The Designer Within podcast is where creativity and business savvy collide, offering a fresh perspective for interior designers and innovative entrepreneurs. Created by John McClain, a seasoned creative entrepreneur who’s faced the ups and downs of the industry, this show is all about sharing real, unfiltered insights. If you’re ready to channel the same creativity you use for your clients into your own business, then this podcast is for you. Join us as we dive deep, reimagine success, and t ...
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64: How Photorealistic Renderings Can Serve Luxury Clients & Increase Your Revenue - with Mina Duque
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49:11Send us a text In this episode of The Designer Within Podcast, host John McClain chats with Mina Duque from Duke Renders about the significant impact photorealistic renderings can have on an interior design business. They delve into Mina's journey from handling her design business to heading client success at Duke Renders and discuss the external s…
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63: Live From Italy! How to Unlock Your TRUE Creative Potential & Unchain Your Past
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41:19Send us a text In episode 63 of The Designer Within Podcast, recorded LIVE as he walks the streets of ever-inspiring Italy, host John McClain shares his transformative experiences from a trade show in Verona to the picturesque streets of Florence, and finally, the bustling city of Milan on a solo soul finding trip through Italy. John reflects on mu…
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62: Mastering PR, Branding, & Marketing in the Design Industry With Jocelyn Hutt
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58:25Send us a text In episode 62 of The Designer Within Podcast, hosted by John McClain, we delve into the world of brand collaborations and PR strategies. John chats with Jocelyn Hutt, a seasoned marketing and PR expert, about effective brand partnerships, storytelling in design projects, and the importance of both regional and national PR. Jocelyn sh…
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61: How to Create A True Client-Centric Design with Michael Mitchell
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1:01:23Send us a text The Designer Within Podcast Episode 61: How to Create A True Client-Centric Design with Michael Mitchell In this episode of the Designer Within podcast, host John McClain discusses the art of creating client-centric designs with Michael Mitchell. They explore Michael's approach to blending diverse styles, his extensive sourcing trips…
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60: New Year = New Priorities. Saying YES to What Serves YOU in 2025!
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40:38Send us a text Designing Your Best Year: Embracing Purpose, Progress, and Peace in 2025 In this episode of the Designer Within Podcast, host John McClain explores the crucial difference between being busy and being productive. He introduces the concept of aligning tasks with one's goals through a decision filter focusing on purpose, progress, and p…
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59: Building a Design Showroom, Vendor Growth, & Work/Life balance with Sara Lynn Brennan (Part 2)
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44:08Send us a text In Episode 59 of the Designer Within Podcast, host John McClain continues his insightful conversation with Sarah Lynn Brennan. They delve deeper into the creation and ongoing success of Sarah's design showroom, 'All Things Home,' located in North Carolina. Sarah shares the unplanned journey of opening her showroom, how strategic part…
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58: The Power of Processes & The Journey to Design Success with Sara Lynn Brennan (Part 1)
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55:02Send us a text In this episode of the 'Designer Within' podcast, John McClain interviews Sara Lynn Brennan, a successful interior designer who transitioned from being a middle and high school science teacher to running her own multi-million dollar design business. Sara shares her early business mistakes and emphasizes the importance of establishing…
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57: How to Incorporate Curated Art Into Your Design Business With Leonardo Ledesma
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49:00Send us a text In this episode of The Designer Within podcast, host John McClain chats with Leonardo Ledesma, founder of Art Seen, an art advisory and curatorial service based in Los Angeles. Leonardo shares his journey from studying architecture to creating a successful art advisory firm that caters to designers, architects, and collectors. They d…
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56: 5 Proven Strategies to Enhance & Grow Your Design Business with Jennifer Stoner
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1:08:50Send us a text In episode 56 of the Designer Within Podcast, host John McClain interviews acclaimed interior designer Jennifer Stoner. Jennifer shares her journey from practicing law to becoming a renowned designer with 24 years of experience. She discusses the importance of continuous education, networking, and building trust with clients. Jennife…
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55: Designing Your Business Framework: Contracts, Negotiations, and Global Success with Christina Richardson
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58:53Send us a text In this episode of The Designer Within Podcast, host John McClain and interior designer Christina Richardson delve into the critical aspects of contracts and negotiations crucial for a successful design business. Christina shares her unique transition from mining to design and how her diverse background empowers her practice. They ex…
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54: Transform Your Design Business Sustainably & Profitably with Carter Averbeck
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1:08:22Send us a text In this episode of 'The Designer Within' podcast, host John McClain discusses sustainable practices in interior design with Carter Averbeck of Omforme Design. Carter shares his journey to sustainability, how the industry has evolved, and practical steps for integrating eco-friendly practices into design businesses. He emphasizes tran…
