Recent Speakers

IDS Recent Speakers
 

Carolyn Barton
Designer Marketing Manager - Southeast Division
Sherwin Williams
www.sherwin-williams.com

Carolyn received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Creative Writing from The Florida State University and has spent the last 6 plus years of her career with The Sherwin Williams Company. She has held several positions including managing the retail paint store, Homebuilder Sales Representative, Professional Coatings Representative, and now currently works in Atlanta as the Designer Marketing Manager for the Southeastern Division of Sherwin Williams. Carolyn is responsible for promoting awareness of all Sherwin Williams color tools and resources to the Interior Designer, and presents various educational seminars to industry professionals throughout the year.

Kelly Galea
Consultant, Coach, & Author
Trinity Creative Partners LLC
kellygalea.com


Kelly Galea, The Design Biz Coach, is a strategic marketing and efficiency Consultant, Author and Coach. She helps creative entrepreneurs and interior design professionals boost their bottom line with simple and proven strategies and systems. Kelly’s mission is to inspire and provide guidance to small business owners, providing strategies and tools to take their business to the next level. Sharing all the knowledge she loves to seek out, focusing on what she does best – integrating business and marketing systems, processes and technology, distilling it to what is relevant and essential to her clients – so they can focus on what they do best as creative entrepreneurs and home trade professionals.


Neil Gordon
Owner
Decorating With Fabric
www.dwfcontract.com



Neil Gordon has been in the Drapery and Window Covering business for twenty-five years. His company, Decorating with Fabric is a "To the Trade" workroom in the New York area. Neil has written dozens of published articles, presented nearly 100 webinars, and written a book called The Designer's Coach. He also writes a blog on drapery design ideas. Decorating with Fabric serves the New York Metropolitan Area's Drapery, Window Covering and Upholstery needs. Among our many clients are Architects, Interior Designers, Facility Managers and Government buyers that work on Commercial or Residential projects.


Debbie Green
Founder
Minutes Matter & Studio
www.minutesmatter.com




Debbie Green has been president of Dandelion Interiors, Inc. since its inception in 1983. She has developed numerous design products and graphic design software, which are now under the corporate umbrella of Minutes Matter Solutions, Inc. and are sold internationally. Debbie tours the country educating designers and sharing her creative, innovative ideas. She also presents seminars on measuring problematic windows, using fabrication techniques, photographing interiors, and implementing today's technology.


Jeff Hiller
President
Sustainable Furnishings Council
www.sustainablefurnishings.org




Jeff is a founding Board Member and past President of the Sustainable Furnishings Council. A published writer on sustainability, he has been keynote speaker for numerous professional and academic organizations including High Point Market, Las Vegas Market, ASID, ADAC, SCAD, and NYSID. Jeff is also a Senior Partner in JB Training Solutions, a leading management skills training company, and sole owner PROaction Marketing Group, a marketing services company based in Austin, TX working with home furnishings wholesalers and retailers across the country. Formerly VP Marketing/Four Hands, a 3-time Inc 500 Fastest Growing company; owner The Arrangement, a thriving retail furniture chain; Marketing Director/Houston Rockets NBA franchise; and VP Account Director/Leo Burnett, a Top 5 national ad agency. Jeff is a cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College with High Honors.


Margi Kyle
The Designing Doctor
The Designing Doctor, LLC
www.doctormargi.com
CQRID CEU Approved Program



Margi Kyle, The Designing Doctor. For over 40 years, this remarkable, captivating woman has built an astounding portfolio from the ever-important ‘Designer’s perspective’. Never idle, this New York School of Interior Design and Sheridan College graduate has contributed to this industry as an Interior Designer, Television Host, Mentor, Keynote Speaker, Educator, and Writer. Margi’s credentials include Professional level of IDS, WCAA, ASID, IFDA,WFCP, DCI- along with being Past National VP for WCAA (Window Coverings Association of America) and National Past President of IDS (Interior Design Society). Margi is the founder of the Non-Profit organization, “Little Smiles of North Carolina, a mini make a wish for any child in the Hospital. Margi has received her Master in Interior Design and is The Executive Director for We Make Color Easy- The Dewey Color System, a spokesperson for Hunter Douglas, We Make Color Easy, and 3Dream.Net.  The Designing Doctor, LLC is training company that Educates Designers on Color, Running your business and Personal Coaching. After 40 years of Interior Design, “My Mission is to Educate, Dedicate and Motivate designers through their design journey to embrace their world.”


