How Shea McGee Built a Design Powerhouse: One Home at a Time

Summary

Podcast Summary

Talk Shop with Ariel Okin: How Shea McGee Built a Design Powerhouse—One Home at a Time

Release date: December 10, 2025
Host: Ariel Okin
Guest: Shea McGee, Co-founder & Chief Creative Officer, Studio McGee

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Ariel Okin interviews Shea McGee, the self-taught designer and co-founder of Studio McGee and McGee & Co., to explore how Shea built one of the most influential interiors brands in the U.S. Starting from sharing her first home remodel on social media, Shea has grown her business into a multifaceted design firm and product powerhouse—including brand partnerships and a hit Netflix show. The conversation uncovers her business journey, design philosophy, social media strategy, creative process, business partnerships, and upcoming projects.

---

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Shea’s Design Philosophy and Early Journey

• Shea describes her style as “classic, layered, textured” (03:05).
• She never envisioned a career in interior design as a child and actually studied communications and PR. Only after college did she realize her passion and began taking classes in design (04:41).
• “I was one of the very first people to start posting my house on Instagram. Like, people weren’t doing that at the time.” (05:56)

2. The Launch and Growth of Studio McGee

• Shea and her husband Sid decided to sell their home to fund the business when Shea’s online following rapidly grew, seeing a unique opportunity in combining social media with interior design (07:09).
• The business expanded into three main areas: interior design services, an e-commerce platform (McGee & Co.), and licensing/partnerships.

3. Embracing Instagram and Building Community

• Shea was an early adopter of Instagram and YouTube for interiors: “We were like one of the first home YouTube channels. Sid was filming me talk about, you know, different countertop materials, and we didn’t know what we were doing.” (09:21)
• As the brand grew, maintaining authenticity became a challenge, so Shea now has a personal account for unscripted everyday sharing to keep her creativity and authenticity alive (10:39–11:14).

4. Business Structure, Challenges, and Team Dynamic

• Studio McGee employs just under 200 people (07:04).
• Shea emphasizes the importance of complementary skills between her and Sid: “I like a plan. I want to feel 100% confident. And he is like, ‘Let’s just do this. Let’s try it.’” (08:16)
• As the business has diversified, they've learned to balance product development, design services, and partnerships.

5. The Birth and Purpose of McGee & Co.

• Shea recognized that audiences wanted easy ways to access and shop products seen in her projects—something previously unavailable in the market (12:57).
• “There was no direct connection to shopability. Now the game has completely changed and it sounds hilarious that we…that wasn’t a thing. But it wasn’t a thing. And we started the thing.” (13:27)

6. Creative Consistency and Brand Evolution

• Studio McGee’s hallmark is “sophisticated but not stuffy,” an ethos running through all projects and products: “What’s awesome about sophisticated but not stuffy is that that can range in styles.” (15:13)
• Shea balances client desires with the Studio McGee signature, continually evolving the brand’s visual language without becoming overly trend-driven.

7. Life, Family, and Work–Finding Balance

• On running multiple businesses while raising three daughters: “My list of things that I oversee is long…but I think I’m antsy and I love a project. I always excelled at group projects. Wasn’t the best test taker, but I excelled at group projects. And so my business is now one big group project.” (12:24)
• With so many demands, she is “very routine-oriented,” prioritizing only work, family, and fitness (17:43).

8. Role in the Design Firm and Product Development

• Shea is involved in reviewing high-touch client projects and all product concepts. The rest of the work is handled by her specialized teams (18:08–20:09).
• Sid serves as CEO and handles the business side, allowing each to focus on their expertise (21:34–21:57).

9. Creativity, Inspiration, and Guarding Energy

• Shea protects her creativity with trips, “uninterrupted blocks of time,” and even locking herself away from emails and distractions (22:26–23:48).
• “My creative energy doesn’t happen in 30 minutes. It happens when I lock myself in my studio.” (22:48)

10. The Future of Studio McGee and McGee & Co.

• The design firm isn’t aiming for exponential growth; the focus is on “taking the best projects and continuing to elevate.” (24:19)
• E-commerce is the big growth ambition, with the first physical retail store opening in Salt Lake next year—a precursor to more brick-and-mortar locations (25:54–26:22).

11. Design Process & Rules

• Shea loves the finishing, styling, and decorating side of design, while her team balances the technical aspects (27:47; 28:18).
• She takes “scale and proportion” seriously: “When you walk into a room and the scale isn’t right, no matter how pretty the pieces are, it’s going to feel off.” (30:06)
• On rules: “Too many rules leads to a look that looks the same over and over…the way you evolve is by being open” (31:21).

