Country Creatives

Join Caleb and Reece on this episode of Country Creatives as they dive into the crucial topic of managing finances for self-employed individuals. They're joined by money expert Hamish Riley, who shares invaluable advice on approaching finances, setting goals, and avoiding common pitfalls when starting and growing your creative business. It's easy to get caught up in the artistic side of things, bu...

Join Caleb and Reece on the latest adventure of the Country Creatives podcast as they embark on a journey straight to the heart of crafting the perfect pitch document. In this episode, get ready to dive into the nitty-gritty details of what makes a pitch document truly shine. Caleb and Reece will walk you through it all, using not one, but two real-life examples. Discover the integral components t...

Dive into a 30-minute whirlwind with The Country Creative Duo, Reece and Caleb, as they spill the beans on supercharging your client game. Get ready to discover your dream client in just three steps! Reece and Caleb will guide you through identifying "Who's Your Best Client." Unearth those perfect matches, for creatives of any kind. Wondering where to find your dream clients? Fear not! The dynamic...

On August 17th, 2023, Be Bendigo threw their annual Business Excellence Awards bash, where they rolled out the red carpet to honor the rock stars of Greater Bendigo's business scene. And guess what? This year, they cranked up the excitement meter by introducing the dazzling debut of the Creative Industries Award. Picture this: Country Creative Caleb Maxwell strutting in as a nominee. But hold the...

Ever wished you could confidently and with full honesty answer the question ‘why do you do what you do?’  Perhaps you’d like to have the confidence to truly know your worth and charge accordingly for the incredible work you do?  Well get ready to unlock the answers to those and many more with this weeks incredible guest Leah Sertori.  Leah is an expert in helping people to unlock meaning and poten...

Join Caleb, Reece, and video production wizard Bailey Cook as they delve into the rapidly growing world of AI. Whether you're an AI enthusiast or trying to avoid it altogether, this episode is a must-listen. Discover how this trio has been integrating AI into their creative processes, learn beginner and advanced tips, and also gain insights into the future of AI in the creative industries.

Business and creativity, not always an instant match made in heaven but with this week’s guest Kira Hyde, creative mastermind behind KH studio, harnessing creativity to serve business becomes a piece of cake. Reece, Caleb and Kira talk about the client process from onboarding right through to celebrating the end of the project and along the way you’ll get tips and understanding of the communicatio...

Do you find yourself dragging your feet when sending invoices, writing up that quote, emailing that customer enquiry back? is it sucking a huge amount of your time and energy?  Perhaps you are actually pretty effective at keeping all the the admin balls in the air - but Caleb and Reece want to ask you in this episode - is there a way for that work to happen without you? (spoiler- that’s a redundan...

It's time to check in with Bendigo based photographic artist Lauren Starr who, when Caleb and Reece had her on the show 12 months ago, was working at striking a balance between artist and day job until she was ready to make the flip to full-time. Fast forward to 2023 and Lauren has very much made that transition, focussing full time on her creative future after taking out the Bluethumb Art Prize 2...

Thomas McCarthy is putting the power of film finance directly into the hands of the audience and filmmakers with his game changing startup Jub Jub. If you are a filmmaker, a film lover, a champion of the arts, a creative entrepreneur, a start up business operator or anything in between then this is an episode of Country Creatives you don't want to miss. Explore how Thomas who has worked extensivel...

It was only a matter of time before Alice Edy and Jessamy Gee, the talented Melbourne based artists and presenters of The Imposter Syndrome Club Podcast, and our very own Reece Hendy and Caleb Maxwell of Country Creatives Podcast got together in a room for a far reaching chat about the tricky act of juggling multiple creative balls simultaneously, the vulnerability of putting your creative work in...

Jimmi Buscombe from Warnambool in Victoria's South West, is a stunning visual artist with an array of impressive large scale mural work in his catalogue.  In this episode Reece Hendy talks with Jimmi about his transition from full-time chef to full-time artist, which opens up some really interesting conversation around taking risks and seizing opportunities (even when it's out of your comfort zone...

