In this episode, hosts Shaun and Rebecca kick off another round of the beloved Just Stop series—this time inviting submissions directly from their listener community. With a few listener submissions already in hand, they dive into some trends and pet peeves in the world of interior design branding, communication, and business practices. Expect their signature blend of candid humor, designer insight, and practical takeaways.

They explore key topics such as professional branding tropes (we're looking at you, barefoot headshots), generational social cues, the ethics of pricing design services, and creative integrity in design feedback culture.

In this episode they discuss:

• Why it may be time to just stop using barefoot photos in your professional branding—it can feel unprofessional or performative.
• The concept of the “millennial pause” in video content and why editing it out matters for audience engagement.
• Exploring the buzzword ethos in branding: why it might be overused, vague, or feel pretentious.
• How taking intentional summer breaks—especially July in the design industry—can support mental health and long-term business sustainability.
• Strategies for silencing notifications, reducing digital micro‑stress, and reclaiming control over your attention and productivity.
• The pitfalls of underpricing design services: why charging too little hurts individual designers and the broader community.
• Why the term timeless design is misleading, and what a more realistic approach to longevity and quality might look like.
• Common spelling mistakes in design terminology—such as principal vs. principle, loose vs. lose, and stationary vs. stationery.

Mentioned:

• Send us your Just Stop submissions: https://portal.dubsado.com/public/form/view/681d3da2db8d4f003ad45766

Our links:

• Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
• Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
• Rebecca’s Instagram
• Shaun’s Instagram
• For more information - Check out the website
• Become a “Loyal Hottie” - Support us on Patreon
• Design Resources - Check out our shop

Welcome to the Hot Young Designers Club podcast.

I'm Rebecca Plumb, your big sister.

And I'm Sean Serha, your gbf.

We're not that hot or that young.

But we believe it's a state of mind that helps us build adaptable and profitable businesses.

We rely on the support of our design besties to get through each day.

So let's explore the emotional, practical, and humorous sides of being interior designers.

Welcome to the club.

Hey, Sean.

What's up, Rebecca?

It's that time of year.

Hotties.

Just Stop.

Our favorite series ever.

I hope I'm feeling feisty enough today.

Okay, we're.

I'm gonna get you riled up a little bit.

Okay.

You can always count on me to do that for you.

I know.

And we're doing something a little bit different this time, too.

Oh, yeah.

We asked Hotties for their submissions to just stop.

So we're very excited to be able to share a couple of those with you in the episode.

Yeah.

Because a lot of you have always said, oh, I have some.

And I gotta say, though, I think Cotties need to just stop saying they wish they could contribute and then they don't actually contribute because not very many did.

You're not wrong.

And I think it's.

It's that.

That observation of we.

Sometimes we're louder, like, in the quiet parts of the Internet than we are out loud.

So.

Right.

I would say, like, yeah, stop, like, lurking in the corners if you want to share something and have your voice be heard.

I think we haven't even done this episode yet, but I still feel very confident that we're going to want to do this again and get submissions from Hotties.

So, yeah, hopefully keep the submission form.

Some submissions.

Okay.

And just so you know, we'll keep the submission form up, but you can be anonymous.

So we have different levels of anonymity that you can choose, and we will respect that because, yeah, sometimes you want to be a little bit shiesty.

Yeah, we did.

We did let some of the Hotties decide whether they even wanted to say just their first name or anything about themselves.

And so we're only sharing what they told us we can share.

So that way, any of you listening who are going to submit, you know how that rolls.

But, yeah, I'm always feeling feisty.

It's a Monday, so I'm kind of.

Like, yeah, we're recording this on a Monday.

Yeah, I. I just feel like bitching.

So let's make it.

Hopefully I'll make it fun.

Let's do it.

Yeah.

Okay.

Do you want to start?

You know, I like to.

Okay, this.

This one came up and I think.

I don't know why we were looking.

I was looking at websites or we were looking at a website or something, and this one just came to me of.

I. I think it's time to just stop the, like, barefoot photo shoot of it all.

Like, your profile photo or your headshot photo is like, look at me, I'm.

Casual and laid back, but I'm like.

Also a boss bitch who has her feet, like, bare in the office.

Like, it's a weird.

Like, well, but isn't it also like the, like, gen zers.

It's like a huge ick.

Right?

Like, my daughter, who is 10, by the way, is like, ooh, don't show your feet on the Internet.

Some, like, pedo's gonna.

I don't.

She says, well, she said.

Exactly.

That is a concern.

There is weird.

Yeah.

Fetishy people.

Like, people on the Internet.

But, like, what are they gonna do?

I don't know.

I've personally never connected with the foot.

Feet out thing on the.

On my, like, professional photos.

It always.

I get it.

It's like, how do we signal to people that were casual and laid back but also get stuff done?

Like, what else can they do other than being barefoot in their photos?

Put on booties for their shoes.

Little socky, little grippy smile.

Disrespectful.

I know the whole shoe and foot thing.

Like, there's so many cultural hoops to jump through with that.

Like, it can be highly offensive to some to show your bare feet.

It can be highly offensive to others to be wearing shoes in a house.

So it is kind of tricky.

Like, maybe just crop your feet.

I don't know.

Yeah, I just don't.

I. I have never thought to myself, waist up only.

Like, where else would you accept that?

I don't know that there's.

I really don't know that.

Like a professional.

Yeah.

Like, I don't.

I don't think I would ever see an architect with barefoot photos.

And they.

Maybe they exist, but like, oh, no, you already know one or.

No, I just sounded absurd.

Like, it sounds weird.

Yeah.

It sounds like Frank Gary isn't going to be barefoot in denim.

