Welcome back to the Chaise Lounge. Today, Nick chats with artist and director of Sorelle Gallery Fine Art Miranda Girard about how her company works with collectors, designers and artists to build an inventory and pick perfect pieces from it for design projects and collections.
Today in The Lounge we have a SPECIAL guest, CEO of ASID aka The Big Cheese: Randy Fiser. He might not have an interior design background and he isn’t an interior designer but Randy is definitely one of the most influential people in the industry.
As always please reach out to us as Nick LOVES to hear from you guys, tell us what you’re doing, what you’d like to hear on the show and ask us questions if you need advice!
Secondly, don’t forget to check out Porcelanosa‘s Life Style Magazine either online or order it by mail because guess what, it’s FREE. They feature tons of great commercial/hospitality designers and images. Their 3D rendering service is also FREE so you utilize it guys! Remodel a kitchen or bathroom for your clients. Learn more about it here.
Randy was born in Southern California and lived there until he was 11 when he moved to Arizona and finished high school. Later, he went to Georgia for grad school and eventually moved to Washinton DC where he has been ever since. He received his masters in Counseling and Human Development as well as an MBA. Ever since he was little Randy knew he wanted to be in business and work with people to make an impact and leave the world a better place. So, he invested his time in consulting and large scale organizational transformation work. Later Randy’s managing and consulting work were mission driven and soon he transitioned to non-profit work on affordable housing development and education reform. He was a client of Brad Pitt’s to help rebuild New Orleans as well.
Randy’s favorite place to vacation is Bali. As long as there is an adventure and he can hike, bike, be active and go to the beach, he’s there. Good food is, of course, important too. Randy lives in a small 700 square foot apartment in DC, space isn’t important to him as he’s never home! BUT it is very well designed and FUNCTIONAL. Canadian designers built the apartments using Universal’s Design Principles so anyone could live in it, such as someone in a wheel chair or someone not in a wheelchair. This is why Randy believes design matters, it took him a year to notice and think about the wide-range functionality in his apartment because it was so well designed. Design can be both beautiful and functional to the point where you don’t notice or think about!
If you ask Randy, “beer, wine or a cocktail?”… it’s wine AND a cocktail.
Well, it’s never a typical day in the life of Randy but usually, he’s on the road. He meets with members of ASID, attends chapter events, and talks with manufacturers who want to bring their product in front of members. He meets with other associations that represent the surrounding areas of design and construction. He meets with government officials at the state and federal levels.He meets with clients who run companies, healthcare facilities, or who are homeowners. He talks about WHAT designers do and WHY design matters. Design impacts life. Randy informs us that we’re spending 93% of our time indoors now!! So human interaction with the spaces we spend the most time in defines us as human beings and affect our health. Randy does a lot of public speaking on these topics and loves it because it is what he is passionate about.
Randy thinks ASID needs to continue pushing this message and furthermore elevate it with case-studies. It’s one thing to tell people that design impacts lives but it’s another thing to prove it. One interesting thing Randy brings up is how we design spaces for people but we never take pictures of the spaces with people in them! Aesthetic is defining design but in reality, design is for functionality and for people, every space has a purpose. If you let beauty take over you dilute what design is all about! In every image of ASID’s new Head Quarters, they have people in it, the goal is to show design intent by putting people within the space who are using it. It’s like clothing, it’s better to photograph it on someone than off, as you get a better idea how the clothing works. Randy believes we need to focus less on luxury, lifestyle, brand, and aesthetics as that’s just consumerism and design is so much more.
The hardest part about Randy’s job is the misconception of what designers do, which both motivates and frustrates him. Clients don’t always understand what a designer is doing and often times the design community undersells themselves which is frustrating. This is why Randy travels around to talk about these subjects. People either benefit or hurt from a space which means they can benefit or hurt from designer’s work. The intent of a space can change an entire culture of an organization. Designers have the skills to achieve intent i.e build happiness, interactivity, acoustic comfort, or light into a space.
Aside from building up their glutes at Neocon, ASID’s goal is to connect with the design community. They use these communities to announce their up and coming events and messages. First off, they have an amazing example of workplace design at their new HQ. It is the first LEED and WELL platinum office in the world and they are doing pre/post-occupancy research and case studies on how the design improves productivity, engagement, and attention in staff. The second announcement is the merger of ASID’s magazine Icon (comes out 6 times a year) combined with IDC ‘s D Magazine. The name is still to be determined so SEND IN YOUR IDEAS. ASID will be holding a brand new Leadership Experience conference in San Diego for emerging professionals consisting of 300+ people representing ASID chapters and 300+ people doing leadership skills (leading one’s self, team or practice). Leadership isn’t a skill we’re trained for in design school so here is the opportunity to learn how to be one. Lastly, Platform is their other brand new retreat for principals, partners, and owners in Victoria, BC. They will have keynote speakers outside of the design industry with conversations in between discussing how to change practices or run businesses accordingly.
