Our live sessions have been reimagined to cover a wider variety of industry-related topics and professional development skills from subject matter experts. Explore June’s lineup of experts below and stay tuned for the opportunity to register for their sessions – invites will be hitting inboxes soon!
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The Expert: Laura Guido-Clark
The Topic: Understanding Color and Its Impact on Design
Laura Guido-Clark is an expert in the skin of consumer products – their color, materials, and finish. Throughout her twenty-plus year career, she has analyzed the conscious and unconscious influences that drive buying decisions. She has been dubbed an ‘Experience Consultant’ because of her ability to translate those influences into prescient forecasting and concrete applications of color and finish for new products.
In 2017, Laura launched her groundbreaking color methodology called LOVE GOOD COLOR. LOVE GOOD COLOR integrates science and the senses, enabling designers to factor in emotive response when using color. It is a language-based system that facilitates selection confidence and efficacy while simplifying and reducing iterations. LOVE GOOD COLOR has been used by designers from various firms including Gensler, IA, Adobe, Atlassian, and Studio O+A.
Laura has helped companies such as Herman Miller, HP, Samsung, and Toyota use color and materials on their products that resonate with consumers and succeed in competitive markets. Her textile and pattern design includes work for HBF, Pallas, Carnegie, and FLOR. Laura’s expertise ranges from textiles to consumer products such as automotive, electronics, and major household appliances. Learn more about Laura’s design work at Laura Guido-Clark Design.
The Expert: Sonja Bochart
The Topic: The Benefits of Biophilic Design
Sonja’s background in creating meaningful and healthy spaces can be found in her over 25 years of experience as a designer, shaping spaces for connection, healing, and overall well-being. An avid designer, speaker, educator, and writer, Sonja promotes thoughtfulness and leading-edge innovations of a regenerative design approach focusing on social and ecological well-being. Her design portfolio includes award-winning educational, community, international, cultural, residential, and corporate spaces.
Sonja’s designs and workshops integrate leading-edge biophilia principles, mindfulness, evidence-based design, storytelling, and sustainability to create holistic places of wellness, inspiration, and transformation. With her design, approach, and workshops informed much in part by her expertise as a certified master-level yoga teacher and Reiki master, she brings a unique, compelling, and thoughtful mindfulness approach for the projects.
Sonja is also able to effectively facilitate leadership, community, and project design workshops. Her work traverses design services, artwork and furniture integration, product design, and consulting – and is informed by the latest research relative to strategy and human emotional, physiological, and physical health. Visit her website to learn more.
The Expert: Michelle Warren
The Topic: Demystifying the Public Sector
Michelle Warren is President of Catalyst Consulting Group, a firm specializing in providing strategic solutions to the commercial furniture industry to enhance companies’ sales and positioning within their industry and distribution.
Having been in the commercial furniture industry for over 25 years with experience on both the dealer and manufacturer side of the industry, she has an in-depth understanding of and experience in creating programs to target and sell to the Federal Government, State Government, Higher Education, as well as working with Cooperative Purchasing organizations.
Creating Sales strategies, strategic planning, 3-5 year road mapping, targeted marketing plans, distribution development, and training for reps and/or dealers have been numbered among her work.
She is known as a “serial networker” in the furniture industry and enjoys meeting people and making connections happen. If you want to connect with Michelle, you can reach her at Michelle@strategic-catalyst.com.
The Expert: LeAnn Pashina
The Topic: The Psychology of Seat Selection
LeAnn Pashina is the founder of Creatively Communicate, Inc, speaker, author, and salesperson. With over 30 years in corporate furniture sales, LeAnn has experienced directly how communication and winning the sale are all in “how you say it.”
She is an expert in sales and communication skills training, including how exceptional communication skills accelerate trust, build an instant rapport, and positively influence decision-making behavior. She empowers entrepreneurs and business professionals to create even more success by clarifying the sales conversation. Most people are trained to only focus on what they say and not how they say it. Non-verbal communication is the hidden tool that provides the added edge in your business.
After years of attending meetings, LeAnn researched the psychology of learning as it applies to room layouts. She continued her research and understanding of all the various components of a meeting; room layout, table shape, personalities, and psychology; the book “Sit Your Way To Success” was created to provide all to use.