12. Advice, Intuition, and Defining Your Style

• Shea advises trusting your intuition. “Anytime I feel that, like, ‘Oh, I’m not sure that I like this,’ I need to listen to it.” (33:04)
• Defining your own style is a process of patience and experimentation: “You can pin hundreds of really beautiful images…and sometimes you just have to, like, do it to know…what really speaks to your design style.” (42:26)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Shea McGee on Social Media Beginnings
  “I was one of the very first people to start posting my house on Instagram. Like, people weren’t doing that at the time.” (05:56)
• On Brand Building
  “We started the get the look—like, there wasn’t that around. We started the thing.” (13:27)
• On Authenticity and Social Media
  “I don’t want a content calendar and I don’t want any rules. I’m just gonna start an Instagram account for myself so I can just post whatever it is that I want.” (10:39–11:14)
• On Creative Process
  “My creative energy doesn’t happen in 30 minutes. It happens when I lock myself in my studio and tell everyone…” (22:48)
• On Design Rules
  “Too many rules leads to a look that looks the same over and over again…it’s prescriptive. And I think that I used to think, ‘We’d never do this.’ Well, now I’m doing it. And I’m glad I allowed myself to be open to that.” (31:21)
• On Intuition
  “Anytime I feel that, like, oh, I’m not sure that I like this, I need to listen to it…because the house is going to get installed and I’m still going to have that pit in my stomach if I didn’t just speak up.” (33:04)
• On Growth & Future Ambitions
  “I want to be one of those top five names that come to your head when you’re searching for beautiful furniture.” (25:20)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:05 — Shea describes her design style in three words
• 04:41–06:26 — Discussing her self-taught journey and early Instagram adoption
• 07:04 — The scale of Studio McGee: nearly 200 employees
• 08:16 — The risk of selling their home to start the business
• 09:21 — Early days on YouTube and learning to connect with an audience
• 10:39–11:14 — Navigating authenticity as her brand grew
• 13:27 — How McGee & Co. originated the “get the look” shopping approach
• 15:13 — The ethos of “sophisticated but not stuffy”
• 18:08–20:09 — Shea’s current involvement in product and design
• 22:48 — How Shea protects her creative energy
• 24:19 — The future: design firm focus vs. e-commerce growth; first retail store
• 28:18 — What brings Shea joy in the design process (“styling”)
• 30:06–31:21 — Her thoughts on design rules and evolving with time
• 33:04 — Trusting intuition for creative decisions
• 42:26 — Advice for defining your own interior style

---

Rapid Fire Take 10—Shea’s Personal Picks

• Favorite food: Chips & guacamole
• Favorite drink: Diet Coke
• Favorite film: Singing in the Rain
• Favorite hotel: Pasalaqua, Lake Como
• Favorite city: London (especially for antiquing)
• Go-to bedding: Tencel sheets from McGee & Co.
• Coffee or tea: Neither; “So much Diet Coke”
• Surprising playlist: “I love 60s and 70s rock and roll”
• Favorite weekend activity: Taking the family Airstream camping in Utah
• Favorite design book: Timeless by Patrick Ahern

---

Upcoming Projects and Closing Thoughts

• Launching McGee & Co.’s first physical retail store in Salt Lake City, summer 2026 (25:54, 40:41)
• Publishing a new entertaining and cooking book in April: “The way I cook really is an extension of how I like to design.” (41:01)
• Advice to listeners: Be patient with yourself, experiment, and trust what feels right in your own home (42:26).

---

Where to Find More

• Studio McGee: Studio McGee
• McGee & Co: McGee & Co

---

Transcript

[Arielle Oken]

Before we dive in, I wanted to take a moment to thank this season's presenting sponsor, Shop My Shop My is a platform that connects designers, tastemakers and creators with shoppers who trust their style and recommendations. With Shopmy, you can discover and shop the pieces experts actually use and love in their own homes all in one beautifully curated place. And now shopping is even easier with the launch of the new Shop My app. Create circles with your favorite curators like myself or today's guest. Discover new products tailored to your taste and save everything you love with wish lists and snapshot right in the app. Download the new Shop My app at the link in the show notes and now on to this week's episode.

[Shay McGee]

I love a project I always I like excelled at group projects. Wasn't the best test taker, but I excelled at group projects and so my business is now one big group project.

[Interviewer/Host]

That makes for a good business owner.

[Arielle Oken]

Welcome to Talkshop Ariel. I'm Arielle Oken, a New York based interior designer, writer and editor looking to bring a little bit of magic into our homes every day.

[Interviewer/Host]

After years as a writer and editor.

[Arielle Oken]

In the interiors world, I founded my own editorial site, Fenimore Lane in 2020 and the TalkShop interview series was born. Each week I delve into the personal.

[Interviewer/Host]

Experiences of the top interior designers and.

[Arielle Oken]

Tastemakers around the globe. My guest this week is Shay McGee, the chief creative officer and co founder of Studio McGee and one half of the powerhouse duo behind the McGee and Universe, which she runs with her husband Sid. Shea's path to launching Studio McGee in 2014 started years earlier when she left her job at an ad agency to tackle the remodel of their first California home. Shay documented the whole journey on social media and her fresh, approachable style caught on immediately. Before long, she had built a loyal following that was begging her to start her own design firm.

[Interviewer/Host]

Fast forward to today.

[Arielle Oken]

Shay leads the creative vision for the ever growing studio McGee Inc.

[Interviewer/Host]

Portfolio, their interior design studio and McGee.

[Arielle Oken]

& Co. Their wildly successful E Com business. Shay's design firm and ecosystem expanded rapidly, paving the way for a dream lineup of projects and partnerships including licensing collaborations with Target, Kohler and Saks and.

[Interviewer/Host]

Pura and their long running Netflix series.

[Arielle Oken]

Dream Home Makeover, which is a personal favorite binge watch. Today, Shea is considered one of the leading innovators in the interiors world. She's made it her mission to help others make life beautiful by elevating the everyday through good design. Shea is thoughtful and genuinely passionate about what she does and I know you're going to love listening to her as much as I loved getting the.

[Interviewer/Host]

Chance to talk with.

[Arielle Oken]

Her. So please join me as we welcome Shay McGee to the.

[Interviewer/Host]

Show. Shea, welcome to the show. I'm so happy to have you.

[Shay McGee]

On. Hi, thanks for having.

[Interviewer/Host]

Me. Well, to kick off the conversation, we always ask everyone who comes on, can you describe your style in three words or.

[Shay McGee]

Less? This is a question that I get asked a lot and I always feel like I need to change up my answer so it sounds different. I would say that my style is classic, layered, textured. I could keep going, I guess I probably have a few.

[Interviewer/Host]

More. No, that's perfect. And for those listening, everybody listening knows who you are. But can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are at this point in your life right.

