The Trend Report - Insights on Office Furniture, Contract Interiors & Workplace Design

Send us Fan Mail We’re back with another Trevor Report. Trevor planned to focus on second generation contract interiors employees, but his next guest recently found out that his lineage goes back even further. Liam Kirkbride is a fourth generation in the industry and has some amazing insights to share about the manufacturing side of the business.  He is extremely excited about the direction techno...

Send us Fan Mail The Trend Report is no more! Just kidding. Trevor Bloch of INDEAL University is taking over for the month of March to bring a new perspective to the show and about the industry. He’s going to be chatting with second generation newcomers in various specialties of contract interiors.  To start it all off, Trevor is chatting with Chelsea King of King Business Interiors. They’re a fam...

Send us Fan Mail As an industry, we need to start finding ways to attract new blood. Many of us fell into our careers by accident and some have come in through their parents. The journey of the second generation is one to watch so that we can figure out how to bring in the younger crowd.  Trevor Bloch is one such second generation newcomer and he is making waves. His father has been in the industr...

Send us Fan Mail You might not think personal branding, yoga, and the contract interiors space go together, but Danika Leeks approaches our industry in a very unique way. Listen as we chat about her career and why her personal brand has made all the difference in the world for her growth and longevity.  Danika, like most of us, fell into this industry by accident, but she’s loved it from day one....

Send us Fan Mail When you hear the word leather, what’s your first thought? For so many, the belief is that leather is a dying textile because it’s environmentally unsustainable and contributes to cruelty to animals. Simone and Keith of Green Hides join me to share about the innovative products they create and to clear up some misconceptions about the industry as a whole.  First, let’s clear up so...

Send us Fan Mail If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a hundred times. In this day and age you have to meet your clients where they are. They don’t have time for 3-9wk proposal windows. They want to find answers right now. Aaron Harden of NexGen Workspace has created the perfect solution. Listen in to learn more about furniture as a service.  Aaron heard what our clients were saying. The buying proc...

Send us Fan Mail We made it! Here we are at the end of 2021 and what a year it has been. I feel like we say that every year, but we’ve all survived another insane year filled with very high highs and super low lows. Listen as I share a quick podcast wrap up for the year and give you some insights on what to expect in 2022. First of all, thank you! Thank you to everyone who has been listening to th...

Send us Fan Mail With the holidays upon us and the start of a new year, many of us are likely feeling or facing burnout. We don’t have to succumb. The most important thing is to understand when we’ve reached burnout and figure out ways to avoid it. Listen in to learn more! First of all, we need to know the stages of burnout. This is important because the sooner we can identify our burnout, the mor...

Send us Fan Mail Sharing our expertise with the next generation is extremely important. Paul Anderson has been training and supporting people in our industry for many years and finds it extremely fulfilling. Listen as he shares his thoughts on insight selling and how we can bring new talent to our industry.  Paul started in the industry at HumanScale and moved to HighMark. It was at HighMark that...

Send us Fan Mail When you’re not happy with what you’re doing but you love the industry, you create the change you want to see. Byron Leclair was freelancing as a designer with manufacturing experience and realized that he could do better. From his desire to impact the industry in new ways came fluidconcepts.  His love of European design has informed the products the company produces. He is also c...

Send us Fan Mail The spaces we design and furnish directly impact the human experience. We bring spaces to life and are directly responsible for how people move and communicate in them. Listen as Kaelynn Reid shares her thoughts on Alternative Design and ways to make the industry better.  Kaelynn is the host of the Alternative Design podcast and is the Regional Workplace Advisor at Kimball Interna...

Send us Fan Mail Now that you know what a digital sales strategy is, how can you implement it? What do you need to create those connections and provide your customers with easily accessible ways to contact you and purchase?  First you need a user-friendly and resourceful website. It’s no longer enough to simply have an online store front. You need to answer your client’s questions with additional...

