Better: The Brand Designer Podcast

Five years ago Carli dropped out of design school and started her own business with charging $200 a logo. Today, at 25 years old, She runs a multiple six-figure business that allows her to provide for her growing family, book dream projects at 15k+, all without selling her soul and every hour to her business. Now Carli is teaching other creatives how to charge more while still having more fun in their business. In this episode we talk to Carli about her story, why she's passionate about teaching others how to earn money, and her learnings on the path to success.Guest Information:Guest Name: Carli AnnaGuest Business Name: Carli Anna Co.Guest Website: https://carlianna.co/Guest Instagram: @carlianna_Links Mentioned:The Brand Mapping Method with Carli Anna10K Girl GangCE-Over-It PodcastInbox Question: "What's your worst client story? Spill the tea haha (Follow up to that Question: What advice would you give yourself looking back now that you have more experience?)" — Bianca MartinezSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterpodcast

Saying no to clients is tough! We easily can fool ourselves into saying yes to opportunities that might not be right fits for various reasons. The reasons might be niche, vibes, budget, workload, other red flags. Join our conversation to talk about how we filter clients, trusting our intuition, and saying no gracefully.Inbox Question:“How many offerings should you have as a designer?” — Bethany McCamishSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterpodcast

Packaging design is a whole other animal - and in our eyes, more complicated than Brand Identity design. There are so many steps, checklists, file types, and terms to understand, let alone legal specifications and printer communications to work through. We invited Lauren Braier, owner of Elby Creative and multipassionate entrepreneur with an emphasis on packaging design, to chat with us about what adding packaging design services to your offerings arsenal looks like.Elby Creative is a playfully modern design studio that transforms e-commerce brands into scroll-stopping sensations. In this episode Lauren shares loads of valuable information about what you need to know to work with packaging clients (and what pitfalls you need to avoid!) to step into the space with confidence.Guest Information:Guest Name: Lauren BraierGuest Business Name: Elby CreativeGuest Website: www.elbycreative.comGuest Instagram: @elbycreativeLinks Mentioned:Discount code for PDM: ‘better’ 75$ off enrollment — elbycreative.com/pdmInbox Question:"Could you share 5 valuable tips for your first month after launch?” — Sofia InacioSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterpodcast

Neurodivergence is the term for those whose brains function differently in one or more ways than is considered standard or typical. In this episode Lea Gucciardi, the Founder and Creative Director of Arq Design Studio, shares about her journey to becoming a multi-6-figure design studio owner, her experience with ADHD and how it impacts her life and business, her coding background, and her newest offer for designers who are looking to take their Shopify projects to the next level. We are so grateful to Lea for opening up to us and our listeners, and for her vulnerability, strength, and willingness to share her story publicly. It is our hope that through this episode, designers with neurodivergent minds feel less alone and and encouraged by Lea's story of resilience and success.Guest Information:Guest Name: Lea GucciardiGuest Business Name: Arq Design StudioGuest Website: https://www.arqdesign.studio/Guest Instagram: @arqshopifystudioLinks Mentioned:Lea's Shopify Codex CourseMorgan Rapp Design Biz MasterySquarestylist with RacheLinks & Resources from Lea:Youtube communityResources on DiagnosesInstagram communitySuccessful entrepreneurs who are very open about their experiencesPodcast episode worth listening toInbox Question: "What is the best way to overcome imposter syndrome?" — Headlands CreativeSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterpodcast

Do you ever find it hard to be inspired as a designer? Yes, there's the internet - design portfolios, digital magazines, Dribble, and Pinterest (oh, the joys and drool-worthiness of Pinterest!), and yet... sometimes it's hard to really get the juices flowing! In this episode, Esther and Jen talk about what inspires them both within the industry AND outside of it and discuss how to keep being on the hunt for different ways to bring a unique design perspective to the world.Links Mentioned:Branding with Bre from Rowan MadeThe Brand Gap by Mary NeumeirFont Inspiration:Fonts In UseTypewolfWebsite Inspiration:MaxiBestOfAwwwardsSite InspireCommerce CreamBrand Design Inspiration:Identity DesignedInspiration GridSephoraTargetCreative Magazines:Communication ArtsReal SimpleInbox Question: How do you prevent new brands from having an identity crisis? (I'm working with a startup)" — Keith TalusigSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterpodcast

Have you ever had a review session with a client and they're just not feeling the work you've created? We've been there! In this episode Jen and Esther talk about some of their experiences with push-back and how they worked through the problems to create better solutions for their clients.Links Mentioned:The Anti-Anxiety NotebookInbox Question: "How do you present your initial designs to the client? What do you include– how many logo/secondary logo ideas, how many fonts (and where to get fonts/legalities), do you photoshop a mock-up and include that with the package? Like what do you do lol" — Mackenzi ChapmanSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/betterpodcast

Welcome to Season 5 of the Better Podcast! We are officially welcoming Esther Knox-Dekoning as our new co-host! In this episode we get to hear Esther's story and her experience as a designer in the corporate advertising world and how she transitioned to owned her own design studio, Sereth Design.Guest Information:Guest Name: Esther Knox-DekoningGuest Business Name: Sereth DesignGuest Website: www.serethdesign.comGuest Instagram: @sereth.designGuest Pinterest: @serethdesignLinks Mentioned:Design Biz Mastery with Morgan Rapp https://morganrapp.com/design-biz-masteryCassie Gudmunsen from Reux Design Co https://reuxdesignco.com/sbaSquarestylist https://www.squarestylist.com/Branding with Bre https://www.rowanmade.com/branding-with-breInbox Question: "I just started offering brand and web design... I am looking for courses and resources to build my branding skills and confidence." — Brooke AnglinSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/Podcast Website: https://www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/betterpodcast/Patreon: https://patreon.com/betterpodcast

