This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Megan Molten, founder and creative director of her eponymous design firm in Charleston, South Carolina. Tune in as Neil sits down with Megan to discuss her design career journey, the importance of building ironclad client relationships, and her forthcoming work featured in Flower Magazine. Megan explains how the positive feedback generated from her design-focused social media accounts gave her the confidence to transitioninto a full-time design caree...
Jan 03, 2024•46 min•Season 6Ep. 50
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast. This week, we invite you to explore home with Yvonne Christensen and Nichole Speirs, owners of Utah-based House West Design. Listen as Yvonne and Nichole discuss how “meeting” on Instagram led to joining forces and opening House West Design. They discuss the challenges of merging two companies together, from day-to-day processes to delegation and hiring the right team. Over the course of the last 3 years, they have assembled a tight-knit, well-rounded group o...
Aug 11, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 49
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Rydhima Brar, founder and principal of R/Terior Studio based in Los Angeles, California. Listen as Rydhima discusses opening her interior design business at the very start of COVID and how her previous corporate role helped her pivot her business strategy. Then, Rydhima shares with Neil more about her childhood growing up in Kuwait and how her upbringing played an integral part in her unique aesthetic. After, they...
Jul 20, 2023•45 min•Season 5Ep. 48
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast. This week, we invite you to explore home with Carmin Black, Founder of Half United. Half United is a for-profit philanthropic company that puts helping others above profit. Selling “socially good goods,” Half United works with artisans in developing countries to produce one-of-a-kind items. This leads to gainful employment in places that are in desperate need of opportunities. Neil and Carmin talk about how she and her brother started Half United when they we...
Apr 20, 2023•28 min•Season 5Ep. 47
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast. This week, we invite you to explore home with John McClain, CEO and Creative Director of John McClain Design. Home design is in John’s blood, his family built homes and he tagged along as a kid. This led to the discovery that he loved every aspect of home design, from the foundation to the roof. Neil and John talk about how he began by decorating friends’ homes for a free lunch. On a whim, he auditioned for an HGTV special that focused on designers. He made t...
Apr 06, 2023•40 min•Season 5Ep. 46
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast. This week, we invite you to explore home with Tammy Nagem, President and CEO of High Point Market Authority. As the newly appointed HPMA President, Tammy describes her transition into the role and the anticipation of the upcoming Spring High Point Market. Tammy and Neil discuss how anyone who is serious about the home furnishings business needs to attend HPMKT. It is the epicenter of the furnishings industry, you will see more product, more categories, and mo...
Mar 23, 2023•42 min•Season 5Ep. 45
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast. This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Erika Ward, owner of Erika Ward Interiors in Atlanta. Listen as Erika describes her journey from majoring in finance at the University of Georgia to working at her family-owned flooring business. There, she put her business acumen to the test with budgeting and estimating construction projects. Erika used this experience to be hired as the project accountant on the Georgia Aquarium. She was In her 20’s and terrifi...
Sep 23, 2022•43 min•Season 4Ep. 44
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Amy Bartlam, owner of Los Angeles based Amy Bartlam Photography. Listen as Amy describes her road to becoming an interior design photographer. As a child in England, both her parents were deeply involved in the arts, and encouraged their children to be so as well. Amy's father let her use his cameras for school projects and a lifelong love affair with photography was born. Amy’s first “real” job was assisting a we...
Jun 16, 2022•38 min•Season 4Ep. 43
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Will Brinson, CBS Sports Senior Writer. Listen as Will details how he went from an English major at NC State to a sports writer for CBS. Will began his career writing on sports message boards on his lunch breaks, he caught the eye of a sports blogger and from there, worked his way up the ranks. He has been hanging on tight to his dream job ever since. Will and Neil discuss the similarities between a well-run NFL o...
Apr 26, 2022•49 min•Season 4Ep. 42
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Erinn Valencich, interior designer, real estate developer, and entrepreneur. Listen as Erinn details how she first made her way into the design industry, starting with some special childhood roots. Neil and Erinn then touch on Erinn’s progression into the custom design industry. They then discuss Erinn’s exciting new furniture collaboration with Universal, as well as take a closer look at what inspires Erinn and h...