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53: Balancing Business and Life: 3 Big Lessons I Have Learned In The Past Year
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32:38Send us a text Balancing Business and Life: Lessons Learned as an Interior Designer Season 2, Episode 53 In this episode of 'The Designer Within' podcast, host John McClain welcomes listeners back for the second season. John discusses the importance of evaluating the profitability and time commitment of projects. He shares personal reflections on t…
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52: How to Fully Craft Your Client Journey: Part 2 with Brittany Farinas
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47:17Send us a text How to Fully Craft Your Client Journey: Part 2 with Brittany Farinas In the concluding episode of Season 1, John McClain celebrates the one-year anniversary of 'The Designer Within' podcast and shares exciting plans for Season 2. John then dives into part two of his insightful interview with Brittany Farinas. Brittany emphasizes the …
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51: Brand Perception, Authenticity and Strategy: Part 1 with with Brittany Farinas
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39:05Send us a text In this engaging episode (Part 1 of 2) of the Designer Within Podcast, host John McClain welcomes Brittany Farinas, CEO, and Creative Director of House of One, to discuss her journey in the interior design world. Together, they delve into Brittany's early career challenges, the importance of professional branding, and key business st…
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50: 7 Words To Avoid In All Business Conversations & What To Use Instead
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27:04Send us a text Can the words you choose truly shape your business success? Discover the transformative power of language in our 50th milestone episode of the Designer Within Podcast. I'll unveil how the words you use can either build bridges or create barriers in your professional relationships. Learn how to replace phrases like "cheap" and "budget…
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49: The Intersection of Luxury Design & Entrepreneurship: Jamie Gasparovic on Pricing, Clients, & Confidence
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51:14Send us a text What if you could turn your passion into a thriving career? This week, I sit down with Jamie Gasparovic, the visionary founder and principal designer of Studio Gaspo, to uncover the secrets behind her meteoric rise from a marketing professional to a celebrated interior designer. Jamie takes us through her journey of launching her own…
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48: How To Combine Excellent Client Communication & Creative Risks For Ultimate Success with Sarah Wilson
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1:03:20Send us a text Ever wondered how a background in IT could transform the world of interior design? This episode of The Designer Within Podcast with John McClain promises an engaging exploration of career transitions with our inspiring guest, Sarah Wilson, the owner and principal designer of Chansaerae Designs. Sarah’s incredible journey from the str…
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47: Turning Consultations Into Sales: Ten Steps for Mastering the Interior Design Consultation
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24:58Send us a text Can you imagine transforming every client consultation into a surefire sales opportunity? That's exactly what you'll learn in this episode of the Designer Within Podcast with me, John McClain. We explore the essential strategies for mastering successful consultations in sales-driven businesses, especially for creative entrepreneurs. …
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46: Creating Harmonious Homes: Ethical and Vegan Interior Design with Deborah Dimare
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49:01Send us a text Imagine transforming your home into a sanctuary that not only soothes your soul but also stands as a testament to ethical living. Join me, John McClain, and pioneer Deborah Dimare as we navigate the intersection of interior design and moral responsibility, ensuring that every piece of furniture and fabric honors both your well-being …
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45: Essential Productivity Hacks For Designers That You Can Do Today From Amber De La Garza
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49:25Send us a text If you have ever felt behind schedule before you even opened up your laptop or found yourself chasing the clock to get something done by a deadline. Well, you're not alone. We have ALL been there my friend, but guess what? There are solutions to your productivity problems and Amber De La Garza is the productivity expert and she's HER…
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44: How To Diversify Your Design Talents For Success With Christopher Todd
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1:09:50Send us a text I love having talented and successful friends on the podcast and Christopher Todd Hall is that and so much more! Christopher not only is a successful 30 year veteran of the design industry, but also has lots of exciting ventures within his company that allow him to spread his creative talents while increasing revenue. In this fun and…
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43: Burnout and Boundaries: Embracing Mindfulness in the World of Design with Lori Miller
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53:35Send us a text Have you ever felt the wear and tear of burnout creeping into your life, inching its way into your creative soul? I know I have, and it's time to talk about the lifeline that boundaries are in our industry. Today's episode of the Designer Within brings in Lori Miller, an interior designer with a unique twist—her expertise in mental h…
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42: Live Seminar! Essential Systems & Processes from High Point Market
