As designers, it is our job to deliver designs to our clients that are unique, ground-breaking, and ultimately: worth remembering. We are bombarded with brands, website, ads, day in and day out. But how many of those brands stick out to you? Very few! As you’re designing, it’s important to keep that in mind and work towards being the brand that sticks out. In this episode Esther talks about her 4 step fool-proof way to ensure she’s delivering brands that are each unique in their own way:Start with StrategyTell a StoryBreak the MoldBe Unique (Don’t Copy)Inbox Question:"What are your thoughts about implementing personality types into branding?” - Lovella JGSpecial 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

Today Adrienne Johnston joins Jen to talk all about how she generates 5+ leads per week WITHOUT doing active content marketing! This was such an interesting and insightful conversation all about using the power of simple, effortless SEO shifts to start capturing leads that may not have been aware of you.Guest Information:Guest Name: Adrienne JohnstonGuest Business Name: Adrienne JohnstonGuest Website: https://adriennejohnston.com/Guest Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adriennebjohnston/Links Mentioned:Free Resources from AdrienneSix-Figure Presentation Designer CourseLive Virtual RetreatFree Masterclass: How to Build a Six-Figure Design BusinessStupid Simple SEO CourseSem RushUbersuggestAhrefs.comHelp A Reporter Out (HARO)Inbox Question:"Always curious about graduating to bigger clients who can take on more ambitious projects and not living off small projects that feel “good enough” for the client.” - Jackie AntreasianSpecial 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

If you guys are as curious as we were about adding design intensives into your offer suite, this episode is the one-stop-shop guide you’ve been looking for! We go through who intensives work best for, the pros and cons of offering them, and best practices for pitching and selling them to clients. We also go through some of the mistakes we’ve made when offering intensives - and what we’ve learned along the way.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

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