Brand Strategy Unwankified

19. Managing Your Client Through a Seamless Creative Process

In this episode of The C Word podcast I'm talking about one of the trickier parts of being a design or creative business owner... and that's managing your client through the creative process.
Sometimes I think this process is left to chance, but it doesn't have to be that way. There is so much you can do to be intentional and methodical throughout the process to ensure everyone gets an outcome they're super happy with.
I'll be talking about each step of the process from who's responsible for the creative brief, managing expectations and presenting your work, through to dealing with the feedback loop and off-boarding your client.
 
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18. Why Your Values are the Key to Financial Success with Eliza Ludwig

In this episode of The C Word Podcast I’m joined by Eliza Ludwig from The Flow Society.
 
Eliza is a wealth coach, and her mission is to make entrepreneurship a viable career for women. She wants women to have access to wealth, development, and a phenomenal career that enables them to do what they love, on their terms.
 
When she’s not doing that, Eliza loves baking, lifting weights and has swapped raves for the spin studio since her children came along!
 
This episode was going to be about making your numbers less of a creative drain. But it went much deeper than that, and I loved this conversation with Eliza about her own values, and how they influence what she does in business, for her clients and in life.
 
We talk about:
 
~ How your values are the glue that hold everything together in business
~ The reasons they should be central to your financial goal setting
~ The role of your values in pricing your services
~ 3 simple ways to commit to your financial data without feeling overwhelmed
 
CONNECT WITH ELIZA LUDWIG
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Take Eliza's Powerful Profit Quiz
 
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Listen to Episode 3 - 7 Strategies to Plump the Profit in Your Creative Business
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17. Ditch Your Price List and Do This Instead

This is a quick win mini-sode about why I think you need to ditch your price list and do something else instead.
In this short and sweet instalment of The C Word podcast I share:
~ Why I object to the term price list
~ The reasons having a price list is a missed opportunity 
~ The benefits of creating a value-led proposal
~ 8 things to include in that proposal to convert more enquiries
 
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16. Are You Missing the Opportunity to Sell Strategy?

In episode 16 of The C Word Podcast, I’m talking about the S word. I’m not getting sweary though, it’s not that S word, what I’m talking about is strategy.
 
And this is something, specifically brand strategy, that’s close to my business heart. I’ve spent the majority of my career as a brand strategist in creative consultancies and it has been a big part of my own business for the past 7 years.
 
I also believe that it can be a real game-changer for creatives in business.
 
In this episode, I want to tackle some of the snobbery that exists around the word strategy and talk about what I think strategy actually is... and it’s far less complicated that the academics would have you believe.
 
I’ll also dive into:
~ My own definition of strategy and the concept of Purple Matter
~ Why strategy is brilliant for your business
~ The positive influences it can have on you, your client, your creativity and your cash
~ How you can start to see both yourself and your approach as having strategic value
~ How you can make strategy an integral part of what you do
 
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15. Conquering Content Creation Overwhelm with Mel Daniels

If you’re feeling the pressure of the 'curse' of being in business post circa 2000 – i.e. content creation, blogs, reels, video, carousel posts, lives, nurture sequences, welcome emails and the list goes on, this podcast is for you my lovely!
 
In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I’m talking to Mel Daniels from Meld Business all about the concept of powerful content as distinct from content for content’s sake. And we’ve all been there... 'Oh sugar, I haven’t posted this week or I haven’t produced a reel today therefore I just need to do something!'
 
Mel Daniels is a Content Strategist, Coach and Speaker who loves to understand ‘why’. Mel’s purpose is to teach and empower women who want more from their business, on how to use content in a genuine way. She gives them the confidence they need to become more visible, seen as the expert that they are and inspired to take their business to the next level.
 
Mel and I talk about:
 
~ What powerful content is and why it’s so important
~ The most important thing to embrace when it comes to creating impactful content
~ 3 key principles for producing powerful content
~ Her tips and tricks for overcoming content creation overwhelm and burn out
~ Some of the myths and ‘rules’ around sharing content and why they’re unhelpful
~ How to prioritise and get the most bang for your buck when it comes to content
 
MENTIONED IN THE EPISODE…
Take the Quiz and Find Out Your Content Superpower
 
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14. From Freelancer to Design Business Freedom

In this episode of The C Word Podcast, I talk about the distinction between freelancer and design or creative business owner, because I think it’s an important one.
 
Not only are they very different, as designers it’s important to know which you are and what you’re getting yourself into as they require very different investments and skills. And when you're clear what you are and what you want to be you can make more informed decisions. 
 
So if you’re starting out in design and you want to be clear on the direction you take, you’re freelancing and you want to make the shift into greater creative, client and financial control, or you’re not sure what you are but think you'd better find out, this episode is for you.
 
