Trade Tales

Business of Home, Kaitlin Petersen

Business of Home's editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen talks to interior designers about nurturing creativity, finding a firm’s financial footing, setting goals and discovering their own version of success as a result.

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179 episodes
Updated Wednesday

Episodes179

Newest first

Jun 4, 2025 · 53 min
How better boundaries helped Adam Hunter fall back in love with his business
Adam Hunter on the hire who brought consistency to his firm’s processes, how he developed boundaries to protect his professional relationships, and how he’s looking at his firm’s mission in a new light after the wildfires in Los Angeles.
May 28, 2025 · 43 min
Ask Us Anything: Emilie Munroe on why you should never charge a consultation fee
Emilie Munroe on why vetting is a two-way interview, how charging for consultations can cloud your firm’s end goal, and what it means to embrace client rejection.
May 21, 2025 · 50 min
How eliminating a markup has fueled Bella Mancini’s creativity
Bella Mancini on the business coach who overhauled her firm’s processes, why it’s crucial that clients communicate with every member of her team and how ditching a markup has transformed her business for the better.
May 14, 2025 · 36 min
Ask Us Anything: Kevin Isbell on what to do when an order goes wrong
Kevin Isbell on vetting vendors, navigating expensive mistakes, and ensuring that the client’s experience comes first—no matter the cost.
May 7, 2025 · 55 min
How Studio DB took their firm out of its startup phase
Britt and Damian Zunino of Studio DB on how they communicate the value of a coordinated architecture and design process to clients, how a consultant helped sharpen the firm’s structure and systems, and the ways they’ve honed their ability to recognize when they’re ready to grow.
Apr 30, 2025 · 50 min
Ask Us Anything: Victoria Sass on how to get published
Victoria Sass on different approaches to working with a public relations agency, how digital placement can actually yield longer-term results for your business and why local press contains a wealth of value that’s often overlooked.
Apr 23, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Why Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry get real about the design process on social media
Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry on how they make sure the chemistry is right with prospective clients, why video plays a major role in their intake process, and how they use social media to foster both new and old clientele.
Apr 16, 2025 · 42 min
Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level
Dane Austin on bringing a theatrical edge to big-picture design planning, a strategy for physically packaging ideas that invokes the world of luxury shopping, and the value of refining the decision-making process through three levels of presentations.
Apr 9, 2025 · 58 min
How making a handbook for her firm helped Isabel Ladd fall back in love with design
Isabel Ladd on how she knows when it’s time to raise her rates, why her team includes a dedicated social media expert, and what it took to put together the handbook that guides her firm’s processes.
Apr 2, 2025 · 31 min
Ask Us Anything: Clara Jung on building community as an introvert
Clara Jung on mentally preparing for large industry events, networking from a place of sincerity, and how introversion can be a superpower when it comes to building relationships with clients.
Mar 26, 2025 · 1 hr 8 min
How Arianne Bellizaire stopped chasing the industry’s standard of success
Arianne Bellizaire on the books that helped her imagine a new future for her firm, why she no longer hires out of desperation, and how she finally abandoned the idea that she needed a large team to achieve her dreams.
Mar 19, 2025 · 36 min
Ask Us Anything: Regan Baker on how to scale without putting client relationships at risk
On this episode of Ask Us Anything, San Francisco–based designer Regan Baker joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer whose five-person firm is going through some growing pains when it comes to scaling.
Mar 12, 2025 · 49 min
How Jae Joo unlocked better creative control over her projects
Jae Joo on how she builds demand for her work by taking a strategic approach to getting published, how she’s prioritized structuring her fees in the most digestible way for clients, and why she now insists on building her own team of tradespeople to executive her visual vocabulary.
Mar 5, 2025 · 34 min
Ask Us Anything: Courtney McLeod on developing systems to power your projects
For the debut episode of the Ask Us Anything podcast, New York designer Courtney McLeod answers an anonymous question about how to establish systems within your firm.
Feb 26, 2025 · 50 min
Caroline Gidiere on setting her rates for the clients she wants
Caroline Gidiere on what it took to secure her first workroom relationship, how she’s preparing for the launch of her new book, and how to adopt the mindset to charge for the client you want.
Feb 12, 2025 · 56 min
Cortney Bishop on the monthly fee that keeps her firm in motion
Cortney Bishop on the path she took to level up her clientele, why she thinks of her projects as marketing campaigns, how hiring a business manager is one of the best decisions she ever made—and what you should look for in a candidate if you want to hire one, too.
Jan 29, 2025 · 49 min
Jenna Chused on embracing risk in order to grow
Jenna Chused on honing her marketing efforts to achieve better exposure, how she overcame a fear of delegation in order to grow, and the real costs of project photography in order to get published today.
Jan 15, 2025 · 35 min
Michel Smith Boyd on why a flat fee lets him focus on creativity [Rebroadcast]
After some early career confusion, Michel Smith’s Boyd’s rise to success was swift—so swift that he was landing swanky clients while still in design school. Now, he’s taking a moment to go back and button up the basics he missed at the beginning.
Jan 1, 2025 · 50 min
How Pure Salt’s cofounders turned a signature look into a successful brand [Rebroadcast]
As college roommates, Aly Morford and Leigh Lincoln never guessed their fast friendship would one day become a business partnership. After launching their design firm, they discovered another shared ambition: the desire to turn their budding business into a brand empire.
Dec 18, 2024 · 49 min
Jenna Gross on the showhouse that helped solidify her brand
Jenna Gross on the showhouse that helped her embrace her design aesthetic, how she uses social media to forge connections with future clients, and how her business had to level up before she could take on a more elevated clientele.

Trade Tales

How better boundaries helped Adam Hunter fall back in love with his business

Ask Us Anything: Emilie Munroe on why you should never charge a consultation fee

How eliminating a markup has fueled Bella Mancini’s creativity

Ask Us Anything: Kevin Isbell on what to do when an order goes wrong

How Studio DB took their firm out of its startup phase

Ask Us Anything: Victoria Sass on how to get published

Why Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry get real about the design process on social media

Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level

How making a handbook for her firm helped Isabel Ladd fall back in love with design

Ask Us Anything: Clara Jung on building community as an introvert

How Arianne Bellizaire stopped chasing the industry’s standard of success

Ask Us Anything: Regan Baker on how to scale without putting client relationships at risk

How Jae Joo unlocked better creative control over her projects

Ask Us Anything: Courtney McLeod on developing systems to power your projects

Caroline Gidiere on setting her rates for the clients she wants

Cortney Bishop on the monthly fee that keeps her firm in motion

Jenna Chused on embracing risk in order to grow

Michel Smith Boyd on why a flat fee lets him focus on creativity [Rebroadcast]

How Pure Salt’s cofounders turned a signature look into a successful brand [Rebroadcast]

Jenna Gross on the showhouse that helped solidify her brand