Michelle Lamb
Co-Founder & Chairman
Marketing Directions, Inc
www.trendcurve.com





Michelle Lamb is co-founder and chairman of Minneapolis-based Marketing Directions, Inc. Established in 1987, Marketing Directions specializes in home furnishings color and trend forecasting, working extensively with clients to provide individual direction and color specification. A sampling of past and present clients includes ACCO, Hunter Douglas, Target Stores, Home Depot, Walmart, Gerber Baby Products, Tarkett, Hunter Fan, EK Success, Petmate and Day-Timers.

Marketing Directions publishes The Trend Curve™. Michelle Lamb is the Editorial Director of this trade newsletter which forecasts trends in color, pattern and design for manufacturers, interior designers and retailers. She also creates The Trend Curve Colors™ forecasts for décor and Christmas, as well as the Trend Album™ series of European trend reports, with extensive trend insights from her travels to industry major trade fairs. Her blog is in its eighth year.

Ms. Lamb is a contributing editor to Design & D´ecor and FurnitureStyle magazines. Because of her 20-plus years experience in trend forecasting, she has been a sought-after speaker at events such as the High Point Furniture Market, The International Gift Fair and Accent on Design, the Las Vegas Market, the American Lighting Association, Furnitex Australia, the marts at Seattle, Denver, Dallas and Los Angeles, Color Marketing Group, the Canadian Gift and Tableware Association, International Market Square, National Housewares Manufacturers Association, The Interior Design Society, ASID, IFDA, Crafts Council of Ireland, the Royal Thai Government and for numerous corporations where her talks key into design and color trends for home furnishings. She has been quoted extensively in publications ranging from The New York Times and The Baltimore Sun newspapers to the Costco Connection consumer magazine and LDB Interior Textiles trade magazine.

Ms. Lamb was a founding member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, and she served on the board of directors of WithIt and Color Marketing Group.

Mary Larsen
Founder
Grow Your Design Biz
www.growyourdesignbiz.com


It all started out with Mary’s 8-year-old creative curiosity and her mother’s willingness to teach her how to sew. Mary’s flair for design quickly grew into a lifelong passion. After studying at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University and earning a bachelor’s degree in clothing and textiles, she immersed herself in the design industry, eager to work for designers in the world of haute couture. Mary landed a position early on as assistant designer for Christian Dior wedding gowns and continues to apply the tips and techniques acquired in the fashion industry to beautiful home designs. As the founder of an interior designs business in Raleigh, North Carolina and the surrounding Triangle area, Mary found that years of experience as a Customer Service Manager for a Fortune 250 company positioned her perfectly for success. Using her keen business sense, Mary has kept up with the rapidly changing face of the industry. She continues to tap into new trends by providing room redesign services, which is all the latest rage for an entirely new customer base who are inspired by the ever-increasing number of home design shows. 

Over the years, Mary has reaffirmed her beliefs that the success in the industry of interior designs and decorating requires a keen business mind combined with a focus on customer satisfaction. Realizing that the “business of design” is a fundamental skill that aspiring designers need to succeed, Mary set her mind to developing valuable trainings which allow her to share the best practices of small business as they related to decorating and redesign. Mary has taught decorating and business courses to women’s groups and “trade-only” conferences throughout the nation. She is a contributing writer for The News and Observer and The Cary News and is often cited as an expert contributor in various media sources. Mary is a featured designer in the book 301 Simple Things You Can Do to Sell Your Home Now and for More Money Than You Thought: How to Inexpensively Reorganize, Stage, and Prepare Your Home for Sale by Teri B. Clark that will be released in February of 2007. Most recently worked on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition for the Raleigh episode that aired on January 21, 2007. Her work was featured on the show as well as on the ABC Extreme Makeover: Home Edition website. 


