A Brand and A Plan

In this week's episode, I have on Kaitlyn Parker, the owner of Copy Uncorked. She helps her clients with copywriting, brand strategy and brand messaging, and today she's going to be helping us understand how to pivot our brand message during a time like COVID or any other time where we need to take our core message and change it up a little bit to meet the needs of our clients. Get in touch on the Copy Uncorked website or connect on Instagram for more copy education, virtual 'happy hours', and the latest happenings around the CU office! https://copyuncorked.com/ @copyuncorked

In today's special episode, I'm joined by Heidi Thompson of Evolve Your Wedding Business. We are going to be sharing more about not only how to book and clone your best clients, but also how to book more weddings through her virtual summit that's coming up on April 20th.  Sign up for the virtual summit hosted by Heidi Thompson in the link below! http://bit.ly/bookmorewed

After being in business full-time for more than 3 years and more than doubling my revenue every single year, I've learned a thing or two about planning out my week. Today, I'm going to uncover how I map out my week so I get the most amount of work done without that dreaded feeling of overwhelm.

Blogging isn't dead, but there are two different ways to approach blogging. In today's episode, I'm going to break down the two different ways to approach blogging and which one you should be using as a business owner.

When you hear brand most people automatically think of the visuals – logo, colors, patterns – but in today's episode I'm helping you uncover 5 other key brand elements your business must have to stand out from the saturated market and book more clients. Join us inside the Facebook group www.carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

If you haven't heard of Flodesk, it is a revolutionary email marketing platform that is spreading like wildfire. In this episode we go behind the scenes with Flodesk founders, Martha and Rebecca, to talk about why they think they were so successful with launching Flodesk, how they created what we are dubbing super fans, and how their brand is spreading like wildfire without having to do any of the marketing themselves. Only $19 Month FOREVER https://flodesk.com/c/CARRYLOVEDESIGNS

On Friday, I unveiled a newly refreshed website for my company, Carrylove Designs. I'm going to take you behind the scenes of why I decided to refresh the website and what the process actually looked like from a website designers standpoint. I hope it inspires you to take a thoughtful look at your own website and approach to your next brand refresh with a mindset of profitability!

Social media algorithms and trends seem to change at the speed of light. Do you feel like as soon as you hop on a trend, it's suddenly a thing of the past? Let's chat about social media in 2020, how it's changing, and what we can do to stay ahead of the game. 

If you've been in business long enough, then there's been a time where you've run into a difficult client or a difficult project and you may not have known that the next steps and how to handle it. In this episode, I'm going to give you some tips on how to move forward within these difficult client situations in a way that gives you and your client grace, and will help you come to a resolution in the most professional manner.

In this episode, I'm pretty fired up because we're talking about website mistakes that I still see creatives making. I really want to get down in and talk about these huge costly mistakes that I see creatives making whenever it comes to their website, so that you can reframe your way of thinking and really use your website to grow your business and flourish this year.

I am joined on the podcast with a very special guest, Ashley Ebert, who is not only the owner of a wedding planning company but she is also the founder of the Abundance Group Membership. We're going to dive into what's going on behind the brand. We'll talk about how to find your real ideal client, connecting with other people in your industry, and growing your business. The Abundance Group: https://www.theabundance.group/

At the end of this episode, I will reveal my 2020 word of the year, but for now, let's get into 2019 in rewind and take a look at what works and what did it. We'll dive into offerings, client communication, and social media networks. Join us inside the Facebook group www.carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Instagram is a huge piece of marketing for creatives. It offers a space for small businesses to create and nurture relationships with their audience. But the landscape is forever changing. Creating content for Instagram can be an overwhelming and time-consuming task to tackle. Just posting a picture of a bride and groom with a short, witty comment isn't going to cut it today as it did a few years ago. In today's episode, we're going to give ideas and examples to help you refresh your feed and keep your followers engaged with you. 

Often times, the term ‘marketing' gets thrown around in different ways and can start confusing small business owners. 'What is marketing?' 'Am I doing it right?' 'Why isn't my business growing?' During today's episode, I'm going to break down the 4 levels to marketing in a clear way and help you understand how you can use them inside your business. I'll also be sharing at the end the one level of marketing I've been focusing on heavily in 2019 and why you should focus on it too!

One page of your website that is often overlooked but is vital to your website viewer's journey is the portfolio page. During this episode, I'm breaking down the anatomy of a portfolio page that sells your worth and makes potentials want to book you. Tune in and discover how to create a killer portfolio page for your business.   Join the community: http://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

There are a lot of small tactics that go into marketing, so today, I'm opening up about different business suggestions you can use to get booked out by the end of the year. I want you to start 2020 on a high note and carry that momentum throughout the new year.