No, it's definitely giving, like, quirky, eccentric.

In other contexts, like, I think we've accepted it because so many people do it.

But yeah, in another context, like, like, it's weird.

I mean.

Yeah, I think it's.

I think it's elevating.

Like, let's elevate Ourselves to like something.

Like to being shod.

To being shoed.

Is being shod a thing?

Yeah, shod hod.

Uhhuh.

It's like horses are shod.

I don't know how I not shoed.

Unshod.

Like a term for being unshoed.

I don't, I don't know that I've ever heard that word.

I'm like literally like trying to recall if I ever would have had a tense where I've used that.

And I feel like we would just describe like because my aunt was a western style horse rider and she say they're getting their shoes changed or the, the.

What's what?

The farrier.

She's like, oh, the farrier is coming.

I don't know.

I mean, I know it's.

So if you're wearing shoes.

Hotties with shotties, like shoddy hottie.

Yeah.

Or you're an unshot hottie.

Yeah.

And there's also, I think I've.

I don't know if I guess I've talked to it on the show about that designer that I saw give a talk at a conference I was at.

And she was redoing her whole personal brand and her imagery.

And part of that was her profile picture obviously, or her headshot and she showed a side by side.

And the before was her casual with her glasses and her like kind of button down flannel shirt and no shoes.

Casual in the kitchen she designed.

And then like her level up was like full boss bitch, like beautiful suit in front of this gorgeous custom cabinetry.

Maybe arms crossed in front of her.

I don't know.

That might be me just making that up.

You might be making that up.

Wearing shoes.

Wearing shoes.

Imagine it definitely elevated because she was trying to elevate her clientele.

So it did.

Like we think of people not wearing shoes as not being elevated.

And I know that was kind of the point, but yeah, maybe it's tired.

Maybe it's a tired trend.

It's like a, it's turned into like a weird trope now almost of like the barefoot business person is a sign that they are approachable but casual.

Yeah, Like, I think there's other ways we can imply that and because if.

You saw someone unshod walking down the sidewalk, not approachable, like, I'm not approaching that person.

No, I'm gonna avoid.

I, I mean there's.

Unhinged is part of it.

Wait, have you seen the discourse online of Australians being barefoot in like convenience stores and on the street?

And like, apparently this is a well documented normal Thing I know we have Australian hotties.

I know it's not a large contingent, but, like, someone can.

Can someone fill me in?

Like, is this common or is this just, like, when I go to, like, a small beach.

Well, at a beach day, that would be.

So maybe is it beach community related in Australia?

Well, maybe, but TikTok gives me the impression that there are unshod people commonly nilly around.

Like, what.

What's the term?

Like, bogan is, I think, a term for kind of like an accent that's a little, like, less refined in.

I think that's the impression I gather from Australians.

Yeah.

Anyway.

I don't need to go down the path of unshewed in Australia.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Anyway.

Yeah, okay.

That's my algorithm.

Yeah, okay.

And like, okay, so vine.

Like, you had put in some of these notes.

Like, that's kind of like a millennial thing too, you think?

Yeah.

And honestly, I have been thinking about this millennial millennialism of it all, and I think it's so funny.

When I was first kind of early in my career in, like, the coffee and wine industry, millennial, like, capturing millennials was like the hot ticket, like, because they were young.

Like, this was when millennials were in their early 20s.

And so it was like getting away from boomers.

No one ever thinks about Gen X because we don't exist, but skipped right over us, over always.

Whatever we do for millennials, it maybe it'll attract some Gen X, but who cares?

Or like, oh, yeah, those guys.

But.

So I always think of millennials, and I think a lot of, like, older people and boomers do as being the young up and comers, but they're actually the mid young to mid-40s now.

They are the homeowners and kind of the new boomers and not really known as being the hip, cool ones anymore.

No offense.

I love all of my millennial friends, which is most everyone I know.

But there are some definite things where you see millennials not getting with the times, like the kind of stuck in your ways or like the tell indicators of when you started using the Internet.

Right.

Like, everything was still loading still when you first started on the Internet, or things didn't work or.

Yeah, or like, I do think the younger generations, like, because you and I are on TikTok constantly.

So we see and hear a lot of this, and they're very subtle markers.

And it's like the gen zers basically making fun of all the older generations, millennials included, and all these little quirks and annoying things that now Like, I've inherited, like, the Millennial pause, for instance.

Yeah, I noticed.

So we have a VA who helps us with a lot of stuff.

Thanks, Sarah.

She edits, like, our little Instagram videos and stuff.

And I saw one where, like, the Millennial Pause.

Or I texted her, I'm like, hey, can you make sure you edit out this Millennial pause?

Because it's embarrassing.

And she's like, wait, what?

I'm like, how do you not know what that is?

And then I realized, like, I spent too much time on TikTok.

But in case you don't know, you'll see it constantly.

It's when usually a millennial aged person starts doing a selfie video and they.

You see their eyes staring, waiting a couple beats for the recording to start, and their, like, eyes kind of, like, focus and then they start talking.

And it's like three to five seconds sometimes, which is.

It feels like a long time when you're like, imagine if, like, this is how I think of it.

When a TV show would stop and then there'd be.

Sometimes there would be like, a lag where the commercial wouldn't start playing right away.

And if it went on just even a fraction too long, you'd be like, what's going on?

What's wrong?

What happened?

Channel.

You would look up from your.

Whatever.

You weren't paying attention to tv.

When you notice it's dark and black or nothing's happening, you go, well, what's going on here?

And it's like, we live in an era where you don't.

That doesn't have to make it to air that can be cut.

Or you just start talking about dead air.

Even back in the day is like a watching killer.

