Trade Tales

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 and Crypton.

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

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 and Crypton.

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.

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 and Crypton.

LINKS
Chloe Redmond Warner
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home