The About page can be tricky. It's the one page, aside from the homepage, that I get asked about the most. Creatives find it scary and overwhelming. I think that's because they look at the about page as an area where they talk all about themselves and their accomplishments, which can be intimidating. But, that's not the case. The about page is very much a sales page just like the investment or services page. Today I'm giving your simple hacks to design an about page that sells.   Join the Facebook Community: https://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Over 500 million users now use Instagram Stories every day and that number continues to grow. But I hear other creatives getting frustrated because they post to IG Stories but don't get engagement back. They don't see any results from it. Today, I'm breaking down quick and simple strategies to create more engaging Instagram Stories.   Join the Facebook Community: https://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Today, I'm breaking down how to get started with a marketing plan step-by-step. If you don't have a marketing plan right now then this will be perfect for you. If you have a marketing plan and it isn't currently working then tune in to today's episode. I'll be showing you exactly how to get started with marketing.   Join the Facebook Community: www.carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Does marketing feel complicated? Do you feel like marketing is overwhelming because you don't know where to put your efforts Does marketing take up a lot of your time when you rather be doing something else? Today we're going to bust down marketing mindsets that may be holding you back so you can grow your business. Join the community: https://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

The comment I hear most from clients is ‘you were able to read my mind'! And that is one of the best compliments as a designer that I could hear. But reading people's minds doesn't happen by coincidence. After years of running a business I've learned a few processes, strategies and tips on how to read your clients' minds and today I'm sharing them with you! Join the Facebook Community: https://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Do you want to know the secret to building a million-dollar brand? Why some brands seem to create a cult around them and others have a hard time getting off the ground? Today on the podcast I'm sharing the million-dollar secret and breaking it down so you can achieve it for your business too.   Join the free Facebook community: http://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

I've spent countless hours reviewing website designs, analytics and data to understand what works and what doesn't whenever it comes to websites. In today's episode I'm sharing 5 common mistakes I see on low-converting websites. Join me as I undercover what these 5 mistakes are and how they're killing your website sales.   Join the Facebook community: http://carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Who wants a brand that stands out of the competition and allows you to book amazing clients at the prices you deserve? That's what I want to help to achieve starting with this episode. We're going to be uncovering why your brand isn't getting your results and how you can start to make creative shifts in your business to see results.   Join the FB Community at www.carrylovedesigns.com/facebook

Marketing is everything we do to bring money to our business. For a lot of small businesses, marketing their business doesn't happen. At least, not with an effective strategy. I'll see them post a photo here to Instagram, get on a Live video every once and while and throw up a blog post whenever they find the time and then they wonder why their business isn't growing. Today, I'm uncovering the key questions you need to answer before you start working on a marketing strategy so you see growth.

Raise your hand if you've been putting off redoing your website for a while now. If you knew the impact a well-designed, strategic website could have on your business then I'm sure you wouldn't continue to put it off. Believe me, I've heard it all when it comes to why creatives don't invest in their websites. Today I'm breaking down the truth because the lies you've been telling yourself about your website.   Find me at www.carrylovedesigns.com

Today I'm joined by Shelly Borga, the photographer and owner at Dakota & Co. She's taking us through her journey from failed Squarespace designer to thriving brand photographer. She's sharing how she found her niche and made connections inside the blogging community. She's also giving her secrets to building a business when you zero dollars to do so.

Today I'm taking you behind the scenes of The Website Academy! I'll be diving into what you'll learn, who it's for and sharing some of The Website Academy's success stories. Enrollment ends June 13, 2019. Join The Website Academy: https://carrylovedesigns.com/website-academy

There are many aspects of marketing that can help you generate leads and get people to your website. But your website's copy is the key to actually converting leads into customers—in other words, converting traffic into revenue. Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Chelsea Sherman. Chelsea is a writer and creative content developer who helps entrepreneurs improve their businesses through brand storytelling. Learn More about Chelsea: http://chelseasherman.com

Have you ever wondered what it's like to design a money-making website? What all the pieces are to a website that converts? Today is definitely going to be a treat! I'm taking you behind-the-scenes of what it looks like to design a profitable website so you can reserve engineer the process for your own business.   Want to learn my 3-part System for a profitable website? Sign up for the free masterclass happening, June 6, 2019: https://carrylovedesigns.com/masterclass

Want to raise your prices without adding more to your plate? Creating a high-end experience for your clients doesn't mean creating more services or adding more to your packages. A high-end experience involves making it personalized, so they feel seen, heard, and appreciated. Today, I'm going to be giving you tangible tips and strategies to take an ordinary, mid-level experience and transform it into a luxury experience your client will be raving about.

It's every creatives worst nightmare. You're wrapping up current projects and don't have any new clients lined up. You start wondering if your business is going to be able to sustain you for the rest of your life. Let's turn this into a positive opportunity to work on your own business. I'm giving you tips and suggestions on what to do when you don't have any clients.   Find me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/carrylovedesigns/

For most creatives, we want potential clients filling out a form on our contact page so we can kick off the process of turning a website viewer in a paying client. Today, I'm going to help you design a contact page that converts so you get more leads filling up your inbox.   To enter the Showit Template giveaway go to: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bwmw1ymjkVz/

You may have heard me talk about a website visitors journey in past episodes and today I wanted to break down what that looks like and help you create your own.

