Brand Seasons

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Thanks for joining me for this candid solo episode — the final one of Season Two — where I answer your thoughtful branding and business questions.

With late summer leaning into autumn, it felt like the right moment to reflect on beginnings, balance, and what sustains us in business and this creative life.

I talk about starting my studio at 21, how I approach pricing and services, the role writing plays in my practice, and why confidence often comes through communication, process and boundaries.

Key themes:

• Starting a design studio in the early days
• Pricing creative + mentoring services sustainably
• Managing nerves and anxiety when beginning new projects
• Balancing creative freedom with business realities
• Setting and upholding client boundaries
• Why writing is central to my creative practice
• Favourite business and creativity books
• What’s next for Brand Seasons

Special mentions:

• Brand Seasons Clubhouse — seasonal voicenotes, co-creating sessions, private podcast + branding workshops
• Campfire Session — Friday 5th September, a three-hour journaling, workshop and co-working experience
• The Lookout — my new guided brand audit (early access included with the Campfire Session)

Thanks for listening, and for being here for Season Two. The podcast will now take a short autumn pause, but I’ll be back later this year with a bonus series, before Season Three in 2026.

Subscribe so you never miss an episode, and feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If this resonates, let me know, and if you’ve found value in this episode, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify will help more creatives find their way here.

Today, I’m joined by artist and textile designer Yvette Kissi. Together, we explore what it means to shape a creative practice — and a business — through colour, culture and care.

We talk about trusting creative intuition, building slowly, and honouring the threads of family history that run through our work. Yvette shares how she moves between painting and textiles, and how each piece carries emotional, cultural and ancestral meaning.

We also speak about pigment-making as an act of noticing and reverence, the challenges of production in a small creative business, and what it means to share your story while staying grounded in your process.

One of my favourite moments is Yvette’s excitement about building her own pigment library — a slow, hands-on process of foraging and learning. Her joy is infectious, and it reminded me that colour isn’t just a visual choice, but a tactile, emotional and ancestral one too.

If you'd like to explore further, you might enjoy On Color by Stephen Farthing and David Kastan, and Make Ink by Jason Logan, both of which influence Yvette's creative practice. Also, keep an eye out for an upcoming post on Substack on the power of colour.

Explore Yvette's work:

Follow  @itsyvettekissi on Instagram for glimpses into her creative process, pigment experiments and textile pieces.

Visit yvettekissi.com to explore her painting-led scarves, current projects and upcoming collections.

Subscribe to Rivulets — Yvette’s new Substack publication, where she’ll be shares behind-the-scenes stories and the personal threads woven through her practice.

Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find writing on curiosity, creativity and connection, plus articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoy tuning in, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.

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This episode of the podcast is sponsored by heiter.

As the German word for cheerful or joyful, 'heiter' reflects the brand’s mission: inspiring you to live and style your life in a way that brings you joy.

This presents itself in the heiter print publication, their blog and newsletter, events and workshops, as well as The Heiter Society, a tight-knit and supportive community space that encourages joyful moments through workshops, a book club and get togethers.

To learn more about heiter and how you can get involved, visit heitermagazine.com. Listeners can use the code BRANDSEASONS15 to receive a 15% discount on the magazine. Expires 31/08/2025.

Today, I’m joined by coach, breathwork practitioner and creative guide Calypso Barnum-Bobb. Together, we explore what it means to return to your truth, especially in seasons of uncertainty or transformation.

We talk about honouring your inner compass, reconnecting to your body, and creating space to feel and heal. Calypso shares her own path from fashion buying to coaching, and how burnout, community and intuition shaped her shift.

We also discuss breathwork as a tool for change, the power of queer belonging and how meaningful change often begins with the smallest step — especially when it’s witnessed in community.

Explore Calypso’s work:

Follow @calypsobarnumbobb on Instagram

Discover retreats at wearepeoplelikeus.com

Visit calypsobarnumbobb.com where you can download their free guide: 7 Questions to Ask Yourself When You’re on the Edge of Change

Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find writing on curiosity, creativity and connection, plus articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoy tuning in, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.

~

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by heiter.

As the German word for cheerful or joyful, 'heiter' reflects the brand’s mission: inspiring you to live and style your life in a way that brings you joy.

This presents itself in the heiter print publication, their blog and newsletter, events and workshops, as well as The Heiter Society, a tight-knit and supportive community space that encourages joyful moments through workshops, a book club and get togethers. 

