Make the Why Matter: Phoenix Grey's Approach to Design

What if your biggest superpower was also the most annoying thing about you?

Phoenix Grey is the designer behind Design Daddy, a social media phenomenon that started when his partner filmed him making a bed. That video got 6 million views in less than a week. Phoenix never wanted to be on camera—he's actually a very private guy—but his partner saw something he didn't and pushed him to share his brain with the world.

Phoenix talks about walking into any space and immediately knowing what's wrong, why his friends hate when he comes over, and how he went from commercial restaurant design to residential work because clients started hiring him for his specific style rather than fighting him on every idea. He explains why most designers gatekeep their secrets while he does the opposite—giving people the why behind every decision so they can actually understand and explain their own spaces.

He shares why hanging pots are on his chopping block, how his partner came up with the name Design Daddy at the kitchen table, and his philosophy that everyone deserves to enjoy their home regardless of budget. Phoenix wraps with how he balances the full-time job of social media with actual client work: boundaries, batch filming, a great team, and 4:30 AM gym sessions before anyone else shows up.

Follow The Market Makers wherever you get your podcasts for more stories of transformation from the people shaping how we live, work, and gather.

What is The Market Makers?

Every creative professional knows the power of a before and after. It’s a classic transformation arc - whether it’s a renovation, glow up, or an old-fashioned make over. But reinvention doesn’t just apply to products or spaces. It also holds true for our lives and our careers. The sketch on the napkin that becomes a collection. The risk that changes everything. The work that turns a brand into a lasting presence.

The Market Makers is a weekly podcast from ANDMORE, home to markets that have been the stage for so many of these transformations. Hosted by CEO, Jon Pertchik, each episode pulls back the curtain on the lives of creative professionals across design, furniture, home, lifestyle and beyond.

From industry icons like Thom Filicia to leaders at heritage brands like Bassett Furniture, guests share the moments that shaped them, not just the before and after, but the process in between.

Whether it’s finding your aesthetic, carving out a niche, scaling a business, or turning a side hustle into a lasting brand, The Market Makers goes beyond the showrooms and into the creative lives of the people shaping how we live, work, and gather.

Follow The Market Makers wherever you get your podcasts for new episodes every week.