To-The-Trade S2E27 Why Go It Alone? Heather McManus on the Strength of Community

Show Summary:

In this episode of To The Trade, Laurie Laizure sits down with Heather McManus, an interior designer turned founder of The Designers Collaborative. Heather shares her journey from studying art education at Pratt to learning the trade from the ground up at a local upholstery and drapery workroom. Her path eventually led her to open her own design firm and, more recently, to create a collective that empowers independent interior designers with shared buying power, structure, and support.

Heather speaks candidly about the challenges she faced when clients began shopping online for better deals, which often damaged trust and undermined her business. This experience inspired her to launch The Designers Collaborative, a vetted, membership-based group offering designers access to top-tier pricing, detailed purchasing tools, and a unique emergency fund for added security.

Tune in to hear how Heather’s full-time focus on the collective is helping designers build stronger businesses together. From the administrative side of purchase orders to tech integration and community events, Heather brings clarity and confidence to the often messy business of sourcing.