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...

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...

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  ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

When did our inboxes get so out of control? Can we blame the pandemic? Or is this problem much bigger? Thousands of unread messages. Constant interruptions to the focused work we need to get done and the perception that we need to be always on top of our emails. We're calling it inbox overwhelm. In this episode Bo and Amy discuss email and how they navigate their inboxes. Bo is a proponent of inbox zero. Amy uses tabs and filters. They also discuss the new retreat dates and what they've been...

Shannon Palmer and Bryce MacDonald of Studio Bonum truly want to make a difference in their community. They are intentional and thoughtful both in the work they produce for their clients but also in their approach to their business. Amy spoke to Shannon and Bryce about launching a creative business at a time of global uncertainty, the values they bring to their business and how they hope to attract clients with a similar social conscience. Links: If you'd like to join Amy and Bo for the...

Exciting news: Bo and Amy are planning their very first in-person retreat! It will be a nourishing weekend for creative business owners who want to overhaul their businesses, go deep and get clear on what they want and need to happen in 2022. In this episode Amy and Bo talk about their plans for the retreat including an impactful program of workshops and activities. And food, don't forget about the amazing food. They also describe the incredible venue, New Farm Denmark, and cover the...

The podcast has reached a milestone: 10,000 downloads! Thank you to all our regular listeners for supporting us on our journey. To celebrate Bo and Amy answer the questions they get asked most frequently about their personal and professional lives. Links: Bo reflects on her interview with Kate Stokes from Coco Flip earlier this season. Amy remembers the episodes Real mistakes we've made and what we've learned along the way and Resisting the call to grow If you've enjoyed this episode of...

Orla Larkin is an award winning digital designer, strategist and educator. Over her career she's worked across state government, not for profits and education. These days she helps makers, creatives and ethical businesses establish themselves online. Orla is currently based in Mallorca and is no stranger to remote working, having worked with clients around the world for many years. In this conversation, Bo talks to Orla about finding ways to connect and create community as a freelancer, the...

Fiona Killackey is a business coach who has worked with many small to medium sized businesses supporting them with practical insights into their marketing, business systems, goal setting and most importantly, working out where their dollars are coming from! Fiona has a podcast, offers courses and coaching and she's also written a book called 'Passion. Purpose. Profit.' which is an incredibly useful guide for anyone who has a small business or who dreams of starting one. In this...

Imposter feelings, or that nagging voice at the back of your head that whispers 'who do you think you are?' or 'any moment now, people are going to discover you're a fake!' Most of us have them from time to time, no matter how outwardly successful or established we are. In this episode, Bo and Amy answer a community question about imposter syndrome. They discuss how fears and doubts show up for them and what they've done to build confidence around their work and creative...

There's no denying working for yourself is a bit of a juggling act most of the time. When you're self employed, you are wearing all the hats: from administration, to accounts, to marketing and of course the actual creative service you are offering. Sometimes performing all these roles can feel fun and easy, but often it can feel like we're pulled in different directions and we have too much on our plate which can lead to overwhelm and then if we're not careful, burnout. In this episode Bo...

Tess is a freelance graphic designer with a broad portfolio of work spanning web design, print and publishing. But she has many other strings to her bow: she started publishing company Creative Minds and has written and released several books of her own. She was formerly the coordinator of the Creative Women's Circle and co hosted The New Normal Podcast with friend and fellow small business owner Emma Clark Gratton. Her monthly newsletter Sylloge, a compilation of podcast, blog and book...

In this short episode Amy shares 10 content ideas for social media that might actually translate into paying clients. Amy recommends an intentional approach to platforms like Instagram, leveraging our innately human need to connect and create community. She discusses the 'know, like, trust' principle and how you might use it as a starting point for your social media content. If you're a small or solo business owner who feels frustrated by social media, if you aren't seeing the return on the...

There's no doubt persistence and tenacity are great attributes and essential to running any business. But knowing when and how to quit is also an important and often overlooked skill. In this episode, Bo and Amy talk about quitting and how it can be a brilliant way to make space in your life and your business, to cut your losses and to move on. Like an old car that will keep draining your time and money, sometimes projects, relationships and even ideas are not worth persevering with. So,...

In this short episode Bo delves into the mystery and magic of pricing your services as a freelancer. Pricing is a dynamic process. As a business of one you need to frequently review, restructure and occasionally raise your prices. Bo covers the dangers of pricing too low, how to know when you're ready to raise your prices and when to do it. She also gives a few notes on valuing yourself, your time and your expertise. If you've been looking for a pep talk on pricing, this is the episode for...

Do you use Instagram to market your business? This week Bo and Amy respond to a question Amy gets asked a lot: 'I spend so much time on Instagram but I'm not seeing results for my business. Why is it that everyone else seems to have so many followers and do so well whereas I just seem to waste time?' They reveal their own approaches to using Instagram to market their services and Bo asks Amy to explain the dreaded Instagram Algorithm (with a capital 'A'). Bo and Amy also talk about their...

There are so many business systems and software subscriptions out there and they make big promises: to free up your time, grow or scale your business and streamline your life. But as freelance business owners who question investment and growth at every step, both Bo and Amy are hesitant to sign up to the latest fad. In this episode Bo and Amy discuss the systems and software they use in their businesses, including the very straightforward, paper-based ones. They cover productivity and time...

Amy speaks to Haley Berryman, a freelance copywriter who works with purpose driven businesses on their communications and strategy. She also facilitates an online community of founders and freelancers called Cool Wow Collective. Amy asks Haley about flow state, an idea first introduced by positive psychology founder Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. We all know the feeling of being 'in the zone' but how do we cultivate flow? Haley has some great ideas to help us get there. Links: You can find Haley...

Are you waiting for that much anticipated big break? For most of us in creative industries, it's more a case of small steps rather than giant leaps. And there's no doubt that rejection is a part of life. We've all experienced that kick-in-the-guts feeling of being rejected: when we've invested so much into a creative project that we feel ultimately doesn't pay off. In this episode Bo and Amy talk about rejection in the visual arts, design and publishing sectors, sharing stories of...