Better Clients. More Money. A Happier Life.
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Welcome to The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast. My name is Kady Sandel, and this podcast was brought to you by Aventive Academy – an online business education platform that helps brand, graphic, and web designers get more clients, increase their pricing, and build a profitable design business. You can find out more about starting and growing your freelance design business at aventiveacademy.com
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Web Pro Savvy is a podcast for freelance web designers and developers, hosted by Cathy Sirvatka. You'll hear interviews with experienced freelance web pros about their business operations, the services they offer, and the types of clients they work with. They openly share their stories and pull back the curtain on how they achieve success so that you can boost your own business.
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Conversations with interesting people who can inspire us to become the best version of ourselves.
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Manchester based team of coders and strategists building awesome web products that unlock great digital power! On this channel we to talk to interesting people who work and operate in the same spaces as we do.
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168 Why Designers Stay Stuck at $3K Projects (and How to Break Past It)
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36:18If you feel stuck charging two or three thousand per project no matter how good your work is, this episode is for you. I am breaking down the exact reasons most designers plateau at low rates and how to shift your positioning so you can finally start booking premium clients. High-paying clients are not just buying deliverables. They are investing i…
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167 The Portfolio Mistake That’s Costing You High-Paying Clients
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30:00If your portfolio looks like a collection of everything you have ever designed, that might be exactly why high-paying clients are not reaching out. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer, I am sharing the portfolio mistake that keeps talented designers stuck at low-paying projects. This is not about your design skills. It is about how y…
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166 The Role of AI in Branding: Insights from Ayelet
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49:13If you’ve ever looked at a clean, elevated brand and thought, “How do they make it look so effortless?” - this episode is for you. I’m joined by Ayelet, a designer known for her intentional, minimal style and smart systems behind the visuals. We talked about how she approaches branding, her favorite tools (like Notion and Wix Studio), the role of A…
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Leadership Unlocked: How to Embrace Self-Awareness and Build Leadership Habits - Ange MacCabe
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1:00:16Leadership isn’t about having all the answers - it’s about knowing yourself, staying consistent, and connecting deeply with your team. Ange MacCabe from Intuity Performance breaks down what it really takes to lead effectively, especially as an entrepreneur navigating growth, uncertainty, and human dynamics. Follow Ange: 🌐 Website 👉 https://www.intu…
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165 How to Scale Your Design Business Without Burning Out
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28:54You think scaling means doing more. More clients, more hours, more hustle. But what if that is exactly what is keeping you stuck? In this episode, I am sharing how I went from doing everything myself to building systems that let my business run without me. I will walk you through what scaling really looks like for a freelance designer and how to gr…
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King of Distribution: How to Get Your Content Seen by the Right People - Ross Simmonds
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1:06:17Ross Simmonds is a leader in content marketing and today he breaks down what we need to do to be seen after we hit publish. Ross Simmonds is a leading voice in B2B marketing, widely known as the king of distribution. He is the founder of Foundation and Distribution.ai and is a bestselling author of Create Once, Distribute Forever. Today Ross will c…
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How To Price Your Freelance Services in 2025
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17:12In This Episode: Zach breaks down a real-life pricing mistake and shows how a simple shift in positioning can lead to higher fees without changing the service offering. If you’ve ever priced “by the hour” or “per deliverable,” this video gives you actionable pricing tips to attract higher rates in 2025. 🚀 What You'll Learn: Why pricing per task kee…
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164 3 Design Services You Can Add Right Now to Land Bigger Clients
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37:05You can be the best designer on the planet—if your offer is limited, your income will be too. I see it all the time. Talented designers stuck at $1K projects because they’re only offering a logo or a brand board. But the clients who pay $10K? They’re not hiring someone to make things look nice. They’re hiring someone who can lead. In this episode, …
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163 What Clients Actually Look for in a Brand & Web Designer
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32:25Most designers focus on making things look good, but that’s not what high-paying clients are actually looking for. They want clarity, confidence, and someone who understands how design impacts their business. In this episode, I’m breaking down what clients really care about when they’re hiring a brand or web designer and how you can stand out by sh…
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162 Scaling Your Design Business with the Right Tools and Mindset
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38:03Most designers only see the output of design platforms, but today we’re talking to someone who actually helps build the tools we use every day. Miri from the Wix Studio product team joins me for a conversation about what freelance designers and agencies really need to grow their businesses. We talk about workflows that make a difference, how platfo…
