If you're planning a website project, you've probably wondered: Should I write the copy first or start with the design?

The answer isn't one-size-fits-all — it depends on where you are in your business journey and what your goals are for the project. In this episode, we're breaking down when to start with copy, when to start with design, and how to make the smartest investment for your business right now.

Whether you're ready to scale or you're still in early growth mode, this episode will help you make the right choice for your website.

Topics We Cover

1. The difference between what design does and what copy does on your website
2. Why your approach might be different depending on your season of business
3. Meet Sarah: An established business owner ready to refine and scale
4. Why Sarah should start with copy before investing in design
5. How copy dictates the structure, hierarchy, and conversions on your site
6. Meet Paige: A newer business owner in the early growth stage
7. Why Paige should start with a design template to guide her DIY copy
8. The benefit of starting with a wireframe instead of a blank page
9. When it's okay to hire a copywriter midway through a template project
10. What NOT to do: investing in custom design with placeholder copy
11. How to restructure a template once your copy is done

Time Stamps

04:09 – The difference between design and copy on your website

05:10 – Why your approach may differ depending on your business season

05:22 – Meet Sarah: An established business owner ready to scale 06:33 – Why Sarah should start with copy before design

09:37 – Meet Paige: A newer business owner in early growth mode

11:54 – Why starting with a template helps Paige write her own copy

12:09 – Unpopular opinion: You don't need a custom website to be successful

12:55 – What to do when you get stuck writing copy with a template

13:30 – What NOT to do: Custom design with placeholder copy

14:41 – How to customize your template once the copy is finished

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

Joanna's Showit templates with free content documents: joannamoss.com/showit-website-templates

Showit - our favorite website design platform: https://account.showit.com/r/joanna

Your why isn't just a buzzword, it's the foundation that holds your entire business together.

When you're clear on why you started your business and what keeps you going, decision-making becomes easier, guilt becomes lighter, and your marketing becomes more authentic. In this episode, we're diving into why knowing your why is so important, how to discover it (or rediscover it), and what happens when you actually honor it in your business decisions.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for years, this conversation will help you reconnect with what really matters.

Topics We Cover

1. What a "why" actually is and why it matters in your business
2. How our whys have evolved over the years (flexibility, freedom, and impact)
3. Using your why as a pillar to make business decisions without guilt
4. Why your why is a better motivator than willpower alone
5. How your why helps you say no to the wrong opportunities
6. The connection between your why and your marketing/storytelling
7. Journal prompts to help you discover or reconnect with your why
8. What happens when you honor your why vs. when you ignore it
9. Using your why to avoid shiny object syndrome and stay on track
10. How to know when your why has shifted or evolved

Time Stamps

03:50 – Discussing eachother’s why

05:50 – How we each discovered our whys

07:29 – How our whys changed over the years

08:50 – Falling back on your why as a decision-making tool

11:07 – Your why becomes your guiding light in business

12:15 – How your why helps you decide what to keep and what to drop

12:45 – Why motivation alone isn't enough

13:27 – It's okay if your why changes and evolves

13:50 – Journal prompts to help you discover your why

15:07 – Tips for people who don't love journaling

16:54 – How your why connects to your marketing and storytelling

17:51 – What happens when you honor your why

19:10 – Examples of honoring your why in real business decisions

21:08 – Takeaway: Finish the sentence "I'm building this business because..."

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

Your website might still be working… but is it still working as hard as it could be for your business?

At the start of a new year, it’s easy to get caught up in goal-setting and planning without actually taking the time to refresh the digital spaces that support those goals. In this episode, we walk through a practical, step-by-step annual website checkup you can do to keep your site aligned with your evolving brand, audience, and offers.

We’re breaking this into two parts: quick maintenance checks you should do every year, and bigger-picture updates that help elevate your site as your business grows.

If your website hasn’t had a proper review in a while, this episode gives you an easy starting point.