JoAnne Lenart-Weary
Founder
The Decorating and Staging Academy
www.thedecoratingandstagingacademy.com




JoAnne Lenart-Weary, is a talented 35 year veteran of the decorating industry. She creates beautiful rooms both nationally and internationally. In addition to her active decorating business, she has become well known for her comprehensive training programs in interior design, decorating, staging, redesign and her patented color selection system, Color with No Regrets. The professional classes were developed for established industry professionals and decorating entrepreneurs from all over the world. JoAnne is a frequent industry speaker, and the founder of One Day Decorating and The Decorating and Staging Academy. She presents practical information in a fun and informative way.


Steve Nobel
Owner & Founder
Nobelinks
www.nobelinks.com


Steve Nobel founded his consulting firm, NOBELINKS, in 1994 to specialize in the markets for luxury at home by assisting his clients to build home furnishings brands, and advance the market for interior design and decoration. Steve is the author of "Aiming at Affluence; Marketing Interior Design to Luxury Clients," and speaks frequently as an ASID Distinguished Speaker on the topic in Design Centers and Showrooms throughout North America. He is also adjunct faculty at New York School of Interior Design. Currently, he is Acting Executive Director of the Decorative Furnishings Association (a trade group to connect consumers with designers). Prior to establishing his own firm, he was an owner and president of The John Widdicomb Company, and also served as Managing Director of Baker, Knapp and Tubbs, Ltd. in London, England. NOBELINKS has been since 1996 established in New York as a salon for innovative marketing collaborations that increase market share for all of the participants. Steve is especially skilled at facilitating ‘links’ between people, ideas, and strategy.


Deborah Sanders






Deborah Sanders joined VERANDA magazine with its second issue in 1987. She served as Managing Editor for most of its 23-year history, editing and writing home profiles and articles related to the decorative arts. During this time, she also conducted decorative arts tours to France. Over the last ten years, she canvased trade shows around the world, concentrating on the development of product stories for the magazine. Since leaving VERANDA in June 2010, she has established a consulting business, making presentations on design at market events around the country. She also plans to launch an online publication dedicated to product reviews, called Style InSite.com.

Richard Sexton
Owner
Carolina Rustica
www.carolinarustica.com



Richard Sexton, founder and owner of Carolina Rustica located in Concord, NC present this webinar for us. Mr. Sexton has been an independent furniture retailer since 1996 and has his MBA in Marketing from Kellogg at Northwestern University. His business has been profiled in various publications and has been a case study for Google. Mr. Sexton also speaks at national conferences on internet and small-business marketing.


Nika Stewart
Lifestyle Entreprenuer
Nika Stewart Enterprises
www.nikastewart.com



Some describe Nika Stewart as a talented, quirky, edgy designer, while others regard her as a cutting-edge businesswoman. And while both descriptions are accurate, they do not capture her true essence. Nika is a lifestyle entrepreneur: A professional who has seamlessly integrated her career into her life. She loves creating exciting information products and coaching motivated clients to achieve positive, life-altering results. She also loves her ever-expanding network of colleagues, clients, and collaborators. But most of all, she loves making her little girl giggle. Nika’s passion comes through in all of her endeavors and projects – and that is her true value. As an interior designer, Nika won many international awards and published several design books, including the most recent: Knack Universal Design: A Step-by-Step Guide to Modifying Your Home for Comfortable, Accessible Living. She ran her company, The Window Dresser, for ten years, and designed custom window treatments for hundreds of local homeowners.

After her daughter Ellie was born in 2005, Nika realized that she needed to run her business differently. She didn't want to stop working, but she also didn't want to leave Ellie in full-time day-care. Out of desperation, Nika figured out a way to leverage her knowledge and time to create a rewarding business that not only gives value to thousands of people around the world, but allows her the flexibility and freedom to live her life on her own terms. While running her business - www.SuperstarDesigner.com - Nika discovered that moms all over the world were desperately searching for this same solution: a rewarding, profitable business that they could run from home, allowing them the flexibility to take care of family priorities - while they bring in a nice income. So Nika launched The Laptop Mom to show moms how to leverage their time, create passive income, and build a successful business... during naptime!

Nika enjoys sharing her techniques and strategies on achieving career and life happiness with her clients. She has developed coaching programs and innovative systems that guide aspiring and seasoned entrepreneurs in building profitable, sustainable, and rewarding businesses to complement their lifestyles. As a multifaceted, approachable, and creative entrepreneur, Nika is always eager to tackle new challenges, make new contacts, and expand her horizons.


