Hot Young Designers Club | Interior Design Business Podcast

Hot Young Designers Club
  • 4.8 (126)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

They're not that hot, or that young - but hosts Rebecca Plumb (Studio Plumb) and Shaun Crha (Wrensted Interiors) spill the tea every week on how a new generation of interior designers run their business. Join a community exploring the emotional, practical, and humorous side of the interior design business.

  1. 6d ago

    193: Hot dogs, handbags, and high-end design - Lessons in Luxury

    What can Costco hot dogs and Hermès handbags teach interior designers about running a high-end design business? Quite a lot, apparently. Rebecca and Shaun dig into the wildly different business models behind Costco and Hermès and uncover surprising lessons about luxury, value, trust, vendor relationships, pricing, craftsmanship, and creating a brand clients believe in. They also catch up on some big personal and business changes, including Shaun’s decision to leave his studio and reduce overhead, Rebecca’s adventures in home renovation and color drenching, and the importance of making strategic business decisions with trusted advisors. From cost-plus pricing and designer discounts to vintage sourcing and what actually defines a luxury client, this episode explores how interior designers can create more profitable businesses while delivering an experience that feels truly high-end. In this episode they discuss: Why Shaun decided to give up his office space, reduce overhead, and make aggressive financial moves for the next chapter of his interior design businessHow working with a CPA and financial advisor can help designers make smarter decisions about expenses, profitability, retirement, and long-term business goalsRebecca’s spontaneous color-drenched hallway and the design concept of “compression and release” inspired by Frank Lloyd WrightWhat the Acquired podcast’s deep dive into Costco reveals about limited product selection, strong supplier relationships, customer trust, and delivering exceptional valueHow designers can build deeper vendor relationships and use purchasing power to create better pricing without making a luxury design service feel “cheap”Whether a cost-plus pricing model can work for high-end interior design, especially when sourcing custom furniture, vintage pieces, and products from preferred vendorsWhat Hermès teaches us about craftsmanship, consistency, exclusivity, brand identity, and creating luxury products that clients desire beyond pure functionalityThe difference between offering a luxury design service and working with a truly luxury client who values trust, access, one-of-a-kind pieces, expertise, and the finished result over price shopping Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  2. Sep 4

    192: What story is your client is telling? Building hospitality into your business with Rick Campos

    What stories are your clients telling about working with you? Shaun and Rebecca welcome back Rick Campos, founder of Design Biz Survival Guide and a certified Unreasonable Hospitality coach, to explore how interior designers can create a client experience that goes far beyond great service. Drawing from Will Guidara’s Unreasonable Hospitality, Rick explains why making clients feel seen, heard, and understood can become one of the strongest differentiators for an interior design business. They talk about identifying client-facing touchpoints, creating meaningful moments without relying on expensive gifts, and tailoring hospitality to what each individual client actually values. Rick also shares how designers can bring hospitality into difficult moments, from delivering bad news to handling installation problems, why picking up the phone still matters, and how thoughtful client experiences can generate repeat business, referrals, and the kind of word-of-mouth marketing money can’t buy. In this episode they discuss: The difference between client service and true hospitality—and why hospitality is about how you make people feelHow to identify client-facing touchpoints and turn ordinary parts of your interior design process into memorable experiencesWhy generic gifts and branded swag often fall flat compared to thoughtful gestures based on what you’ve actually learned about your clientHow listening, observing, and understanding what an individual client values can help you personalize their interior design experienceWhy human connection and emotional intelligence are increasingly important differentiators for interior designers in an AI-driven worldHow to use hospitality when something goes wrong, including why Rick believes in telling the truth, telling it fast, and personally delivering bad newsHow respecting a client’s time, communication style, family schedule, and desired level of involvement can be a form of luxury hospitalityWhy creating stories clients want to retell can lead to stronger referrals, repeat clients, and long-term growth for your interior design business Mentioned: Design Biz Survival Guide - https://designbizsurvivalguide.com/Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara - https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/ Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  3. Aug 28

    191: How Creating Connection with Clients Creates Better Work with Whitney Romanoff, Meet West Studio

