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
Apr 30, 2024 • 1h 9min
S9 E11: How to Level-Up Your Web Services with Chris Misterek from Showit
Today I interview Chris Misterek from Showit! As you all know I am a huge fan of Showit and we talk everything from Chris' own design journey, to the Showit design community, to creating websites that convert. Guest Information:Guest Name: Chris MisterekGuest Business Name: ShowitGuest Website: showit.comLinks Mentioned:Sign up for ShowitSpark Conference for Showit DesignersMec Labs formula: C = 4m + 3v + 2(i-f) - 2a (https://meclabs.com/about/heuristic)Steve Krug Books on Conversion - Don’t Make Me Think & Rocket Surgery Made EasyInbox Question:"How can I sell Showit as my preferred web building platform to clients, even though they might be more aware of platforms like Squarespace and Wordpress?” - Lauren B.Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Apr 16, 2024 • 1h 3min
S9 E10: Entering a New Era of Brand Strategy with Marion Tan
The industry landscape when it comes to Brand Strategy is shifting, and designer/strategist Marion Tan from Hearten and Hone and By Marion Co. joins me to talk about her unique approach to offering this signature service to her clients (hint: it doesn’t have to be as complex as you think!)Guest Information:Guest Name: Marion TanGuest Business Name: By MarionGuest Website: bymarion.coGuest Instagram: @bymarion.coLinks Mentioned:FREE MINI COURSE: Brand Strategy Training Ground https://bymarion.co/training-groundUse code “BETTER” for $50 off of Marion’s signature brand strategy course, SOUGHT AFTER STRATEGIST http://bymarion.co/sas-betterpodInbox Question:“I’d love advice for how I can relaunch my studio as a luxury brand” - Sierra MechelleConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast Instagram
Apr 9, 2024 • 1h 10min
From the Archives | S5 E3: Running a Successful Design Business with Neurodivergence with Lea Gucciardi
I’m on spring break! Enjoy this favorite episode from the archives featuring my good friend Lea Gucciardi from Arq Design Studio. Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Apr 2, 2024 • 1h 7min
From the Archives | S6 E6: Refining Your Sales & Proposal Process
Description: I’m on spring break! Enjoy this favorite episode from the archives where Esther and I discuss how to up-level your sales and proposal process. Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on Patreon
Mar 26, 2024 • 30min
S9 E9: Are You Making These Design Business Mistakes?
Another solo episode! In this one I go through some of the most common design business mistakes new and even experienced designers make. Don't make the same mistakes I did!Links Mentioned:25% off one year of HoneybookInbox Question:“Helpful tips to gain confidence in presenting concepts?” - Gemma de MunkConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Mar 19, 2024 • 25min
S9 E8: How to Level Up Your Onboarding & Offboarding Experiences
Having a good on / off boarding process is the key to a positive client experience, in today’s episode I am going to do a quick deep dive on mine and show you some lesson’s learned and maybe give you a few new ideas for yours! Links Mentioned:Honeybook Discount CodeBoxfoxInbox Question: “how to explain the importance of following a brand guide” - Heather Van Dyne</aside>Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Mar 12, 2024 • 22min
S9 E7: Business IRL: How to Maintain a Streamlined & Inspiring Office Space (At Any Size)
Episode Description:Today I go over my desk setup and how I like to keep my office space to make sure I am both productive and in a good mood. A little lighter and on the quick side today.Inbox Question:“I’m looking for guidance for the legal side of business setup. Do most people start with a sole proprietorship or an LLC?” - Kaitlin KnustConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Mar 5, 2024 • 1h 5min
S9 E6: How to Make Consistent Five Figure Months on Day Rates Alone with Sarah Masci
I got to chat all things VIP Days (how to price them, how to run them, and how to sell them) with the OG day rate creator herself, Sarah Masci of Day Rate Mastery. Sarah’s story spans well over a decade, and it was incredible to hear how she generated tons of leads early on in her company, how she configured her work schedule, and how she shifted her mindset to be able to make consistent five figure months on day rates alone.Guest Information:Guest Name: Sarah MasciGuest Business Name: Sarah MasciGuest Website: www.sarahmasci.comGuest Instagram: @sarahmasciLinks Mentioned:VIP Days 10 Different Ways (Free PDF!)Connect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Feb 27, 2024 • 39min
S9 E5: All About Inquiries: Stats, Trends, & How to Get More
Inspired by Abbey McGrew’s podcast episode from Unfiltered Designers! How many inquiries we got, how they found us, and who booked!In this episode Jen shares her secrets for converting those site clicks into Inquiries. Jen shares some real inquiries from real clients and talks about what exactly on her site, her social media, or her brand got those clients from just thinking about it to actually booking a discovery call.“What are your best tips for advertising yourself as a brand designer?” - Natalie BrownConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
Feb 20, 2024 • 46min
S9E4: How to Project Manage Your Studio to Success
Project management is a skill that every brand design studio owner needs. Having good project management doesn’t just help your business run smoothly, but it leads to a good work environment for your employees and provides your clients with a seamless client experience. In today’s episode Jen shares her best tips and lessons learned around becoming a better project manager.Links Mentioned:Brand Messaging & Copy Sprint for Designers Waitlist - a new Hello June offer!Iterating on the One Concept Method podcast episodeNotionshopcreativelaw.comInbox Question:“How do you manage the subjectivity aspect of designing a brand with a client and setting boundaries on the amount of work or options you provide while giving them what they need/want?” - Maddie JacobsConnect With Us:Our Free Facebook CommunityOur WebsitePodcast InstagramSupport us on PatreonTags: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
