Only Girl On The Jobsite

Renee Biery
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Welcome to Only Girl On The Jobsite, the podcast for designers ready to step up their project management game and make confident decisions on the jobsite. I'm your host, Renée Biery, an interior designer with 30 years of experience navigating the world of construction. This podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the ups and downs of jobsite management, working with contractors, and overcoming common pitfalls that can derail a project. Each episode will empower you with actionable advice and real-world lessons to make your projects run smoothly. Ready to elevate your jobsite skills? Start listening, and discover how you can make every project a success. Learn more at www.deVignierdesign.com.

  1. 2h ago

    What AI Can't Replace in Interior Design (And Why Construction Management Is Your Biggest Advantage)

    AI is changing interior design, but it cannot replace the expertise, judgment, relationships, and real-time problem-solving required on a construction site. Today, I am sharing how AI is disrupting decorating, why construction management remains distinctly human, and how designers can build stronger, more resilient practices around the work technology cannot replicate. You'll Learn: What AI can already do in interior design—and which services may become increasingly difficult to sell on their own.   Why construction management requires human judgment, professional relationships, and real-time problem-solving that AI cannot replace. How to begin building construction knowledge, trade connections, and a more stable interior design practice now.   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance   Find the full shownotes at:  https://devignierdesign.com/what-ai-cant-replace-in-interior-design

  2. Jul 14

    A Listener Favorite: The Business of Design & The Power of Process | Katie Decker-Erickson

    This week, I'm re-airing one of the highest-listened interviews we've ever done — my conversation with Katie Decker-Erickson, founder of Success by Design. And I'll be honest: when I listened back, it landed completely differently than it did the first time. I was in a different place. I heard different things. That's exactly why good content is worth coming back to.   Katie is a commercial interior designer turned business coach, and she has built her firm on something most designers skip entirely: airtight processes that run in the background so she can focus on the work she actually loves.   We get into scaling — when to do it, when not to, and what has to be in place first. We talk about agility, the myth that more projects equals more profit, and the "lonely work" that no one sees but everyone benefits from.   Whether you're hearing this for the first time or coming back around to it, there is something in this conversation you can put to work today.   You'll learn: Why scaling before your processes are solid usually backfires What agility actually means in a design business — and why rigid processes create paralysis The "lonely work" that positions you for growth before the big clients arrive   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/business-of-design-power-of-process-katie-decker-erickson

  3. Jul 7

    What Interior Designers Get Wrong About the People Who Build Their Projects

    Everyone talks about the contractor relationship. Nobody talks about the people underneath — the tile setter, the painter, the faux finisher, the trim carpenter doing the work with their hands every single day. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on what's been happening on a current project to show you exactly what trade relationships make possible — and what they cost you when you don't have them. I'll walk you through how these relationships start, how you nurture them between projects, and how you maintain them so that when the scope triples and the timeline is tight, your people show up anyway. Because the team that stretches for you doesn't do it because you hired them once. They do it because you've shown up for them, consistently, over time.   You'll learn: Why trade relationships save projects that processes alone never could How to vet, start, and maintain relationships with new subcontractors What it actually looks like when those relationships show up for you mid-project   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-designer-trade-relationships/

  4. Jun 30

    The Pre-Construction Conversation That Determines Whether Your Client Trusts You

    Most designers skip the conversation that determines whether a client actually trusts them through the hard parts of construction. And by the time they realize it, they're already mid-project trying to unwind frustration that could have been avoided entirely.   In this episode, I'm walking you through exactly what to cover before a single wall comes down — timelines, contingency, allowances, change orders, daily disruption, and the four emotional stages every construction client moves through. Not as a checklist. As a conversation that builds real trust from the very first call.     You'll learn: Why your first client call is already doing two jobs at once What to say about money, timelines, and change orders before they become problems The four emotional stages every client hits — and how naming them changes everything   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/pre-construction-client-conversation

  5. Jun 23

    What Interior Designers Get Wrong About Capacity (And Why It's Not Project Count)