• Why the beginning of the year is the perfect time for a website audit

• Annual maintenance tasks: links, typos, CTAs, and footer updates

• Making sure your messaging and brand voice still align with your audience

• Checking brand consistency across fonts, photos, and colors

• Using analytics and behavior tools to find friction points on your site

• Updating SEO basics like keywords, page titles, redirects, and speed

• Refreshing blog posts and updating year-specific content

• How to elevate your site without doing a full redesign

• Updating offers, pricing, and messaging to match business goals

• Why brand photos should be refreshed regularly

• Adjusting visuals and SEO if your audience or market has shifted

02:41 – Why your website needs an annual checkup

03:23 – Website maintenance vs. website elevation updates

04:39 – Copy updates: typos, CTAs, and brand voice consistency

07:48 – Design updates: links, visuals, and friction points

10:19 – SEO maintenance checks for the new year

13:34 – Updating blog content that already performs well

14:09 – Elevating your site without redesigning it

15:51 – Updating messaging, offers, and pricing

17:45 – Refreshing brand photography

18:26 – Visual branding tweaks vs. full rebrands

19:58 – Adjusting SEO if your audience or service area changes

21:13 – Free website checklist download

Dianna’s copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna’s web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

Boundaries aren’t about being rigid, cold, or unavailable. They’re about building a business that actually feels sustainable to run. In this episode of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re diving into the real-life boundaries we’ve had to set (and sometimes re-set) in our businesses to protect our time, creativity, and mental health.

From communication expectations and response times, to scope creep, revisions, automation, and work-life balance, this conversation is full of practical examples and mindset shifts to help you create boundaries that support both you and your clients.

If you’ve ever felt resentful, overwhelmed, or stuck in “always on” mode, this episode will help you rethink what boundaries can look like, and why they matter so much.

1. Why boundaries aren’t rules for rules’ sake
2. Setting communication boundaries with clients (and yourself)
3. The danger of being “too flexible”
4. Using automation to protect your time without hurting conversion
5. Scope of work, contracts, and revision boundaries
6. Creating work boundaries that align with your why
7. How boundaries actually lead to better client experiences

1. HoneyBook & 17hats - Our favorite CRM tools (https://share.honeybook.com/risecopyco & http://joannamoss.com/17hats)
2. Calendly - For seamless calendar scheduling (https://calendly.com/)
3. ManyChat - For setting up automations on Instagram (https://manychat.com)

01:46 – Why boundaries matter (and why they’re core to Brand Unmuted)

02:46 – A real-life moment that forced Joanna to rethink boundaries

03:40 – Protecting evenings, personal time, and mental space

05:10 – The danger of being too flexible

06:00 – Hours worked vs. set schedules (and why this matters for creatives)

07:15 – Rush fees, weekends, and pricing as a boundary

08:14 – Urgency, over-responsiveness, and “it’s just cups and saucers”

09:00 – Why ideal clients will respect your response time

11:05 – Using automation to protect your boundaries

12:59 – Tools that help: CRMs, calendars, and scheduling systems

15:16 – Scope creep, contracts, and setting expectations upfront

16:09 – Refining systems to prevent burnout before it starts

18:44 – Boundaries around revisions (and why structure helps everyone)

20:32 – Setting boundaries with yourself and understanding capacity

22:39 – Flexibility as the “why” behind strong boundaries

24:03 – Final takeaway: choosing one boundary to reset

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

We’ll be back next Tuesday with a new episode!

In 2026, every business needs a website — whether you’re brand new, fully booked, product-based, or service-based. In this episode, we break down why your website is still the most important piece of your online presence: from trust and credibility, to SEO and visibility, to making sales without living on Instagram.