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59:21Send us a text As I head to High Point Market Spring 2024, I thought I would play some of a seminar that I taught LIVE at the fabulous Universal Furniture Learning Center about a year and a half ago. The information STILL stands trust me. It's all about Essential Systems and Processes, what those are and how to set them up. It's actually a portion …
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41: Vendors & Trades: Insider Secrets Every Designer Needs To Know
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37:21Send us a text Let's talk about finding specific ways to find success with our trades and vendors! Welcome to the episode my lead designer, Heather Rau. In this episode, Heather and I discuss the backbone of a design project that involves any sort of labor and materials: your trades and vendors. The delicate dance of finding both trades/vendors tha…
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40: The Keys To Big Design Business Success In A Small Town With Nicole Roe
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1:04:41Send us a text Welcome Nicole Roe of R. Nickson Interiors to this episode of The Designer Within podcast! Nicole is the founder of R. Nickson Interiors and has over 10 years of experience in the design field. With a degree in construction, Nicole has interned with a luxury developer building and spent time working for a team of construction compani…
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39: How To Bring Your Past Skills Into Your Current Business
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25:07Send us a text They say "you don't know what you don't know," but I'm here to flip the script and remind you that you "DO know what you DO know!" And that's a lot! It's time we take pride in our past and value our skills and accomplishments. Bettering ourselves is great, but also let's remember to take stock of what we already bring to the table! I…
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38: Difficult Clients & Difficult Conversations with Valerie Darden
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56:33Send us a text Welcome to an interview episode of The Designer Within with Valerie Darden. Valerie founded Brexton Cole Interiors in 2014. As the founder, Valerie named her company after her two sons Brexton and Cole. Brexton Cole Interiors have completed multiple residential and commercial design projects all over the US. Ya'll know me and I love …
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37: 7 Pieces of Technology I Can't Work Without
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30:15Send us a text Tech has become a huge part of my business success. It's actually like it's another employee in my firm! From scheduling appointments to signing agreements, technology has fully been embraced in John McClain Design, and for the better! If you have not gotten on the tech bandwagon for fear of it being too complicated, well fear no mor…
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Send us a text On this episode, well over half a year after launching this podcast, I decided to pull out my very first episode to help explain my "why." If you have not listened to this episode, it's a must listen. If you have listened to it, well, maybe it's time for a cautionary tale refresher! Either way, here's the WHY for this episode: 🤔 Why …
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35: Actionable Ways To Increase Your Press & Marketing TODAY
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27:25Send us a text After Market... Marketing. What in the world am I talking about? Well it's actually simple! After Market Marketing is a technique I use to create more awareness around a piece of press or any marketing exposure you have received for yourself or your business. In this episode, I will discuss WHY you need to initiate a plan for After M…
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34: The Audacity of Authenticity with Joshua Smith
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1:08:30Send us a text Let's go deeper. Let's go beyond the fabrics, the wallcovering, and even the paycheck. On this episode of The Designer Within Podcast, Joshua Smith and I have a heartfelt conversation around so many of the events that occur in our lives: business and personal. Joshua has such an open spirit and heart and he's sharing his thoughts on …
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33: The Personal Side Of Interior Design With Amala Raj Swenson
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48:16Send us a text I'm so delighted to bring on fellow designer and friend, Amala Raj Swenson to the podcast today. Amala is the Principal Designer & Founder of Amala Raj Interiors based in San Diego, California. We cover so much in this fun and information filled episode! Here's just some of the topics we will cover: ⭐ The unique way Amala blends her …
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Send us a text They say when you become an entrepreneur, you trade your 8 hour day for an 18 hour day, which, is kind of true in some ways. BUT.... what about all of the time that you allow to become a part of your workday? You know? Those unpaid jobs that you keep doing out of obligation to clients and friends and family.. Well I would like to hit…
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31: How Relationships Can Grow Your Business Inside & Out With Susan Hayward Interiors
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1:01:54Send us a text In this episode, I welcome Susan Hayward and Jillian Hayward Schaible. They are are the mother and daughter design team behind the successful firm, Susan Hayward Interiors in Milton Massachusetts. In this episode, Susan and Jillian share their interesting insights on how their internal relationship has worked to build a very successf…
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30: How To Overcome The Fear of Pricing Your Services For Your Value
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28:43Send us a text Hi Friends! Can I celebrate episode 30 with you for a moment?! That's 30 weeks of podcasts in your earbuds from me, & I'm so thankful that you take this journey of learning with me every week. Today's episode is another BTS episode! I'm sharing an actual PRIVATE member podcast episode that I created for my program, Design Success Aca…
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29: Don't Price Another Project Before Listening To This Episode!
