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Thrive In Design

Thrive In Design

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 Are you a CEO, VP of Marketing, or Sales Leader at an interior product company looking to grow in the hospitality or home design markets? The Thrive In Design Podcast is your go-to resource for innovative marketing strategies, brand storytelling techniques, and sales tactics that help you stand out in a competitive, design-driven industry.

Hosted by Nicole Lashae (Ben) Hall, Design Strategist and Founder of Thrive In Design, this weekly podcast offers actionable insights and expert interviews that help you position your brand, engage the A&D community, and scale your impact in the built environment. From product launch strategy to tradeshow optimization, digital marketing to dealer enablement — each episode gives you the tools to amplify visibility and drive measurable growth.

🎯 Topics we cover:

- Interior product marketing and brand positioning
- Sales enablement strategies for the design industry
- How to increase visibility with architects, designers, and specifiers
- Hospitality and residential design market trends
- Leveraging podcasts, content, and events to drive demand

Whether you’re launching a new collection, entering new verticals, or refining your go-to-market strategy — this podcast will equip you to lead with clarity, creativity, and confidence.

🌐 Visit our website: www.thriveindesign.co
📅 Sign up for our next live training: https://training.thriveindesign.co
💌 Subscribe to our email list: https://podcast.thriveindesign.coCopyright 2021 All rights reserved. Art Economie
Épisodes
  • S10, E4: Why Specify Italian? Beyond Beautiful Design with Antonella Lanari & Lorena Malaman | BDNY 2026

    S10, E4: Why Specify Italian? Beyond Beautiful Design with Antonella Lanari & Lorena Malaman | BDNY 2026
    Nov 5 2026
    What makes Italian design so distinctive, and why should hospitality designers look beyond aesthetics when choosing Italian manufacturers for their next project? In this episode of Thrive In Design, host Nicole Lashae Hall welcomes Antonella Lanari, founder and managing director of Italian Contract for HD, and Lorena Malaman, partner at Italian Contract for HD, for an insightful conversation about Italian craftsmanship, material expertise, customization, and the value of specifying Italian products in hospitality environments. As they prepare to bring 13 Italian brands to Boutique Design New York (BDNY) 2026, Antonella and Lorena share how Italian manufacturers are helping designers bring ambitious hospitality concepts to life. Through real-world examples involving brands such as Natuzzi, Rubelli, Italamp, and others, they explore how generations of expertise translate into innovative materials, bespoke solutions, and products designed for performance and long-term value. Nicole, Antonella, and Lorena also discuss the importance of collaboration between manufacturers and the North American design community, what designers should consider when evaluating international product partners, and why the specification process should extend beyond appearance and initial cost. From custom furnishings and performance textiles to architectural lighting and natural stone, this conversation reveals the depth of knowledge and problem-solving capabilities behind Italian manufacturing. If you're an interior designer, architect, hospitality developer, or specification professional attending BDNY, this episode is your invitation to discover what's possible when Italian craftsmanship meets your creative vision. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Thrive In Design Nicole introduces the podcast and its mission to help interior product brands strengthen their strategy, storytelling, and specification growth. 00:47 – Why Italian Design Is More Than Beautiful Aesthetics Nicole introduces the conversation around craftsmanship, heritage, material expertise, customization, and the long-term value Italian manufacturers bring to hospitality. 01:12 – Meet Antonella Lanari & Lorena Malaman Meet the leaders behind Italian Contract for HD and learn about their mission to connect Italian manufacturers with the North American hospitality design community. 03:05 – Building International Relationships Through Design Antonella and Lorena share their professional backgrounds and how their complementary expertise helps Italian brands connect with designers and purchasing professionals. 04:45 – Why Focus on the Hospitality Market? A discussion about the unique opportunities and challenges of bringing Italian manufacturers into international hospitality and contract markets. 06:04 – Bridging the Gap Between Manufacturers and Designers Why understanding each other's needs, communicating expertise, and building long-term partnerships are essential to successful hospitality projects. 07:48 – Why Specify Italian? Looking Beyond Aesthetics Antonella and Lorena explain how material knowledge, proportion, manufacturing decisions, and technical expertise influence the finished guest experience. 10:00 – Italian Design in Action: Orbital Design Collective Explore how Italian furniture and lighting brands contribute to coordinated hospitality interiors, including a project reference at the Grand Bohemian Lodge in Greenville, South Carolina. 13:31 – The Value of Heritage and Craftsmanship Why a manufacturer's history matters when it translates into technical knowledge, performance, and solutions for contemporary hospitality projects. 16:37 – Hospitality Design Examples from Cannes and Rome Discover how Vibieffe upholstery at Hôtel Barrière Le Majestic and custom Rubelli textiles at Bvlgari Hotel Roma connect material, comfort, craftsmanship, and a sense of place. 19:57 – How Designers Should Evaluate Material Expertise Why performance, maintenance, application, and construction should be considered alongside aesthetics when choosing products for hospitality projects. 22:25 – The Importance of a Detailed Design Brief Nicole highlights why communicating project conditions, intended use, and performance requirements helps manufacturers transform creative ideas into successful installations. 24:32 – Material Innovation: Leather, Textiles & Stone Explore Italian manufacturing expertise through Contract saddle leather seating, Mariaflora performance textiles, and Elite Stone Group's backlit onyx applications. 30:03 – Understanding Customization in Italian Manufacturing A closer look at how Italian manufacturers support everything from customized finishes to entirely bespoke product development. 32:48 – Natuzzi and the Art of Bespoke Hospitality Design Learn how The Living Room Miami by Cipriani demonstrates collaboration extending from feasibility and design development through prototyping, supply, and installation. 36:56 – Custom ...
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    57 min
  • S10, E3: 5 Growth Challenges Interior Product Brands Need to Fix Before 2027 with Nicole Lashae Hall

