Linton—Senior Associate at NELSON Worldwide—that grabbed his attention. Kendra's article is about using sensory design to create engaging workspaces for the new hybrid workplace. As the world continues to grapple with making hybrid work more efficient and human-friendly, thinkers like Kendra cut through the noise and help us un...

Yahir Sarmiento is Cushman & Wakefield’s Senior Managing Director for Latin America. When it comes to hiring, Yahir believes the best "fit" is someone who will work with the already existing team soul. A leader must consider the team's soul when making decisions. It's easy to make decisions when feeling strong emotions, but making decisions based on motivation and good intention is best for a team...

Today, we have a special treat for you  –   Lisa Kahn is an expert in building " sanctuary spaces " and her story of how and why she’s decided to dedicate her life’s work to this is incredible. As you'll hear in this episode, now more than ever, we long for spaces that nurture us emotionally and allow us to feel a sense of well-being, tranquility, and joy - because as Lisa says, “When designed wit...

For 9 years, Tracy Hawkins led workplace strategy at Twitter as they scaled from 700 to 13,000 employees.  Today, she's Grammarly ’s Global Head of Workplace Experience and Connection.  In this episode, she will share Grammarly 's formula for hybrid work and how deeper levels of research and experimentation help them create better outcomes for work and the workforce. Tracy also explains how impact...

Paul Shahriari is a visionary and a do-er – It’s a powerful combination.  Today, he shares the mission and vision behind the company he cofounded Ecomedes . You’ll hear his inspiring story behind what set him down this path of sustainability - if you’ve ever had a college professor you loved, you’ll appreciate Paul’s story.   Paul and the Ecomedes tribe are determined to make more informed choices...

David Ulrich is a university professor, author, speaker, coach, and consultant. With over 30 books that have shaped the HR profession, he is widely regarded as the father of modern HR thinking.  David has been ranked as the #1 Management Educator & Guru by BusinessWeek, he's been selected by Fast Company as one of the 10 most innovative and creative leaders and was named the most influential think...

In this episode, we chat with Byron Morton, Vice President & Co-Head of Leasing at the Mart. Byron shares what to look forward to at NeoCon 2023 and gives us a sneak peek at the future plans for the show.  If you are heading to NeoCon we want to pass along a special invitation: Monday, June 12 at 4pm at the OFS Showroom :  We’ll be hosting an Imagine a Place alumni cocktail party which you are all...

Amanda Schneider is a researcher, writer, and founder of ThinkLab , a phenomenal source of creative insight for the industry of interior design.  Recently, Doug and Amanda met in Chicago to see what new thinking she has for us.  As expected… it was a thought-provoking discussion that finishes off with 3 bold predictions for the future of our industry.  Click here to get your FREE copy of the Imagi...

Dianne Murata , Furniture Chief and Founder of Kimiko Designs has a big announcement - She just launched the Kimiko Green Playbook for Sustainable Decommissioning . It's a guidebook to help you make better choices when it comes to the afterlife of your furniture. It was developed through hard work and through listening to a community of facility managers. Tune in to learn more about the playbook a...

Roy Abernathy is the EVP of Workplace Strategy and Human Experience at Newmark . He is known for his big-picture mindset and creative thinking.   Today, we do some dreaming out loud around and explore concepts for the future of business and real estate. One of them: The 4-day workweek. Towards the end of the episode, we learned that Roy went to veterinary school in college. You’ll be surprised whe...

We brought furniture designer Brian Graham back on the show for a laughter-filled and insightful bonus episode! Together we review a handful of powerful quotes from previous episodes. "It's not your job's job to make you happy." —Cheryl Durst "If you are waiting for regulations to change the way we design it will be far too late." —Jane Hallinan "If everyone is doing neutral, then of course, we'll...

On today's episode, join Doug as he sits down with Jorge Colón, Associate Principal and Interior Design Studio Head at Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) . They dive into some important topics, such as the power of attentive listening, the art of understanding client's needs and recognizing the unsung heroes in the design community. Jorge also shares insightful advice on navigating a successful care...

Back by popular demand, Regan Donoghue , Senior Principal of Strategy for Unispace joins our very own VP of Workplace, Molly Prior for a deep discussion on designing the space and the work culture for the new hybrid workforce. Together, they give you a checklist of how to think bigger about what today’s workplace needs are from the employee experience to how the physical space can respond. Click h...

In this episode, we have Ben Christensen , the founder of Cambium Carbon which exists to reimagine the supply chain for wood and wood products. Cambium Carbon saves fallen trees from landfills and decomposition, transforming them into valuable products with place-based impact. The size and scope of the problem they are seeking to solve is extraordinary and it's likely a problem you never knew exis...

This episode features Metaverse expert, Christopher Neff , the Global Head of Emerging Experience & Technology for Anomaly —Adweeks 2022 Creative Agency of the year. Not very long ago, we chose when to connect. Now, we have to choose when to disconnect. Doug and Chris explore how the Metaverse is the next logical step in our technological evolution, and how it could revolutionize the way we intera...

This episode brings you an architect from Michael Green Architecture in Vancouver – Natalie Telewiak . Natalie has done work for some of the most impressive companies on the planet, but it's her strong connection to nature that makes her approach more powerful and this conversation richer. In this episode, Doug and Natalie explore the idea of how cities can be designed to evoke the same feelings m...

Every year, OFS sponsors two student roundtables through the International Interior Design Association (IIDA). The roundtables consists of a panel of professionals sharing insights that can help students and new professionals grow their career in design. Everything from putting together the right portfolio, to picking the right firm, to nailing the interview. The target audience for this episode i...

Today is a conversational treat. We are joined by Gary David , a sociologist, professor, professional speaker, and co-host of the popular podcast Experience By Design . Gary is one entertaining human and delivers a conversation that is rich in intellectual stimuli. We explore the keys to a deeper understanding of the people, cultures, and context for which we design. We also go deep into future th...

A few months back, Imagine a Place Productions welcomed a new podcast to the network—Impact Icons—hosted by Jen Levisen and brought to you by Ecomedes. Impact Icons is more than just a podcast, it's a way to honor those who make a difference for this planet through the built environment. In this episode, the very friendly and energetic host—Jen Levisen—will give us a window into Impact Icons. It’s...

There is a new variable to consider for your workplace planning equation. Melissa Hanley will share why "time" needs to find its way into our planning metrics. She’s the co-founder of Blitz, an architecture and Interiors firm, and the author of several popular articles on workplace design. Her language around designing more meaningful places for work is a fresh and honest take. As we hope you’ve c...

In today's episode, we welcome back Brian Graham , a fan favorite who always brings his unique blend of humor, thoughtfulness, and insight to our discussions. After our previous episode with Brian, we received an overwhelming response from listeners who wanted to hear more from him. So, we invited him back to chat about his recent trip to the IIDA Industry Roundtable in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Brian...

My guest today is the ever-so-creative and impressive, Regan Donoghue . She leads workplace strategy at Unispace and is one of the most original thinkers when it comes to people and place. We sat with Regan now for a third time and we cover a lot of ground. In this discussion, we explore the potential of the metaverse and how it could impact the structure of work in the next decade, while also emp...