Design Curious | Interior Design Career and Business Podcast

Construction and remodel projects can feel intimidating, especially when you’re a new interior designer approaching your first project.

You may be wondering how to work with contractors, who should handle permits and engineering, how to respond when a contractor pushes back on your design, or what happens when something unexpected appears after a wall is opened. These are all real concerns—and they’re exactly why understanding construction project management is such an important part of becoming a confident interior designer.

In this episode, I’m walking you through how I approach construction and remodel projects, from bringing contractors into the process early to defining responsibilities, managing site visits, documenting decisions, communicating with clients, and building strong relationships with your construction team. My goal is to help you approach construction projects with more confidence instead of fear—and become the project leader your clients need you to be.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✔️ Understand your role during construction and remodel projects
✔️ Bring contractors into the design process early
✔️ Define responsibilities before construction begins
✔️ Improve construction communication and document project decisions
✔️ Build stronger relationships with your A-list contractors
Read the Blog >>> 5 Practical Tips for Managing Construction and Remodel Projects Smoothly

NEXT STEPS:
📋 Get the Remodel Survival Guide: a step-by-step process on the construction side of a remodel project
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

📺 WATCH FREE WEBINARS 📺
"From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/5moneymoves

Are You Ready to Start Your Interior Design Business? How to Know for Sure (and What It Really Costs to Launch) 👉 https://rwarddesign.myflodesk.com/areyoureadyreplay

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction to managing construction projects
4:16 Understanding Your Role as the Designer
5:47 Collaborating with Experts Early
10:10 Defining Roles and Responsibilities
15:01 Client Communication and Contractor Collaboration
18:14 Using Site Binders and Documenting Decisions
21:13 Managing Budgets and Timelines
23:25 Building Professional Relationships

If you're an aspiring interior designer, career changer, or established designer trying to grow a sustainable business, you may feel pressure to know everything before you begin. You may also believe that growth means taking on more projects, hiring more people, or becoming the person who can handle every detail of every project.

But Annie Obermann’s journey with Forge and Bow offers a different perspective. Annie and her husband and business partner, Jordan Obermann, didn't start with formal design training or a perfectly structured business plan. They learned through renovating their own homes, working with partners, making mistakes, and eventually building a boutique design-build firm known for thoughtful residential renovation, craftsmanship, and high-end design. This year, Forge and Bow is celebrating its 10th anniversary.

In this episode, I talk with Annie about what happens when you are brave enough to start before you know everything—and humble enough to recognize when you need better systems, experienced team members, and outside support. We explore client experience, project management, team communication, hiring, professional development, branding, delegation, and how to build an interior design career that supports both your professional and personal life.

Featured Guest
Annie Obermann co-leads Forge and Bow, a Colorado-based boutique design-build firm, with her husband and business partner, Jordan Obermann. Together, they have transformed the residential landscape of Northern Colorado through timeless, warm, nostalgic design paired with expert craftsmanship. Annie brings expertise in interior architecture, while Jordan contributes a strong spatial and visionary perspective. Their work includes historic renovations and custom new builds, with a focus on creating cohesive, functional, and elegant homes that reflect each client's unique story. Forge and Bow is celebrating its 10th anniversary and is known for thoughtful problem-solving, meticulous attention to detail, and a commitment to quality.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ How courage can launch your interior design career
✳️ Why sustainable growth requires strong business processes
✳️ How team communication improves the client experience
✳️ Why competency matters when hiring design professionals
✳️ How delegation creates more freedom and business growth

Read the Blog >>> 6 Proven Strategies on Building a Sustainable Interior Design Business

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
2:57 Annie’s Unconventional Path Into Interior Design
5:09 How HGTV Helped Shape Forge and Bow
7:20 The Story Behind the Forge and Bow Name
8:41 Building a Team and Processes
10:49 Connecting Systems With Client Experience
12:44 Building Strong Team Communication
14:55 Competency Versus Personality When Hiring
19:09 Creating a Culture of Constant Learning
20:30 Future Goals and Business Strategy
24:18 Advice for Aspiring Designers

As interior designers, we often focus on creating beautiful spaces, but beauty alone isn't always enough. Sometimes a room can have gorgeous furnishings, meaningful décor, and impeccable styling, yet still feel visually loud. When every surface competes for attention, a home stops supporting everyday life and starts demanding energy from the people living in it.

