Getting a design business off the ground is a massive achievement. Keeping the engine running as the years go by presents an even bigger challenge, especially in an industry that’s constantly changing. On Trade Tales episodes this year, designers shared not only how they launched their firms, but how they’ve sustained their success: by evolving as leaders, sharpening their systems, and hiring the right team members to bring their visions to life.

For the first time, veterans of the podcast also shared their wisdom even more directly, thanks to the launch of a new show, Ask Us Anything. As anonymous designers called in with questions—on topics like how to weather a business slowdown and what it takes to recruit great employees—former Trade Tales guests offered advice to help their design peers find a path forward. Here, we’ve curated some of the best insights they divulged on the podcast this year.

If you’re not already a listener, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to get new episodes every Wednesday.

Using Downtime to Level Up
Ariel Okin has no shortage of side projects—from operating a media site to hosting an annual summit for design enthusiasts, there’s rarely a dull moment at her firm. But like most designers, she finds that business tends to ebb and flow. Design-heavy months are often followed by slower periods. To make the most of those intervals, her firm switches gears to refine their processes, explore emerging brands and makers, and acquire new skills through continuing education classes (everything from Spanish language courses to construction management). “It’s a mix of professional development, admin, and then also letting your brain wander, finding sources and being creative,” says the New York designer. “Being creative without a purpose—often something really interesting can come out of that.”

Learning Step by Step
For the inaugural episode of Ask Us Anything, New York designer Courtney McLeod returned to the podcast to answer a question from a fellow designer who had been in business for herself for about a year. Though she knew what a successful project should look like, without a clear process in place, she often found herself searching for her next move. One of McLeod’s biggest pieces of advice was to document every single step it takes to see a project through from start to finish. It may sound tedious, but it’s often key to understanding your firm’s sticking points. “Part of the problem is, when something goes wrong, it can feel very amorphous and overwhelming,” she says. “When you start to drill down, then it becomes measurable bits. It becomes things that are achievable. That’s really important, because if you only stay at a bigger-problem level, it can feel like, ‘I’ll never figure out how to solve this,’ when maybe it’s actually these five small steps that are how you solve that bigger problem.”

Handing Over the Reins
A few years ago, Stoffer Home—a Michigan–based design studio led by mother-daughter duo Jean Stoffer and Grace Start—seemed to have all of the components of a thriving firm: a solid team, budding new ventures (including a TV series), and a full stable of projects. Still, they felt they were constantly treading water. Bringing on a CEO paved the way for a sense of structure they didn’t know they were missing. “I now am free to enjoy my family, my husband and the work itself,” says Stoffer. “I have space in my head for new ideas, for listening to the kids’ ideas, and actually processing what that could look like. It’s been one of the best experiences—I feel like my life was given back to me.”

Leading by Example
Noz Nozawa joined Ask Us Anything to answer a question from someone who was finding it difficult to expand her staff. This designer knew exactly what she wanted her dream team to look like—a passionate group that comes together in person to bring each project to life—but in practice, assembling players who were enthusiastic about a collaborative creative environment was a challenge. Nozawa explained that she had found success by setting the tone for the rest of her team. “For me, a big part of it is modeling: I’m always here if you want to riff with me; I don’t require a very formal design charette,” says the San Francisco–based designer. “I don’t need the team to be really ready to get my feedback on something—they can show me something partway through, something that they’re still ideating on. I feel like that engenders a very conversational approach to design collaboration in the office.”

Selling the Vision
Early in Anne McDonald’s design career, she struggled to justify to clients the costs of high-end furnishings—and her design work in general. Bringing on a CFO has not only buttoned up the Minneapolis designer’s contracts and payment policies, but also helps her stand behind what she charges. “At the end of the day, I’m selling stuff. I’m selling my design [vision], I’m selling a feeling, and I’m literally selling a sofa with a particular fabric,” she says. “I have to be convinced of the value or the worth of all of those things—of my worth, of my team’s, of what we give the client—from a systems and an aesthetic perspective. But I also have to be really on board for the worth of a sofa or draperies that I’m selling. If I’m not, if there’s hesitancy at all, the client’s going to sense it.”

Vetting Vendors
When a long-awaited item arrives, and it’s not quite right—whether it’s damaged or simply not as ordered—who do you turn to for recourse? Kevin Isbell joined Ask Us Anything to answer a question from a fellow designer dealing with an order gone awry. The Los Angeles designer stressed that it’s crucial to conduct research on vendors before partnering with them. Asking industry colleagues about their experiences with a brand before sourcing from them is a good start—but the vetting process shouldn’t stop there. “Word-of-mouth is definitely gold. If someone else has been in the trenches with [a vendor], they can vouch for whether or not they’re good. That’s your starting point,” he says. “Then, look for red flags when you’re talking to them. Are they communicating back? Does it take a week and a half to reply to an email? Is your quote request in the body of an email, or is it on letterhead with all of the details you have requested? [That] shows their professionalism.”

The Golden Question
When Baton Rouge, Louisiana–based designer Arianne Bellizaire joined the podcast this year, she shared that when she vets prospective clients, she routinely asks them to choose their main driver behind hiring a designer: cost, time or scope. If the answer is cost, they often have a strict budget and aren’t willing to budge; if they’re choosing time, they may have an upcoming event or personal deadline that doesn’t always work for the firm. “The ones we love are the people who say scope,” she says. “That tells us it’s about getting it right. It’s about being responsive to their needs. It’s about being creative. It’s about the design concept and what they want, and they are open to what it’s going to cost and how long it’s going to take to do that.”