- September 10, 2026
- Heather McManus
Ten years ago, I invited four other designers to my dining table with one simple goal: stop struggling in silence and figure out how to buy better.
None of us knew that dining table conversation would turn into a 500+ member community with access to over 300 vendors. We didn’t have a name yet. We didn’t have a plan beyond “let’s figure this out together.” What we had was a shared frustration — confusing pricing structures, inconsistent vendor access, and the isolation of running a design business without a map — and a decision to stop dealing with it alone.
How We Got Here
A lot has happened since that first meeting:
- 2016 — Four designers, one dining table, and the basic rules for how a buying group should run.
- 2017 — The group gets a name, Collaborate to Win, a private Facebook group, and members beyond New Jersey.
- 2018 — We become an official LLC, launch a website, and I start showing up to teach — from A Well Designed Business to Terri Taylor’s Design Business Summit.
- 2019 — We hit 100 members and I speak at High Point Market for the first time, to a small group in the Massoud showroom.
- 2021 — We rebrand to The Designers Collaborative.
- 2022 — TDC becomes an Emerald Sponsor of IDS, and we build an emergency fund to protect members.
- 2023 — We form an Advisory Group, cross 500 members, and host a packed HPMKT panel on Pricing for Profit.
- 2024 — More stages, more conversations, more momentum, including a Go-To Vendors panel at Market.
- 2026 — TDC turns 10. We’re heading back to the PA Furniture Builders Show, hosting educational webinars, and celebrating this milestone with the community that built it.
What started as a way to stop struggling alone has become a network of designers who genuinely help each other win. That’s the part I’m proudest of — not the growth number, but the fact that it’s still built on the same thing it was built on at my dining table: real people helping real people buy, sell, and run their businesses better.
Join Us at High Point Market
TDC members are spread out all over North America, so the chances that we’re all in one place at the same time are rare — which makes High Point Market the perfect moment to celebrate this milestone face-to-face. Here’s where to find us at October Market:
10 Years of The Designers Collaborative Saturday, October 17 | 5–7 PM A decade of bold moves and better buying deserves a real celebration. Come raise a glass, snap a photo, and connect with the designers who make this community what it is. Register here.
Recharge Before the Rush Sunday, October 18 | 9–10:30 AM | IDS Headquarters. Market is a lot. Before the pace picks up, join us for 90 minutes built entirely around you — fancy coffee, fresh donuts, and a few minutes of chair massage to get you centered for the day. Space is intentionally limited to 30 designers, so it stays personal. Register here.
Conversations with Currey & Company: The Inner Circle Tour Sunday, October 18 | 11:30 AM–1 PM | Currey & Company, IHFC M110 A private tour led by Cecil Adams, Creative Director for Currey & Company, followed by a catered lunch and their signature Inner Circle cocktail, The Luminous Pear. Limited to 15 guests. Register here.
Cocktails & Connections with WithIt Sunday, October 18 | 6–7 PM | Sarreid Ltd, Commerce & Design, Floor 3. TDC is teaming up with WithIt for an evening of cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, prizes, and a little friendly competition — two powerhouse communities under one roof, celebrating our milestone together. RSVP here.
3 Secrets to Pricing Furniture for Success Monday, October 19 | 10–11 AM | Universal Furniture International. I’ll be sharing the pricing strategies that finally move designers past the outdated cost-plus model — so you can keep clients happy while protecting your margins.
Source Smarter: The Designer’s Guide to Vendor Relationships That Last Tuesday, October 20 | 1–2 PM | Suites at Market Square, Room T-1022 A closer look at how to identify and partner with vendors who fit your client’s style and budget, while keeping your sourcing streamlined and your margins healthy.
What’s Next: A New Home for TDC
Ten years in, we’re also building the next chapter of how TDC actually works day to day.
For a long time, our vendor pricing, resources, and member tools have lived in a shared Google Drive — functional, but not exactly built for how busy designers actually work. That’s changing. We’re building a dedicated member website that will replace the Drive entirely, giving you faster, easier access to vendor information, pricing, and the resources you rely on to run your business — all in one place, built specifically for our community.
It’s the same mission that started at my dining table ten years ago: make it easier for designers to buy better, together. We’re just building better tools to do it.
More details on the new site are coming soon. In the meantime, we’d love to celebrate this milestone with you at High Point Market — register for any of the events above, and let’s keep building this together.