I'm giving it to you straight. Dream clients don't exist. The made-up ideal client avatar you created out of thin air doesn't help your business grow. Today, I'm giving you a simple and effective strategy to help you narrow down your ideal client based on past experiences and knowledge. Download the workbook so you can follow along as we go through the Realist Ideal Client Method: https://carrylovedesigns.com/client

So, it's time to give your brand and website a much-needed overhaul to launch your business into the next level. The quality of your design speaks to the quality of your portfolio, experience, and overall process. Before you invest in your brand and website, let's take a step back and uncover what you need to have prepared before you work with a designer on a rebrand.   Ep 03:https://carrylovedesigns.com/difference-between-high-end-brand-and-website-designer-versus-low-end-designer/ Book free brand discovery call with me:http://www.carrylovedesigns.com/contact

Today, I am diving into your top three most asked website questions. From platforms to SEO and everything in between I'm sure you'll take away some good nuggets of information from this episode. So let's dive into some most asked website questions.   Showit template or custom designed Showit Website? Find out which one is right for your business at www.carrylovedesigns.com/quiz

Today, I'm sharing with you design secrets that are going to help uplevel your brand visuals and website. I'll give you simple tweaks to help you take your brand from amateur to looking amazing. So join me as we go through these design secrets. Even if you can't pay for a custom brand or website, that's okay because there are several tips here that are going to help you make it look like a professional helped you out. Grab the Free Branding Toolkit: www.carrylovedesigns.com/podcast

Just like any craft you are continually refining your process. In my earlier design years, I would offer my clients multiple logo concepts before building the entire brand from patterns, elements, submarks -- the list goes on. However, I quit doing that almost two years ago. Now I only present my client with one fully thought-out brand. In today's episode, I'm going to dive into why I only offer one concept and why you should only invest in designers who do the same.   If you'd like to connect or see some of my work visit me at www.carrylovedesigns.com. I would love to hear from you!

How long are people staying on your website? You have 3 seconds to capture their attention or they will abandon your website. In less than a quarter of a minute, you need to give them a reason to stay. In today's episode, I'm uncovering six reasons why people are leaving your website. Read the show notes at https://carrylovedesigns.com/podcast

On this episode, I'm joined by Angie McPherson from Angie McPherson Photography. She is a wedding and personal branding photographer based in Virginia. She uses her personality and photos to reach people. And today runs a thriving business and she's going to tell you how she does it on this behind the brand and plan episode.   For more information on the show and Amanda Shuman visit www.carrylovedesigns.com/podcast    

Today on the podcast, we're chatting about the trends I think we will begin to see more and more of in 2019. Listen in as you give you the 2019 website trends I think will grow this coming year.   New Showit Template Shop opened: shop.carrylovedesigns.com Get 20% off your purchase with the promo code PODCAST.

I've always wanted to get a behind-the-scenes peek into someone else's successful brand and business and I bet you do too. Which is why we'll have episodes featuring other successful creatives who will take us behind-the-scenes of their brand and plan. Today on the podcast, I'm joined by Crystalyn Aucoin of Crystalyn Aucoin Jewelry. Crystalyn makes fine jewelry for everyday wear. We're going to dive deep into the heart and vision behind her business, her biggest marketing struggles, and successes. I promise this episode is action-packed so grab a notebook before we get started.

After two full years as a full-time entrepreneur, I had created my life around my business not my business around my life. I'd gained thirty pounds from a sedentary lifestyle and lost my spark for business. But that's all changing. I've been working to create a business that helps me live out my ideal lifestyle. Join me as I tell what I've done to essentially get more done while stepping back from my business.

Have you searched for a graphic designer, noticed a wide range in pricing and wondered why?  Did you feel like some designers were trying to get more money out of you? If you haven't had much experience working with or knowledge of graphic design then it may seem that way. Especially when you can find low-end graphic designers doing what seems to be the same type of work for a lot less. Today, we're diving into why there is such a variance in pricing and few pros and cons to using graphic designers from each end of that spectrum.

New year, new website. Or maybe just a better site. Today, we're going over five must-dos for your website in 2019 that will help you climb the Google rankings a little higher, get more visitors and potentially more leads coming straight to your inbox. During the episode, you'll learn what page causes over 70% of your traffic to leave your website and what small tweaks you can make to climb the Google rankings.

The goal of your website is to turn visitors into paying clients. On this episode, we're taking a look at three common reasons why your website isn't converting and how to fix those issues. We'll look at what to do when your service isn't being understood by visitors and how to get feedback in a way that helps.

Welcome to ‘A Brand and A Plan Podcast' with your host, Amanda Shuman, Brand Designer and Website Strategist for Creatives. I firmly believe it takes intentional branding paired with a strategic website to turn your business goals into a reality. On this podcast, we dive into how to craft a memorable brand and high-converting website so you can make more money doing what you love! Tune into this episode to learn more about how to approach branding. New episodes will be released every Tuesday starting in January 2019.

Welcome to A Brand and A Plan Podcast with your host, Amanda Shuman. I firmly believe it takes intentional branding and a strategic website to turn your business goals into a reality. On this podcast, we dive into creating a memorable brand and pairing it with a high-converting website so you can make more money doing what you love! Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday. www.carrylovedesigns.com