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
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
Sep 24, 2024 • 35min
S10 E9: Setbacks with Silver Linings: Business Challenges that Taught Me Valuable Lessons
Another solo episode! Today, I talk about some of my business setbacks over the years and how each one taught me valuable lessons that helped both my business and me grow.Past Episodes Mentioned:Iterating on the One Concept MethodSpooooky Client StoriesConnect 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
Sep 17, 2024 • 44min
S10 E8: Is Our Industry Shifting? Design Business Changes I’ve Made Over the Last Year
In this weeks episode I go over where our Industry was, is, and where I think it is going. I also share what I have done in my business to try to adapt to these changes in order to not fall behind. Inbox Question:“When do you know whether you should niche or not?” - Cristina MojicaConnect 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
Sep 10, 2024 • 44min
S10 E7: What Should You Charge? (Pricing Survey Results!)
What is everyone charging in this industry?! I asked and I have the results. This week I surveyed over 100 designers to ask what they are charging for various services and I share what they said with you. 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
Sep 3, 2024 • 46min
S10 E6: 4-Year Update on Motherhood & Business
A more personal episode this week! With baby number two right around the corner I share how both myself and my business have changed in the after the first four years of motherhood. Links Mentioned:Carly RiordanRowan MadeInbox 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
Aug 27, 2024 • 46min
S10 E5: Why, When, and How to Start an Internship Program (It Will Change Your Life!)
Do you want to hire but wondering if it's the right time? Or maybe you are concerned about adding a bunch of overhead to an already successful business. An Internship program may be the answer as an alternative to hiring a full time employee. Today I go over how and why I started an internship program at Hello June. I will also go over how you know it's time to hire and why an internship program may be a better fit for a lot of small businesses. Inbox Question:“Do you ever do print design (posters, flyers) etc? If so how do you price for this kind of project? - Tanya LeClairConnect 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
