Ignorance, lack of education, selfishness, lack of respect…I don’t know what it is but I wish it would change.

And I completely agree, HGTV is not valuing our field. It makes the general public think that we can go into our studio, do a sketch, and whip up a design for an entire room in an hour, or less. Thanks a lot candace Olson!

Thanks for opening your heart and sharing your thoughts.

Please add my voice to those who are glad as well as sad to know that these issues are still found even in the upper echelons of the profession! As a relative newcomer to the field (professionally), it really helps me feel better about the people I’m encountering to know that it’s something that’s just part and parcel of what we do. People are always going to want something for nothing, particularly if they really don’t perceive the value in what it is they’re asking for, or understand what it really takes.

I do agree that the issue is essentially two-fold, namely a lack of education and knowledge on the part of the consumer/client, and the horrible disservice that HGTV has done to the profession.

I will just add that I think the industry’s professional organizations have failed the whole profession miserably. Instead of spending millions trying to pass restrictive, anticompetitive legislation that would put thousands of people out of work (please see http://nodesignlegislation.wordpress.com and http://idpcinfo.org for more information on this issue), we would all be so much further ahead if they’d spent that money instead on a strong advertising and educational campaign targetted at consumers to really teach them about what we really do.

As long as our existing professional associations are not on board with really educating end users effective, we are never going to see much of a change in this regard, because there’s no way that we as individuals can educate enough people to create the sea change in understanding and attitude that will be necessary for people to truly know and value what we do. I do think that now that the blog phenomenon is here, that may help, but we still need a lot more concentrated and coordinated effort that even extends into our schools down to the elementary level.

One thing that we must all learn to focus on, too, is the value that we bring to clients, how we can improve their lives. It’s no longer enough to just be the best, but we have to be able to convey *why* we should be the ones they hire much more cogently than we may have had to do in the past, and why it’s in their better interests to hire us.

BTW, I really enjoy your blog – and thanks so much for listing me in your blogroll!

Wendy Hoechstetter

If you haven’t seen it, watch it!

I am book marking it and going to send it to those clients who don’t ‘get it’.