I’ll talk about:
~ The broad options and career paths available to designers
~ The main differences between freelancers and design business owners
~ The ways in which you need to shift your focus if you want to shift gears and step up as a business owner
 
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Episode 12 - Designed to Thrive: The Creative Business Growth Framework
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13. Are Retainers Bad for Business?

In this week’s episode of The C Word Podcast I’m tackling the much maligned topic of retainers. More specifically, I ask the question are retainers bad for business?
 
There’s a lot of bad press and negative content about the poor, unsuspecting retainer and I want to share a different perspective. Because there are always two sides to every story right?
 
I’ve had a lot of success using retainers as a strategy alongside my core brand strategy and design services. So, I wanted to share my experiences and give you some insight into what worked for me and why.
 
In this episode I get into the nitty gritty of:
 
What a retainer actually is
Why retainers get a bit of negative press and when they are bad for business
The positive impact a retainer can have when set up correctly
My 7 tips for a retainer structure that will work for you, your business and your client
 
My final word on this is don’t dismiss it straight off the bat. There is a lot of bad feeling and cautionary tales surrounding retainers. However, when done right they can be very good for business.
 
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12. Designed to Thrive: The Creative Business Growth Wireframe

In this week's episode I share my framework for creative business growth.
 
The 'Creative Growth Wireframe' is something I've developed over 20+ years of learning, failing, testing and succeeding. It's a robust framework built from:
~ Reflections on my own business evolution ~ Learnings from working in both global and local boutique agencies~ Helping my creative clients overcome the challenges they face to build the business they want
 
These 5 fundamental principles have allowed me to get a balance in my working hours, feel confident and self-assured in my creative work, build rock solid client relationships and earn the income that has allowed me so many opportunities and freedoms.
 
In this episode I step through:
~ The 5 fundamental principles every creative in business needs to focus on~ Some of the ways I've applied these principle to shift the dial for myself~ The one thing I neglected for too long that had the biggest impact when I shifted my focus
 
If you'd like to know how we can work together to ensure your business is designed to thrive then I'd love you to DM me on Instagram or send me an email: becky@bechughes.com
 
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11. A Fail-safe Method for Managing Tricky Clients

This episode is the final part of my 4-part quick wins mini-series for creatives in business.
 
We’ve covered a lot of ground in these mini-sodes and I hope you’ve got lots of ideas and action to take.
 
Make sure you go back and listen to the first 3 episodes, they’re all around 10 minutes long - so nice, quick listens when you have a little break in your day.
 
In this series we’ve talked about 'The 8 R’s to create momentum and growth', '5 systems that make space for creativity' and 'a model to price your creative work for profit'. In this episode I’m covering my fail-safe method to manage tricky clients.
 
I'll cover:
~ What a 'tricky' situation with a client looks like and the typical reasons for it
~ If there's ever a time to end the relationship
~ The steps and questions to ask to get to an outcome that you want
~ Staying in control and having an intentional discussion with your client
 
In most cases, when things have strayed off track, it's nothing that can’t be fixed with the right steps.
 
Don’t forget there’s a worksheet to go with this episode and all of the previous episodes in this mini-series which I've included in the link below.
 
LINKS & RESOURCES
Download the Quick Win Worksheets
Find out more about the Creative Meet Business Workshop Series
Quick Win (Eps 8) – The 8 R’s to Creative Momentum and Growth
Quick Win (Eps 9) – 5 Systems that Make Space for Creativity
Quick Win (Eps 10) - A Simple Model to Price Your Creative Work for Profit
 

10. A Simple Model to Price Your Creative Work

Welcome to the 3rd instalment in my quick wins mini-series here on The C Word Podcast.
 
And this one hits creative challenges right between the eyes.
 
Because I think this is something that lots of graphic designers, web designers and other brand-led creatives find tricky. And that’s pricing your creative work to ensure you make the profit you want.
 
I’ll be talking about:
~ The difference between a bottom-up and a top-down approach
~ How to ensure your pricing puts profit first
~ How your attitude and beliefs can impact your pricing
~ Why hourly rates aren’t the problem
 
Don’t forget there’s a worksheet to go with this episode which you can get from bechughes.com/quickwin
 
And I definitely encourage you to go back and listen to the previous 2 episodes in the quick win series: 'The 8 Rs to Create Momentum and Growth' and '5 Systems that Make Space for Creativity'. I’ve included the links for those 2 episodes below.
 
LINKS & RESOURCES
Download the Quick Win Worksheets
Find out more about the Creative Meet Business Workshop Series
Quick Win Episode 8 - The 8 R's to Create Momentum & Growth
Quick Win Episode 9 - 5 Systems that Make Space for Creativity