Join Cheryl Kees Clendenon and Liz Lapan, the dynamic duo behind the visionary and integrator balancing all the moving parts of a full service interior design firm in their no-nonsense and thought-provoking podcast, the Damn Good Designer. Each episode is full of damn good truths and real talk as they share invaluable insights on how to run and build a successful business while challenging the norms, the industry, each other and YOU. Emphasizing a business-savvy approach, Cheryl and Liz take you on a roller coaster of discovery, considering success from a different lens, breaking free from groupthink, and encouraging you to embrace your own authentic designer self. There is not much they will not say “out loud”. In this podcast, you'll find no room for conformity as they shatter the mold of one-size-fits-all business practices. Cheryl's fearless attitude showcases a refusal to follow the conventional wisdom, ask “why” repeatedly and reject what no longer makes sense in today’s world. If you're seeking a dose of inspiration, a splash of unconventional wisdom, and a refreshing perspective on the entrepreneurial world, the Damn Good Designer is your go-to podcast. Tune in and let Cheryl and Liz, along with their expert guests in the fields of designers, architects, landscapers, and other creative professionals, guide you toward building a remarkable business that defies norms and sets you on a path to unparalleled success."Get ready to challenge the ordinary and embrace the extraordinary! About the hosts: Cheryl Kees Clendenon- 2021 KBB Person of the year 2022 Design Studio winner Dallas Arts Awards 2021 Changemaker Design Hounds 200 or so years ago a child came roaring into the world feet first ready to show up and argue a cause. Just because. Her mother still maintains the story is- she was screaming-“why”- from the minute she landed wrong side up and slapped the doctor for disturbing her afternoon nap And to this day does not give “it” a rest except when she is sleeping. Which is where you will find her only between the hours of 2am and 7:30am. A belligerent non-smoker (in case you were wondering) and a frequent challenger of anything that resembles “normal” or desired by the masses, Cheryl is a natural born contrarian who talks faster than 2x speed on a podcast She gravitates towards wanting to help clients and designers who are the square pegs in a world of round holes, lose earrings impossibly frequently, fall off of platform shoes and are unapologetically saucy. Relaxing is not in the skill set. Life begins and ends with family. Her sacred words are: Why, Percipient, Whizbang and Profit. But please do not say the words: Package, Blocks, Red Flag, Overwhelm or Picked. Hives break out and it gets ugly. Liz Lapan VP of Everything, Interior Designer, Work Wife, Team Cook, Unicorns People ask, when did you KNOW you had found your ideal work wife- Cheryl will reply ” When she drew me 8 different cacti on her 3rd day because I said -find me a damn cactus” The woman who has never been through an airport without being extended an invitation to stop and play show and tell with the contents of her backpack, can single handedly plow snow with a rake and rescue her boss in a snowstorm in Arizona.–yes, I said Arizona–after sleeping all night in a tuna can of a rental car. An accomplished designer in her own right with an amazing sense of color and pattern, Liz can wear the designer hat in the morning, the project manager hat at noon and return to the office being the ultimate manager of all the things. Client’s love her, Subs respect her and the team adores the woman who gets “it” done-whatever “it” may be. RESOURCES: www.damngooddesigner.com https://www.theinteriordesignparadigm.com/ Want to be a guest? Apply here: https://forms.clickup.com/8404193/f/80f71-613517/PFK3QDSALZ30VONMTP
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Damn Good Interior Designer is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 82 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.
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Episode #78
Season 4 Ep 78: Vibe What?
Aug 18, 202635 minS4
Cheryl has spent 25 years building systems around the way her design firm actually works. So what happens when AI suddenly gives her the ability to build the software around those systems, too? In this episode, Cheryl shares what happened when one irritating business problem turned into building her own app through “vibe coding,” what she’s learned along the way, and why knowing your processes matters more than knowing how to code. AI can help you build almost anything, but it will also happily automate a bad process. Have a question-- click here to ask us. Loved this episode? Click here to leave a 5⭐ review RESOURCE LINKS: Damn Good Workshops - Website View our upcoming workshops! These workshops are 2–3 hour deep dives (some more than one day) built for creative entrepreneurs who want to lead with confidence, price with authority, and grow with intention. We created this workshop series with tracks that cover the challenges we know designers face: pricing, sales, client relationships, project management, marketing, and leadership. Each workshop is designed to stand alone — so you can choose the topics that matter most right now — while still connecting to the bigger picture of building a profitable, sustainable design business. Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website The best multi-faceted business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today. The Paradigm Quick Start - 3 Month Custom Coaching Program The Paradigm Shift - 6 Month Custom Coaching Program The Paradigm Intensive - 12 Month One on One Immersive Custom Business Coaching Join our FREE Facebook Groups Small Business - Think Big - Facebook What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group Subscribe to our newsletter ABOUT US: Cheryl Clendenon is the host of The Damn Good Designer Podcast and an award-winning interior designer, writer, and business coach with 26 years of full-time industry experience. With a prior career in media and radio sales, she brings a rare blend of creative thinking and business acumen to the design world. Cheryl was named KBB Person of the Year in 2021 , is a nationally published industry voice with a monthly column in Home Accents Today , and regularly speaks on pricing, scope, process, and profitability. Known for her fast pace, contrarian instincts, and practical insight, Cheryl helps established design firms build stronger businesses and define success on their own terms. ***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***
BEST EPISODE OF SEASON 3! If you confuse them, you lose them. Period.
