Soul Traders

Soul Traders

By Amy Snoekstra & Bo WongBusinessMarketing
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Soul Traders episodes

  • Season Finale: Self-Promotion Q&A

    For this final episode of our special season Bo and Tess are taking listener questions. They’re answering all your gripes and grievances... And it turns out that we all have a lot of those when it comes to the frustrations of marketing your business on social media. From the paralysis of comparisonitis to the sheer exhaustion of putting yourself out there again and again and seeing little or no gain from your efforts.

    Tess and Bo talk about the tools and strategies they’ve used in their own businesses and lives to create boundaries around social media use and find less energy draining ways to market their businesses. 

    LINKS: 

    Bo's Website

    Bo’s Retreats

    Tess’s Website

    Self-Promotion Without Social Media 

    -

    This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

    If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

    You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

    Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

    Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

    This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

    50 min
  • Navigating Changes as a Sole Trader

    As a sole trader or freelancer, changes in your personal life can have a huge impact on your business. In this episode, Tess and Bo talk about the risks and rewards of pivots and big leaps as well as small incremental changes across their own businesses and their client work. 

    From having children to moving interstate, to changing your business name or a global pandemic, internal and external transitions can force us into having to change our business offerings whether we like it or not. Sometimes, it’s appropriate to bring your community with you on that journey of change and Tess offers suggestions for making sure your website and your narrative around that change is authentic and clear for your clients and colleagues. 

    LINKS: 

    Bo’s Mentoring 

    Bo’s Retreats

    DIY Guide to SEO 

    Self-Promotion Without Social Media 

    -

    This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

    If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

    You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

    Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

    Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

    This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

    48 min
  • In Person Events

    In this episode, Tess, Amy and Bo talk about in-person events and why they’re important for relationship building as a smalll business or sole trader.

    From attending an event as a punter to organising your own event - we think the informal opportunities for connection are incredible and can help your business in so many ways. People remember unique in person experiences for many years to come. 

    Tess talks about strategies and ideas for approaching an in person event as an introvert and Bo talks about living regionally and the effort and impact of attending a few selected events in the city every year. We cover the benefits of industry specific events and offer ideas on low effort/high reward events that you can ‘muscle in’ on! 

    Bo talks about the Pecha Kucha format as a sharpening tool for content and Tess talks about how her book was originally a talk and workshop that evolved into a book over time. Amy and Tess talk about their bug bears at in person events, how to avoid them and ways to make sure everyone feels welcome and has their nerves set at ease. 


    LINKS: 


    Melbourne Design Week, event at Coco Flip and Plyroom
    Creative Women’s Circle
    The Pecha Kucha format for speaking 
    The Power of The Pause panel discussion
    M Pavillion 
    Living Futures Institute 

    —-------------

    This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 


    If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 


    You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com


    Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.


    Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 


    This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples. 

    53 min
  • Websites and SEO

    Is a website the jewell in your digital marketing crown? We think so. But how do you get the attention of your website visitors and encourage them to take the next step? Amy and Tess discuss our love of a good about-page photograph, what bugs us about inefficient websites, how blogging can boost trust with your customer and draw more people through your website’s doors, and how websites offer space for nuance that social media often can not. Plus, some technical tips and tricks you can implement today too!

    DIY SEO: How to optimise your website to get more clients, customers, and sales (eBook) by Tess McCabe 

    Find Your SEO Keywords (free worksheet)

    Find Your Brand’s Tone of Voice by Angela D’Alton and Renee Baker (free worksheet)

    Establish an Evergreen Traffic Source Using Pinterest (eBook) by Angela D’Alton and Renee Baker

    -

    This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

    If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

    You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

    Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

    Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

    This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

    45 min
  • Self-Initiated Projects

    Today we are discussing the little-known golden nugget that is self initiated projects. For creative business owners, self initiated projects can be a low risk space to test out creative ideas and build new skills. And they can be great tools for marketing your business too. 

    Bo, Amy and Tess have all had plenty of experience with self initiated creative projects over their careers and have seen how dynamic they can be.

    LINKS

    • Creative Minds

    • Bo’s ‘Golden State: Afterglow’ project 

    • Tess’s series of books ‘Conversation with Creative Women’

    • Tess’s website

    • Bo’s retreats

    • Lalese Stamps’ 100 mugs project

    • Shannyn Higgins Duality project

    • Kitiya Palaskas’ creative wellbeing blog series

    • -

      This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

      If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

      You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

      Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com

      Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

      This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

      45 min
    • Digital Marketing Trends

      Soul Traders kicks off this special season with Bo and Tess talking about digital marketing trends we’ve noticed in ourselves, our peers, and our clients. 