To learn more about heiter and how you can get involved, visit heitermagazine.com. Listeners can use the code BRANDSEASONS15 to receive a 15% discount on the magazine. Expires 31/08/2025.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor, and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Thanks for joining me for this reflective solo episode, a slightly personal one where I share five turning points that have shaped my creative path over the past two decades.

With midsummer just behind us, it felt like the perfect time to pause and reflect on twenty years in business — and the creative thresholds that have changed not just how I work, but who I am.

I talk about what it means to stand at the edge of something new, how to honour life’s turning points, and how grief, grit, and grace tend to show up when we’re called to grow or begin again.

Key themes:

• What a creative threshold is and how to recognise one
• Five moments that shifted the direction of my work and life
• How chronic fatigue, motherhood and grief reshaped my values
• Building a slower business with care, energy and alignment in mind
• Why starting over can feel both vulnerable and powerful

Special mentions:

Her Wisdom podcast — my conversation with Karen Cannon on creativity, community and motherhood

Brand Camp — a six-week summer email retreat to help you reconnect with your brand in a spacious, aligned way

Brand Seasons Clubhouse — where you can access private podcast episodes and take part in Brand Camp for just £25

Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If this resonates, let me know, and if you’ve found value in this episode, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify will help more creatives find their way here.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Today, I’m joined by psychologist and coach Sarah Philp for a spacious and nourishing conversation about journaling — not as a rigid daily habit, but as a flexible and compassionate practice that can meet us where we are.

Sarah is the creator of Your Woven Year — a seasonal journal, planner and notebook designed with educators (and seasonally curious folk) in mind. Together, we explore what it means to journal with care rather than perfection, and how we can use seasonal rhythms to support reflection and renewal.

We talk about the pressure to “do it right,” why intention might matter more than consistency, and how journaling can evolve alongside our changing energy and life seasons. There’s insight here for seasoned journalers and curious beginners alike.

Thanks for listening and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoy tuning in, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.

~

Thanks to Oracle Creator for sponsoring this podcast episode. Read on to claim your special offer for Brand Seasons listeners.

If you’ve dreamed of creating your own oracle, tarot or inspirational card deck, Oracle Creator is an online course which guides you through every step, from concept to creation to publishing. It’s perfect for artists, healers and entrepreneurs ready to share their wisdom and gifts with the world.

And you don't have to figure it all out on your own. You can join designer and visual artist Jo Klima in this course today and begin making your own pocket-sized deck of knowledge and insight.

This course was a huge source of inspiration and support when I created the Brand Seasons Playdeck. Visit oraclecreator.com to find out more and claim your SPECIAL OFFER for Brand Seasons listeners.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Today, I’m joined by Sara Slattery for a thoughtful and timely conversation about rethinking success and what it means to lead with care and capacity in a world that often asks too much. Together, we explore how women can reshape the way they lead and live, especially when ambition meets exhaustion.

Topics include letting go of the wrong markers of success, building sustainable rhythms in work and life and why valuing care work is essential if we want to do things differently. We also talk about burnout and boundaries and how to create space for what really matters.

You might also like to listen to accepting our humanness in business, the conversation I had with Sara for The Messy Middle podcast. We explored embracing trial and error, recognising endings being a natural part of the business cycle and finding ways to support ourselves through entrepreneurship.

Thanks for listening and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoy tuning in, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.

~

Thanks to Oracle Creator for sponsoring this podcast episode. Read on to claim your special offer for Brand Seasons listeners.

If you’ve dreamed of creating your own oracle, tarot or inspirational card deck, Oracle Creator is an online course which guides you through every step, from concept to creation to publishing. It’s perfect for artists, healers and entrepreneurs ready to share their wisdom and gifts with the world.

And you don't have to figure it all out on your own. You can join designer and visual artist Jo Klima in this course today and begin making your own pocket-sized deck of knowledge and insight.

This course was a huge source of inspiration and support when I created the Brand Seasons Playdeck. Visit oraclecreator.com to find out more and claim your SPECIAL OFFER for Brand Seasons listeners.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor, and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Thanks for joining me for this special solo episode, marking two years since I launched Brand Seasons, a year of the podcast and many cycles of creative growth and change along the way.

Today’s episode is part reflection, part celebration, and I share honest thoughts about what it means to build and tend a creative business, not by chasing the next milestone, but by placing community, reciprocity, and sustainability at the heart of the work.

