The Design Diaries - podcast cover

The Design Diaries

Alyssa Nguyen (@atnndesign)atnndesign.com
The Brand Designer's Podcast Diary: self-taught brand designer Alyssa Nguyen (of @atnndesign studio) shares advice and tips for fellow creatives, freelancers, and business owners along with honest experiences to help you learn from her mistakes. No gatekeeping here—Alyssa creates episodes on all topics, ranging from design projects to client management to marketing and finance with the aim of helping other creatives reach their goals.
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Episodes

Ep 13: Let's Talk Passive Income Streams

In this episode, I cover key things you need to consider when starting to develop passive income streams and how to make them with minimal extra effort from you!

Apr 20, 202113 minSeason 1Ep. 18

Diary Entry: Toxic Trends I'm Over

I'm getting a lil juicy today and talking about 4 trends that I think are TOXIC in the creative community!

Apr 03, 202119 minSeason 1Ep. 16

Ep 12: Client Red Flags to Avoid

I cover my top 5 things that I keep on the lookout for when meeting potential clients to avoid possible nightmare situations!

Mar 30, 202119 minSeason 1Ep. 15

Ep 11: How I Handle Client Feedback

In this episode I share my best tips for managing client feedback like how to disagree with feedback & how to get the best feedback possible!

Mar 26, 202119 minSeason 1Ep. 14

Ep 10: Handling Difficult Clients and Situations

In this episode I cover my best advice for approaching tense or awkward client situations and I go through 5 client scenarios, talking you through my recommended approach for dealing with them: 1. Client Trust Issues, 2: Scope Creep, 3: Late Payments/Feedback, 4: Mismatched Vision or Negative Interactions (aka Terminating a Project), 5: Working with a Friend

Mar 23, 202131 minSeason 1Ep. 13

Diary Entry: Copying Designs vs. Being Inspired

WTF do you do when you feel like someone has copied your designs? In this diary entry I tell you about my experience with people taking my work and how I feel about the debate between copying and inspiration + a mini rant on the "be original" narrative!

Mar 20, 202126 minSeason 1Ep. 12

Ep 9: Instagram Marketing 101

I share my tips and methods for using Instagram in a sustainable and natural way to grow your business! Instead of giving you the classic algorithm tips, I'm sharing ways to view Instagram as a community tool to help you grow without the extra effort.

Mar 16, 202120 minSeason 1Ep. 11

Ep 8: The Essentials for a Great Client Experience

I'm sharing my top 5 things to consider and implement into your project experience to maximize client satisfaction and get you some good reviews! I talk systems, strategies, and things to consider when building your workflow.

Mar 12, 202121 minSeason 1Ep. 10

Ep 7: Finding Clients & Attracting Your Target Audience

We're talking strategies and methods for attracting clients that align with your business! I'm sharing some tips and things to consider that will help you attract your dream clients sustainably over time.

Mar 10, 202118 minSeason 1Ep. 9

Diary Entry: Marketing Anxiety & Putting Yourself Out There

In this episode I talk about the scary moment when you decide to start being the spokesperson for your business on social media and how it's not all rainbows and butterflies! I talk about being anxious about hate, becoming an influencer, and how to balance marketing with personal comfort.

Mar 05, 202118 minSeason 1Ep. 8

Ep 6: All About Pricing & Charging What's Right for You

We're talking about how to price yourself in a way that's right for you and what's comfortable! I discuss how I go about pricing my services and suggest ways to think about how to structure yours. I don't cover any particular numbers, but rather I talk about how to think about your own comfort level to customize your pricing structure in a way that makes sense for you!

Mar 02, 202124 minSeason 1Ep. 7

Ep 5: My Best Advice for New Creatives

In this episode I cover my best advice, like real advice!, that I wish I had been told when I first starting out. I cover a variety of topics like pricing, service offerings, passion projects, and more!

Feb 26, 202122 minSeason 1Ep. 6

Ep 4: Balancing Mental Health & Running a Biz

In this episode I share realistic and simple steps to improve your rest-work balance! Instead of just telling you to rest and practice self-care (like what does that even mean these days?), I give you my actual tips that I use to help relieve anxiety, burnout, and more.

Feb 23, 202124 minSeason 1Ep. 5

Ep 3: Finding your Niche & Target Audience

Your niche and target audience are one of the main pillars of your business' foundation! In this episode I cover ways to thoughtfully find your niche and strategically find your audience while also having a bit of fun!

Feb 19, 202116 minSeason 1Ep. 4

Diary Entry: Breaking Up with a Client & Being Talked Down to...

In this episode I get vulnerable and talk about an unpleasant but real experience that I had in my week...breaking up with a client and getting talked down to in a meeting. I talk about the experiences of dealing with both and what I learned from them!

Feb 17, 202123 minSeason 1Ep. 3

Ep 1: Who I Am & My Story

Welcome! Get to know me, your humble host, by learning about my unconventional journey into design and how I started freelancing, designing, and opening my own studio. I share my experience going through a MAJOR career change and following my passion. It's nice to meet you!

Feb 13, 202120 minSeason 1Ep. 1

Ep 2: How to Start Freelancing or Your Own Biz

In this episode I outline my best tips for starting a creative freelancing career or business! I include tips for laying the foundation of your business to set you up for success and I also cover my top 5 admin essentials to get the ball rolling!

Feb 13, 202120 minSeason 1Ep. 2
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