Shaun and Rebecca are back to wrap up 2025 with their annual year-in-review tradition—and it turns out, it wasn’t all bad! In this episode, they share a candid look at the highs, lows, and the messy middle of running their interior design businesses this year. From surviving slowdowns and personal challenges to celebrating wins like tightened brand messaging and more aligned client projects, they prove that progress isn’t always loud, flashy, or Instagram-worthy.

They revisit the goals they set at the beginning of the year (in Episode 138) and dig into what worked, what didn’t, and why sometimes just holding steady is a success worth celebrating. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or new to the business, this episode offers inspiration and validation that your growth is happening—even if it’s slower than you expected.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why looking back—even when you don’t feel like it—is essential to growth
• How Shaun’s business remained resilient during a personally challenging year
• Rebecca’s experience finally finding the right bookkeeper and getting her finances dialed
• Their evolving relationships with designer on-call services and how to better qualify leads
• Why having fresh portfolio photography changed Rebecca’s marketing game
• How Shaun refined his brand voice and simplified his services for more aligned clients
• The value of investing in professional development through retreats and workshops
• The systems and automations they put in place to support bigger goals in 2026

Mentioned:

• Episode 138: What's out for 2025 - 6 goals for our businesses

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’s Instagram
• Shaun’s Instagram
• For more information - Check out the website
• Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon
• Design Resources - Check out our shop

Shaun and Rebecca sit down with guest Renée Biery of deVignier Design and host of the podcast Only Girl on the Jobsite. With a career spanning over 30 years, Renée has worked on complex construction‑heavy design projects (in New York, then now from Delaware) and now teaches interior designers how to confidently navigate construction, scope, budgets, and roles on site. She and the hosts dive into how designers can claim their role on job sites, manage relationships with contractors, and build business models that protect their value and their peace of mind.

In this conversation they discuss:

• What it’s like being “the only girl on the job site” and how gender dynamics still shape design + construction relationships.
• How Renée built her career—from design school at New York School of Interior Design to AD 100 firms, then launching her own firm—and how that experience informs her teaching today.
• Why integrating large‑scale construction projects (not just decorating) gives designers business resilience, and how she targets ~70 % construction/30 % decorating in her annual mix.
• Entry‑points for designers who want to add more construction management to their services (but feel intimidated)—Renée shares practical advice on framing your first job, setting expectations, and charging appropriately.
• How designers can take control of the budget on construction projects—especially by scrutinizing “allowances”, managing procurement, and protecting the furniture/decor budget.
• The “pretty proposal” trap: Why verbose, beautifully‑designed decks might cost you jobs (and profits), and how clarity and scope define professionalism.
• How to manage scope creep, addenda, and contract clarity—so you don’t end up working for free or losing value because someone assumed something was included.
• How to position your business model for sustainability—flat fees versus hourly, discovering what parts of your business you enjoy (and which parts you don’t), and building systems so you don’t carry all the friction yourself.

Mentioned:

• deVignier Design
• The Designers Edge
• Only Girl on the Jobsite Podcast

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’s Instagram
• Shaun’s Instagram
• For more information - Check out the website
• Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon
• Design Resources - Check out our shop

Shaun and Rebecca explore how interior designers can borrow luxury‑hospitality practices (think boutique hotels, high‑end resorts) and apply them to their own design businesses. They dig into the idea that service isn’t just about furniture or finishes–it’s about how you make your clients feel, and how you structure your process, your purchasing, your hiring, and your client‑experience to reflect that elevated standard. Along the way they share candid business talk about shifting models, hiring help, market tiers, and positioning.

In this conversation they discuss:

• The recent Facebook designer‑group debate about trade discounts vs deep pricing and what that means for profitability.
• How going up‑market and leveraging stocking dealer accounts can open room for margin (and why that old‑school model still has relevance).
• The concept of hospitality—drawn from the book Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara—and how it applies to interior‑design business beyond restaurants. (Unreasonable Hospitality)
• Practical low‑starts for elevating client experience (handwritten notes, snack trays at presentations, anticipating needs) and the hard part: sustaining it over a full project.
• Shaun’s and Rebecca’s personal experiences: one signing a new project at a ‘lowest point,’ website copy finally working for leads, and the bravery of hiring operations/ procurement help.
• The shift from being “just a furniture order‑taker” to being a concierge, experience architect, and partner—and how that reframes your value proposition.
• The emotional and operational reality of hiring: knowing when you’re doing too much, needing to delegate, whether you’re ready to manage people (or handlers), and the fear of burning out or falling behind.
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Mentioned:

• Design Biz Survival Guide Retreat
• House of Savoy Instagram post example
• Unreasonable Hospitality: The Remarkable Power of Giving People More Than They Expect by Will Guidara

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’s Instagram
• Shaun’s Instagram
• For more information - Check out the website
• Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon
• Design Resources - Check out our shop