Posts in Season 1
Episode 021: What I Learned After 6 Months of Podcasting
Episode 021: What I Learned After 6 Months of Podcasting

In the Fall of 2018 I had the crazy idea of rebranding The E-Design Experience and creating The Design Influence podcast. By the end of October, I’d secured nearly a dozen guests for the show and shortly after began batch recording the first season of solo episodes, guest conversations, and Q & A sessions. 

While I had a general idea of what I wanted for the show and had sought some counsel from more seasoned podcasters, I really and truly had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. Sound familiar? 

So what have I learned after 6 months, 21 episodes, 9 guests, and countless sleepless nights of podcasting?

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo
Q & Albie: The Business of Batching with Heather Hess
Q & Albie: The Business of Batching with Heather Hess

If you caught the last episode then you know I hung out with fellow wife, mama, e-designer, and content creator, Heather Hess. We had a great conversation all around the other side of e-design and working with third-party platforms — and trust me when I say, if you’re someone who has been considering e-design as a service or business model, this is definitely an episode you’ll want to tune into. 

In addition to how Heather secured her first clients via Etsy, we also talked about how she built a loyal community on Instagram, how she secured a position with SwatchPop as their Editorial Director, and her content creation plans for the future, which started with her batching her entire 2019 content strategy! 

I knew Heather would have to come back on the show to talk all things batching with me! If you listened to Episode 2 of the show where I talked all about single tasking and thought purging for better productivity, then you know batching is my jam! So this Q & Albie sesh is all about just that. 

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, heather hess, q&a
Episode 020: The Other Side of E-Design and Third Party Platforms with Heather Hess
Episode 020: The Other Side of E-Design and Third Party Platforms with Heather Hess

It’s no secret that I love chatting with fellow e-designers, but it’s not something I’ve ever done on the show, so today’s episode — the last guest episode of the season — is with my girl Heather Hess and we have a lot to talk about.  

Heather’s passion for design started in her own home. 

As a mother to 4 young kids, she quickly realized that the design of a home greatly impacts how people function inside. Heather believes a home should reflect the personality of those inside, so she loves that her job is to help make that happen. E-Design, specifically, became her main passion because it provides her clients with an affordable interior design experience from the comfort of their home, while also giving her the opportunity to stay home with her kids while working. 

Heather has also leveraged her talents to be the Editorial Director for SwatchPop, focusing on their social media and blog content, allowing her to create content that people crave, look forward to and feel a part of.  

In addition to talking about all things e-design — from securing your own clients to working on a platform like SwatchPop — we get into a few other fun topics like batching and blogging…aka some of our fav things about being entrepreneurs! 

Heather has created a loyal online community and thriving career, all as an e-designer by leaning into her strengths and passions. 

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, heather hess
Minisode 002: Why You're Really Struggling Online (And What To Do About It)
Minisode 002: Why You're Really Struggling Online (And What To Do About It)

Way back, while I was recording the premiere episode on blogging and whether or not your blog is working for you or against you, it hit me — yes, we’re designers, but where many of you struggle isn’t where you think you struggle. Anyone making money with an online business — not brick and mortar or in-person — has to be rocking some other facets of the online world. I’m talking everyone from the online educator to the beauty guru. What they understand is the need to show up online. Not in all the places but in the places they do best.

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Minisode, Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo, minisode
Episode 018: From Side Hustle to Self Employed with Amanda Amato
Episode 018: From Side Hustle to Self Employed with Amanda Amato

In the short amount of time I’ve been on my designpreneur journey, I can say more than half of the designers I’ve met are, or started as, “side hustlers” — working a whole other job full-time while pursuing a design business. That transition from "side hustle" to self-employed isn’t just quitting a job & starting a new one — it’s as much a financial & mental transition, as it is a physical one. So I am excited for you guys to hear today’s conversation with one of my fav people, Amanda Amato.

Last year Amanda made the decision to resign from her full time "day job" to pursue AMA Designs full-time. Today we’re digging into what it was like balancing the two roles, how she came to that ultimate decision to leave her full time job, and what the transition has been like. I am confident, even if you’re not a side hustler, that you’re gonna get so much value from our conversation, so let’s dive in!