1. Why people search online first (and how a blog helps you show up early)
2. How a website cuts down the number of “touch points” it takes for someone to buy
3. Why relying on social media alone is risky
4. How your website builds credibility — especially for high-ticket offers
5. The power of your About page (and why skipping it costs you sales)
6. How your website becomes your 24/7 salesperson (even across time zones)
7. Real examples: nail salons, travel advisors, social media managers, realtors, photographers

1. 02:00 Why every business needs a website in 2026
2. 02:50 SEO + blogging: showing up when people search for their problem
3. 05:00 Touch points: why it takes more time to build trust now
4. 05:45 “Checking you out” before committing (nail salon example)
5. 06:15 Not everyone is on social media (or uses it to search)
6. 08:20 Websites build trust + credibility
7. 10:40 Social media is borrowed space (and risky to rely on alone)
8. 14:15 Controlling the journey + messaging flow
9. 16:20 Social proof: testimonials, portfolios, results
10. 17:45 The About page (and why it’s not optional)
11. 20:15 Your website as a 24/7 salesperson
12. 22:35 Would you contact a business without a website?

1. Joanna’s web design services: joannamoss.com
2. Dianna’s copywriting offers: risecopyco.com

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

We’ll be back next Tuesday with a new episode!

Your website is never really “done” — and sometimes the tiniest tweaks are a sign you actually need a full reset.

In this episode, Joanna shares why she scrapped her old site, hired a copywriter (spoiler – it was Dianna!), and rebuilt her brand and offers from the inside out.

We walk through what wasn’t working, how her Website in Two Weeks offer reshaped her whole business, and why even pros shouldn’t always DIY their own copy.

1. Why Joanna decided to redo her website - How constant tiny edits and “I didn’t see that on your site” comments from clients were a red flag that the strategy & messaging weren’t landing anymore.
2. How a new offer forced a full website rethink - The behind-the-scenes of creating her Website in Two Weeks process, dropping other offers, and needing the site to clearly communicate one streamlined signature service.
3. Designing for evolving clients (and changing trends) - Why websites are living, breathing assets, how audience behavior shifts over time, and what that means for your layout, messaging, and overall experience.
4. Rebranding away from the beige trend - Joanna’s decision to ditch the “polished but not-me” neutral vibe, lean into bold color and personality, and intentionally attract clients who want color and energy in their brands.
5. Why she hired a copywriter instead of DIYing (again) - The difference between being able to write and wanting clean, strategic, to-the-point copy that isn’t overly wordy, plus how it felt to release control without losing her voice.
6. What the copywriting process with Dianna was actually like - How we worked together: brain-dump from Joanna, strategic structure, collaborative revisions, and using feedback to make sure the words truly sounded like her.
7. The results: more aligned clients & better feedback - The kind of comments she gets now (“I love the energy of your site,” “This sounds so much like you”) and how that’s translated into working with more of her true ideal clients.
8. When it is and isn’t the right time to hire a copywriter - Why brand-new business owners who are still fuzzy on their offers might want to wait, and why established businesses ready to elevate, rebrand, or refine are primed for pro copy.

1. 00:00 – Intro + why we’re talking about this
2. 02:14 – What pushed Joanna to redo her site
3. 04:29 – The new offer that changed everything
4. 08:42 – Rebranding, color, and attracting the right people
5. 10:07 – Why she didn’t DIY her copy this time
6. 11:16 – How the process actually felt
7. 13:38 – Feedback from clients & results
8. 19:07 – Lessons for designers & business owners
9. 22:09 – When you’re ready (or not) to hire a copywriter
10. 23:38 – Our end-of-episode “weird” question: your 11-hour-flight seatmates

1. Joanna’s web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative – custom Showit websites & her Website in Two Weeks process
2. Dianna’s copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. – website & launch copy for creative women in business

January is PEAK “new year, new you” energy… but we’re here to offer a different take: your business doesn’t need a reset just because the calendar flips.

In this episode, we’re walking through how we each plan for the year ahead– from Joanna’s capacity-first, color-coded, one-page calendar system to Dianna’s reflection + goal-setting + vision board + quarterly milestones approach.

If annual planning overwhelms you and you struggle to stay consistent with your goals, start here.

