I’m back with another solo episode where I’m breaking down the complete Hello June offer suite and sharing why having flexible packages has been a total game-changer for the studio. I discuss my four main package tiers, from full service brand and web combos down to essential branding offerings, plus all the add-ons that support them and how I customize each to fit the client. Plus, I'm sharing how to get valuable feedback from leads (even the ones who don't book) and why your offer suite should...
Jul 08, 2025•24 min•Season 11Ep. 18
In this episode, Alex of Arcoiris Design Studio is back on the pod to talk all things semi-custom websites, and why it might just be the best thing for small boutique studios looking to scale without the stress. They talk through how starting with a solid template can still lead to a high-end, unique result for clients, why not every business needs (or benefits from) a custom build, and how setting boundaries around scope and timelines can protect your time and profitability. This episode is ful...
Jun 12, 2025•42 min•Season 11Ep. 17
In this solo episode, Jen’s chatting all about how she’s refined and streamlined her brand and web design process to better serve both her clients and her business. She emphasizes customizing workflows to fit different client needs, cutting unnecessary steps, and focusing on high-value tasks. Key changes include reducing client calls, minimizing lengthy brand strategy, and relying on simple, effective communication tools with her clients. Jen also shares practical tips such as live refinement se...
May 30, 2025•27 min•Season 11Ep. 16
In this episode, I’m chatting with Katie Higginbotham, previous minimind student of mine, designer, studio owner, creative director, and mom of three. We talk all about what it really looked like to make the leap from her established agency job to running her own studio. With Mother’s Day just behind us, this convo feels especially timely. Katie shares how she knew it was time for a change, how she prepped for the transition, and what it’s been like balancing client work, a part-time role, and m...
May 13, 2025•41 min•Season 11Ep. 15
Branding Bestie Chit Chat is back and in this episode Lauren and Jen share honest examples of when things didn’t go quite as planned in their client projects from unclear direction to challenging feedback and how they navigated those moments. It’s a candid supportive conversation full of lessons learned growth moments and a few laughs as well. Guest Information: Guest Name: Lauren Braier Guest Business Name: Elby Creative Guest Website: elbycreative.com Guest Instagram: @elbycreative Connect Wit...
May 06, 2025•54 min•Season 11Ep. 13
In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , we sit down with Joy Warren, the creative force behind Joy Warren Creative — a full-service brand and web design studio known for its playful simplicity, vibrant use of color, and custom illustrations. Based just outside Raleigh, NC, Joy shares how she launched her business after relocating from Indiana and built a studio that celebrates and supports small, female-owned businesses. We kick things off with a quick story time about how Joy’s ...
Apr 29, 2025•52 min•Season 11Ep. 13
In this powerful and inspiring episode, we're joined by brand designer Alouette Marsh, whose journey is anything but ordinary. From facing the debilitating effects of endometriosis to rising above it and building a thriving design studio, Alouette shares her deeply personal story of resilience, creativity, and purpose. We talk about the darkest moments of her health battle, the mindset shifts that helped her through, and the unexpected lessons she now carries into her business every day. Whether...
Apr 15, 2025•48 min
In this episode of Better the Brand Designer Podcast , we’re diving into the ways design influences every part of our lives—far beyond our work as brand designers. Lauren shares how her love for interior design, wedding planning, and beautifully packaged products fuels her creativity, along with how house hunting has sharpened her ability to see potential in unexpected places. Jen talks about infusing creativity into everyday life, from crafting and needlepoint with her kids to designing her dre...
Apr 02, 2025•48 min•Season 11Ep. 11
In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , we’re diving into the legal side of branding with special guest Alli Elmunzer from Influencer Legal! As brand designers, we create visual identities that help businesses stand out—but how do we ensure those identities are legally protected? Alli breaks down the key differences between a registered trademark (®), a trademark (™), and copyright (©), and explains when and why brand designers should start thinking about trademarking business na...
Mar 25, 2025•31 min•Season 11Ep. 10
In this week’s episode, I sit down with my good friend Morgan Morris, the talented designer and founder behind Thuro Design. Morgan opens up about her powerful testimony — from life before Christ to how her faith journey has transformed not only her personal life but also her business. Morgan shares why she made the bold decision to integrate her faith openly into her business, despite the fear of judgment or losing clients. She offers thoughtful advice for other designers of faith who want to s...