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, amanda amato, guest
Episode 017: The Power of Positioning Yourself As An Influencer (If You Want To)
Episode 017: The Power of Positioning Yourself As An Influencer (If You Want To)

One of the tracks of last summer's conference -- The Exponential Designpreneur -- focused exclusively on the growth of designers, beyond design. With that a lot of the content was crafted around other avenues of income & visibility, such as personal branding & establishing yourself as an influencer within (and outside of) the design community. Translation: being an influencer. In this episode, I’m going to talk about what it can look like being not only a designer in the industry, but an influencer in the industry. 

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo
Q & Albie: You're A CEO So Act Like It with Veronica Solomon
Q & Albie: You're A CEO So Act Like It with Veronica Solomon

If you tuned in last week then this minisode is gonna be a real treat because we are back with Veronica Solomon for a Q & A on #allthethings when it comes to being the CEO in your business. Veronica Solomon has been creating beautiful interiors for the last 10 years and knows a thing or two about the ups and downs in the business. The landscape of interior design has changed dramatically over the years, and with all the changes, she has learned how to package her services, market her business, and create an iron-clad process that clients see value in, and are willing to pay top dollar for. These processes and systems have grown her business exponentially. And not only did clients take notice, but so do publications, industry organizations, vendors and fellow designers. 

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Minisode, Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, minisode, q&a, veronica solomon, guest
Episode 016: You're A CEO So Act Like It with Veronica Solomon
Episode 016: You're A CEO So Act Like It with Veronica Solomon

Veronica Solomon has been creating beautiful interiors for the last 10 years, and knows a thing or two about the ups and downs in the business. The landscape of interior design has changed dramatically over the years, and with all the changes, she has learned how to package her services, market her business, and create an iron-clad process that clients see value in, and are willing to pay top dollar for. These processes and systems have grown her business exponentially. And not only did clients take notice, but so do publications, industry organizations, vendors and fellow designers. 

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, veronica solomon
Episode 015: Getting Clear On Goals & Choosing To Be Excellent with LuAnn Nigara
Episode 015: Getting Clear On Goals & Choosing To Be Excellent with LuAnn Nigara

LuAnn is the co-owner of Window Works in Livingston, NJ, the author of The Making of A Well-Designed Business™ and the engaging host of the 5-star rated podcast A Well-Designed Business™. The podcast, A Well-Designed Business™ is the definitive resource for interior design professionals interested in operating a profitable and productive business. Known for asking questions that get to the heart of the subject, her show is down to earth and actionable. In our conversation we talk about how hard it is to run a systemized, profitable business, noting that it is not something done lightly but with commitment and intention, the rewards are far more reaching than financial.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, luann nigara, guest
Episode 014: What People Never Told You About Business with Niki McNeill
Episode 014: What People Never Told You About Business with Niki McNeill

Niki is a Raleigh, NC native and has  been working in the interior design industry for nearly 10 years. After being fired unexpectedly at the beginning of 2018, she decided to build her own design company, SingleBubblePop Design Studio. In less than a year, she’s grossed well over 6 figures and already starting to build our her team. When we decide to start our own businesses, for most of us, it’s a lot of trial and error. We can only hope that in those errors, we learn and continue to be better with each new attempt. That’s what Niki did. From starting her blog a decade ago to using previous design experiences to build her own business, nothing is lost in the trenches. Her design company has been profitable from day one because she applied business  principles to her design services, creating systems that maximize her profitability. She’s an entrepreneur first & designer second!

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, niki mcneill
Episode 013: Navigating Visibility Opportunities While Remaining On Brand & In Alignment with Rachel Moriarty
Episode 013: Navigating Visibility Opportunities While Remaining On Brand & In Alignment with Rachel Moriarty

As something of a “visibility whisperer”, I got to discuss "Visibility Management" (as opposed to time management) with Rachel Moriarty. We talk all about what it’s like navigating visibility opportunities while remaining on brand & in alignment, with some examples from recent collaborations. Rachel Moriarty wears many hats — from being a leading home style expert to best selling author to product designer. As an expert in using her platform to fill her pipeline & build partnerships, I just know you guys are gonna love our conversation. 