Like, no one wants to hear dead air.

So that's one thing.

It's definitely an indicator of I'm new to technology.

Like, it's just kind of embarrassing and unnecessary.

So just what you need to do is just stop not editing that first couple seconds of your video.

You can do the Millennial Pause.

Like, I wait, like, before we record, we wait five to 10 seconds to make sure the audio is all aligned, but then it gets edited so that you can just like, start listening.

Because that's really annoying.

Because that's what you need to do.

Because that's what you need to do to get people to listen and not swipe.

Like, oh, God, they don't get it.

Swipe.

They don't get it.

They're not cool enough, whatever it is.

Yeah.

Which I know this sounds like snotty but okay, well, it's giving stuck in time.

It is giving stuck in time.

And then, yeah, I think it's time for the, like, the millennial behaviors.

This is okay.

This is totally separate.

I won't go too far, but Rebecca and I have spent a lot of time talking about aging and, like, when does it become like, you're just putting your head in the sand or isolating yourself and choosing, like, to sit there and watch somebody, like, who should have understood how to use a phone or a computer, and they just, like, refused to learn and, like, don't want to continue.

I just think we unfortunately don't work in an industry that can afford to put your head down and not pay attention.

Like, we watch that never work out.

The designers who wanted to pretend the Internet wasn't going to do a lot of stuff.

Hello, it did.

Like, pretending that learning how to do computer aided programs or some level of graphic or AI, like, just pretending it's not there or, like, I'll catch up.

On it when it happens.

Imagine you were still using a typewriter when everyone was already, like, three generations of computers in starting to just word process on a computer, and you're like, well, I guess now I'll learn to stop using.

It's.

The curve gets worse the longer you wait.

So there is, like, a.

You don't have to be an early adopter, but at some point, we need to grow and adapt as people, but also as designers and creatives.

So.

But just enough, because the tidal wave of technology, it goes so fast, and it will overwhelm you to where you feel like you can't wade in anymore.

And if you're, like, 42, girl, that's way too early to, like, not know what's happening.

I agree.

I agree.

And I know I am, like, hyper kind of aware of this issue because I am turning 50.

My daughter is 10.

Like, a huge age gap.

Like, if I, like, let things slip and don't really have any kind of pulse, I'm like, she's going to just run, right?

You're going to.

Yeah.

You'll be written off.

Yeah.

And she won't tell me stuff or I won't get it.

So I'm.

There's still going to be a lot of that.

Like, I know, but I at least need, like, some.

You need a base level.

Agreed.

So I think the first step is just awareness that it happens to all of us.

Don't worry.

We're all going to have blind spots.

But just like, see, do you have a blind spot in some of these areas.

And, yeah, maybe it's time to change your hair.

Although I don't give a if you have a setter part or a side part.

I think that's so stupid.

Do it work?

I don't even think that discourse.

That's like a whole different, like, millennial discourse thing.

Oh, yeah, that's going to take us way off track.

No, we're not doing that.

But just, like, do what works for you.

Find ways.

So I like it.

Okay, sorry, that took us a little bit down the path.

That's what we do.

Okay, we're gonna jump into a hottie.

So this submission is from Carrie.

Carrie has some thoughts for us.

And I don't completely disagree with the word ethos becoming, like, the new organic or authentic.

Like, it kind of gives me a little ick.

Like, but to my point, I know what authentic means, and I did have to, like, just Google and get my AI overview of what does mean, because I was thinking of it in the terms of, like, ethics, I guess, when she first said it.

But it does refer to guiding beliefs, values, or character of a person, group, or culture.

So I guess it.

I was kind of right.

Okay.

Yeah.

And, yeah, it doesn't really translate to our work necessarily because, like, I don't ask about.

Okay, this is a whole separate thing.

But I don't ask about somebody's, like, ethics when I'm doing an intake.

It could factor in, I guess, but.

It'S become, like, almost like a luxury buzzword.

Is, like, how I feel about it.

Yes.

Yeah.

It's like, okay, well, if everyone's gonna, like, we can just use words like custom furniture instead of bespoke furniture.

It's just a different vibe.

But ethos.

What.

In what scenario do I need to be using the word ethos?

Like, as a designer?

I don't know that unless I'm like, everything I do is wabi sabi.

Okay, I get it.

We really gotta lock in on a philosophy and a material choice.

And, like, I could see that guiding me if I was very niche.

Right.

Or, like, really into, like, environmentally friendly design.

Like, that.

That is an ethos that really, like, is a through line through a lot of somebody's belief systems.

I kind of like what she's saying about how it.

How many times we need to mention it before it's just a filler word like, or so.

Or, you know, it just becomes a word that loses its meaning the more and more we say it.

It gets confusing about what you're referring to.

Exactly.

And it's just I guess pretentious.

Yeah, Yeah, a pretentious filler.

Relatable words.

I would use, like design.

Our design philosophy is blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.

Or the vibe.

And I might say, like, the vibe of your home is.

You know, we're setting up around this.

Like, the vibe is relaxed.

It's more bohemian.

Which I can see the word vibe being very triggering to certain people too.

Right.

Oh, my God.

But I personally can't really find, like, an alternative.

Yeah, usually vibe is our ethos.

It might be.

Is Vibe.

Some people hate Vibe.

Like, I know.

I remember being in a meeting with a branding client eight plus years ago, and Vibe was already triggering to them, but she's very like, LA Chicago girl that was in the meeting.

Yeah.

Maybe Vibe could go too.

But Vibe feels more accurate than ethos, and I at least know what I think.

I pick that.

Yeah.

I mean, I say vibe.

Yeah.

Good one.

Thank you.

Thank you, Car.

Okay.

