523 - Irina Otto - Every Single Piece Commands and Demands Something Different
Sew Much More
Irina Otto is the owner of , a licensed and bonded California contractor specializing in luxury custom draperies, shades, motorization, bedding, and soft furnishings. With more than 22 years of experience, she has built her business from a small garage operation into a respected full-service firm serving high-end residential projects. Known for blending artistry with technical expertise, Irina is passionate about elevating the window treatment industry and redefining it as both a skilled trade and an art form. She remains actively involved in every stage of a project, from design...
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522 - Listener Favorite - Carrie Brantley
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In 2013, Carrie bought her first sewing machine to begin making décor items for her home. Having always been crafty, this was another creative outlet for her and she soon fell in love with creating beautiful items out of fabric. A year later, Carrie took her sewing skills to the next level by opening her own creative design business, Studio B Custom Drapery & Decor. Links and Resources;
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521 - The Industry is Changing and So Are We
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The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
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520 - Listener Favorite with Theresa Harmon
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Theresa Harmon is a graphic designer turned one-woman drapery and soft furnishings workroom. She loves transforming beautiful fabric into custom creations not found in the mass retail market. Theresa works with retail clients, a handful of decorators, and her daughter Lee, owner/designer at , and her other daughter Nivette who is her project manager. Her husband is her admin, on-site measurer, foam cutter, bookkeeper and tax man. Theresa grew up with an artistic mother who kept her supplied with a plethora of arts and crafts kits. She learned to sew at summer camp and through middle...
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519 - Denise Dalton - I Am the Eternal Optimist!
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Born and raised in England, Denise pursued studies in child development and education following her primary schooling. Throughout her life, her dual passions for sewing and childcare have been enduring themes. Today, she is the proud mother of four and a blessed Nana to seven. Life is a gift, and has a way of taking us along a journey that evolves and Denise has learned to embrace that journey through the good times and the challenging times. Denise’s love for sewing began in childhood, inspired by her mother’s sewing classes and school curriculum in England. What started as a...
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518 - In Memory of Sam Sloan
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517 - Jill Ballew - I Don't Believe I Have the Best Ideas, I Believe Together We Have the Best Ideas
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Jill Ballew brings more than 30 years of experience in the custom window treatment and soft furnishings industry. She is the owner of High Country Drapery Design and , two companies built around craftsmanship, service, and a deep respect for the details that make interiors feel truly finished. Through The Workroom Collective, Jill partners with interior designers and trade professionals across the country, providing expertly crafted drapery, Roman shades, bedding, pillows, top treatments, and custom soft goods. Her work blends the artistry of traditional fabrication with the structure,...
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516 - Chester France Jr. Lifting Labels
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Chester A. France, Jr. is a Veteran Small Business Owner, a Certified Life Coach (CLC), Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master Social Work (MSW), and Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS). Mr. France has more than 30 years of professional experience in sales, sales training, and management in the for-profit sector. For more than 15 years, Mr. France has provided management and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, particularly in the faith-based community, to include establishing several nonprofit 501(c) (3) corporations. Mr. France is a graduate of Morgan State...
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515 - Sohn Lewis - I Love Sharing What I Know
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Over his 40+-year career, Sohn Lewis has reupholstered thousands of pieces of furniture and other items, including antiques, walls, and automobile and boat interiors. One of his more notable projects includes upholstering hundreds of replicated seats for the 2000s renovation of Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C. His work also appears in the Smithsonian Institution, a few embassies, and the Maryland governor’s office, Senate chambers, and statehouse. He’s done work for Joseph Furniture Restoration (Columbia), Johnson Berman (Baltimore), Ibello Upholstery (Baltimore), and Iatesta Studio...
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514 - The Conversations We Avoid (and Why They Cost Us More Than We Think)
Sew Much More
The Sew Much More Podcast is sponsored by;
info_outlineChester A. France, Jr. is a Veteran Small Business Owner, a Certified Life
Coach (CLC), Master of Divinity (M.Div.), Master Social Work (MSW), and
Offender Workforce Development Specialist (OWDS).
Mr. France has more than 30 years of professional experience in
sales, sales training, and management in the for-profit sector. For
more than 15 years, Mr. France has provided management and
technical assistance to nonprofit organizations, particularly in the
faith-based community, to include establishing several nonprofit 501(c) (3)
corporations.
Mr. France is a graduate of Morgan State University with a degree in Business and
Marketing. He holds a Master of Divinity degree from the Howard University School of
Divinity and is a graduate of the University of Maryland School of Social Work with a
Management and Community Organization concentration.
Currently, Mr. France is the Lead Facilitator for Create U Network, an Entrepreneurial
Training initiative located in West Baltimore, in partnership with New Song Community
Church.
Mr. France is the Founder of The Chill Station, Inc. (dba) Lifting Labels, a 501©(3)
nonprofit organization and the Founder of Lifting Labels Benefit Corporation, both
established to reduce poverty by creating careers for Baltimore’ Returning Citizens and
unemployed veterans, particularly those formerly incarcerated. Lifting Labels Benefit
Corporation is certified with Electronic Maryland Management Advantage (eMMA),
Veterans Small Business Enterprise (VSBE), Small Business Reserve (SBR), and
System for Award Management (SAM.gov).
Website - Lifting Labels