June Happenings: Advice, Events and Ericka Saurit's E3 Storytelling!
June Happenings: Advice, Events and Ericka Saurit's E3 Storytelling!
DSA Insider: Contract Tips, Events and Fresh Reads
Design Contract Tip From Attorney Wendy Estela:
Tip No. 2: Always use written contracts, even with long-term clients.
Always use written contracts, even with long-term clients. Verbal agreements are difficult to enforce and leave room for misinterpretation. Capture all changes with a change order when possible - emails are good, change orders are better.
A change order is a formal, written amendment to a contract that alters the original terms, including the scope of work, timeline or budget. To make a change order, simply identify the change needed, then draft a detailed change order outline the scope of the change, its impact on cost and schedule, and any necessary adjustments to the contract.
Upcoming Events
Lightovation: Dallas International Lighting Show
June 18–21 | Dallas, Texas
As North America's largest residential lighting tradeshow, Lightovation presents a comprehensive range of indoor and outdoor lighting products, ceiling fans, smart systems and associated accessories. Buyers can explore new product debuts, trend-forward collections, and leading global brands, while gaining valuable insights from top industry professionals. Learn more HERE.
Atlanta Market–Summer 2025
July 16-21 | Atlanta, Georgia
Mark your calendars! The Atlanta Market returns July 15-21, bringing together the best in home décor, lifestyle and interior design. Discover the latest trends, connect with top brands and get inspired for the season ahead. Whether you’re sourcing for clients or scouting new ideas, this is a must-attend event for design professionals! Check it out HERE.
Décor Tours
2025 Travel Lineup; DSA Member Discounts
Décor Tours, a travel experience company created by interior designers for interior designers, has announced its fall 2025 lineup of international design tours AND DSA members are eligible for exclusive discounts.
These curated trips offer participants the opportunity to explore celebrated and emerging design destinations through a professional lens, combining education, cultural immersion and elevated travel experiences.
2025 tour highlights include:
Paris (September): A longtime favorite, the Paris tour includes access to lesser-known ateliers, flea markets and design landmarks.
Provence (September): Explore charming towns, regional markets and authentic French countryside design, all set against a scenic backdrop.
New York City (November): Discover some of the best design resourcing, inspiration and build-your-business information the city has to offer.
Décor Tours is extending a 10% discount on any 2025 tour package to current DSA members. To redeem the offer, members can use the code DSA25 during registration.
Founded over a decade ago by designers Deb Barrett and Susan Schultz, Décor Tours was established with the goal of “showing, not telling” fellow professionals the depth and breadth of design inspiration available beyond traditional showrooms and sample books. Since then, the company has led small-group tours to Paris, London, Venice, Provence, and Portugal, consistently prioritizing meaningful connections, hands-on exploration, and unexpected inspiration.
Fresh Reads
Living with Flowers By Aerin Lauder
Aerin Lauder, founder and creative visionary behind Aerin (a global lifestyle brand that creates cosmetics, fashion accessories and home décor) shares ideas for how to bring flowers into your home, entertaining and décor, inspiring special occasions and everyday moments with beauty and joy in her new book. From fresh bouquets to floral patterns on wallpaper, fabric and tabletop pieces, Lauder’s Living with Flowers shows the ways she brings flowers into her home. Learn more HERE.
Marketing Tips With Ericka Saurit: Why we buy.
By Ericka Saurit
Understanding our core emotional motivations for, well… pretty much everything.
Last month, we talked about positioning—how defining the space you want to own in your client’s mind makes your brand more focused, more magnetic, and more you.
This month, we’re going a level deeper. Because even when you know who your ideal client is, there’s still one essential question left:
What actually makes them say yes?
Enter: motivation.
We like to think people make buying decisions based on logical things like budgets. Timelines. Photos in our portfolio. Square footage. Resale value.
But in reality, most decisions, especially in design, are motivated by our emotions.
People don’t buy features. They buy feelings.
The best marketing campaigns in the world tap into the emotional motivation behind why we make purchase decisions. Maybe your clients want to feel more confident. More seen. More at peace in their own home. More inspired. More creative, perhaps. More connected. You get it…
They’re not just investing in furniture or finishes, they’re investing in how they want to feel about themselves when the work is done.
