Published by 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.
Listen on Apple Podcasts58 min
Erica McLain has been continuously guided by a fierce drive and curiosity—qualities that propelled her to Stanford, the Olympics, and tech companies like Facebook and Google. Now, she’s combining those strengths to blaze a new trail in the design industry, rooted in a measurable, research-backed understanding of environmental psychology and neuroaesthetics. In this episode, she shares the “design potential report” she prepares for prospective clients, her firm’s unique B2B offering, and the toolkit she is developing to analyze a home’s impact on clients. This episode was sponsored by Kohler and Vanguard Furniture . LINKS Erica McLain Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
47 min
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, and is now looking for advice on how to take her strategy a step further, ultimately selling her vision—and commitment—to her clients. Austin offers advice 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. LINKS Dane Austin Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
59 min
Mandy Cheng launched her creative career in set production before discovering that transforming interiors was a perfect fit. The past few years have been pivotal for her firm, with industry accolades and high-profile clients that have brought growth, but also pushed her to explore what creative expansion will look like in the years ahead. This episode was sponsored by Kohler and Vanguard Furniture . LINKS Mandy Cheng Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
40 min
Melissa Oholendt of Minnesota- and Colorado-based firm Oho Interiors answers a question from a designer who is currently interviewing candidates for her firm’s first full-time position. Oholendt jumps in with advice on how to reveal a candidate’s true ambitions, evaluating skillset through a key question and knowing when to call for backup. LINKS Oho Interiors Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
53 min
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 spent years building enters the spotlight, she’s sharing what it took to find her voice—and how she built a team that could carry that vision even further. This episode was sponsored by Kohler and Vanguard Furniture . LINKS Ali Budd Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
29 min
In this episode, New York and Rhode Island-based interior designer Blair Moore answers a question from a designer whose firm is facing a sudden rush of shipping problems. Moore jumps in with advice on reckoning with a decline in shipping quality, how thorough channels of communication can help catch issues before they arise, and—when all else fails—establishing your own in-house receiving operation. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Blair Moore Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
59 min
Angela Harris’s firm marks a bit of a departure from the typical Trade Tales guest, with a portfolio that spans master planned communities, model homes, commercial, hospitality, and everything in between. And yet, the lessons she’s picked up along the way—on executing her vision, firm leadership, and a rigorous approach to wellness—are valuable for designers in every corner of the industry. On this episode, she shares what it takes to fully inhabit the role of design visionary, how overhauling her firm’s infrastructure helped the team claw back creative time, why she’s pursuing a PhD centered on the concept of design as an ethical imperative. This episode was sponsored by Vanguard Furniture and Kohler . LINKS Angela Harris Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
24 min
In this episode, Philadelphia-based interior designer Lucy O’Brien of Tartan & Toile answers a question from a designer who recently had to compromise her creative vision after coming up against an order minimum. O’Brien jumps in with advice on finding a second life for extra material, the value in troubleshooting with sales reps, and being transparent with clients about unexpected fees during the procurement process. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Lucy O’Brien Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
48 min
Rayana Schmitz balanced several different early career paths—from fitness trainer to firefighter—before landing on interior design. Today, she’s leading her firm with the wisdom to know when to trust her gut and when to rely on outside experts. On this episode, she shares the showhouse experience that pushed her creative boundaries, how a fractional CFO saved her firm’s finances and why she maintains strict hours of communication with clients. This episode was sponsored by Vanguard Furniture and Kohler . LINKS Rayana Schmitz Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
51 min
In this episode, Seattle-based interior designer Lauren Caron answers a question from a designer who wants to expand her business beyond her home city without sacrificing her firm’s standards. Caron jumps in with advice on billing clients for travel time, how she maximizes site visits before the transition to remote work, and the value in an exhaustive scope of work document. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Lauren Caron Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
1 hr 4 min
