Today, I’m excited to share my conversation with Meredith Huck. Meredith is the owner and principal designer of House of Huck and a member of my course, Interior Designer’s Guide to Construction Management. House of Huck is a full-service Interior Design firm located in Coastal Connecticut. Their homes are the essence of coastal casual—textured accents, inviting spaces, high-end finishes and timeless furnishings. Their goal is to curate a tranquil and welcoming environment into their client's...

No one’s mind is more blown than mine that this is my 200th episode! This podcast started out as a Covid adventure, and if you had asked me at the time, would I be 200 episodes in? I honestly would have laughed at you if you’d told me that I would have started a podcast, first of all, and secondly, that I’d still be doing it 200 episodes later.  So many of you are new listeners, so I wanted to reintroduce myself today, who I am, why I am here talking about construction management, and why I...

If you’ve struggled with setting boundaries, then today’s episode is for you! If you missed last week’s Episode 198, go back and listen to that one first. Today, we are taking the next step in how to establish respect and control of a construction project with the contractor and the client. And that’s all about setting boundaries– right from the start of a project to maintain the control, respect, and confidence you need throughout the entire process! So today you will learn why boundaries...

Today’s topic is something I hear about frequently from designers, so I’m changing things up starting today and will be doing a series on this one topic: How to gain respect and authority on the job site. In today’s episode, we are starting with mindset and how to shift your mindset from worker bee to becoming a project leader. This isn’t an overnight shift that you will be able to create, but I do know that small shifts in the right direction will be perceived and will shift the perception...

An often overlooked component is referral marketing—and I don’t mean just with your current or past clients. You need to start looking beyond them and building specific relationships that will drive construction projects to you and fill your pipeline. So today, we’re going to break down why that’s so important and how to best go about it!   As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot me a...

Last week, we talked about how you can expand your services by moving into construction management. And I heard from many of you how you found the episode really helpful, so, thank you for reaching out! I always love hearing what resonates with each of you.  So today, we are going to expand on that conversation, and  I want to walk you through how you can showcase your expertise both in design and construction in social media and throughout your content! As always, if this episode leaves you...

There is nothing I love more than hanging out with fellow designers and my recent webinar gave me that opportunity. What I love about it is realizing the commonalities that we all face - the good and the bad.  One of the things that came up was expanding your decorating business to include construction management. Why that’s important and how to take the first steps. So today, we’re going to break that down!  As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please...

Whether you are a new designer or seasoned, there is something to learn from today's conversation with my guest, Rebecca West!   Today, we are going to dig into the marketing messages that we are projecting not only to our clients but to our industry partners. And yes, there are lots of side conversations that are really valuable for you to hear in this episode as well! Two decades as CEO of Seriously Happy Homes turned Rebecca West into the go-to business coach for residential...

As the name of this podcast states, being the only girl on the jobsite can be difficult, and I know I’ve mentioned the challenges of this before, but I don’t always dive into the topic as much as I’d like to. Well today, we’re diving all the way in!    As always, if this episode leaves you with more questions than answers, please feel free to reach out to me at [email protected] or shoot me a dm on social media! Find the full shownotes at:...

I received the emails I’m sharing in today’s episode from so many designers after they signed up for my upcoming webinar. They were letting me know their issues, concerns, and the top 1—and sometimes 10—problems they’re having with the profitability of their projects.  In today’s episode, I won’t mention names, but you might hear me read yours or hear one you can truly relate to. I know I have related to all of these questions at some point in my career. I want everyone to understand that we...

Today, we are talking all things numbers, and I know that may make some of you cringe a little bit, but I have invited my friend Michele Williams on to share on how to unlock profitability in your business and how to master your financials. Michele Williams is the dynamic owner of Scarlet Thread Consulting and Metrique Solutions, two companies focused on empowering creative professionals to own the financials of their business. With an eye for detail and a passion for innovation, Michele has...

We’ve all been in these client meetings where you’ve hopefully asked the client, “Do you have a budget in mind for this project?” Hopefully, they have given this some thought. But here’s the tricky part…. You have no idea what they’re basing that number on or if it’s all they can spend.  A course member reached out to me asking about this issue. She said time and again she is going into these meetings, has bid the whole project out, and then the client starts adding scope of work to the...

