The DesignDash Podcast

Episode 79: What 40 Podcast Conversations Taught Us About Business, Risk & Growth

Happy New Year! Yes, we know… this episode was supposed to be our final one of 2025. And yes, you are listening to it after the New Year. Consider this our way of easing into January—no rushing, no panic, just one last look back because the conversation was too good not to share.
In this episode, we reflect on the year that was, what challenged us, what surprised us, and the people who genuinely shifted how we think about design, business, and leadership. After nearly 40 conversations in 2025, we noticed some powerful through lines: risk, confidence, candor, and the quiet strength it takes to keep showing up and building something meaningful.
We talk about the guests who left a mark on us, from product designers and builders to operators, creatives, and even members of our own team. We unpack why honesty beats “everything’s great” energy, why saying no can be more powerful than saying yes, and why sometimes the biggest growth comes from not chasing the next shiny thing.
This episode isn’t about resolutions or big promises for the year ahead. It’s about perspective. About staying the course. About learning from people who are willing to be real about what works, what doesn’t, and what they’ve learned along the way.
So even if it’s a little late, we hope this conversation meets you exactly where you are, grounded, reflective, and maybe even a little optimistic about what’s ahead. Thanks for being here, and here’s to a great year.
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Episode 78: The One Thing Designers Get Wrong About Art—Every Single Time with Elise Miller

What if everything you think you know about the art world is actually what’s keeping you out of it?
This week on the Design Dash Podcast, we sit down with the wildly insightful and refreshingly down-to-earth Elise Arnoult Miller, founder of Arnoult Fine Art, who’s celebrating 15 years of helping people connect with art in ways that feel personal, intentional, and totally un-intimidating. If you've ever felt like the art world is a velvet-roped mystery, reserved for insiders with secret passwords, this conversation is your VIP pass.
In This Episode, We Dive Into:
How a love of beauty, anthropology, and even luxury hotels unexpectedly led Elise to launch her own art advisory.
Why designers shouldn’t try to be experts in everythingan, d how calling in a specialist can actually make you look smarter, not weaker.
The subtle mistakes almost everyone makes with art (think: color, scale, hanging height) and how to start seeing them instantly.
What really matters more than “trend” when you’re spending serious money on art.
The quiet power of art as long-term value, emotional anchor, and cultural storytelling.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about navigating the art world or sensed there’s more depth available if you knew where to look, this episode will meet you exactly there.
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https://designdash.com/
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Episode 77: The 5 December Moves Every Interior Design Firm Needs for a Stronger New Year

If you’ve ever reached December and felt torn between slowing down and catching up, this episode is exactly what you need.
The truth is, December quietly determines how strong your next year will be. Most people treat it like a soft landing. We treat it like the month that sets the entire tone for the next twelve. Not with hustle. Not with burnout. With clarity, intention and smart cleanup that creates space for real growth when January arrives.
In this episode, we walk through the five specific moves we make every December to stabilize our business, sharpen our systems and position ourselves for a calm, powerful start to the new year. These aren’t theoretical ideas. These are the actual processes we use inside our design firm, the ones that consistently keep us organized and ahead of schedule instead of blindsided and overwhelmed.
Here’s a glimpse of what we cover:
How we use December as a quiet strategic advantage while everyone else is mentally checked out
The way we evaluate our potential-client pipeline so we aren’t carrying unnecessary weight into the new year
The review that instantly shows us what next year will look like across projects, timelines and workload
The simple method we use to understand where our team or ourselves need support before problems grow
How we build Q1 visibility and marketing with intention so January doesn’t feel like guesswork
The one action each of us would prioritize above everything else if time was limited
This episode is thoughtful, practical and deeply honest about what truly matters behind the scenes of a design firm at year’s end. If you’re a business owner who wants to enter next year organized, confident and genuinely prepared, you will take something meaningful from this conversation.
Check out our website too:
https://designdash.com/
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Episode 76: The Truth Behind Rebranding a Design Studio with Rebekah Zaveloff