That's why I was so excited to sit down with bestselling author Myquillyn Smith, better known as The Nester, to talk about her newest book, House Hushing. Rather than encouraging us to simply own fewer things, Myquillyn introduces a refreshing perspective: great design is about managing visual volume, not just the volume of possessions. Her approach blends interior design, decluttering, quiet decorating, soulful styling, and seasonal simplicity into a practical framework that helps create homes that feel both peaceful and deeply personal.

If you're designing for clients—or even creating a home for yourself—this episode will encourage you to think beyond minimalism. You'll discover how thoughtful design decisions can reduce visual noise while preserving warmth, personality, and the lived-in beauty that makes a house truly feel like home.

Featured Guest
Myquillyn Smith, also known as The Nester, is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, decorating expert, and founder of The Nester. For more than fifteen years, she has encouraged homeowners to embrace their homes—imperfections and all—by creating spaces that reflect their personalities instead of chasing perfection. Her thoughtful approach combines decorating, styling, decluttering, and intentional living, helping thousands of women create welcoming homes with less stress and more meaning. Living in a historic Victorian home in North Carolina has further shaped her philosophy, inspiring her latest book, House Hushing, which introduces a fresh framework for reducing visual noise while maintaining warmth, beauty, and soul.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Understand the four-part House Hushing framework.
✳️ Reduce visual noise without sacrificing personality.
✳️ Style meaningful homes with fewer decorative items.
✳️ Create peaceful interiors through quiet decorating.
✳️ Design homes supporting changing life seasons.

Read the Blog >>> The Four Principles of House Hushing

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
2:27 Myquillyn’s Journey Into Decorating
4:39 Living in a Historic Victorian Home
8:37 What House Hushing Really Means
13:00 Knowing When a Home Needs Hushing
14:34 How Backwards Decluttering Works
17:51 Why Visual Volume Changes Everything
19:56 Quiet Decorating in Action
23:00 Book Launch and Bonus Resources

What does it really take to build a successful interior design business when no one is opening doors for you?

If you've ever wondered whether you're talented enough, questioned your career transition, or felt discouraged because clients aren't calling, this conversation is one I want you to slow down and absorb. Too many aspiring interior designers believe success comes from luck, connections, or overnight visibility. Corey Damen Jenkins proves the opposite. His story reminds us that meaningful careers are built through relentless persistence, business discipline, and the courage to keep showing up—even when every door seems to close.

In this episode, I sit down with internationally acclaimed interior designer Corey Damen Jenkins, who shares his journey behind his remarkable success. From leaving the automotive industry after the Great Recession to knocking on 779 doors before landing his first major client, Corey shares the mindset shifts, business lessons, and mentorship philosophy that helped him build one of the most respected brands in interior design.

Whether you're navigating a career transition, building your client acquisition strategy, or wondering how AI will shape the future of our profession, this conversation will encourage you to build your career with confidence while choosing collaboration over competition.

Featured Guest
Corey Damen Jenkins is an internationally acclaimed interior designer, bestselling author, MasterClass instructor, television personality, and mentor. His work has been featured by Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, ELLE Decor, Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and numerous leading design publications. He is the author of Design Remix and Design Reimagined, creator of the Design Reimagined YouTube series, and has developed celebrated brand partnerships spanning furniture, textiles, wallcoverings, and lighting. Corey is widely recognized not only for his colorful, timeless interiors but also for his passion for mentoring the next generation of interior designers.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Why relentless grit outperforms natural talent.
✳️ Turning career setbacks into business opportunities.
✳️ Protecting your mindset from discouraging voices.
✳️ Building business acumen beyond creative skills.
✳️ Why mentorship strengthens the entire design community.

