Maryline Damour: Community Player

Linda Kafka + Mike Peterson: Meet the design industry folks behind the upcoming virtual Science in Design Summit, why now is the time to bring information about the convergence of science and design to the forefront, and why architects and designers should take advantage of what science and medicine tells us- that good design improves health! Go here for more details: https://visionarydesignmarketing.com/science-in-design-summit/

Born in Haiti and presently a citizen of Kingston, NY, Maryline Damour, partner in the design-build firm Damour Drake, took on design as a second career, following ten years in corporate PR and marketing. In her quest to create an amazing and sustainable business upstate, she dug deep in her local creative community which wasn’t unified at all, and founded the Kingston Design Showhouse as a way to bring them together. On the podcast Maryline shares her journey, her experience building community, and the transferrable skills she learned from corporate crisis management. Damourdrake.com

Don Ricardo Massenburg Jr., principal at DESiGN iNKREDiBLE, aka Mr. iNKREDiBLE and “The Bedroom King,” believes in stating and praying what you want into existence. It is how he has lived his life and is growing his design business.  Also, thanks to mentors like Michel Boyd, has adopted this basic operating mode: If it doesn’t make me want to dance, I’m not doing it. From kindergarten teacher to headboard fabricator, decorator to influencer, Don Ricardo has a lot to share about his decorating start, why he still wants a career in education, his social media practices and affinity for music, and much more. http://www.designinkredible.com

When Arjav Shah, senior interior project designer, reflects back on who he was when he first moved to New York from Mumbai to get his Masters in Interior Design he sees a very different person from who he is today, crediting the opportunities through his career at Perkins&Will and his mentors with helping build confidence and self-esteem and shaping him into a leader. In the podcast, Shah talks about what it is like to be part of a traditional Indian family while dreaming of career as a fashion designer, adjusting to New York life and a new career, his growing love of workplace design, and the evolution of his own aesthetic.

When she was 41 — a high school teacher and mother of two — Julie Sawchuk was hit by a car while biking, and that accident resulted in a spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the chest down, and changed her life forever.  She and her husband built a new home that was fully accessible to her, and which in turn led her to a new career — helping people build better residential and commercial spaces for all. The co-author of the soon-to-be-released book, “Building Better Bathrooms,” Sawchuk thinks of accessible design as an umbrella that must include three elements: safety, independence and dignity. “It’s just not about a turning circle on the floor of a drawing [for a wheelchair] or the width of a doorway — there’s so much more to it.” On the podcast, Sawchuk talks about her journey and her mission to have people rethink home design. Go to juliesawchuk.ca to discover more.

Since she was a girl, Robin Baron felt different. She had big dreams, chased them, and dove in. Thirty years into her interiors practice, Baron is energized by the recent launch of her multi-faceted ecommerce platform, robinbarondesign.com, which allows her to utilize her relationships, share her knowledge, and exercise her creativity in different ways. In this podcast we discuss the new site as well as how she got started in the biz, her indispensable sidekick, the notion of having it all, spiritual routines, and the benefits of joining industry groups.

Lucy Penfield, of Lucy Interior Design based in Minneapolis, has a BFA in Art History and Interior Design, certificate in business, and an MA in Design Thinking. She chose a career in interior designer because, for her, it checked all the boxes and encompassed all that she loved to learn about – culture, psychology, philosophy - and do – travel, art, write. Her projects veer toward modern and are infused with color, art, and optimism. With a full plate of projects, philanthropic commitments, a recent pillow collection debut, and new ideas in motion for 2021, Penfield discusses her circuitous path to design and the wonder of it all – with a sweet-sounding Midwest accent which makes it all the more heartening. Check her out at www.lucyinteriordesign.com. 

Meet Lorna Gross, a Washington D.C.-based interior designer who was always determined to create an independent life and arrived at interior design, after a journey of introspection, as a second career. In addition to being the principal of Lorna Gross Interior Design, she is also Designers Today’s first guest editor in chief, a role that aligned perfectly with a declaration she made for the year – that this would be the year of unapologetic visibility. In this podcast, Gross speaks to the intricacies of design work, how design is like a spiritual offering, getting into the creative flow and why designers need to be selective about clients. Along with DT’s managing editor Andrea Lillo, we reflect on Gross’ editorial debut and discusses the similarities between magazine work and design. And lucky us, Gross also serenades us with a few notes from a classic Whitney Houston song.

Kia Weatherspoon, the captivating and straight-up founder of Determined by Design, is a passionate advocate for design equity, busting myths and preconceived notions of what affordable housing communities should be. Weatherspoon creates aesthetic environments for all regardless of socioeconomic level and shares her message generously. In this podcast, we discuss how past experience informs her design and inspires her direction, why design equals empathy, and the importance of storytelling in interior design. Weatherspoon also shares the way she prospects for new partners, the keys to staying positive, and the relationship between mental health and the success of her business. If you ever need a pick me up, go to Weatherspoon’s personal Instagram and watch her dance, and discover more about her at www.determinedbydesign.com.

Jennifer Grace is a transformational coach who has a lot to share about mindset and mindfulness as it relates to your creativity and output. An ace at leading others to breakthroughs, in this keynote, which was delivered live at the Designer Experience, Grace shares techniques and tools that can help you move through setbacks, sadness and fear to get back in the flow. Her monologue is followed by a brief Q&A with Designers Today’s Jane Dagmi. Learn more about Grace at her website, jennifergrace.com.