Every once in a while, you sit down with someone who doesn’t just talk about design… they embody it. And in this episode, Rebekah Zaveloff proves she’s one of those rare voices you don’t forget.
In this episode we sit down with Rebekah Zaveloff, co founder and creative director of Imparfait Design Studio. If you don’t know her yet, you’re about to understand why so many people in the design world consider her one of the sharpest minds in the room. Rebekah takes us behind the curtain of a twenty year journey filled with hospitality grit, creative evolution, brand equity, naming nightmares, client psychology, and the real tension between what you want to build and what the market thinks you are.
If you’ve ever wrestled with evolving your brand, redefining your identity, or figuring out how to grow without losing yourself, this conversation is going to feel uncomfortably familiar in all the best ways.
We also unpack the real story behind building Kitchen Lab, spinning off Imparfait, and navigating the messy, exhilarating middle where most of us live. And let me tell you, this isn’t a polished highlight reel. It’s honest. It’s gritty. It’s unexpectedly funny. And it’s loaded with the kind of insight that only comes from two decades of trial, error, and refusing to settle.
Inside the episode, we explore
• The surprising place Rebekah says taught her more than design school ever did• What really happens behind the scenes of a rebrand• The moment she realized her company had outgrown its own name• Why brand equity is more powerful than most creatives realize• The tension between what clients think you do and who you’re becoming• The emotional cost of growth and why “imperfect” became the perfect identity• A rare look at how top creatives choose PR partners who actually move the needle
This episode is a reminder that design isn’t just about rooms. It’s about identity. It’s about evolution. It’s about learning to trust your gut even when the safe option is staring you right in the face.
If you’re growing a business, building a brand, or figuring out the next version of yourself, Rebekah’s story will hit you in the best possible way. It’s one of those conversations you think about long after it ends.
Check out our website too:
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Episode 75: Inside the Business of Design: How Libby Langdon Turned Her Biggest Pivot into Her Greatest Success

What happens when life completely derails, and somehow lands you right where you were meant to be?
That’s exactly what today’s guest, Libby Langdon, discovered after one of the biggest pivots of her life. From actress and TV producer to one of the most recognizable names in design, Libby’s story is equal parts grit, humor, and pure creative drive.
In this episode of Design Dash, Melissa and Laura sit down with Libby to unpack how she built her powerhouse brand, one that now spans furniture, lighting, and art collections with industry heavyweights like Fairfield Chair, Krystorama, and Paragon Art.
We get into:
The real work that goes into High Point Market (and what most designers don’t see)
How heartbreak launched a thriving design career
The unfiltered truth about licensing, what makes it profitable, what doesn’t, and how to actually make it last
Why being approachable might just be the secret ingredient to long-term brand success
And how setting goals on paper (yes, actually writing them down) became the framework for every major leap in her career
It’s part business masterclass, part personal reinvention story, and all the inspiration you didn’t know you needed this week.
Hit play, and you’ll see why Libby’s mantra, “easy, elegant, everyday style” is more than a design philosophy; it’s a roadmap for how to live and build something lasting.
Check out our website too:
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Episode 74: Building a Luxury Design Brand from Scratch: Lessons from Nikki Levy Interiors

What happens when “exquisitely livable luxury” meets real-world grit?
In this episode of Design Dash, Melissa and Laura sit down with South Africa–born designer Nikki Levy, who built her namesake Boca Raton studio from the edge of her bed, literally, and turned it into a thriving brand now shaping homes (and hearts) across the world.
You’ll hear how Nikki:
Took her first leap from a kitchen-table startup to a luxury design powerhouse
Built a team culture rooted in trust, freedom, and creative safety (that actually keeps her people coming back)
Balances the chaos of business ownership with the calm of design intuition
Translates storytelling, culture, and imperfection into her version of luxury living
Uses honesty and Instagram to attract dream clients and million-dollar projects
From the “ugliest fabric” that became her favorite design statement to the team members who left and later returned, Nikki’s story is full of lessons for anyone trying to grow something meaningful without losing the soul that started it all.
If you’ve ever wondered how to scale a creative business and stay human in the process, this conversation will give you the blueprint.
Check out our website too:
https://designdash.com/
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Episode 73: The Truth About Starting a Design Business with Brittny Button