[Shay McGee]

Now? Sure. So I am both an interior designer and entrepreneur. I started a business called Studio McGee about 11 years ago and prior to that was self taught interior designer that built a following on social media and I've now grown that into really a design house. So we design products, we run an E commerce brand called McGee and Company. That's furniture, decor, everything for the home. Then we take on luxury custom home projects and then we also do partnerships with different companies like Kohler and Target. So it's threefold.

[Interviewer/Host]

Business. Amazing. I'm so inspired by how you grew your brand and I, we're going to get into it later in the episode. But I love that you didn't go to school for design. I also didn't go to school for design. And that you kind of just followed your, you know, you followed your intuition and it took you down this wild, amazing path. What is your story for your love of design? Was it something that was always a part of you, even going back to.

[Shay McGee]

Childhood? I've always loved personal style and really beautiful things. I don't think that I have ever, as a young kid, I don't know that I thought about interior design as a.

[Interviewer/Host]

Career.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. Or maybe even that I knew that that was a career until I got to college and was really scared by the fact that I'm not a natural artist. Like drawing, was it a skill set for me. But I've always been someone who cares about the details. If I am doing anything from decorating a Christmas tree in my little tiny apartment in my dorm room to, you know, going to shop thrift stores because I wanted to find pieces even when I couldn't afford, you know, nicer furniture. Like, it's always been a part of me. But I didn't consider interior design as A career for myself until after I had just finished college. I studied communications with emphasis in public relations and worked in that for a couple of years and then realized that I had a real passion for interior design. And I took a few classes at a local community college so I could just kind of get my feet wet and better understand if it was going to be a fit for me. And at that time, I mean, this really dates me, but I was one of the very first people to start posting my house on Instagram. Like, people weren't doing that at the.

[Interviewer/Host]

Time.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. So I started posting little projects of this home that we purchased in Orange county. And I was Orange County, California and I was doing updates and my. It was before an algorithm was controlling anything. And like my following just grew. And I look to other industries like fashion, to see how people were doing social because no one was doing it in interior.

[Interviewer/Host]

Design. Yeah, you really were like the first.

[Shay McGee]

One. Yes. And. And I think my communications background really helped me see the opportunity.

[Interviewer/Host]

There.

[Shay McGee]

Totally. And then I started getting small clients and those small clients then grew into years of big.

[Interviewer/Host]

Clients. It's so cool. I actually, I went to undergrad for journalism and I worked in public affairs. And I similarly, like, never thought that interior design. Didn't even occur to me that that could be a career. And then like, I started helping friends on the side and that was sort of how it started. It's so cool to see how much of a massive, massive, massive business that you guys have built. I mean, just to give people an understanding of the scale of what you guys have built. Like, how many employees do you guys.

[Shay McGee]

Have? We have a little under.

[Interviewer/Host]

200. Yeah. It's just crazy. It's such a cool and inspiring.

[Shay McGee]

Story. And for those who haven't followed us for some context, my social media following was growing like really quickly. And my husband was working with family and came home one day right before I was giving birth to our first baby and was like, I'm done. I'm never working with family again. And then of course, after some convincing that, hey, I'm onto something here, we actually decided to sell our home in Orange county, the one that gave us the start on social, and use that money to fund our business. So we moved to Salt Lake where we knew that it was a more business friendly and environment for us to like stretch our money and we use that to fund our business. So we went into business together and started Studio McGee. And the vision there was that we would build an e commerce brand. But it wasn't as simple as that. And so we continued to do the interior design services. And still to this day, we. We balance multiple businesses under the Studio McGee.

[Interviewer/Host]

Umbrella. So you launched your studio in 2014. What was the moment that you knew that you were ready to do that? And was Sid a part of the early days? Like, what did that look.

[Shay McGee]

Like? So I was working by myself, Shay McGee Design, and I was all projects. And when we decided to go all in and sell everything we owned to start this business, we were just taking, like, ever everything. And Sid has a very. We're very opposite in our skill set and also personalities. We're like, I like a plan. I want to feel 100% confident. And he is like, let's just do this. Let's try it.

[Interviewer/Host]

Out. You kind of need that too. I feel like the compliment of the. It's like yin and yang. I feel like that helps you when you're starting a.

[Shay McGee]

Business. Yeah. I don't even think that I would have started taking on design clients if it wasn't for him. Just saying, why not? And I had a lot of reasons why not. But thanks to him, I gave it a shot. So.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. That's so sweet. And you were such an early adopter of Instagram before influencing was even a thing. How has your relationship with your audience evolved? Evolved as your platforms have grown because you've just. You've expanded so wildly in a.

[Shay McGee]

Decade. Yes. So we started on Instagram and we have had a YouTube channel for many years. We were like one of the first home YouTube channels. I mean, oh, my God, like, Sid was filming me talk about, you know, different countertop materials, and we didn't know what we were doing. And, oh, my God, was terrible. We didn't know, like, how to do the.

[Interviewer/Host]

Mics. And that's so.

[Shay McGee]

Good. But we. We've run. YouTube has been a huge part of our business, really, since the very early days, and it still is a part of a big part of what we do. And then, of course, we've continued to add other outlets, but Instagram, I think, just because it's where I started and we still have a lot of emphasis there. I would say that the. The change is that as you grow and your business grows, you have business initiatives that need to be filled and met. And I can't keep up with everything. And so I have a team that's amazing, but it also does, like, remove me. I approve what things I say. Like, the things that I say, I approve, but I have a team, and that is hard because as you grow some of that personal aspect is removed, you lose.

[Interviewer/Host]

Your. Yep.

[Shay McGee]

Totally. I. About a year or so ago, I was like, I don't want a content calendar and I don't want any rules. I'm just gonna start an Instagram account for myself so I can just post whatever it is that I want. And it's honestly been a really fun outlet for me because there are what the rules are. There are no rules. And, yeah, I've enjoyed doing that and social. Doing it as long as I have. It's always changing. And if you're not wondering, like, what you should be doing differently, then you're probably going to get stagnant. So it's kind of just a constant.

