Kyle Bollinger (@WhoaKB) and Kristin Burkhart are the in-house design team for PureChat, an software tool enabling websites to offer chat-based support. Dividing their duties between product and marketing, Kyle and Kristin have developed a workflow that allows them to work swiftly and efficiently, while still experimenting with new industry practices.

In this conversation, we discuss company culture for a small SAAS startup, how the designer collaborate with internal stakeholders, and some unravel technical challenges around versioning and fast iteration.

• Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 83 (MP3, 37:04, 17.9 MB)
• Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 83 (OGG, 37:04, 16.5 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

• Kyle is a product-focused UI/UX designer
• Kristin is a marketing and web focused-design
• PureChat is chat software for websites
• SAAS
• Both Kyle and Kristin started at agencies, working for multiple clients, before going in-house with PureChat

  "Creating something from scratch is very different than iterating on something."

  —Kyle Bollinger

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• Prescott hates calling software-as-a-service a "product"
• Austin Kleon
• Show Your Work by Austin Kleon on Amazon
• Self-licking ice cream cone

  "We're creating a living document through each other's work."

  —Kyle Bollinger

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• TechCrunch

  "The speed at which a company can operate is inversely proportional to how much time it takes to find the answer to a question."

  —Prescott Perez-Fox

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• AxoSoft
• Nerf Guns
• Gangplank, co-working space in Chandler, AZ
• RIP LayerVault
• Wake
• Split-testing aka A-B testing
• The Information Diet by Clay A. Johnson on Amazon
• Sidebar.io by Sasha
• Medium, and the occassional article about Millennials and their cereal-buying habits
• Audible
• The Three Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron & Dave Logan on Amazonand on Audible
• Sprint by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky on Amazon and on Audible
• KyleBollinger.com
• KristinAshley.org
•  Kyle Bollinger on Twitter
•  Kyle Bollinger on LinkedIn
•  Kristin Burkhart on LinkedIn

• Slack
• InVision
• Illustrator
• Photoshop
• Sketch
• Google Docs
• Moleskine
• AxoSoft
• GitHub
• Medium

• Continuous gather user insight, even if it's only images or screenshot review
• Find a "theme" with each release or feature-set
• Get quick feedback from your teammates; no need for formal gatherings
• Work off the same agile board as your dev team
• Screenshare with your remote teammates
• Use InVision to create Brand Guidelines
• Try to answer the questions "Who do I talk to ..." before they arise
• Keep your micro-iterations in a document; use a version-style naming system, eg. screen1a-kyle-001

• Prank your officemates
• Continually monitor the site (heatmaps, split testing)
• Wake up early, get into the office and be creative
• Join office workouts and activities
• Share resources and findings with teammates

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get The Three Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron & Dave Logan as a free audiobook

Danny Gregory (@DannyGregory) is an advertising veteran who has worked across just about medium of creativity, including writing, design, photography, and teaching. He's published several books including his latest, Shut Your Monkey.

In this conversation, we examine the topics of the book which include self-doubt, anxiety, distraction, and other mindset struggles faced by creative pros.  Shut Your Monkey by Danny Gregory

Keep you with Danny on his website or his blog. Shut Your Monkey is now available for order.

• Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 82 (MP3, 55:39, 40.4 MB)
• Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 82 (OGG, 55:39, 30.1 MB)

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

• According to his website, Danny is an artist/author/creative director/blogger/teacher/speaker
• Danny's new book, Shut Your Monkey
• Sketchbook Skool
• Danny has worked in Hanoi and Doha to build creativity schools
• Danny has blogged for 12 or 13 years, published his first book 14 years ago
• In advertising, Danny has been a CD, ECD, and CCO

  "Advertising is weaponised art."

  —Prescott Perez-Fox

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  "Advertising agencies no longer have cornered the market on creating advertising."

  —Danny Gregory

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• Absolut Vodka Ads
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVcbasIb8lQ
• Wazuuuuup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W16qzZ7J5YQ

  "A single tweet can have much more impact [than advertising]."

  —Danny Gregory

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• The Dress
• Jen Briney, who runs Congressional Dish podcast
• Media dollars that Donald Trump has "earned" Paid vs. "Earned" Media Spend
• Mad Men
• Conan O'Brien used to write for The Simpsons (video discussion with alumni writers) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtJ28qOEG1g

  "The core of social media is authenticity."

  —Danny Gregory

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• Charlie Sheen
• No Brown M&Ms!
• Flow, and obstacles to achieving it
• Gollum Gollum

"Creativity plays a far bigger role in our everyday than it did in the past."

