Better: The Brand Designer Podcast

Ever wanted your business and life to feel simpler and easier? This week Jen goes over one of her biggest values - simplicity - and how she lives out that value in her design work, business, and her life. She’s always saying, “Let it be easy,” and hopes that this episode feels like a breath of fresh air and an invitation to a more spacious business and life.Links Mentioned:Paula Scher Citibank StoryInbox Question:“What is the most time consuming aspect of brand and web design?” - Ellie JohnsonSpecial 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

Fungi Dube is a creative solopreneur and ardent Pan-Africanist Brand, Visual, and Webflow Web Designer who is passionate about elevating African narratives through modern design and cultivating Afro-positive sentiments. Her work is heavily influenced by the profound nuances that are embedded in African cultures, likes the use of patterns, textures, historical writings, graphic symbols, and color as a form of visual and global communication. She is also a speaker and mentor; also currently works with Flux Academy as a Brand Design Coach. We speak with Fungi about her positioning and how she uses culture to impact her design and share powerful stories!Guest Information:Guest Name: Fungi DubeBusiness Name: Fungi Dube GraphicsWebsite: www.fungidube.com/Instagram: @fungidubegraphicsTwitter: @fungi_dubeLinkedIn: in/fungidubeBehance: @fungidubeInbox Question:"I'd love to learn what brand designers think about verbal identity and how they work with copywriters!” — Andrea ShahSpecial 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

Happy 2023 and welcome to Season 7! Esther and Jen recap their holiday breaks, talk about their goals for 2023, and discuss new changes for Season 7 and what to expect. Can’t wait to have you guys along for the ride!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

There are a couple things that we learned the hard way - and we want to help you avoid those mistakes! We chat through client communication errors we’ve made, our philosophy on hiring, standing up for yourself, and weathering the ups and downs of business. We’re curious - what’s one lesson you learned the hard way in your business?Inbox Question:"How do you develop your identity and visibility to find clients?” - Maël PetitSpecial 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

This episode was so wonderful to listen back to! We hope you enjoy. We will be back with Season 7 on January 24th!Brand 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.Links Mentioned:Melinda's videos on The Futur's YouTube channelMelinda's websiteMelinda's course, Brand Strategy BootcampMelinda's Brand Strategy Resources"The Brand Gap: How to Bridge the Distance Between Business Strategy and Design" by Marty Neumeier"You Are A Badass at Making Money: Master the Mindset of Wealth" by Jen SinceroSpecial 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

This From the Archives episode is all about getting paid on time and ensuring things don’t get lost in the black hole that is the internet:Payments are all about communication and being assertiveLate fees/things to include in your contractTimelines for payments (Giselle recommended 7 days — I agree!)How to protect your work - before payments have processedEven if you have a barter or discounted services, always have a contractEnjoy these call-back episodes. We will be back with Season 7 on January 24th!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

This episode was so wonderful to listen back to! We hope you enjoy it. We will be back with Season 7 on January 24th!In this solo episode, Giselle opens up about why and how she launched a digital course. What seems like a couple of months of preparation for the course was really three years in the making. Giselle spills it all to encourage those that dream about making digital products but hold themselves back for many reasons — just like she did to herself.Giselle covers: product ideation, goal-setting, pre-launching and launching, imposter syndrome, progress over perfection, Essentialism by Greg McKeown, business coaching, overcoming shame, mental health challenges, and future ideas for the course.From Giselle:First off, I have to give a huge shoutout to the women that impacted my professional and personal lives, my previous coaches, and current friends: Avani Miriyala, Jane Scudder, and Kelsey Kerslake.I also wanted to address the importance of taking care of one’s mental health in this episode. My hope is that we as entrepreneurs can have the space to step back when our personal lives call for it and not feel ashamed nor lose the momentum we worked so hard to build for our businesses. It's ok to step back, it's ok to take care of yourself first. Plus, our community is built to support you in both the highs and lows.Links MentionedEssentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg MckeownSpecial 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

This From the Archives episode is chocked full of knowledge from Avani Miriyala, Giselle’s business coach. In the episode Avani, Jen, and Giselle talk about:Leveling up mentally to be the person you need to be to serve your clients the bestFalling back in love with learningFixed mindset vs. growth mindsetHow to take time to invest in yourselfImperfect action is better than no action; do something small rather than nothingEnjoy these call-back episodes. We will be back with Season 7 on January 24th!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

It’s our final episode of Season 6 and we’re answering your burning questions! Listen to hear your questions about client processes, brand design, business, and more! Some of our questions include:“What is the best way to have clients get their content to you before you start a project?” — Annalie Chernin“What is the best way to communicate to a client as an introvert?” — Eden Synundu“How do I move over from corporate designs (flyers, business cards, etc.) to creating brand identities only?” — @monique_weaktopeak“At what point am I a real design business?” — Rachael Lyonsmore!For the next 4 weeks, we’ll be releasing From the Archives episodes featuring our most listened-to episodes over the seasons. We will be back with Season 7 on January 24th! Happy holidays!Links Mentioned:Branding with Bre from Rowan MadeThe Logo Package PortalIterating on the One Concept MethodFinding Creative InspirationIntroducing Esther-Knox Dekoning & Podcast UpdatesWelcome to Better: The Brand Designer PodcastThis Episode’s Partner:The Brief CollectiveThe Design Biz Academy from The Brief Collective serves beginner, amateur, and seasoned designers—they have something for total newbies, something for designers needing to enhance their skill set, and something for designers ready to scale their biz & start booking $10K clients. Join now at https://thebriefcollective.com/course. Learn about the 3 Secrets to Booking High Ticket Design Clients right here!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

Everyone wants to attract the right clients and easily sell high-ticket services - but when was the last time you reviewed what was on your services page? This week Jen chats with Kelsey McCormick from Coming Up Roses all about her journey from climbing the ranks in the music industry to running a brand and web studio, and how Kelsey developed a framework specifically for crafting services pages that convey the transformation you’re selling and that support your sales process from the start.Guest Information:Guest Name: Kelsey McCormickGuest Business Name: Coming Up RosesGuest Website: cominguproses.coGuest Instagram: @cominguproses.coLinks Mentioned:Services to Sales WorkshopFree ART Framework - Build Your Transformation StatementInbox Question:"How do you keep your socials consistent while still sharing a variety of work?” - Elizabeth CooperThis Episode’s Partner:Packaging Design MasterSet yourself apart from the competition with the specialized and niche skill of packaging design. Visit packagingdesignmaster.com and use the code BETTER to get $50 off enrollment.Special thanks to our producer Jon from Wayfare Recording Co.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsiteOur Resources PagePodcast InstagramSupport us on Patreon