I can say with 100% certainty that I would not be where I am as an interior designer or an interior design business owner without the treasure trove of free educational podcasts about interior design business and marketing.
When I first started considering practicing interior design on my own, I was a graduate student at Iowa State, commuting an hour each way four days per week. I continued that drive after I began teaching there and taking clients. I used that time to listen to anything I could about how to be a successful entrepreneur.
This was back in 2014-2015, and there were nowhere near the number of interior design business podcasts available today. In fact, I started out by listening to a business podcast for architects and wishing there was something like it for designers.
Over the years, more and more interior design business podcasts have launched, and it can be difficult to know which ones are worth your time. In this post, I rounded up my absolute favorite podcasts as well as the episodes from each one that I’ve revisited multiple times. I’ve listened to some of these podcasts for years and others for a short time, but all them have proved valuable to me as a designer and an entrepreneur.
These are the very best interior design podcasts for design business owners and aspiring interior design entrepreneurs. The content available to you within these episodes is like gold and like attending your own personalized college course on starting and running a successful interior design business. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!
Wingnut Social Podcast
Host: Darla Powell
I had the good fortune to meet Darla in person at High Point Market a few years ago and attend her workshops there. She is every bit as warm, funny, engaging and entertaining in person as she is on her show. I love her podcast because it is focused on marketing for interior designers, and it is my go-to resource for staying up to date on all things Instagram, social media, and marketing best practices. It’s also a shorter punchier format which is great for when you don’t have a lot of time but want to learn something new.
My Favorite Episodes
How to Create Viral Instagram Reels | Mini News
How Maria Killam Grew to 100k+ Instagram Followers
How to Drive the RIGHT Traffic to Your Interior Design Website
AFT Construction Podcast
Host: Brad Leavitt
I discovered the AFT Construction Podcast (formerly A Finer Touch Construction Podcast) when Brad was a guest on A Well-Designed Business with LuAnn Nigara. I subscribed immediately. I admire Brad for his dedication to educating and up-leveling members of the home design and construction industry. His thoughtful approach and dedication to providing his clients with a high tough, high quality experience is something I always aspire to. I tune into his show for exposure to a variety of voices and perspectives in home building not just the interior design view point.
In addition to the episodes linked below, I also really enjoyed the episodes with 25 with Jenny Komenda, 38 with Claire Staszak, and 66 with Lindsey Bouchard. These episodes can be found by searching the archive on the podcast website.
My Favorite Episodes
EP 108: Thriving in Design and Construction with Dan and Emily of Clark & Co. Homes
The Interior Collective Podcast
Host: Anastasia Casey
I’ve followed the Interior Collective (IDCO) for several years and have purchased several of their digital products for interior designers. They consistently produce great content for interior designers and creative entrepreneurs on how to best leverage your social accounts and website. Their founder Anastasia Carey never does anything halfway, so when I heard she was launching a podcast, I immediately subscribed. It did not disappoint, and I am eagerly looking forward to Season 2.
My Favorite Episodes
EP 01: Growing Your Team with Marie Flanagan
EP 05: Landing Dream Clients with Jake Arnold
EP 11: Managing Your Interior Design Business with Anastasia Casey
Profit is a Choice
Host: Michele Williams
I instantly related to Michele as we share similar career trajectories with roots in business systems and analysis. I found Profit is a Choice when searching for more information on the Profit First system, which I have followed since day one in my own firm and then in my new partnership Morris Lare.
This podcast is not for the faint of heart, and it is not entertainment. It is incredibly detailed hard-hitting information on how to manage your interior design business, with a heavy focus on systems and financials. I like to listen with pen and paper nearby and have revisited episodes to take notes. While the tone and information can be a bit dry (again, this is more education than entertainment), I think it is more than worth the time investment.
My Favorite Episodes
EP 179: Setting and Revising Your Financial Goals
EP: 160: Building Profitability Into Your Design Business
EP: 121: Year End Planning for HR, Marketing and Finances for your Design Firm
Design Perspectives Podcast
Host: Gail M. Davis
I’ve long followed Gail Davis’s career, having heard her story through her interviews on other podcasts. It was only in the past year that I discovered she had her own podcast, and I’ve enjoyed revisiting her archives. Her show tends to be a little shorter than some of the other podcasts I regularly listen to, which is great for my shorter walks or drives. She has hosted an all star list of guests, and I linked a few of my favorite interviews below.
My Favorite Episodes
Trade Tales Podcast
Host: Kaitlin Petersen
The editorial format of Trade Tales is different from most of the podcasts I listen to regularly. I appreciate how Kaitlin connects with her guests and how she tells a story. I feel like each episode puts a real person behind the perfect images we see on social media and makes these uber successful designers seem more approachable and genuine.
My Favorite Episodes
Park & Oak on setting client expectations: ‘You might cry’
Nicole White on having the grace to grow
Why Clara Jung isn’t afraid of her employees outgrowing her
The Design You Podcast
Host: Tobi Fairley
Full disclosure: I have been a member of Tobi’s paid membership Design You for three years. While I love Design You and have gained so much from being a member, I think that Tobi continuously gives her best content away for free. I rarely miss an episode of her podcast even though (and perhaps because) it pushes me out of my comfort zone and forces me to confront my limiting beliefs and mindset issues around creativity, design, leadership, and more. This podcast is a must listen for not only interior design business owners but any creative entrepreneur.
In addition to the episodes below, Tobi did a couple of four part series last year that were incredible: Redefining Success, episodes 197-200; and The Value of Design, episodes 205-208. I listened to both series multiple times and highly recommend them.
My Favorite Episodes
EP 206: The Value of Design Part 2: Are You a Thinker or a Doer?
EP 233: Perfectionism and the Patriarchy
EP: 183: Money Talks: How to Avoid the Biggest Mistakes Designers Make with Lori Paranjape
A Well-Designed Business Podcast
Host: LuAnn Nigara
Obviously, I had to save the very best for last. There’s a reason that A Well-Designed Business Podcast is the very best of the interior design business podcast genre. I started listening from episode one when I was still driving back and forth to Ames every day. At the time, there were only a couple other design business podcasts available, and I listened to each episode of AWDB over and over.
I have a strong personal affection for LuAnn as she’s been a crucial mentor, sounding board, and friend to me over the years. Her voice reminded me of home and felt like a connection to my east coast roots out here in the middle of the country. But, it was actually her non-nonsense, straight forward style of interviewing her guests that resonated the most with me. I didn’t care what her guests are drinking or their favorite accessory. I wanted to know how they became successful. Years later, I still appreciate this the most about her. She gets to the point and makes sure to call out the valuable takeaways from every episode.
It’s impossible to narrow down my favorite episodes to just three because there are so many. LuAnn’s podcast is the interior design business education that I never received in school, and every episode contains pearls of wisdom or aha moments that have stuck with me along the way. Today I’m sharing three of the more recent episodes that I have bookmarked and re-visited several times.
My Favorite Episodes
EP 820: Alex Alonso: Always Say Yes to a Client, Except When You Should Say No
EP 648: Marie Flanigan: Leveraging Relationships and Making Decisions in Interior Design
I hope you enjoyed this roundup of the top educational podcasts for interior designers and interior design business owners. If you’re a designer, do you have a podcast to recommend for this list? A favorite episode from any of the shows I mentioned? Please share in the comments, so that we can make this a valuable resource for others!