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161 How to Increase Your Income as a Brand Designer
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35:15Most brand designers are underpaid. Not because they lack talent, but because they’re offering deliverables instead of solutions. If you’re still charging $1K or $2K for full brand identity packages, this episode is going to shift the way you think about your value. I’m walking you through the three income levels most designers operate in, what pre…
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160 How Delegation Helped Me Work Only 4 Hours a Day as a Designer
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27:48If you’re still doing everything yourself, this episode is your wake-up call. I’m sharing how I went from working nonstop to running my design business in just 4 hours a day. You’ll hear exactly what changed, how I started delegating, and how tools like Wix Studio can help you simplify without hiring a developer. You will learn: How to identify whi…
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Filmmaker and Startup Coach: Lessons in Creative Entrepreneurship - Julien Robichaud
1:11:53
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1:11:53Julian is a start-up coach at Propel, an Atlantic Canada business accelerator. He works with companies in tech that are looking to validate, grow and scale their businesses. Julian comes from an entrepreneurial family; his grandfather was a co-founder of Pizza Delight. Julian has always been interested in film making since he was young and has made…
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159 Freelance Designers Struggle Because of This – How to Build a Real Business
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25:42The reason most freelancers struggle is not because their design skills are not good enough. It is because they are thinking like freelancers, not business owners. If you are tired of chasing projects, lowering your prices, and constantly starting from scratch, it is time to fix this. Today, I am breaking down exactly why most designers stay stuck …
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158 The Portfolio Mistake That’s Costing You High-Paying Clients
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27:18Your portfolio might be the reason clients keep ghosting you or pushing back on your prices. Not because your design work is not good enough, but because your portfolio is sending the wrong message. Most designers fill their portfolios with visuals like logos and mockups and forget that high-paying clients are not looking for pretty work. They are …
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Freelancer to Award-Winning Agency: Building and Scaling a Web Design Agency - Nic Stana
1:23:53
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1:23:53Nick Stana is the founder of Grandway Marketing and he joins us today to share his valuable insights about freelancing, starting and scaling a design agency, and how to leverage sales to grow sustainably. 🌐 Grandway Marketing 👉 https://grandwaymarketing.com/ 🌐 Nic Stana 👉 https://nicstana.com/ 🔗 YouTube 👉 http://youtube.com/@nicstana 🔗 Instagram 👉 …
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157 What Separates $3K Designers from $10K+ Designers
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22:17Most designers stay stuck at $3K projects because they’re pricing wrong, targeting the wrong clients, and positioning themselves as just another freelancer. The difference between a $3K designer and a $10K designer isn’t design skills. It’s how they run their business. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly what separates the two with real exam…
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Entrepreneur to Politician: The Importance of Having a Plan and Being of Service - Kent Smith
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1:00:21The Honourable Kent Smith is the current MLA for Eastern Shore, elected in 2021. Kent joins us today to talk about entrepreneurship, business, politics and how they've all fit together. ❤️ Looking for more inspiration? Join the 1% newsletter 👉 https://odum.ca CHAPTERS 00:00:00 Introduction 00:02:30 Common thread through all of Kent's endeavors 00:0…
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156 The Secret to Attracting Clients Who Value Your Work
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22:55Tired of clients who don’t see the value in branding, question your prices, or treat design like an afterthought? The problem isn’t your work - it’s how you’re positioning and selling it. Clients don’t automatically understand the value of branding. You have to show them. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly why you’re attracting clients who …
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155 How I Went From $500 Clients to $10K+ Branding Projects
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11:02If you prefer watching instead of listening, this episode actually comes from one of my YouTube videos. You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/WdSlsIkvnrE Tired of being stuck with $500 clients who question your rates, ghost you, or don’t take your work seriously? I’ve been there. In this episode, I’m sharing the exact shifts I made to go from low…
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A Beginner's Guide to Fitness: Training, Nutrition & Mindset - Corey Dubé
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1:32:00Corey Dubé is personal trainer who specializes in helping people achieve their fitness goals. Today we talk about his approach to personal training and the mindset required to stay motivated, break plateaus, and how we can turn fitness into a lifestyle that fuels personal and professional success. 🔗 Instagram 👉 https://www.instagram.com/eating_wise…
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1
Why Most Designers Stay Stuck (And How to Finally Grow Your Business)
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13:30To celebrate 3 years of The Profitable Graphic Designer podcast, I’m offering 30% off The Profitable Designer Program with code CAKE this week only! Join by Wednesday to get a free 30-minute 1:1 coaching call with me! 👉 aventiveacademy.com/program In this extra episode, we dive into the reasons why so many talented designers stay stuck—underpaid, o…
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How Calista Solved The “Waiting For Referrals” Problem (As a New Freelancer!)
