*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).
Chad Oviatt, Director of Investment Management at Huntington Private Bank, discusses inflationary concerns the Fed is keeping an eye on and what November's lower-than-expected rise in retail sales means for consumer spending.
After nearly two years of the pandemic, U.S. consumers are ready to spend big this holiday season. However, shoppers may be faced with limited inventory as the U.S. continues to face shortages of key products and extended order backlogs. Per Hong, partner at consulting firm Kearney, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the country's path forward.
The U.S. is preparing to add more China-based firms to a blacklist in response to human rights violations in the country. This includes the leading drone manufacturer DJI. American businesses will be barred from investing or conducting business with the blacklisted companies.
The growing consensus across the U.S. is that the Federal Reserve and Chairman Jerome Powell are set to expedite the tapering timetable and hike interest rates as inflation accelerates. Michael Darda, chief economist and market strategist at MKM Partners, told Cheddar's Baker Machado that the Fed has room to increase short-term interest rates because the economy is recovering faster than anticipated. "We've had a very rapid turnaround in the business cycle, in the labor market, and in inflation so the policy stance staying the same, calibrated in the same fashion as it was when we had a huge economic emergency, just makes no sense whatsoever," he said.
CEOs of the top U.S. airlines are set to testify in front of a Senate committee Wednesday. Lawmakers will ask airline executives about how they used pandemic-related federal aid, specifically in light of staffing issues and widespread cancellations. Among those expected to participate are the CEOs of American, United, and Southwest Airlines. David Slotnick, Senior Aviation Business Reporter at The Points Guy, joined Cheddar News to discuss.
If 2021 is any indication, 2022 will be a big year for social media. TikTok reached 1 billion users this year and is expected to grow even bigger. We got our first look at the Metaverse, NFTs soared in popularity, and the crypto craze starting hitting its stride - just to name a few fads. Mark Douglas, CEO and Founder of MNTN, joined Cheddar to discuss if these trends could continue, or if we'll see some surprises in the year ahead.
2021 was a big year for big tech, but it was also a wake-up call for the government. Lawmakers are still struggling to figure out how to regulate big tech companies as they grow bigger and get even more powerful. Evan Greer, director of the digital rights organization Fight for the Future, joined Cheddar to discuss key takeaways from the year, as well as what we can expect for big tech and regulation in 2022.