Podcast Summary: Trade Tales – Alvin Wayne on making social media the bedrock of his business

Podcast: Trade Tales
Host: Kaitlin Petersen, Business of Home
Guest: Alvin Wayne, Interior Designer
Original Air Date: December 31, 2025 (Rebroadcast of 2022 conversation)

Episode Overview

In this episode, Kaitlin Petersen sits down with New York-based designer Alvin Wayne to explore how social media became the foundation of his interior design business. Alvin shares insights on his transition from corporate fashion to design, the evolution of his client onboarding process, the realities of working solo, and how leveraging social media and brand partnerships has shaped his success—and redefined it on his own terms. The episode is a candid mix of practical business advice, personal anecdotes, and Alvin’s signature straightforward, authentic approach.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Alvin’s Journey: From Fashion to Interior Design

• Initial Career Path: Grew up rearranging rooms but initially aimed to be a physical therapist before pivoting to healthcare management; inspired by design shows like Trading Spaces (02:09).
• Retail Roots: Stayed in luxury retail after college due to the recession; skills from retail (doing windows, building props) translated directly to staging and design (03:09).
• Moving to New York & Going All-In: After relocating, Alvin launched his own practice while still working retail before fully committing during the pandemic (03:48-04:46).
  • Quote: “I needed to make a decision, like, are you going to go interior design full-time? ... I realized I really wanted the freedom to be able to live the life that I wanted to live, because life is too short.” (04:03)

Business Structure & Client Process Evolution

• Website as a Commitment: Launched his site in 2014, marking a serious commitment (05:16).
• Financial Preparation: Paid off student loans before leaving corporate; focused first on financial security (05:16).
• Workflow Streamlining: Now skips discovery calls; initial inquiry includes upfront pricing, and the (paid) consultation is the primary filter (06:39-07:39).
  • Quote: “It's like you either want me or you don’t. We do the consultation and I decide whether I want to work with you or not. … It’s a New York thing.” (00:02, 07:32)
• Charging for Consultations: Consultations are paid, and some clients need only advice and don’t proceed further; contracts and retainers must be in hand before moving to design plans (08:46-11:34).
  • Quote: "You’re going to sign a design contract and you’re going to pay me my retainer. ... Then I ask for at least two weeks to come up with a design plan." (10:50)

Emphasis on In-Stock Retail & Pandemic Pivots

• Retail Sourcing: A pandemic-driven focus on choosing retail pieces, especially in-stock items, has helped streamline projects and improve client satisfaction by avoiding long waits (12:19-13:42).
  • Quote: “I learned to pick things that are in stock. ... That's a pandemic pivot.” (12:19)
• Breaking the Stigma: Alvin is unapologetic about using retail; emphasizes skill in curation and creative assembly over the source or price of pieces (36:48-39:38).
  • Quote: “These retailers, they do make quality pieces. ... It's all about how you put things together. ... My whole bedroom is all CB2, but you wouldn't know it unless I tell you.” (36:48)

Working Solo and Carefully Scaling

• Lean Team Philosophy: Prefers to work alone, with part-time assistance; values control and creative clarity (14:29-15:39).
• Creativity & Rest: Needs periods of rest and minimal distraction for creative work—best ideas come while traveling or relaxing (16:22-17:44).
  • Quote: “I have to be at rest for me to create.” (16:22)

Client Relationships & Transparency

• Mutual Fit & Aesthetics: Social media presence acts as a prequal—allows clients to come in knowing his aesthetic and approach (19:18-20:10).
  • Quote: "If they follow me on social media ... they know what to expect. They know what they're getting." (19:18)
• Upfront Conversations on Money: No hesitation in discussing budget and pricing immediately; only takes on projects meeting his fee minimums (21:15-26:27).
  • Quote: “I'm having that conversation about money right from the beginning... And if you can’t, it’s okay.” (22:49)

Social Media as the Bedrock of Business

• Evolution of Strategy: Shifted from only posting work to showcasing personality; this attracted more followers and led to brand partnerships (27:16-27:29).
  • Quote: “I realized when I started showing more of who I was and my personality, that is when the followers came along. And that’s when brands started to take notice.” (27:16)
• Brand Partnerships: Organic, real-time tagging and sharing with brands led to lucrative collaborations (28:18).
  • Notable Partnership: Initiated partnership with CB2 by directly reaching out about a product, leading to a larger collaboration (27:29-28:18).
• Advice from Tyra Banks: “Different is better than better”—be yourself and show your process to connect with clients and brands (28:39).
• Content Authenticity: Prioritizes authentic posting over algorithms; posts when inspired, not just to fill a schedule (34:11-35:28).

Pivoting Business to Focus on Partnerships

• Strategic Selectivity: Aspires to do only a couple of major projects per year, focusing more on partnerships, blending them with client work for mutual benefit (31:51-32:53).
  • Quote: “...I want to be more selective about taking on projects... the rest is all brand partnership. ... For the client, they're like, I'm getting free stuff. And Kohler's like, I'm getting my content. So it's really a win-win situation for everyone.” (31:51-32:53)

Rethinking Success

• What Success Looks Like: Freedom—financial, creative, and personal—is Alvin's definition of success (42:03).
  • Quote: “Success is freedom...to just live life and be unapologetically myself. That is definitely success for me.” (42:03)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• No Discovery Call Policy:
  "I don't do a discovery call. It's like you either want me or you don't. We do the consultation and I decide whether I want to work with you or not. It's a New York thing." – Alvin Wayne (00:02, 07:32)

• On Growing into Confidence:
  "I wish I had more confidence in myself to be able to really lean into that I don't care side of me because I think that I don't care side of me enables me to have difficult conversations right off the bat." (41:29)

• Retail Can Be Luxe:
  “My whole bedroom is all CB2, but you wouldn’t know it unless I tell you. It’s all about how you mix things together, and it’s about mixing high and low.” (36:48)

• Power of Social Media Authenticity:
  “Different is better than better. ... people need to get to know me. ... Now when I show up in clients’ houses, they're like, yep, you're the same Alvin from Instagram. And I love it.” (28:39)

• On Limiting Client Numbers:
  "I want to be very selective ... only doing two major projects a year, and the rest is all brand partnership." (31:51)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• Alvin's Early Career + Design Beginnings (02:09–03:48)
• Pandemic Pivot & Full-time Design (04:03–04:46)
• Client Process Evolution & No-Discovery Call Approach (06:08–07:50)
• Paid Consultations & Project Workflow (08:46–12:17)
• Retail Sourcing Philosophy (12:19–14:20, 36:48–40:10)
• Working Solo, Control & Creativity (14:29–16:18)
• Creativity & Rest (16:22–17:44)
• Social Media Brand Partnerships Begin (27:16–28:18)
• Impact of Authentic Social Media Presence (28:39–30:29)
• Business Model Pivot to Brand Partnerships (31:51–32:53)
• Authenticity over Algorithms (34:11–36:30)
• Retail vs. Custom Debate (36:48–40:10)
• Defining Success (42:03)

Conclusion

Alvin Wayne’s episode on Trade Tales is a masterclass in authenticity, boundary-setting, and leveraging the power of social media to redefine and grow a design business. From dispelling industry stigmas to integrating brand partnerships, Alvin’s story is both practical and inspiring, particularly for creatives looking to balance their art, values, and income on their own terms. His advice resonates for anyone aiming to build a business—and a life—rooted in clarity, confidence, and true individuality.