Designer Discussions : Remodeling Business Marketing
Welcome to Designer Discussions, where kitchen and bath business owners get the latest training, education, and industry news to elevate their brands and attract high-quality clients. We go beyond surface-level strategies, offering proven tactics to help you stand out and succeed. Our expert hosts—Jason Lockhart, Maria from DesignAppy.com, and Mirjam Lippuner—bring insider tips, interviews, and best practices to ensure your business thrives. Whether you’re looking for expert guidance on marketing, securing premium clients, or staying ahead of industry trends, we provide the knowledge you need to confidently implement changes that boost your success. Are you looking to take it a step further? Our monthly training and mentoring services offer hands-on, practical solutions—whether you prefer a do-it-yourself approach or a done-for-you service. Say goodbye to uncertainty and hello to a strategic plan that guarantees growth. Tune in, take control, and make the impactful changes you aim for.
Episodes
Ever wonder who's really behind the Designer Discussions podcast? Meet Jason, Miriam, and Maria – three industry experts who joined forces to create a no-nonsense resource for design professionals navigating the complex worlds of marketing, PR, and business growth.
Jason brings a unique dual perspective as both an architect and marketing agency owner. His journey began teaching at LSU, implementing marketing strategie...
Ever wondered why design school taught you everything about color theory but nothing about growing a successful business? That glaring gap in education is exactly what The Designer's Academy addresses—and after two incredibly successful years, we're opening enrollment for our third session this October.
The Academy began as a simple PR membership but evolved when we realized designers needed comprehensive busines...
The digital landscape is shifting beneath our feet as AI reshapes how content is discovered, shared, and monetized online. For creators and business owners who've invested years building valuable online resources, this evolution presents both challenges and opportunities.
In this eye-opening episode, Maria breaks down how AI systems are fundamentally changing website traffic patterns and potentially undermining revenu...
The rules of search have fundamentally changed, and businesses that don't adapt risk becoming invisible online. Gone are the days when keyword optimization alone could propel your website to the top of search results. Today, AI-powered search has revolutionized how potential clients find and evaluate businesses.
When someone searches for information related to your services, they're likely to encounter an AI-gene...
Tired of endlessly creating social media content with little return? This eye-opening episode reveals how content calendars can transform from tedious scheduling tools into powerful opportunity generators for your design business.
Miriam and Maria challenge the common misconception that content calendars merely help you post consistently. Instead, they demonstrate how planning eight weeks ahead creates three game-changing ...
Are you ready to revolutionize your design business's digital marketing strategy? The landscape is changing rapidly, and staying ahead means embracing sophisticated tactics that your competition hasn't mastered yet.
Jason dives deep into three game-changing marketing approaches that are reshaping how successful designers connect with clients in 2025. First, discover the critical differences between traditional SE...
Struggling to generate consistent leads for your design business? The answer might be sitting right in your existing marketing toolkit.
Email marketing has the potential to become your second most powerful lead generation tool after client referrals—even outperforming expensive SEO and PPC campaigns. Yet many designers watch their promising email efforts fizzle out as open rates plummet from 40% to single digits within mo...
Unlocking the power of regional publicity could be your design business's greatest untapped marketing resource. Many designers dream of national magazine features while overlooking the goldmine in their own backyard – local publications that reach the very clients who might actually hire you.
This episode shatters the common misconceptions about media coverage. Getting press doesn't require hiring expensive PR fi...
When economic uncertainty looms, most businesses make the critical mistake of slashing their marketing budgets first. But what if that's exactly the wrong move? In this illuminating episode, Jason shares battle-tested strategies to keep your design business visible and thriving during economic downturns—without breaking the bank.
Drawing from his wealth of marketing expertise, Jason walks through practical, low-cost a...
Facing a business slowdown? Your first move shouldn't be panic—it should be strategic competitor analysis. Jason shares a powerful yet underutilized approach that helped one Dallas designer develop an entirely new revenue stream matching or exceeding her design business income.
The conversation begins with a sobering reality check about social media reach. With Facebook delivering only 2% organic reach, Instagram 9%, ...
Ready to break free from the social media hamster wheel? This eye-opening episode tackles the uncomfortable truth about social media marketing for design professionals. Maria delivers a refreshing perspective that will transform how you approach your digital presence.
For years, designers have been chasing viral moments and follower counts, hoping to attract high-profile clients, television opportunities, or magazine featu...
Feeling like your social media growth has hit a wall? You're not alone. Design professionals everywhere are experiencing diminishing returns despite increased effort—low view counts, minimal engagement, and the constant pressure to pay for reach.
The Designer Discussions team dives deep into this common frustration and introduces an exciting alternative: Blue Sky. This emerging platform operates fundamentally differen...
The digital landscape is shifting rapidly, but contrary to popular belief, SEO isn't disappearing in the age of AI—it's evolving. Jason breaks down exactly how to make your website discoverable across all platforms, whether through traditional Google searches, voice commands, or AI-powered tools.
At the heart of modern searchability is the E-E-A-T principle: Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustwort...
What happens when design trends come full circle? In this illuminating conversation with kitchen designer and educator Jan Rutgers, we explore the fascinating evolutions and throwbacks dominating KBIS 2025. Having toured the show for three consecutive years, Jan shares how today's cutting-edge designs are actually sophisticated reimaginings of elements from decades past.
The reign of hard, angular kitchen elements is ...
Are you ready to abandon minimalism and embrace a future rich with color, texture, and sustainability? Discover how home design is evolving by 2025 as we, Maria, Miriam, and Jason, unpack the findings from the ASID trend report. We're shedding light on the shift away from monotonous gray and white palettes to spaces that celebrate wellness and complexity. Prepare to learn about the rise of layered lighting for better sleep and...
Unlock the secrets to mastering your digital life as we uncover the best apps for design professionals in 2025. Miriam, our app connoisseur, guides us through a journey of productivity and scheduling tools that promise to enhance your life without overwhelming it. We'll discuss the importance of conducting an app purge to maintain balance and wellness, and the growing integration of AI in iOS updates. With an eye on protecting...
Unlock the secrets of edutainment in design as we explore its evolution from classics like Sesame Street to modern platforms like TikTok and Instagram. With special guest Maria, we unravel how storytelling, engaging visuals, and interactive elements can not only captivate audiences but also build brand loyalty for designers and remodelers. Discover how to navigate the challenges of social media and harness its power to keep your au...
Unleash the full potential of your 2025 marketing and PR strategies with our latest episode, where we guarantee insights that will transform your approach. Learn how to effectively reverse engineer your annual goals by tapping into the power of your ideal client avatar, as we link back to the foundational guidance of episodes 24 and 76. Join us as Jason shares innovative tactics for optimizing your website amidst the AI revolution ...
This episode focuses on essential digital marketing trends for designers in 2025, emphasizing the significance of AI, SEO evolution, and personalized content. With insights gathered from market research, the hosts outline how these elements will shape the industry's future and offer actionable strategies for growth.
• Exploring the role of AI in marketing for designers
• Understanding Search Generative Experience ...
Explore how to transform your design business for the better and unlock the secrets of successful collaboration in our special year-end review of Designer Discussions. Join Jason, Maria, and Mirjam as we highlight the most captivating moments of 2024, including Katie Decker's expert insights on optimizing design operations for profitability and her memorable tips from High Point. Relive the intriguing revelations on the evolut...
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