Casual Market Sept 12 – 15
ICFF Miami– Oct 3 – 4
IDS – Oct 13 – 16
High Point Market Oct 14 – 18
BDNY 2017 – Nov 12 – 13
KBIS – Jan 9 – 11
If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com. Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!
On this episode of The Chaise Lounge, Nick chats with Andrew Joseph from Andrew Joseph PR, and Phyllis Harbinger jumps in with some tips on getting involved with American Society of Interior Designers (ASID).
Located in New York, Andrew Joseph starts his days around 4am. This ensures he is able to properly service his clients around the world. Andrew also admitted that starting his day so early allows him to indulge in mid-day naps.Few people know that Andrew came from humble beginnings in a small farm community in Oklahoma. If he wasn’t working in public relations, he would likely be a farmer like his sister’s family.
Andrew moved to New York 17 years ago and landed his first job as a research assistant at Vanity Fair, before moving on to other publications. In these positions, he noticed a great deal of turnover and realized this profession was not right for him. However, while in these jobs, Andrew was able to interact with the public relations departments and fell in love.
Andrew moved on from fashion and found a firm that exclusively represented architects, interior designers, and luxury home furnishings. He mentioned that fashion is ephemeral and moves fast, where interior designif focused on the home that sustains and supports your soul.
Currently, Andrew Joseph PR employs four individuals full time and additional interns from all walks of life. The team services 15 clients and is on a growth curve. Andrew and his team fulfill about 50% of their clients’ pipelines with traditional public and media relations opportunities including print publications, speaking gigs, etc. However, based on compiling the average number of print opportunities, the team was able to see the limited inventory available, which led to a greater understanding of what they can offer. Andrew Joseph PR is not only a creative resource for magazines, but also provides more non-traditional opportunities for its clients, including social media, blogs, and podcasts.
Andrew really looks to make sure potential clients are the right fit and has even turned clients down. He stated that his company delivers on agreed upon goals and objectives, not just bringing in new business. A few words of wisdom from Andrew include – This is a visual industry. You need a good website, images, branding, and to document your work over time.
If you would like to connect with Andrew:
Phyllis has been a member of ASID since 1990, when she joined as a student. She mentioned that serving in associations like ASID, IIDA, NKBA, etc. provide leadership opportunities and allow you to hone your skills in dealing with all kinds of personalities.
Phyllis was asked to run for president, turned it down, and then later realized that she was interested in the opportunity. She was able to serve as president and now is a chair on the chapter support team at national level where she supports and councils eight presidents. Phyllis has enjoyed unexpected opportunities since being involved in ASID, including: panel discussions, speaking gigs, and even a book deal.
In the beginning, Phyllis volunteered on committees. She found a support system within ASID and developed meaningful relationships. And recommends the same path – Join committees to see how it works and then think about leadership. Get information on available committees and how they support board members. It’s OK to move around until you find one you like. Your profession will continue to advance if you support it through an organization. Overall, Phyllis said that ASID has made her a better business person and a better leader.
On a separate note, Phyllis was invited to participate in George To The Rescue, an NBC show that provides home renovations for deserving families all via donations and pro bono work. Phyllis is extremely passionate and excited about this opportunity. The episode will air in February.
If you would like to connect with Phyllis:
If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com. Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!
I met with Eric Haydel today who was the last speaker here at the design bloggers conference in Atlanta. Eric comes from Louisiana and has now relocated to Boston. While Eric originally went to school for communications and worked with several politicians he switched to interior design due
to an amazing roommate who bought his first supplies and pushed him in a different direction. After receiving a master’s degree in Interior Design from Boston Architectural College he started Eric Haydel Design and has been a growing success since its launch 7 years ago.
Eric had such an interesting tactic to his speech here at ADAC, he provided all of us with peanut butter M & M’s with the point of showing us that any brand can redesign themselves like M&M did when the blue ones. Eric fully believes in trying things on a new level, when he hires interns he asks them what they want to learn, this allows that person to grow in areas of their strengths and be successful in the part of design that they are passionate about.
