Elizabeth Bennett and Mallory Robins were in the same sorority in college, but lost touch in the years that followed. When they met for the second time (after unexpectedly bumping into each other at a popsicle party their young children were attending), they discovered they were at a remarkably similar place in their lives. Dissatisfied with their corporate careers—Robins was in consulting, while Bennett had been designing promotional products—they had each begun gravitating toward interior design in their own ways: Robins was in the very early stages of launching her own design firm, and Bennett recently had her home featured in a local publication.

When she saw Bennett’s home in print, Robins was struck by a sudden realization. “I’ve had, maybe twice in my life, this big, aha, positive, sure-in-my-gut moment, and this was one of them,” Robins tells host Kaitlin Petersen on the latest episode of the Trade Tales podcast. “I just felt absolutely called that Elizabeth was meant to be my partner.”

The feeling was mutual. By 2019, the duo were working together at the helm of Kobel + Co, transforming the firm Robins had started on the side into a business that could support the two of them full-time. They quickly discovered they were ideal complements, with Robins favoring function and Bennett taking the lead on form. Over time, they learned to amplify each of their strengths to provide an elevated client experience—one that sets the stage for both parties to completely immerse themselves in their design vision.

Elsewhere in the episode, they share why they no longer use a design questionnaire, how they maintain a single brand voice at every touchpoint, and why they will only work with clients who are willing to go all in.

Crucial insight: The early stages of Robins and Bennett’s project process involves what they refer to as the “DNA meeting,” where they delve into their clients’ design preferences. The clients are shown a deck of imagery specific to their project scope, and asked simply to respond to what they see. “Some clients at the beginning really struggle. ‘Am I supposed to pick one? Am I supposed to be identifying things that I like?’ We really stress that there are no rules; it’s just about what speaks to you,” says Bennett. “Sometimes we get very literal answers, like ‘I don’t like chains on chandeliers,’ and sometimes it’s, ‘I love the way that looks—it’s a place I’d like to visit but not a place I’d like to live.’ It gives us a touchstone to continually come back to.”

Key quote: “We want them to feel as comfortable in the decision as they did in the process to get there,” says Robins. “What our studio tries hard to do is flex our process to some degree to whatever that client’s individual decision-making process is. I think that’s inevitably what they’re looking for: They want their process to feel one of one.”

Listen to the show below. If you like what you hear, subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.