    S10, E3: 5 Growth Challenges Interior Product Brands Need to Fix Before 2027 with Nicole Lashae Hall
    Oct 29 2026
    What if the product is not the problem? After working with and alongside more than 35 brands in 2026, Nicole Lashae Hall began noticing a set of recurring patterns across interior product companies. Different brands may have different products, teams, markets, and goals, but many are getting stuck in surprisingly similar places. In this episode of the Thrive In Design Podcast, Nicole breaks down five growth gaps that are showing up across the industry: the gap between product sophistication and the commercial experience, the gap between information and interpretation, the strategic burden placed on manufacturer reps, the gap between visibility and specification, and the growing challenge of turning insight into coordinated execution. Nicole explains why great products alone are not enough. A brand may have exceptional engineering, craftsmanship, sustainability, customization, and performance, but if the website is difficult to navigate, the story is unclear, sales tools are outdated, rep messaging is inconsistent, or follow-up is weak, the commercial experience may not match the sophistication of the product. She also explores the role of storytelling in helping designers understand not just what a product does, but why it matters. Using a simple feature, meaning, and application framework, Nicole shows how manufacturers can translate technical product information into positioning that is easier for designers to understand, remember, and apply to real projects. The episode also takes a closer look at manufacturer reps and what Nicole calls “invisible strategic labor.” Reps are often given strong product training and ambitious sales goals, but are still left to independently determine which accounts to prioritize, how to tell the brand story, how to differentiate products, how to follow up, and how to build their own sales strategy. Nicole then challenges brands to rethink marketing visibility. Trade shows, social media, press, sample requests, email campaigns, and rep activity can create awareness—but awareness alone does not guarantee specification. The real opportunity is to intentionally move designers from visibility to relevance, preference, and ultimately specification. Finally, Nicole examines what competitive advantage looks like in the age of AI. As information becomes easier to access, the advantage is shifting away from simply knowing more and toward the ability to turn insight into coordinated action. The question for interior product leaders heading into 2027 is not simply, What else should we add? It is: Where are the gaps between the value of our product and our ability to successfully carry that value into the market? Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome to Thrive In Design Nicole introduces the podcast’s focus on helping interior product brands align strategy, storytelling, and systems to drive specification growth. 00:47 — What Working Alongside 35+ Brands Revealed Nicole reflects on the patterns and challenges she has observed across consulting, AI solutions, and the AI and Design Summit in 2026. 02:26 — Why Marketing, Sales, AI, and Growth Cannot Be Treated Separately A continuation of the Season 10 conversation about understanding the full experience before adding more tactics or tools. 03:51 — Five Patterns Interior Product Brands Need to Pay Attention To Nicole introduces the five recurring gaps she has seen across the industry. 04:19 — Pattern #1: The Product Is More Sophisticated Than the Commercial Experience Why product development, engineering, craftsmanship, and performance can outpace the experience surrounding the product. 05:43 — Where the Commercial Experience Falls Behind Unclear brand stories, outdated sales tools, difficult websites, weak specification information, inconsistent rep messaging, and poor follow-up. 07:44 — Researching the Digital and Rep Experience Nicole references ThinkLab research on how designers discover, research, and evaluate products using both manufacturer reps and digital resources. 08:11 — The Sample Experience as a Commercial Touchpoint Why a great sample kit can still fall short if follow-up, automation, and rep communication are disconnected. 09:07 — Is Your Designer Experience as Sophisticated as Your Product? Four questions brands can use to evaluate whether designers can understand, remember, explain, and confidently bring the brand into a project. 10:37 — Pattern #2: Brands Underestimate How Much Interpretation the Market Needs Why storytelling plays a much bigger role in sales than simply presenting features and product information. 11:41 — Information Is Not the Same as Interpretation Nicole explains why a spec sheet provides information, while a story helps someone understand why that information matters. 13:22 — Designers Should Not Have to Figure Out Why Your Product Matters The responsibility of the brand is to make its value, positioning, and relevance easy to understand. 14:52 — The Feature, Meaning, ...
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    32 min
  • S10, E2: Betting on Yourself: Building a Textile Brand with Purpose with Kim DiMarco

