I LOVE an episode where I get to really dig into the deep stuff about running a business so in today's episode, I'm thrilled to be chatting with the brilliant Ivy Malik. Ivy helps creative entrepreneurs who are feeling undervalued to break free from overthinking and fear, enabling them to price with confidence and build businesses they truly love.

I always learn so much from my guests, and my conversation with Ivy was no exception – I've definitely got a lot to implement after our chat!

Key Takeaways

Here are some of the golden nuggets from my conversation with Ivy:

• Pricing as Branding: We often overlook this, but your pricing is a massive part of your branding and how your business is perceived in the market. Think about the difference in perception between a £40 handbag and a £4,000 one – price signals value.
• Undervalued Creativity: As creatives, we often undervalue our work. Ivy suggests this can stem from how arts are treated as "optional" from a young age in education, subconsciously telling us our skills aren't as valuable as others.
• Confidence is Crucial: Ivy really highlighted that confidence is a key ingredient in being able to charge what you're worth. Often, the person charging more isn't necessarily more skilled, but more confident in communicating their value. This confidence often comes from taking action and gaining experience.
• Client's Budget, Not Your Burden: It's not your job to decide what your client can or can't afford. Making assumptions about a potential client's budget (e.g., a solopreneur can't afford high prices) can be a limiting belief. They have responsibility for their own finances.
• Sales Calls as Conversations: A sales call doesn't have to be a pushy, aggressive experience. Instead, think of it as a conversation to understand the client's needs and value, and then frame your price to match what they want. Negotiation is about finding a meeting point you're both happy with.

Episode Highlights

• 03:00: Ivy talks about her personal drive to protect creatives from a system that often undervalues their work, even acting as an agent for friends in her twenties to ensure they got paid fairly.
• 08:00: Ivy breaks down the essential components for pricing: skill, experience (which adds depth), and, crucially, confidence.
• 13:00: A real challenger moment when Ivy questions the common assumption that solo business owners or those serving smaller businesses automatically can't afford higher prices.
• 27:00: We discuss the importance of taking action despite fear, especially when it comes to increasing your prices. Often, the scary story we tell ourselves about what might happen is far worse than the reality.

About the Guest:

• Website: Ivy Malik Coaching
• Instagram | LinkedIn

Ivy has generously offered that if you have any follow-up questions after listening, you can reach out to her, just mention you came from this podcast!

End Credits

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft (http://lucylucraft.co.uk )

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!