    Most of us measure capacity by how many projects we're running. I did it too, and it's the wrong metric entirely. In this episode, I'm breaking down the two variables that actually determine how a project feels to manage: who's running the operational machine, and how compressed the timeline is. I walk through my own current roster, including the mid-sized renovation that honestly wrecked me these past couple of months despite being the smallest project on my plate, to show you exactly how this plays out in real life.   If you've ever felt buried on something that looked manageable on paper, or wondered why your fee never quite catches up to what you're actually carrying, this one is for you.   You'll learn: Why project count tells you almost nothing about your real workload The two questions to ask before saying yes to any new project How to price the actual load — not just the square footage   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-designer-capacity-project-count

  6. Jun 16

    284. How to Build a Successful Interior Design Career With Amy Vermillion

    I've admired Amy Vermillion for a long time, so this conversation felt like sitting down with someone who truly understands what it takes to build a lasting career in this industry. We both started our businesses in 2000, worked our way up through firms, and learned the hard way, through experience, mistakes, and a lot of time on job sites. And what became very clear in this conversation is this: there is no single path to success in interior design, but there are patterns. In this episode, we talk about how a design career is actually built, from early jobs that teach you more than you realize, to starting your own firm, to navigating clients, construction, and the reality of running a business over decades. We also get into: Why construction knowledge changes everything for a designer How to position your value with clients (and why it's not about time) The importance of community in what can be a very isolating industry How the design industry has evolved — and where it's heading next   This is one of those conversations that's equal parts practical and grounding. Whether you're just starting out or years into your business, it's a reminder that careers are built slowly — one project, one decision, and one relationship at a time.   Find out more about Amy here: Website: https://www.amyvermillion.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amyvermilloninteriors   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/building-an-interior-design-career-amy-vermillion

  7. Jun 9

    Why Interior Designers Shrink on Jobsites (And How to Stop)

    If you're an interior designer managing construction projects, you already know the feeling. You walk into a room, a jobsite, a contractor meeting, an industry event, and something in the air quietly suggests you don't fully belong there. That the builders and the architects and the trades have a kind of authority you haven't quite earned yet. And without even realizing it, you get a little smaller.   In this episode, I'm talking about what happens when interior designers shrink on jobsites and in rooms they weren't expected to be in, the over-explaining, the unnecessary apologies, the deferred decisions, and why each one compounds into something that costs you more than you realize. I'm also sharing the concrete language and the 60-second practice that changes how you walk into any room from here on out. Because your authority isn't something you earn once you're in the room. It's something you carry in with you.   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/interior-designer-confidence-jobsites

  8. Jun 2

    Scope of Work, Change Order, and Addendum: The Three Documents Every Interior Designer Needs on Every Project

    There are three documents every interior designer managing construction projects needs to understand. And most don't, not fully.   Not because they're complicated. Because nobody ever explained the difference between them and why each one matters so much.   In this episode, I'm walking through the scope of work, the change order, and the addendum to scope of work; what each one does, when to use it, and what it costs you when you don't. I'm also talking about how these three documents together answer the question every client is quietly asking: why do I need a designer, and is this worth the investment?   Because when you run a project with clear documentation and a system your whole team understands, you stop having to explain your value. Your clients feel it. Your contractors trust it. And your projects end the way they deserve to.   Mentioned in this episode: Join The Designer's Edge waitlist here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/construction-management-interior-designers Grab Your Free Script Guide here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/push-back-script-handout Access the full video interview with Elana Steele of Steele Appliance here: https://www.reneedevignierdesign.com/appliance   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/three-documents-interior-design-project

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About

Welcome to Only Girl On The Jobsite, the podcast for designers ready to step up their project management game and make confident decisions on the jobsite. I'm your host, Renée Biery, an interior designer with 30 years of experience navigating the world of construction. This podcast is your go-to resource for navigating the ups and downs of jobsite management, working with contractors, and overcoming common pitfalls that can derail a project. Each episode will empower you with actionable advice and real-world lessons to make your projects run smoothly. Ready to elevate your jobsite skills? Start listening, and discover how you can make every project a success. Learn more at www.deVignierdesign.com.

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