To-The-Trade S2E23 Crafting Connections: The Role of Relationships in Design Success with Todd Howard Ezrin

Show Summary:

In this episode of ‘To The Trade,’ Laurie Laizure and Nile Johnson interview Todd Howard Ezrin, the principal of Tobe DesignGroup, a boutique interior architecture and design firm in Bethesda, Maryland. Todd shares insights about his firm’s specialization in residential and multi-family residential projects, both locally and internationally. Todd recounts how a connection through a friend led to his firm’s expansive work with a retail cannabis company, including winning an award for a store design in California. He emphasizes the importance of not relying too heavily on a single client to avoid business risks. Laurie and Todd also discuss the need for multiple vendors to avoid dependency and ensure project success. Todd highlights the unpredictable daily routine of a designer and shares his leadership approach, which values relationships with clients and employees. The conversation touches on Todd’s philanthropic efforts and his long-term goal of establishing a sustainable nonprofit to provide design services for economically disadvantaged individuals and communities.