Small but Mighty: Nicky Borowiec on Competing with Agencies and Winning

In this episode I chat with Nicky Borowiec about her journey from in-house creative roles to establishing her own business as a design and brand consultant specialising in the publishing industry. We delve into the advantages of being a sole creative when pitching against larger agencies, and we explore valuable insights into the pitching process, client communication, and pricing strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• Being a sole trader can be a superpower, offering cost-effectiveness, specialised knowledge, and a more personalised client experience compared to larger agencies.
• Transitioning from a freelancer to a consultant mindset can significantly impact business growth and client interactions by shifting the focus from seeking approval to providing expert guidance.
• Automation and systemisation are crucial for streamlining business operations, saving time on administrative tasks, and allowing more focus on creative work.

Episode Highlights:

• 00:01:00: Nicky discusses her 17-year career in creative roles in publishing, including marketing design, book cover design, and managing design teams.
• 00:07:00: Nicky shares her experience of pitching against bigger agencies and how being a sole trader can be a strength.
• 00:12:00: We explore strategies for pricing work, respecting your value, and charging your worth.
• 00:25:00: Nicky provides insights into automating business processes to save time and improve efficiency.
• 00:33:00: We discuss the use of AI tools to streamline business operations.

About the Guest:

Website | Instagram | LinkedIn

Mentioned in the Episode:

• Alison Jones (Website)
• Alison Jones (Episode)
• Katie Chappell (Website)
• Katie Chappell (Episode)
• Hannah’s book
• Adobe Express (aff link)
• British Library mentoring course

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast, and I hope you enjoy the episode!

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft (lucylucraft.co.uk).

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