A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

Today with Megan Reilly:

Today with Megan Reilly, co-founder and owner of WestEdge Design Fair, LuAnn dives into why designers at every level should stop treating trade shows as shopping trips and start using them as real business development tools. Megan has spent her career on every side of the industry event world, from the Merchandise Mart to Marketing Director of NeoCon and the Architectural Digest Home Design Show, to launching her own show on the West Coast in 2013, and she and LuAnn get into how to build relationships with brands that actually go somewhere, the roles beyond "attendee" most designers don't realize they can ask for, and a story about a show-floor connection that turned into an entirely new industry organization. Whether you're brand new to the business or twenty years in, this conversation will change how you show up at your next event.

More About Megan Reilly:

Megan Reilly is the co-founder and owner of WestEdge Design Fair.

Having produced some of the most important events within the design industry, including the Architectural Digest Design Show and NeoCon, Megan relocated to the West Coast from New York City to launch WestEdge Design Fair in 2013.

She has extensive experience in brand activations, event management, marketing, programming, project management and public relations. She also covers design and travel for VENÜ Magazine.

Ah Ha Moments with Megan Reilly:

“Reach gets you seen, but a room gets you remembered." - Megan

"What's your gap right now? And maybe don't just attend a trade show or a conference and hope it comes into your path, but see how you can manufacture getting that information during that visit, right?" - LuAnn

Connect with Megan Reilly:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Episode 1116: NEW SHOW: Juliana Ewer: How Networking and Volunteerism Can be the Biggest Return on Investment for your Business and Your Heart

Today with Camia Brown:

In the space of about a year and a half, Camia Brown lost her grandmother, lost her mother, lost a contractor she relied on for most of her projects to suicide, and went through the end of a relationship she thought was headed toward marriage. At the time, she had 15 active projects running, an office, and a team of four. This wasn't a business on the back burner. It was live, growing, and it didn't pause for any of what she was carrying.

Camia Brown built Camia Brown Interiors on craftsmanship, culture, and the belief that a home should tell the story of the people living in it. A background in construction and design, a degree in Spanish, time living in Spain, and design work through Habitat for Humanity and in Costa Rica all shaped how she approaches a project. None of that prepared her for what came next.

This conversation isn't about how she pushed through it, because she didn't. It's about what it actually looked like to keep a live, active business running through the hardest season of her life, why she stopped trying to hit anyone else's timeline for getting back to normal, and what she learned about her own capacity in the process.

If you're in a hard season right now, this episode is for you. And if you want more conversations on what resilience actually looks like in business, go back and listen to our Overheard episode with Antonio Deloatch Jr., Sandra Funk, and Robin Burrill

More About Camia Brown:

At Camia Brown Interiors, we believe that design is more than just aesthetics—it's a reflection of who we are and how we interact with the world. Our founder, Camia Brown, brings a unique perspective to interior design, blending her background in construction and design with a deep appreciation for culture and history.

With a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design and a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish, including time living in Spain that also shapes her view, Camia's approach to design is both innovative and rooted in tradition. Her experiences working with Habitat for Humanity and providing design services in Costa Rica have shaped her into a designer who values craftsmanship, authenticity, and cultural diversity.

At Camia Brown Interiors, we see each project as an opportunity to tell a story—a story that reflects the personality and lifestyle of our clients. We believe in creating spaces that are not only beautiful but also functional, incorporating elements of surprise and delight that make each project unique.

Our design philosophy is simple: we believe that good design should enhance the lives of those who experience it. Whether we're working on a residential or commercial project, our goal is always the same—to create spaces that are as practical as they are beautiful, as timeless as they are innovative.

Through our work, we strive to create spaces that inspire, uplift, and ultimately, bring joy to those who inhabit them. We invite you to explore our portfolio and discover the world of possibilities that await when you choose Camia Brown Interiors.

Connect with Camia Brown:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Pinterest

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Other Shows Mentioned:

Episode 1010: Overheard: Developing Resilience in Interior Design Business Leadership with Antonio Deloatch Jr, Sandra Funk and Robin Burrill

Today With LuAnn Nigara:

Somewhere on a coaching call this week, a designer told LuAnn the same story she hears constantly: her client is insisting on seeing the invoice, certain she's entitled to know what that ten thousand dollar sofa actually cost. It feels reasonable in the moment. It isn't, and in this episode LuAnn walks through exactly why, using the same standard your clients already apply to a restaurant, and to a national retailer like Restoration Hardware, without ever questioning it once.

From there, the episode moves into the number most firms get wrong without realizing it. A 35 percent markup, the default for most of this industry, doesn't produce a 35 percent margin. It produces something closer to 26 percent, and that gap is quietly the difference between a business that pays you and one that just keeps you busy. LuAnn backs the target margin up with real, named sources, not opinion, including CPA Greg Crabtree's philosophy that gross margin, not revenue, is the true top line of a business.

She also breaks down what she calls the checkbook lie: why a healthy-looking bank balance in a growing firm can quietly mask a business that isn't actually profitable, and why that problem gets easier to hide the bigger a firm gets, not harder.

The episode closes with two concrete action steps: the exact math to run on your own last project, and how to start consolidating your vendor relationships to command real trade pricing instead of scattered discounts that never add up to a healthy margin.

For the full formula breakdown behind markup versus margin, go back and listen to Episode 279⁠⁠: Pricing for Profit: Understanding Margin vs Markup⁠

Have a Question for WWLD?

Head to: ⁠luannigara.com/WWLD⁠

Submit your question and it might be featured in an upcoming episode.

