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
Jun 27, 2023 • 1h 2min
S7 E23: Answering Your Inbox Questions
It’s the last episode of Season 7! This week Jen is joined by her new employee and brand design studio owner Lauren from Elby Creative to answer all of your burning inbox questions related to design, business, and everything in between.Links Mentioned:NotionLoomFlodeskHoneybookFigmaGustoMonotype SubscriptionAudacityGSAPConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
Jun 20, 2023 • 34min
S7 E22: 3-Year Update on Motherhood & Business
This week Jen opens up about what her third year as a mom while running her business looked like. She goes over some of the top lessons she learned this year, sharing some perspective on her early years as a mom/business owner and also getting pretty deep about some challenges and personal growth she’s experienced this year in particular. Whether you’re a new mom, seasoned mom, or not a mom at all and just curious about her perspective and life, this episode is probably one of her most personal (and favorite) episodes she’s ever recorded!Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
Jun 13, 2023 • 1h 12min
S7 E21: Brands and Bias — Avoiding Blindspots in Branding with N. Chloé Nwangwu
N. Chloé Nwangwu, the Brand Scientist and Director of NobiWorks, offers a fresh perspective on branding with a focus on visibility and biases. She shares insights on employing behavioral science to enhance brand strategies, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and authentic representation. The conversation dives into visibility engineering, mentorship dynamics, and the significance of understanding diverse perspectives in branding efforts. Nwangwu asserts that outdated practices must evolve to promote genuine diversity and social impact in the industry.
Jun 6, 2023 • 49min
S7 E20: How I Went from Feast/Famine to Booking 5 Months Out
This episode was inspired by a question from one of the students in my group program for designers The Design Minimind! She wanted to know how I went from the (seemingly) never ending cycle of being overworked, followed by really slow seasons. I go through what I learned in my 1:1 marketing mentorship with Ash from The Cheetah Company, what I did on my own, and things I recommend to designers wanting to break the feast/famine cycle in a way that works best for their businesses and lifestyles.Links Mentioned:Sign Up for the Waitlist for my small group program for designers The Design Minimind!The Cheetah Company WebsiteThe Timeless Sales Method (Ash's Course)Podcast Episodes I Recommend Related to This Topic:Going From $0 to Six Figures Post-Maternity Leave with Chaitra Radhakrishna - S6E8Connecting and Selling in an Organic Way on Social Media with Ash Henry - S5E20Inbox Question:“I'd love to hear more about how other designers go about researching new industries or niches. I've mostly worked on referrals and on topics I was already familiar with, and am working on branching out.” - Libby MinerConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
May 30, 2023 • 46min
S7 E19: Working for (or Hiring) Another Designer with Lauren Braier
This week Lauren Braier of Elby Creative (and now Branding Bestie podcast!) joins Jen for a chat all about hiring - whether that’s for your own studio or for someone else’s studio. Lauren is now (officially!) Jen’s first part time employee but has been with Hello June as a subcontract Production Designer & Admin Assistant for the past one and a half years. We chat through do’s and dont’s for hiring, mistakes we’ve made, recommendations for how to know when to hire, and what you should be doing as a studio owner to prep for your first (or next) hire.Links Mentioned:www.elbycreative.comPackaging Design Master: www.packagingdesignmaster.com - $50 off PDM enrollment with the code BETTERBranding Bestie Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/2OjqjljCGrxhsFy2I3WQAH?si=908e23762b754b9dConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
May 23, 2023 • 42min
S7 E18: Leveraging Your Expertise & Value in Pricing
Pricing is a crucial aspect of any business, as it can make or break the profitability of the business. Leveraging your expertise and value is a great way to ensure that you are pricing your products or services appropriately. In this episode we talk through some important points to consider when leveraging your expertise and value in pricing, how we determine the value of our expertise (and constantly monitor and adjust it!), and methods we use to communicate our value.Inbox Question:"How do I position myself as an expert?” - Iannah James-SmithConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
May 16, 2023 • 38min
S7 E17: Podcast Updates / Esther’s Farewell
In this episode Esther announces her decision to depart from the podcast due to focusing more time on her rapidly expanding design studio Sereth Design. The hosts discuss what’s next for the podcast (Jen is going to host solo alongside some amazing guests!) and they review their favorite Esther episodes from the past three seasons.The Better community is so grateful to Esther and all the time, passion, creativity, and heart that she’s brought to the brand over the past three seasons, and she will be missed but wholeheartedly supported in this next phase of her career! We love you Esther!Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
May 9, 2023 • 39min
S7 E16: Learning to Trust Yourself as a Designer with Bonnie Bakhtiari
This week we did a podcast swap with the lovely Bonnie Bakhtiari from The Brand Strategy Podcast! We chatted all about how difficult it can be to trust yourself as a designer - and what tools we use to strengthen our confidence and self-trust.Links Mentioned:Brand Strategy PodcastB is for Bonnie DesignConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimerTags: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
May 2, 2023 • 1h
S7 E15: Would You Ever…
Play a game with us! Think the opposite of “Never Have I Ever” - this week, we’re playing “Would You Ever…” We’re doing a Q&A-style episode where we ask some (juicy) questions about being a designer and business owner, working with clients, and our preferences. We also polled our audience (you guys!) on Instagram and share the results alongside our own opinions. Let’s have some fun!Special thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimer
Apr 25, 2023 • 1h 5min
S7 E14: Making your Website Stand Out from a Copywriter’s Perspective with Alice Brown
Alice Brown is the pen behind Alice Writes Copy, from Cornwall, England: a website specialist, copywriter and SEO strategist for passionate business owners. In this episode Esther interviews Alice about how copy is crucial to websites - and is as important (if not more!) than design. They talk about first impressions, hooking customers and motivating them to move through your site, common mistakes to avoid, and how copywriters work hand-in-hand with designers.Guest Information:Guest Name: Alice BrownGuest Business Name: Alice Writes CopyGuest Website: alicewritescopy.comGuest Instagram: @alicewritescopyGuest LinkedIn: Alice BrownLinks Mentioned:Website Builder’s BlueprintSpecial thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonOur podcast disclaimer can be found by visiting:www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimer
