Brand Unmuted Podcast

If you've ever felt like you're spending way too much time on repetitive tasks that don't directly generate revenue, then this episode is for you.

We're talking all about automations and how they can save you hours every week in your business. From streamlining admin tasks to managing your client workflow, automations are one of the best investments you can make as a small business owner.

In this episode, we're sharing our personal experiences with implementing automations, what tasks you should automate first, and exactly which tools we use to run our businesses more efficiently. We're also addressing the biggest concerns people have about automations, like whether they make your business feel impersonal or whether they're too complicated to set up.

If you're still doing everything manually (or if you're curious about what you could be automating), this episode will give you practical ideas for where to start.

Topics We Cover

• When we realized we needed systems and automations in our businesses
• The tasks that were taking way longer than they should (and how we fixed them)
• Why most business owners wait too long to start automating
• What automation actually means in a small business
• Why automation feels intimidating (and why it doesn't have to be)
• The difference between different CRMs (17 Hats, Honeybook, Dubsado)
• Which tasks you should automate first
• What a CRM actually does and why it saves the most time
• How to add personal touches even with automated workflows
• Project management tools: Basecamp, Asana, ClickUp, Trello
• Email marketing platforms: Flodesk, Mailerlite, Mailchimp
• Scheduling systems: Calendly, Acuity
• Social media scheduling: Planoly, Tailwind
• Why automation creates freedom
• Where to start first

Time Stamps

05:21 – When did you realize you needed systems and automations?

06:50 – Tasks that were taking way too long

08:00 – What it was like running your business before automating

09:01 – Things you did manually that now seem ridiculous

11:18 – Why business owners wait too long to automate

13:15 – What does automation actually mean?

13:56 – Why automation feels intimidating

15:28 – Why it can be complicated (but doesn't have to be)

16:00 – Choosing the right programs for your business

17:19 – What tasks should you automate first?

19:26 – What is a CRM and what can it do?

23:04 – Adding personal touches to automated workflows

24:55 – Different CRMs for different business needs

25:10 – What is a project management tool?

28:16 – Using project management purely for your own organization

29:53 – How automations save time in project management

32:54 – Email marketing platforms and automation

36:09 – Scheduling systems like Calendly

37:07 – Social media scheduling platforms

40:42 – Automation doesn't have to be complicated

41:26 – Automation creates freedom

42:47 – Where to start with automations

Links & Resources Mentioned

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

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

Tools Mentioned:

• CRMs: 17 Hats, Honeybook, Dubsado, Moxie
• Project Management: Basecamp, Asana, ClickUp, Trello
• Email Marketing: Flodesk (get 50% off your first year), Mailerlite, Mailchimp
• Scheduling: Calendly, Acuity
• Social Media: Planoly, Tailwind

If you've ever felt guilty for working late, missing a family event for a client deadline, or taking a mental health day when your to-do list is overflowing, then this episode is for you.

We're tackling the work-life balance myth head-on. Spoiler alert: we don't think it's achievable. And we don't think that's a bad thing.

In this episode, we're talking about where the concept of work-life balance came from, why it creates more guilt than peace, and what we should be chasing instead. We're sharing our own experiences with trying (and failing) to achieve perfect balance, how parenthood and entrepreneurship changed our perspectives, and why flexibility might be the real goal all along.

If you've been beating yourself up for not having it all figured out, this conversation will give you permission to let go of the balance myth and embrace something better.

Topics We Cover

• Whether we think work-life balance is actually achievable as entrepreneurs
• Where the concept of work-life balance came from (and why it's always been unrealistic)
• How being a parent vs. an employee vs. an entrepreneur changes your view on balance
• Dianna's naive expectations of entrepreneurship and work-life balance
• Joanna's realization that balance is impossible as a parent
• The moments that made us realize balance isn't realistic
• How there's always something to do (and why you can never turn it off)
• The seasons when work 100% takes over (launches, projects, holidays, vacation prep)
• Why we'd never trade flexibility for technically free weekends
• The guilt that comes from trying to force balance
• Why we're actually chasing flexibility, not balance
• How flexibility is different from balance (and why there's less guilt)
• Shifting priorities in different seasons of life and business
• Why reminding yourself that seasons don't last forever prevents burnout

Time Stamps

03:52 – Do you think work-life balance can exist as a business owner?

05:08 – Where the work-life balance concept came from

07:01 – Balance as a parent vs. employee vs. entrepreneur

08:06 – Did you expect entrepreneurship to give you more or less balance?

10:00 – Reality check: Business takes all your free time

11:16 – There's always something to do

12:40 – When work 100% takes over

13:21 – We'd never trade this flexibility

14:18 – The moment you realized balance isn't realistic

16:27 – Living with the fact that the to-do list is never done

17:14 – What happens when you try to force balance

18:16 – What does balance actually mean?

19:43 – What if we're chasing flexibility, not balance?

