Inside the Nest | Q2
Our mission is to equip interior designers and their businesses with the tools, insights, and support needed for success.
In this edition, we’re sharing exciting updates to IDnest—specifically around Assignments and Time Tracking—to help streamline your workflow with greater clarity and ease. You’ll also find valuable industry trends curated to keep you ahead of the curve, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the incredible team driving our work in this quarter’s Employee Spotlight. Don’t miss Janson’s Journal, where Ruth Ann offers thoughtful reflections and noteworthy recommendations to inspire your business journey.
Whether you're fine-tuning your operations or looking for a different outlook to grow your business, we're here with smart solutions and expertise. Let’s get started.
Master Your Business with Assignments, Time Tracking, and AI Chat Support
IDnest is leveling up your interior design business with three game-changing features that are set to transform how you manage your business and unleash your creative potential!
Assignments | A Dynamic Solution to Manage Your Tasks: First, dive into Assignments, our dynamic task management powerhouse that lets you create shared to-do lists, assign tasks with ease, and prioritize like a pro using customizable tags and statuses—perfect for keeping your team aligned, projects on track, and chaos at bay.
Streamline Your Day | The Power of Seamless Time Tracking: Then, discover Time Tracking, a seamless tool for logging billable and non-billable hours, filtering entries by project or status, and even using built-in timers to ensure accurate invoicing and workload balance—and the best part? Both Assignments and Time Tracking are included in the base cost of just $25 a month, giving you incredible value right from the start to maximize profit.
Meet Your New Assistant | The Power of a Personalized AI Chatbot: Finally, we are excited to provide you with a personalized AI chatbot, seamlessly integrated into the left-hand navigation of your IDnest interface for quick and convenient access, serving as your intelligent sidekick that delivers smart insights tailored to your unique business needs.
This custom chatbot will offer personalized recommendations based on your business data and brand to make decision-making faster and smarter than ever before—all while incorporating the highest level of data security to safeguard your sensitive information, ensuring complete owner privacy. Owners have the power to assign user permissions so only trusted team members can access your company's chatbot.
If you haven’t joined IDnest, click below to schedule a demo and see how these workflow improvements can boost your productivity.
BE A LIFELONG LEARNER
I am always filled with newfound energy and inspiration upon return from High Point Market. And Spring 2025 Market was no exception. One insightful point made by a seasoned designer during a panel resonated with me: it’s essential to share content from Market on social media, not just to showcase beautiful products and friendly faces, but to highlight the investment in learning, continually honing your craft, and staying informed about trends impacting the interior design community.
As we grow older, it can be easy to focus solely on the daily demands of our professions, often neglecting to engage in new and sometimes challenging experiences. Taking the time to learn and practice new skills is where true greatness lies.
In short, embrace the mindset of a lifelong learner.
As I warned, always expect a quote from me, and here’s a wonderful one from architect and furniture designer Eileen Gray:
“To create, one must first question everything. Never adopt someone else’s conclusion without putting it to the test of your own reasoning and imagination.”
At High Point, discussions ranged from navigating tariffs and time billing strategies to defining the ideal client. It became clear that there are no definitive answers, as panelists and speakers shared insights from their personal experiences. I enjoy most the panels with contradictory viewpoints – soaking those up and processing through my own lens and perspective to grow new and improved ideas of my own.
Whether it's staying updated on design trends or changes to sales tax regulations and Instagram algorithms—as we do here at The Dove Agency—it's vital to keep learning. If you stop learning, you stop being the best for your clients and your company. Lifelong learners are generally better problem solvers, more technically proficient, and adaptable, all of which contribute to career advancement and increased earnings.
Beyond these obvious benefits, the mindset of a lifelong learner also fosters positive social connections, providing more opportunities to network and meet new people. Additionally, research published in the Journal of Happiness Studies highlights the mental health benefits of ongoing learning, including increased life satisfaction and reduced anxiety and depression.
