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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.

Sep 8, 2014

The Busy Creator 22 w/guest Brandy Shea

The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 22 with Designer and Entrepreneur Brandy Shea

Brandy Shea (@MileOneCreative) is the founder of Mile One Creative, an independent design practice serving entrepreneurs and small business owners with brand development and marketing design. In addition to her design services, Brandy recently created the Quality Thrives project, an online video series and forthcoming book showcasing ordinary, hardworking business owners who provide craft and quality in their professional offerings.

 

 
 
 
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Here’s a teaser of the Quality Thrives project, which begins in earnest October 10, 2014. (Press release) Check out the full show notes to get all the contact details.

 

Show Notes & Links

  • Branding Branding, a website where the branding industry can define itself (or not)
  • Job Titles can change perspective, e.g. “I’m not a freelancer; I’m self-employed”
  • Kenneth Badgett, founder of Up My Average
  • Brandy and Kenneth work well together as a designer/sales team
  • Brandy studied behavioural science, entered marketing through an interest in consumer psychology
  • Prescott was a computer geek with an artistic background, discovered Photoshop in 1997
  • Mile One takes everything from brochure projects to websites
  • Entrepreneur on Fire, designed largely by Brandy and Mile One
  • More online these days, less print
  • The RGB world is kind of the default; print has become a speciality
  • node.js
  • “Jill of All Trades”
  • “Defining a brand needs organization.”
  • GTD Methodology — take a complicated task and break it down to obvious steps, especially at the start.
  • Brandy gained some “training” in organizational behaviour working as a waitress
  • United We Brand by Mike Moser
  • Startups/Entrepreneurs debate how much time they should spend on brand development
  • Prescott’s definition of “startup” is a new, small, rapidly growing company … not just internet/software
  • “[Entrepreneurs] may see the need for a lawyer, but they don’t see the need for a designer.”
  • “A CEO wouldn’t dress like he’s homeless.”
  • 99Designs and Fivver, websites we don’t recommend for brand identity design
  • Quality Thrives, a new project from Brandy to instill a sense of appreciation for quality work over the bargain-basement offerings and sheer quatity
  • “Plumber-in-a-Can”, a metaphor for the attack on the traditional design industry
  • LegalZoom reminds us that it is not a law firm, but instead offers the work-product of expertise
  • Michele Harding, video editing intern
  • Annette Wong, social media marketing intern
  • “Snackable” content. (A word stolen from the junk food industry)
  • Grammar Girl
  • Todd Henry and Blake Stratton, former guests on The Busy Creator Podcast
  • Quality Thrives on Twitteron YouTubeon Facebook, and onQualityThrives.org

Tools

Techniques

  • If you’re an introvert, team up with someone who is a natural salesman
  • Use the exercises in United We Brand — Core Values, Core Brand Message, Brand Personality, Brand Icons
  • Present a case study to clients where they can easily see the strength of good design
  • Consider replacing the To-Do list with the Done list, so you don’t beat yourself up

Habits

  • Build a routine with steady wake-up times
  • Something active 3x per week
  • Use your to-do list (but don’t freak out)