To-The-Trade with Interior Design Community

• TTT-S2E49 Pulp Design Studios on Strategy, Smart Assets, and Team Culture

  Beth Dotolo and Carolina V. Gentry of Pulp Design Studios explain how they manage a firm across Dallas and Seattle, sharing goals, standardized processes, and similar revenue profiles. Their rule of thumb for hiring is straightforward: when leadership spends too much time on high-value design work, they hire or reassign to ensure the right people handle the right tasks. They prioritize investing in team compensation and career paths to maintain their culture and output.Their main theme is building wealth beyond just fees. Instead of spending on flashy things, Pulp invests surplus funds into assets, like purchasing their Dallas building and a Palm Springs property they renovated into an Airbnb. The focus is on long-term stability, not quick fame. The showhouse segment also provides a creative perspective, where constraints led to memorable design features, such as a secret door and a moody lounge, which generated industry buzz and new business.Decision-making is structured. Beth tends to approve, Carolina assesses feasibility, and both rely on documented five- to fifteen-year plans with a strategist. Operationally, the team is comfortable working remotely, using cloud-based systems and simple communication tools so both offices can support each other during workload spikes. The episode offers interior designer tips on partnership, pricing strategy, resource planning, and marketing through action, not just posting.

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• TTT-S2E48-Storytelling That Sells, with Jude Charles

  Filmmaker Jude Charles joins the To-The-Trade podcast to explain how docuseries content helps designers sell the real value of their work. Instead of chasing a viral post, he urges designers to create a human, long-form story that shows process, judgment, and personality, so clients start with trust. His journey began with a three-part series for a Pompano Beach designer who needed more than portfolio photos to explain his team’s value, and it accelerated after a project with LuAnn that highlighted a deep appetite for narrative in our field.The strategy is simple: let prospects meet you before they actually meet you. Include the docuseries in your inquiry and consult the flow. This approach shortens the time to a positive response and smooths projects because clients already understand how you think and lead. Jude’s three rules of authentic storytelling—lived experience, emotion, and evidence keep the content honest and persuasive. He demonstrates this by sharing his own burnout and recovery story, including a parking lot emergency that redefined his identity beyond work.A notable example is builder Brad Leavitt. Even with a solid platform, Brad needed to understand how a docuseries fit into his business. The series begins with his Father’s Day stroke, a human moment that garners attention and empathy before highlighting the work. Laurie notes that design is a high-stress, high-stakes service, and a docuseries can prepare clients to be patient when schedules slip, which helps with better client management for designers.

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• TTT-S2E47-The business of home tech for design pros with Katye McGregor Bennett

  Design pros, this is your playbook for integrating technology into the experience and the business of interior design. Katye McGregor Bennett explains why the integrator, your behind-the-walls systems partner, belongs at the table before drywall. That early involvement lets lighting, audio, networking, and security serve the design vision, and it keeps you out of tech support. Pair with a proper service plan and remote monitoring, and the integrator handles issues while you lead the relationship.Start every project with the network, the home’s digital foundation, then layer categories like motorized shades and high-performance displays. A solid network reduces glitches, supports heavy use when the household is active, and future-proofs for growth. Watch power quality too; a stressed grid can cause flicker and crashes, and an integrator can diagnose and stabilize.Lean on the Home Technology Association’s Integrator Finder, assessment form, and budget calculator to vet partners and start transparent, experience-focused conversations with clients. Test tech at home or in your studio to build language and confidence, then position it as part of wellness, aging in place, and daily joy.Bottom line, curate two to four trusted integrators, align on aesthetics and communication, scope realistically with HTA tools, and let tech elevate the client’s lifestyle and your margins.

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• TTT-S2E46-Phyllis Harbinger, Real Talk on Pricing Strategies for Designers and Project Ops

  Laurie Laizure, Nile Johnson, and Phyllis Harbinger get practical about the business of interior design. Phyllis outlines her transparent purchasing model, where clients pay vendors directly, while her team manages the logistics. She charges a 35 percent cost-plus purchase management fee over net on everything. Her contract states she is not responsible for vendor malfeasance or damages, and if a replacement is needed, she manages it for the same fee.She avoids the term “retainer,” opting instead to collect a defined design fee at signing, a choice reinforced by legal guidance that “retainer” can require refunds if projects end early. She also protects IP and has clients initial every page.Day-to-day, Phyllis relies on daily team huddles, shared agendas, minutes, and Zoom recordings, which make approvals traceable and keep clients accountable. Design-wise, it is FFF, form follows function, with a deep understanding of how clients actually live and work.Expect mindset gems too, from positive expectation resets to a reality check on TV budgets versus trade economics

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• TTT-S2E45-Why Design Edge Could Be a Game-Changer for Interior Designers with Lee Hershberg

  Host Laurie Laizure sits down with Lee Hershberg, founder of Design Edge, a traveling, invite-only trade event created exclusively for interior designers. Drawing on decades of experience with KBIS, High Point, and Las Vegas Market, Lee designed the event to close the gap between manufacturers and the many designers who can’t attend large markets.Design Edge is intentionally smaller and more focused, making it easier for designers to connect with senior brand leaders, exchange feedback, and find new products without the overwhelm of large show floors. The event features three parts: brand booths, a Maker Stage for product storytelling, and an Education Stage with sessions on contracts, luxury clients, and profit growth.Laurie and Lee highlight shifting from a “product” mindset to a “product partner” approach, fostering collaborative relationships where brands understand and support a designer’s unique needs. They share real-life examples of successes and failures, encouraging designers to come prepared to ask questions, provide feedback, and discuss what’s working and what’s not.With stops planned across the U.S., Design Edge offers a high-impact, low-cost way for designers to source smarter, partner better, and ultimately grow their businesses.

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