A message from Jen:Hey Better family - I'm honored to post two episodes that Giselle and I recorded together last summer 2020  (episodes 1 and 2) and one episode that I did (episode 3) to comprise a short but very sweet season 4. I encourage you to listen to our memorial episodes, Celebrating Giselle: Podcast Community and Celebrating Giselle: Friends & Family. Enjoy these episodes, I know Giselle is with us when each one is heard <3Brand strategy is the foundation upon which meaningful brand identity design lives. It's important for brand designers to understand the "why" behind brand strategy so they can use it to improve their design work and sell it to their clients as a package with design or standalone service.Today Jen chats with Melinda Livsey all about Brand Strategy. Melinda is a brand strategist and online educator from Southern California. She currently helps graphic designers become brand strategists so they can develop entire directions and personalities of brands. Her courses Brand Strategy Bootcamp and How to Sell Brand Strategy can be found at https://www.marksandmaker.com.Inbox Question:“How do you help, or should you help your clients find the answers to brand strategy questions (eg. What does your ideal customer value?) A question like this may come up in a brand discovery session but is it expected that clients know answers to such specific questions?” - Monica ChoiLinks Mentioned:Melinda's videos on The Futur's YouTube channel: tinyurl.com/5y8kr6dkMelinda's website: marksandmaker.com/Melinda's course, Brand Strategy Bootcamp: marksandmaker.com/brand-strategy-bootcampMelinda's Brand Strategy Resources: marksandmaker.com/brand-strategy-resources"The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design" by Marty Neumeier: amzn.to/3eFVoMg"You Are A Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth" by Jen Sincero: amzn.to/3FS3sWcConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesignerPodcast Website: betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: instagram.com/betterpodcast

A message from Jen:Hey Better family - I'm honored to post two episodes that Giselle and I recorded together last summer 2020  (episodes 1 and 2) and one episode that I did (episode 3) to comprise a short but very sweet season 4. I encourage you to listen to our memorial episodes, Celebrating Giselle: Podcast Community and Celebrating Giselle: Friends & Family. Enjoy these episodes, I know Giselle is with us when each one is heard <3Episode Description:Imagine an easy, slow morning: you wake up, have breakfast with your family, do an activity with your kids or explore a hobby on your own, work for a couple of hours, then have the rest of the day to yourself. This reality is attainable, but more importantly, you don't need to sacrifice income when you make shifts to get to a more aligned schedule. Today Giselle & Jen chat with Kelsey Kerslake all about her journey from *needing* to make some quick cash to pay her bills to owning and running a 7-figure business.Kelsey Kerslake is a multi-passionate CEO of two companies: Pinegate Road, and the Aligned Business. Kelsey has been helping entrepreneurs and businesses build their brands and market their online presences for over a decade. She is a business strategist, coach, and mentor for service-providers, coaches, and educators looking to scale their online businesses in complete alignment with the lives they want to live and the values they hold. She deeply believes that everyone has the potential to make their dreams reality and her businesses help online business owners define their future vision and literally bring it to life through coaching, strategy, design, and websites.Inbox Question: "How do you get the client to agree the project is finished?" - Jessica RobinsonLinks Mentioned:Kelsey's Instagram: instagram.com/kelseykerslakeThe Aligned Business Academy: pinegateroad.com/academyThe Aligned Business Mastermind: pinegateroad.com/mastermindKelsey's Website: pinegateroad.comKelsey's resources: pinegateroad.com/grow-your-bizConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesignerPodcast Website: www.betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: instagram.com/betterpodcast

A message from Jen:Hey Better family - I'm honored to post two episodes that Giselle and I recorded together last summer 2020  (episodes 1 and 2) and one episode that I did (episode 3) to comprise a short but very sweet season 4. I encourage you to listen to our memorial episodes, Celebrating Giselle: Podcast Community and Celebrating Giselle: Friends & Family. Enjoy these episodes, I know Giselle is with us when each one is heard <3 Episode Description:Welcome back to Season 4 of the podcast! Giselle and Jen come back with an updated "Day in the Life" episode in a casual conversation going through each of their average work days. The first one they recorded was back in season 1 - and a lot has changed, especially since Jen became a mom (and surprisingly, some things have stayed the same!) Giselle and Jen also catch up in general, sharing about new developments in their lives and chatting a bit about the future as well.Links Mentioned:Typeform: typeform.comMorgan Rapp: morganrapp.com1% For the Planet: onepercentfortheplanet.orgInbox Question: "How do you keep client projects on schedule? What incentives or consequences do you give your clients for their deadlines like getting feedback to you by a certain date? How do you communicate that you need to stay on pace and wrap up their project so you can accommodate other clients? Any tips would be amazing!" - Haley SiebeConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesignerPodcast Website: betterbranddesigner.comPodcast Resources Page: betterbranddesigner.com/resourcesPodcast Instagram: instagram.com/betterpodcast