The C Word Podcast with Bec Hughes

3 packages on your services page might feel logical and flexible. It might also be the reason your best prospects always pick the option with no brand strategy, and you're convinced clients don't want strategy. If you've ever built tiered service packages to feel more affordable, flexible or available, this is for you. In this episode: • Why "affordable" packages train clients to shop on price ins...

Every designer is feeling the pressure to be faster and cheaper, especially with AI in the mix. But competing on speed and price isn't a strategy, it's a trap. If you've ever wondered whether brand in a week offers, selling templates, or rock bottom logo packages are just the new reality, this one's for you. I tackle why the race to the bottom is hurting us as individual designers and as an indust...

"Mission, Vision and Values" is everywhere in brand strategy. But what if it's not brand strategy at all? If you've ever completed an MVV exercise with a client and then wondered how to actually turn it into branding, this one is for you. I tackle why Mission, Vision and Values belongs in a different strategic discipline and what brand strategy actually needs to do instead, including: • Why MVV pr...

The villain strategy is having a moment. But trendy brand strategy concepts are only useful if you know how to use them. If you've heard about brands defining their "enemy" and thought it sounded good but weren't sure how to apply it for a client, this one's for you. I tackle the "brenemy" concept and give it the framework it's been missing, including: Why standing against something is just as pow...

In this episode I'm joined by Liz Mosley, and she has a challenge for you... 100 challenges actually.   We talk about Liz, her business and creativity, and her hot takes on the design industry.   We cover: • How Liz unintentionally built a personal brand and why that was the best way • Advice she has ignored • Being vulnerable, building in public, and setting healthy boundaries • Her thoughts on w...

No one wants a leaky brand strategy. Could you be devaluing what you create for your clients without you even knowing it? If you've ever handed over a 50-point questionnaire, wrestled with AI for hours, or sent a Loom instead of presenting your work live, this episode is for you. I tackle the most common brand strategy leaks and how to plug them, including: Why your discovery process might be work...

It's not about the tech, it's about what you do with it! In this episode I share my tips for creating a simple but effective brand strategy focused tech stack. This will ensure the apps streamline and support, but don't get in the way of your thinking. I cover: • The principles of a lean tech stack • The brand strategy activities that need or benefit from supporting apps • My own brand strategy te...

In this episode I talk to Bec Morris, one of the founding students of The Brand Method program, and very talented brand creator. I check in on Bec's journey with brand strategy to explore: • Why she wanted to invest in her brand strategy skills • What that journey has looked like for her • The impact it's had on her business and also her identity I'm honoured to have been part of Bec's journey, an...

Feedback isn’t the problem, it's how you ask for it. If you’ve ever received vague, emotionally charged, or completely off-track feedback, chances are there's a problem with your feedback process. In this episode, I break down: • Why client feedback so often derails projects (and why it’s not actually their fault) • The role feedback should play in your process • Common mistakes designers make I'l...

How many times have you said “a brand is not a logo”… and watched clients glaze over? In this episode, I tackle why that line doesn’t resonate, and what to say instead if you want branding to click for your clients. Because replacing 'logo' with 'design scheme' won't do it either. • We’ll have a quick reset on what a brand really is • Understand why that definition matters • Get to the nuts &...

Let’s demystify the whole workshop thing. The thought of running a strategy workshop strikes fear into many creatives, but they don't have to be scary. In fact they’re one of the fastest ways to build strategic authority. In this episode I share: What a proper Discovery Workshop actually is (and what it’s not) The structure that keeps your workshop focused and valuable How to manage tangents, surf...

Em Sparrow, founder of Sparo Studios, shares her experiences and learnings as a successful studio founder, and why she implemented some big changes in 2025. We talk about: • The most important skills needed to scale a business • Em's experiences growing a team • The discomfort that is part of growth • Innovation as a mindset and growth strategy • One thing the Sparo Studios team prioritise in thei...