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

LuAnn’s ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Blog⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Power Talk Friday⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Like Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Tweet Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Follow Us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Listen Here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:Boardroom for Creatives

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch the Docuseries!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.luannnigara.com/cob⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

To Get on LuAnn’s Email List, text the word designbiz to 444999!

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Audiobook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 2: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Book 3: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Other Shows Mentioned

Episode 279: Pricing for Profit: Understanding Margin vs Markup

Today with Jude Charles:

My guest today has interviewed over one hundred homeowners after they hired an interior designer, and he asks every single one of them the same two questions. Why did you choose this designer? And what would your life look like if you hadn't?

Jude Charles is back on A Well-Designed Business for his fifth appearance, and this time we get into what he has learned after three years fully immersed in the interior design industry. He has produced more than twenty docuseries for interior designers, architects, and builders, and today he shares what homeowners actually say when the cameras are rolling and their designer isn't in the room. Spoiler, it is almost never about the portfolio.

We talk about the two questions Jude asks every homeowner, the right client filter he uses in his own business, and why the most expensive investment most of your clients will ever make deserves more than a pretty picture. If you have ever wondered what is really winning you the project, this episode will change how you think about your own marketing.

More About Jude Charles:

For over 20 years, Jude Charles has been producing documentaries for entrepreneurs. He has produced stories for Google, Steve Harvey, and dozens of visionary CEOs.

Jude is the author of Dramatic Demonstration. This book is a roadmap that teaches you how to dig deep to find compelling stories that no one else knows, and then leverage those stories to grow your business.

Jude’s mission is to lead and empower entrepreneurs to have relentless, unwavering courage.

Connect with Jude Charles:

Website

Instagram

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

Watch the Docuseries!

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Shows Mentioned:

Episode 516: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: Video Storytelling for Your Brand

Episode 626: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: How to Tell Your Story to Connect with Clients in Interior Design

Episode 718: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: The Power of Dramatic Demonstration in Your Business Videos

Episode 724: Power Talk Friday: Jude Charles: Using Video to Close More Interior Design Deals

Episode 1000: 1000th Episode! LuAnn Nigara is Interviewed by Jude Charles!

Episode 542: Brad Leavitt: AFT Construction: A Builder’s Perspective on the Design Build Process

Episode 560: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Design Book

Episode 580: Brad Leavitt, AFT Construction: The Two “B” Words: Budget & Builders

Episode 615: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Overcoming Resistance in the Design-Build Process

Episode 649: Power Talk Friday: Brad Leavitt: Understanding Design-Build from the Builder’s Perspective

Episode 878: Throwback Tuesday: Brad Leavitt: A Builder’s Perspective on the Design Build Process

Episode 1130: Jen Davidson: Running an Interior Design Business, or Just Working at One You Happen to Own?

Episode 1059: Rachel Usher: Creating Community and Strength in the Interior Design Industry

Episode 1179: The Business of Interiors Community Summit: The Room That Changes Your Business

RSVP to the 10th Birthday Party

Watch LuAnn's docuseries produced by Jude Charles

Design Masters

Studio Designer

Mydoma Studio

Sunbrella

Today with Kate Ahl:

Today with Kate Ahl, founder of Simple Pin Media and a 12-year Pinterest marketing veteran, we are talking about where Pinterest stands right now in 2026 — and why it might be the smartest marketing move interior designers aren't making. Kate has managed over a thousand Pinterest accounts, her team has been with her between five and eleven years, and last year she became a verified Pinterest educator working directly with Pinterest itself. She knows this platform at a level most people don't, and she is here to give it to us straight.

In this conversation, Kate breaks down how Pinterest has evolved, what the intersection of AI and Pinterest actually looks like for designers today, and how to use the platform as a real long-game marketing engine for your firm. If you have written off Pinterest, tried it and quit, or never really understood what it could do for your business — this episode is going to make you rethink all of it.

More About Kate Ahl:
Kate Ahl is the founder and CEO of Simple Pin Media, the largest Pinterest marketing agency serving over a vast client base. With 12 years in the Pinterest space, Kate hosts the #1 podcast in Pinterest marketing with over 3 million downloads and is known for her no-fluff, strategic approach to helping businesses grow through Pinterest. She's a member of Pinterest's exclusive educator program and has built her reputation on cutting through the noise to deliver what actually works.

Ah Ha Moments with Kate Ahl:

"Pinterest is not a doom scroll platform. We are not the social media app that you give up in a detox. We are not even social media." — Kate Ahl

"If it doesn't finish the sentence you're typing, it doesn't know it's there." — LuAnn Nigara (on using Pinterest's search bar to test if your niche has an audience)

Connect with Kate Ahl:

Website

Instagram

Youtube

What’s new with LuAnn Nigara:

Boardroom for Creatives

Watch the Docuseries!

http://www.luannnigara.com/cob

Get The Goodies!

For checklists, resources, and extra goodies from A Well-Designed Business sign up for free here.

Purchase LuAnn’s Books Here:

Book 1: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Audiobook: The Making of A Well – Designed Business: Turn Inspiration into Action

Book 2: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts

Book 3: A Well-Designed Business – The Power Talk Friday Experts Volume 2

Connect with LuAnn Nigara:

LuAnn’s Website

LuAnn’s Blog

Power Talk Friday

Like Us: Facebook | Tweet Us: Twitter | Follow Us: Instagram | Listen Here: Podcast

Other Shows Mentioned:

AWDB #1126: Nicole Heymer: Rethink SEO for ChatGPT and Google AI

AWDB #1171: Jenna Gaidusek: AI Ethics for Interior Designers: Protecting Your Clients and Brand

WTFP #344: Kate Ahl: Using Pinterest to Understand Client Style and Strengthen Your Brand