[Interviewer/Host]

Challenge. It's also. People can feel that authenticity. So knowing, like, people are smart and they can smell it, you know, and so, like, the fact that, like, it's not planned and it's just coming straight from you, I think is what makes it so.

[Shay McGee]

Successful. Yeah. And then I think on the other, the flip side, if you're running a business and you need some organization that. Which is important to have, it's like you almost have to organize or plan when that lack of organization is happening. And so what we've done on studio McGee and McGee and company is just, hey, let's plan when. Let's plan when Shay pops in, because she can't be popping in all day every day on multiple. At multiple outlets. But I have, like, assigned days and times where it's like, okay, get on and talk about whatever it is that you're doing. And it helps keep that authenticity there because otherwise it feels like a.

[Interviewer/Host]

Schedule. Totally. That makes so much sense. And also, you have your hand in so many.

[Arielle Oken]

Things. Plus, you have.

[Interviewer/Host]

Three. Don't you have three.

[Shay McGee]

Kids? I do have three kids. I have three.

[Arielle Oken]

Girls.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah. I don't know how you, like, put your hand in everything. So it's smart that they schedule your time to pop in. Otherwise it just wouldn't be.

[Shay McGee]

Tenable. Yeah, I. My list of things that I oversee is long. And so I'm just. But I think I'm antsy and I love. I love a project. I always. I like, excelled at group projects. Wasn't the best test taker, but I excelled at group projects. And so my business is now.

[Interviewer/Host]

One big group project that makes for a good business owner. Let's talk a little bit about McGee and company. When you guys launched McGee and company, what problem were you solving that you weren't seeing kind of answered already in the existing.

[Shay McGee]

Market? Okay, again, I'm going to date myself. But when we started McGee and company, this was a time when people were asking where things were from and couldn't get the answer, if you can believe.

[Interviewer/Host]

That.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. It was before stories. It was before, like, the bots responding to, like, comment for links or whatever it is. It was before that. And also before, like, get the looks like we started the get the look. Like there wasn't that.

[Interviewer/Host]

Around.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. So our pitch to vendors or partners was we are doing social media differently than you have ever seen social media be done before. I have projects, I have proof of concept that. Look at all of these questions. They want to know where your light is from. They want to know where your rug is from. And there was no direct connection to shopability. Now the game has completely changed and it sounds hilarious that we, like, that wasn't a thing. But it wasn't a thing. And we started the thing and I was. I saw an opportunity we were having to run affiliate links and through our blog and I could show proof, like, hey, look, look at how many people are clicking on this. I know they want these products. And so when we started Niki and Co, we started. We started small. And now. And now we manufacture and design almost everything ourselves. We do continue to carry some amazing vendor partners, but for the most part, we are. That was our goal from the beginning, was to build a brand. I love and appreciate brand on a very deep.

[Interviewer/Host]

Level. I mean, you can tell. Yeah, you guys have a very consistent and always evolving, but consistent in the way that, like, it's trust. It's trusted. And when you see it, you know it's you, which is so hard to do. And I think you either have that innate sense of communications and brand building or you don't. And you obviously very much do have it. Your guiding principle is sophisticated but not stuffy. It's become such a recognizable element in the ethos of everything that you do under your sort of ecosystem. How do you keep that signature while still evolving.

[Shay McGee]

Creatively? What's awesome about sophisticated but not stuffy is that that can range in.

[Interviewer/Host]

Styles.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. And I think I, like, I said, like, I'm too antsy. And also I. I want to please our clients. And so when they come to us and they say, this is my. This is what I want for my home. This is my style, we'll put the Studio mcgee spin on it. But it's still very much our clients. And that means that we can have a range within the studio McGee look that ranges from more traditional to more contemporary. And I Love being able to play with different styles. And I think similarly, in the trend cycle, we can give the Studio mcgee spin on a trend. And my goal is always to say, like, let's not. We're not going to be overly trendy, but we can, like, go with the flow of the ebbs and flows in the design space, which is fun for.

[Interviewer/Host]

Me.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. I don't want to look stuck in one specific time, but I also want our products to feel timeless. So it's a. It's a tough balance, but it's.

[Interviewer/Host]

Tricky.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. And also I want. I want to make sure that people like it too. And so I have to have a deep understanding of, like, I can't push our customers too far where they're so uncomfortable, where they won't purchase a product, but I do want to push.

[Interviewer/Host]

Them. Right. That's an interesting. Because it's different from the design side of the business, which is sort of like bespoke to what, you know, what their inspiration is within the world that you guys have created. But the product is. Has to have some consistent thread throughout it always. Because, like you said, you don't want to alienate the customer. How do you. I mean, you run a brand, you have a design firm, you have a product company, you have a TV show, and you have three children.

[Shay McGee]

How. Well, I don't. We're not doing the TV show anymore. So when you say something's got to give.

[Interviewer/Host]

That.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. Is. That was really, really hard on. It was amazing because it opened so many opportunities for us and it opened a lot of doors and. But it was also very time consuming.

[Interviewer/Host]

And.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. So we do YouTube now, and it's fun. It's a lot more quick and efficient. But yeah, it's. It's hard. I think. I just don't do. I'm very routine oriented. And so it's like, if it's not work, family, maybe working out. Yeah. Dinner. I'm not really doing.

[Interviewer/Host]

It. I'm the same way. I have, like, four buckets, and if it's not one of those, I'm, like, not doing it.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. It's the only way to stay.

[Interviewer/Host]

Focused. Yeah. What does a day look like for you? Like, how do you. I mean, every day is probably different. Very different. But how do you. What's the involvement with, like, the design side versus the brand side and the E. Comm side? Like, walk me through sort of how. What that looks.

