Better: The Brand Designer Podcast
Jen Davis
Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, founded by Giselle Field of Wander Design Co. and Jen Davis, was founded on the belief that designers need community. We find that the branding world often feels secretive, competitive, and sometimes just plain old confusing. When we realized that our honest, soul-chat-level convos could potentially help other designers, we realized a podcast was only natural! Better: The Brand Designer Podcast was officially born.Giselle passed away during a climbing trip in Peru in summer of 2020. We encourage all listeners of our podcast to listen to our two Celebrating Giselle episodes. Giselle's adventurous, kind, funny, and supportive presence is missed every day—each and every episode that we record is dedicated to her legacy and her vision for this podcast. It is our honor to continue recording episodes in Giselle's memory and we know that she is with us every time we sit down to record.In winter of 2022, we welcomed Esther Knox-Dekoning from Sereth Design as a new co-host. Esther brought an incredible and fresh perspective to the pod—her transition from agency to design studio as well as her love for web design, sustainability, and world change brought new guests, ideas, and amazing episodes to our listeners. She departed the pod in spring 2023 to dedicate more time to her studio's growth, and will be greatly missed!Now, Jen runs the podcast solo and is beyond excited to continue interviewing guests, having interesting conversations, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of running her design studio.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 2, 2024 • 50min
From the Archives | S5 E17: How to Plan Your Work Schedule for True Rest + Vacation
Do you ever feel like you can’t take a TRUE vacation? Maybe your fears are that your clients will be mad, you don’t have enough funds to pay for the time away, or you feel like you have TOO much to do that taking time away doesn’t make sense. We’ve been there. In this episode we talk about:The things we do to prepare for vacationBattling mindset when taking time awayHow we plan for vacation ahead of timeHow time-off impacts our business and our own mental health?How to build rest into our schedules more regularlyAnd much more!Inbox Question:“How do you make the most use of a junior designer/intern?” — Indy GriffithsConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Nov 25, 2024 • 36min
S10 E18: Answering Your Inbox Questions
Final episode of the season is here already! Today we answer all of your inbox questions!Links Mentioned:S8E15: How to Craft a Luxury Offer Suite that Sells with Katelyn Alyssa from Studio KalyS7E10: Font Design, Digital Products, Burnout, and Industry Culture with Jen WagnerConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Nov 19, 2024 • 34min
S10 E17: Changes I Made in My Business to Hit My First $100K Revenue Year
Today I go over some small changes I made early on in my business that made a big impact on my revenue. This is how I hit my first 100k year. Links Mentioned:Don’t Make these Brand Messaging & Positioning Mistakes!How to Sell Out Your Design Services with Expert PositioningSpooooky Client Stories (Round 2)Inbox Question:"[Question here?]” - [Name Here]Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Nov 12, 2024 • 34min
S10 E16: How to (Properly) Manage Your Design Studio’s Finances with Rita Julian
In this episode I had the pleasure of peppering Rita Julian (a bookkeeper for brand & web designers!) with questions about keeping your business finances nice and tidy (and saving money on taxes!) Get 20% off Cash + Creatives (DIY bookkeeping course) with the code PODCAST20! Guest Information:Guest Name: Rita JulianGuest Business Name: Julian BookkeepingGuest Website: www.julianbookkeeping.comGuest Instagram: @julianbookkeepingllcLinks Mentioned:Cash & Creatives (DIY bookkeeping course) - get 20% off with code PODCAST20Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Nov 5, 2024 • 1h 11min
S10 E15: Why NOT to Niche (What?!) with N. Chloé Nwangwu
N. Chloé Nwangwu, founder of NobiWorks, is a brand visibility expert advocating for a shift from the outdated Ideal Client Avatar model in branding. She dives into the science of branding and how genuine client motivations often drive more successful strategies. The conversation reveals the risks of over-niching, stressing broader market engagement for inclusivity and enhanced revenue. Nwangwu also discusses integrating asynchronous tools for better client interactions and adapting design practices to thrive in a post-COVID landscape.
Oct 29, 2024 • 60min
S10 E14: The Transition to Agency Life with Lauren Braier
This week Lauren (Jen’s previous designer) is back to share about her decision to leave the boutique studio space in favor of the agency world! She talks about her job search, interview process, and differences between boutique and agency she’s been surprised by.Guest Information:Guest Name: Lauren BraierGuest Business Name: Elby CreativeGuest Website: www.elbycreative.comGuest Instagram: @elbycreativeLinks Mentioned:[Insert Links Here]Inbox Question:"[Question here?]” - [Name Here]Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Oct 22, 2024 • 1h 14min
S10 E13: Maternity Leave, New Motherhood, & Mom/Design Biz Life - from Design Unfiltered with Abbey McGrew
I was asked to guest on another podcast called the Design Unfiltered Podcast with Abbey McGrew. You can find a link to that pod below. In this episode we talk about being a new mom, maternity leave, and preparing for a big family change. Thank you Abbey for having me on as a guest! Design Unfiltered PodcastConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Oct 15, 2024 • 41min
S10 E12: Don’t Make These Brand Messaging & Positioning Mistakes! - from The Unapologetic Designer Podcast with Kenzi Green
I’m so excited to share an episode of The Unapologetic Designer podcast I recorded with Kenzi Green from Kenzi Green Design and the Brief Collective! We chatted all things brand messaging (I just completed her brand new messaging and home page copy during one of my signature Copy Sprints!)—focusing specifically on mistakes we see designers making (and how to avoid them! The Unapologetic Designer Podcast with Kenzi Green Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Oct 8, 2024 • 1h 2min
S10 E11: Relationship Marketing & Finding Magic in the Motherhood/Biz Balance with Madison Standke
This week I got to chat with a personal friend and past student of mine Madison Standke from Soulful Solution, a boutique brand and web design studio specifically for therapists. We chat all things relationship marketing—how to maximize your current client relationships, get more referrals, and partner with other service providers. We also had a great discussion about finding the balance between motherhood and business! Guest Information:Guest Name: Madison StandkeGuest Business Name: Soulful SolutionGuest Website: https://www.soulfulsolution.co/Guest Instagram: @soulful.solutionConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
Oct 1, 2024 • 1h 3min
S10 E10: How to Run a Successful (and Profitable) Design Intensive with Jenna Johnson
This week I chat with Jenna Johnson from White and Salt - the original creator of the "design intensive." We discuss scheduling, hiring, team management, and of course talk all things design intensives - how to pitch them, how to sell them, and how to make them both profitable for your studio and valuable for your clients.Guest Info:Jenna JohnsonWebsiteInstagramDesign Intensive Master Training - Listeners can use code BETTERBRANDPOD at checkout for $200 off!Inbox Question:“As a brand designer, how do you find your inspiration when working on a major project with a short deadline”? - Nieves ArellanoConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramTags:designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design