Topics we cover:

1. Why “fresh start” January messaging can feel weirdly crushing as an entrepreneur
2. Joanna’s capacity-based planning system: one calendar, 12 months, one glance
3. How Joanna blocks vacation, travel, booked projects, and income goals first
4. Why planning your year visually can make discovery calls so much easier
5. What to do when projects run longer than expected (aka: the flex space plan)
6. Dianna’s planning ritual: reflection, journaling, and using your numbers to tell a story
7. The EOS / Traction framework and how quarterly milestones make goals doable
8. Vision boards: why they work, how to make them (digital or physical), and how to use them daily
9. The #1 takeaway: there’s no “right” way — just the way that keeps your momentum going

Time stamps:

01:29 – Why we’re planning for the year (without the January pressure)

03:08 – Joanna: stop treating January like a reset button

05:20 – Building on momentum (Black Friday → January bookings)

07:05 – Joanna’s one-page, 12-month calendar planning system

08:57 – Using start dates to book clients faster (and more confidently)

09:36 – Planning for income goals with a capacity-first calendar

11:31 – What happens when you don’t have a project booked that week?

14:25 – When projects run long… and the “sometimes I work nights” reality

17:30 – Dianna: reflective planning + practical goals + a little woo woo

(Within this segment: EOS/Traction, tracking metrics, vision boards, quarterly milestones)

27:41 – Weird question: best Christmas gift you’ve ever received or given

Links & mentions:

1. Traction by Gino Wickman (A book on EOS / the Entrepreneurial Operating System)
2. Joanna’s web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative
3. Dianna’s copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co.

End-of-year reflection can be really helpful… and also weirdly loaded.

So in this episode, we’re doing a 2025 retrospective with zero “new year, new you” energy—just a grounded look at what worked, what we learned, and what we’re carrying into 2026.

We share our biggest wins, the lessons we’re still learning (hi, boundaries + scope creep), and the behind-the-scenes numbers from our year—like how many websites we collaborated on, how many hours we’ve logged for the podcast, and how many miles we traveled.

If you want to wrap up the year feeling clearer, calmer, and more proud of yourself than you expected… this episode’s for you!

Topics We Cover:

Our biggest wins of 2025 (and why you shouldn’t skip reflecting on this!)

Revenue growth, price increases, getting booked out early, and taking scary-but-worth-it steps outside your comfort zone.

The lessons we’re taking into 2026

Why boundaries matter most during slow seasons, how streamlining your client experience reduces decision fatigue, and the constant battle with scope creep.

Our gratitude lists for the year

Travel, community, flexibility, family time, and the relationships that make entrepreneurship feel less lonely.

Our 2025 by the numbers

Websites we worked on together, hours spent on Zoom for the podcast, miles traveled, templates used, and repeat clients who came back for more.

A gentle reminder about January

You don’t have to “start over.” You can build on what worked—and leave the rest behind.

00:00 – Intro + a tangent about all-black outfits & decision fatigue

01:49 – Why we’re doing a year-end reflection (without the pressure)

03:27 – Biggest wins of 2025 (Dianna + Joanna)

07:03 – Lessons learned: boundaries during slow seasons

08:10 – Streamlining client experience + hiring the right expert

11:54 – Scope creep + the people-pleasing tightrope

15:38 – Gratitude list: travel, flexibility, community, growth

18:31 – What Spark + DXP are (and why the Showit community matters)

24:45 – 2025 by the numbers: websites, Zoom hours, miles traveled

26:31 – Individual stats: templates + repeat clients

30:47 – Weird question: movie moments we wish were real

Joanna’s web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative – custom Showit websites & her Website in Two Weeks process (https://joannamoss.com/)

Dianna’s copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. – website & launch copy for creative women in business (https://risecopyco.com/)

Showit – Our favorite website platform + community for designers (https://account.showit.com/r/joanna)

Spark Conference Showit’s annual conference for brand and web designers (https://spark.showit.com/)

Showit DXP Showit Designer Experience, a retreat for brand and web designers (https://dxp.showit.com/)

J. Mills Consulting, Jess Millhiser Client experience expert + process support (https://www.jmillsconsulting.com/)

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

See you next week for another episode!