      We also commiserate feelings of underperformance as self-marketers, and reminisce about the good ‘ol days when we had more energy to deposit into our social media banks ;) 

      Plus, ideas for how sole traders can connect more meaningfully with the right people and nurture those relationships on and off-line, and why all the effort you have put into social media to this point won’t go to waste if you choose to explore other promotion activities.

      LINKS

      • Soul Traders: The agony of an overflowing inbox
      • Self-promotion Without Social Media
      • Tess’ Website
      • Bo’s Retreats
      • -

        This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

        If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

        You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

        Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

        Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

        This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples. 

        43 min
      • We’re back for a special season!

        Listen to Tess’ original interview on Soul Traders

        -

        This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

        If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

        You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

        Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

        Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

        This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

        4 min
      • Learning to take breaks
        When you're self employed, taking time away from your business can be challenging. But if you don't integrate rest and downtime into your business, you risk stress, exhaustion and even burnout.
        In this episode Bo and Amy discuss the idea of taking breaks as a creative business owner. Bo speaks about the self funded creative sabbatical she's planning for 2022. They also speak about some of the community feedback from the past few episodes and Amy's dramatic u-turn on inbox management.
        Links:
        Find all the details about the Soul Traders retreat here: http://soultraders.net.au/retreat/
        Amy's switched to multiple inboxes to manage her emails. This article by Andreas Klinger explains the system.
        Bo recommends listening to Phil Wang on How to Fail by Elizabeth Day, WorkLife with Adam Grant, Helen Garner's lockdown dairies, 2021 on The Weekend Read, Who is Daniel Johns on Spotify and Delwyn Everard's podcast 'Running the Show'
        Both Amy and Bo have been listening to Madeline Dore's podcast Routines and Ruts
        Amy's been reading This One Wild and Precious Life and listening to The Guardian's Full Story podcast
        Amy recommends following Penny Wong and Sean Doherty on Instagram.
        _
        If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears.
        Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them!
        You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions!
        Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.
        55 min
      • The lowdown on legals: a Q&A with Riz McDonald from Foundd Legal
        Creatives tend to be very DIY in spirit with lots of optimism and zero experience in legal agreements. The learning curve for creative business owners is huge and we can find ourselves in tricky waters when it comes to the legal aspects of our business.
        Thank goodness for legal brains like Riz McDonald. Riz is the founder and director of Foundd Legal. She's been a lawyer for 16 years and an e-commerce entrepreneur over the last decade. Her mission is to make legalese easier to understand. Bo speaks to Riz about contracts and agreements, what terms like 'moral rights' and 'intellectual property' actually mean and how to avoid scope creep for good.
        Links:
        Find Riz online at founddlegal.com You can browse her free tips and checklists and find helpful contract templates tailored to creative business owners.
        Check out Riz's podcast Legals and Biz with Riz
        Bo also recommends Delwyn Everard's podcast 'Running the Show' and Michael Tucak from Creative Legal for more legal support for artists and creatives.
        Riz recommends reading 'Profit First' by Mike Michalowicz
        _
        If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears.
        Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them!
        You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions!
        Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.
        31 min
      • Creative Wellbeing: a Q&A with craft based designer Kitiya Palaskas
        Kitiya is a craft-based designer who lives in Melbourne. Her work is easily recognisable with its vivid colours and playful designs. She's worked with big names like Adobe, Etsy and Lego producing props, installation and illustrations and facilitating workshops.
        She's also an advocate for what she calls 'creative wellbeing'. Initiating important discussions around issues that creatives face including setting boundaries, navigating creative ruts and imposter syndrome.
        Links:
        Find all the details about the Soul Traders February retreat here: http://soultraders.net.au/retreat/
        Find Kitiya online at www.kitiyapalaskas.com You can also sign up for her popular email newsletter there. She's on Instagram as @kitiyapalaskas
        'Stop Telling Women They Have Imposter Syndrome' an article by Ruchika Tulshyan and Jodi-Ann Burey
        If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears.
        Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them!
        You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions!
        Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.
        38 min

      About Soul Traders

      From the publisher's feed

      Soul Traders is a weekly podcast for creatives and freelancers who want to build an intentional business in alignment with their life and their values.