PODCAST: Tips for Finding and Working with Design Influencers

In this episode of our podcast, host Shelby Skrhak sat down with Elle H-Millard, interior designer and insider for the National Kitchen and Bath Association, to sort through the truths and myths of working with social media influencers in design, and tips for becoming one too.

“Long gone are the days of print ads,” H-Millard said, remarking that even attention for digital ads is waning.

The social media influencer said it’s important to remember that quality is better than quantity when it comes to measuring an influencer’s social following. H-Millard explained in her case when she posts about her favorite products or manufacturers such as HanStone, her followers' followers can make all the difference in influencing others in the industry.

This is especially true in design, where the industry runs on trusted word of mouth suggestions from other professionals, and influences are extremely visual.

ABOUT ELLE H-MILLARD:
Interior design expert Elle H-Millard, CKD, is editor-at-large for the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA), where she also serves as an NKBA Insider — an ambassador representing the association and promoting the highest standards of kitchen and bath design and remodeling across the country and internationally.

NKBA is the world’s leading trade association dedicated to promoting all aspects of the kitchen and bath design and remodeling business — from design, construction, manufacturing and retail to education and professional development of its membership and fostering excellence in all quarters of the industry. The association also owns the Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS), North America’s largest and most comprehensive trade expo in the residential kitchen and bath space.

A trend forecasting consultant, H-Millard holds NKBA’s coveted certification in kitchen design. She started her career pursuing a Master of Fine Arts degree in sculpture at the University of the Arts, Philadelphia, where understanding the relationship between positive and negative space became more than a passion. She transitioned to interiors, specifically commercial kitchens and eateries, working as a restaurant designer for national brands. Her creative concepts increased sales of design services by $5 million in a single year.

H-Millard was one of 11 cast to be on HGTV’s “Design Star” series, where she competed to host her own show, and was featured in Philadelphia Magazine Elegant Wedding for her innovative use of mundane materials to create wearable art at her own wedding. Today, she presents and participates in think-tank group discussions, creates kitchen and bath concepts for product development, and travels to trade and consumer events around the world in search of the latest design directions and the Next Big Thing in the kitchen and bath universe.