Better: The Brand Designer Podcast

In this episode, I chat with Brooklyn of Glorybright Studio about how her health journey took her from freelancing and taking on any design project to niching into serving holistic practitioners and wellness brands. We talk about how her values and faith shaped her positioning, why speaking from personal experience makes marketing and sales feel simpler, and how this shift has changed the way she shows up for her kids and family.

Guest Name: Brooklyn Beckerson

Guest Website: glorybrightstudio.com

Guest Social: @glorybrightstudio

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers - Applications for cohort 7 open up November 1st, 2026! 

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 25% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design

In this solo episode, I chat all about how AI has impacted our studio, how we use it, how we see our clients using it (the good & the bad) where we don’t use it, and how we have implemented AI clauses in both our clients and subcontractors contracts.

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers - applications open Nov 1st, 2026 for cohort 7!

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 25% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design

In this week's episode, I talk with Emily, a former Big Four audit manager who's now CFO of Thorne Advisors, the firm she co-leads with Andrea Mason. Together they help business owners get a clearer picture of their cash flow and a smarter approach to taxes. We get into why creative business owners can look profitable on their books but still feel broke, and unpack the cash leaks behind it, like underpricing and scope creep.

Guest Name: Emily Bowie

Guest Website: thorneadvisors.com

Guest Social: @thonreadvisors

Guest Podcast: Prosper and Get Paid

Freebie: 5 Cash Leaks & 5 Missed Tax Deductions

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 25% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design

In this week's episode, I chat with Kadie Smith, designer and founder of Drop Cap Design. We talk about why she chose to rebrand after 12 years in business, how she'd been feeling disconnected from her brand, and what it was like being the "client," working with her senior designer through it. We also discuss why communicating clearly with clients matters so much, presenting work and gathering feedback more effectively, and growing into a creative direction role with your team.

Guest Name: Kadie Smith

Guest Website: dropcapdesign.com

Guest Social: @kadie_smith_

Drop Cap Social: @dropcapdesign / @dropcapacademy

Links Mentioned:

See the rebrand of Drop Cap - Watch Behind-The-Brand and use code “BETTER” and watch for FREE being a listener of the podcast!

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 25% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design

In this solo episode, as I'm in my 14th season of the podcast and 8th year in business, I chat about things that have changed since I started in 2019, and share what I would do differently and things I would prioritize sooner if I were starting my creative business today.

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 25% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design

Grab Kayla's Website Copy Compendium today and use code BETTERPOD to save $200 on personal or commercial.

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In this episode, I talk with Kayla Dean, website copywriter, messaging strategist, and owner of The Literary Co. We chat about why messaging and positioning are often the missing link for designers who want high-ticket clients, and how strong copy can reduce pricing pushback, attract better-fit leads, and support what your portfolio already proves.

Guest Name: Kayla Dean

Guest Website: theliterary.co

Guest IG: @theliterary.co

Guest Threads: @theliterary.co

Website Copy Compendium: theliterary.co/wcc - Use code BETTERPOD and save $200 on personal or commercial.

Trust Triggers: Get your Free Guide Here

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 25% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design

In this first episode of season 14, I talk with Steven Wakabayashi, creative director and founder of Stranger Creative, about building a strong company culture in a fully remote, globally distributed agency, what it really takes to grow from freelance-style work into a sustainable team, and having the right mindset as a business owner. We also chat about how we work with talented freelancers across different areas of design expertise, and how that produces top tier work for our clients.

Guest Name: Steven Wakabayashi

Guest Websites: strangercreative.com / stevenwakabayashi.com/speaking

Guest Linkedin: inkedin.com/stevenwakabayashi

Guest Substack: strangercreative.substack.com

Guest Podcast: Yellow Glitter

Links Mentioned:

Just Works

QTBIPOC Design (nonprofit organization)

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design

In this week's episode I have fellow designer, mom, and business owner Olivia Austin back on the podcast. We chat about the things that don't matter and the things that really do when growing and running a business, and how becoming a mom has made all of that even clearer. Her last episode with me was back in 2022 and so much has changed since we last talked. 

Guest Name: Olivia Austin

Guest Website: byoliviaaustin.com & thestudio.co

Guest Social: @thestudio.co & @byoliviaaustin

Guest Podcast: Behind the Design

Course: Studio Growth Accelerator

Previous Guest Episode: S6 E5: Hiring a Team that Supports Your Vision with Olivia Austin

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, motherhood and business

This week I chatted with Brooke Apffel about building her digital marketing business, Coastal Collective Marketing (CoCo), from the ground up, growing it into an agency with a team, and what the process looked like to eventually sell through an acquisition. We also talk about her social media masterclass, a course I took personally and highly recommend!

Guest Name: Brooke Apffel

Guest Website: coastalcollectivemarketing.com

Guest Social: @coastalcollectivemarketing

The Course: The Social Media Manager Masterclass

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code “BETTER15” to receive 15% off your membership.

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design

In this weeks episode, I'm chatting with my friend Amanda, owner of Mandy Lee Studio (formerly Poised Avenue), who specializes in stationery, print design, and design licensing.
We talk about why print still matters in a world of digital noise and AI, how tactile collateral can strengthen a brand experience, and how to educate your clients on print and all the possibilities it opens up to elevate their brand presence beyond just digital.

Guest Name: Amanda DeWoody

Guest Website: mandylee.studio 

Guest Email: [email protected]

Guest Substack: amandadewoody.substack.com

Guest Social: @signedmandylee

Links:

The Design Minimind - My 1:1 coaching program for designers

Download my FREE Creative Direction Figma Template (includes 4 audio trainings as well)

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*Some are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design