Business legals for designers often only come up when you need to lean on them in a tricky client situation. And if you don't have them in place, it's almost too late to start thinking about them at that point.

My guest on this podcast is Tracey Mylecharane founder of TM Solicitor. She is an unconventional business lawyer who delivers confidence for small business owners.

Tracey has created business legals for designers as well as many other small businesses and in this episode she shares her wisdom on:

• Why your legals are a business essential no matter what stage you're at 

• How your legal documents can be an extension of your brand and values

• The importance and impact in creating a professional client experience

• Why templated legal documents are not a good idea

• Which legal documents you need as a minimum

Even the nicest people can turn combative when there’s money involved. So if you’re sitting there thinking 'I don’t need legal protection, all my clients are lovely, it will never happen to me!' Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

CONNECT WITH TRACEY

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WORK WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

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Download 50 Ways to Elevate & Communicate Your Value as a Designer

In this episode of The C Word, I step through the 3 elements of Brand Creation:

1) Brand Strategy

2) Design Strategy

3) Brand Design

Understanding and then leveraging these 3 distinct stages and skill sets is an important opportunity for design businesses. I share:

• The purpose of each stage and how they differ

• What brand strategy actually is

• The building blocks of a comprehensive design strategy

• How the 3 stages interlock to create a powerful brand outcome

• How you can leverage them to create more value in your design business

Enjoy!

Bec x

RELATED EPISODES

Episode 30 - 3 Words to that will Increase Your Value as a Designer

Episode 16 - Are You Missing the Opportunity to Sell Strategy

SAY  HELLO!

Connect on Instagram

My Website

Download 50 Ways to Elevate & Communicate Your Value as a Designer

WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

Something that most designers will realise at some stage in business is not all work is good work!

But instead of getting halfway through a project and realising that, wouldn't it be better to say no to those projects in the first place?

Now I appreciate that's easier said than done. Recognising which clients to say no to off the back of an enquiry or discovery call isn't always straightforward.

But there are some red flags you can look out for which I'll share in this episode.

I also share why getting clear on your values, boundaries, niche and ideal client are foundational when it comes to knowing which projects and/or clients are right for you.

And I talk through a handy response model to help you say no promptly and confidently so things don't drag on or get awkward!

Because the impact of not saying no to the wrong work is considerable when it comes to taking your opportunities, your profit and your well being in your business.

Bec x

In this off-the-cuff, reflective episode of The C Word Podcast, I explore my very personal musings on what it is to be a female designer.

This episode is inspired by the sentiment of International Women's Day and my view that this day should be a demand for change as much as a celebration of women.

I share some of my own experiences as a female designer and how I think they were influenced by gender bias in the design industry.

I also reflect on what needs to change in the design industry to address the glaringly uncomfortable statistic of how many females enter the industry as juniors versus how many go on to occupy senior positions. It's not pretty!

And finally I share my view on how this bias in agency life impacts those who go on to be female creative business owners. Something I want to help change in my own contribution to the industry.

Bec

WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

SAY  HELLO!

Let's connect on Instagram

My Website

Download My Free Profit Plumping Strategies Training and Worksheet

‘Meet Me at the Water Cooler’ for monthly creative conversations, coaching and chats

Digital Marketing is probably highest on most business owners priority lists. For some it's an exciting, evolving opportunity, and for many others it's a minefield.

In this podcast I’m joined by one of my favourite people Maryanne Amies, founder of award Winning Digital Marketing Agency, Wise Up Marketing. Mary-Anne has lived through the launch of Instagram, Paid Social ads, TikTok and everything in between – you could call her the veteran of digital marketing.

CONNECT WITH MARYANNE

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WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

SAY  HELLO!

Follow me on Instagram

Website

Download My Free Profit Plumping Strategies Training and Worksheet

‘Meet Me at the Water Cooler’ for monthly creative conversations, coaching and chats

How do you communicate your value as a designer?

It's a question that comes up a lot amongst the designers I connect with.

Being able to confidently communicate your value is the foundation for feeling more valued and becoming more valuable as a designer. 

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I talk about the what, how and where to define and then communicate your value effectively:

• What the 5 key elements are you should focus on to articulate your value

• How to communicate that value in the most engaging and meaningful ways

• Where you should be talking about and showcasing your value with purpose and intention

Bec x

WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

SAY  HELLO!

Follow me on Instagram

Website

Download My Free Profit Plumping Strategies Training and Worksheet

'Meet Me at the Water Cooler' for monthly creative conversations, coaching and chats

We all know about client onboarding but what about client off-boarding? 

It's sometimes the poorer cousin of the onboarding, but an intentional client off-boarding is often an overlooked but awesome opportunity full of potential goodness for your business.

On this episode of The C Word I share why I think it’s something you should pay more than lip-service to and what I think a good off boarding looks like:

• The 3 important jobs of a client off-boarding

• Why projects don't always wrap-up neatly

• The benefits of a well considered client off-boarding process

• 10 questions to ask yourself when masterminding your approach to off-boarding

• What it means to future-expand your business

WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

~ 1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

~ The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

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If you're not earning $100k you're not successful! Of course I don't belief that to be true. Because no one can tell you what you should be earning.

But I received an email recently from a coach and mentor and to be honest it really pee’d me off.

In short it implied just this... if you’re earning anything less than $100k as a designer you're underachieving. You’re just another struggling designer statistic.

And I felt it was important to address everything that's not only wrong, but dangerously misleading about that statement.

So in this podcast I discuss:

• What's wrong in the coaching industry and the marketing constructs of 'cult coaches'

• The real reason coaches talk about money and earnings... spoiler, it's not to benefit you

• Why it's important to set your own financial goals

• Why the revenue figure isn't what you should be focusing on

I also talk very openly about my own challenge to myself as a coach and mentor and how I want to do things not only differently but much better.

This is a ranty one, at times it's a raw one, because I am deeply concerned by what I see sometimes. And I want to talk about it openly because I know it's not just me.

Bec x

WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can do that:

1:1 Creative Insider Business Coaching… visit bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

SAY  HELLO!

Follow me on Instagram

Website

I hear it all the time that you need to ‘show up’ in your business, in your marketing and for your audience.

And I wanted to pick the concept apart. Because I don’t disagree with the sentiment of it, I just think the phrase has become overused and misunderstood.

Very often it just manifests itself as showing your face and the occasional (re)introduction post on social media.

In this podcast, I talk about what the concept of 'showing up' means to me, the ways in which I’ve found it beneficial in my business and how I choose to apply it.

WORKING WITH ME

If you’re ready to connect with me on a deeper level this year and work together, there are 2 ways you can work with me:

Creative Business Insider 1:1 Coaching… visit https://bechughes.com/business-coach-for-creatives

The Creative Value Incubator… visit bechughes.com/incubator/

SAY  HELLO!

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In this episode of the C Word Podcast I want to challenge one of the most ingrained concepts in the creative industry, and that is the client centred business model. Because I believe it's fundamentally broken and it doesn't serve clients or creatives.

I'll share:

1/ Why I think the model is problematic

2/ The impact it has on designers creating a business that works for them

3/ An alternative creative-centred model

4/ 5 key ingredients to crafting that business and becoming a more valuable and valued designer

THE CREATIVE VALUE INCUBATOR

Join the guest list

RELATED EPISODES

Eps28 - Setting Boundaries with Clients and Staying Friends

Eps24 - Cultivating Unshakeable Belief in Your Creative Work

Eps16 - Are Your Missing the Opportunity to Sell Strategy

Eps10 - A Simple Model to Price Your Creative Work