Trade Tales
Episodes
Ask Us Anything: Chloe Redmond Warner on establishing processes that fit your firm
18 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Oakland, California–based designer Chloe Redmond Warner joins the show to answer a question from a designer who is wondering if stronger systems cou...
Melissa Oholendt on how to become the creative director of your design firm
11 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Melissa Oholendt has guided her firm through some major changes in recent years, including opening a second office halfway across the country and the ...
Ask Us Anything: Alex Kaehler on strategic growth
04 Mar 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Colorado-based designer Alex Kaehler joins the show to answer a question from a designer who has stayed busy as a team of one, but wonders what growth...
A surprising path to partnership for Bergman Vass
25 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dana Bergman Falcione and Erica Vassalotti had a surprising path to partnership. In this episode, they explain how they’ve come together—and how t...
Ask Us Anything: Dan Mazzarini on how to get client approval for antiques
18 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Mazzarini, the founder of New York–based interiors firm Mazzarini & Co., joins the show to answer a question from a designer who wants to start ...
Yates Desygn on the course correction that saved their team
11 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Bryan and Mike Yates discovered that at the height of their firm’s success, their team’s morale was at its lowest. In this episode, they explain h...
Ask Us Anything: DuVäl Reynolds on finding new clients in a slowdown
04 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
DuVäl Reynolds, the founder of East Coast interior design firm DuVäl Design, joins the show to answer a question from a designer whose steady stream...
How Evan Millard used showhouses to launch his design career
28 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Evan Millard’s strategic approach to showhouses catapulted his firm to early success. In the years since, he’s flourished as a solo designer, purs...
Ask Us Anything: Victoria Sass on how to get published [Rebroadcast]
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Victoria Sass joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who is hoping to land her young firm’s first magazine feature. She has a pr...
Why Zoe Feldman doesn't believe in complete transparency [Rebroadcast]
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Zoe Feldman got some surprising advice just as she was starting to feel settled in her business: While she thought she couldn’t afford to hire more ...
Ask Us Anything: Kevin Isbell on what to do when an order goes wrong [Rebroadcast]
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Isbell joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who reached out with the story of an order gone awry, and is now looking for a...
Alvin Wayne on making social media the bedrock of his business [Rebroadcast]
31 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alvin Wayne spent years juggling a double career in luxury retail and interior design. But when the pandemic happened, he was hit with a realization: ...
Ask Us Anything: Erin Gates on clients who disrupt the design process
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Erin Gates joins the show to answer a question from a designer trying to establish boundaries with clients who requested revisions too late in the des...
Richard Anuszkiewicz on launching a new creative studio
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Richard Anuszkiewicz has been a rising star in the kitchen and bath industry since his design school days. He spent the better part of his career work...
Ask Us Anything: Ashley Hughes on how to level up your clientele
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ashley Hughes joins the show to answer a question from a designer who is looking to reach the next level of clientele. Hughes, whose firm is based in ...
Lilse McKenna on building client confidence
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lilse McKenna honed her craft under some of New York’s top design talents before striking out on her own. She learned from the best when it comes to...
Ask Us Anything: Live with Heather Fujikawa, Jean Stoffer and Grace Start
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Designers Heather Fujikawa, Jean Stoffer and Grace Start joined host Kaitlin Petersen for a live episode of the show—recorded at the Four Hands show...
Why Ariel Okin believes all clients deserve ‘unfailing optimism’
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ariel Okin’s early look at the industry inspired her to structure her business with a clear separation of the creative and operations teams. She als...
Ask Us Anything: Jenna Chused on rising prices in the tariff era
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jenna Chused joins the show to answer a question from a designer who is looking for help when it comes to communicating with clients about tariffs. Ch...
How Dan Mazzarini built a firm that benefits from a diverse project mix
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dan Mazzarini kicked off his career working in retail design before stepping into residential and hospitality work. Today, clients hire his firm for a...
Ask Us Anything: Anissa Zajac on getting out-of-state jobs right
29 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anissa Zajac joins the show to answer a question from a designer who is looking to scale her business by expanding into new markets. Zajac, whose firm...
Heather Fujikawa on always putting the business first
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Heather Fujikawa quickly realized that she wanted her firm to be about more than herself, and built up a team early on so that her budding design busi...
Ask Us Anything: Noz Nozawa on how to find the best talent
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Noz Nozawa joins the show to answer a question from a designer who’s finding it difficult to expand her team. Nozawa, whose firm is based in San Fra...
For Jean Stoffer and Grace Start, starting slow is the key to growing big ideas
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jean Stoffer and Grace Start’s multigenerational firm always has an eye towards the future. They’ve paved a path to growth by launching new ventur...
