Rephonic
Artwork for Trade Tales
Interior Design
Client Relationships
Entrepreneurship
Business Growth
Work-Life Balance
Client Management
Project Management
Design Process
Creative Process
Design Business
Creative Entrepreneurship
Covid-19
Social Media Marketing
Design Burnout
Client Experience
Acquisition
Business Coaching
Team Management
Client Communication
Team Building

Business of Home's editor in chief Kaitlin Petersen talks to interior designers about nurturing creativity, finding a firm’s financial footing, setting goals and discovering their own version of success as a result.

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes186Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
DesignArtsBusinessEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for Trade Tales

Latest Episodes

Dan Rak, whose eponymous firm has offices in Chicago and Southwest Florida, answers a question from a designer who is ready to revamp her firm’s finances. Rak offers advice on why the right sourcing strategy is crucial to improving profit margins, le... more

Ali Faulkner’s first career in high-end hospitality has played a crucial role in shaping the firm she leads today—one in which everything from her firm’s back-end operations, to hiring and onboarding are crafted around delivering an ideal client expe... more

In this episode, interior designer Shaun Crha of Long Beach, California–based firm Wrenstead Interiors answers a question from a designer whose clients want to know exactly what she’s paying for product. Crha jumps in with advice on using a budgeting... more

Kelly Finley set out to create her ideal firm—and then, after bringing that vision to life, realized a large staff and juggling tons of projects wasn’t all she’d hoped it would be. Moving forward, she decided to go back to basics—discovering the proj... more

Key Facts

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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Ali Faulkner
Founder of AEF Interiors, former hospitality executive
AEF Interiors
Episode: Ali Faulkner on building a team that’s passionate about the client experience
Shaun Crha
Designer at Wrensted Interiors
Wrensted Interiors
Episode: Ask Us Anything: How Shaun Crha presents product pricing to clients
Molly Torres Portnof
Designer and founder of Date Interiors, former Homepolish participant
Date Interiors
Episode: Why Molly Torres Portnof hands every prospective client an investment guide
Tina Ramchandani
Designer and founder of her design firm
Studio Ramchandani
Episode: Ask Us Anything: Tina Ramchandani on attracting your ideal client
Erica McLain
Designer focused on environmental psychology and neurodesign
Living Luxury Lab (formerly MXD Interiors)
Episode: Erica McLain on bridging the gap between science and design
Dane Austin
Boston designer, founder of Dane Austin Design
Dane Austin Design
Episode: Ask Us Anything: Dane Austin on taking design presentations to the next level [Rebroadcast]
Melissa Ohlendt
Designer, Oho Interiors (Minnesota and Colorado offices)
Oho Interiors
Episode: Ask Us Anything: Melissa Oholendt’s go-to interview questions for new hires [Rebroadcast]
Ali Budd
Toronto-based designer and founder of a design firm
Ali Budd Studio
Episode: Why Ali Budd wants to do design TV differently [Rebroadcast]
Blair Moore
Designer and founder of Roem, a furniture sourcing studio focused on vintage and antiques
Roem
Episode: Ask Us Anything: Blair Moore on protecting your firm from shipping issues

Host

Kaitlin Petersen
Host of the show; Editor-in-Chief of Business of Home

Reviews

4.7 out of 5 stars from 103 ratings
  • Erica McLain is simply brilliant!!

    I’ve had the great privilege of knowing Erica as a friend & client, hearing her on this episode is exactly who she is, thoughtful, authentic & crazy insightful. Thanks for giving others the opportunity to experience her brilliance and knowing that the world is better with her voice in it.

