Episode Details

In this episode, Rebecca and Shaun welcome back their friend Claire Jones, founder of Etch & Ivy Design in Sacramento. From quarter-life crisis to full-time interior designer, Claire shares how community, boundaries, and a recent business retreat reshaped the way she approaches her design firm.

The trio dives deep into mastermind dynamics, defining your ideal client (hint: it’s not based on Diet Coke preferences), setting minimums, managing anxiety in your workflow, and the power of surrounding yourself with designers who challenge and inspire you. It’s honest, hilarious, and full of real talk about leveling up without losing yourself.

In this episode they discuss:

1. How one brave lunch invitation led to a thriving design community and the creation of Happy Hour Design Collective
2. The evolution of Etch & Ivy Design and what it looks like to grow a business around your life (not the other way around)
3. Why defining your ideal client is about boundaries, not beverages
4. Setting design fee and purchasing minimums—and actually sticking to them
5. Time blocking, capacity limits, and how anxiety shows up differently for every designer
6. The value of retreats, masterminds, and getting outside your bubble to avoid stagnation
7. Why you don’t have to do business like everyone else (goodbye, unnecessary automations)
8. A spicy Facebook rant about $100K kitchens—and why some thoughts belong in your diary

Mentioned:

1. Happy Hour Design Collective - Instagram
2. Etch & Ivy Design - Instagram
3. Anything But Vanilla Podcast - Instagram

Our links:

1. Subscribe and leave a review - Apple Podcasts
2. Like, Comment, & Follow - Hot Young Designers Club Instagram
3. Rebecca’s Instagram
4. Shaun’s Instagram
5. For more information - Check out the website