I think I brought this up last year.

I don't know if it was a just stop or not, but it's come up again to me organically.

I need to just stop working in July.

Like, I really do.

It's pointless.

I really, like, you're fighting uphill.

The vibes aren't right in so many ways.

It doesn't go with my ethos for the summer.

It really doesn't.

Like.

Okay.

I was talking to my bookkeeper this morning, and I was just telling her, like, yeah, I really gotta get some more work drummed up.

I just don't feel like doing it.

Like, I have been off Instagram all month already.

Most soon to.

I just can't bring myself to do it.

And I.

But I need work.

And then my.

So my bookkeeper was like.

Just so you know, all of my clients are in the same situation right now.

Like, it's quiet out there.

Yeah.

But I also think July is just quiet.

Like, even my existing clients, they take, like, a week or two to reply.

Like, they're just out and about.

Like.

Yeah, there's just no sense of urgency because everyone's, like, living there.

Living is easy, you know, like summertime.

I mean, it's.

It's definitely not, though.

Like, we know that they're like, a lot of parents like you who are fighting around, like, child care and work and all the things and it.

But there is a big, like, ennui, like, overtone.

They're just.

No one's bothered to give a shit.

Like, I agree my kid doesn't want to get out of bed.

Like, I know I'm in a different phase of life.

Like, I'm not in like baby toddler land, which is definitely a different energy.

But like, my kid's like in that tween age where she doesn't want to move until 10am so it's just pulling teeth to get anywhere in the morning.

It's makes me not want to do anything.

And then I'm like, why?

Why shouldn't I have just decided this and just made it what we're doing instead of now I feel guilty.

So like, I'm like going slower than I used to.

I'm not like quick on the updates to things like I normally am.

And I feel guilty about it.

But it's also like, I gotta get her to swim practice some days.

Like, I gotta.

She's only there for an hour.

And then it's just.

That's like a prime get stuff done time.

If you were at full speed, those would be like, get my day going types of times.

Yeah.

And then like, I don't know.

So I talked about this.

I know thinking about it last year of like maybe just one week a month where I'm just taking it off officially all summer.

But I really think it's July.

I feel like August, people are back to school energy.

That feeling is part of the culture.

Even if you're not getting a kid back to school.

Everyone's kind of becoming their best little aunt selves versus the grasshopper mentality of the summer.

Like, we gotta.

Okay, great, let's get back to work.

Let's start getting stuff dialed in and like you want to.

I feel like there's something like in our biology that it's like we gotta prepare for winter.

Like, I don't know.

Oh yeah.

Like our little squirrel brain kicks in.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

It's like biological.

So I just, I'm saying it now.

I'm saying it publicly.

Just stop working in July.

So I'm gonna like start it then of like whatever I need to do.

What happens in, in March, like March will be like a plan for July to not.

Don't take jobs that are gonna like book you up in July.

You know, like, just let that people know.

Like, hey, just so you know, I'm not here in July.

I think it, I agree that it would be smart to tell people way ahead in the Year, like, hey, just let you know, our studio closes for the month of July.

We'll make progress up to a certain point, and then when we get back, we'll start again.

Just know that that's going to adjust your timeline.

If you're cool, let's go.

If not, like, and to take Instagram off and not feel guilty about it, like, I should be doing something like that feeling, it's just.

It's just a terrible feeling when you just don't want to, but you know, you will again.

Yeah, I agree.

Like, give yourself a break.

I think I've told you that I've been doing summer Fridays, and we.

Because I planned it very last minute this year.

You know, guys, my.

I was.

I'm still very busy, but at the beginning of the year, a lot was changing for me at home.

My divorce was starting, like, all of that, and I never really got to the pre planning time, like, you're talking about where you're like, oh, yeah, block out those days.

And so now I've been able to get them added.

And it really has been a relief to try to work the first couple.

You know, like, sometimes I still have stuff that got booked.

I've got to do it anyway, and I'll still do those.

Those meetings in the morning or if I've had calls in the afternoon.

But it has been helpful to block out the ones that were already blocked as we've gotten further into the summer.

July is like, a prime, slow month for that.

I feel like January, February is also kind of historically very slow for most designers too.

So I think it makes sense to look at those low times for ourselves and our own mental health and, like, plan to just, instead of sitting at our desks worrying about what we're supposed to be doing, take the time off and rest and get our energy.

Yeah.

So let's just, like, put something on.

So that's what I have to do is I have to put it on my calendar so I don't forget and then, like, wake up July 1st.

Like, oh, I can't get out of this now.

So.

So, yeah, okay, Very good.

I want it for you.

I'm gonna check in with you next March.

Okay.

This other one is one that's, like, come to me recently.

And I know this is gonna sound really stupid, but I am, like, slowly deprogramming a little bit of, like, this hustle and responsiveness, and it's built.

It's kind of based on what you're talking about too.

But a lot of it for me has Been like, let's just stop having so many notifications and alerts constantly coming at us.

Like, I.

And you know, like, I don't do well with that anyway.

But I, like, you already blocked everything.

I thought, oh, my God, I have done so much.

But it's been a very big realization of how much of this is artificial.

Like, this sense of urgency, the need to respond, the instant access.

Like, yeah, it's just too much.

And I realized, like, I reached a 7 sensitivity point where I've started reducing screen time.

I don't have.

I don't have text alerts on my phone anymore.

Like, nothing buzzes through.

The only thing that will ring through is people in my emergency contacts.

Like, my.

Like, certain people can still ding through on my phone, but nothing else will ding through.

So phone calls will ring through.

That's fine.

But I won't get.

I don't get any more email alerts.

Like, there's no little badges that are counting in red and making me anxious anymore.