Mar 29, 2022•31 min•Season 4Ep. 41
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with our very own Director of Product Development at Universal Furniture, Shannon Lookabill! Listen as Neil and Shannon first start by discussing Shannon’s journey into furniture design, beginning with influence from his family as a child. They then touch on Shannon’s start at Universal and later delve into the detailed process of creating furniture products, starting with defining a need. They then chat about the many...
Mar 22, 2022•35 min•Season 4Ep. 40
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Jonathan Vehar, Partner at Pilgrimage Professional Development Group. At Pilgrimage, Jonathan partners with organizations to help them more effectively and efficiently achieve their goals through a focus on teamwork and communication. Listen as Neil and Jonathan discuss the art of setting goals at the top of every new year. Jonathan elaborates on his advice regarding how to set specific goals while keeping in mind...
Feb 03, 2022•40 min•Season 4Ep. 39
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Kelli Lamb, Editorial Director and Co-Principal of RUE Magazine. Neil and Kelli kick their chat off by discussing more about Kelli’s professional start in blogging and how she eventually made her way to Rue Magazine. They discuss the many ways RUE has grown and changed since Kelli first joined the team as an assistant. Neil and Kelli then discuss a new market opportunity called ‘5 Minutes With’ which is hosted in ...
Dec 08, 2021•45 min•Season 3Ep. 38
Welcome to the Explore Home podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Patrick and Meghan Sharp of design studio Mister + Mrs Sharp . They first detail how they met — within the visual merchandising department of Banana Republic — and how their time spent in retail naturally propelled them into the furniture and design industry. They then discuss their perspective on working alongside your significant other, and why they are especially thankful for the opportunity to do so. They then ...
Nov 23, 2021•34 min•Season 3Ep. 37
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Tiffany Cassidy, principal designer of Lagnappe Custom Interiors located in St. Thomas, VI. Listen as Tiffany discusses her journey to living and working in the Caribbean, starting with earning a degree in chemistry and eventually finding her way to upholstery, fabrics, and now, interior design. Tiffany then shares a bit more about island life, detailing what she loves most about the laid-back lifestyle. Neil and T...
Nov 19, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 36
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Ginna Christensen, interior design leadership expert, business coach and consultant. First, Ginna details the start of her career at Giorgio Armani and how the lessons learned there helped shape her professional foundation as she moved from fashion to interiors. Then, Ginna and Neil delve into the topics that Ginna typically focuses on with her clients, including the importance of building a brand story and consist...
Sep 08, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 3Ep. 35
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with designers Patti Carpenter and AmyLynn Schwartzbard as they join Neil to discuss the Kaleidoscope Project. This exciting design initiative took place at the Cornell Inn in Lennox, MA as a group of 23 diverse, under-represented interior professionals renovated and redesigned 21 unique rooms within the space. Patti and AmyLynn detail the entire evolution of the project, from how it first came to be, to the process of ...
Aug 26, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 34
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Ericka Saurit of Saurit Creative, a digital marketing firm for the home industry. Listen as Neil and Ericka start with a brief history of Ericka’s professional career, including her years spent living and working in China. They then touch on Ericka’s involvement with Airbnb to build their Airbnb Plus division along with Universal Furniture. She then elaborates more on opening her own business and details how she he...
Jul 30, 2021•44 min•Season 3Ep. 33
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week we invite you to Explore Home with Sharon Savage of Lancaster Custom Crafted Upholstery and Don Massenburg of Design Inkredible. Listen as they begin by discussing the various challenges and opportunities that COVID-19 has presented within the design industry in the last year. Then, Neil, Sharon and Don discuss HPxD (High Point by Design) — what it is, what its mission is and how it is a prime and exciting new resource for interior designers all yea...
Jul 26, 2021•45 min•Season 3Ep. 32
Welcome to Explore Home Podcast! This week we explore home with Danny Seo, Publisher and Co-Principal of RUE Magazine. Danny is the epitome of a modern-day Renaissance man, he is the author of 14 books, has run a non-profit organization, worked with Oprah Winfrey and Reese Witherspoon, and produced and starred on an Emmy award winning lifestyle show. Neil and Danny discuss his unusual and inspiring childhood. On his 12th birthday, which happens to be Earth Day, Danny decided he wanted to start a...