Has business been slower than usual for you in 2025? Same.

In our first *actionable* episode of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re talking about something almost every creative business owner has felt in 2025: how to handle a slow season in your business without spiraling.

From fewer inquiries to stretched-out timelines, it's unnerving when a slow season hits. But in this episode, we're talking all about how to handle a dip in business without panicking, slashing your prices, or saying yes to every misaligned project that lands in your inbox.

Instead of spiraling, we walk you through six practical ways to use a slow season to your advantage, protect your confidence, and keep your business moving forward (even when your calendar looks quiet).

1. Why 2025 has felt weird for so many creative business owners (you’re definitely not the only one!)
2. The difference between predictable slow seasons (like wedding off-season) and the surprise ones
3. How Joanna realized her September slowdown was actually a pattern — and how that led to starting this very podcast
4. Why Dianna’s slower summer was a blessing in disguise, and how she handled the inevitable “will I ever book another client?” spiral
5. The hidden cost of panicking in a slow season: undercharging, saying yes to misaligned projects, and future resentment

Then we walk through six concrete tips for navigating a slow season without losing your mind.

A one-page, 30-day calendar filled with quick, doable prompts to help you rebuild momentum in your business and boost your confidence back up.

Grab yours here! https://risecopyco.myflodesk.com/khwi39il6p

1. Showit (Our favorite drag and drop website platform - get your first month free!) https://account.showit.com/r/joanna
2. Showit's Spark Conference (3-day educational conference for web designers and copywriters) https://spark.showit.com/
3. Joanna Moss Creative – (Joanna's web design services) https://joannamoss.com/
4. Rise Copy Co. – (Dianna's copywriting services) https://risecopyco.com/

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

See you next week for another episode!

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “doing it wrong” because your business journey doesn’t look like anyone else’s, this one’s for you.

In this episode of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re taking you behind the scenes of our own businesses and sharing how we actually got started — and our two VERY different journeys into entrepreneurship.

Joanna talks about quitting her 9–5 overnight after landing a freelance web design project paying five times her salary (without even knowing what a “freelancer” was). Dianna shares the opposite path: discovering the online business world through a copywriting ad she thought was a scam, starting as a virtual assistant, then slowly working up the courage to go full-time as a copywriter.

1. Joanna’s first business in 2005: landing a shoe company as a freelance client, quitting her job, and winging it with Google and Excel
2. Why her early years in business were a full-on “year of yes” — and how scarcity mindset plays into that
3. Dianna’s move from New Hampshire to Oklahoma, and the copywriting ad she dismissed as a scam (before realizing copywriting is very real)
4. How she eased in through virtual assisting and blogging before fully embracing copywriting
5. The role that life events play in finally taking the leap to full-time
6. What it looks like to restart or pivot a business multiple times, and how each iteration gets a little clearer
7. Building a business around your real-life responsibilities: kids, mortgages, travel, and the desire for more flexibility
8. The ongoing reality of imposter syndrome (even 20 years in) and the importance of keeping your blinders on
9. Why community matters so much when you’re working from home
10. The mindset shift we both come back to: trusting yourself to figure it out, even if you have to pivot or choose a Plan B.

1. How I Built This (NPR radio show/podcast) https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this
2. The MindHER Company, Mandi Casey (Business Coach) https://themindherco.com/
3. Showit (Our favorite drag and drop website platform - get your first month free!) https://account.showit.com/r/joanna
4. Showit's Spark Conference (3-day educational conference for web designers and copywriters) https://spark.showit.com/
5. Joanna Moss Creative – (Joanna's web design services) https://joannamoss.com/
6. Rise Copy Co. – (Dianna's copywriting services) https://risecopyco.com/

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

We’ll be back next week with a new episode!