The Jenna Rainey Show

Have you ever received an email or DM or text from a friend asking you for help on a creative project...for free?

Or maybe it was in exchange for a hug or some exposure.

It can be a tough situation!

In this episode, I talk about what to consider when asked for free work.

Because in my experience there may be a time and a place for it! In all honesty, doing some free work what got my business off the ground.

But you do want to be careful and not devalue yourself so there are good things to keep in mind when you get these requests.

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/freework/

Now that I've been licensing my art for a few years and we're gearing up for our Brand Plus Brand course launch, I've been thinking about things I wish I had known before starting this journey.

So for this bonus episode, we turned the tables and I'm actually the guest answering questions from my licensing agent, Julie Turkel, on her podcast.

If you are an artist designer, photographer, any creative brand owner, and you've been thinking about getting into licensing, or maybe you are in licensing already, and you just want some insight on the journey, I think this is going to be a very interesting episode for you. Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/beforelicensing/

Brand Plus Brand: http://bit.ly/bpb20jrs

Julie's podcast: https://www.julieturkel.com/category/podcast/

A surface pattern design Q&A with Jocelyn Sipowicz (aka Just Jos)! Jos is lifestyle print and product designer (and alum of Brand Plus Brand—my course on licensing that I co-teach with my agent, Julie Turkel!)

She has robust experience in the fashion industry (Coach, Chico's) as well as home textiles and accessories (Loloi).

In her work with brands, she acts as a facilitator between other artists and the brand. So... listen up all you creatives aspiring to get into licensing—Jos lets us in on some insider tips! Julie and I were so excited to have her on the podcast to share with you her ideas for getting collection inspiration, building a library that attracts manufacturers (spoiler alert: it's about diversifying!), and the themes she sees currently trending.

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/justjos/

Let's talk about how you can make more money on DIY licensing platforms like Creative Market.

What do I mean by DIY licensing platforms? They are websites where you can simply upload your artwork and the company either puts it on products—everything from phone cases to beach towels and coffee mugs—or sells the art files to other designers. Popular examples are Creative Market, Society6, and Redbubble.

MILLIONS of users are on these platforms and they function just like a search engine. This also means that you don't necessarily need to have a big following to get your artwork out into the world and can make some extra cash!

Licensing work has been a game-changer for my business. Most of the things I paint or design are for collections licensed to manufacturers and retail stores. I have collections in the baby category (blankets, sheets, play mats), tech (computer and phone cases), and office (planners, notebooks, pencil cases). There are so many possibilities!

And a huge benefit to licensing is that not only does it generate passive income, the artwork can be reused and repurposed for various collections. It has allowed me to say adios to the 12-14 hour working days. I want that for you, too, so listen to this quick episode to see how you can get started. Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/creativemarket/

How do you create impact with technology and still make your customer experience feel personalized?

That's the question I explored in this episode with Brandi Bernoskie.

Brandi is a digital strategist, website developer, and founder of Alchemy+Aim and North Star Sites—companies that help entrepreneurs and business owners elevate their online presence and enhance their digital experience.

Brandi's has worked with thought leaders like Brené Brown, Laverne Cox, Martha Beck, Judy Smith, and Kate Northrup as well as other notable change makers since 2013.

Whether you're starting a website or already built one, this episode will be golden to helping you with your digital strategy and how to think of ways to humanize your brand, connect with your audience, and automate and offload in your business so you're working in your genius zone.

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/brandibernoskie/

Passive income is the dream of many artists.

So let's talk about how to make that dream into reality. In this quick episode, I'm sharing with you 5 things I do to build passive income.

Episode show note: https://jennarainey.com/passiveincome/

Informative shopping research (sometimes referred to as competitive research) in the world of licensing is KEY, especially when pitching your work to partner with your dream manufacturing brand or licensing agent.

Informative research helps you answer these questions and more:

What's trending (even outside your industry)? What manufacturers have licensing programs? What kind of designers and/or artists are manufacturers working with? What void is there in X brand's product line design? What void is there in X agent's design roster? How can I improve my library of work to catch the eye of a manufacturer/agent?

In this episode, Julie Turkel, my licensing agent and co-instructor for Brand Plus Brand is back to giver her insider tips on the why and what of informative research.

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/informativeresearch/

Pinterest is a search engine—an amazing free tool that you can use as a creative entrepreneur to boost organic search traffic, generate new leads, and attract new customers.

In other words, it helps MORE people discover you and your beautiful work!

In this short episode, I'm giving you my 3 tips to help you optimize your pinning strategy.

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/pinteresthacks/

Niche marketing, when done with intentionality, can transform your business.

Two people that understand the ins and outs of this niche marketing approach is Tom Ross and Mike Janda.

Tom is the founder and CEO at Design Cuts, the highest-rated online marketplace for designers. Design Cuts helps their community of 550,000 members save money off the best digital resources to help their regular creative projects. They also empower hundreds of creatives to make money passively via their skillsets, and have earned their shop owners millions of dollars.

Tom also hosts the popular podcast The Honest Designers Show and Biz Buds, which have received over 1.5 million downloads. He loves mentoring fellow creatives to help them master their marketing and regularly speaks at creative events to inspire others.

Mike is an award-winning creative director, designer, and agency veteran. In 2002, he founded the creative agency Riser, which provided design and development services for clients that included Disney, Google, Warner Bros., Fox, NBC, ABC, National Geographic and many other high-profile brands.

Mike sold his agency in 2015 and now spends his time speaking, developing books, courses, and social media content to help creatives level-up. He is the author of Burn Your Portfolio and The Psychology of Graphic Design Pricing.

Tom and Mike are super knowledgable educators and mentors for creative entrepreneurs. This episode is packed for of information and practical takeaways of how you can implement a niche marketing strategy, whether you have an audience right now or not.

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/nichemarketing/

Being a mom and CEO is incredibly challenging, there's no question about it.

Since 2012, I've identified myself as a business owner, artist, and designer who earns a good living doing something that I love. Once I became a mom to my now 1.5 year old son, EVERYTHING changed.

If you're a parent, then you know allll about those first few months of parenthood—the sleepless nights, the 30 minutes a day you get to shower and get some work done, and the mom/dad guilt.

But really...can you be both a parent and CEO? Absolutely yes. In my experience, the rewards of both have always outweighed the challenges.

To all my parents and business owners (or aspiring business owners) out there...you've got this!

Episode show notes: https://jennarainey.com/momceo/