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36:20Full shownotes at https://dyf.link/episode150 In this episode, Zach talks to Calista from nimblecrafted.com about how she went from relying on low-paying referrals to building a confident, repeatable system for landing freelance clients. Over the past five months, Calista has transformed from a burned-out developer stuck in commoditized pricing to …
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154 3 Mistakes Keeping Designers Stuck with Low-Paying Clients
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25:37If you keep landing clients who expect a full brand identity for a few hundred dollars, it’s not just bad luck—it’s a sign that something in your approach needs to change. High-paying clients don’t randomly find designers, and they definitely don’t hire based on just “good design.” In this episode, I’m breaking down the three biggest mistakes that …
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How Devs Can Escape Commoditization in an AI Vibe Coder’s World
24:54
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24:54Full show notes at https://dyf.link/episode149 In this episode, Zach dives into how developers can escape commoditized pricing by aligning their skills with high-value business problems. Learn how positioning your expertise around solving specific problems can help you stand out, charge higher rates, and attract better clients. You'll discover how …
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153 How to Find Logo Clients Who Will Pay You Premium Rates
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27:24If you’re still offering logo design as a standalone service and wondering why high-paying clients aren’t hiring you, this episode is going to change everything. Premium clients don’t just want a logo. They want a full brand identity that positions them for success. And if you’re still marketing yourself as just a logo designer, you’ll always be co…
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152 Why $10K Design Clients Aren’t Hiring You (And How to Fix It)
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29:00High-paying clients aren’t avoiding you because you’re not talented—they just don’t see you as the expert they need. If you’re stuck working with low-budget clients while hearing about other designers landing $10K+ projects, it’s time to fix what’s keeping you invisible to premium clients. I’ll break down exactly why they aren’t hiring you and what…
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1
This App Will Change Canada Forever: Economic Inclusion Within Canada's Indigenous Community – Walter Deagle
1:08:39
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1:08:39🎁 Use promo code "Odum" and get your first year of membership for free! Offer valid until March 31, 2025 👉 https://itstimeforchange.ca/ Walter Deagle is the Founder and Executive Director of It’s Time For Change, a new platform dedicated to driving meaningful Indigenous economic inclusion and engagement to benefit all Canadians. Today we talk about…
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151 Why Some Designers Get Clients on Repeat (And Others Don’t)
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25:24Some designers always seem to have a steady stream of clients, while others struggle to get inquiries. The difference? Messaging. If your website, Instagram bio, or content doesn’t clearly communicate your value, you could be pushing clients away without realizing it. In this episode, I’m breaking down exactly how to refine your messaging so it att…
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150 How to Land High-Paying $10K+ Design Clients ASAP
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23:47There are clients out there right now who are ready to invest $10K+ in design services—are you positioned to attract them? The biggest difference between designers struggling with low-budget clients and those landing high-ticket projects isn’t talent—it’s strategy. In this episode, I’ll show you how to reposition yourself, find premium clients, and…
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1
5 Reasons Clients Leave Their Web Designers (Avoid These Costly Mistakes!)
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7:10What do you think of the show? Let me know! Are you unknowingly pushing clients away? In this video, I reveal the 5 main reasons clients leave their web designers—and how to make sure you’re not making these common mistakes. Retaining clients is just as important as getting them, and by avoiding these pitfalls, you can build long-term relationships…
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149 How Smart Designers Are Using AI to Scale Their Business
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24:24AI is shaking up the design industry, and the smartest designers are using it to work faster, scale their businesses, and increase profits. I’ll show you exactly how I use AI in my branding and design agency to streamline workflows, enhance client communication, and automate marketing. If you’ve been wondering whether AI is a tool or a threat, this…
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148 Why Working Less Made My Design Business More Profitable
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23:13Most designers think that working more means earning more, but what if the opposite were true? In this episode, I’m sharing how I cut my work hours, take two months off every year to travel, and STILL make more money than when I was hustling 24/7. If you’re stuck in the grind and feeling burnt out, this episode will show you how to shift your minds…
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Optimizing for Success: Take Back Control of Your Time and Business - Charlene Currie
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1:17:55Charlene Currie was recently nominated for 2025 Halifax Business Awards: New Business of the Year award! Today we talk about the struggles that many businesses face when it comes to their day to day activities and how entrepreneurs can leverage technology to optimize their time and take back control of their business. 🌐 Optimize Business Solutions …
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147 The Reason Many Designers Can't Grow Their Business
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23:44When you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one. Specializing in a specific niche or service can transform your design business, making you the go-to expert for your ideal clients. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer, I’ll show you how narrowing your focus leads to higher-paying clients, better referrals, and easie…
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Inventing the Future: NASA, Startups & the Power of Ideas - Mike MacDonald - Mike MacDonald
1:57:14
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1:57:14Mike MacDonald joins us today to talk about his invention M.U.L.E, the importance of defining a Minimal Viable Product, how reactive programming is changing the way we build application and more. ❤️ Looking to better your life? Join the 1% newsletter 👉 https://odum.caBy Odum
