2 cent/sqft
2 cent/sqft
Cas Swope and Tara Ackermann
Here, you can join us as we spend time with a host of professional designers and allied industry professionals to hear about their professional paths. Over the course of our experience in the contract interior design industry, we have talked repeatedly about the "hidden careers" that are outside the traditional path of an Interior Designer. We are thrilled to shed light on these career paths by getting further acquainted with some of the interesting people that make up this industry, and we hope you'll enjoy their stories and tips as much as we have.
Design Nightmares
It's Friday the 13th and all around the design community there were stories to be told. This episode is our first anonymous episode. We had the chance to sit down with multiple people from around the industry and let them share one of their horror stories that has happen. Some of these are encounters, some of these are malfunctions, and some are just good old fashion "I can't believe that happen".Let us know your thoughts and if we should do more. Happy Friday the 13th.We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Oct 13, 2023
57 min
Designers behind Healthcare Design
What a great episode. We caught up with Mary Porter, an Associate Principal at HLG Studio here in Atlanta. She specializes in Healthcare design and we get a chance to talk with her about the differences she sees between the Healthcare design and other segments in the design community. We talk through some of the more technical aspects of the job that she has encountered, along with some more memorable ones.We posted up at HLG Studio and we appreciate their hospitality on a Friday. Make sure to check out their work and make sure to leave us a review on which ever podcast platform you are listening to. We appreciate your support.We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Sep 4, 2023
1 hr 16 min
Branded Environments...and a little bit more
In this episode, we are sharing some time with Christy Cain, Vice President and Principal at Atlanta’s ASD|Sky.  Christy has a noteworthy design pedigree, and a particular passion for Branded Environments.  She illuminates the meaning of this phrase, and we enjoy a lively discussion around the value and the costs of a holistic design.    Thanks to CFC Group for hosting our chat this week at their lovely showroom! Their showroom is located off of Chattahoochee Ave. They represent some great lines and it would be work reaching out to your local rep to get into the showroom and check it out. You can join us most Fridays on Instagram to get your 2cents worth live, or you can tune in via your favorite platform on Monday morning for the ride into work. #interiordesign #2cents #designlife #InteriorConstruction #ASDSKY #CFCgroup We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Aug 27, 2023
1 hr 8 min
Risk and Reward
We are back from hiatus and kicking off the second half of our season with Dana Anderson, founder of Planning Interiors.  Dana and her team recently celebrated the company’s ten year anniversary.  On this episode, we spend time talking about what it took to get to this point, as well as taking a peek out onto the horizon.  It’s an interesting conversation about the hazards, as well as the rewards, of striking out on your own.  Thanks to Planning Interiors for hosting our chat this week!You can join us Fridays on Instagram to get our 2cents worth live, or you can tune in via your favorite platform on Monday morning for your ride into work. #interiordesign #2cents #neocon #designlife #InteriorConstructionWe hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Aug 19, 2023
1 hr 5 min
NeoCon Recap - The Guys Version
This episode is a little twist on the normal. It's summertime and we are everywhere so this week Cas is going it alone with Jason Diaz, Design Director at Vickers Design Group.  We give our thoughts on NeoCon 2023. Jason tells us what it was like to be a judge and we talk candidly about the experiences we had this year between NeoCon and Design Days. We also go into some of the products and showrooms that we were impressed with, what we felt the trends were and our overall thoughts of the show. This one is a fun conversation. Thanks to Vickers Design Group for allowing us to take over your conference room again!You can join us Fridays on Instagram to get our 2cents worth live, or you can tune in via your favorite platform on Monday morning for your ride into work. #interiordesign #2cents #neocon #designlife #InteriorConstruction We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Jul 2, 2023
1 hr 9 min
The Three C's
We often think of diamonds when we think of “The Four C’s.”   This week, we are talking about “The Three C’s,” and the conversation is with an absolute gem in our community!  Stephanie Kirkpatrick, Niles Bolton’s Director of Interior Design, sits down to chat with us about her career in general, as well as what qualities a firm needs to be successful.  In addition to having risen through the ranks of the design industry to the Director level, she has also spent time on the client side, acting as the VP of Facilities and Real Estate for a private university, so can shift fluidly between designer and end user viewpoints.   With such a rich experience, we could have covered a multitude of topics, but we landed on her “Three C’s of Design:”  Creativity, Collaboration, and Consultation.  We explore in our discussion how these intertwine, and why they are critical to the success of a firm.   You can join us Fridays on Instagram to get our 2cents worth live, or you can tune in via your favorite platform on Monday morning for your ride into work. #interiordesign #2cents #neocon #designlife #InteriorConstruction Episode Support: We would like to thank Niles Bolton Associates for hosting us this week in their beautiful space.  Make sure to check them out.https://www.nilesbolton.com/We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