[Shay McGee]

Like. Sure. So my days are. Are different every single day, but there are some themes and I spend a lot of time reviewing it's reviewing everything. So in our design firm, we tier our projects and so the clients sign on for different levels of probably my involvement, but also like what we're providing on a service level. So those top two tiers are where I'm involved. And our design team's amazing their running point on the projects. I'm reviewing every selection and the changes or questions that come up, but I'm not doing the day to day communication and I'm not doing the drawings. I'm. I'm reviewing them, I'm editing, editing them, but I'm not doing the day to day. But that allows me to still. I mean, I love that side of things and it keeps me. Yeah, it's like a laboratory of sorts too because I get to hear what clients are saying and then that informs what we're doing on Miggi and Company. And so that's really cool relationship. But I, I can't let that go. Even if it's this, even if it's a really small part of our business now, I can't let it go. I love it. I love it, I love it, I love.

[Interviewer/Host]

It. I mean, that's the fun part. One of the most fun.

[Shay McGee]

Parts. So I'm involved in those top two tiers and I review all of those selections and then my schedule allows, and it usually does. I will be there for the install, at least the end part of the install. Then I review a lot. I review on concepts. So many products. So we at McGee and Company, we develop hundreds and hundreds of products every year. And I'm concepting the vision for those. And then our design team. So I have two different design teams, product design and then we have the interior design. But then the design team takes those concepts and they're bringing them to life. And I'm editing. So then you have that. And then I have also the reviewing and editing with our partners.

[Interviewer/Host]

So.

[Shay McGee]

Right. Yeah. The licensing collection. It's like, oh, we're doing a new, you know, tub or whatever it is. Like I'm working with them on those. Then I would say beyond reviewing, the other huge part of my job is I am the spokesperson for all of these things. So whether. And I'm so I spend a lot of time on camera. I'm on camera doing, you know, project reveals or doing campaigns for Migi and Co. We shoot seasonally and there's lots of assets that go along with that. So I'm shooting for that. I'm shooting for YouTube, I'm shooting for Social. And then also then you take all of the partnerships that we do and then they require like they have their photo shoot campaign needs too. So I would say that that's how it's like reviews, a lot of creative reviews and spokesperson duties and then here and there I get looped into the business. But Sid is CEO and so he is, he is doing the day to day that oversight of multiple companies is a lot. And there's a lot of fires kind of constantly when you're running a business. And so yeah, just of course running around trying to solve problems. And then I, for a quick, like, hey, what do you think about this? Or we have a board meeting and then. But our jobs do not overlap a.

[Interviewer/Host]

Lot. No. And that makes sense. Right, because you are doing the things that you are best at and he is doing the things that he is best at. And that's I think one of the best things and hardest things as a founder and an entrepreneur is like giving up the control of the areas where you're not the most interested. But it's one of the smartest things you can do in the long run because that's how you operate.

[Shay McGee]

Efficiently. Yeah, I think it can be scary when you haven't done it before. And also if maybe a team member isn't the right fit and then you're like, oh man, I made a mistake. It's just part of the process. And then when you have a team member that's incredible, then you're like, I couldn't do this without them.

[Interviewer/Host]

So. Yeah.

Totally. And how do you protect your creative energy and just like your overall sanity in a day to day, day to day doing all of these.

[Shay McGee]

Things? I mean, I don't know that I'm always protecting it, but.

The creative energy usually comes through like trips for me, so. Or uninterrupted blocks of time. Like my creative energy doesn't happen in 30.

[Interviewer/Host]

Minutes.

[Shay McGee]

Yeah. It happens when I lock myself in my studio and tell everyone, like I turn off the slacks and I say I'm not looking at email, I'm hiding my phone in a drawer and I'm looking at something and saying like, okay, we're going to keep fighting through this until we get there. Or I take a trip somewhere and I'm like, super. I come back and I'm like, I saw this and this and the hotel did this and I loved it. And then my team always knows that as soon as I go on a trip, I'm coming back and I will have like 50 photos that I'm going to share with them because I was Inspired. And so for me, like, stepping away to then come back and feel energized is a huge part of that creative energy. But it's not always that easy. We can't all just step away and come back. And so for me, locking myself.

[Interviewer/Host]

In a room, I do the same thing. I feel like creative people in general need alone time and quiet time because it's just too much overstimulation. Especially when you're in a creative field and you're looking at color and pattern and fabrics and like there's 50 ideas percolating in one given minute. I think you have to, like, slow down for the good ones to bubble.

[Shay McGee]

Up. Yep. I mean, you could fight through a design for like hours and it's not working. Step away and come back and it comes together in like 15 minutes. But you just kind of have to give your.

[Interviewer/Host]

Space. Thinking about the next chapter for Studio McGee and McGee & Co. Where do you feel the brand is sort of.

[Shay McGee]

Naturally heading? I would say that the brand is heading in a focused place. So we, I think, doing what we're doing, I don't plan to grow the design firm exponentially. We're just taking the best projects and if we happen to hire a designer and that grows our team a little bit, great. But that is just. We're just continuing to like, elevate what we're doing there and continue to get better. Miggi & Co. Is the focus for growth, given that it's a product based business. I mean, I, I have big sid and I have big lofty aspirations there. I want to be one of the brands that comes to mind when you're thinking of furnishing your home with like, beautiful furniture. That's what I want to. I want to be one of those top five names that come to your head.

[Interviewer/Host]

When you're searching. Yeah. I mean, it is a household name. You guys have grown so much in a decade. It's really been so amazing to see and it's just wild how much effort goes into. Like you said with E Comm, you're creating the products. You have a full product team, you have product designers. Then you've got to shoot all.