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From Business Acquisition to Green Innovation: Lessons from Driver Dave’s - Rick Scott
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1:02:34Rick Scott joins us today to talk about his purchase of a local company called Driver Dave’s and how he plans on innovating in the transportation field by integrating hydrogen conversion into his fleet. Today we’ll learn about how to think about structure deals to purchase businesses, recognizing our limitations, surrounding ourselves with good peo…
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How Confidence Helped Grow Her Solo Business to 7 Figures in Less Than 5 Years - Stephanie Folahan
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1:31:55Stephanie Folahan is the founder of Premier Accounting & Tax Inc. with a mission to help small businesses succeed. Today you’ll learn why many small businesses fail, how to keep moving forward, how to plan for business success and so much more. 🔥 Stephanie Folahan 👉 https://www.instagram.com/mrs.folahan/ ❤️ Looking to better your life? Join the 1% …
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146 Why Your Portfolio Isn't Landing You Clients (And What Will)
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23:46Most designers think their portfolio is all about showcasing stunning visuals, but that’s not what lands you clients. Your potential clients aren’t designers - they care about how your work solves their business problems. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer, I’ll show you how to turn your portfolio into a client-magnet by focusing on…
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145 Psychological Tricks to Sell Design Services
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27:15Selling doesn’t have to feel pushy or uncomfortable. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, I’m breaking down the psychological tricks that make selling design services feel natural. From building trust to framing your services as solutions, these strategies will help you connect with clients and inspire confidence without feel…
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Feedback is one of the most powerful tools for growing your design business - not just from clients who say yes but also from those who say no. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, I’ll show you how to use client feedback to refine your designs, improve your sales process, and build better relationships. Whether it’s understa…
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Streamlining Business Operations: CEO Hacks and Digital Tools with Gresham Harkless Jr
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43:01What do you think of the show? Let me know! Discover the secrets to streamlining your business operations with Gresham Harkless Jr., the innovative mind behind CB Nation and Blue 16 Media. Gresham brings a wealth of knowledge from his diverse experiences, including his time as an adjunct professor and a digital marketer, to share actionable CEO hac…
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143 Is It a Scam or a Real Design Client?
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31:37Scammers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and as design business owners, it’s essential to protect ourselves from falling for their tricks. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, I’m sharing how to identify red flags, common scams targeting designers, and the steps you can take to verify potential clients. By the end of…
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142 How Graphic Designers Get More Clients - Mockup Magic
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16:09Struggling to impress clients with your designs? Mockups might be the missing piece to elevate your presentations and simplify your process. In this episode, I’m sharing all the details about my course, Mockup Magic, which helps you create stunning, photorealistic mockups in minutes using AI tools. Whether you’re tired of spending hours in Photosho…
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141 Client Onboarding Process for Brand Designers
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24:25Having a solid client onboarding process is critical for success as a brand designer. It’s more than just paperwork – it’s about creating a professional first impression and ensuring every project starts on the right foot. In this episode, I’ll walk you through my step-by-step onboarding process, covering everything from setting expectations to del…
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Mastering Client Interaction to Prevent Delays
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9:27What do you think of the show? Let me know! This episode shares the challenges freelancers face when working with frustrating clients. It illustrates the importance of communication, proactive management, and learning from obstacles. • The struggles of getting detailed responses from a new client • The challenges faced when clients fail to be forth…
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140 3 Best Ways to Find Freelance Design Clients in 2025
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26:202025 is here, and it’s time to attract the high-paying design clients you’ve been dreaming of. If finding clients has felt overwhelming or inconsistent, I’m sharing three powerful strategies to help you stand out and build a thriving design business this year. These proven methods will help you connect with the right people, showcase your expertise…
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139 How to Craft Proposals That Win You High-Paying Clients
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25:15Proposals are more than just documents—they’re your ticket to landing high-paying clients. If your proposals feel generic or aren’t getting the results you want, it’s time to rethink your approach. I’m breaking down exactly what to include in a winning proposal, from crafting a compelling executive summary to confidently presenting your pricing. Wi…
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138 How I Automated My Design Business and Took a Month Off
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25:02Tired of feeling like your design business would collapse if you stepped away for even a week? I’ve been there, and I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. In this episode, I’m sharing exactly how I automated my branding agency, hired a team I trust, and took an entire month off—without losing clients or momentum. I’ll walk you through…
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137 Your Roadmap to a Profitable 2025 as a Designer
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24:27Creating a profitable 2025 starts with setting clear goals, defining your ideal clients, and building systems that support your growth. This episode is your step-by-step roadmap to envision where you want to be by the end of 2025—and build the structure to get there. From revenue planning to refining your service offerings, I’m sharing the actions …
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