Your job as a brand is to understand those emotional motivations, and reflect them back in a way that feels honest (and never manipulative).
And here’s where things get interesting: Most designers are saying too much in their marketing. Too many words, too many features, too many details that miss the point.
If you can tap into what your client really wants—and speak to it with simplicity and empathy—you’ll stand out more by saying less.
Here’s how to put this into practice:
Uncover the real reason…
Think of your last three clients. What were they really looking for? A beautiful kitchen or a place to host Thanksgiving for the first time? A better floor plan or a place where everyone wants to gather each weekend? Make a list of what they asked for and what was underneath it.
Name that feeling.
Pick 3–5 core emotions your ideal clients want to feel more of (do they yearn to be seen or heard? To feel inspired or more creative? To cultivate a sense of belonging for their family and friends?) Start using those words in your messaging and conversations, not just the deliverables.
Use “so that” statements.
In your marketing, don’t just talk about the what (custom furniture, beautiful finishes, your seamless process). Show them the why: so that you can finally relax in a space that feels like you. So that your mornings feel easier and everyone gets out the door on time. So that your home supports the person you desire to become.
Design is the service.
But transformation is the product.
Next month, we’ll shift focus to the people on the other side of the screen, because knowing who you're talking to is just as important as knowing why they care. We'll talk about why marketing is like dating, and how defining your ideal client is one of the most creatively aligned moves you can make.
DSA Member Special Offer:
DSA members can now save $500 on enrollment in Marketing School for Creatives (MSC), Ericka Saurit’s signature program designed to help creative entrepreneurs build a clear, confident, and consistent marketing strategy—without the overwhelm. With lifetime access to the core curriculum, expert-led workshops, live support, and a library of templates and tools, MSC is a must for any designer ready to level up.
12-month access to step-by-step video training
25+ expert-led workshops (AI, SEO, PR, Instagram + more)
Live coaching, event access, and done-for-you templates
$33,000+ in total value
Pay just $997 (normally $1,497) with code: DSA-500-25
More details can be found in your DSA Member account under the DSA Member Benefits tab. Reach out to support@dsasociety.org for help. Start building a marketing plan that actually works! Be sure to keep up with Saurit Creative on socials!
AI in Design: Episode 5 — How These AI-powered Prompts Can Help Your Business Direction
In the latest episode of AI in Design, Jenna Gaidusek tackles a timely challenge many designers are facing: how to refine or reinvent your service offerings when inquiries start to slow.
Whether you’re seeing fewer leads or simply feeling the urge to pivot, Jenna helps navigate how these AI-powered prompts can help you clarify your direction — and turn what you love doing into what your ideal clients are ready to invest in.
In this month’s episode, Jenna provides us with a prompt designed to act like your personal business strategist. You’ll explore:
What lights you up creatively
Where your skills shine the most
What your clients truly want — and will pay for
And how to eliminate burnout work while doubling down on what sells
Get 30% off a subscription to The DAIly—a premier AI training program designed for creative professionals. Gain access to bite-sized daily lessons, expert insights, and live events to help you integrate AI into your business with confidence. No coupon needed—just sign up and start transforming the way you work with AI today!
Marketing and Branding: Making Sure Clients See You as the Solution
“If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.” —David Brier, Award-Winning Brand Expert and Rebranding Specialist
One of the biggest misconceptions Ericka Saurit—founder of Saurit Creative and Marketing School for Creatives—hears from interior designers is that marketing feels salesy.
However, she believes good marketing can be an educational tool that helps interior designers position themselves as thought leaders, helpers, resources and guides in our industry.
“The more you feel like that’s true, the less marketing will feel salesy,” she says. “Marketing really isn’t about you. It’s a conversation. It’s all about making sure clients see you as the solution to what they’re looking for.”
We had the pleasure of interviewing Saurit recently to learn more about her journey in interior design, her Marketing School for Creatives, what strategies she believes interior designers should embrace when looking to gain high-quality clients, evolving trends in digital marketing and much, much more.
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Living with Flowers By Aerin Lauder