Send us Fan Mail We are living in a digital world and our sales strategies must shift to comply. I recently did a training session for INDEAL University talking all about digital sales strategies and how to elevate your brand and your business. Listen in as I share more about digital sales and why you need to incorporate it now.  Do you know what constitutes digital marketing and sales?  Have you...

Send us Fan Mail Overall, there has been a significant focus on health and wellness as a whole, but specifically in the workplace. Because of the pandemic of 2020 and 2021 the vast majority of industries have completely changed how and where they work. What does that mean for the employees affected by these changes?   First and foremost, their goal is to get an idea of where people are truly at an...

Send us Fan Mail Three H has not always been owned by Chris Binnendyk. He purchased Three H in the middle of a pandemic, and he is so happy that he did. Listen as Chris shares his story, how Three H is making waves in his community, and what he’s looking forward to moving into 2022.  Chris has been in the industry for over 23 years at this point. As is the case with most of us, he started in it wh...

Send us Fan Mail The office furniture industry, as you likely know, is an amazing industry with a wide range of job opportunities. However, we’ve struggled with diversifying our workforce and leadership teams. Michelle Warren of Catalyst Consulting Group joins me to chat about women and diversity in the office furniture industry. Listen in to learn more! Michelle and I have known each other and wo...

Send us Fan Mail The furniture industry is filled with family businesses. But what happens when one of our amazing colleagues passes? Evan Lagueruela and I are talking about the transition of his family business, Trinity Furniture. Evan and I met at Spring Breakout. I was fascinated by the story of his family business and asked if he’d be willing to come on the podcast. Instead he recommended that...

Send us Fan Mail When you hear the word “networking” what goes through your mind? What does networking mean to you? This topic has been on my mind as the networking process changes with the times. Listen in to hear tips and strategies for networking in a hybrid world.  To me, networking is about creating long term professional relationships. When you build them and cultivate them the right way, yo...

Send us Fan Mail It’s amazing how the stars align when you find a solution to a problem and then set out to help other people. This is a fundamental part of entrepreneurship and building successful businesses, but Nora Fenlon genuinely just wanted to help others. Listen as she shares why seating is the center of the universe and how she’s helping to change industry overall.  Nora incidentally foun...

Send us Fan Mail Christian Jones has made his way into the furniture industry as a legacy from both his father and grandfather. He tried his hand at several different things, but made his way back to the known. Listen as we chat about the realities of doing business today and creative A&D strategies he is using to invite better conversations.  Connecting with all the players in the industry ha...

Send us Fan Mail The biggest challenge to business owners today is the mind shift needed to think about projects and business in a new way. Rex Miller is a futurist who helps business owners look at complex problems in a new way and breakthrough the blocks their team is experiencing. He joins me to chat about the impact of stress on workplace design and how to approach it.  Rex started his career...

Send us Fan Mail When you communicate effectively you increase your earning potential by up to 50%. Did you know that? Neither did LeAnn Pashina until she started implementing her communications research and training in her own career. Listen in to hear all about her journey and why she’s passionate about developing powerful communication skills.  She’s been in sales for most of her career and wha...

Send us Fan Mail If you’ve been in the contract interiors industry for any amount of time, you know that it sucks you in. Rob Langejans and I worked at the same company but in different capacities and now we are both coaches. He’s helping his clients go from common to compelling through executive coaching. Listen to learn more.  Rob has been in the industry for many years. He has even been known t...

Send us Fan Mail We’re back with another amazing CEO Chat. Max Verkamp started his career out in the kitchen and bath industry but when the head job at Indiana Furniture opened up he decided to put his hat in the ring. He got the job and has since been bringing his expertise from kitchen and bath into the office furniture industry.  Indiana Furniture, formerly known as Indiana Desk, has been opera...

Send us Fan Mail You have to know and understand your customers, but that mentality and culture needs to bleed through your organization. Rob Day of Fellowes Contract Interiors is dedicated to creating amazing customer experiences and he starts with the culture in his organization.  Rob and I have known each other for many years and it has been fun for both of us to see how we’ve grown, connected,...