Justin Balmain is a regionally based multi-disciplined artist who has cultivated an engaging creative process driven by a deep inquisitiveness.  Reece Hendy, who is minus Caleb in the hosting seat for this episode, uncovers Justin’s path from painter to his current work in long form art video work and in particular a project that began when Justin read a chance paragraph in a book that then took h...

Joining Caleb and Maxwell in this latest episode is Country Creatives number 1 fan Andre Sardone who, when he’s not listening to the podcast and giving valuable feedback and cheerleading to the team,  is a successful sculpture artist who has produced thought provoking public art works alongside small intimate works from his studio in a bush setting of Bendigo Victoria.  This lively chat explores A...

You might be a creative who currently hires other people to work inside your business, you may be considering expanding your team in the near future or perhaps you hadn't even considered additional hands on deck before?  Wherever you find yourself in the staffing game, this episode is going to get you thinking about what staffing situation can best help you nurture and grow your creative career. C...

When Reece and Caleb speak to a successful podcast producer about podcasting inside the Country Creatives podcast- it's a recipe to get very meta!  This addictively interesting chat is with Harry Morton, CEO of the podcasting production company Lower Street, who have worked with some of the biggest international brands to create a stable of successful podcasts.  Harry brings a wealth of knowledge,...

Caleb and Reece have reconvened to bring you a brand new episode for 2023.  The duo are catching up on where they find themselves in business and life which instigates a great discussion on embracing different seasons in your creative journey.  They explore where opportunities for career growth might be hiding in plain sight, figuring out which opportunities to pick up or put down and how you migh...

Reece & Caleb are revisiting the tricky business of difficult conversation in a work environment in this encore episode of Country Creatives. If you struggle with asking your clients 'what is your budget?'. If you find it hard to put boundaries in when they ask you 'for just a little change', if you find your ego in the drivers seat when a client doesn't like the work you deliver, or when a projec...

In this encore episode Caleb and Reece are revisiting a chat they had with Bendigo creative on the rise Lauren Starr.  This talk occurred just before Lauren took out Australia's richest art prize so tune in to get some incredible motivation and inspiration from this incredible prize winning creative. Lauren discusses how Bendigo has influenced her art and the creative goldmine that she has found i...

Caleb and Reece are revisiting a few of their compelling conversations and discussions from 2022 starting with their first ever guest on the podcast- Troy Firebrace. Troy Firebrace is a Yorta Yorta and Dja Dja Wurrung man making incredible visual art via his company Firebrace Designs. In this episode of Country Creatives Caleb and Reece find out about Troy's path to creating a significant and vari...

Say sayonara to the year that was and contemplate your creative year to come with the latest Country Creatives podcast episode. Reece and Caleb are tying a big festive bow on 2022 with a chat about their personal highlights from the year that was, including some of the guest conversations that have really stuck with them.  The duo then look forward to their plans and aspirations for 2023.  

In a career that has so far seen him move from teaching in the education system, to creating a successful freelance stock video production business, to finding a current place as the creative director of a fast growing online platform, Craig Barker is a country creative with a whole lot of ingenuity, curiosity and business skills to spare, as we find when he joins Caleb and Reece for their final p...

As we begin to wind down to the end of the year, Caleb & Reece are grabbing a beer and sitting down for a bit of a check-in chat.  First up they talk with honesty about a situation familiar to many creatives at this time of the year- the financial black hole that can open up when clients, and their money, go on Summer holidays.   Thankfully Caleb has some very recent experience staring down, and t...

Reece and Caleb speak candidly about an all too common occurrence for creatives - Burn Out.  They look at what it is, how to recognise it, what might be causing it, and drawing from their own experiences, some of the ways that you might work through it to a brighter side.  This is important work for all creatives who want to cultivate long enriched careers, so go easy on yourself and settle in her...

Caleb and Reece discuss the invisibility of female artists and the devaluing of women's work with creative Megan Champion, founder of not for profit organisation 'We Are Untold'. Megan shares how she is building a business that utilises storytelling and visual art to ensure that the achievements of females working across all sectors is visible, valued and held up as vitally important. Megan talks...