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Trade Tales

Trade Tales

Hosted by Business of Home, Kaitlin Petersen

BusinessEntrepreneurshipArtsDesign
WebsiteRSS feed

Episodes

181

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN

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
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. LINKSMolly Torres PortnofKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

August 5, 202639 min

Ask Us Anything: Tina Ramchandani on attracting your ideal client

In this episode, New York-based interior designer Tina Ramchandani answers a question from a  designer whose firm is attracting plenty of potential clients—just not the ones she wants in her pipeline. Ramchandani jumps in with advice on finding the messaging that authentically conveys your firm’s value, tactics for filtering out unqualified leads, and the annual reset that helps crystallize her ideal client. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. LINKSTina RamchandaniKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

July 29, 202658 min

Erica McLain on bridging the gap between science and design

Erica McLain has been continuously guided by a fierce drive and curiosity—qualities that propelled her to Stanford, the Olympics, and tech companies like Facebook and Google. Now, she’s combining those strengths to blaze a new trail in the design industry, rooted in a measurable, research-backed understanding of environmental psychology and neuroaesthetics. In this episode, she shares the “design potential report” she prepares for prospective clients, her firm’s unique B2B offering, and the toolkit she is developing to analyze a home’s impact on clients.  This episode was sponsored by Kohler and Vanguard Furniture. LINKSErica McLainKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

July 22, 202647 min

Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level [Rebroadcast]

Boston designer Dane Austin joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who knows the basics when it comes to presenting design ideas, and is now looking for advice on how to take her strategy a step further, ultimately selling her vision—and commitment—to her clients. Austin offers advice on bringing a theatrical edge to big-picture design planning, a strategy for physically packaging ideas that invokes the world of luxury shopping, and the value of refining the decision-making process through three levels of presentations.  LINKSDane AustinKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

July 15, 202659 min

Why Mandy Cheng won't delegate her firm's finances [Rebroadcast]

Mandy Cheng launched her creative career in set production before discovering that transforming interiors was a perfect fit. The past few years have been pivotal for her firm, with industry accolades and high-profile clients that have brought growth, but also pushed her to explore what creative expansion will look like in the years ahead. This episode was sponsored by Kohler and Vanguard Furniture.  LINKSMandy Cheng Kaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

July 8, 202640 min

Ask Us Anything: Melissa Oholendt’s go-to interview questions for new hires [Rebroadcast]

Melissa Oholendt of Minnesota- and Colorado-based firm Oho Interiors answers a question from a designer who is currently interviewing candidates for her firm’s first full-time position. Oholendt jumps in with advice on how to reveal a candidate’s true ambitions, evaluating skillset through a key question and knowing when to call for backup.  LINKSOho Interiors Kaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

July 1, 202653 min

Why Ali Budd wants to do design TV differently [Rebroadcast]

Ali Budd had a shot at  TV stardom—and decided she wanted to bring viewers a side of the industry they hadn’t seen before. As the business she spent years building enters the spotlight, she’s sharing what it took to find her voice—and how she built a team that could carry that vision even further. This episode was sponsored by Kohler and Vanguard Furniture.  LINKSAli BuddKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

June 24, 202629 min

Ask Us Anything: Blair Moore on protecting your firm from shipping issues

In this episode, New York and Rhode Island-based interior designer Blair Moore answers a question from a designer whose firm is facing a sudden rush of shipping problems. Moore jumps in with advice on reckoning with a decline in shipping quality, how thorough channels of communication can help catch issues before they arise, and—when all else fails—establishing your own in-house receiving operation.This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. LINKSBlair MooreKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

June 17, 202659 min

How Angela Harris put wellness front and center in her business

Angela Harris’s firm marks a bit of a departure from the typical Trade Tales guest, with a portfolio that spans master planned communities, model homes, commercial, hospitality, and everything in between. And yet, the lessons she’s picked up along the way—on executing her vision, firm leadership, and a rigorous approach to wellness—are valuable for designers in every corner of the industry. On this episode, she shares what it takes to fully inhabit the role of design visionary, how overhauling her firm’s infrastructure helped the team claw back creative time, why she’s pursuing a PhD centered on the concept of design as an ethical imperative. This episode was sponsored by Vanguard Furniture and Kohler. LINKSAngela Harris Kaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

June 10, 202624 min

Ask Us Anything: Lucy O’Brien on designing around order minimums

In this episode, Philadelphia-based interior designer Lucy O’Brien of Tartan & Toile answers a question from a designer who recently had to compromise her creative vision after coming up against an order minimum. O’Brien jumps in with advice on finding a second life for extra material, the value in troubleshooting with sales reps, and being transparent with clients about unexpected fees during the procurement process. This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. LINKSLucy O’BrienKaitlin PetersenBusiness of Home

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