An unexpected topic of conversation I’ve consistently had over the last couple years when coaching members of my community Web Designer Pro privately is around managing ADHD and running a web design business.When thinking about ADHD, I’m probably not alone in immediately jumping to the visual of the wild 7 year old kid who can’t sit down in class. But since the conversation around this has become more prevalent for me both personally in my coaching DM’s and in the web design community at large via other forums or groups I check into, I wanted to dig into what this looks like practically for adults running a web design business.Since this is a sensitive topic, I wanted to chat with someone who I could level with and learn from versus being educated from an “ADHD Coach” per say.That’s why I’m dang pumped about sharing my recent convo with my old friend (literally, we were doubles tennis partners in High School) Rob Chaplin. Rob and I reconnected a couple years back when he was considering jumping into a creative field like web design. Since then, he’s been through all my courses, built up his freelance business and became a member of my community Web Designer pro.But in 2024, he let me know that he hit a wall…feeling disorganized, down, scattered and disoriented about how to move forward in business and in life. Now, many of these feelings are natural when you start a business, do something new or take on the common stresses of building something – but for Rob, it was more.After some self-research, he dipped his toe into pursuing ADHD treatment, most of which are behavioral and habitual and I have to say, I’ve seen a noticeable difference with his output and his overall energy and state.For all those reasons and more, I wanted to have an open chat about HIS experience and journey managing ADHD as a web designer and because he’s so new in the journey and he’s really passionate about sharing what’s working for him.We dig into:The red flags that led him to research ADHDHow he started small and began making better progress in becoming more focused and productiveWhat tips, tricks and strategies he uses to help his ADHD (daily) nowHow creative fields like web design are actually ideal for folks on any spectrum of the ADHD scaleHow ADHD can actually be used in a very positive way with boundaries and constraintsAgain, this is purely an explorative chat for me to learn more about this world without judgement or preconceived notions.Disclaimer: Rob shares HIS journey, methods, strategies and medications that work for him but this is not medical advice or recommendation. See your doctor or consult with a professional before exploring any of the medications that are mentioned.Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/364

Many web designers don’t want to scale. I get it - because I had that mindset too. I never wanted to be an agency with overhead, payroll, extra stress from managing people, etc.But the good news is, especially nowadays, you can scale a web design business your way. In a low-stress, low-pressure way that works for you no matter where your business is in revenue and profitability.Sandy Burns, a founding member of my community Web Designer Pro is a perfect example of this. She was on the podcast recently sharing her story of passing 10 years in business and how she (reluctantly) HAD to scale because she had become so overwhelmed with projects.We got to hear from her perspective what it was like to scale and how the timing couldn’t have been more crucial because shortly after she began to scale and reduce her workload, she was diagnosed with cancer and immediately began a journey of chemo and cancer treatment.That’s one angle of Sandy’s story but another one is the other side of her scaling journey. Who did she hire? What was it like for them as she began to send more work their way and when Sandy was diagnosed, what was it like taking over projects and speaking directly to her clients?Well for that, I’m excited to introduce you to Alexis. Another founding member of Pro who was on the podcast a ‘little’ while ago when we chatted about her first client experience 🙂This is a very different podcast chat because we have both Sandy AND Alexis on and we get to dig into both sides, both perspectives of their successful scaling story.From Sandy, we get to hear the ins and outs of her transformation from proud solopreneur to finally scaling and getting to a point where she’s “never going back to being a freelancer.”And from Alexis, we get to hear how she got connected with Sandy and how, learning from a web designer who’s further along in the journey, helped her build her own business up fast while also doing design and development work, and even improving systems for Sandy.We dig into:How Sandy and Alexis began working togetherHow they began trusting each otherHow they arrange payment and percentages for projectsHow 2 minds on a project is often way better than 1How to make a win-win for both owners and contractors when scaling A big thanks to BOTH Sandy and Alexis for coming on and sharing their experience from both sides. We can all learn a lot from this one. I mean honestly, how often do you get to hear an owner and a contractor’s point of view in a working relationship?Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/363

Austin Church, author of "Free Money - A Guide to Pricing Your Services," dives into the complex psychology surrounding money. He discusses how our upbringing shapes our money mindset and decision-making in business. Austin shares actionable steps to change your money story and encourages creatives to embrace their worth. The conversation reveals how geographical location impacts financial perceptions and emphasizes effective pricing strategies for web design, highlighting the significance of aligning financial goals with personal values.

