Why No One Hires You for Your Design Portfolio

Last October, when I was at High Point Market, I told the story of 100 interior designers who said "no" to me. This October, I watched nearly 300 people show up for LuAnn Nigara. This is behind the scenes of my most recent trip to High Point Market (October 2026). LuAnn’s podcast, A Well-Designed Business, turned 10 this year. She threw a party, and we premiered the fifth episode of her docuseries. (If you haven't watched Ep 1-4, you can watch them here:    • Part 1: Foundation | Well-Designed Busines...  ) There’s a myth that good work speaks for itself. It doesn’t. The design is only 10%. The rest is you. Almost 300 people packed the Design Master Furniture showroom to celebrate LuAnn. Not the podcast, even though it’s what she created. No, they came for LuAnn. 10 years of showing up and being her unapologetic, New Jersey, tell-you-like-it-is… self. Can you imagine that? Can you imagine having the courage to be… YOU? As LuAnn said, “Open the damn door and walk through it.” 00:00 - Your favorite interior designers 00:45 - Does your work speak for itself? 02:10 - LuAnn Nigara’s 10-year party 02:57 - Open the damn door