Broadening Horizons Podcast

Earlier this summer we hit the 8 year mark on Sweet Horizon Studio and, as always when our business anniversary came around, we reflected on how much this studio has grown and changed through the years as well as many of the lessons we've learned along the way. On today's episode, Catryn is walking you through 8 of the most important lessons she's encountered on her business journey to help aid you on your own path. 

Have you been daydreaming about a new business venture that you can't stop thinking about? We've been there! And we've also helped dozens of fellow entrepreneurs start the business of their dreams and have seen first hand what works best when turning these dreams into something more. Here is our "how to" guide on all the things you need in order to build the business of your dreams starting in 2024. 

Mentioned in the episode:

How to choose a business name that you will identify with for years to come

Finding the best web platform for your blog or business needs

Can a designer spot a DIY brand

How a well rounded brand & brand strategy impacts how you market

Are business owners leaving Instagram

Copying vs Taking Inspiration

Our Reflect - 2024 Planner & Journal 

How marketing is changing in 2023: Focus on Storytelling

How personal side projects can shape your business

What I learned from talking to 9 other designers throughout 2019

How much does it cost to start and run a business

What I am outsourcing in 2022

My journey to running my own business

We are back for the 2024 season! And we are taking a moment to look back at 2023, to reflect on what went well, what could have been better, and what our main takeaways for the year are. We're also excited to chat about some of the things we have planned for the new year and some of the major pivots we are making within Sweet Horizon Studio. 

Continuing with our series all about what should be on your website, today we are highlighting how to build out your About Page to be strategic and how you can use this often overlooked page to make it purposeful and work for your sales funnel. We never want any page on your site to be a dead-end or be neglected in anyway. That includes pages like your About Page that can easily fall into filler or wasted space on your website. We're giving you examples of sections you can include, sharing some of our favorite engaging call-to-actions that will keep your readers and customers exploring, clarifying when and how to add personality to your About Page, and explaining why we tell our clients "your About Page isn't actually about you!". Whether you are a blogger, product based business, or service based business owner, if you have ever wondered what exactly needs to be on your website, this episode is for you!

Websites are vast and complicated things we know from working with so many different types of business owners through the years that it can be overwhelming to know what exactly to include on each page of your website or how things on your website should be structured. Today we are starting a mini series here on the podcast where we go page by page of a typical website and discuss the things to prioritize on each page to give your readers and clients the best possible experience. Starting off our series, we are focusing on what to include on your Home Page and on your Main Menu of your website since these are often the first things viewers see and often what they judge your website and business off of. Whether you are a blogger, product based business, or service based business owner, if you have ever wondered what exactly needs to be on your website, this episode is for you!

We are answering one of the MOST asked questions we get from new inquiries: "Why is my website loading so slow and can you help me?" The answer: it could be a lot of things and YES we've absolutely got you! We're sharing the most common issues that contribute to a slow website and filling you in on some easy fixes that you can do today that will get your website loading quickly and running more efficiently! 

Have you ever tried to DIY your branding? We all start somewhere with our business branding and more often than not new business owners opt for the DIY approach, either by drawing a logo themselves or buying a template from Etsy and plopping their name into it, to at least have something to get them going. But what if we told you that there are dead giveaways when it comes to spotting a DIY brand out in the wild? Designers can tell immediately if a business owner has DIY’d their branding because of these 7 common mistakes that are made when attempting the design process yourself. Avoiding these mistakes can give your brand a professional look at a fraction of the budget, that is, until you are ready to get a pro to design something truly custom for you and your business.

Today on the podcast we’re taking a look at the typical expenses that business owners can expect to pay. Starting a business can feel super daunting and there tends to be a lot of mystery around what it would actually take to start and run that business you’ve been dreaming about. We’re sharing the things that we actually pay for within our business as well as the things we see our clients in other industries pay for as well. From the must-haves to the fun extras, we’re sharing everything, numbers and all.

Between figuring out content strategies, trying to appease the almighty algorithm, and maybe just even crossing your fingers and hoping for the best, chances are you've had your fair share of figuring out social media marketing as a business owner. Instagram is an OG in the social media game and so often we plan our content strategies solely around this specific platform. But more and more business owners are opting out of using this classic platform and are instead trying new ways to get noticed on other apps that are helping their business get noticed by a wider audience in ways that feel more comfortable to them. At the risk of sounding like a dooms day-er, we're chatting today about whether or not Instagram is on the way out and what other platforms may be stepping up to take it's place. 

When it comes to problem solving, or achieving goals within our business, we all want the same thing: to handle the tasks in the best way possible. Though it has come to our attention that we tend to go about the actual process of problem solving with slightly different approaches. Catryn is a planner who likes to look at the big picture and break it down into smaller, achievable steps. Mike is more reactionary and likes to focus on just the tasks at hand. Today we are chatting about these two ways of problem solving, breaking down the pros and cons of each, and learning from each other's differences in order to strengthen our own problem solving skills.