—Danny Gregory

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• Hardwiring Happiness by Dr. Rick Hanson
• The War of Art by Steven Pressfield on Amazon and on Audible
• The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin on Amazon and on Audible

"Creativity is inherently about change, risk, uncertainty."

—Danny Gregory

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• Thomas Edison found "10,000 ways that won't work" to make a lightbulb.

  "When a great idea appears it's going to stand up and sing."

  —Danny Gregory

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• Shut Your Monkey originated from a blog post, and evolved into a series of posts, then a talk.
• Show Your Work by Austin Kleon on Amazon
• Radical Careering by Sally Hogshead on Amazon
• Number 17 (now 8 and a half)
• Rachel Willey, graphic designer
• Whitney Museum
• The Met
• The HOW Conference
• Kaizen - continuous incremental improvements as opposed to a "win"

  "You don't come up with your life's work and then stop working."

  —Danny Gregory

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• DannyGregorysBlog.com
• Forthcoming Shut Your Monkey Weekly podcast, featuring "Monkey Tales" 
•  Danny Gregory on Twitter
•  Danny Gregory on Facebook
•  Danny Gregory on Instagram
•  Danny Gregory on YouTube

• Evernote
• Scrivener, book authoring software
• Art supply cart

• Understand what your "monkey" is saying, before anything else
• Don't argue with the monkey when he speaks in extremes
• Acknowledge the risks we've taken, the work we've accomplished
• Use your phone or a notebook to jot notes into Evernote
• Take "book ideas" and break them out into blog posts; return the prose as potential section.
• Leave big tasks unfinished so you have a place to resume the next day

• Be available to work all the time (be a honeybee)
• Defend yourself against other peoples' monkeys
• Constantly feed on the raw materials that will become a good idea
• Move around the house to vary your working space
• Post consistently on your blog, 5 days a week at 7:00 am
• Tackle creative problems first thing in the morning
• Visit the library, take out books

// khy3m5vf

Jonathan Raymond (@JonathanRaymond) is an author, coach, consultant, and CEO of Refound, working with business leaders and managers to install better workplace habits and company culture, including mentoring. Over the years, he's seen numerous workplace dynamics, not just within the creative fields, and shares some of his patterns with us.

In this conversation, we search for definitions of culture, discuss the differences between mentoring and simply bossing, and offer some advice for both the employee and the manager to build better relationships and in turn, a better team.

Jonathan has written a book, Good Authority, which will be released later in 2016. Support his efforts by reading more about the book and by pre-ordering.

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"Culture is 'This is how we do it here.'"

—Jonathan Raymond

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"Culture is Context."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"The First Rule of Culture Change is not to talk about it."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"We over-rely on our strengths. We default to the things we're good at."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"You're not on the same team; You own the company."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"You can't afford not to invest time into you [your people]."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"If you invest in someone, they might leave. If you don't invest in someone, they'll definitely leave."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"When creative people go off the rails, they hold the rest of the team hostage."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose."

—Janis Joplin

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"More Yoda, less Superman."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"95% of the work in any business is identical."

Business Adage

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"The bad thing isn't the hierarchy; it's abusive people in a hierarchy."

—Jonathan Raymond

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"Write drunk, edit sober."

—Ernest Hemingway

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber as a free audiobook

Prescott Perez-Fox (@scottperezfox) is an independent brand consultant and designer based in Brooklyn, NY. Following ten years as a scrappy freelancer in New York's design scene, he's built a number of eccentric workflows and organisational structures.

This conversation loops and swirls a bit, covering career observations, podcast production, personal productivity struggles, and Prescott's possible plans for becoming a consultant ... and perhaps an agency.

Catch up with Prescott on his crumbly old website, perezfox.com or, um, here on The Busy Creator.

"I help small businesses put their best face to the world."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Editing a podcast is a lot of deleting."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"There's a baked-in irony in being a productivity blogger because you constantly examine your own habits."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Some habits are easier to adapt than others."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Is it the curse of the entrepreneur that we feel the need to constantly be working?"

—Marie Poulin

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"No one is immune from psychology."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Let's be honest, a lot of designer identities are for other designers."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"I have to take the long way for [web] design."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Unlike rock music and Olympic gymnastics, designers get better with age."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber as a free audiobook

Laura Roeder (@LKR) is the co-founder of Edgar, a social media scheduling and management tool. Laura began her career as a web designer, moving first to solo practice, and then to social media consulting.

From this conversation, you'll learn how Laura transitioned away from work-a-day design and into entrepreneurship, how her team at Edgar manages their software development, and some of the philosophies behind their hiring and company management. 