Terri Taylor
Owner & Founder
Design Biz Blueprint
www.designbizblueprint.com




Terri Taylor is a practicing interior designer and contractor with 32 years in the interior design and construction business. She qualified for her NCIDQ Certification in 1991 and she is a professional member of ASID. Terri holds both residential and commercial general remodeling Arizona contractors licenses.
Her design studio, Taylor Design Group, is a diversified design practice that works in the areas of high-end residential design and remodeling, model homes, hospitality, and medical and professional offices.
Terri is a frequent speaker and lecturer at design conferences and colleges, and her design work is regularly published in regional and national design journals. She additionally is in high demand as a design and remodeling resource to reporters and editors of national publications, including ASID ICON and The Wall St. Journal.
Besides running her award-winning design studio, Terri is an interior design business expert and coach, supporting entrepreneurial design professionals in blending their passion, money, and relationships, and making a difference in their lives. She provides a unique mix of proven design business systems and inspirational tools to create meaningful success. Terri lives in the high desert of Tucson, Arizona with the love of her life, Jim Stanley, and her two horses, Desi and Miriah. If you are an inspired interior design entrepreneur, visit www.DesignBizBlueprint.com for business building resources.To learn more about Terri Taylor and her interior design company, Taylor Design Group, visit www.TaylorDG.com.


Vita Vygovska
Owner
Vitalia, Inc
www.vitaliainc.com


Vita Vygovska is the owner of Vitalia Inc, MBA, a window treatment and productivity expert. She is known for her no-excuses attitude to running a design business and getting things done, fast. A very successful entrepreneur, she’s worked with countless clients, who are amazed at her organization, discipline, professionalism, creative marketing, and the ability to accomplish great results in a short amount of time. Vita is a high-energy speaker who bases her content on knowledge, experience, and proven systems. She delivers specific and actionable content that audiences can implement immediately. Even more, she empowers them to take action by showing practical marketing solutions to grow their business. Before entering the world of entrepreneurship, Vita made a name for herself in the corporate world, progressing quickly through the ranks and finally leaving her last company, Lenox China, as a marketing director. Born and raised in Ukraine, Vita came to the US at the age of 15, earned her BS in marketing and fashion merchandising from Albright College and the MBA from LaSalle University. As an active member of the design industry, she also dedicates her time industry organizations such as WCAA, IFDA, and IDS.


Ashley Whittenberger
Founder & Chief Design Officer
Interiority Complex
www.ashleywhittenberger.com



Few people harness their creativity, vision and leadership skills to build profitable companies and inspire others to play a bigger game in life and business. A serial entrepreneur with incurable creativity, Ashley Whittenberger used her experience in two high stakes careers – first as a literary agent to best-selling, well-known authors, then as a luxury real estate sales director-to create high-energy design businesses that make a difference in peoples’ lives. In 2002, Ashley founded Interiority Complex, LLC, a design firm with a social mission to provide unique design therapy and decorating prescriptions for clients. Interiority Complex has grown from a one-person shop-at-home business to a successful company with team of talented stagers and designers who help clients “decorate to sell” and “design to dwell.”

In addition to managing Interiority Complex, Ashley leads the Design Biz Incubator, mentoring and supporting entrepreneurs who own independent interior design, staging, organizing, decorating and other design trade businesses. Her original business curriculum educates professionals in business administration, operations, marketing and sales, inspiring entrepreneurs to grow their own businesses to the next level. Ashley also founded and serves as president of IADIE, the International Association of Design Industry Entrepreneurs and is a Regional Vice President of the Real Estate Staging Association. In January 2011, RESA named her its 2011 Staging Innovator of the Year. Whether in person, online or on the phone, Ashley Whittenberger educates and inspires her audiences. She was a 2011 featured speaker at Real Estate Staging Association’s international conference and has presented to numerous national and regional organizations and businesses including Stager’s List Expo, National Association of Hispanic Realtors Conference, Women’s Council of Realtors, Austin Board of Realtors, Partners In Building – Houston & Austin, Lakeway Area Home Builder’s Association, and real estate business including KB Home, Standard Pacific Homes, David Weekley Homes and others.