To-The-Trade-S2E48-Storytelling That Sells with Jude Charles

To-The-Trade Episode Summary

On this episode of the To-The-Trade interior design podcast, host Laurie Laizure and co-host Nile Johnson sit down with filmmaker and brand strategist Jude Charles (@judecharles) to unpack how docuseries content helps design professionals turn invisible value into visible proof. From the start, Laurie frames the problem that most of the trade lives with. Clients think design equals pretty pictures, which means designers constantly re-educate on scope, process, and the value of expertise. Jude’s answer is long-form storytelling, a docuseries that showcases the work and the person behind it, allowing prospective clients to begin with context and trust.

Jude shares his on-ramp to the industry, a three-part docuseries for a Pompano Beach designer who needed to explain his team’s value beyond still photos. The project planted a seed, but the focus clicked years later when he produced a docuseries with LuAnn, which revealed both the need and the appetite for deeper narratives within the design community.

Trust sits at the center. Prospective clients silently ask, Why you? Why should I trust you with my most significant investment, my home? Jude’s answer is to humanize. Process footage, family moments, and values in action help clients see how a designer thinks, leads, and handles challenges, not just what a room looks like. He cites a recent series featuring builder Brad Leavitt. Despite Brad’s large audience and prolific content, saying yes took months because he needed to know how a docuseries fits his business. The series begins with Brad’s Father’s Day stroke, a moment that breaks the perfection bubble and makes the person real.

For designers, the reward isn’t virality; it’s momentum. Incorporate the docuseries into your inquiry process and early meetings; let prospects get to know you before they meet you, which helps shorten the path to ‘yes’. Laurie emphasizes a common mistake designers chase quick ROI on YouTube or Instagram and end up feeling disappointed. The smarter approach is to support conversions, building comfort quickly with already interested leads.

Jude walks through his production approach. It always begins with a Roadmapping Strategy Session, where we clarify core values, signature stories, beliefs, and the marketing plan for how the series will integrate with the existing business and goals. Then comes his three rules of authentic storytelling: lived experience, emotion, and evidence, which together prove your promises humanly. He illustrates his own burnout and recovery story, including a parking lot incident that reminded him that his work does not define his value, but by the calm he brings to chaos.

The conversation gets real about industry burnout. Design is high-stakes; there are big budgets and tight timelines, which means stress is built in. A docuseries can prime clients for empathy and partnership, so projects run smoother when the inevitable friction hits. Jude also shares how client interviews featured in the series capture proof of the relationship, not just the reveal, which becomes durable marketing and legacy documentation that designers can use for years.

They close with practicals. Pricing is an investment conversation, not a sticker price moment, because the deliverable is transformation and sales enablement, not a single post. For the marketing stack, pair your docuseries with your intake form, consultation flow, and email nurture, then reuse chapter clips across channels. If you want interior designer tips that elevate trust, this episode shows how story, not just style, drives the business of interior design.

Marketing and Lead Generation