    What happens when you build an interior design business around creativity, connection, and trusting your instincts? Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Whitney Romanoff, founder and principal designer of Meet West Studio in Fayetteville, Arkansas, to talk about her unconventional path from international relations and management consulting to running a growing interior design firm. Whitney shares how her corporate background shaped her approach to client communication, team leadership, and difficult conversations about money, as well as why creating a genuine connection with clients leads to stronger creative work. They also get into building a design team that gives you more freedom, creating a recognizable interior design brand, finding inspiration through music and travel, making the leap into boutique hospitality design, and learning when outsourcing is smarter than doing everything yourself. In this episode they discuss: How Whitney left a career in management consulting and took a chance on herself to launch Meet West Studio without a traditional interior design degreeBuilding a six-person interior design team and transitioning longtime designers into leadership roles so Whitney can spend more time on creative directionWhy a distinctive brand, strong point of view, and unexpected references can help an interior design firm attract more aligned clientsHow music, travel, storytelling, and mood boards influence Whitney’s creative process and the cinematic spaces Meet West Studio createsWhy trust, shared values, and a genuine connection with interior design clients can make both the design process and the finished work betterGiving yourself permission to see beauty and interior design as a meaningful service that can improve the way clients experience their everyday livesWhat Whitney learned taking on an 88-room boutique hotel, including commercial sourcing, value engineering, and outsourcing large-scale procurementWhy investing in the right team members and an interior-design-specific financial expert can give firm owners more freedom, confidence, and capacity to pursue bigger opportunities Mentioned: Meet West StudioMeet West Studio InstagramMcGhee FinancialsCrystal Bridges Museum of American Art Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  4. Aug 21

    190: You can't use what you don't have - building capacity for greatness with Angie Wisdom

    What if the reason you can’t focus, make decisions, or tap into your creativity isn’t a lack of discipline—but a lack of capacity? Shaun and Rebecca sit down with executive advisor, business coach, keynote speaker, and author Angie Wisdom to talk about protecting the finite mental and emotional resources we rely on to run our businesses and our lives. Angie breaks down why interior designers are especially vulnerable to capacity overload, how constant decisions and “search friction” drain our brains, and why pushing through burnout usually makes things worse. They also explore nervous system regulation, morning routines, habit building, self-trust, people pleasing, navigating genuinely hard seasons of life, and learning to modify your expectations instead of abandoning what matters to you. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t seem to discipline your way into doing more, this conversation offers a completely different framework for creating sustainable success. In this episode they discuss: Why your brain has a finite amount of daily capacity and how to think of it like the battery on your phoneThe mental, emotional, physical, and nervous system “leaks” that can drain your capacity before the workday is even overAngie’s CAP framework—Catch, Ask, Prompt—for recognizing when you’re overloaded and choosing what you need nextWhy interior designers can’t simply hustle or push through creative burnout when there’s no capacity left to accessHow discipline uses valuable mental capacity and why turning behaviors into habits and identity makes them easier to sustainHow morning routines, proactive decision-making, and reducing “search friction” can protect your energy for the work that mattersCreating realistic modifications during hard seasons of life instead of waiting to “survive” them before prioritizing yourselfHow self-trust, values, and intentional capacity management can make you a stronger business owner, creative, leader, and service provider Mentioned: Angie Wisdom - https://angiewisdom.com/Angie Wisdom on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/angiewisdom_/The Non-Negotiable You: Mindset Mastery for Daily Success - https://angiewisdom.com/product/the-non-negotiable-you-mindset-mastery-for-daily-success/ Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  5. Aug 14

    189: Just Stop: Summer Edition

    Summer is summering, and Shaun and Rebecca are feeling every bit of the chaos. They catch up on Rebecca’s daughter starting middle school, the impending disruption of a home flooring project, sensory overload, and what it looks like to raise kids who can advocate for themselves instead of having every problem solved for them. They also share an exciting update on the upcoming Hot Young Designers Club Mexico City trip, designed to give interior designers a chance to connect, explore, and actually let someone else handle the planning for once. Then it’s time to bring back a Hot Young Designers Club classic: Just Stop. Shaun, Rebecca, and the Hotties weigh in on the interior design trends and industry habits they’re ready to see less of—from an endless supply of tiny cordless lamps and default Shaker cabinets to questionable 3D-rendering marketing, publicly dragging your competitors, and asking other interior designers to hand over their expertise for free. In this episode they discuss: Navigating life, work, parenting, and a home renovation when everything seems to be happening at the same timeHelping kids build independence, organization, self-advocacy, and habits that actually work for their brainsThe upcoming Hot Young Designers Club Mexico City trip and creating an intimate, low-stress travel experience for interior designersWhy the design industry might officially have enough tiny rechargeable cordless lampsWhether 3D renderings belong on an interior designer’s website or Instagram—and how to use them effectively as marketing contentWhy designers can communicate their value without publicly tearing down competitors or other creativesThe case against defaulting to Shaker cabinets and how designers can help clients make more adventurous cabinetry choicesWhy asking another interior designer to “pick their brain” should come with an offer to pay for their expertise and time Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  6. Aug 7