Like, those are gone.

And all the apps, no alerts from any apps, no badges from any apps.

Like, nothing.

Yeah.

I mean, I know you're, like, sensitive to feeling like you need to do, like, I think, yeah.

But I like a demand thing.

I get that.

And I feel I have the same thing, except I am kind of comfortable blowing things off.

Like, so it doesn't trigger me to respond.

Yeah.

Because my rebel, like, comes out.

We're like, oh, I didn't ask you to text me just now.

Like, I don't need to respond until tomorrow.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like, so, like, I will respond, but it's like, not on the immediate timeline.

Like, I treat them like emails sometimes.

Yeah.

And I know this feels.

This probably found feels like really rudimentary.

And I hear that's why I'm saying it as my just stop.

Is that I created that.

Just stop having so many alerts and notifications and things that are, like, creating small, like, micro demands for yourself.

If you find that you're triggered by those, get rid of them.

Like, it's.

There's this, like, fake impression that's been created that everybody is just running around wanting that, needing that and operating with it.

And I. I know it's not true.

I have just always kind of felt like pushed forward by those things.

And of late, especially in the last, like, eight months or so, even towards the end of last year, I was trying to figure out, how do I get rid of a lot of this?

And I thought the answer was, let me just have two separate Phones.

And I remember talking about that at the turn of the year.

And I do think that part of this that's made it possible for me to continue without a work phone and a personal phone has been stopping the alerts, stopping the badges, stopping the notifications.

But you can't stop the badges on texts, can you?

You can turn off your.

Like the ones that pop up at the top on the iPhone, like those little badge things.

No, but you still see the red dot.

No, the red dots don't.

Only now.

I don't get red dot now.

Only in when I open the messages app, then I see the blue dots next to new messages.

No more red dots.

Get the red dot off of the home screen for text.

It's on the notifications settings.

I don't.

I was in a group.

Okay.

I was in a group chat, like, a month ago, going to my friend's party in Cancun with 18 people.

If anyone's listening.

I love all of you, but there was a lot of unnecessary reply, all type of responses.

Do you ever mute text groups but.

They still show you the red dot?

They always.

Oh, it's muted immediately.

I'll find out where I did it.

There was no way for me to say, don't notify me ever.

Like, I will go in when I need information.

I finally had to leave it.

And I told them on the trip, I'm like, I'm leaving this a second.

This trip is over.

And I gave it, like, another two days.

And I'm like, I'm sorry.

Like, it says, probably Rebecca's left this conversation.

But, like, there's just too much love in the group that they wanted to express with each other.

I know.

And you're like, you guys, like, write a letter or send a thank you.

Now, like, or send a private text.

I don't know.

I was such an about it, but you died.

I think you have to turn off.

Because for me, I had to turn off all of it.

So under my settings for notifications, I had to go into the messages in the main setting.

Okay.

Like, I had to go into that.

I had to go into that app, like the messages app settings, and toggle off all of it.

Okay.

And it.

Yeah, that's.

I'm glad that it's working for you, but that's too extreme for me because I do don't.

I don't get notifications, like, buzzing in my phone all day.

And if I didn't have those, I probably would never look.

See?

And that's.

I think I'm still Learning because I, I, I am trying to be cognizant now of like, oh, it's been an hour.

Do you want to check it?

Like, yeah.

Or I would be looking all the time too.

Could be the other.

Yeah.

I don't think I've have it 100% figured out, but I can say that removing the red dots, I wish they would just.

I know red.

Want you to see it.

Conversation like, that would solve all these group thread issues.

Like, just mu the, like, mute me, keep me in it.

I'll go in periodically, but I don't need to know everything.

Yeah, yeah, I've been, I just ignore, I just ignore stuff unless it's important.

But if it's like, I've been in designer groups with you guys, like, and sometimes you guys want to engage about stuff that I don't need to at this juncture or somebody needs me.

Yeah, yeah.

Like, there was a time when I was on that group thread from the Cancun trip.

There's a lot of activity in our designer thread.

Just like, okay, this is all like, extra credit stuff that I just don't need.

But I couldn't, I couldn't get it off.

It's annoying.

Yeah, I know.

So everyone was left on red.

I love this for you.

I really do.

Like, well, but I agree, like, we all need to protect our mental health in those ways because.

Yeah, it's honestly endless, the amount of, like, ways people can get at us and it just.

Yeah, it's just constantly coming to you.

And there's just a time and a place.

Like, if you're just in a day where, like, I just cannot be distracted and I just don't have the mental bandwidth, then you should be able to, like, silo your attention.

Yeah, And I'm working on it.

That's my, that's my little journey on that.

So good.

Should we roll to another designer submission?

Yeah.

Okay.

This one comes from Lisa Corolla from Fish and Company in San Diego.

I mean, obviously we fully agree.

Yes.

I mean, that's when you need your designer bestie.

Like, I mean, we'll share some shade privately between us sometimes.

Yes.

You need to ask questions sometimes.

But yes, I would never.

Yeah.

Even if it's Kelly Werstler, the queen herself, I would never publicly tear down another designer's work.

That's so rude.

And.

Yeah.

And like, especially in a, a forum where it's, like, documented in a way.

It just.

Yeah.

Is that the look you want for you?

Like, I just, I don't know.

I'm still in the.

If you don't have anything nice to.

Say, say it to your friend.

Come sit by me.

I don't want it to be public, but there are times, like, find your designer friends.

Because they're the ones who, like, when something doesn't look right in your designs and you're talking with them, like, instead of it being, I've already done this project, and now I can't change that chandelier.

It can be conversations among your design colleagues and your friends where you go, oh, is this weird?

