The C Word Podcast with Bec Hughes

What’s the number one thing that all designers want? Consistent clients of course! More specifically consistent, good quality clients. Because what you actually want is the ones that value you, have a desire to work with you because they believe in the upgrade you will create for them and they trust your expertise. There’s no magic formula for this, it takes work and putting your efforts in the ri...

On this episode of The C Word podcast I’m talking to the delightful Clare Wood about all things money! Clare shares the 2 all important sides of the coin when it comes to achieving your money goals. The first is your money mindset and money stories, and the second is your money management skills. Clare Wood is a money mentor, writer, speaker and podcaster. Clare helps service-based businesses to s...

I talk about strategy and specifically brand strategy a lot on The C Word podcast. And the reason for that is I believe claiming, showing, owning and monetising your strategic side is a huge opportunity for brand-led designers. It sets you apart, elevates you, makes you more valuable, helps you create a better outcome for your clients and makes you more desirable. But how and why does it do that?...

Here on The C Word Podcast I like to tackle a whole range of topics, including ones that I get asked about. And this is one of those.   In this episode I talk about what is perhaps one of the biggest conundrums for a brand-led designer and that’s how much should you charge for a logo?   As well as giving you what I think is a watershed fee for logo design (any less and you're devaluing your work a...

On this episode of The C Word Podcast I'm talking all about boundaries. Because as creatives (and any kind of small business owner really) I think it's easy to be a bit bendy with our boundaries. But the impact of that can be significant. I'll dive into: • Some of the areas where you should consider setting boundaries on your business • What it looks like when your boundaries are being overstepped...

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I'm talking to Kate Toon about, well everything really. Prepare for a juice-fest because there is so much!  This is a fun, entertaining and diverse episode that I know you'll love. From puppy dogs, Kevin Bacon and toxic personal development, to clients, taking things personally, creativity, what it it to be a misfit entrepreneur, confidence and focusing on the...

Budget and timeline blowouts are a reality for any creative business at one time or another. But they shouldn’t be the norm. I think the main reason they happen is because the stakeholders involved didn’t have realistic expectations in the first place. In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I share my key tips for stopping or minimising budget and timeline blowouts: ✨Detailed scope – Be clear on...

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I cover the reasonably long list of mistakes that designers quite often make when pricing their services. This combines the practical with the mindset hurdles, to examine why designers sometimes struggle to price their work and communicate their value. I'll share 15, that's right one-five, of the most common mistakes I see solo creatives and agencies making. I...

In this episode of The C Word podcast I'm tackling the question of how to cultivate unshakeable belief in your creative work as a designer or brand-led creative.  Having absolute conviction that you will produce work that nails the brief every time can be an ongoing challenge for many designers. It's a skill, like many others, that we need to invest time in developing. However cultivating that str...

If you find the prospect of presenting your design work to clients a little bit nerve-racking or uncomfortable, you're definitely not alone. I think presenting creative work with confidence is something a lot of designers and creatives find challenging. It’s not a skill we’re necessarily taught in any meaningful way, and designers are left to pick it up as they go. In this episode of The C Word Po...

On this episode of The C Word Podcast I lift the lid on my own creative business growth. My aim isn't to tell you what you should be doing to grow, but rather to inspire you with some of the things you could be doing. I hope to give you some food for thought, and ideas for what you could introduce into your business if growth is something you want to focus on. I've reflected on the past 7 years as...

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I talk about my own agency experiences as a designer and brand strategist, and share what I had to unlearn after working in creative agencies   I often find designers have an employee mindset in their own business. They struggle to let go of some past habits, beliefs and behaviours they may have as a hangover from freelancer or agency life.   This episode focu...

I hope you’re ready for an awesome episode of the C Word podcast, because I’m talking to Jessica Osborn all about niching. Jess is the poster child of niching because she has made it her niche, and she has so much insight to share on this topic. Jess is a business coach, podcast host and author who is all about business that puts family and lifestyle first.  When I think of Jess is think of sunshi...

In this episode of The C Word podcast I'm talking about one of the trickier parts of being a design or creative business owner... and that's managing your client through the creative process. Sometimes I think this process is left to chance, but it doesn't have to be that way. There is so much you can do to be intentional and methodical throughout the process to ensure everyone gets an outcome the...

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I’m joined by Eliza Ludwig from The Flow Society.   Eliza is a wealth coach, and her mission is to make entrepreneurship a viable career for women. She wants women to have access to wealth, development, and a phenomenal career that enables them to do what they love, on their terms.   When she’s not doing that, Eliza loves baking, lifting weights and has swappe...

This is a quick win mini-sode about why I think you need to ditch your price list and do something else instead. In this short and sweet instalment of The C Word podcast I share: ~ Why I object to the term price list ~ The reasons having a price list is a missed opportunity  ~ The benefits of creating a value-led proposal ~ 8 things to include in that proposal to convert more enquiries   FIND OUT...

In episode 16 of The C Word Podcast, I’m talking about the S word. I’m not getting sweary though, it’s not that S word, what I’m talking about is strategy.   And this is something, specifically brand strategy, that’s close to my business heart. I’ve spent the majority of my career as a brand strategist in creative consultancies and it has been a big part of my own business for the past 7 years.  ...

If you’re feeling the pressure of the 'curse' of being in business post circa 2000 – i.e. content creation, blogs, reels, video, carousel posts, lives, nurture sequences, welcome emails and the list goes on, this podcast is for you my lovely!   In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I’m talking to Mel Daniels from Meld Business all about the concept of powerful content as distinct from content for...

In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I talk about the distinction between freelancer and design or creative business owner, because I think it’s an important one.   Not only are they very different, as designers it’s important to know which you are and what you’re getting yourself into as they require very different investments and skills. And when you're clear what you are and what you want to...

In this week’s episode of The C Word Podcast I’m tackling the much maligned topic of retainers. More specifically, I ask the question are retainers bad for business?   There’s a lot of bad press and negative content about the poor, unsuspecting retainer and I want to share a different perspective. Because there are always two sides to every story right?   I’ve had a lot of success using retainers...

In this week's episode I share my framework for creative business growth.   The 'Creative Growth Wireframe' is something I've developed over 20+ years of learning, failing, testing and succeeding. It's a robust framework built from: ~ Reflections on my own business evolution  ~ Learnings from working in both global and local boutique agencies ~ Helping my creative clients overcome the challenges t...

This episode is the final part of my 4-part quick wins mini-series for creatives in business.   We’ve covered a lot of ground in these mini-sodes and I hope you’ve got lots of ideas and action to take.   Make sure you go back and listen to the first 3 episodes, they’re all around 10 minutes long - so nice, quick listens when you have a little break in your day.   In this series we’ve talked about...

Welcome to the 3rd instalment in my quick wins mini-series here on The C Word Podcast.   And this one hits creative challenges right between the eyes.   Because I think this is something that lots of graphic designers, web designers and other brand-led creatives find tricky. And that’s pricing your creative work to ensure you make the profit you want.   I’ll be talking about: ~ The difference betw...

In episode 9 of The C Word podcast and the second in my 4 quick win mini-sodes, I share my 5 systems to make space for creativity. If you think process and systems stifle creativity this is for you. In this episode I talk about: ~ How to upgrade your mindset when it comes to productivity ~ A simple change that transformed my business and client experience ~ How processes and systems are the friend...

This week I’m doing something a bit different on the podcast. Instead of 1 meaty episode, I’m going to share 4 little mini-sodes each day - Tuesday through to Friday - that are all about you making quick wins.   In this first part of the quick win series, I step through the 8 R’s for building momentum and growth in your creative business. These are all of the profile and profit building strategies...