Read the Blog >>> 5 Principles That Turned Rejection Into a Profitable Interior Design Career

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
3:15 Corey’s Passion for Interior Design
5:55 Studying Architecture and Early Career Decisions
11:08 Finding the First Client
15:15 The Grit Required for Entrepreneurship
18:06 Learning Business Without Mentorship
20:56 Why Giving Back Matters
23:05 AI, Industry Standards, and Protecting the Design Profession
26:16 Running a Global Design Brand
30:07 Staying Motivated After Achieving Success
31:54 Design Remix and Design Reimagined
35:05 Advice for New Interior Designers

Is talent alone enough to build a successful interior design career? This episode is a powerful reminder that creativity is only one piece of the puzzle.

Many aspiring interior designers spend years refining their aesthetic but struggle with the business side—pricing, vendor relationships, execution, and confidently bringing their ideas to life. Without those skills, even the most inspired creative vision can remain just that: an idea.

In this conversation, I sit down with Jamie Young, co-founder of Jamie Young Co., to explore how she transformed a lifelong passion for design into a nationally recognized home furnishings company. Jamie shares how her upbringing, education at Parsons School of Design, love of art history, global travel, and willingness to embrace uncertainty shaped both her creative identity and entrepreneurial journey.

Whether you're launching your interior design business, developing your own creative process, or learning how to work more effectively with vendors, Jamie offers practical wisdom that reminds us success isn't about having all the answers—it's about combining inspired design with thoughtful business execution, authentic relationships, and the courage to keep moving forward.

Featured Guest
Jamie Young is the co-founder of Jamie Young Co., a nationally recognized home furnishings company known for its thoughtfully designed lighting, mirrors, furniture, and home accessories. Raised in Los Angeles by an artist and entrepreneur, Jamie developed an early appreciation for design, creativity, and business. After studying at Parsons School of Design, she combined her passion for design, art history, fashion, and global travel with her husband David Jeter's artistic talents to build a brand that has inspired designers for more than 27 years. Today, Jamie Young Co. is celebrated for its approachable luxury, elevated basics, handcrafted products, and commitment to supporting interior designers through exceptional customer service and lasting vendor relationships.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode
✳️ Build business through consistent creative execution.
✳️ Discover your unique creative design DNA.
✳️ Develop stronger vendor relationships from day one.
✳️ Balance design inspiration with profitable decisions.
✳️ Use travel and curiosity to inspire creativity.

Read the Blog >>> 5 Rules for Long-Term Success in the Interior Design Business

NEXT STEPS:
🎯 Join My Design Mentor and start creating a design career you truly love.
👉https://my-design-mentor.mn.co

Check out our Designer's Playlist!
*️ Start Your Interior Design Journey
*️ From Newbie to Confident Designer
*️ Switching Gears to Interior Design

Grab your freebies:
📺 Watch this free webinar, "From Passion to Profit," and learn the 5 Money Moves to start your interior design business right
📌 Your Roadmap to a Career in Interior Design
🎨 3 Things I Wish I had known when I Started my Career

Connect With Me:
📧 Email: podcast@rwarddesign.com
🔆 Instagram: @rwarddesign
🌎 Website at rwarddesign.com

Thanks for listening! I hope this helps you discover if interior design is the career for you. See you next week...

Timestamps
0:00 Introduction and Guest Bio
3:34 Jamie Young Company's Founding and Initial Products
7:27 Why Execution Matters More Than Having Ideas
8:01 Learning the Business Side of Creativity
9:34 Scaling From a Garage Startup to Global Manufacturing
11:48 How Global Travel Transformed Product Design
15:51 Behind the Scenes of Product Development and Customer Service
20:27 Why Vendor Relationships Matter
21:55 The Value of Trade Shows and Telling Product Stories
24:31 Balancing Design Trends With Elevated Basics
26:48 What Jamie Would Do Differently if Starting Over