May 15, 2023
1 hr 19 min
Where do we begin
“Where Shall We Begin?”  In this episode we sit down with Sarah Holliday and discuss exactly that…what happens just after the client says “go.” This includes what design project manager’s role and what the design team can expect. Much of our conversation centers on programming and visioning, and why it’s critically important to the success of the project to get those meetings right. Sarah, an NCIDQ certified Interior Designer, has 15 years of design and project management experience, which gives her a solid foundation and first-hand understanding of the specific pain points both designers and end users face every day. She thrives at the intersection of right brain and left brain thinking and seeks to provide thoughtful resources and educational opportunities that enhance the overall design experience. Sarah is a proud native of Wisconsin who brings her warmth and detailed attention to everything she does.You can join us Fridays on Instagram to get our 2cents worth live, or you can tune in via your favorite platform on Monday morning for your ride into work. #interiordesign #2cents #neocon #designlife #InteriorConstruction Episode Support: We would like to thank TurnerBoone for hosting us this week. Their showroom in Westside Atlanta was just freshly renovated, making it a wonderful place to drop in if you're between appointments and need a place to work.  Or if you just need a dose of inspiration, their curated vignettes around the space are a wonderful source. Either way, you should make your way over there and get to know this hard working team.https://www.turnerboone.com/We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Apr 30, 2023
1 hr 16 min
Staying Creative
In this episode, we are talking with Jason Diaz, Design Director at Vickers Design Group, about creativity.  What does it really mean, and how do you foster it?  This one is a fun conversation that rambles across an incredibly complex topic; we dive into some science behind creativity, as well as some of our own personal practices.  Thanks to Vickers Design Group for allowing us to take over your conference room!You can join us Fridays on Instagram to get our 2cents worth live, or you can tune in via your favorite platform on Monday morning for your ride into work. #interiordesign #2cents #neocon #designlife #InteriorConstruction We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Apr 23, 2023
1 hr 12 min
Positive Reinforcement
Our new episode this week is centered on positive reinforcement.  A huge component of being in this industry is accepting negative feedback and using it as a tool to refine the project.   But sometimes, that’s a lot to take, right?  We talk about the importance of balancing negative input with positive.  It turns out, praise has its own Golden Ratio.  Hint:  it’s not Phi.  Tune in to find out what it is!Materials we referenced in the cast: https://hbr.org/2013/03/the-ideal-praise-to-criticismhttps://www.gottman.com/blog/the-magic-relationship-ratio-according-science/Episode Support: Thanks to Kimball International for hosting us this week in their magnificent showroom.  Great job, ai3!  (See what we did there?)We encourage everyone to check out their space over on the west side of Atlanta. Reach out to your Kimball rep to see how they can help you with your project or check out their websitehttps://www.kimballinternational.com/homeWe hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Apr 16, 2023
57 min
Patnering with a GC
This week, we got the chance to sit down with Jennie Rusciano to talk about what it’s like to be a (GC) General Contractor. Jennie is a Project Executive at Atlanta-based commercial interior General Contractor, CA South.  Prior to joining CA South, Jennie practiced as an interior designer, then project manager.  Her well-rounded industry background gives her a unique perspective on the construction side that we think you’ll enjoy hearing.  We talk about the job and responsibilities of a GC and also the best practices for partnership between Designers and GC’s.  Also in the conversation, we dig into details about pricing, the value of a mistake, and the importance of a dose of fearlessness.Episode Support : We would like to thank CA South for letting us host from their beautiful space, overlooking the Battery’s Plaza. CA South was established in 2009 and is proud to have grown into a trusted GC and partner to design firms and clients.  You can learn more about them at http://ca-south.com/We hope you got your 2 cents worth!Please click the link and follow us on Instagram and Facebook. We look forward to building a community of professionals across all facets of interior design and construction.
Apr 2, 2023
1 hr 32 min
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