Joe Calise is back on the IDS Podcast — and this time we're not talking smart home systems. Joe first joined me in Season 1 to talk about Sights and Sounds, his home integration business, but this episode is all about IDS itself: how the Long Island chapter became what it is today, and what's happening at the national level where Joe now sits on the board.

Joe walks through his own path with IDS, from getting pulled into his first meeting by Nancy Ganser Kalfer (now Nancy Quinn), to becoming Long Island treasurer, then president, and eventually joining the national executive committee. We get into how the organization has grown over the years, why it feels more like family than a trade group, and what running a chapter taught him about how much designers really do beyond decorating.

We also dig into what national is focused on this year — membership growth, the chapter task force, the IDS List that connects homeowners to designer members, and the new member database that makes it easier to find vendors and designers across the country. And of course, we talk about the conference happening this September in Las Vegas at the Bellagio, the Doty Awards gala, and the construction management education that's become a member favorite.

Want to reach Joe about Sights and Sounds? Find him at hometheater.biz or on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. For anything IDS, head to interiordesignsociety.org.

You can learn more about our host Brian Berkowitz:

Brian's Website: https://www.brianberkowitzphoto.com

Brian's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brianberko