[Shay McGee]

These assets. Yeah. And then we fulfill them. Like there. There's so many different components of running the product business that's very behind the scenes. We're opening our first retail.

[Interviewer/Host]

Store next year. Oh, that's so exciting.

[Shay McGee]

Where is it? It's.

[Interviewer/Host]

In Salt.

[Shay McGee]

Lake. That's awesome. And we're built. We're currently building it out. But the hope is really that once that begins, then that is us rolling into more. More brick and mortar retail, which I'm so excited about. And. But the focus, when you ask about the different facets of our business, it's really continuing to improve, grow, and become.

[Interviewer/Host]

That household name. Yeah. Well, brick and mortar will definitely. Being able to have a physical store to walk into and kind of enter your world. I feel like people will be so excited just to experience that. And.

[Shay McGee]

As it expands. Yeah, I'm excited. And I think that when you're an entrepreneur and you've put in over a decade, you kind of settle into, like, this is what it looks like to run a business. It can be hard. It can be exciting. Also, we're going to be okay. Like, we. We're going to be okay. Whereas I think for the first several years, it was like, is this.

[Interviewer/Host]

Going to work? Well, it's so scary in the beginning, but when you've got a decade under your belt, you're like, okay, we've seen some fires, and, like, we put them out, and we know we can put.

[Shay McGee]

Them.

[Interviewer/Host]

Out again. Yeah. Let's talk a little bit about design. Is there a favorite element about the design.

[Shay McGee]

Process for you? I think that designers fall into two categories. I've watched this over the years, and I still think my theory is true. I think you have designers that live for the drawings and the finishes. I think that you have designers that, like, feel their way through projects and, like, love the, like, little details.

[Interviewer/Host]

And.

[Shay McGee]

Styling touches. Yeah. And you need my experience. I love to have both on my teams. We complement each other really well, but I fall into the styling. The.

[Arielle Oken]

The.

[Shay McGee]

Decorator bucket. Yeah. Like, what comes naturally to me. Of course, I've learned over the years all of the technical aspects and what it takes to build a home and get into that nitty gritty. But it's not what makes my heart sing. What makes my heart sing is finding the perfect pleated silk lampshade from a random vendor in London. That, like, makes my heart explode, which sounds like totally, maybe nothing to someone, but it's.

[Interviewer/Host]

Everything to me. No, but it's the finishing detail. And that makes so much sense, because so much of what you teach people through your books and through the show and your YouTube channel is sort of how you can bring looks together by doing things like that and how it doesn't have to be this whole crazy experience. And so.

[Shay McGee]

That makes sense. I love beautiful things. Like, it's not about. It's not about expense. It's just, like, I drive so much joy from Tying a ribbon on a Christmas tree to finding the perfect. Maybe sofa or rug. Like, it's just. And that's how I, like, approach my own home, is it's like, what do I love? What have I been thinking about for years? That I want home. Then I'll finally do it. And I just stew over things. I think I'm an overthinker. I'm, like, going to bed, thinking about it, walking through a house. And so I'm so glad my team keeps me grounded. And they're like, okay, but it needs to be this many inches, Shay. And I'm.

[Interviewer/Host]

Right, right, right.

I'm the same because I'm terrible at cad. So my team is. They definitely keep me.

[Shay McGee]

Humble with that. But, I mean, I think you can see that. I think. Not that you can see that you don't like Cat, but I think the stylist in you.

[Interviewer/Host]

And your work. Thank you. That really. That's so nice. I agree with you that those touches are what make a home feel really considered, and the little details are what make it all come together. I love asking this question, and I think for you in particular, because you didn't go to school, I'm curious to see what you'll say. What design rule do you always follow? And are there any that you think are made.

[Shay McGee]

To be broken? Design rule.

Scale is something I'm not going to break unless it's, like, a styling thing where, you know, I want, like, that tiny piece of artwork above the bed because it's a fun.

[Interviewer/Host]

Surprise.

[Shay McGee]

But, yeah. Yeah. I just don't think that when you walk into a room and the scale isn't right, no matter how pretty the pieces are, it's going to feel off. And so for me, I don't know if that's a rule, but it's not something that I'm, like, interested in playing with a lot because I want to feel calm in a space. And scale and proportion has a lot to do with that. But as far as rules to be broken, I mean, I think I'm open to. And what I've learned, too, as you know, I've done this for a long time, is I think too many rules leads to a look that looks the same over and over.

[Interviewer/Host]

And over again.

[Shay McGee]

It's, like, prescriptive. Yeah. And I think that I used to think, like, well, I will. I would use the phrase, well, we'd never do this. Well, and now I'm doing it. And I'm glad that I allowed myself to be open to that. What's funny Is the. I'll use this as an example. So sheer curtains used to be like, kind of ick. It's like a knot. And you don't want to do that. Sheer curtains kind of look cheap. That was the general consensus a.

[Interviewer/Host]

Decade.

[Shay McGee]

Plus ago. Yeah. And now I'm like, you know what would be really beautiful is if we did sheer drapes behind this tub. And it's silly, but that's how you evolve. That's how you evolve. And so I find myself not saying never or don't. Let's not do it. Because I also want our designers, when they're presenting me with things, to not self edit before it.

[Interviewer/Host]

Gets.

[Shay McGee]

To me. Yeah. Come up with a wild idea. And I might say yes to some and no to some, but at least we put it all out there and that's how we push ourselves.

[Interviewer/Host]

And our clients. Totally. And that's where the creative spark comes from. Like something a little bit weird that gets thrown in. There is usually something often that is like the best element of the room. One time we had Mika Tenhob on the show, who I love, and she's like one of my favorite people, and she said that every room needs an anchovy, which I love.

[Shay McGee]

It's so good.

[Interviewer/Host]

I love.