    S10, E2: Betting on Yourself: Building a Textile Brand with Purpose with Kim DiMarco
    Oct 15 2026
    What does it really take to bet on yourself, build a new product brand from the ground up, and stay rooted in your values while doing it? In this episode of Thrive In Design, host Nicole Lashae Hall sits down with Kim DiMarco, founder of Somato Textiles, to explore the story behind a hospitality-focused textile company built around creativity, community, transparency, and a different approach to doing business. Kim shares how more than 25 years in the textile industry shaped her perspective—from beginning her career in Toronto and helping expand a major contract textile brand into Canada and international markets, to eventually deciding it was time to build something of her own. She explains why Somato was created specifically for the hospitality market, how the brand approaches color and pattern differently, and why creating a focused collection can be more valuable than overwhelming designers with endless choice. The conversation also goes far beyond product. Kim and Nicole discuss the realities of funding and scaling a startup, building meaningful relationships with the design community, investing in employees, creating a people-first company culture, and developing more sustainable approaches to the textile lifecycle. Kim also shares why persistence, gratitude, integrity, and simply showing up can shape not only a career, but the kind of company—and life—you ultimately build. Timestamps 00:00 – Welcome to Thrive In Design Nicole introduces the podcast and its mission to help interior product brands align strategy, storytelling, and systems for specification growth. 00:47 – Meet Kim DiMarco, Founder of Somato Textiles An introduction to Kim’s 25+ years in textiles, her entrepreneurial journey, and the values behind Somato. 02:56 – How Kim Found Her Way Into Contract Textiles Kim shares how a presentation during design school sparked her interest in the textile industry—and why she worked for free for four months to get her first opportunity. 04:27 – Persistence, International Sales & Building the Canadian Market Kim reflects on convincing a major textile brand to invest in Canada and later developing partnerships across Japan, China, Dubai, and Australia. 05:59 – Why Somato Focuses on Hospitality Kim explains why hospitality became the natural focus for her own company and why she wanted Somato to specialize rather than try to serve every market. 07:07 – The Meaning Behind the Somato Name Kim shares the inspiration behind the company name and its connection to the somatosensory system and the experience of touch. 07:28 – Creating a More Focused Textile Collection A discussion about designer choice fatigue, foundation fabrics, intentional color, and creating distinctive anchor patterns. 09:28 – Where Kim Finds Creative Inspiration Fashion, travel, nature, color, and Kim’s own creative instincts all influence Somato’s product development. 11:07 – Designing Beyond Trends Kim explains why she prefers timeless collections over chasing trends and how customer feedback shapes new product decisions. 12:50 – Building a New Brand and Getting Specified Kim talks about Somato’s 2024 soft launch, its official 2025 launch, early sales momentum, and the challenges of growing with a very small team. 15:53 – Spec Ready & the Changing Specification Landscape Nicole shares resources designed to help interior product brands strengthen their positioning, messaging, and sales readiness. 16:34 – Making the Brand Experience Memorable Kim explains how Somato translates its hospitality positioning into brand touchpoints, including a price list designed like a restaurant menu and curated A&D boxes. 18:46 – Making Specification Easier Through Transparency Why straightforward pricing, easy access to information, and reducing friction matter to Somato’s customer experience. 19:07 – People, Planet & Product Kim introduces the philosophy at the heart of the company and explains how those values influence business decisions. 19:54 – Investing in Employees and Creating Opportunity Kim discusses profit sharing, developing people beyond their previous experience, and adapting systems so employees can work successfully. 21:33 – Sustainability and Textile Take-Back Kim shares Somato’s work toward taking back fabric at the end of its useful life and converting it into material that could eventually be used in carpet backing. 24:13 – Why the Design Industry Needs More Human Connection Kim reflects on the loss of in-person interaction and why creative professionals benefit from reconnecting personally, professionally, and creatively. 26:05 – Gratitude, Autonomy & Building a Meaningful Workplace A conversation about helping employees see work as an opportunity for growth, learning, independence, and long-term success. 28:49 – Integrity, Mentorship & Helping People Thrive Kim shares lessons from a 17-year experience with a former textile company and how those lessons influence the ...
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    39 min
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