Trade Tales – Details, episodes & analysis

Leann Conquer is celebrating her firm’s tenth anniversary with some big wins and industry recognition—but also with a fresh perspective on how to evolve in the years to come. With operational excellence top of mind, she’s focused on refining the firm’s systems while protecting space for creative pursuits.

This episode was sponsored by Universal Furniture and The Shade Store. 

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Leann Conquer
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Anissa Zajac pushed the reset button on her firm a few years ago after a crucial employee left her team. The tumultuous period that followed taught her what it takes to build a team that fits her goals—and how to grow as a leader as she grows her business. In this episode, she shares the community-building power of investing in brick-and-mortar, how she’s implemented new systems to make hiring easier, and why she’s letting her rates communicate her firm’s value.

This episode was sponsored by Four Hands. 

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Anissa Zajac
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Brian Paquette launched his career determined to build a brand. That’s not really his dream today—but his story offers the refreshing reassurance that it’s OK for your goals to change. He tells us about closing his store and downsizing his firm—and, more recently, about turning a scary slow period into an opportunity to perfect his systems.

This episode was sponsored by Hudson Valley Lighting Group. 

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Brian Paquette
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Michael Hilal spent his first career in the tech world, working for Google and several startups before making the leap into interiors. Though he left Silicon Valley behind, that tech mindset stayed, shaping everything from his approach to design documentation to how he thinks about client education.

This episode was sponsored by Hudson Valley Lighting Group. 

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Michael Hilal 
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Georgia Zikas took her time building a team. When she finally started hiring, she knew exactly what qualities she was looking for. Her story is a lesson in how putting the effort into your company’s culture can attract all the right people—in this case, experienced employees with the skills to take on a higher caliber of clientele.

This episode was sponsored by The Shade Store and Minted. 

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Georgia Zikas
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Christine Lin kicked off her career with a ten-year stint in the tech world, before using her digital skills to establish a design firm that was easy to find on the internet in an effort to cultivate a following that would outlast her immediate circle of potential clients. As the business grew, she soon found herself at a crossroads: She could keep taking every job that came her way, or she could embrace a new, elevated vision for her firm.

This episode was sponsored by The Shade Store and Minted. 

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Christine Lin
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Wesley Moon realized early on that he had a gift for understanding a client’s vision, even when the client couldn’t quite articulate it themselves. He shares how what you don’t say to a client is just as important as what you do—and how a change in his personal life prompted him to say goodbye to the hustle that had defined his workload for so long.

This episode was sponsored by Universal Furniture.

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Wesley Moon 
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Amy Storm has always embraced change within her firm. From reconsidering the brick and mortar space her team occupied to getting more specific about the types of projects she wants to take on, she’s learned to lean into the hard lessons of entrepreneurship and find beauty in a business that changes with time. In this episode, she shares the story of the business consultant that finally pushed her firm into profitability, along with how she navigated a massive overhaul of her team structure.

This episode was sponsored by Universal Furniture.

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Amy Storm
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Antonio DeLoatch shook up his business two years ago by moving his LA-based firm to the East Coast. The transition brought its fair share of challenges, but it also provided a chance to start over with a refreshed brand and a new vision. In this episode, he shares more about the process of uprooting his firm and starting over in New York, the showhouse that changed everything for his business, and how he earns his clients’ trust with his frank money talk.

This episode was sponsored by Universal Furniture.

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Antonio DeLoatch
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home

Amy Sklar’s early career was a full-circle journey that took her from design to show business and back again. When she finally landed at the helm of her own firm after starting her career within the strict confines of an architecture firm, she thrived on the ability to instate a supportive work culture and take on projects that place a premium on comfort and functionality. The financial side of things, however, didn’t come quite as easily. In this conversation, she shares the pivot that pushed her to finally bring in revenue, how deliverables define each step of her firm’s process, and why she wants employees to feel like they work with her, not for her.  

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Amy Sklar
Kaitlin Petersen
Business of Home