Trade Tales

Latest Episodes:

How Michelle Gage built the team that helped her escape burnout Jul 30, 2025

Show notes

Michelle Gage found herself fast-approaching the point of burnout several years ago. In response, she threw herself into the process of remaking her business—overhauling back-end systems and making high-level hires in order to rekindle the sense of enjoyment that drew her to design in the first place. Elsewhere in this episode, she also shares the book that transformed her approach to leadership, the benefits of hiring a brand manager and how she educates clients on the costs of design.
LINKS
Michelle Gage
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Ask Us Anything: Bria Hammel on why full-service firms should always take credit cards Jul 23, 2025

Show notes

Bria Hammel joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer in need of advice as she embarks on an overhaul of her payment processes, especially amid a recent shift to charging flat fees. Minnestoa–based Hammel jumps in with tips on aligning payments with various phases of the design process, why every firm’s first hire should be an accounting position, and the go-to management software that keeps everything in order.

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands.

LINKS
Bria Hammel
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Considering a sabbatical? Chloe Redmond Warner did it—and shares how you can, too [Rebroadcast] Jul 16, 2025

Show notes

Chloe Redmond Warner realized several years ago that she had reached a breaking point. To get back to herself, she took a four-month sabbatical, with the hopes of returning to her firm as a better designer, and a better leader, too. The result wasn’t exactly what she was expecting, but it gave her the clarity she needed to change the way she worked.

LINKS
Chloe Redmond Warner
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Ask Us Anything: Live with Arianne Bellizaire and Cortney Bishop at High Point Market Jul 09, 2025

Show notes

Designers Arianne Bellizaire and Cortney Bishop joined host Kaitlin Petersen for a live episode of the show—recorded during Spring High Point Market—to dish out advice on topics including when to start talking about design costs with prospective clients, what it takes to scale the receiving arm of your business and how to deal with an unreliable contractor. At the end, the designers fielded live questions from the audience on topics ranging from building a design team to discussing photography with reluctant clients.

LINKS
Arianne Bellizaire
Cortney Bishop
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

The pandemic almost shut down Meg Lonergan’s business—here’s how she revived it [Rebroadcast] Jul 02, 2025

Show notes

When Meg Lonergan embarked on her design career, it seemed that her biggest hurdle was demonstrating to the rest of the design industry that despite her nontraditional education and early career experiences, she was just as talented and qualified as any other successful firm owner. Then, a near-total firm meltdown during the pandemic led her to a stunning realization: The biggest obstacle standing in the way of her firm’s growth was herself.

LINKS
Meg Lonergan
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Ask Us Anything: Meagan Camp on helping clients come to terms with storage fees Jun 25, 2025

Show notes

Meagan Camp joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer in need of advice on streamlining her procurement process as she takes on a larger project load. The New York designer jumps in with tips on building storage costs into client budgets from the beginning, her vetting process for new receivers and the organizational system that ensures every item gets to the right place.

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands.

LINKS
Meagan Camp
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

How Alex Kaehler stepped away from her firm to gain a new vision for its future Jun 18, 2025

Show notes

Alex Kaehler found herself with a rush of new work an opportunity to really scale her business during the pandemic boom—but soon realized that the way the firm was growing didn’t leave her feeling fulfilled. Stressed and stretched thin, she decided to push pause on her business—even if that meant winding down active projects and handing them off to other firms. In the quiet that followed, she was able to finally discover what was missing, and establish a new set of intentions to guide her path forward.

This episode was sponsored by Lutron and Serena & Lily.

LINKS
Alex Kaehler
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Ask Us Anything: Amy Storm on navigating complex contractor relationships Jun 11, 2025

Show notes

Amy Storm joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer in need of advice on working with a contractor who is consistently missing the mark. The Glen Ellyn, Illinois designer jumps in with advice on when to be transparent with clients about jobsite issues, how frequently communicating updates can protect your firm, and red flags that indicate whether or not it’s worth walking away from a contractor relationship.

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands.

LINKS
Amy Storm
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

How better boundaries helped Adam Hunter fall back in love with his business Jun 04, 2025

Show notes

Adam Hunter’s first career on Broadway gave way to a second act in design, where he’s tapping into his talent for selling a vision. With candor, he shines a bright light on the real costs of design at a certain echelon of the industry. He also explains how a shift toward cultivating deeper relationships helped him find the right size for his firm, why landing celebrity clients isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be, and why he’s thinking bigger as he embarks on the next stage of his career.

This episode was sponsored by Lutron and Serena & Lily.

LINKS
Adam Hunter
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Ask Us Anything: Emilie Munroe on why you should never charge a consultation fee May 28, 2025

Show notes

Emilie Munroe joins the show to answer a question from a fellow designer who is wondering how to approach the client vetting process, and wants to know if she should be charging for a consultation before the client signs onto a project. The San Francisco–based designer jumps in with advice on why vetting is a two-way interview, how charging for consultations can cloud your firm’s end goal, and what it means to embrace client rejection.

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands.

LINKS
Emilie Munroe
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

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