20:37 – How flexibility is different from balance

24:13 – Flexibility in different seasons

24:42 – What would you say to someone chasing balance?

25:26 – The mindset shift that helps most

27:24 – Seasons won't last forever

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

Episode 8: Setting Boundaries in Your Business

Episode 10: Why Your Why Matters

Episode 5: Annual Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs

Getting client testimonials seems like it should be simple, but it's actually something most business owners struggle with.

Last week, we talked about the trust recession and how social proof is more important now than ever before. So this week, we're diving deep into everything you need to know about client testimonials: how to ask for them, what questions to ask to get compelling answers, when to follow up, and how to use them strategically on your website.

We're also breaking down a real testimonial example to show you how to pull out the most impactful pieces, what you can (and can't) edit ethically, and where to place them on your site for maximum impact. Whether you're brand new and only have one testimonial or you have dozens and don't know which to use, this episode will help you make the most of your social proof.

Topics We Cover

1. Why getting testimonials is harder than it seems
2. Dianna's process for gathering testimonials (with a freebie!)
3. Joanna's process using questionnaires in 17Hats
4. How to ask specific questions that get better answers
5. The difference between vague and specific testimonial questions
6. Live examples: Asking the wrong vs. right questions
7. When to send testimonial requests
8. How many times to follow up without being annoying
9. Where testimonials have the biggest impact on your website
10. Why you shouldn't have a dedicated testimonials page
11. Using testimonials at decision-making points on your site
12. What you can and can't do ethically with testimonials
13. Pulling testimonials from emails, DMs, and social media comments
14. Breaking down a real testimonial example
15. How to make the most of one testimonial when you're just starting out
16. What to do when you have too many testimonials to choose from

Time Stamps

03:43 – Why getting testimonials is harder than it seems

04:50 – How Joanna learned to get better testimonials

06:06 – Dianna's process for gathering testimonials

09:29 – When and how to follow up

13:14 – Client Voice Hacking Guide (free download below!)

13:48 – Examples of vague vs. specific questions

18:40 – Following up without being annoying

22:37 – What you can and can't do with testimonials

25:23 – Where to use testimonials on your website

27:27 – Using testimonials at decision-making points

30:15 – Pulling testimonials from DMs and emails

33:37 – Breaking down a real testimonial example

36:16 – What to do when you're brand new and don't have many testimonials

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

Free download: Client Voice Hacking Guide — Dianna's exact process and questions for getting compelling testimonials (https://risecopyco.myflodesk.com/clientvoicehackingguide)

Episode 14: Navigating the Trust Recession (referenced in this episode) Listen on Apple // Listen on Spotify

Business feels different right now than it did even a year or two ago — and you're not imagining it.

We're in what marketing experts are calling a "trust recession," and it's changing the way people buy online. Consumers are more skeptical, they're taking longer to make decisions, and they're looking for authenticity over perfectly polished content. In this episode, we're breaking down what the trust recession is, why it's happening, and most importantly, what you can do about it.

Instead of leaving you with doom and gloom, we're spending most of this episode on actionable strategies you can use right now to build trust with your audience — from showing up authentically on camera to using social proof the right way, building genuine relationships, and showing people you're a real human behind your business.

Topics We Cover

1. What the trust recession is and how it's affecting online business
2. Why people aren't buying as easily as they were a few years ago
3. The boom during the pandemic and the oversaturation of online businesses
4. How Gen Z's buying behavior differs from previous generations
5. Why AI is making the trust problem worse
6. Showing up authentically on camera (and alternatives if that feels uncomfortable)
7. The importance of brand photography
8. How to share client testimonials and social proof the right way
9. Sharing the process vs. overnight success stories
10. Why your website and branding need to stand out
11. Using templates while still being authentic
12. The role of discovery calls in building trust
13. Building genuine relationships on social media instead of just chasing sales
14. The importance of doing what you say you're going to do

Time Stamps

04:05 – What is the trust recession?

05:04 – How our personal shopping habits have changed

07:19 – What the trust recession means for online business

09:29 – Why people have become so skeptical

12:27 – Gen Z's different approach to buying online

15:35 – How AI is making the trust problem worse

16:50 – Joanna's story of getting scammed buying lawn furniture

20:51 – How Gen Z views authority differently

23:18 – What we can do to combat the trust recession

23:27 – Showing up authentically on camera

25:48 – The importance of brand photography

26:53 – Retiring filters and showing up as yourself 28:08 –

How to share client testimonials the right way 29:41 – Sharing the process vs. overnight success

32:32 – Sharing failures and things that didn't work

33:05 – Authentic branding and messaging

35:08 – Making your messaging transparent without overwhelming

37:27 – Email marketing and newsletters as trust-building tools

37:46 – Building genuine relationships on social media

40:26 – The role of discovery calls in the sales process

44:14 – The importance of doing what you say you're going to do

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

If you've been curious about switching your website over to Showit — or even if you've never heard of it before — this episode is for you.

