Better: The Brand Designer Podcast

Giselle is joined by Shay M. Lawson, Esq to answer all your legal questions! (Jen badly wishes she could have been there, but the baby needed her that day!) Giselle and Shay open today's episode answering the icebreaker question: “Thinking back to a year ago today, what is one thing you gained last year that you want to step more into this year?” Then, they move into talking all about the leg...

Get ready to be inspired! In this week’s episode Jen chats with Morgan Rapp about all things value-based pricing and shifting our mindsets around money and sales. We break the ice by sharing what our ideal day would look like. Then, Morgan dives into her story — how she got started in design, hit rock bottom in her design business, and what she did to quickly scale to 6 figures. Morgan shares how...

Earlier this year we asked you to share your difficult client stories and today those stories—as well as our own—are live! Although they are SUPER entertaining, we make sure to also share how the designer could have avoided the problem in the first place so we can all learn together. Giselle opens the episode by telling the story about her $400 website project and Jen shares what she learned from...

One of the most popular questions we get asked is how we book our ideal clients. Today we have Meredith Uyeyama from Quixotic Design Co on the podcast to chat all about booking dream clients and nailing the sales call. We open the episode sharing our favorite places to get icons for branding projects. Meredith then tells her story about starting a design studio, becoming a creative director, and m...

We get asked all the time about how we get clients and beat imposter syndrome, so today’s conversation is about all things designer confidence and overcoming the ego. If you’re a designer looking to improve your relationship with your work, sell confidently and/or redefine success, this is an episode you won’t want to miss! We open our chat sharing the last time we felt totally confident in taking...

As brand designers, we all know how important brand messaging is, but can often feel overwhelmed by the idea of finding and working with a copywriter. Today we are taking a deep dive in copywriting with Diana from Required Reading. We start our conversation today with a discussion about books we are reading/recently finished. (You’re going to want to check some of these out!) Diana shares how she...

We are talking all about working with web developers! If you’re a designer, wanting to up your web design game, or start outsourcing the dev work, this episode is for you. To kick off the episode, we both share what we would do if technology didn’t exist and we didn’t have to make an income. Then we transition into talking all things outsourcing to developers and why web design goes hand in hand w...

If you’ve ever wondered what offset printing or flexo printing is, this podcast is for you! In this episode, we chat with Dave Hopkins of The Print Design Academy. Dave demystifies popular print design terms and shares how designers can increase revenue with print management. We were so inspired by all of the ways Dave uses print design to create high-value brands, and know you will be too! Facebo...

Episode 3 is here and we are back with another Jen + Giselle conversation! This week’s chat is all about nailing the sales call and it is packed with takeaways for you guys! We kick off the episode with an honest conversation about how Covid-19 has effected our businesses this year. We then get into the nitty gritty about our inquiry process, our initial emails, and talking pricing with clients. W...

We are so excited to be sharing our interview with Michael August Bruny-Groth from the Logo Package! If you’ve listened to previous episodes, you know that we LOVE The Logo Package Express. This tool has been a game-changer for our businesses and saved us (literally) hundreds of hours. Michael shares his story about how The Logo Package Express was developed, we chat about the best branding tools...

We cannot tell you guys how excited we are to be back recording, in your earbuds, and hanging out with you guys today! Episode 1 of Season 3 is a classic Jen and Giselle chat. We share updates on our businesses, talk about building teams, Jen shares some big news, and we laugh over more love-fest moments (of course). We are so thankful for all the love and support from this community! We know you...

Wow, another season in the books! We're wrapping it up with an episode full of answers to your inbox questions. Jen and Giselle cover a wide range of topics for brand designers, including process, value-based pricing, dealing with indecisive clients, and more. Listen in then tell us your answer to our question for you in our Facebook group. Can't wait to hear it! Facebook Group: https://...

What's a Designer Day Rate? Why would designers replace client retainers for this? And what are the benefits to this service? Join us as Jamie from Spruce Rd describes how this premium one-day design service has empowered her brand design studio, what she's learned, and what she recommends! We also get into a bit of her client psychology and her signature Zero-Revision process. Facebook...

Are you scared to call yourself a CEO, despite you being the business owner of your independent design gig? We were too, until Jane gave us the low-down on how to unlock our inner CEO and transform our business as a result! In this episode, we talk about what our initial thoughts are on the word "CEO" and the benefits of stepping into this mindset. We also discuss CEO days, why they&apos...

When it comes to rebranding ourselves, why is it SO HARD despite us brand designers? We have Amber D'Ambrosio (formerly Amber Hukari) tell us all about her rebrand process since she transformed into One 11 Studios. We go over when you actually need to rebrand, valid reasons for rebranding, and what to avoid. Join us! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website...

Having a strong, clear design process is SO important to your branding business - but what should that look like, and why is it so key? Brand designer and strategist Steph Wharton breaks down a typical brand design process in a roundtable discussion with Jen & Giselle. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/ Better Resou...

What are those limiting beliefs you keep telling yourself? “I’m not good at [blank].” “[Blank] is hard for me.” What if you could turn that around? What would your life look like? Well, we’re super excited to announce today’s episode because our guest Avani is a master of releasing freelancers from their limiting beliefs! In this episode, we go all in on what it takes to be a successful freelancer...

Are you raising kids while also building a design studio - OR are you trying to live your best life while also working from home? Becca Levian from Skye High Interactive chats with us about her transition from agency life to being an entrepreneur, asking for support, the myths of work/life balance, and cultivating a forward-facing mindset while also living your life to the fullest applies both to...

Getting more clients is at the top of every new brand designer's to-do list - but it can feel overwhelming in the beginning. We chat about some outside-the-box ways we and other designers have gotten clients. Get the ball rolling on that referral train! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/ Better Resources Page: http...

Relying on one source of income as an independent design studio owner an be a slippery slope - Alex Cottles of The Routine Creative and Brand Mentor chats with us about why it's important to diversify your income, and how he achieves that in his own studio via multiple types of design clients and passive income like digital products and courses. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups...

Typography is one of the most fun (if not challenging) parts of our jobs as brand designers. We go over the vocab, resources, and chat about our favorite foundries and fonts. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/ Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resources Links Mentioned: Giselle’s favorite font b...

Kathy Luong from the full-service creative studio MADE BY WMN chats with us about how to level-up your studio through hiring an amazing team, stepping into a leadership role, and attracting higher-paying clients. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/ Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resources Link...

Owning a branding studio is fun - but being overwhelmed with the wrong type of work or getting burned out is not. We discuss how best to set boundaries for others and for yourself. Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website: https://www.bettebranddesigner.com/ Better Resources Page: https://www.betterbranddesigner.com/resources

We cannot believe the season one finale is HERE. We had a great time in this episode answering a lot of inbox questions from our Facebook group! Thank you all so much for your support not only for this podcast, but for everyone else in our group. If you haven't joined us in there yet, find the party here ! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesigner/ Website: https://w...

We are excited to have Abbey from Wayfarer Design Studio on the podcast! Abbey is a master at attracting dream projects and spills all her secrets to us on how she does it. She also tells us her design studio's origin story, what she's learned, and how she's up-leveling to the next best version of her studio. Join us! Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/betterbranddesign...