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, rachel moriarty
Episode 012: Going Beyond the Projects & Clients with Cheryl Luckett
Episode 012: Going Beyond the Projects & Clients with Cheryl Luckett

With an unwavering faith & charming southern style, designer Cheryl Luckett has built a brand that is hard to miss & even harder not to love. For more than 15 years Cheryl worked at a Fortune 500 company in Charlotte, North Carolina as a Registered Dietitian and later a human resources professional in diversity and inclusion. After much prayer and consideration, she realized that design wasn’t just her passion, it was her purpose and decided to take on interior design full-time. Cheryl has been able to parlay her passions into a design brand, with accolades that include serving as Brand Ambassador for NC based Revolution Performance Fabrics, be one of the featured designers participating in Southern Home Magazine’s Julian Price Home Showhouse (Greensboro, NC), and launching the Belle by Cheryl Collection for Sylvester Alexander.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, cheryl luckett
Episode 011: Finding Purpose in Your Pivots
Episode 011: Finding Purpose in Your Pivots

As children we’re asked what we want to be when we grow up. While I do believe it’s never too early to start planting the seeds of the future, what I am and what I want to be is none of those previous things.

A lot of us pivot for a myriad of other reasons. The power in pivoting is finding the purpose in it…controlling your pivots instead of being controlled by them. So in this episode, we’re going to be talking about the shifts that you may be experiencing, avoiding, or even regretting as you navigate your designpreneur journey, and how you can do so with passion and purpose.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo
Episode 010: The Business of E-Design
Episode 010: The Business of E-Design

As an online interior designer (exclusively) and also a content creator, I realized after undergoing my own journey of exploration, that many of the challenges fellow online designpreneurs were facing weren’t being specifically addressed, and so The E-Design Experience was born. But what is e-design? How do you do it?  What does it look like?  Who is it for?  So in today’s episode, I want to talk all about the business of e-design with you, hopefully answering some of those questions for you.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo, edesign
Episode 009: Walking Away From Entrepreneurship
Episode 009: Walking Away From Entrepreneurship

It’s an interesting time we live in where being an entrepreneur is more coveted than being whatever your craft is. But Gary V says it best when he says entrepreneurship is glamorized. What about all the other ugly parts of entrepreneurship that no one talks about? Entrepreneurship isn’t for everyone, not does it look the same for everyone, so no matter which lane you choose, be sure it’s the best fit for you, your way of operating, and your season of life.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo
Episode 008: Mastering Brand Sponsorships & Collaborations with Morgan Molitor (Part 2)
Episode 008: Mastering Brand Sponsorships & Collaborations with Morgan Molitor (Part 2)

If you tuned in to last week’s episode then you already know that you’re in for a treat this week, because we are back with Morgan Molitor. 

Morgan is one half and co-founder of construction2style, and while not a “certified” interior designer, thanks to digital marketing and her passion for interiors, she’s been able to build a successful interior design + contracting business alongside her husband Jamie Molitor.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, morgan molitor
Episode 007: Mastering Brand Sponsorships & Collaborations with Morgan Molitor (Part 1)
Episode 007: Mastering Brand Sponsorships & Collaborations with Morgan Molitor (Part 1)

How many of you follower influencers across different industries, wondering to yourself how, you too, could work with brands & what that would mean for you as a designer? In today's episode, you're getting to get one step closer to mastering brand sponsorships and collaborations for your business.

Morgan Molitor, one half and co-founder of construction2style, specializes in collaboration. Always thinking about 100 different ways to optimize any project they’re working on, she attributes half of their business to brand partnerships and sponsored content.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, guest, morgan molitor
Episode 006: Why You Should Have An Email List For Brands
Episode 006: Why You Should Have An Email List For Brands

How many different ways have you heard that you need an email list? You’re favorite podcaster has told you you need one. You have Instagram ads selling you templates to create one. You’ve read all the blog posts on the value of having one. So it’s no big secret in the power of the email list. But here’s what you may not have heard about email lists, however, is about lists for brands.

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo
Episode 005: Creating Content & Getting Paid With Affiliate Marketing and Sponsored Content
Episode 005: Creating Content & Getting Paid With Affiliate Marketing and Sponsored Content

Have you ever wondered how people make money online, especially influencers & content creators? We hear about so many different revenue streams, in addition to the main income maker, that it can often get hard to discern which is the best for for us holistically as designers and which is the best fit for your unique business model.

If you create any kind of content — blogging, social media, video, email, podcast — then there’s a world of ways to monetize “passively” but two very popular ways involve brands that aren’t your own — sponsored content & affiliate marketing. What are the differences between the two & how (if at all) they may make sense for your business?

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Season 1Albie Knowspodcast, solo