Showit is our favorite website builder, and today we're breaking down exactly why. From the creative freedom it offers to the incredible community behind it, there are so many reasons we love working with (and on) this platform.

Whether you're a designer looking for more flexibility or a business owner who wants to be able to update your own site without needing an engineering degree, Showit might be the perfect fit.

In this episode, we're covering how we each discovered Showit, what makes it different from other platforms, the biggest misconceptions floating around about it, and answering all your frequently asked questions in rapid-fire style.

Topics We Cover

1. How Joanna discovered Showit as a frustrated wedding photographer in 2015
2. Dianna's experience switching from WordPress to Showit
3. The history of Showit: From slideshow presentations to website builder
4. What Showit is and how it works (drag and drop, creative freedom, WordPress blog integration)
5. How Showit compares to other platforms like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress
6. Myth-busting: "It's not a real website if you don't code it"
7. Myth-busting: "Showit is hard to navigate"
8. The truth about SEO on Showit (spoiler: it works just fine)
9. Why Joanna chose to design in Showit: Creative freedom, ease of use, community, company values
10. Dianna's experience as a Showit user (not a designer)
11. Why clients switch to Showit from other platforms
12. How to know if Showit is the right platform for your business
13. Rapid-fire FAQ: Hosting, blogs, pricing plans, mobile design, e-commerce, custom code, cookie banners, email, and forms

Time Stamps

01:46 – How Joanna discovered Showit in 2015

03:18 – Dianna's experience switching from WordPress

04:55 – The history of Showit and their community focus

07:23 – What is Showit? 08:13 – How Showit compares to other platforms

09:09 – Biggest misconceptions about Showit

11:34 – The truth about SEO on Showit

13:48 – Why SEO is a long game on any platform

16:05 – Why Joanna chose to work with Showit

18:57 – Dianna's experience as a Showit user

21:07 – Why people switch to Showit 21:51 – How to know if Showit is right for you

23:55 – Rapid-fire FAQ section begins

29:49 – Random question: Would you rename yourself?

Links & Resources Mentioned

Showit! Get your first month free: https://account.showit.com/r/joanna

Joanna's Showit SEO blog post: joannamoss.com/showit-seo-myths-shattered/

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

Sarah Does SEO - Rank for Revenue course – A GREAT course for designers or other service providers looking to learn SEO and add it as a service for clients. https://0628--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/rank-for-revenue/

Showit cookie banner tutorial: https://learn.showit.com/en/articles/1235058-eu-cookie-law

If you've been in business for any amount of time, you've probably made at least one pivot — and if you haven't yet, you will.

Pivoting in your career or business isn't a sign of failure. It's a normal, healthy part of growth. But there's often this underlying fear that comes with making a big change: What will people think? Am I giving up? Should I push through instead?

In this episode, we're talking about all things pivots – from switching careers before entrepreneurship to making shifts within your business, and everything in between. We share our own pivot stories, why pivoting is more socially acceptable now than it was for our parents' generation, and how to prepare yourself (and your audience) when it's time to make a change.

Topics We Cover

1. Our personal pivot stories and the big shifts we've made
2. How career pivoting has changed generationally
3. Why our parents' generation stayed in one job, but ours doesn't
4. The different types of business pivots (career changes, corporate to entrepreneur, hobby to side hustle, side hustle to full business, and pivots within your business)
5. The difference between a pivot and growth or evolution
6. Why the fear of pivoting is more internal than external (hello, imposter syndrome)
7. How to prepare your mindset before making a pivot
8. Having conversations with your family about career changes
9. How to warm up your audience to a pivot instead of announcing it out of nowhere
10. Why most millionaires have 7 streams of income and how that helps with pivoting
11. How to know when it's time to quit versus push through a hard season
12. De-stigmatizing quitting and doing it properly
13. The difference between quitting a service vs. quitting your business

Time Stamps

03:10 – Why pivots are a normal part of entrepreneurship

04:18 – The different types of pivots we're covering in this episode

05:04 – Joanna's pivot story: From photography to web design

07:25 – Dianna's career shifts before starting her business

09:43 – How our upbringing shaped our perception of pivoting careers

12:32 – Why career changes are more socially acceptable now

15:51 – Dianna's experience with both traditional and non-traditional career models

16:23 – Is there less pressure on kids now to find a forever career?

22:21 – Aging out of careers and continuing to pivot as you grow

25:04 – Multiple streams of income and side hustles

29:04 – Is the fear of pivoting external or internal?

30:37 – How to prepare yourself for a big pivot

34:27 – Having conversations with family and your audience about pivots

38:10 – How to know when it's time to quit vs. push through

41:13 – Teaching kids (and ourselves) when it's okay to quit

42:00 – The benefit of flexibility as a small business owner

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

Episode 10: Why Your Why Matters (referenced in this episode) Listen on Apple / Listen on Spotify

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!