*By: Madison Alworth*
Homepolish is like online dating for interior design. Interested clients can find the ultimate match for their style and budget.
The highly-selective website pairs interested clients can with a high-end, professional designers who get paid varying rates by the hour.
"It's about personality, working style," said the founder and CEO Noa Santos. "And when you make the right match, it's like a marriage."
Santos, who left his job at a high-end interior design firm to start Homepolish six years ago, said clients had grown distrustful of big firm and huge overhead costs. His online agency aims to provide clients with a personal touch by vetting all the designers.
When launching a career, a designer needs a portfolio. But to have a portfolio, a designer needs work. Homepolish is a reliable and respected platform that helps designers get both. There is a waiting list of over 1,000 designers who want to join the platform.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/swipe-right-on-your-perfect-interior-decorator).
This year, consumers might not be as surprised by what's under their trees as by the trees themselves. Despite a tighter market for trees, Stew Leonard's was able to secure its entire stock of Christmas trees from a supplier in Quebec. But some prices jumped this year as a result of increased costs for shipping and labor amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Cheddar's Chloe Aiello reports.
The parent company for Toys "R" Us, Tru Kids, was acquired by WHP Global in March 2021, and it vowed a return to the physical retail experience. On Tuesday, the company opened its U.S. flagship location in American Dream, a megamall based in East Rutherford, N.J.
The Cowboy State has become one of the world's top tax havens, according to the Pandora Papers, a trove of more than 11.9 million documents obtained by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists and The Washington Post. The papers reveal, among other things, how ultra-wealthy people from around the world move money into the U.S., invest, and spend it under a shroud of secrecy. Allison Tait, University of Richmond law professor, joined Cheddar to talk about Wyoming's laidback tax laws, their impact on the nation's economy, and provided some details on the financial arrangement known as the "cowboy cocktail."
Cheddar is looking back at the 12 biggest buzzwords of the year leading up to Christmas. The term for Day 9 is NFT. Definition: (noun) The abbreviation of non-fungible token, can be used as a unique and non-interchangeable unit of data stored on a digital ledger.
Barbara Doran, CEO and Chief Investment Officer at BD8 Capital Partners, joined Wake Up With Cheddar's Brad Smith to break down results from Nike and talk broader market movement, as major indexes look poised to rebound.
Despite the pandemic and the home workout revolution, many brick and mortar fitness companies have been able to stay afloat. Some even increased their membership during the pandemic, including Crunch Fitness. The Crunch franchise is celebrating 128% growth from pre-COVID membership levels as its 400th club enters pre-sale. Ben Midgley, CEO of Crunch Franchise, joined Cheddar to discuss how the company has been able to succeed during this time.
The pandemic prompted a shift toward personalized at-home workouts, and made health and wellness even more of a priority. In the early months of the pandemic, sales for fitness equipment, shoes and apparel skyrocketed as people adapted to working out in the solitude of their own homes. Even as gyms have reopened, some of these trends have stuck around. Jillian Michaels, personal trainer and creator of The Fitness App by Jillian Michaels, joined Cheddar to discuss the home workout revolution and give her advice on how to stick to your 2022 fitness goals.