    188: Inquiry Forms, Vendor Clickbait, and Designer Education

    How well is your interior design inquiry form actually qualifying potential clients? In this episode, Shaun and Rebecca explore how budget dropdowns, minimum project investments, investment guides, and consultations can shape the quality of your leads. They discuss the tension between filtering out unqualified inquiries and educating promising clients who have the money to invest but do not yet understand what furnishing and renovation projects cost. They also unpack a viral designer post announcing a public “breakup” with furniture vendor Four Hands. The conversation expands into vendor relationships, furniture damage claims, buying power, client-facing marketing, rage bait, and whether interior designers should use their business accounts to educate other designers. Plus, they share a tariff-refund surprise, debate realistic measurement tolerances, and offer a quick update from Las Vegas Market. In this episode they discuss: How budget ranges on an interior design inquiry form can attract, qualify, or accidentally discourage potential clientsWhy some high-value clients need pricing education before they are ready to commit to a six-figure design investmentUsing consultations, investment guides, and automated responses to create different paths for different types of leadsWhen a high closing rate may signal that it is time to raise your design fees, expand your team, or increase your project minimumsWhy designers should regularly audit their inquiry process, website links, lead data, and client experienceThe risks of publicly criticizing a furniture vendor on a client-facing interior design accountHow designer education and coaching content can confuse potential clients when it is mixed into a residential design firm’s marketingVendor buying power, damaged furniture, tariff refunds, realistic site-measurement tolerances, and the changing Las Vegas Market experience Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  7. Jul 31

    187: From Reality TV to the Reality of Design with Patrick Maziarski of Beau Geste Interior Design

    What do reality television production and running an interior design firm have in common? More than you might think. In this episode, Shaun and Rebecca sit down with Patrick Maziarski, founder and principal designer of Beau Geste Interior Design, to trace his creative journey from growing up in Canada and working in reality TV to studying design in Los Angeles and building his own interior design business. Patrick shares how production taught him to manage budgets, schedules, crews, and countless moving parts—skills that now help him lead complex residential design projects. They also discuss finding your voice online, building a portfolio that attracts aligned clients, conducting meaningful client programming, navigating business pivots, and Patrick’s plans for a Beau Geste rebrand, a community-facing studio, and his newest entrepreneurial idea: Trapper Coffee. In this episode they discuss: How Patrick’s Canadian upbringing, creative family, and early interest in filmmaking shaped his path to interior designThe transferable project management, budgeting, scheduling, and relationship-building skills he gained while working in reality televisionMoving to Los Angeles, attending UCLA Extension, finding mentors, and learning the real-world side of the interior design industryThe career experiences that gave Patrick the confidence to launch Beau Geste Interior DesignRecommitting to Beau Geste after a design-build partnership changed direction and refining the firm’s identityWhy showing your personality online can attract the right interior design clients while repelling the wrong onesPatrick’s deeply personal approach to client programming and incorporating family history, culture, lifestyle, and meaningful details into a homeUpcoming project photography, the Beau Geste rebrand, plans for a street-level studio, and the launch of Trapper Coffee in Los Angeles Mentioned: Beau Geste Interior Design website - https://www.beaugeste.design/ Beau Geste Interior Design Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/beaugeste.design/Patrick Maziarski’s Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/patrickm.design/ Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

  8. Jul 24

    186: Working Backward from Your Goals with Linette Dai

    Interior designer Linette Dai joins Shaun and Rebecca to share how she built Linette Dai Design by following opportunities, embracing discomfort, and working backward from the kind of business and life she wanted to create. Linette reflects on her unconventional path into interior design, from operating a boba shop and teaching English in Taiwan to helping renovate investment properties and eventually studying interior architecture at UCLA Extension. The conversation explores what it takes to move into the luxury design market, invest in professional photography and public relations, build a collaborative team, and become more visible even when self-promotion feels uncomfortable. Linette also shares how ADHD, curiosity, meticulousness, and a willingness to ask questions have become creative superpowers that help her develop thoughtful, highly customized interiors. In this episode they discuss: How Linette transitioned through several careers before discovering interior designBuilding an interior design business organically through referrals, freelancing, and hands-on experienceWhy business partnerships require clearly defined roles, expectations, and complementary skill setsWorking backward from long-term goals to identify the uncomfortable steps required to achieve themWhy affordable luxury can be difficult to sustain and how Linette shifted toward luxury interior designInvesting time in networking, industry events, professional photography, PR, and relationship buildingTurning ADHD traits, curiosity, overthinking, and meticulous attention to detail into design superpowersHiring freelance and hourly support, delegating tasks, and building a lean interior design team Mentioned: Linette Dai DesignLinette Dai Design on Instagram Our links: Subscribe and leave a review - Apple PodcastsLike, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club InstagramRebecca’s InstagramShaun’s InstagramFor more information - Check out the websiteBecome a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on PatreonDesign Resources - Check out our shop

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4.8
out of 5
126 Ratings

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They're not that hot, or that young - but hosts Rebecca Plumb (Studio Plumb) and Shaun Crha (Wrensted Interiors) spill the tea every week on how a new generation of interior designers run their business. Join a community exploring the emotional, practical, and humorous side of the interior design business.

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