Jul 14, 202655 minS3
One of our top episodes of Season 3! The confusion you accidentally create long before the proposal ever hits your clients inbox is the real reason clients hesitate. Your price is not the problem. You can unintentionally create confusion through discovery calls, the way you talk about freight, receiving, vendors, timelines, your value, etc. This causes your clients to be constantly collecting clues about whether saying yes to you feels SAFE or SCARY. Learn how your language, tone, and timing shape the emotional architecture your clients make decisions in, and why being clear is your most powerful sales tool. Have a question-- click here to ask us. Loved this episode? Click here to leave a 5⭐ review RESOURCE LINKS: Damn Good Workshops - Website View our upcoming workshops! These workshops are 2–3 hour deep dives (some more than one day) built for creative entrepreneurs who want to lead with confidence, price with authority, and grow with intention. We created this workshop series with tracks that cover the challenges we know designers face: pricing, sales, client relationships, project management, marketing, and leadership. Each workshop is designed to stand alone — so you can choose the topics that matter most right now — while still connecting to the bigger picture of building a profitable, sustainable design business. Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website The best multi-faceted business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today. The Paradigm Quick Start - 3 Month Custom Coaching Program The Paradigm Shift - 6 Month Custom Coaching Program The Paradigm Intensive - 12 Month One on One Immersive Custom Business Coaching Join our FREE Facebook Groups Small Business - Think Big - Facebook What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group Subscribe to our newsletter ABOUT US: Cheryl Clendenon is the host of The Damn Good Designer Podcast and an award-winning interior designer, writer, and business coach with 26 years of full-time industry experience. With a prior career in media and radio sales, she brings a rare blend of creative thinking and business acumen to the design world. Cheryl was named KBB Person of the Year in 2021 , is a nationally published industry voice with a monthly column in Home Accents Today , and regularly speaks on pricing, scope, process, and profitability. Known for her fast pace, contrarian instincts, and practical insight, Cheryl helps established design firms build stronger businesses and define success on their own terms. ***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***
Season 4 Ep 76: ASKED & ANSWERED - Why “What Does It Cost?” Is the Wrong Conversation
Jun 30, 202620 minS4
Price is one of the first questions designers hear, but it is often the wrong conversation to lead with. Cheryl explains why posting big budget numbers and focusing on square-foot pricing can create the wrong expectations, intimidate potential clients, and reduce design to a transaction. Instead, she shares a better way to communicate value. By helping clients understand the thinking, process, and decisions behind the investment, they can then make informed choices with confidence. Have a question-- click here to ask us. Loved this episode? Click here to leave a 5⭐ review RESOURCE LINKS: Damn Good Workshops - Website View our upcoming workshops! These workshops are 2–3 hour deep dives (some more than one day) built for creative entrepreneurs who want to lead with confidence, price with authority, and grow with intention. We created this workshop series with tracks that cover the challenges we know designers face: pricing, sales, client relationships, project management, marketing, and leadership. Each workshop is designed to stand alone — so you can choose the topics that matter most right now — while still connecting to the bigger picture of building a profitable, sustainable design business. Damn Good Designer - Damn Good Designer - Website The best multi-faceted business coaching for Interior designers—seriously. This is not some wham-bam glamathon; It is the real deal you have been looking for and what is missing from the business coaching marketplace today. The Paradigm Quick Start - 3 Month Custom Coaching Program The Paradigm Shift - 6 Month Custom Coaching Program The Paradigm Intensive - 12 Month One on One Immersive Custom Business Coaching Join our FREE Facebook Groups Small Business - Think Big - Facebook What They Didn't Teach You in Design School - Facebook Group Subscribe to our newsletter ABOUT US: Cheryl Clendenon is the host of The Damn Good Designer Podcast and an award-winning interior designer, writer, and business coach with 26 years of full-time industry experience. With a prior career in media and radio sales, she brings a rare blend of creative thinking and business acumen to the design world. Cheryl was named KBB Person of the Year in 2021 , is a nationally published industry voice with a monthly column in Home Accents Today , and regularly speaks on pricing, scope, process, and profitability. Known for her fast pace, contrarian instincts, and practical insight, Cheryl helps established design firms build stronger businesses and define success on their own terms. ***Any use of this page and its content to develop or train artificial intelligence or to do computer analysis is prohibited.***
Season 3 Ep 75: Retail, Reality and how it helps your bottom line with Ryan Williams
Jun 16, 20261h 5mS3
<p>Retail is one of the most misunderstood business models in the design industry.</p><p>In this episode, Cheryl sits down with designer Ryan Williams of Artisan Design Studio to talk about the realities of adding retail to a design firm. From inventory investments and vendor relationships to client trust and showroom strategy, they discuss what retail actually costs, what it can do for your business, and why a storefront should support your design firm not distract from it.</p><p>They also share lessons learned, mistakes made, and what designers should consider before signing a lease. If you've...
Season 3 Ep 74: DESIGNER DRAMA - Why some designers are marketing themselves into lower fees
Jun 2, 202617 minS3
<p>Visibility matters, but posting yourself in your bath robe is not the same thing as building authority and for designers this can backfire fast.</p><p>Because design is not an impulse buy. Clients are not hiring you for constant access to your every thought, errand, emotion, and car-confessional. They want you to lead expensive decisions, protect their investment, and bring a level of taste, judgment, and discernment they do not have on their own.</p><p>Cheryl makes the case for more thoughtful marketing that reinforces expertise instead of making designers look frantic, interchangeable, or too accessible to...
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