Like, I don't know about that.

And we've had stuff where we look at spaces, and you'll say to me, like, well, what are you doing over here?

Like, and it's not a pointed question.

We just.

No, Like, I'm sure you're thinking about it.

I'm looking at that spot.

Yeah, yeah.

Or it's like a. I'll let you tell me you're thinking something.

Or you go, well, it might be weird if you're gonna finish the window treatment there.

Like, think about that.

And.

And it comes across as, like, constructive help that your eyes are on something.

It's a totally different thing when a designer is saying, like, hey, I'm stuck.

What do I do?

Like, we went and looked at our friend's big project she's been working on for years, and she had on one window an issue of how she was going to do window treatments, for example, and we just helped her brainstorm it.

Not like, I can't believe you didn't think about that.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

No, because it's beautiful.

Like, there's so many things that go into design, including clients, architects.

Like, we don't get to just do whatever we want.

We're solving problems most of the time.

Right.

And I do think.

Go ahead.

Go ahead.

Well, I do think.

I do think some of those commenters, I think they're.

That stuff she's talking about is real rampant in those.

And, like, those kitchen and bath groups where people do have the LOL at the end of their name or whatever.

Oh, my God.

Yeah.

And because they're highly technical designers, and their technique is probably what they're selling to clients, and no one's bashing that, but maybe experimentation and creativity is a part of their ethos.

Yeah, no shit.

Yeah.

I'm Honestly, Lisa, you're welcome back on the show anytime.

Like, get your list together.

If it's just, like, a whole episode with you, like, I feel like I.

Could do a whole episode on Facebook groups.

Oh, man, just stop Just all Facebook.

Group, just be nice.

Like, we're all, we're all working through all kinds of stuff.

Like you don't know what's going on behind the scenes and everyone's just trying to do it the best they can.

Exactly.

We're all just doing the best.

What is, what's the manifestation?

One of our hotties shared it with me.

It's.

Life is not a critique.

Not on them, not on me.

Like, there's no.

We don't have to critique each other.

Like, there's no.

I don't need to critique them.

They don't need to critique me.

Life is not about doing this.

Like, we don't, we don't need to do this to each other.

We can just be nice or we can just not put that into the universe at all.

Like.

Yeah, because it kind of reminded me when you were saying that like, phrase, not my circus, not my monkeys, which is an annoying, just stop kind of a phrase, but it's kind of that too.

Like it's none of your business.

Like you don't need to worry about it.

No one's asking you.

Unless they're asking.

No one's asking you.

Uh huh.

Okay.

This was good.

I'm glad we got that from, from Lisa.

Thank you for sharing that with us.

Okay, so something that's also been like, in my craw is this whole.

I feel like it's a trend of timeless design.

Okay.

Everyone wanting to do timeless design or.

Saying it, Saying it.

Well, kind of both.

But like I saw on, I think it was a TikTok of a wedding photographer.

So different industry.

But she did this whole post about timeless design and wedding photography.

It does not exist.

There are so many factors, including lenses, trends in editing, trends in people's like, what they're wearing.

Like, it's actually impossible to create a truly timeless photo in that way.

And everyone who thinks like the wedding of the Parent Trap, parents that wasn't timeless or like father of the bride that was not timeless.

That looks like it was the 90s.

It's beautiful.

Still.

There's a lot of elements that most people would still love to have, but it looks like the time it was made and there's nothing you can do about it.

It's the air we're breathing.

You can try not to be like uber trendy, I guess, but it is what it is.

Like, nothing's gonna last forever.

It's.

I know.

Still, like, like, watch.

I know where you're getting at.

Like we were talking about the Gilded Age.

Like, that is not timeless design.

Is it beautiful still?

Do I still think it's gorgeous?

Yeah.

Did you see the wedding episode last night?

Mm.

Like, but I wouldn't live in.

I, I personally don't want to live in a house like that.

Like, it's not timeless.

It's time stamped.

There's lots of beautiful things that could stay in that.

And I.

That's kind of how I look at like our old homes or stuff that we work on is like, hey, you know, some of this made it like 40 years.

Like that's, that's good.

And if it was well made, it might make it longer.

But if it wasn't.

That's what I said.

It wasn't meant to last that long.

Is this idea of timeless versus long living or beauty or well crafted?

Like.

Well, things that are well crafted will have a longer lifespan.

But I don't know, you know that like 80s furniture that everything has like a rounded almost edge on it.

Some of that shit's well made.

It's solid oak.

But it is not timeless.

It has not.

Yeah.

It has not stood.

And, and we didn't know it wouldn't stand the test of time.

Designers then didn't realize what would or wouldn't stand the test of stuff that made it in Architectural digest in the 80s might not make it now if it was done exactly the same.

So it's not timeless.

Things have cycles, things have.

There's.

So it's a trend for some of those things because they're back even if it was from 40 years ago and.

We get tired of stuff.

Yes.

Like, that's not even a trend.

We just as people are like, I'm tired of living in this room.

It's been 10 years and it's been blue and now I want it to be green.

Or we got to do touch ups.

Anyway, let's freshen it up a little bit.

Like this is normal living in a home stuff.

So I think it's on us to try to design in a way that people are not going to be tired of it in five years.

Like, I do know that that is a responsibility or it's easy to switch out or update or whatever.

Or, you know, you're doing something that's kind of trendy.

Like, I don't know, the chevron of it all.

Like, oh, yeah, if you were.

I don't know.

But did you know you were buying a $15 rug at Walmart at the time?

Yes.

So did you think it was going to last forever?

Probably not.

Yes.

That's very fair.

Honestly.

Yes, very fair.

I don't know.

