What made being a content creator exciting was the innovation… the originality… the audacity to be different. To actually create. Now, what we have instead is that, in the name of bonuses & badges, everyone’s producing the same of everything in hopes of “going viral”. The way creators have stopped creating in the name of growing… this is what I call “The Instagram Effect”. Full Show Notes This episode is brought to you by The Meridian Experience Weekend Vault. Get on The Meridian Experience 2023 List (Close Date: 08-28-22) Mentioned/Related Links — • S1E1: Making Your Blog Work For You Instead of Against You • S1E2: Single Tasking & Thought Purging For Better Productivity • Cited Article: TechCrunch

One question I've been getting a lot lately - which is to be expected I suppose - is "how does it feel?" How does it feel to take on such a large endeavor... to cause a ripple in the industry that has often made me feel small... to impact the lives of my peers... to be known for something bigger that me? It's not until I sat down to write out this episode that I was really able to sit with my feelings and come up with an answer for how it feels. In this episode, I'll be recounting all of the lessons from HPMKT, The E-Design Experience, launching a podcast, and STMN. And while I never did an official lessons round up for my first book, the lessons from that process as well. My hope is that in sharing my "favorite" self reflections from Meridian, you learn a lil something for yourself - and about yourself - while also taking this as your cue to pause in between your big ideas & build on your lessons from one to the next. Full Show Notes

While I know that we'll be sitting down for a live at some point to have an interactive conversation all about Meridian, I wanted to have this serve as a searchable, "savable" one stop shop for anyone new to the Meridian Experience. What is The Meridian Experience Weekend? M.E.R.I.D.I.A.N stands for Manifesting Exceptional Relationships with Interior Design Influencers through Authentic Networking. The Meridian Experience Weekend is a weekend of relationship building and learning for interior designers and home influencers. The 4-day itinerary was curated to equip home influencers with the resources to nurture their passions & pave their own lane as a designpreneur; while interior designers gain a fresh perspective on how to elevate their brand & transcend the traditional design narrative. Words used by our 2022 guests to describe the weekend include “transformative” “inclusive” “energizing” and “magical”. Each day features a series of workshops and panels featuring thought leaders in our industry, in addition to intimate co-working sessions to turn those knowledge bombs into immediate action. Woven throughout the weekend is also time for wellness, networking, and rest. Full Show Notes

If you’re listening to (or reading) this then you may already know that comeback is a long time coming! When I launched this podcast as The Design Influence 3 years ago, I had a pretty clear idea of where it was headed. I realized — while procrastinating on bringing the show back — that The Design Influence no longer accurately represented what I was creating. In hindsight, I don’t know that it ever really did… I just knew that The E-Design Experience — the virtual conference that inspired the podcast — was definitely not an accurate representation of what I wanted the show to be. It wasn’t, actually, until I did the Share The Mic Now Home Edition initiative in 2020, that I realized how much I was limiting myself & the show with the name “The Design Influence”… I just didn’t have the mental bandwidth to figure out what the next iteration of the show would look like. Now here we are, in 2022, less than 3 months away from The Meridian Experience Weekend — the first of its kind retreat style conference for the home industry — and I knew if I didn’t do this now, I was never gonna do this… this being bringing back the show. And then it hit me… The T.E.A… a show where I will be your guide as we T— think (and talk) through industry growing pains, E — equip ourselves with solution based education, and A — take action when & where action is needed. Talk. Education. Action. The show would run parallel the conference and continue after till the next one… and the next one… and the next one… for years to come! And that’s really why we’re here today… to talk all about The Meridian Experience! Full Show Notes

Are you ready for candid (and caffeinated) conversations about life & business as a designpreneur? Welcome to The T.E.A. with Albie Knows. Still dedicated to changing the conversation and creating impact, "The T.E.A. with Albie Knows" is an upgrade to the formerly known as podcast "The Design Influence". Every week, we will think (and talk) through industry growing pains, equip ourselves with solution based education, and take action when & where action is needed. It's time for T.E.A. I am your weekly hostess, Albie of Albie Knows — interior design content creator, multi hyphenated designpreneur, and all around idea machine. After years of trying to find my place, I’ve learned lots of lessons along the way. With the help of some industry peers, mentors, and friends, I’m always learning, and I have lots to share. So if you’re ready for some T.E.A, pop in your air buds, get cozy, and let’s dive in! — Music: For Love Musician: Jeff Kaale

