Trade Tales

Hosted by Business of Home, Kaitlin Petersen

Business Entrepreneurship Arts Design

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Episodes

190

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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About the show

Business of Home's editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen talks to interior designers about nurturing creativity, finding a firm’s financial footing, setting goals and discovering their own version of success as a result.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 14, 202634 min

Ask Us Anything: Zuni Madera on elevating a firm’s art sourcing

Zuni Madera answers a question from a designer who is looking for a road map to understanding the art sourcing process. Madera, a partner at New York–based firm MC Interiors, offers advice on setting a room-by-room budget from a project’s outset, where a consultant can help with price education, and how to gauge a client’s desire for art discovery. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Zuni Madera Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

October 7, 20261 hr 6 min

How Hattie Sparks Collins regained creative control of her firm

Hattie Sparks Collins found herself in a situation every new business owner dreams of: a period of rapid growth almost immediately after launching her firm. As she scaled up, however, she felt herself losing control of the firm’s processes—and even worse, her project standards. She decided it was time to strip back to the basics, rebuilding with a focus on sustainable growth. What emerged was a firm that not only had real staying power, but reflected her vision for what a creative business should be.. In this episode, she shares the value in hiring for help with procurement, the systems’ approach that accelerated her firm’s growth, and raising her project standards to invest in her firm’s future. This episode was sponsored by Vanguard Furniture and Dallas Market Center . LINKS Hattie Sparks Collins Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

September 30, 20261 hr 14 min

Ask Us Anything: Live with Evan Millard, Melissa Oholendt and Audrey Scheck

In a live edition of the show—recorded at the Four Hands flagship in Austin, Texas—designers Evan Millard, Melissa Oholendt and Audrey Scheck share advice on attracting more qualified leads, investing in photography, understanding profit margins and more. At the end, they fielded live questions from the audience on topics ranging from color trends to tech stacks. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Evan Millard Melissa Oholendt Audrey Scheck Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

September 23, 20261 hr 6 min

Jay Jeffers on protecting your firm from a pipeline in flux

Jay Jeffers has never been afraid of chasing his creative ambitions, venturing into retail and hospitality and embracing the risks that come with it. More than two decades into his firm, he’s reflecting on what it takes to build a business that can weather growth spurts and the slower periods that inevitably follow. In this episode, he shares how he’s protecting his firm from pipeline volatility, the value in creating a workplace that attracts senior talent, and what he learned from the process of opening his own hotel. This episode was sponsored by High Point Market and Minted . LINKS Jay Jeffers Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

September 16, 202648 min

Ask Us Anything: Dan Rak on improving your profit margins

Dan Rak, whose eponymous firm has offices in Chicago and Southwest Florida, answers a question from a designer who is ready to revamp her firm’s finances. Rak offers advice on why the right sourcing strategy is crucial to improving profit margins, levelling up through a designer-friendly accounting software, and the importance of regularly examining your firm’s cost structure. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Dan Rak Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

September 9, 20261 hr 15 min

Ali Faulkner on building a team that’s passionate about the client experience

Ali Faulkner’s first career in high-end hospitality has played a crucial role in shaping the firm she leads today—one in which everything from her firm’s back-end operations, to hiring and onboarding are crafted around delivering an ideal client experience. In this episode, she shares how outsourcing social media caused her inbound leads to multiply, how working with a sales coach transformed her calls with prospective clients, and how she’s building a work environment that allows employees to create accountability for themselves. This episode was sponsored by High Point Market and Minted . LINKS Ali Faulkner Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

September 2, 202654 min

Ask Us Anything: How Shaun Crha presents product pricing to clients

In this episode, interior designer Shaun Crha of Long Beach, California–based firm Wrenstead Interiors answers a question from a designer whose clients want to know exactly what she’s paying for product. Crha jumps in with advice on using a budgeting guide to prepare clients for prospective room costs, an alternative approach to fully itemized pricing, and why some information always remains internal to his firm. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Wrensted Interior Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

August 26, 20261 hr 2 min

How Kelly Finley is building a firm that brings her joy

Kelly Finley set out to create her ideal firm—and then, after bringing that vision to life, realized a large staff and juggling tons of projects wasn’t all she’d hoped it would be. Moving forward, she decided to go back to basics—discovering the projects, clients and charitable pursuits that truly bring her joy. In this episode, she shares how she created a custom database for her firm’s backend, using AI to catch ordering mistakes and why she decided to launch a nonprofit that operates alongside her design firm. LINKS Kelly Finley Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

August 19, 202649 min

Ask Us Anything: Erica Vassalotti’s guide to photo rights

In this episode, interior designer Erica Vassalotti of Philadelphia-based design firm Bergman Vass answers a question from a designer who wants to make sure she’s maximizing her investment if she’s spending big on photography. Vass jumps in with advice on the value in teaming up with your photographer to strategize about media coverage, how usage rights are akin to art commissions, and why it's important to also represent clients in a photo shoot. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands . LINKS Erica Vassalotti Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home

August 12, 202659 min

Why Molly Torres Portnof hands every prospective client an investment guide

Molly Torres Portnof keeps her firm’s inner circle small—which means that each person in her orbit, carefully chosen, has an outsize influence on her success. She brings the same intentionality to the clients she works with, thanks to a series of safeguards that ensure it’s always a stellar fit. In this episode, she shares the value of publicity in a changing media landscape, why she sends an investment guide to every prospective client, and the process she swears by to find the most qualified leads. LINKS Molly Torres Portnof Kaitlin Petersen Business of Home