Audrey Scheck’s 20-person firm is a well-oiled machine—complete with a carefully structured leadership team and a top-down approach that sets the tone for every employee. Elsewhere in the episode, she shares her growth mindset as she expanded her team, how a bandwidth tracker helps the firm determine whether it's time to take on new business, and the questions that help clients step outside their comfort zone. This episode was sponsored by Dallas Market Center and Kohler . LINKS Hema Persad Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
37 min
Washington, D.C.–based Zoë Feldman on how to hire for aesthetic alignment, the metrics she uses to measure an employee’s progress at the firm, and how a team member with their own style can sometimes save the firm from adopting a formulaic look. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Zoë Feldman Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
57 min
Hema Persad’s experience as an A-list stylist taught her what the one percent is looking for in the design process—and helped her build a firm that’s structured to meet those needs, while also complementing her decisive approach to leadership. Elsewhere in the episode, she shares how managing a team shifted her perspective on business growth, why she’s been a fast adopter of AI tools, and what to expect from celebrity clients. This episode was sponsored by Dallas Market Center and Kohler . LINKS Hema Persad Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
38 min
Los Angeles–based Christine Vroom answers a question from a fellow designer with a question about a project pipeline gone wrong. Vroom jumps in with advice on the importance of taking inventory of the hypothetical situations that could impact a design business, why her firm implements a “restart fee” for clients who need to push pause, and how to mentally prepare for the ebb and flow characteristic of a designer’s workload. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. LINKS Christine Vroom Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
53 min
Hanna Li has created an infrastructure and recruited a team that allows her to thrive as creative director of her firm. From that vantage point, the Los Angeles–based designer is able to think big about topics like sustainability and longevity, and examine what it takes to embed them into the fabric of each project. Elsewhere in the episode, she shares how she’s measuring the carbon footprint of every project, why she produced short films about her firm’s work, and the reason every role she hires for comes with a five-year plan. LINKS Hanna Li Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
34 min
Melissa Oholendt of Minnesota- and Colorado-based firm Oho Interiors answers a question from a designer who is currently interviewing candidates for her firm’s first full-time position. Oholendt jumps in with advice on how to reveal a candidate’s true ambitions, evaluating skillset through a key question and knowing when to call for backup. LINKS Oho Interiors Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home This episode was sponsored by Four Hands.
1 hr 17 min
Elizabeth Bennett and Mallory Robins found their better business half in each other—one favoring function, and the other taking the lead on form. In this episode, they share why they no longer use a client questionnaire, how they maintain a single brand voice at every touchpoint, and why a willingness to go all-in is their new criteria for incoming projects. LINKS Jess Ebert Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home
42 min
San Antonio, Texas–based designer Alison Giese answers a question from a designer who is interested in tweaking her presentation approach to inspire trust and cultivate hands-off clients. Giese jumps in with advice on the value of providing clients with curated choices, how to hone powers of observation during the intake process and why whole-home presentations help convey continuity—and give designers a chance to build confidence and salesmanship skills. LINKS Alison Giese Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home This episode was sponsored by Four Hands .
47 min
Jess Ebert received a flood of new clients a few years back—and soon realized that the abundance of work was doing the business more harm than good. As she pared down the pipeline, she brought the firm closer to its ideal clientele—and started to clear the path for her own transition within her firm’s workflow. In this episode, she also shares how she communicates her entire team’s value to clients, the many ways hiring a PR firm is helping her navigate the changing social media landscape and why taking Wednesdays off represents a pivotal moment in her entrepreneurial journey. LINKS Jess Ebert Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home This episode was sponsored by Garrett Leather .
34 min
Oakland, California–based designer Chloe Redmond Warner joins the show to answer a question from a designer who is wondering if stronger systems could lend her firm a greater sense of professionalism. Redmond Warner offers advice on why an unstructured design process might miss out on the value-engineering phase, how to find the sweet spot between client responsiveness and total control, and why issuing a project schedule from the outset can help establish a firm’s sense of authority. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. LINKS Chloe Redmond Warner Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home