{"podcast":{"title":"Design Business Freedom","slug":"design-business-freedom-5658771","podcast_index_feed_id":5658771,"rss_url":"https://feeds.libsyn.com/430560/rss","website_url":"https://melissagalt.com/","image_url":"https://static.libsyn.com/p/assets/c/c/d/2/ccd2cd91c3cc7f69e55e3c100dce7605/podcast-success-logo-square-2024-20241015-hu2egd00jy.jpg","author":"Melissa Galt | Interior Design Business Coach","episode_count":201,"summary":"What if you had a business coach who was a creative just like you, and could ask them about how they built a successful business they love? That's what we do each week on Design Business Freedom. Hosted by Melissa Galt –– award winning business coach, marketing consultant, and interior designer with over 3 decades of creative experience –– every episode is an in-depth look at how to create systems and processes, increase your confidence, and build a quality team to support you. The goal is to give you the information and resources you need to avoid being overworked and undervalued, and help you earn more in less time with less stress.","last_synced_at":"2026-07-20T16:18:32.715446+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-business-freedom-5658771"},"episode":{"title":"193: Fan Favorite - How Interior Designers Can Work with Contractors Without Losing Their Sanity","slug":"193-fan-favorite-how-interior-designers-can-work-with-contractors-without-losing-their-sanity","published_at":"2026-06-01T08:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-business-freedom-5658771/193-fan-favorite-how-interior-designers-can-work-with-contractors-without-losing-their-sanity","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-business-freedom-5658771","url":"https://55abc612-f006-409e-9ad6-19c0a1b4f62a.libsyn.com/193-fan-favorite-how-interior-designers-can-work-with-contractors-without-losing-their-sanity","audio_url":"https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/55abc612-f006-409e-9ad6-19c0a1b4f62a/EP193_Design_Business_Freedom.mp3?dest-id=3588927","summary":"Unless you are a designer that works in furnishings only, you are going to have to work with a contractor at some point. I don't just mean general contractors either—plumbers, electricians, painters, drywallers, roofers, flooring specialists, wallpaper, hangers, appliance installers, cabinet makers and the list goes on. Contractors are an integral part of design, remodeling, renovation, and new construction. Unfortunately, there are great and not-so-great contractors out there and you are going to have to work with both kinds. It's important that you know where to find quality contractors and that you know how to work with them effectively. In today's episode, I'm diving in with my best advice for finding quality contractors you can trust, and the right way to vet them. I'll go over the five must-haves to validate quality contractors every time, and why you want to craft a contract or code of conduct so that you can accurately and precisely set expectations. In this episode, you will hear: How to avoid the frustrations that working with contractors can sometimes bring The importance of using a thorough process when vetting potential contractors How and why you should craft a code of conduct or contract Strategies to help you work effectively and foster successful working relationships As one of our Fan Favorite episodes, I'd love to know what your favorite episode is. Reach out via @melissagalt on Instagram or Facebook and let me know. And be sure to REVIEW this podcast on Apple podcasts. It means the world! When you're ready to hit the next level of design success without the burnout, you can book your complimentary Zoom Design Business Assessment with me here at www.melissgalt.com/DBA . You deserve it! Connect with Melissa Instagram Facebook Linkedin Website","meta_description":"Unless you are a designer that works in furnishings only, you are going to have to work with a contractor at some point. I don't just mean general contrac…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1930,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/design-business-freedom-5658771/episodes/193-fan-favorite-how-interior-designers-can-work-with-contractors-without-losing-their-sanity/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/design-business-freedom-5658771/193-fan-favorite-how-interior-designers-can-work-with-contractors-without-losing-their-sanity.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}