To-The-Trade Episode Summary Laura Hildebrandt, owner of Interiors by LH in the Washington, DC area, joins Laurie Laizure for a conversation about what it really takes to build a design business when the stakes are personal, the resources are thin, and the learning curve is steep. Laura’s path into interior design started after a divorce […]
To-The-Trade Episode Summary 25 Years in the Trade, and One Clear Lesson Ann Feldstein has spent more than 25 years in the interior design industry. She started at Kravet, Inc. in 2000, spent 15 years there rising to vice president, and in 2015 launched Moxie Marketing, a firm built on the idea that women in
To-The-Trade Episode Summary This episode of To-The-Trade is brought to you by AJ Madison Pro, the industry’s trusted appliance resource for interior design professionals. What does it actually take to build a vendor relationship that lasts? Not a transactional one where you place an order and hope for the best, but the kind where a
To-The-Trade Episode Summary Heather Cleveland of Heather Cleveland Design joins Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson to talk about what really separates a mature design firm from the pack: not talent, but process. Heather shares her creative roots, her love of textiles, and the practical path that sharpened her technical confidence, then goes deep on the
To-The-Trade Episode Summary To-The-Trade host Laurie Laizure sits down with Phil Hotarek, a plumbing and HVAC contractor and decorative showroom owner in San Francisco, who also serves as president of Decorative Plumbing & Hardware Association (DPHA). Phil explains that DPHA was created to connect the industry’s key segments, manufacturers/brands, independent reps, and showrooms, in a
To-The-Trade S3E03 Inside DPHA, Roundtables That Build Real Trust with Phil Hotarek Read More »
To-The-Trade Episode Summary Marsha Sefcik joins Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson for a wide-ranging conversation about running a design business with more clarity, stronger margins, and fewer “chaos leaks,” while still respecting the realities of life outside the studio. Laurie begins by sharing that they were introduced through Sarah from Mydoma, one of IDC’s longtime
To-The-Trade S3E02 Reverse Engineer Your Design Income with Marsha Sefcik Read More »
To-The-Trade Episode Summary In this episode of To-The-Trade, Laurie Laizure talks with Boston-based interior designer Dane Austin about the long game of building a design career, the quiet power of community, and why comfort and quality should drive nearly every major furnishing decision. Dane shares that he’s known he wanted to be a designer since
Inspire. Source. Collaborate. What is Design Edge? Our mission for this show is simple: to build a culture of real connection across our Interior Design and Home Furnishings industry. Designers deserve a stronger voice, and brands deserve partners they can trust. Leading designer-focused manufacturers aren’t just a source for product, they’re collaborative partners. Join us at Design
To-The-Trade Episode Summary In the last episode of 2025 the To-The-Trade podcast from the Interior Design Community, hosts Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson get real about what it takes to support design pros, and where the business of interior design is heading next. Laurie opens by thanking Nile for the behind-the-scenes work that goes into
To-The-Trade S2E58 2025 Finale, The ROI Mindset, Follow-Up Revenue Plan Read More »
To-The-Trade Episode Summary In this episode of To-The-Trade, host Laurie Laizure sits down with Montreal-based designer Romina Tina Fontana, founder of Fontana & Company, to discuss how her deep background in marketing and graphic design shapes her approach to running her interiors studio today. It is a conversation that blends branding, editorial photography, client education,
To-The-Trade S2E57 Budgets, Boundaries and Beautiful Shoots with Romina Tina Fontana Read More »