Today is Part 2 of my interview with Virginia DesRoches. If you missed the first part, Episode 187, I suggest going back and listening to that one first!  Virginia DesRoches and John Foran are the dynamic couple and trailblazing visionaries behind Ironwood Studio, an all-encompassing firm that seamlessly merges construction and interior design along the South Coast of MA. Rooted in strong family values, they have earned a robust reputation for their work in designing, building, and...

I hear everything from designers, from “I estimated 50 hours, and I’m now at 90. I’m totally upside down on my numbers.” to “I have no idea where to start” to “I totally messed this one up, Renee, and I don’t know how I’m going to get out of it.”  If that is you, or you’ve had these pangs of anxiety, you are amongst the many, and this is why I want to talk about his topic today.  I know I’ve discussed pricing in other episodes, but today, I want to discuss the common thread I’m seeing when...

We all make mistakes; I make plenty of them! The entire purpose of this podcast is for designers to learn from the mistakes of others. My guest today is Virginia DesRoches who is here today to talk about some of the rookie mistakes she has made and the lessons she learned from them. Virginia DesRoches and John Foran are the dynamic couple and trailblazing visionaries behind Ironwood Studio, an all-encompassing firm that seamlessly merges construction and interior design along the South Coast...

It’s already July 30th and I don’t know about all of you but I’m feeling that mid-summer slow down, both the highs and the lows of it. Now is the time when we want to start looking ahead to start planning our fall and winter pipeline projects. So today I want to talk about how to embrace the moment while also preparing for the future if you have a full pipeline of projects and what to do if you don’t. Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/planning-for-fall-winter   

If you ever feel a lack of confidence about skills that you definitely have, then today’s episode is for you!! Last week’s episode (Ep184) was a really important conversation around struggles I know so many designers have about setting boundaries and how they present themselves to contractors, clients, and anyone else in our industry. A lot of this stems from a lack of confidence and feeling insecure about skills that you definitely have.  This topic definitely hit a nerve with a lot of...

If you want to know how to really master your confidence and build effective, quality relationships with your team members then today’s episode is for you!! Jeannie Andresen is here today and we dive into how to start building relationships with a new team member, why these relationships are so important, and how to create boundaries when needed and stand in our own value!  Jeannie Andresen is a former corporate director turned business coach who specializes in helping interior designers...

Recently, I’ve been hearing rumors about supply chain issues rearing their ugly heads again, and I was too busy to focus on them at the time and certainly didn’t feel it in my day-to-day world. But I came across an article and took the time to do some research on this topic and I want to share the information I found with you and why it is so important for you to continue to lean into your construction management services.   If you’re interested in joining my course, you can use my code...

I am a luxury interior designer, construction expert, and industry educator. That’s my sound bite. What is your soundbite? Today, I want to talk about how to develop your own soundbite and why it’s so critical to do so. After listening to today's episode, I would love to hear your soundbites! Send me an email at [email protected] or shoot me a dm on social media! We are much stronger together, and this is a way we can connect even further! Find the full shownotes at:...

I often say it takes more than a dozen people for any of my projects to be successful, and occasionally someone on that team goes rogue. That can be very disruptive to not only the process and the flow of the project, but potentially to your bottom line. So today, I want to talk about what that can look like, how you can remedy it, and, most importantly, how you can avoid it altogether.   Find the full shownotes at: https://devignierdesign.com/avoid-vendors-going-rogue 

I often hear from designers asking for advice on how to price their fees. This isn’t because they’ve never priced out a construction project before for clients. It’s more often than not because they aren’t getting their numbers right, and they’re losing money on projects. So today, I want to talk about how to get your pricing covered to cover your actual price spent on projects - and spoiler alert, the key to your success comes before you start estimating.  Find the full shownotes at:...

Today, I want to share with you a project I’ve been working on that had so many teachable moments that I think you will find valuable. This one project has reaffirmed to me the value of my referral network, the ability to pivot when things get turned upside down, the ability to obtain team cohesion, and my personal belief that you don’t design for future owners but for the current ones you are working with. Ultimately, this single project reaffirmed my belief that a client and potential work...

I’ve talked before about my ‘A team,’ which I refer to as ‘my Todd.’ I’ve also mentioned that he always threatens to retire, to which I always respond, “Well, you can’t retire until I retire!” Unfortunately, that likely isn’t going to happen as Todd is preparing for retirement. While I am disappointed we won’t be working together for much longer, I am looking at this as an exciting opportunity. Today, I want to dive into what that looks like and how you, too, can embrace change even when you...