One thing we don't cover are the features of the software itself, and the idiosyncrasies which separate Edgar from competitors like Hootsuite or Buffer. To learn more about Edgar itself, scroll down to the show notes for examples of Laura explaining in further detail on other podcasts, and some embedded videos showing off Edgar itself.

That said, Laura and her team have offered listeners of The Busy Creator a free month of service for Edgar. Sign up before May 31, 2016 and use the code SUNANDSURF.

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

"I felt like a fish out of water because I was so much younger."

—Laura Roeder

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"It felt a lot easier to sell an online class than to get individual clients."

—Laura Roeder

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"It was always a business. I didn't start with a blog."

—Laura Roeder

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"We don't make major changes to our software. We're focused on iterative improvements to what we already do."

—Laura Roeder

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"Always run split tests on the home page and signup page"

—Laura Roeder

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"I wasn't that passionate about design. I was interested in other elements."

—Laura Roeder

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"If you're talking to the HR Manager, you're doomed."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Bryce Bladon (@BryceBladon) is a freelance writer and editor of the popular blog Clients From Hell. Bryce has been editing and curating the site for years, and has overseen dramatic growth both in blog readership and in creating outside partnerships, products, and offerings. 

In our conversation, we discuss the origins of Clients From Hell, how a blog can become a viable business, and how all of us who provide services can avoid clients from hell to have a better working life.

Bryce has recent authored the second book from Clients From Hell, Hell To Pay, concerning the ever-popular topic of getting paid for freelance work and avoiding money-related drama.

 Hell To Pay, the new book from Clients From Hell

Listeners of The Busy Creator can save 50% by using code "BusyCreator" when purchasing from this link.

Kristine Neil (@TheKNeil) is head of branding and design company Markon Brand Design. She purchased Markon when it was an old-fashion sign company, and has since transformed it into a small creative studio, now boasting a team of three.

In our conversation, we cover the quirks and rituals used by the team at Markon, Kristine's personal productivity habits, and the general challenges that face all busy design teams nowadays.

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

"It's a scary thing to say 'I need some Help'."

—Kristine Neil

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"Get ideas out of your head. People aren't mind-readers."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Always organize things for how they'll work in your absense."

—Kristine Neil

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"Have a system. It doesn't have to be fancy."

—Kristine Neil

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"We don't always have the time to treat ourselves as a client."

—Kristine Neil

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"We don't just make the things. We make the ideas that make the things great."

—Kristine Neil

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"It's no longer acceptable to set a brand identity and let it ride for 20 years."

—Kristine Neil

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al & Laura Reis as a free audiobook

Alice Coles (@HulloAlice) is an illustrator, artist, designer, and video producer based in Colorado. She has honed her skills and created a signature style thanks largely to her own video production schedule. Alice publishes tutorial videos and showcases her experiments on her YouTube channel, HulloAlice.

In this conversation, we discuss Alice's origins as an illustrator, how she found supporters in the YouTube community, what art supplies she relies on, and what sort of desk setup she uses to film her own work as it happens.

See more of Alice's work and get in touch on her website, AliceRColes.com.

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

"YouTube can be toxic at times, I've seen, but the art community is so supportive of each other."

—Alice Coles

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"Watercolour is the worst medium to scan."

—Alice Coles

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"I tend to barrel through life like a rolling stone."

—Alice Coles

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Kirsten Modestow (@KModestow) is the founder & creative director of Brigade, a branding and design firm in Massachusetts. Brigade focuses on consumer packaging and communications; they create brands for products, and help them stand out on shelves. In recent years, this has translated to digital promotion and social media as well.

In this conversation, Kirsten discusses her origins as a young designer, learning from her elders, how she started Brigade in her house and where the company is now, and examines the curious culture of an agency that grows fast and lives in an open-plan office.

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

"Do you have to create a whole persona just for a box of crackers?"

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"No one is on top of each other; they're alongside them."

—Kirsten Modestow

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"Production is a huge part of design!"

—Kirsten Modestow

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"Side projects are the internal fuel for agencies and small firms."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"Good ideas come from everywhere."

—Kirsten Modestow

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"Open plan only works if people give a crap about each other."

—Simon Sinek on office design

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Matt Inglot (@MattInglot) is the founder of Tilted Pixel, a results-focused web design agency based in Calgary, Canada. A veteran web designer, Matt has been an agency owner most of his career, beginning when he was still a student. Over the years he's refined his own business strategy to bring greater value to his own clients, and in turn build a thriving practice. Matt is also the host of the Freelance Transformation podcast, where he speaks with creative entrepreneurs and practitioners about business and freelance issues.

In this conversation, Matt discusses his role in the business, how systematic (or not) he likes to be with prospective clients, and how he handles working from home.