Mar 18, 2025•44 min•Season 11Ep. 9
In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , we’re back with another Branding Bestie Chit Chat featuring Lauren Braier from Elby Creative! We’re diving into the past as we dust off our old goals, reflect on what we’ve accomplished (and what we haven’t), and chat about how we’ve grown both personally and professionally over the years. Join us for an honest and inspiring conversation about evolving as designers, learning from our experiences, and setting new intentions for the future. T...
Mar 11, 2025•1 hr 5 min•Season 11Ep. 8
In this week’s episode, I share about our refinement, QA, pre-launch, and launch phases of our web design projects! Steal my process or adjust for your own needs—it’s all laid out in this episode! Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Podcast Instagram Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design...
Mar 04, 2025•25 min•Season 11Ep. 7
In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , we’re joined by the incredible Tonya Bamboe, founder of Booth and Bard, to dive deep into the world of inclusive branding for neurodivergent clients. Tonya shares her journey—from the pivotal moments that shaped her business to how she discovered her passion for serving the "neurospicy" community. We break down what "neurospicy" means, how Tonya has positioned her brand to support clients who identify with this term, and the intentional shi...
Feb 25, 2025•1 hr 10 min•Season 11Ep. 6
Today I go through some of my recent projects breaking down the who, what, when, where and how. Just giving a little peak behind the curtain to some of my favorite projects I have worked with recently. Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Podcast Instagram Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design...
Feb 18, 2025•39 min•Season 11Ep. 5
In the first episode of our new monthly series, Branding Bestie Chit Chat , I sit down with Lauren Braier to explore a question that’s been buzzing around the boutique brand design community: What’s the future of our industry? From online chatter to shifts in the career paths of high-profile designers, we dive into why it feels like so many business owners are struggling right now. Is it just the nature of social media amplifying the lows, or is something deeper happening in the branding world? ...
Feb 11, 2025•1 hr 8 min•Season 11Ep. 4
In this inspiring guest episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , I’m chatting with Kat Super, the talented founder of B Super Design, a boutique brand and web design studio based in Richmond, Virginia. Known for her signature “vintage meets modern” illustrative style, Kat combines brand identity design, web design, and custom illustration into a seamless, full-service experience for her clients—and even offers white-label illustration services to fellow designers. We dive into Kat’s desig...
Feb 04, 2025•55 min•Season 11Ep. 3
In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , we’re diving into what’s in and what’s out for creating a thriving, joyful design business in the new year. Inspired by a trend making waves on social media, I’m sharing my personal “ins” and “outs” for a better work-life balance and a more intentional approach to running my brand design studio. From booking clients far in advance to pursuing non-work-related hobbies (hello, needlepoint Facebook groups!) and crafting offers around work I tr...
Jan 21, 2025•25 min•Season 11Ep. 1
In this episode of Better: The Brand Designer Podcast , we dive into the art of stepping away from your business while keeping things running smoothly—whether it's for maternity leave or another extended break. I’m sharing a personal recap of my recent maternity leave, reflecting on the biggest differences from my first experience, and breaking down actionable strategies to prepare for extended time off. From starting your planning early to adjusting team operations and building a financial buff...
Jan 21, 2025•24 min•Season 11Ep. 2
Today we’re joined by Katelyn from Studio Kaly talking about what makes a luxury brand design experience and how to craft a luxurious offer suite that sells. If you’re struggling with your positioning and offers, this episode is for you! Links Mentioned: Studio Kaly The Win Without Pitching Manifesto Inbox Question: What are the key elements to running a successful photoshoot (for yourself or a client?) Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Our Resources Page Podcast Instagram...
Jan 14, 2025•47 min•Season 10Ep. 24
Have you ever had a review session with a client and they're just not feeling the work you've created? We've been there! In this episode Jen and Esther talk about some of their experiences with push-back and how they worked through the problems to create better solutions for their clients. Links Mentioned: The Anti-Anxiety Notebook Inbox Question: " How do you present your initial designs to the client? What do you include– how many logo/secondary logo ideas, how many fonts (and where to get fon...
Jan 07, 2025•53 min•Season 10Ep. 23
Episode Description: In today’s episode Jen shares her entire web design and web development process, from a blank slate all the way to launch day, Jen explains the systems that she has in place that allows her small team to design, build, and deliver the perfect website every time. Get ready to take notes, this one is packed with a lot of value and details! Inbox Question: “Finding clients who only need branding services is challenging. I’m often finding web development or design services is ea...