MEET KEIA Currently, the Owner and Project Manager of Kimberly & Cameron Interiors, consider Keia a well organized, highly effective interior design obsessed Wonder Woman. Additionally, she serves as the President of the Black Interior Designers Network. I knew that there was no better way to celebrate (and honor) Black History Month than to have the President of the Black Interior Designers Network on the show. As someone who has worked effortlessly and endlessly to create a space for designers of color within the industry, in our conversation we talk about celebrating diversity, cultural influences in design, and what buying power truly means in the industry. Being that Keia is also someone that juggles many hats, we also talk about what it means to tend to herself and what her self-care looks like, something that I’m sure many of us could learn from just as much as we can from her words on culture, travel, and design. Carrying on the legacy of a close friend and mentor is no easy feat, and yet it’s exactly what Keia did and continues to do with Kimberly & Cameron Interiors and the Black Interior Designers Network, which is celebrated its tenth anniversary this year! -- FIND KEIA ONLINE Website | Instagram | Black Interior Designers Network

Be it on Instagram, via YouTube comments, or straight to my email, I frequently get questions related to e-design — getting started, software to use, how to charge…you name it. Hell, it was probably a question from you! Spoiler: my most frequently asked question is always software related, LOL. But one question I would’ve expected to get more of that was actually my least asked question was whether or not e-design was a good fit. I’ve had designer friends remove e-design from their service offerings, realizing that it wasn’t a good fit for them and so happy to be freed up to focus on the services that did fit their business model. They understood the root of their e-design frustrations and ultimately realized that, no matter how many times they tweaked their packages or pricing, it would never make them happy.  Why aren't more designers asking themselves this — is e-design a good fit for me and my business? E-design, for better or for worse, has forever changed the landscape of the design industry and has become a very enticing income stream for many designers, seasoned and new alike. So in theory, it could or should be for everyone right? Wrong. While it is an attractive part of the design industry, it may not be part of the industry that’s for you. In the same way that not every designer does hospitality, commercial, or renovation design, I want you to know that it’s okay if e-design isn’t part of your repertoire. If you’re a designer that has considered e-design for your business, you might wanna pull out some pen & paper or your favorite note-taking app, because today we’re talking all about why e-design just might not be for you. MENTIONED • Season 1, Episode 4: Product Sourcing Online: Retail vs Trade • Season 1, Episode 10: The Business of E-Design LET'S CONNECT @albieknows on Instagram @thedesigninfluence on Instagram

Whether it’s in your business or in your personal life, have you ever had those moments when it just seems like nothing you do is working? Like you just can’t catch a break or get “it” right, whatever “it” is? Yeah, I’ve been there!  So what do you do when you’re in the thick of all these feelings? What do you do when nothing seems to be working? Spoiler alert: there isn’t a one size fits all answer. But in this episode, I want to share with you some of the most common “it’s not working” complaints I’ve heard (some I’ve even said myself) and what you can start to do to “fix” it. • Marketing • Social Media • Client Relations • Work-Life Balance • Finances Whether you’re a seasoned designer, newbie entrepreneur, or somewhere in the middle, no one is immune to feeling, at least once or twice, like you have no clue what you’re doing! But here’s the thing, you can’t succumb to the weight of the doubt otherwise you’ll risk making zero progress. Instead, discern what’s not working, why it isn’t working, and then come up with a plan to fix it. Today's episode is a very truncated list of all the things that you could possibly feel just aren’t working for you but the overall approach is the same no matter the area that you’re struggling with… Identify the struggle …and not with vague, cliche terms, but with very explicit and clear language. Until you can be completely honest about what’s not working, you’ll never figure out why it’s not working, much less how to fix it. Visualize the solution …and I don’t mean just being all “woo-woo” about the end goal, although there’s some woo involved. I mean being very very clear about what it would look like if this thing was working for you. How do you know it’s not working exactly? What does the alternative look like. See that and hold on to that. Hell, write it down! Create a plan that actually addresses each piece of the problem …and gets you closer to the solution you’ve envisioned. You may have to start at a very uncomfortable (and unpopular) beginning, but in the end, it’ll pay off. Marketing not reaching the right people? Might be time for a rebrand. Social media getting too overwhelming? Consider a following/follower purge. Client relations are a constant struggle? Rethink the services you’re offering. Work like balance totally non-existent? Outsourcing might be just what you need to create white space. Coping with an unhealthy money mindset? Maybe a therapist can help you work through those mental blocks. Execute and commit …to whatever your plan is. You know exactly how you want things to look and feel when they’re working so now we just follow the breadcrumbs till we get there. I’d love to hear from you guys, about specifically what isn’t working for you, whether it’s in your business or the peripheral pieces of your life. If I get enough feedback we can do a followup Q&Albie episode addressing what you guys share!