And then also, like, traditional.

I feel like this comes a lot from traditional designers, which.

I love it all.

It's beautiful.

Like, the work has so much detail.

Like, there's a ton of craft and, like, quality to it.

But I think, honestly, what they need to be saying is they do traditional design because traditional does not equal timeless.

Right.

That's true.

And that's not for everybody.

They're saying what will stand the test of time is only traditional design.

Usually the implication.

It is sort of the test of time in some people's design aesthetic.

Yeah.

Yeah.

About a.

Like a.

Like, Corbusier, like, Case Study House or something like that.

It's still a very appealing style of home.

The interiors may need to be different, but, like, there are major elements to that that are still very universally appealing and would.

Now, we'd maybe consider them timeless, but when they came out, they were.

No one would have called that timeless.

Yeah, no, they were avant garde, and they were intentionally opposite of traditional.

So I don't know.

I just have this, like, little trigger for people to say that they design timeless.

Because you can't.

We can't.

There's so much we cannot be aware of.

When you're swimming in the sea, like, you can't feel the water.

You know, like, if you're efficient, like, we're breathing air.

We don't always know that we're breathing.

Sometimes we do, but.

And as designs, we try.

But, yeah, like, I don't know.

Just be careful and don't be judgy about it.

I think that's the other part that.

Yeah.

It's like, if timeless is just being used as another word to describe traditional, just say traditional and.

And.

And kind of going back to, like, Lisa, where she's saying, like, earlier, Carrie's submission is talking about, like, can we just pick a better word?

Like, if you mean this, say this.

And if you're talking about we do traditional or we do neutral, it's okay to say we didn't do this.

Longevity in mind.

Like, we want this to stand the test of time from a, like, quality standpoint.

Like, the doors aren't gonna fall off in two years.

Yeah, agreed.

This is a good one.

I didn't write this one, but I'm gonna talk about it anyway.

Are you talking about the difference between a principal pal vs principal ple.

Designer?

I'm sure you didn't write that.

That's very Sean coded.

Is that fair?

Okay, well, fair enough.

We write these lists, like, sometimes a long time in advance before we have enough for an episode.

And there's a lot of websites, a lot of Instagrams, a lot of everything.

They're.

They're using the wrong word.

Principal designer.

Yeah, I think that's like, one of those things spellcheck doesn't catch because technically.

Because the word is right.

That's like capital.

And capital.

If you're like Principal Smith at a school.

Like, I don't.

That's the only time that principle with an le is right.

Right.

Or it would.

Instead of a pronoun, you're describing your principles.

Like things that I personally hold myself to.

Yeah, my ego.

Yes.

I am a principled designer.

I have principles.

But if I am the, like, lead creative or the main creative of something, it's principal with P A L at the end.

And, like, just double check where you've written that, y'.

All.

Like, it's just a little thing that.

That's one of those.

That doesn't stand out to me because I feel like I always have to look the same with.

What is the other one that's like that?

Oh, I'll think of it.

My trigger, though.

Spelling that everyone fucking spells wrong is lose versus loose.

I see it constantly every single Instagram that anyone says lose or looser.

Loser.

Do you think they auto.

No.

Oh, it's, like, too much.

I think it's actually technically correct in some, like, I don't know, maybe in, like, standard English or something.

And maybe it's correct, but, like, the Queen's English.

Maybe.

But loser has one O.

Just everybody.

And it will never be looser that with.

You spell it with one O.

It's a different.

I won't pronounce it looser.

If you say we take a loose.

Yeah.

You'd be like, we take a looser design approach instead of looser design approach.

Right.

Like, it has a very, like, different meaning.

Exactly.

And also stationary is another one.

But I do have a trick for stationary because I was a graphic designer, so we mentioned stationary.

Stationary, the paper standing still versus.

Yeah, the business card.

So stationary with an E has an envelope.

E for envelope is how you remember that.

So if you're talking about paper goods.

It has an E. Oh, interesting.

And that would probably be Also, something that doesn't get caught by spellcheck unless, like, the words and things around it are odd.

Like, and it's probably not something that designers talk about a lot or interior designers versus graphic designers, but is this.

One of those things where it's, like, also going to be kind of like a Gone with the Wind situation?

Like, no one cares about spelling.

Oh.

Or no one cares about stationery anymore.

Like, it's.

Because I feel like stationary is also moving into.

That is not your point.

But it's like, moving into that I'm signaling wealth or I'm signaling, like, my brand elevation with, like, what I put out there.

Waste paper.

I mean, maybe, but like, hotels, a branded notebook, or, like, those types of things, they're.

They've definitely moved as an upmarket thing because stationery is typically not used by sort of like your layman anymore.

Like, they're.

They don't need it in most of their lives.

And so now it's turned into a special thing that's totally different.

But at the same time, it's actually easier to get custom things, which is kind of funny.

Like, it's easier and less expensive to get, like, your own custom personal stationery.

And, like, yeah, deckled papers are cheaper now than they would have been 100 years ago.

Like, custom papers were really a sign of wealth.

Or specialty papers.

Dang.

Yeah.

Okay, so let's double check our words out there.

Let's do our last hottie submission.

Yeah.

Next we have Rebecca Merritt.

She is out of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and her company is Merit Design Company.

The fees of it all.

Who?

This reminds me of when I saw that woman on Tick Tock.

Oh, yeah.

Like, we definitely talked about this on the show where she was describing what she does and for how much and what.

I calculated something wacky.

Like, it was like, if she wanted to make $50,000 a year, she would have to do a minimum of, like, X number of these types of things.

Like, 10 a day.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And it's just like, girl, there's not enough hours in a day to design a whole room like this.