[Shay McGee]

That. It's true. So Bobby McAlpine, we interviewed him for our design team during COVID when we were all kind of like, what are we doing during this time? And he called it like a. A snaggletooth, I think.

[Interviewer/Host]

Was like every. Oh.

[Shay McGee]

My God, snaggletooth. Or on the exterior. And that.

[Interviewer/Host]

Stuck with me. So I love that. Well, now if you're listening, you gotta add an anchovy and a snaggle tooth to your rooms. Best advice for designing interiors you've ever received. Besides the snaggletooth.

[Shay McGee]

Which I love.

I would say that what I often tell our designers, and I guess I'm talking about my own advice to our designers, is one that I like to think of is like, would you. Would you do this in.

[Interviewer/Host]

Your own home? Yeah. Like, would you.

[Shay McGee]

Live with a. If you were building a ranch house out in the middle of nowhere and like, what would you do? This? And sometimes, sometimes it helps because for me, my guiding gut instinct has never led me astray. And anytime I feel that, like, oh, I'm not sure that I like this, I need to listen to it because the house is going to get installed and I'm still going to have that pit in my stomach if I didn't just speak up.

[Interviewer/Host]

And say something. So true. Intuition is deeply, deeply powerful and really something to be honed in on.

[Shay McGee]

And listen to. Yeah. And I think also, I don't have a mentor. I haven't had someone telling me. So when I say advice, I'm like, I don't know. What. What did I come up with? My. For myself. That worked. And listening to my intuition has.

[Interviewer/Host]

Served me well. It's so good. I. I love that because you really. You. You, like, shot out of a cannon on your own, and it's so hard to do. And I think listening to yourself about what works and what you feel is right clearly works for you. And also, it's important. It's an important lesson, I think, just for creatives in general is to tap into that. What do you think your home.

[Shay McGee]

Says about you? I mean, my. My personal home is. It is both relaxed and sophisticated at the same time. And I think that that says everything about how I like to live, the things that I'm drawn to. And my home is always changing and rotating, and I think that says a lot about me too. I'm like a squirrel, always looking and being inspired and thinking, oh, well. I was on a trip to Italy, and they had this dresser filled with, like, antiques, sterling silver frames that were, like, really ornate. It kind of doesn't fit what you would expect from me, but I loved that. So then what did I do? I started collecting these antique frames, and it's like, one of my favorite spots in my home right now. And that's just little changes, little styling changes, or I'm just constantly. My home is a lab, and it's always changing. My neighbors are probably so sick of the trucks out in front of my house because there's always something going on, but I just. Just.

[Interviewer/Host]

Can'T help it. But it's personal. And I think that's. That's such a big piece of it, too, is like, the personal design resonates the most because you can. Like you said about the frames, and you saw them in Italy, and they make you happy. It's. It's tied to a memory. It's not just a.

[Arielle Oken]

Thing that you put.

[Interviewer/Host]

On a shelf. It's something that reminds you of when you were. When we were there. Speaking about rotation and getting things in and out of the house and stuff. This season is sponsored by Shop My. And we love your Shop My Shop. It's so great. What is currently on your wish list in your seasonal.

[Shay McGee]

Rotation right now? Like, I just sent.

[Interviewer/Host]

Sid some links. I was gonna say we should page Sid and tell him to listen to just this part of.

[Shay McGee]

The podcast for my Shop My is really different because I don't consider myself like a fashion influencer necessarily, but I love fashion and I love, actually, let's say style. I like style more than I like. I'm interested in fashion, but I. It's an extension of expressing myself and it connects really closely, I.

[Interviewer/Host]

Think.

[Shay McGee]

With home. Totally. My followers had so many questions, so then I started my own Instagram that was just my life and my shop my is really just everything that I have, love, have tried, I am less interested in. I want people to have total confidence in what I'm sharing. So I'm not really sharing things that I have not purchased. I am sharing things that are tried and true to me. And I think that by accident that really works. It wasn't really, it wasn't really the intent. It was just to kind of share my life and people ask so many questions about, you know, what is that? Where is that from? And now it's become part of my day to day is just sharing bits of my life behind the scenes that are a lot less polished. And it has, it has been a fun creative outlet for me. So my shop my is truly just me. It's.

[Interviewer/Host]

Just me. Yeah. Well, that's what it's supposed to be. I feel like the genius of Shop My is that you can really dig in on any of the tastemakers who you love and what their style is because they can organize it however they want to. And so for you, it's. It's just a reflection of all the things that you love genuinely and that make you you and that you have tried and trusted and recommend time and time again, I.

[Shay McGee]

Personally love it. Yeah. So my process is just anytime I posted something in stories or on the feed I uploaded to Shop My and I link everything and then from there I categorize it. So whatever has been linked latest gets categorized by type, which is how I, I share everything. And Shop My has made that.

[Interviewer/Host]

So easy. It's. Oh my God. It's.

[Shay McGee]

The best interface. It really is.

[Interviewer/Host]

The best interface. Okay, let's get into our take 10. These are our rapid fire questions that we ask at the end of every episode. They really don't have anything to do with design, but I love to ask them, okay, what is.

[Shay McGee]

Your favorite food? Well, it's either chips and guacamole. My favorite drink is.

[Interviewer/Host]

Diet Coke. Perfect. That was the next question I was gonna ask. Drink.

[Shay McGee]

Is Diet Coke. And they go hand in hand together. Really.

[Interviewer/Host]

Well, honestly, they. That's an elite.

[Shay McGee]

Pairing. Favorite film? Singing.

[Interviewer/Host]

In the Rain. That's such a good.

[Shay McGee]

Classic. Favorite hotel? Pasalaqua.

[Interviewer/Host]

And Lake Como. Oh, that's on my list.