Ask Us Anything: Georgia Zikas on staying nimble amid a business slowdown
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Georgia Zikas joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer whose firm is experiencing a slowdown in new business. Zikas, whose firm has ...
Lindsay Anyon Brier on building space for joy into her firm
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Lindsay Anyon Brier’s business spans a full-service firm and a home boutique with outposts in San Francisco and Dallas. As she explains, she couldn’...
Ask Us Anything: Dwayne Bergmann on how to purchase another designer's firm
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dwayne Bergmann joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who recently received an offer from the principal of her firm to purchase t...
How Luis Fernandez structured his firm to foster creativity
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Luis Fernandez’s boundless creative energy led him to a career in architecture, fashion, and ultimately, interiors. Now, he’s intent on pushing th...
Ask Us Anything: Michael Hilal on how good photography drives growth
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Hilal joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer about how to prioritize project photography after missing out on the opportun...
Anne McDonald’s roadmap to investing in yourself
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Anne McDonald made a big push a few years back to take her firm to the next level—toward bigger projects, more robust budgets, and new opportunities...
Ask Us Anything: Jean Liu on the best way to use credit cards for purchasing
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jean Liu joins the show to answer a question from a designer who is wondering whether or not to pass along vendor processing fees to clients. The Dall...
How acquiring another design firm helped Dwayne Bergmann get back in touch with his creativity
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dwayne Bergmann’s multifaceted approach to business growth has included everything from repping cabinet lines and cofounding a slab importing compan...
Ask Us Anything: Brian Paquette on warehouse insurance that works for designers
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Paquette joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who wanted to know the best way to protect items in storage for her clients....
How Michelle Gage built the team that helped her escape burnout
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Michelle Gage found herself fast-approaching the point of burnout several years ago. In response, she threw herself into the process of remaking her b...
Ask Us Anything: Bria Hammel on why full-service firms should always take credit cards
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bria Hammel joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer in need of advice as she embarks on an overhaul of her payment processes, espec...
Considering a sabbatical? Chloe Redmond Warner did it—and shares how you can, too [Rebroadcast]
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chloe Redmond Warner realized several years ago that she had reached a breaking point. To get back to herself, she took a four-month sabbatical, with ...
Ask Us Anything: Live with Arianne Bellizaire and Cortney Bishop at High Point Market
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Designers Arianne Bellizaire and Cortney Bishop joined host Kaitlin Petersen for a live episode of the show—recorded during Spring High Point Market...
The pandemic almost shut down Meg Lonergan’s business—here’s how she revived it [Rebroadcast]
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
When Meg Lonergan embarked on her design career, it seemed that her biggest hurdle was demonstrating to the rest of the design industry that despite h...
Ask Us Anything: Meagan Camp on helping clients come to terms with storage fees
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Meagan Camp joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer in need of advice on streamlining her procurement process as she takes on a lar...
How Alex Kaehler stepped away from her firm to gain a new vision for its future
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Alex Kaehler found herself with a rush of new work an opportunity to really scale her business during the pandemic boom—but soon realized that the w...
Ask Us Anything: Amy Storm on navigating complex contractor relationships
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Storm joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer in need of advice on working with a contractor who is consistently missing the ma...
How better boundaries helped Adam Hunter fall back in love with his business
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Adam Hunter’s first career on Broadway gave way to a second act in design, where he’s tapping into his talent for selling a vision. With candor, h...
Ask Us Anything: Emilie Munroe on why you should never charge a consultation fee
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Emilie Munroe joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who is wondering how to approach the client vetting process, and wants to kno...
How eliminating a markup has fueled Bella Mancini’s creativity
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bella Mancini’s firm was flying high for nearly two decades when the pandemic hit, shattering her project pipeline. With a bit of outside help, she ...
Ask Us Anything: Kevin Isbell on what to do when an order goes wrong
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Kevin Isbell joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who reached out with the story of an order gone awry, and is now looking for a...
How Studio DB took their firm out of its startup phase
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Britt and Damian Zunino are a husband-and-wife duo whose creative partnership was a perfect match—bringing together expertise in architecture and de...
Ask Us Anything: Victoria Sass on how to get published
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Victoria Sass joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who is hoping to land her young firm’s first magazine feature. She has a pr...
Why Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry get real about the design process on social media
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pulp Studios was born when Beth Dotolo and Carolina Gentry bonded over similar aesthetics—despite their very different working styles. On this episo...
Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Boston designer Dane Austin joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who knows the basics when it comes to presenting design ideas, ...
How making a handbook for her firm helped Isabel Ladd fall back in love with design
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Isabel Ladd’s lifelong penchant for pattern and color set the stage for a maximalist approach to life and design. But after several busy years, she ...