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17:53Send us a text And I mean that! :) In this short but powerful episode, I am sharing with you some insights that I shared during a coaching session recently with a student of mine. The student was having issues with clients trying to dictate the investment amount of projects and even my student's design fees! As you can tell, this doesn't bode well …
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28: The Good, Bad, & Ugly of My 2023 & 3 Easy Steps For You To Plan Your Own Year
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59:36Send us a text Ok friends, I'm being even more open and vulnerable today than ever. I'm sharing with you my own year end review and the results of that. I took a deep dive into my own 2023 and found out the good, the bad, and the ugly of this past year. I found areas that went well....and then some that did not go so well. But the beauty of a good …
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27: From the Vault: Discovering & Blending Your Authentic Self With Your Business
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37:35Send us a text At this time of the year, it's important to reflect on the past year, but also to reflect on ourselves, as human beings on this planet. With that thought in mind, I'm pulling out an episode from the archives about that very subject. As entrepreneurs or anyone working in a client facing business, we often find ourselves balancing our …
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26: Use This Filter To Answer Every Question - Forever
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32:12Send us a text I'm back with another "Take a Walk With John" episode! You all seemed to like the last one, and I felt inspired on a recent walk through my neighborhood, so out came my phone and I hit record. In this walking episode, I'm talking about when and how to say no. It's a hard thing to do sometimes, and we, as people pleasers, tend to feel…
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25: Lessons Learned From a TV/Film Industry Design Legend
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51:02Send us a text You're in for a real treat in this episode! My talented friend Beth Kushnick is here and we are diving deep into her 30+ year career as a set decorator. Beth has honed her design chops starting with the original production of Little Shop Of Horrors on Broadway to TV shows and movies that I know that you have all seen today. In this f…
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24: How To Create Your Own Social Network
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30:07Send us a text Welcome to Episode 24 of The Designer Within Podcast! Can you believe it's already December? Time flies! Today's episode is a bit different—it's a broadcast of a segment from a recent online presentation I did for designers. The topic? How to "social media-proof" your company. In the original hour-long presentation, I covered various…
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23: Your Year End Review: 3 Easy Steps To Reflect
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15:54Send us a text I can guarantee you one of two things: either this year has flown by for you or dragged by at a glacial pace (bonus points if you know that reference). Either way, it's time to stop, pause, reflect, and look back on what actually occurred over the last 12 months. Good, bad, and indifferent. This is a practice I started years ago and …
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22: Need Revenue Before The End Of The Year? Listen Up!
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25:47Send us a text Whether this has been a blockbuster year for you or just so-so, you still might have revenue goals for your business that you want/need to reach before 2023 bids us farewell. Well, I have some ideas for you! I'm going to share 4 ways to bring in revenue (and brand awareness) now and even in the years ahead. In this episode, I will di…
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21: How To Value Yourself As Much As You Value Your Clients
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34:21Send us a text You, my designer friend, are your best and most important client. Everything that makes your business what it is starts with you! Why, then, do we always put the issues of others ahead of our own needs? Why do we think that a client's feelings are more important than our own? If your foundation is not secure, you are of no use to any…
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20: Do This One Thing Today To Get New Clients
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34:42Send us a text Did that episode title get your attention?! I hope so, because it should! I bet you are working hard to market your business and bring in new clients, but are you doing ALL that can you can? Well, we're going to find out today when we discuss Call To Actions or CTA's. CTA's might just be the superpower that you have been missing in y…
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19: Handling Confrontation With Communication & Body Language
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32:57Send us a text Communication is essential to anyone in life, but especially important to business owners or anyone who serves others. Inevitably, confrontations will also occur in our business lives and we need to know what communication methods can best diffuse and ultimately resolve a confrontation. That's what I'm discussing in today's episode. …
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18: My BRAND NEW Learning Program Created For Interior Designers
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35:34Send us a text I'm SO excited about this episode of The Designer Within podcast! It's chock-full of big news that I can't wait to share with you! My Design Success Academy is now open for it's Beta Launch! This has truly been a labor of love for me to revise my online education programs in a way to make them even more effective and easier to implem…
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17: How To Best Serve A Luxury Design Client
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25:36Send us a text Luxury...it means something different to everyone, but a lot of the definitions simply come down to the fact that someone is getting their heart's desires & wishes. In this shorty episode, I'm sharing some simple tips to follow when searching for and closing a luxury interior design client. You will learn: - How to move your own mind…
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16: High Point Market & Design Industry Insider Info You Need To Know!
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1:05:31Send us a text Hey ya'll! Today, I welcome my friend and colleague in the design industry, Courtney Porter. In this super duper detailed episode, Courtney and I dish about SO many things in our industry, but all centering around High Point Furniture Market. Here are the fun topics we discuss in this episode: - What is the "new" luxury design market…
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15: How To Use Storytelling To Grow Your Business
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1:02:32Send us a text Today we welcome Jude Charles as our guest on The Designer Within podcast! Jude is a author, filmmaker, and consultant, but more so he is a powerful storyteller who especially loves partnering with us Interior Designers (thankfully!) Jude helps entrepreneurs make money by using the power of storytelling. I truly loved this conversati…
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