    Your podcast is incredible, keep shining your light brightly.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Miami heat Lbj
    United States2 months ago
  • One of the Best Home Podcasts

    Kaitlin Petersen is so smart, savvy and warm - everything she talks about is illuminated by all she has to share, and her wonderful way with guests. Only a few podcasts in this area make you feel like you are learning something - and Trade Tales excels in this area. Along with her business partners Dennis Scully and Fred Nicklaus, Kaitlin gives shape to the Business of Home team which is the very top tier podcast (and magazine) in the home design space. Indispensable!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Julia Chasman Design
    United States3 months ago
  • Inspiration for a Maker

    I am a furniture maker, and this podcast gives me so much value. It helps me to see the perspective of my client - the designer. I also Garner many takeaways that help me in my business. The host asks insightful questions and draws out great responses from her guests.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kwadwo89
    United States10 months ago
  • Superlative Info/Advice Provided

    Interesting and timely topics updated weekly…superlative guests with just the right balance of information, advice AND humor!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BrentTK
    United Statesa year ago
  • So helpful!

    The recent episode with Swati Goorha was so helpful! She shared so much of her process and I’m grateful to hear so much detail about how other designers structure their services. It’s such a journey figuring out what works best. Thank you for this platform!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Emily Lindberg Design
    United States2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners describe the episodes as highly actionable for designers new to entrepreneurship and for those seeking real-world business lessons.
Reviewers note the host's ability to pull out hard-won lessons from guests and translate them into implementable strategies.
Fans praise Kaitlin's thoughtful interviewing and guest lineup, calling the show insightful and practical for running a design business.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#13
United States/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#58
Canada/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#64
United Kingdom/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#194
Australia/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#4
Sweden/Arts/Design
Apple Podcasts
#4
Mexico/Arts/Design

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Ask Us Anything: How Shaun Crha presents product pricing to clients
Q: Can you walk us through what clients actually see on the invoice?
Invoices are itemized for groups and items, with clear indication of what is being proposed, what is being installed, and the ability to approve or decline items during the process, while the price shown is the selling price to the client, not the cost to the business.
Why Molly Torres Portnof hands every prospective client an investment guide
Q: How do you measure success in this moment?
Success is about celebrating every win and taking time to acknowledge progress, rather than rushing past achievements.
Why Molly Torres Portnof hands every prospective client an investment guide
Q: What have you learned about being an entrepreneur that you wish you knew at the start?
Learning never stops; mistakes are learning moments that make you better, and embracing that mindset reduces fear and helps you iterate more confidently.
Erica McLain on bridging the gap between science and design
Q: What happened after business school and how did you end up in interior design?
After business school, she pursued interior architecture through UCLA, focusing on environmental psychology, and gradually built a practice rooted in understanding people and spaces, which evolved into a neurodesign approach.
Ask Us Anything: Melissa Oholendt’s go-to interview questions for new hires [Rebroadcast]
Q: What questions reveal ambition and cultural fit beyond standard qualifications?
Sneaky questions about what success looks like, how the candidate feels appreciated, and where they want the firm to go, plus a focus on humility and collaboration as core values.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
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Frequently Asked Questions About Trade Tales

What is Trade Tales about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A practical, founder-friendly look at running design firms, with a strong emphasis on acquiring and retaining ideal clients, pricing, team-building, and scalable processes. Episodes often blend hands-on operations with brand storytelling, PR strategies, and client-management frameworks, helping listeners turn creative work into sustainable businesses. Noteworthy are deep dives into hiring, in-house logistics, wellness-driven design, and turning design presentations into high-touch client experiences, which together position this show as a go-to resource for designers aiming to grow strategically without sacrificing culture or quality.

Where can I find podcast stats for Trade Tales?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Trade Tales. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Trade Tales and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does Trade Tales get?

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What are the audience demographics for Trade Tales?

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How many subscribers and views does Trade Tales have?

To see how many followers or subscribers Trade Tales has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

How many episodes of Trade Tales are there?

Trade Tales launched 6 years ago and published 186 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Trade Tales?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for Trade Tales?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Trade Tales from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Trade Tales?

Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Trade Tales. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.

What guests have appeared on Trade Tales?

Recent guests on Trade Tales include:

1. Ali Faulkner
2. Shaun Crha
3. Molly Torres Portnof
4. Tina Ramchandani
5. Erica McLain
6. Dane Austin
7. Melissa Ohlendt
8. Ali Budd

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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