The Trend Report
Welcome to The Trend Report, your inside look at the people, products, and ideas shaping the future of workplace design. This podcast takes you behind the scenes of the office furniture industry and the broader interior design community. Hosted by industry veteran Sid Meadows, each episode dives deep into the conversations, trends, and strategies shaping the future of our industry.
From insightful interviews with industry innovators, brand builders, design leaders, CEOs, and changemakers to real-world discussions on workplace trends, sales strategies, and furniture design, The Trend Report delivers the knowledge and inspiration you need to stay ahead. Whether it’s exploring how workplace design impacts the future of work, uncovering innovations in commercial furniture, or understanding the connection between real estate and design, this is your inside look at the ever-changing world of contract interiors.
If you’re an architect, interior designer, manufacturer, dealer, or simply passionate about the office furniture and design industry, this podcast is your trusted guide to what’s now and what’s next.
To learn more, please visit https://www.sidmeadows.com/podcast
Episodes
184 episodes
CEO Chat with Chris Hanes of Officeworks
Sid talks with Officeworks CEO Chris Hanes about leading through consolidation while stepping into a bigger role and keeping the dealer business grounded in trust, process, and people. They dig into coaching, talent development across generatio...
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Hot Takes with Michelle Warren of The Collaborative Network
Sid spins the Hot Takes Wheel with Michelle Warren of The Collaborative Network and Catalyst Consulting. They unpack the questions that keep the contract furniture world debating what works. Michelle and Sid get specific about direct sales, hyb...
3form's New AI Visualization Tool + More with Karli Slocum & Cosmo Kramer
Sid is digging into what it looks like when AI moves from headlines to real workflow inside a contract interiors manufacturer. Karli Slocum and Cosmo Kramer break down how 3form uses digital visualization and an AI knowledge agent to speed up a...
Hot Takes with Larry Leete of KiSP
Welcome back to another Hot Takes episode, this time with Larry Lee of KISP. Sid and Larry trade honest exchanges on what moves the contract furniture industry forward. They dig into why distribution and discoverability can beat “new product” h...
The Future of the Independent Rep with Ed Eisaman
Ed Eisaman joins Sid to talk about how the independent rep model is evolving into a capital-intensive, service-heavy business that still runs on a backbone of relationships. We get specific about what’s working right now, what’s breaking under ...
Innovation at the Intersection of Workplace & Technology with Avanto
We talk with Avanto leaders Matt Danyliw and Leonardo Vargas about what “operationalised innovation” looks like when AI moves from talk to execution across the contract interiors ecosystem. We break down the shift from AI tools that only automa...
10 to Win: Savannah Bananas - The Courage to do Business Differently
What would change in your business if you truly put your customers first?Sid explores how the Savannah Bananas used courage and a fans-first mindset to turn a failing team into a phenomenon, then map those lessons to customer experience ...
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The Best Years of Workplace Design are Still Ahead with Todd Bracher of Humanscale
Sid connects sustainability, design, and the future of work with Todd Bracher of Humanscale, tracing his craft-first roots in Europe to a clear framework: form follows function, and function follows context. They unpack the Path Chair’s net pos...
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Hot Takes with Amanda Schneider of ThinkLab
Welcome back to the new Trend Report segment called Hot Takes. Join Sid along with Amanda Schneider as they challenge the idea that our industry sells products and argue for outcomes, ease, and risk reduction as the real value. Along the way th...
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Building Effective A&D Partnerships with Krystal Lucero
Senior Interior Designer, Krystal Lucero, and Sid explore how to earn trust and build durable relationships between product sellers and the design community. From fast, accurate support to visible thought leadership and inclusive mentorship, th...
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10 to Win: Fresh Start & Big Ideas
Sid explores why gratitude is a performance multiplier and how simple daily habits can raise trust, engagement, and results without adding more work. Learn four practical practices to balance high standards with real humanity and change how tea...
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The AI Basics You Need in Your Business with Hunter Jensen
Hunter Jensen of Barefoot Solutions, and Sid unpack why AI is moving so fast and the important basics leaders skip during implementation and use: data quality, governance, and a focused strategy that targets real ROI. Hunter shares ...
Hot Takes with Doug Shapiro
Join Doug Shapiro and Sid as they tackle the biggest sales and showroom challenges in the contract interiors industry — from outdated cold calling and bid-driven selling to training that fails to stick. Learn how leading teams are shifting to t...
CEO Chat with Bryce Stuckenschneider of Loftwall
We kick off season seven with Bryce Stuckenschneider, CEO of Loftwall, to explore how privacy-first design, flexible architecture, and AI-forward practices can reshape the workplace while keeping people at the center. We also unveil...
Bonus Episode: Season 7 Trailer
Welcome to Season 7 of The Trend Report. This opens with a clear plan and a sharper purpose: weekly episodes that blend deep interviews, fast Hot Takes, and 10‑minute professional wins. We invite listeners to help shape topics, join a new Insid...
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The Deep Dive: Season Six Wrap Up
We're doing things a bit differently today. In an effort to show you practical uses for AI, I've put all of the transcripts from Season 6 in and AI platform called Notebook LM. It then created what it calls "The Deep Dive", a podcast episode wi...
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Design As a Force for Good with Lisa Gralnek of iF Design
We explore how design moves beyond aesthetics into systems, platforms, and policies, and how iF Design advances that mission through a global award, a new academy, and a rising sustainability standard. Lisa shares practical examples, from packa...
CEO Chat with Karen John with Heartwork
We sit down with Heartwork founder Karen John to explore how travel, Italian design culture, and a love of craft shaped a U.S. manufacturing brand that treats storage as a culture-building tool.We chat about:• curiosity, travel, ...
Content Creation Steps with Adrian Leal
Adrian Leal returns to discuss practical steps for starting or improving your content strategy and focusing on authenticity and impact rather than perfection.Resources:Episode 163
10 to Win: Professional Development Starts with You
Professional development is your responsibility, not your employer's. People who take ownership of their personal growth receive salary increases 2.5 times higher than those who don't actively invest in themselves.• Professional growth ...
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Federal Government Myth Busters with Michelle Warren and Ryan Hay
Public sector sales represent a third of the furniture industry's market at approximately $4-6 billion annually, offering recession-proof opportunities with transparent purchasing processes and accessible information for strategic selling appro...
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Content + Thought Leadership with Adrian Leal
Join Sid as he and Adrian Leal explore how creating authentic content and establishing thought leadership can transform sales success in the office furniture industry. They discuss how content creation builds lasting professional relationships ...
Understanding Industry Technology with Kari Anderson
Kari Anderson, of the Techbox Creative, joins Sid to dive into the complex world of technology in the office furniture industry, exploring challenges, solutions, and future trends that impact every aspect of the business.• Technology sh...
10 to Win: The Power of Everyday Innovation in Your Business
We are exploring the power of everyday innovation in business, looking at how small, thoughtful touches can transform customer experiences and create lasting value.Innovation creates new value by transforming ideas, methods, or prod...
The Birth of Kabin: From Cardboard to Revolution with Walter Craven
Walter Craven created Kabin during lockdown to solve his desperate need for personal space, transforming a cardboard prototype into a revolutionary office product that gives users control over their environment.Kabin is not an acous...