So how are you doing the whole living room?

Like, and that girl, her whole thing was about designed to be accessible.

Yeah.

Like bashing interior designers as ripoff artists for charge.

Having the gall to charge so much.

I would never say to my cabinet maker, how dare you, like, ask for this dollar amount in order to create a living for yourself?

Like, it just.

I wouldn't say that.

I would.

I agree that some prices are very inaccessible.

Like, you and I both have.

We agree on things like that.

There's levels to this, but there's a minimum survivable level for designers.

And I definitely think that this scale is just.

You would.

It's very hard to make a living like that.

And it devalues a lot of other design.

Yes, that it devalues.

It's like sinking all ships.

Like, whatever the phrase is.

That's the opposite of that.

And, yeah, it's misinformation.

It's just.

Yeah, it's not realistic.

If you and I, you know, I.

We've talked about how we started.

Like, we started at different rates with different clients.

Every project.

In the beginning, I was, like, raising my rates, and I think my first client was 25 an hour.

And I was still in school.

I was in design school.

I was doing it with a friend.

And there were, like, cav.

There were caveats to why I was charging like that.

But I know what.

What Rebecca is sharing.

You also weren't advertising it.

Yeah, like, I. Rebecca's sharing that.

Like, this is people who are, like, putting proposals out and sharing it, and it's a.

That's a rough go.

And I think those rates would be really hard to create a sustainable living around if you were having to work full time.

Also, I might add, if anybody's listening who's doing that, you are probably losing better clients because they're seeing that number and be like, oh, this person doesn't know what they're doing, or they're brand new.

Well, I would never get a haircut for somebody from someone who charged $35.

Like, that's about it.

Yeah, I wouldn't.

I wouldn't go to the super cuts.

Like, I've moved on from that.

My kid there, she gets a 25 haircut because it's just a trim, and she's 10.

But I'm not gonna let them touch my hair or wax my eyebrows.

Hell, no.

Yeah, I think it's.

I think it would be worth, if you are one of those designers, to experiment with some higher numbers and start seeing what happens, because I think you'd be surprised that there are a lot of people who will say yes and put more time back into your life.

Like, by charging more, you will not have to be hustling so hard.

There's plenty of information about that perceived value.

Like, I always think of this story.

My husband is like the opposite.

So he.

I remember he brought home this bread from Whole Foods once that was like, it wasn't even gluten free.

It was like, everything Free.

It was like just tasteless hard cardboard.

And it was like 12 bucks.

So he just looked at the cost.

$12, this is probably some good.

And it was just like very specialty for certain people who needed that and thought, like, for me I would just skip bread.

But yeah, sometimes you could just.

People assume that a higher price means higher value.

Lower price, lower value.

So think about that.

I'm with you.

Yeah, I agree with.

Just stop undercharging and, or, and, or.

Undervalue all of us.

And all of us.

Yes.

Thank you, Rebecca.

If I heard about a designer in my area who was doing something like that, I would also be like, I would be frustrated by that because more because of.

I know that in the short term, it's doing.

It's not actually helping them.

In the long term, it's harming our broader community because.

And we would say the same thing of a contractor.

If I got three bids that were all over 200,001 comes in at a hundred thousand, I'm going to say, well, what's wrong with yours?

And what didn't you include?

So, yeah, yeah, it's pricing conversation.

I'm actually like, would be dismissive of that.

If somebody was trying to charge 500 for something I was going to charge 5,000 for, I'd say, oh, we're not doing the same thing.

It's not apples to apples.

Yeah.

Like, I don't know what's on their scope of work, but it's not.

It's not the stuff I'm gonna do for you.

Yeah.

Actually, that happened in my design group.

One of my friends had heard from a client, she did not get the project, heard from a client, that a different designer had charged a lot less in their proposal.

And we were trying to figure out, like, how are they getting away with this?

And my assumption.

And we, we still.

I don't know what the answer is, but my assumption is it wasn't apples to apples.

Like, the scope of work was not the same.

Like, it was cut down or something.

Like, yeah, yeah, yeah, there's no way.

I.

My first assumption is usually to say we're not looking at the same things.

Like, there's something I'm considering that they haven't.

And I usually feel like doing more.

Yeah, there's like, I'm going to get more deliverals to them.

I'm going to be involved longer or something like that.

But yeah, you have more differentiators.

Like, if there's a reason why something needs to be cheaper, sure.

But if not, like, let's Charge what we're worth, Designers.

Yeah, maybe you've designed a.

You've written a chat GPT script that you can just have your client fill out a form and you can embed that into ChatGPT and it's going to spit something out.

Okay, charge 500 for that.

Like, they get no.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Interesting.

No edits.

Like, fine, but that's not what the rest of us are considering.

A full service project.

Exactly.

Exactly.

Oh, this is fun.

I love hearing from the hotties.

Okay, so the rest of you, come.

On, like, give us your submissions.

We've got it linked on our Instagram, the submissions page.

And the more that we get, the faster we could probably do more of these.

Oh, I would love to do more.

Just stops.

Actually, I would love to do more with only hottie submissions too, because I would love to get a ton of them.

So if you're following us on.

On Instagram already, great.

Otherwise, if you're new to it, you need to type Hot Young Designers Club.

All one word, no spaces.

Instagram.

Yes, we know.

Thank you, Hotties.

There's like Instagram sometimes has got some content things and get our links in there, follow us, head to our website.

You can get to our Instagram there in our bio you can submit, there's a short form.

You tell us how we're going to keep you anonymous or not, depending on what you want.

And we'd love to get more from you all.

All right, until next time, stay hot, designers.

Thanks for listening to the Hot Young Designers Club podcast.

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