[Shay McGee]

It looks amazing. Was incredible. Can't say enough. I know this is rapid fire, but I could, like, talk about Pasalaka for.

[Interviewer/Host]

A long.

[Shay McGee]

Time. Favorite city.

[Interviewer/Host]

I love London. Me too. Especially for the.

[Shay McGee]

Antiquing. Favorite bedding. I love our tencel sheets.

[Interviewer/Host]

From McGee & Company. Tea or coffee? And how.

[Shay McGee]

Do.

[Interviewer/Host]

You take it? Neither. How do.

[Shay McGee]

You function? Diet Coke.

[Interviewer/Host]

So much Diet Coke. So much Diet Coke. Favorite playlist or.

[Shay McGee]

Music to listen to? I listen to a little bit of everything, but people may be surprised to know that I love like 60s and.

[Interviewer/Host]

70S rock.

[Shay McGee]

And roll.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, my. Love.

[Shay McGee]

It. Favorite weekend activity? Oh.

[Interviewer/Host]

Taking our Airstream.

[Shay McGee]

Out.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's so fun. Yeah. What do you guys do? Like, where do.

[Shay McGee]

You go in it? Well, I mean, Utah has places.

[Interviewer/Host]

Everywhere.

[Shay McGee]

To camp, so. Totally. We can take it like 30 minutes away into the mountains by our house and do.

[Interviewer/Host]

A night.

[Shay McGee]

There and.

[Interviewer/Host]

So nice. Very fun. Oh, my God, it's such a different. The terrain impacts the lifestyle so much. Like, it's just so different. I'm in the suburbs of New York. It's just so different here. That's so fun and so fun.

[Shay McGee]

To do with kids. We love it. I love to be outside and disconnect and. Yeah, it's one of my favorite.

[Interviewer/Host]

Ways to do that. Yeah, it's a really good way to talk.

[Shay McGee]

About.

[Interviewer/Host]

Refreshing your creativity.

[Shay McGee]

Yes. Favorite design book? Timeless.

[Interviewer/Host]

By Patrick Ahern. That's. I love that one. It is so good. We have that in the office and I also have it at home. It's.

[Shay McGee]

Like an amazing brand. Same. I. It. It warrants having.

[Interviewer/Host]

Two copies for sure. Yeah, totally. Oh, my God. Well, this was so much fun. Let's get into a final few words. What are you working on right now? I mean, what are you not working on right now? But are there any new projects that you.

[Shay McGee]

Can tell us about? Yeah, my two biggest projects right now are designing our retail space that will open in Salt Lake in summer of next year. And then the one that is soonest I have been working on for the past few years is I am launching an.

[Interviewer/Host]

Entertaining and cooking book. Oh, my God. I thought.

[Shay McGee]

Yes. That's so exciting. It's been.

[Interviewer/Host]

A labor of love. And you also had such a genius idea. I saw you printed it out and put it in like a spiral.

[Shay McGee]

That was so smart. Well, and then I got all these messages saying, can you do a spiral bound version? And I'm like, all the best. Like, high school and like, neighborhood cookbooks are a spiral bound. And.

[Interviewer/Host]

They'Re so convenient. But. No, but it.

[Shay McGee]

Was also so genius. But I did print.

[Interviewer/Host]

That out for myself. I literally, like, gasped when I saw that. Because for those listening, like, when you're doing a book process, My book comes out in February, and you don't. You don't get to see what it looks like at all until that book comes in from, like, the ship that it is taking four.

[Shay McGee]

Months to arrive on. You.

[Interviewer/Host]

Are holding your breath. Yes. And I saw that. I was like, that is the smartest thing I've ever seen. I'm so excited for.

[Shay McGee]

You. It looks beautiful. Three books in.

[Arielle Oken]

And.

[Shay McGee]

I'm so excited. It. It's both entertaining and food. And it wasn't my intent from the beginning for this to happen, but the food really my. The way I cook really is an extension of how I like to design. And it's. It's been a really fun creative challenge. And so that.

[Interviewer/Host]

Comes out in April. Oh, my God. That's so exciting. And also perfect, like, right before Mother's Day. It's such a.

[Shay McGee]

Good.

[Interviewer/Host]

Mother's Day gift. Yeah. Oh, my God. Well, congrats. I can't wait to get it when it comes out. This is the last question we ask. What is your advice for someone looking to define.

[Shay McGee]

Their own interior style? Yeah, I think patience with yourself is a big part of the process as you discover what you like to live with. I think you can pin hundreds of really beautiful images, and there's all different design styles out there, but what do you like to live with? How do you like to live? And sometimes that just takes doing it. And the awesome thing about interiors is that they can evolve. And if you stay classic with the finishes, you can really play with the styling and decor. And so sometimes you just have to, like, do it to know. You know what? This isn't for me or this room. I want to be in it all the time. Okay. That tells you, hey, you know what this is? This is really speaking to your design style, and it does take time, but time is what.

[Interviewer/Host]

Provides really beautiful rooms. Totally. I love that. That's such good advice. Shay, this was so much fun. Thank you so much for coming on. Where can listeners find more about.

[Shay McGee]

You and your brand? Yeah. So Studio McGee is our design firm, and McGee & Co. Is where you can shop all of our home products. And thanks so much for having me. You've made this.

[Interviewer/Host]

So easy. So thank you. I'm so glad you came on. I'VE been really excited about this one and all the girls in my office were like, thank you for joining me. And to.

[Arielle Oken]

Shop my for sponsoring this season of Talkshop, head to the Show Notes to create your free Shopper account and explore the curated storefronts from this season's designers. We'll be back next week with more thoughtful discussions and amazing guests. Follow us on Apple podcasts, Spotify and YouTube so you never miss an episode. And of course, follow me. Arielleokun See you next week.