Ask Us Anything: Clara Jung on building community as an introvert
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
San Francisco Bay Area designer Clara Jung joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who identifies as just that. She’s craving com...
How Arianne Bellizaire stopped chasing the industry’s standard of success
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier in her career, Arianne Bellizaire worked hard to build a large firm—only to realize that the pursuit of what she thought success was suppose...
Ask Us Anything: Regan Baker on how to scale without putting client relationships at risk
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
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 gro...
How Jae Joo unlocked better creative control over her projects
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jae Joo’s work is all about taking a step outside of the status quo. But getting there isn’t a destination; it takes constant effort. On this epis...
Ask Us Anything: Courtney McLeod on developing systems to power your projects
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
On the inaugural episode of the Ask Us Anything podcast, New York designer Courtney McLeod answers an anonymous question from a fellow designer who’...
Caroline Gidiere on setting her rates for the clients she wants
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Caroline Gidiere’s trajectory at the helm of her firm is a masterclass in growing with intention. She explains how she carefully deliberates over wh...
Cortney Bishop on the monthly fee that keeps her firm in motion
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cortney Bishop’s entrepreneurial spirit has driven her to create a one-of-a-kind business, complete with an in-house receiving operation and a creat...
Jenna Chused on embracing risk in order to grow
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Jenna Chused spent the first part of her career helping other entrepreneurs get their ideas off the ground, before finally taking a chance on herself....
Michel Smith Boyd on why a flat fee lets him focus on creativity [Rebroadcast]
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Modeling, acting, nursing and beauty school—Michel Smith Boyd tried it all before an encounter with an interior designer sealed his fate and sent hi...
How Pure Salt’s cofounders turned a signature look into a successful brand [Rebroadcast]
01 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pure Salt designers Aly Morford and Leigh Lincoln were always on the same page when it came to interiors. In building out their portfolio and executin...
Jenna Gross on the showhouse that helped solidify her brand
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jenna Gross entered the industry with a specific goal in mind: to offer a design approach centered on a full embrace of color. She shares how, after m...
Why Mandy Cheng won't delegate her firm's finances
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mandy Cheng launched her creative career in set production before discovering that transforming interiors was a perfect fit. The past few years have b...
Hannah Oravec on bringing wellness into the design process
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Hannah Oravec’s firm places a special focus on wellness. As she scales her business, she’s navigating how to protect her values while embracing gr...
Jean Liu’s trick for measuring client commitment
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jean Liu launched her own firm and proved to herself that she could find success outside of the family business. More than a decade on, she shares why...
Why Josh Greene’s favorite clients contribute creatively
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Josh Greene took lessons from working for storied retail and residential design firms to launch his own ventures—first with a partner and then alone...
Swati Goorha on the power of storytelling in design
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Swati Goorha made a splash at the recent Kips Bay showhouse in New York for telling the story of her own growth through design. That approach was more...
Considering a sabbatical? Chloe Redmond Warner did it—and shares how you can, too
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Chloe Redmond Warner realized several years ago that she had reached a breaking point. To get back to herself, she took a four-month sabbatical, with ...
Leann Conquer on why there is more than one way to build a budget
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Leann Conquer is celebrating her firm’s tenth anniversary with some big wins and industry recognition—but also with a fresh perspective on how to ...
Why passion is a priority in Anissa Zajac’s hiring process
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Anissa Zajac pushed the reset button on her firm a few years ago after a crucial employee left her team. The tumultuous period that followed taught he...
Jim Dove on why designers need to know how to sell themselves
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Dove discovered a corner of the industry that played to his strengths when he ended up in kitchen design. After several decades building his busin...
How Kate Marker found clarity with her fee structure
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Kate Marker turned her firm into a three-part enterprise—complete with an e-commerce shop, vacation rentals and residential design services. In sear...
How Katie Monkhouse rescued herself from burnout [Rebroadcast]
17 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Katie Monkhouse’s firm was moving along at a rapid pace—taking on new employees, new clients and new real estate before she even had a chance to e...
“Trust the process” is right there in Courtney McCleod’s onboarding letter [Rebroadcast]
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Courtney McLeod's early encounter with a take-charge client left her project in ruins—and almost derailed her firm’s growth. The story of her rebo...
Donna Mondi on the search for a leadership structure that keeps her close to design
19 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donna Mondi opened a second office in a new city amid the pandemic’s upheaval. As she entered a new phase of growth, she began reckoning with a new ...
Christopher Courts and Edel Legaspi on navigating a professional uncoupling
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christopher Courts and Edel Legaspi are a husband-and-wife team who recently decided to split up—not their marriage, but their design firm. They sha...
