The Ancillary Dilemma: Who Calls the Shots?

09/12/23 • 66 min

In today's episode, we're going deep into a surprisingly hot topic in the world of the dealer designer. Should the reins of ancillary decisions be in the hands of designers, salespeople, a specialist, A&D, manufacturer’s rep... all of them? To help break down this debate, we welcome two very special guests, Jodi Sorenson (Director of Furniture Design at AGILE INTERIORS) and Abby Leopold (Principal at CH411). We discuss how ancillary has become more complex, the differences between specification & selection, and explore ideas on how dealerships can enhance the ancillary process as the demand for ancillary grows.

Plus, we glean findings from a survey put out by The Design POP, revealing how dealerships approach ancillary, with some eye-opening feedback. Join us for a comprehensive look into the evolving realm of ancillary furniture and how this topic just might make or break your dealer design team.

The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production

Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn

Follow The Design Pop on LinkedIn

The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production

Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn

Follow The Design Pop on LinkedIn

Previous Episode

Crafting Expectations: A Designer Parent's Guide | Ellen Gerovac, BSI

In today's episode, Alexandra interviews Ellen Gerovac, VP of Design at BSI-Milwaukee and Mother of 4 children. Together, they discuss their experiences becoming parents while building design careers, including overcoming early misconceptions about motherhood in the industry.

Ellen shares advice on setting boundaries between work and home life, being creative about managing workload, and involving kids in your design passion. Alexandra and Ellen offer clear advice for managing your mental health as a Mom, emphasizing clear communication, asking for help when needed, and maintaining balance during stressful seasons of life.

As you'll hear, this conversation aims to empower designers to advocate for their needs while bringing their best selves to their families and their work.

Looking to make a change? The independent designer registry is a way to help you market your skills, in a field you love, to those who need your design expertise.

The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production

Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn

Follow The Design Pop on LinkedIn

Next Episode

Making the Leap: Pivoting from Physical to Digital Design

While at AIA’s Women's Leadership Summit, there were references to the fact that women were leaving the profession between graduating and becoming licensed. When I asked where they were going, a common response was: Interior Design and UX.

Kari Anderson has spent 3 decades in the industry, mostly at dealerships, and has always been fascinated by technology. I met her as an early adopter of CET in 2009. In 2018, she made a shift and was re-educated as a UX designer. This episode explores her journey personally and professionally as she applied her existing interior design experience to a new function of design.

Kari Anderson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uxandkari/

UX&Kari: https://uxandkari.com/

Techbox Collective: https://techboxcollective.com/

Where are the women?

https://www.acsa-arch.org/resource/where-are-the-women-measuring-progress-on-gender-in-architecture-2/

The Design Pop is an Imagine a Place Production

Connect with Alexandra on LinkedIn

Follow The Design Pop on LinkedIn