Building a better business takes the right perspective. In this podcast from Houzz Pro, we talk with thought leaders in residential construction and design to get their take on a range of topics—from best practices for sales and project management to industry insights for future-proofing your firm.
1 Like
Emily, how are professionals chosen? I would be very interested
I have been on other podcasts and really enjoyed it.
Thanks
Melinda Cabanilla
Cabanilla Design Collective
Hi Melinda,
We typically look for unique perspectives and experiences. Email me about your public speaking or publishing experience, and share the perspective you’d like to provide on the podcast. I’ll share with the team. cameron.jahn@houzz.com
thanks,
Cam
Hi Cameron,
Thank you for the opportunity to share my perspective for The Pro Perspective podcast. I’m excited by the show’s focus on sharing critical industry knowledge and unique methods for success with the design and construction community.
I have two distinct, timely topics I believe would resonate strongly with the Houzz professional audience, both fitting the desire for a unique perspective:
Option 1: AI as a Collaborative Design Partner & Unique Value Creation
My primary pitch is on how design professionals can shift their mindset to view Artificial Intelligence not as a competitive threat, but as an essential, collaborative partner in the design process.
This discussion is particularly unique because it focuses on the specialized consulting niche this knowledge has created for me. I teach other firms (construction, build, and design) how to leverage AI to create a unique value proposition for their own clients:
-
The AI as Partner Mindset: Moving beyond fear to embrace AI as a tool that saves countless hours and money, allowing designers to focus on high-touch client relationships.
-
The Power of Visualization: Demonstrating practical applications like using AI to enhance your designs with virtual staging, instant renovations, and generating video walkthroughs along with Houzz AI tools to create truly unique design concepts. See my Houzz Profile, project link: “Luxury Car Condo Tampa FL” for the kinds of virtual renovations, videos etc I provide clients.
-
A Consultative Niche: Sharing my experience as a consultant helping other firms incorporate this rapidly (almost daily) advancing technology, bringing a unique perspective on how to stand out and save time for maximum profitability.
Option 2: Designing the Extreme Niche: Luxury Car Condos (The Next Ultra-Luxury Property)
This offers a highly specialized, trend-focused look into my primary design niche in luxury car condo design! (I have attached my clients review on my Google biz profile, more to come).
This is a deep-dive into the “Lessons in Luxury” area, emphasizing the national growth potential in an underutilized market:
-
Trend Forecasting: I see this as the next ultra-luxury property, blending high-end residential design with commercial functionality (like my recently completed car condo design at Iron Gate Motor Condos in Naperville IL, below is my clients review and a quick sneak peak of this recently completed project).
-
The Unique Value Blend: I would discuss the challenges and opportunities in merging two distinct design disciplines to create spaces that cater to the exacting demands of both the vehicle and the owner.
-
The Passion Niche: My background as a massive car enthusiast provides a unique authenticity that opens doors in this specialized market and allows me to better understand the collector’s mindset—a critical lesson in finding and capitalizing on a growing niche.
Public Speaking & Publishing Experience
I am very comfortable and experienced in communicating complex ideas to a professional audience:
-
Podcast Experience: I have been a guest on a prior industry podcast, successfully articulating my specialized business knowledge.
-
Published Work: My design work has been featured in several industry and regional publications, demonstrating market recognition and a proven ability to generate compelling content.
-
Client-Facing Comfort: My background as a real estate agent at Berkshire Hathaway and have been a design entrepreneur for the last 18 years. My current work with face-to-face work and presentations with large developers means I am highly comfortable and articulate in high-stakes, client-facing environments.
I look forward to hearing which of these unique perspectives would be the best fit for an upcoming episode of The Pro Perspective.
Thank you again for your consideration.
Melinda Cabanilla
Cabanilla Design Collective