So, keep learning! Make it clear to your clients and everyone you encounter on your professional journey—including your team, vendors, and professional network—that continuous learning is a priority for you and your business. This topic is so exciting, it deserves one more quote to close:
"Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever." — Mahatma Gandhi
Thank you for being a part of The Dove Agency. Together, let’s keep moving your business forward.
Warmly,
Scroll-Worthy Reads: Our Top Online Finds
1. Better Communication
Possibly the lowest budget business launch of all time – Jefferson Fisher started in 2022 by videoing himself in the front seat of his car discussing three quick communication tips to then post on Instagram. His tips are straight-forward, easy to digest, and cover a variety of widely relatable personal and professional topics. He is now on a nationwide book tour and has 6 million Instagram followers. In his words, a better world begins with better communication.
Discover Jefferson Fisher’s journey and tips here.
Follow him on Instagram: @jefferson_fisher
2. Tariffs Times Two
Tariffs are on everyone’s mind, and opinions abound. For the latest from the go-to source on business-related topics for designers, check out Business of Home Design Daily. BOH is attacking the topic from all angles and has the in-house and industry expertise to bring relevant and timely takes to help designers navigate this challenging issue. There is comfort in the perspective recently shared in the linked article that designers will always have obstacles and that transparency and continual communication with your client are critical.
Some are taking a more playful approach to the tariff topic. In the spirit (no pun intended) of bringing multiple angles to this conversation, we came across this interesting twist offered by one bank on the tariff discussion. The best line comes near the end of the read: nobody knows anything!
3. Inspiration and Enrichment
Looking for a weekly dose of inspiration? The Sunday Paper, founded by Maria Shriver in 1981, is your perfect companion. Delivered every Sunday morning, this digital publication celebrates “big thinkers, leaders, and visionaries moving humanity forward.” It’s packed with news highlights, book recommendations—fiction and nonfiction—interview snippets, essays, and poetry.
If you’re aiming to become a better human (or simply seeking fresh insights), The Sunday Paper offers plenty to ponder.
4. Happier at Work?
What if your workday could be a little more joyful? Yale Professor and founder of The Happiness Lab, Dr. Laurie Santos, shares practical insights on living happier at work. From the value of having a “work bestie” to innovative ideas like job crafting and time affluence, her insights (and those of the lively hosts of The Morning Brew) offer relatable, actionable advice for all ages—yes, even us design pros spending long hours on projects.
Say Hello to BRITNAI MIRITELLO
At The Dove Agency, creativity and strategy go hand in hand, and Britnai Miritello (better known as "B" to her clients) brings both to the table in everything she does. As our Senior Manager of Brand Development, Britnai blends her expertise in graphic design and communication strategy with a genuine passion for client relationships. With more than a decade of experience and a strong background in brand management, she plays a key role in shaping our clients’ visual identities and messaging. Her thoughtful approach, creative energy, and commitment to excellence have made her an essential part of our team. We’re excited to shine a spotlight on Britnai and give you a glimpse into the talent behind the work!
What drew you to The Dove Agency initially?
I loved that it was a small agency. I came from a lot of corporate companies across different fields. I found a Facebook ad that The Doves had posted that didn’t necessarily fit my role, but I applied anyway. When I heard they wanted to meet with me, I couldn’t wait to show them what I had been working on. I came in and interviewed, and I fell in love—and have been here ever since.
How has your role evolved since you started here?
My role initially focused on graphic design and content development—all the visuals. Now, I’m doing a lot of copywriting and bringing the two mediums together: visuals and copy. I also used to get caught in the weeds with logistical things—like where a graphic should be placed on a website, how a logo should appear, or what the brochure layout should be. Now, it's evolved into asking bigger-picture questions: What are the items we can address that our clients will really care about? What’s really going to move the needle for them? It’s become much more strategy-focused, which helps guide everything that follows.
Click below to learn more about Britnai in our Q&A.