In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, we’re diving into what’s in and what’s out for creating a thriving, joyful design business in the new year. Inspired by a trend making waves on social media, I’m sharing my personal “ins” and “outs” for a better work-life balance and a more intentional approach to running my brand design studio.

From booking clients far in advance to pursuing non-work-related hobbies (hello, needlepoint Facebook groups!) and crafting offers around work I truly love, I’m redefining success on my own terms. Plus, we’ll chat about what’s out this year, like accepting clients with red flags, obsessive email checking, and overloading on unnecessary business expenses.

I’ll also share a glimpse into my word of the year—gratitude—and how it’s shaping my mindset and goals moving forward. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, this episode is packed with relatable insights and practical tips for creating a business you genuinely enjoy.

Links Mentioned:

The Design Minimind Sales Page

The Design Minimind Waitlist

Thuro Design

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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

Today we’re joined by Katelyn from Studio Kaly talking about what makes a luxury brand design experience and how to craft a luxurious offer suite that sells. If you’re struggling with your positioning and offers, this episode is for you!

Links Mentioned:

Studio Kaly

The Win Without Pitching Manifesto

Inbox Question:

What are the key elements to running a successful photoshoot (for yourself or a client?)

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www.betterbranddesigner.com/disclaimer

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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

Have you ever had a review session with a client and they're just not feeling the work you've created? We've been there! In this episode Jen and Esther talk about some of their experiences with push-back and how they worked through the problems to create better solutions for their clients.

Links Mentioned:
The Anti-Anxiety Notebook

Inbox Question:
"How do you present your initial designs to the client? What do you include– how many logo/secondary logo ideas, how many fonts (and where to get fonts/legalities), do you photoshop a mock-up and include that with the package? Like what do you do lol" — Mackenzi Chapman

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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

Episode Description:

In today’s episode Jen shares her entire web design and web development process, from a blank slate all the way to launch day, Jen explains the systems that she has in place that allows her small team to design, build, and deliver the perfect website every time. Get ready to take notes, this one is packed with a lot of value and details!

Inbox Question:

“Finding clients who only need branding services is challenging. I’m often finding web development or design services is easier. What are the best lead gen options for this space?” - Marta Nicole Rodzen

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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

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 a difficult contractor relationship from the beginning of her business.

We talk all about making sure our values align with our work and finish up the episode answering the question: “What is your philosophy as a designer?”

Giselle and Jen believe that there is so much to be learned from difficult client experiences. While going through them can be hard, reflecting and sharing them with a supportive community can make us all better designers (see what we did there?)

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Today Jen chats with Olivia Austin from Current Design Studio all about hiring - when to think about it, how to know you’re ready, and how to navigate the hiring and interview process. We approach the hiring conversation from the perspective of knowing your studio values and adding team members who share those values.

Guest Information:
Guest Name: Olivia Austin
Guest Business Name: Current Design Studio
Guest Website: https://currentdesignstudio.com/, https://byoliviaaustin.com/
Guest Instagram: https://instagram.com/current.designstudio

Links Mentioned:
Gusto
ClickUp
Notion
Motive Affirmation Deck

Inbox Question:
“Should I list multiple package/price options on the proposal? My gut is telling me not to, because they will go with the lower price package even though they really need more.” — Chelsea Levinson

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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

Do you ever feel like you can’t take a TRUE vacation? Maybe your fears are that your clients will be mad, you don’t have enough funds to pay for the time away, or you feel like you have TOO much to do that taking time away doesn’t make sense. We’ve been there. In this episode we talk about:

• The things we do to prepare for vacation
• Battling mindset when taking time away
• How we plan for vacation ahead of time
• How time-off impacts our business and our own mental health?
• How to build rest into our schedules more regularly
• And much more!

Inbox Question:
“How do you make the most use of a junior designer/intern?” — Indy Griffiths

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Final episode of the season is here already! Today we answer all of your inbox questions!

Links Mentioned:

S8E15: How to Craft a Luxury Offer Suite that Sells with Katelyn Alyssa from Studio Kaly

S7E10: Font Design, Digital Products, Burnout, and Industry Culture with Jen Wagner

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Today I go over some small changes I made early on in my business that made a big impact on my revenue. This is how I hit my first 100k year. 

Links Mentioned:

Don’t Make these Brand Messaging & Positioning Mistakes!

How to Sell Out Your Design Services with Expert Positioning

Spooooky Client Stories (Round 2)

Inbox Question:

"[Question here?]” - [Name Here]

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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 episode I had the pleasure of peppering Rita Julian (a bookkeeper for brand & web designers!) with questions about keeping your business finances nice and tidy (and saving money on taxes!)

 Get 20% off Cash + Creatives (DIY bookkeeping course) with the code PODCAST20! 

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Rita Julian

Guest Business Name: Julian Bookkeeping

Guest Website: www.julianbookkeeping.com

Guest Instagram: @julianbookkeepingllc

Links Mentioned:

Cash & Creatives (DIY bookkeeping course) - get 20% off with code PODCAST20

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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