Key themes:

• How side projects have nourished my creativity and kept things feeling fresh
• The difference between building an empire and nurturing something living, and why that shift matters
• Real-life stories from clients who inspire me to do business differently and more thoughtfully
• Why legacy isn’t about scale, but about the small, sustaining actions that ripple outwards
• The importance of returning to the rhythms, practices, and relationships that ground and reconnect us

Special mentions:

• Throwing out the rulebook, my podcast conversation with Sally Burns of The Portal
• Brand Seasons Clubhouse, where you can join me for light touch branding support and listen to my upcoming private podcast
• The Lemonade Factory with Cassie Wilkins, an online creative gathering place where I’m enjoying co-writing
• Reclaiming Home with Sara Duigou, a space to explore somatic movement and coaching in The Portal community
• Create Your Content Library with Hannah Isted, a group programme dedicated to writing and sharing content

Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If this resonates, let me know, and if you’ve found value in this episode, leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or a rating on Spotify will help more creative folk find their way here.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Today, I’m joined by Sally Burns — founder of The Portal, an online platform for courses, communities and creative collaboration. Together, we explore what it means to build a digital space rooted in care, connection and collective values.

Sally shares the story behind The Portal’s creation — from a much-needed moment of stillness in the Welsh mountains to the permaculture principles and lived experiences that shaped the platform’s ethos. We talk about ecosystem thinking and why so many creators are ready to throw out the rulebook and start again — this time, in community.

Topics include ethical technology, burnout and belonging, and how we can develop learning environments that feel truly nourishing for both creators and participants. We also discuss the power of community funding, the difference between a marketplace and an ecosystem, and why nature remains the ultimate blueprint for creative business.

Visit The Portal to explore live and upcoming offers

Want to join the next wave? Sign up to Exploring our Edges

Follow the journey on Instagram

Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoy tuning in, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.

~

This episode is sponsored by 91 Magazine, an independent interiors and lifestyle publication telling the stories of small businesses and the creative people behind them.

This beautifully curated magazine is published in print twice a year, with free content available on their website, and some excellent online workshops to help small business owners thrive.

You can also subscribe to their email letters and receive a free quarterly mini e-zine called seek, inspire, create, as well as inspiring, personal emails direct from editor Caroline.

Buy the print publication on their website, 91magazine.co.uk, follow @91magazine on Instagram, or find it in many independent stores across the UK and around the world.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons podcast with me, designer, mentor, and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Today, I’m joined by photographer and creative business owner Celie Nigoumi for the first guest conversation of season two. We talk about building a business that honours your values, energy and capacity — and what it really means to shape your work around your needs.

Topics include chronic illness, caregiving and neurodivergence. We also explore rest and routine, support and sustainability, and why your work doesn’t need to be rushed — it just needs to be rooted in care.

Explore Celie’s work:

Read The Sun Will Wait For You on Substack

Follow @celie.nigoumi on Instagram

Visit celienigoumi.com

Thanks for listening, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoy tuning in, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.

~

This episode of the podcast is sponsored by 91 Magazine, an independent interiors and lifestyle publication telling the stories of small businesses and the creative people behind them.

This beautifully curated magazine is published in print twice a year, with free content available on their website, and some excellent online workshops to help small business owners thrive.

You can also subscribe to their email letters and receive a free quarterly mini e-zine called seek, inspire, create, as well as inspiring, personal emails direct from editor Caroline.

Buy the print publication on their website, 91magazine.co.uk, follow @91magazine on Instagram, or find it in many independent stores across the UK and around the world.

Hello and welcome to the Brand Seasons® podcast with me, designer, mentor, and writer, Sarah Robertson.

Today, I’m sharing a solo reflection on what it means to take imperfect but impactful action, especially during the slower, grounding phases of life and work. I offer some behind-the-scenes insights from the months following my Kickstarter campaign and talk about what it’s looked like to reconnect with rhythm.

Topics include:

• Creating from a place of curiosity
• Recalibrating your business after an intense period
• Why your work doesn’t need to be polished to be powerful

We then explore the Season of Grounding in the Brand Seasons® method and how it can support you in returning to your values, energy and clarity.

I also share a free download of my Brand Audit resource, released from behind the paywall especially for podcast listeners

The podcast episodes mentioned include:

• Staying buoyant with Sara Duigou
• Her Wisdom podcast conversation
• Let curiosity be your guide with Lindsay Johnstone

Thanks for tuning in, and remember to subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also visit Brand Seasons to find bonus content from guests along with articles on strategy, styling and storytelling.

Feel free to connect with me on Instagram, Pinterest and Substack, and share this episode with those who are curious about all things creativity and seasonality. You can learn more about my branding and design studio by visiting my website: These Are The Days.

If you enjoyed listening, leaving a review would mean so much, and help others find the podcast, too.