A year ago (depending on when you’re listening to this), I became an official podcaster. I learned a lot, made a lot of mistakes, spoke to a lot of people, and went on the ride of a lifetime because I took a leap of faith and invested in another one of my big crazy ideas. Now, a year later, we are back for season 2 — 6 months later than planned but totally okay — and I am super excited to be back with new conversations, stories, and lessons to share. With every pivot was a lesson so let’s get to em, shall we? 1. Plans Change… And That’s Okay. 2. Hustling Isn’t A Badge of Honor 3. It Really Is Okay To Walk Away From Entrepreneurship 4. Starting Over Isn’t Failure 5. All Skills Are Transferable…And Re-Transferable 6. People Are Always Rooting For You 7. Social Media Is (Can Be) The Great Equalizer 8. It’s Okay To Say No — RESOURCES MENTIONED • Listen to Season 1 • Read the Albie Knows blog • Buy my new book

In the Fall of 2018 I had the crazy idea of rebranding The E-Design Experience and creating The Design Influence podcast. By the end of October, I’d secured nearly a dozen guests for the show and shortly after began batch recording the first season of solo episodes, guest conversations, and Q & A sessions.  While I had a general idea of what I wanted for the show and had sought some counsel from more seasoned podcasters, I really and truly had no idea what I’d gotten myself into. Sound familiar?  So what have I learned after 6 months, 21 episodes, 9 guests, and countless sleepless nights of podcasting? Lesson #1 — podcasting is hard as hell Lesson #2 — batching saves lives…and it save this show Lesson #3 — things aren’t always as people make them seem Lesson #4 — perfection is truly paralyzing Lesson #5 — always have a back up that is familiar and reliable Lesson #6 — the women in this industry are phenomenal Lesson #7 — I hate the sound of my own voice but I love talking to you Lesson #8 — consistency is personal and mental I don’t say any of this to tell you to run out and start a podcast — because I do believe it isn’t for everyone! — but I do believe that we all have passions and dreams and big ideas that deserve to be explored.  BET ON YOURSELF... Start the blog.  Buy the course. Record the podcast.  Write the book. Take the trip.  Whatever it is that’ll take your dream from dream to reality, bet on yourself and make it happen. I did. And I have a lifetime of lessons with zero regrets to show for it.  While this may be the final episode of the season, this isn’t the end of the road for us — not even close!  This summer The Influence Directory will be opening up with two new courses. For more information and enrollment you can head over to www.thedesigninfluence.com/directory. There, you’ll also be able to see what else is coming plus make course suggestions!  At the end of every guest episode, I asked them what’s been influencing them lately. Here’s my answer to that question — you. Every email, DM, request, comment, and review influences that next step in my own  designpreneur journey.  Thank you for being my influencers.  — Episode Resources On The Blog: 10 Lessons I Learned Hosting A Conference Episode 005: Creating Content & Getting Paid With Affiliate Marketing and Sponsored Content Coming This Summer In The Influence Directory: • Pre-Enrollment Now Open: Affiliate Marketing Decoded • Pre-Enrollment Now Open: Unlocking Presentation Tools