Why Ali Budd wants to do design TV differently
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ali Budd had a shot at TV stardom—and decided she wanted to bring viewers a side of the industry they hadn’t seen before. As the business she sp...
Why Kai Williamson lets her clients change their mind
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After launching her own image consulting business and scaling a nonprofit from 3 people to a team of 22, Kai Williamson entered the design world with ...
How the pursuit of simplicity defines Brian Paquette’s fee structure
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brian Paquette launched his career determined to build a brand. That’s not really his dream today—but his story offers the refreshing reassurance ...
Want to build your brand authority quickly? How Michael Hilal looked abroad
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Hilal spent his first career in the tech world, working for Google and several startups before making the leap into interiors. Though he left ...
Why Georgia Zikas prizes people over process
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Georgia Zikas took her time building a team. When she finally started hiring, she knew exactly what qualities she was looking for. Her story is a less...
Christine Lin on putting client experience first
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Christine Lin kicked off her career with a ten-year stint in the tech world, before using her digital skills to establish a design firm that was easy ...
How Wesley Moon said goodbye to hustle culture
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Wesley Moon realized early on that he had a gift for understanding a client’s vision, even when the client couldn’t quite articulate it themselves...
How Amy Storm shifted her team structure in pursuit of healthy growth
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Storm has always embraced change within her firm. From reconsidering the brick and mortar space her team occupied to getting more specific about t...
How Antonio DeLoatch earns clients' trust with real talk about their finances
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Antonio DeLoatch shook up his business two years ago by moving his LA-based firm to the East Coast. The transition brought its fair share of challenge...
How Amy Sklar overcame the fear of charging for her services [Rebroadcast]
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Amy Sklar’s early career was a full-circle journey that took her from design to show business and back again. When she finally landed at the helm of...
Why Clara Jung is cultivating personal freedom and employee growth [Rebroadcast]
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Following a first career in law, Clara Jung became accustomed to a cutthroat, high pressure work environment. When she left her life as an attorney fo...
Marieanne Khoury-Vogt spent two decades building an entire town. Here's what she learned
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Marieanne Khoury-Vogt spent much of her career absorbed in one big, constantly-unfolding project. As town architect of Alys Beach, Florida, she’s he...
How Caren Rideau found new opportunities within a design niche
06 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Caren Rideau found that specializing allowed her imagination and expertise to reach new heights. The real challenges came when she turned her attenti...
Why Matthew Tenzin’s firm includes a holistic design consultancy
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Early in his career, Matthew Tenzin embarked on a spiritual transformation that led him to a rather unlikely early role—as a Buddhist monk. He took ...
Why Blair Moore brought receiving in-house
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Blair Moore set out to create designs that last—and found that the industry wasn’t quite ready for her. Her response was to build a firm that forg...
How philanthropy transformed Amy Kartheiser’s firm
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Amy Kartheiser launched a charity project several years ago, her goal was to process pain and foster connection through design. As the initiative...
How Leslie Murchie Cascino defines success on her own terms
11 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Leslie Murchie Cascino operates as a team of one—but looking at her collaborative design process, you’d never know it. On this episode of the podc...
Why Zoe Feldman doesn't believe in complete transparency
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Zoe Feldman got some surprising advice just as she was starting to feel settled in her business: While she thought she couldn’t afford to hire more ...
“Trust the process” is right there in Courtney McCleod’s onboarding letter
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Courtney McLeod's early encounter with a take-charge client left her project in ruins—and almost derailed her firm’s growth. The story of her rebo...
Miranda Cullen found a way to turn a profit on time billing. Now, she’s ready to franchise
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Miranda Cullen felt like she cracked the code to no longer leaving money on the table when she created a new business model that could make a profit o...
Dane Austin on leading his firm with love
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At a certain point in his firm's journey, Dane Austin decided to abandon the pressure for perfection and instead tell clients the truth about the desi...
Why Regan Baker hired three former clients
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Regan Baker has a unique claim to fame: she’s hired three of her former clients as employees. On this episode of the podcast, she explains why they ...
Kevin Isbell on finding success with a small firm [Rebroadcast]
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For years, Kevin Isbell was the right-hand man for top interior designers from coast to coast. Eventually, it came time to take what he’d learned an...
How Noz Nozawa learned to invest in herself [Rebroadcast]
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When Noz Nozawa left her 9-to-5 marketing job to start her design business, she took a major gamble with her career. It was in that precarious state t...
Why Bria Hammel wants designers to embrace their sales side
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the earliest days of Bria Hammel’s design business, landing a partnership with a construction firm offered her what every fresh designer dreams o...