Preview Mode Links will not work in preview mode

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox


The Busy Creator Podcast is a discussion program where creative professionals from across the spectrum share tools, techniques, and habits they use in their practice. Listeners are introduced to strategies and pro tips to be their most creative, productive selves.

Full website available at http://busycreator.com and http://busycreator.com/podcast/ for the show specifically.

Aug 18, 2015

Cathryn Lavery (@CathrynLavery) is an architect-turned-designer, entrepreneur, and maker. After leaving architecture, she created Calm The Ham, where she designs and sells posters and other products. Cat's next project is The Self Journal, a printed, bound journal with templates to help you craft a productive morning routine and accomplish your quarterly goals. Our conversation covers Cat's productivity habits, especially as they relate to morning routines, how she leverages her passions for design but leaves the marketing duties to other people, and how she takes a systematic approach to launching on Kickstarter by manipulating her media contacts. Catch up with Cat on her personal blog, LittleMight.com, or via CalmTheHam.com and TheSelfJournal.com

Listen Now

[smart_track_player url="http://traffic.libsyn.com/busycreator/TheBusyCreator_65_CathrynLavery.mp3" color="3E3315" image="http://busycreator.com/images/TheBusyCreator_2_80x80_buzz.png" title="Ep. 65 w/Cathryn Lavery" artist="The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox" ]

<!-- #### Transcript --> [caption id="attachment_2565" align="alignnone" width="452"]The Self Journal, closed The Self Journal, closed[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2566" align="alignnone" width="411"]The Self Journal, open The Self Journal, open[/caption] [caption id="attachment_2567" align="alignnone" width="411"]The Self Journal, open The Self Journal, open[/caption]

Show Notes & Links

  • Cat studied at Glasgow School of Art, and trained as an architect
  • Cat describes herself as a "maker"; it's on her business card
  • She abandoned architecture after discovering that the job becomes less creative as the years endure
  • Cat's design company, Calm The Ham, produces posters and other design goods
  • The initial investment for Calm The Ham was essentially the cost of a nice printer
  • Cat began working on websites because people asked her
  • The Foundation, a course to build SaaS products
  • Clinic Hero, Cat's software for Chiropractors/Physical Therapists
  • Groupon
  • "Decision Fatigue" is to be avoided
  • Nate Voss, guest on a previous episode, described team-ups as "forming Voltron"
"California doesn't have a water problem, it has a people problem."

—Cathryn Lavery

Tweet This

  • Fart apps
"You don't want two designers starting a business together. You need someone doing the marketing & sales."

—Cathryn Lavery

Tweet This

  • The metaphor of "The Invading Army" vs. "The Occupying Army"
  • Coffee-flavoured Doritos Cappuccino-flavoured Lay's (yes, this is a real product) [caption id="attachment_2556" align="alignnone" width="250"]Cappuccino-flavoured Lay's Cappuccino-flavoured Lay's[/caption]
"Do the things you love to do to keep your batteries charged."

—Cathryn Lavery

Tweet This

"You want to make it look like Apple created it."

—Cathryn Lavery

Tweet This

Tools

Techniques

  • Share how your projects are made
  • Learn from people outside your industry (e.g. digital marketers if you're a designer)
  • Listen to your audience for advice on what to create next
  • Research a market, pre-sell a product, and then look for a developer to make it happen
  • Look for people to buy in to your project; folks to be invested not just have a job
  • Leverage parts of the project you most enjoy, and give the other elements to other people
  • Don't try to do everything yourself (e.g. marketing, content, design)
  • Align your skills/passion with the sort of work that suits you (long-term vs. short-term)
  • Hoard water in buckets if you live in an area prone to droughts
  • Limit yourself to three targets for the day (not a huge to-do list)
  • Practice a gratitude habit in the morning
  • Get things out of your head and into a system
  • Create a high-quality video on Kickstarter, even for a print or physical product
  • Create professional image assets for your project
  • Build a media list for future outreach - Cat's blog post on her Kickstarter methodology
  • Use Google Images to search for articles covering a specific product
  • Use a Virtual Assistant to build your spreadsheet and take care of research tasks
  • Impose deadlines on yourself, if only to keep things fresh!

Habits

  • Develop a morning routine. Here's Cat's
  • Meditate first thing in the morning, or move it around to whenever it fits best
  • Do a quick workout before your [ice-cold] shower so your body is warm
  • Use a journal to plan your days, and your goals for the quarter
  • Tell your story of how you develop a product

Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Audible.com trial from The Busy Creator Get The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod as a free audiobook The Miracle Morning

Get The Episode

Subscribe to Get New Episodes

Subscribe in iTunes Subscribe on Android Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android

Join the Discussion

Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.