May 18, 2021•38 min•Season 3Ep. 31
Welcome to Explore Home Podcast! This week we explore home with Kyla Herbes, creator of the House of Hipsters blog. Neil and Kyla begin by talking about the birth of House of Hipster, which started as a hobby after her second child was born. Kyla knew it was special and was willing to put in the time and effort to turn it into one of the top blogs in the country. Today, House of Hipsters is a consistent award-winning blog and launched Kyla into the limelight. Kyla details how when she featured P...
May 05, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Season 3Ep. 30
Welcome to Explore Home Podcast! This week we explore home with Sara Serarle with Promoboxx. Neil and Sara discuss her time spent on the account management team at Snapchat. While there, Sara took note of how the platform fostered conversations between friends using Snapchat integrated content, allowing people to interact with brands in a personal way. Out of this experience grew a passion for advertising and social media. Sara then describes the challenges her multi-generational small family bu...
Apr 19, 2021•33 min•Season 3Ep. 29
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week explore home with Benno Duenkelsbuehler, (re)ALIGN CEO and Chief Growth Sherpa. Neil and Benno discuss his background as a buyer and a seller. First, a buyer for Ikea and Pottery Barn for over a decade. He then changed careers to sell to exhibitors in High Point and Atlanta. This background inspired him to start his own company to help others start and grow their brands. His company, (re)ALIGN, lives at the intersection of growth and execution. Benn...
Apr 13, 2021•32 min•Season 3Ep. 28
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week explore home with Scott O’Neil, VP of Global Sales for Cylindo. Neil and Scott discuss how Cylindo’s focus on 3D product visualization platforms allow manufacturers and retailers the ability to provide customers the power to visualize products while shopping from home. You can preview the work that Universal and Cylindo have worked on here . Scott comments on how 3D technology is now front and center. With more people shopping online before stepping...
Feb 09, 2021•41 min•Season 3Ep. 27
Welcome to Explore Home Podcast! Today we explore home with Lori Paranjape, owner of her own design firm based in Nashville, TN which focuses on luxury homes and new construction. Lori's work has been featured in publications like Domino, Architectural Digest, House Beautiful and Traditional Home. Discover how an English Literature major and former TV reporter turned her beloved hobby into a powerhouse interior design firm. Lori discusses how the tempo and style of interior design has changed ov...
Jan 28, 2021•1 hr 4 min•Season 3Ep. 26
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! This week, we invite you to Explore Home with Melissa Galt, a premier interior design business coach. First, Melissa shares a brief history of her professional journey with Neil, detailing what influenced her transformation from being an interior designer into an interior design coach. They then touch on the advantages of digital technology and the rise of e-design and remote working, especially in the age of COVID-19. Next, they discuss how to not only defin...
Dec 21, 2020•46 min•Season 2Ep. 25
Welcome to the Explore Home Podcast! After a bit of a hiatus, we are back and excited to start the series back up with Michelle Wiebe, President, Founder, and Principal Designer of Studio M based in Clearwater, FL. First, Neil and Michelle start from the beginning, detailing Michelle’s initial launch into the design industry. They then chat about the unique evolution of her business throughout the years, as well as how Michelle and husband Tom have found balance working together at Studio M. The...
Dec 04, 2020•42 min•Season 2Ep. 24
This week we invite you to Explore Home with Stephanie Cohen of Stephanie Cohen Home. Listen as Stephanie begins with her professional journey to interior design, one that includes switching from a law student to a full-time design student. After detailing this transition, Stephanie shares more about her business which is comprised of an interior design firm as well as a brick and mortar storefront. After delving into both the challenges and opportunities associated with owning a retail storefro...
Sep 22, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 23
This week we invite you to Explore Home with John Hillman, Vice President, and Broker at Crane Island Real Estate, an exclusive Coastal Living community. Crane Island was also the location of Universal’s second Coastal Living photoshoot featuring the Getaway collection. First, John touches on his background in the design industry and what led him to the custom home business. He then touches on the holistic community aspect of his developments and why his clients gravitate towards this kind of li...
Sep 02, 2020•39 min•Season 2Ep. 22
This week we invite you to Explore Home with Carla Regina and James Andrew of Regina Andrew, maker of luxury interior products with an emphasis on lighting. Listen as Carla and James take us through a brief summary of their individual professional backgrounds and detail the beginning stages of Regina Andrew. They also touch on the pros and cons of running a business with your significant other as well as some lessons learned along the way. The team then discusses their home base of Detroit and h...
Aug 19, 2020•41 min•Season 2Ep. 21
