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INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

INTERVIEW

Making Workspaces Feel Like Hospitality

58 minutes

Season 4

·

Episode 3

In This Conversation

Bryan is joined by Jill Szmanda of Forward Tilt, the Scottsdale-based workspace design and commercial furniture firm behind NextSpace — the venue where the show itself is recorded — to talk about how hospitality-style thinking is showing up everywhere from corporate headquarters to hospitals, schools, and vet clinics.

Jill explains why "magnet, not mandate" has become the guiding philosophy for getting people back into physical offices, the biggest design mistakes owners make (white sofas, hidden floor power under a rug, ignoring everyday wear-and-tear), and why color and pattern are back in force after a decade of "millennial gray." She also shares behind-the-scenes stories from projects like the Dutch Bros. headquarters and its giant brass peace-sign conference table.

The two dig into the psychology of space — how a messy hotel room, an over-cluttered desk, or a too-colorful cafeteria reveals what people actually value — and why Forward Tilt treats every project as a long-term relationship, circling back with clients well after installation to see how a space is really being used.

Key Topics

Hospitality Thinking Beyond Hotels

Workplace Design Trends

Balancing Budget & Custom Experience

In This Episode:

  • How Forward Tilt approaches offices as a "magnet, not a mandate" to bring people back to work

  • Why hospitality design principles are spreading into offices, healthcare, schools, and even vet clinics

  • The biggest design mistakes owners and developers make, from white sofas to hidden power outlets

  • The return of color, pattern, and custom pieces — and why "millennial gray" is officially over

  • Balancing budget vs. experience, and why a $14,000 coffee table isn't always the flex it seems

  • The role of scent, music, lighting, and furniture placement in shaping how a space feels

  • Why Forward Tilt treats every project as a long-term relationship, revisiting spaces after installation

Jill Szmanda

Director of Sales

Forward Tilt

LinkedIn Logo and Link

About Our Guest

Jill Szmanda is Director of Sales at Forward Tilt, a Scottsdale-based full-service workspace design and commercial furniture firm founded by Michelle Heeb. With an extensive background in consultative sales and furniture consulting, Jill has spent her career helping clients bridge the gap between design vision and operational reality — guiding major corporate clients through planning, specification, and installation so that what looks great on paper actually holds up in daily use. She's known for a collaborative, solutions-driven approach to designing environments that balance aesthetics, functionality, and the human experience.