In this episode our guest is Brittny Button, founder of Button Atelier, an interior design studio in Los Angeles. Brittny has built a reputation for creating spaces that feel both calm and timeless, drawing inspiration from Spanish revival architecture, European details, and old Hollywood romance.
We talk about her unexpected path into design after leaving a modeling career, how renovating a Palm Springs home while pregnant became her crash course in construction, and what it really takes to start a design firm from scratch. She shares the lessons learned from business partnerships, why antiques and vintage finds shape so much of her work, and how she’s preparing to launch her first furniture collection with major retailers.
You’ll also hear Brittny’s thoughts on where true inspiration comes from, what it’s like to balance creativity with raising two young kids, and the confidence it takes to put your work into the world even when imposter syndrome creeps in.
If you’ve ever thought about making a big career pivot, chasing a dream project, or simply want to know how a designer turns vision into reality, this conversation is full of insights you can take with you.
Check out our website too:
https://designdash.com/
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Episode 72: How to Get Your Design Work Published: Insider Tips from Andrea Lillo

What makes a project catch an editor’s eye?
Is it the styling? The story? The angle of the photo? Or is it something much less obvious?
This week on Design Dash, we sit down with Andrea Lillo, the Executive Editor of Designers Today. She’s the one shaping the stories and covers that end up defining the conversation in our industry. And she was generous enough to share exactly what goes into those decisions.
We covered a lot, but here are a few moments that stood out:
The contract story that revealed just how many designers overlook one of the most important tools in their business.
Why cropping out a single detail in your photos could change whether your work gets published.
The future of wellness and accessible design, and why both are becoming impossible to ignore.
What really happens behind the Power List and the new 40 Under 40.
It’s one thing to create beautiful work. It’s another to know how to get that work noticed.
Andrea gives us an honest look at both.
If you’ve ever wondered what editors are really thinking when they look at your projects, this episode is worth your time.
Check out our website too:
https://designdash.com/
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Episode 71: How Yates Desygn Grew One of Dallas’ Most Sought-After Design Firms with Mike and Bryan Yates

In this episode we sit down with the dynamic duo Mike and Bryan Yates of Yates Desygn. If you know them, you already know you’re in for sharp wit, bold vision, and unapologetic honesty. If you don’t know them yet—trust me, you’ll want to.
We talk about the turning points that pushed them to expand, how they designed a workspace that actually sells their vision to clients, and why natural light and thoughtful details matter more than most people think.
Here’s a taste of what we dive into:
How they scaled from a 500 sq. ft. shared office to a 3,500 sq. ft. experiential studio that doubles as a design showcase.
The real talk about vendor relationships, trust, and why saying no to the wrong clients is sometimes the best “yes” for your business.
The messy, human side of growth—losing team members, rethinking operations, and what it really takes to build morale after setbacks.
How creating their own projects (and even eating the cost of mistakes) has shaped the way they guide clients through the emotional rollercoaster of design.
You’ll hear practical ways to think about vendor relationships, managing the emotional side of projects, and setting clear expectations with clients so trust becomes the foundation of every design. And, of course, we touch on their upcoming Kips Bay Show House project and how giving back fuels their creativity.
Check out our website too:
https://designdash.com/
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Episode 70: How To Stand Out in a Crowded Design World with Jane Dagmi

In this episode of Design Dash, we sit down with the one and only Jane Dagmi—Managing Director of High Point by Design (HPxD) and former Editor-in-Chief of Designers Today. If you’re in the design world, chances are you already know Jane as a connector, a champion of creativity, and someone who has shaped the way we talk about design for decades.
We talk about the real power of storytelling in design and why the most relatable parts of your journey aren’t always the glossy “big wins,” but the in-between moments that show vulnerability and grit. Jane also shares why the middle of your career can actually be the sweetest spot—and how to stand out when you feel caught between the newcomers and the big, established names.
You’ll also hear about High Point beyond market week, and how HPxD is helping designers access resources, education, and community year-round. Jane describes what it’s really like to experience High Point at a slower pace, why it matters for both designers and clients, and how it can reshape the way we think about sourcing and growth.
This conversation is full of insights you can actually apply—whether you’re navigating client challenges, battling comparison on social media, or wondering what’s next in your career.
Check out our website too:
https://designdash.com/
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