No better way to kick off the year than to plan some new marketing strategies to get more leads and convert more clients, right?I honestly believe email marketing – along with some focused forms of content marketing – will be a HUGE differentiator for web designers who choose to go this route. Which is why I’m a big proponent and supporter of it.After all…as Abe Lincoln once wisely said “He who sendeth the email gets thine customer.”Now, you know I’m not going to just tell you to go “do something” without giving you a roadmap and some solid tips to help implement so, I’m thrilled to have copywriter, digital strategist and award-winning designer Michelle Martello on the podcast to share about all of that and more.Things we cover include:How to create your “content goldmine” for social, blog, newsletter and podcast contentThe power of having a newsletter in 2025How often to send emails and/or post on social mediaWhen content should be brief vs long formHow – coincidently or not – those who send more emails make more moneyAnd a whole lot more!Michelle’s resume includes working with MTV, the National Park Service, Marie Forleo and more so she is truly an industry expert with years of experience backing her.Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/361

The host shares a compelling journey from a shocking revenue drop to record-breaking success in just a year. Personal trials and a shift to a membership model were key to overcoming challenges. Discover how community engagement sparked growth and the importance of strategic marketing. Exciting new offerings in web design education are also introduced, aimed at helping others enhance their skills and elevate their businesses. This story of resilience and innovation is an inspiration for any entrepreneur facing tough times.

For the last episode of the year, I think it’s only fitting to look ahead and share some goal setting tips for 2025!In this episode, I’m sharing a lesson from my Web Design Business Course on my 5 step, annual goal setting framework.We’ll dive into:Setting an achievable revenue goal Separating Net vs Gross Rocks, Stones & Boulders goalsPricing that aligns with goals How and when to measureAgain, this is just one lesson inside my signature Web Design Business Course available now (along with my entire suite of courses) inside of Web Designer Pro when you’re ready to dive in!Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/359

Since this is Christmas week, we’re going to take a break from talking about business and dive into a much more important subject…Christmas movies.I’ll break down my top 10, what I love about them, why some have remained in the top 10 and why some newer ones have made it and I’ll even give you a bonus which has an incredible business lesson that I’ve held strong to even today.In short, my top 10 Christmas movies are:Christmas VacationHome AloneHome Alone 2Jingle All The WayChristmas StoryElfGrinch (Jim Carey)Grinch NewRudolphThe Family ManBonus: Miracle on 34th Street (original)Hit me with your favorites at joshhall.co/358Oh and since it’s a week of gift-giving, I have a little something special for you at joshhall.co/xmas *** Limited time offer ***Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday’s ya filthy web designer.

I’m in a bit of an SEO pickle…Since 2017 I’ve built up all my resources - including this podcast - on my personal brand site joshhhall.co but now that my main product (my web designer membership Web Designer Pro™) is on webdesignerpro.com I feel I’m entering new SEO territory.In short, what content should stay at my personal brand at joshhall.co and since all roads are leading to webdesignerpro.com now - what content should be there?Here are my SEO pain points/challenges:It’s now a little confusing sending people to joshhall.co only for them to end up at webdesignerpro.comShould I start moving some web design content from my personal brand to webdesignerpro.com and make joshhall.co more of my entrepreneurial content hub?What are the implications of moving my ranking pages (including course sales pages) to a new domain?How the heck is my domain authority ranking for webdesignerpro.com already at a 22/100 as a one-pager?How do I start this transition without blowing up my SEO?Well as you can see, I have some challenges and questions. And I don’t like going this type of thing alone so recently, I caught up with my SEO strategist and trusted confidant Michelle Bourbonniere to help me talk this out.Michelle has been on the podcast a couple times, has done 2 training sessions inside of my community Web Designer Pro and is at the top of her game when it comes to SEO strategy so I’m thrilled and happy to share our chat as a little behind the scenes action.I hope this gives you some guidance and ideas for your SEO strategy, especially if you are balancing a personal vs business brand or have multiple businesses online.Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/357

At some point, most web designers dream of moving from lengthy, time-intensive, custom web design projects to a more “productized” or “templatized” web design service. Something that clients can purchase, that has clear boundaries, constraints and limitations.There are a lot of ways to go about productizing your offers - and one way - is to frame it as a program or course. Especially if you’re empowering your clients with any sort of marketing or growth help.A shining example of how to do this is Web Designer Pro member Whitney Bateson who, after years of developing custom websites, refined her process into a web design + education solution for her wellness clients in her signature program “The Wellness Pro Website System”In this convo, we get into:What was the “breaking point” for her to move from custom buildsHow her maintenance plan recurring revenue growth rate was factored into this pivotWhat she did to refine her systems and processes to prepare to productizeHow she’s balancing ongoing support for clientsWhy she feels it’s GOOD to start custom before moving to productizedWhether you’re interested in productizing your web design services as a course, service, product, program, etc…Whitney is a shining example of how to do it right so I really hope this convo helps you get more time and sanity back when you’re ready to productize your results!Head to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/356

If you’re on the shallow or deep end of the “introvert spectrum” spectrum, I’m guessing the sales part of web design is your least favorite part of the job, right?For some, going to in person networking, business meetups, chamber of commerce events or even calls can be energizing but for others, it’s draining. It is, however, part of being a web biz owner if you’re the one doing the selling…There must be some strategies for making sales easier as an introvert, right?There is! And that’s why I’m pumped to have Michelle Warner on the podcast who specializes in networking and has many introvert-friendly sales techniques.That’s exactly what we cover in this convo, including:How to create comfortable sales environmentsHow to find referral partnersThe power of creating a “connection avatar”Mindset shifts that make sales less ickyHow to network efficientlyHead to the show notes to get all links and resources we mentioned along with a full transcription of this episode at joshhall.co/355