Dec 31, 2024•43 min•Season 10Ep. 22
Earlier this year we asked you to share your difficult client stories and today those stories—as well as our own—are live! Although they are SUPER entertaining, we make sure to also share how the designer could have avoided the problem in the first place so we can all learn together. Giselle opens the episode by telling the story about her $400 website project and Jen shares what she learned from a difficult contractor relationship from the beginning of her business. We talk all about making sur...
Dec 17, 2024•55 min•Season 10Ep. 21
Today Jen chats with Olivia Austin from Current Design Studio all about hiring - when to think about it, how to know you’re ready, and how to navigate the hiring and interview process. We approach the hiring conversation from the perspective of knowing your studio values and adding team members who share those values. Guest Information: Guest Name: Olivia Austin Guest Business Name: Current Design Studio Guest Website: https://currentdesignstudio.com/ , https://byoliviaaustin.com/ Guest Instagra...
Dec 10, 2024•1 hr 6 min•Season 10Ep. 20
Do you ever feel like you can’t take a TRUE vacation? Maybe your fears are that your clients will be mad, you don’t have enough funds to pay for the time away, or you feel like you have TOO much to do that taking time away doesn’t make sense. We’ve been there. In this episode we talk about: The things we do to prepare for vacation Battling mindset when taking time away How we plan for vacation ahead of time How time-off impacts our business and our own mental health? How to build rest into our s...
Dec 02, 2024•50 min•Season 10Ep. 19
Final episode of the season is here already! Today we answer all of your inbox questions! Links Mentioned: S8E15: How to Craft a Luxury Offer Suite that Sells with Katelyn Alyssa from Studio Kaly S7E10: Font Design, Digital Products, Burnout, and Industry Culture with Jen Wagner Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Podcast Instagram Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, bran...
Nov 25, 2024•36 min•Season 10Ep. 18
Today I go over some small changes I made early on in my business that made a big impact on my revenue. This is how I hit my first 100k year. Links Mentioned: Don’t Make these Brand Messaging & Positioning Mistakes! How to Sell Out Your Design Services with Expert Positioning Spooooky Client Stories (Round 2) Inbox Question: "[Question here?]” - [Name Here] Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Podcast Instagram Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, ...
Nov 19, 2024•34 min•Season 10Ep. 17
In this episode I had the pleasure of peppering Rita Julian (a bookkeeper for brand & web designers!) with questions about keeping your business finances nice and tidy (and saving money on taxes!) Get 20% off Cash + Creatives (DIY bookkeeping course) with the code PODCAST20! Guest Information: Guest Name: Rita Julian Guest Business Name: Julian Bookkeeping Guest Website: www.julianbookkeeping.com Guest Instagram: @julianbookkeepingllc Links Mentioned: Cash & Creatives (DIY bookkeeping co...
Nov 12, 2024•34 min•Season 10Ep. 16
In this episode, I chat with N. Chloé Nwangwu from the consulting agency NobiWorks all about how the traditional ICA (ideal client avatar) model of brand strategy is outdated—and what to do instead! Guest Information: Guest Name: N. Chloé Nwangwu Guest Business Name: NobiWorks Guest Website: https://www.nobiworks.com/ Guest Instagram: @NobiWorks Links Mentioned: NobiWorks Resources mentioned Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Podcast Instagram Tags: designer, design, brand ...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 11 min•Season 10Ep. 15
This week Lauren (Jen’s previous designer) is back to share about her decision to leave the boutique studio space in favor of the agency world! She talks about her job search, interview process, and differences between boutique and agency she’s been surprised by. Guest Information: Guest Name: Lauren Braier Guest Business Name: Elby Creative Guest Website: www.elbycreative.com Guest Instagram: @elbycreative Links Mentioned: [Insert Links Here] Inbox Question: "[Question here?]” - [Name Here] Con...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr•Season 10Ep. 14
I was asked to guest on another podcast called the Design Unfiltered Podcast with Abbey McGrew. You can find a link to that pod below. In this episode we talk about being a new mom, maternity leave, and preparing for a big family change. Thank you Abbey for having me on as a guest! Design Unfiltered Podcast Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community Our Website Podcast Instagram Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand d...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Season 10Ep. 13