Brand strategy is having a moment. It’s no longer flying under the radar or reserved for the select few. What used to be a nice-to-have for designers is quickly becoming a non-negotiable to secure better clients. In this episode, I unpack • Why strategy is trending • What’s driving the shift • Why the competitive advantage window is closing Don't panic, this is your chance to take advantage of for...

In this episode, I have a value-packed chat with Hayden Burgess from Pitchr.  We purposefully meander through lots of valuable insights, including: • What it means to have a 'no compromise' business • Cultivating confidence and assertiveness with clients • Positioning yourself as a consultant • Bad habits that creatives develop in business • Simple selling skills with real impact   About Hayden Bu...

Brand strategy doesn’t need to take months to be valuable. In this episode I share: • Why long timelines are bloated, impractical, and irrelevant • A realistic 3-week brand strategy project plan for designers • How you can significantly increase your income even with a short timeline The purists will be choking on their textbooks.. but I don't care. This is about efficiency, confidence and outcome...

What if you're not cut-out for brand strategy? What if you get it wrong? What if it takes too long? What if people think you're a fraud? There are so many 'what ifs' that hold designers back from leaning into learning and offering brand strategy. In this episode I explore: • Why these questions are holding you back and what they really mean • Some better ways to frame these 'what ifs' • What leani...

If I could only give a client one thing to create the most strategic clarity, it would be positioning. It's the one thing that gets to the heart of (arguably) the most important branding question... why should our audience want us? In this episode, I break down: What positioning is and why it's so essential The single upgrade that makes positioning easier to build and understand Why this change re...

Designers always want to know... “what am I missing in my brand strategy process?” Usually it's the same things... the 'hard' skills. They already have the soft skills. Asking curious questions, reading between the lines, empathy, and being OK with not having all the answers. The gap is the technical skills. Too many designers rely on exhausting questionnaires, over the top avatars and shiny distr...

Is it possible to offer a 'lite' version of brand strategy without cutting corners or lowering your standards? You can’t just leave bits out of brand strategy and expect the same outcome... but in this episode I share the 3 levers you can adjust without dumbing things down. Depth – how deeply you explore Deliverables – how you package and present the outputs Delegation – who does the work: you, yo...

In this episode, I had the pleasure of talking shop with Jacob Cass.  We cover a lot of ground, including: • Jacob’s own journey from brand designer to brand strategist • The role of a brand strategist • How brand builders can become a strategic partner to their clients • The biggest challenges facing designers and brand builders • What’s happening at the Brand Builders Summit on 16-19 Sept >&g...

Brand archetypes are everywhere—but are they really helping your strategy? In this episode of Brand Strategy Unwankified, I share why I don’t use brand archetypes and what I do instead. I cover: Why archetypes seem appealing but lead to sameness How they amplify industry clichés Why the illusion they create of strategy is only skin deep What I focus on in my brand strategy process instead That's r...

In this podcast, I welcome one of the founders of The Designer Boss Summit, Anna Dower. We go deep into the female experience in the design industry. From money blocks, time and head space, confidence to lead, self-belief, role models to aspire to and platforms to get our voices heard, we explore what women need to succeed. What I loved about this episode is the honest exploration of the female ex...

We’ve been told that design should be quicker and more decisive. That strategy should make things certain and predictable, and guarantee success. I want to challenge those ideas. Because what if strategy isn't about logic and certainty at all? What if those things destroy creativity? Instead, what if brand strategy is about invention, and re-imagination. About finding the 'unbland' spaces and help...

If you’re already offering brand strategy and wondering how to sharpen your process, this episode’s for you. I’m sharing 5 practical shifts I’ve made that have unlevelled my client experience and outcomes. • Why I ditched the questionnaire • A smarter way to share research • The power of presenting in person • How to stay curious longer  • Why ruthless simplification is your biggest value-add Smal...

Ever handed over a 30-page brand strategy doc no one read? Let’s fix that. In this episode I'll share an approach your clients will love you for: • The 7 elements every one-pager brand strategy should include • Why simple brand strategy is smarter (and more powerful) • How to position, prove, and differentiate a brand on one page If you want your brand strategy to be understood and used, positioni...