With his branding and marketing, Eric believes in evolution. Since his business has started he has changed his brand three times. While he works on his brand Eric is also the youngest president in over 40 years of ASID New England. Here Eric talks about how the design industry is growing and expanding on a daily basis where of course he threw in his background of how political the design industry can be.
Eric and I discussed pricing today: how much do interior designers make, while he wishes that as an industry there was a large discussion regarding money, he now believes that transparency is key in pricing. He uses contracts with his clients and he believes that regardless of how long the contract is that it should include all of the intentions of him and his clients. He wants everyone to see and know what to expect from each other. Eric has an hourly rate but he always requires a design retainer up front at 100%, this is a minimum charge of $2,300 this is used for the hourly fee and the administrative work that is done on each project. He is honest in a way that allows his clients to know what to expect and he has found that for his client base this is the best route to go. Eric was extremely upfront with all of his pricing structure with me and it was great to have such a candid interview.
After such an intense conversation of pricing I was able to dig into Eric’s current passion of being the president of ASID where he has been extremely fortunate to have an extended term. He talked to me about being thankful in this industry and that while setting up the ASID’s gala he wants every designer, volunteer, employee, everyone who attends to be thanked for their time. He said with complete passion in his voice that being thankful and grateful is a part of the industry that does not happen for him enough and until you are sick of him saying thank you and I’m grateful then he hasn’t said it enough.
Eric was a remarkable designer to interview today and I am grateful that I got to sit down with him in person.
Eric did inform me that if you want to get in touch with him, just google him. I’ve done the google work for you. Here is Eric’s information if you have any questions for him. His Instagram is @ericmhaydel or eric@erichaydel.com
If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com. Lastly, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter or post a review on iTunes, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. With that said keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!
About Michael
Michael Habachy is an acclaimed interior and furniture designer based in Atlanta, Georgia. His Interior / Architecture design firm, Habachy Designs, Inc., creates atmospheric and luxurious interiors for a wide range of commercial and residential clients, ranging from fashionable restaurants and nightclubs to chic spas, boutiques and glamorous residences. Michael’s aesthetic is timeless and modern, yet he gives each project its own unique signature style. He has 20+ years of experience creating custom furnishings and high-end interiors, making him a master of his craft. The combination of extreme passion for design and the ability to develop excellent working relationships with clients are the foundations of success for Habachy Designs. Habachy Designs’ interiors and custom furnishings have been published in a number of local, national and international publications. One of his standout projects made the cover of world renowned Trends Bath Magazine. Michael has appeared on TV design shows including HGTV’s Design Wars, and was nominated for Southeastern Designer of the Year 2012 by Veranda Magazine. Most recently, Habachy Designs won prestigious Gold and Silver design excellence awards from the American Society of Interior Designers. Michael’s work has also been featured in the Museum of Design Atlanta.
I’ve had the chance to talk to designers from coast to coast, but never from Atlanta, GA. With a great mix of a modern flair and southern charm, Michael has built a great interior design firm serving an impressive clientele. Michael and his team handle everything from initial design to implementation, and residential to commercial, designing some hip and cool spaces. They have had a lot of opportunities to work for clubs, bars, and restaurants, which has led into some interesting requests from homeowners.
Michael had an opportunity to be featured on a design show called Design Wars. He did level with me about how things are built behind the scenes. Not quite something he would do on a real project. The interesting reality is that it did not get him any new clients.
We talked about the importance of being published, and what the value can be for a designer. Michael shared how instrumental Pinterest and Houzz has been for their marketing efforts.
To get in touch with Michael , contact him through his website at Habachy Designs.
If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes or on our website at TheChaiseLoungePodcast.com
Sue Moss owns Trans-Pacific Design in Kamuela, located on the big Island of Hawaii, and executes residential and commercial design. Growing up in Wisconsin, Sue took the opportunity to move to Hawaii after college, and has lived there ever since. Sue is a past president of ASID, continues to be an active member of ASID, and looks to her contacts and resources from the organization to build her design business.
Working in Hawaii has a lot of challenges due to the fact that they are very remote, and have limited access to resources and vendors. Thinking long term, and ordering samples early is required. Sue works with a lot of resort clients as well as second home clients, ranging from new construction to remodel and everything in between.
Sue shares how she got into the industry by working for a few different design firms, and encourages emerging designers to do the same. She explains that it is good to get a broad understanding of design prior to starting an independent business. Sue explained that keeping an eye on cash flow and work-load is her biggest challenge.
To get in touch with Sue, contact her through her website at transpacificdesign.com