THE CREATIVE SHIT SHOW

What happens when you name your agency “Shitshow Creative” and then build a brand that leans all the way in? You get Justin Kramm, a walking, talking, beautifully branded dumpster fire (his words, not ours). In this unfiltered conversation, we go deep on chaotic naming sessions, misfit energy, and what it really means to own your agency's weirdness. We play name games, swap origin stories, and debate who would win in a full-blown brand mashup brawl.

Time to tackle everyone's favorite topic to avoid: pricing. You know, that thing keeping you up at 3 AM questioning all your life choices? Yeah, that one. In this BS-free episode, we're breaking down everything from billing hourly (probably screwing you over) to value-based pricing (scary but worth it). Learn how to graduate from project monkey to a strategic partner who commands premium rates. Time to get real about talking to clients about money. Your future self will thank you for listening to this one.

In this episode of The Creative Shit Show, we dive deep into surviving—and thriving—in today's wild economic ride. From the feast-or-famine freelancing grind and pricing pressures to standing out with a killer portfolio, we've got you covered. We unpack how to niche down, turn past clients into a referral goldmine, and position your work to show real value. Plus, we tackle AI's big shake-up—Midjourney, Canva, and beyond—and how designers can lean into strategy, intuition, and storytelling to stay ahead. Tune in for raw talk on networking, portfolio power moves, and the skills (hello, UI/UX and brand strategy) that'll keep you in demand. Chaos? Sure. Opportunity? Hell yes. Listen now.

The Creative Shit Show crew reunites after months apart! Life threw us some curveballs this past year, prompting a break from recording, but our bond as friends is rock solid, supporting one another through thick and thin. We hit record on a recent Zoom chat to give you an unfiltered update on our adventures. No cuts, no edits - just raw and real conversations. Enjoy the show!

In this episode of the Creative Shit Show, we dive into a topic that we've all talked about before, and we believe it's been on everyone's mind — and that's AI. Join us as we delve into the intriguing world of AI and creativity. We'll explore the capabilities and limitations of AI when it comes to generating unique and innovative ideas. We'll also touch on some of the ethical considerations surrounding AI in the creative realm. Sit back and take a listen!

It's an episode of looking back to go forward. The Creative Shit Show co-hosts share their favorite moments and experiences from 2023, and what they're looking most forward to in the 2024 New Year ahead. We're so thankful for our amazing listeners, friends, family, and everyone who has supported us in our careers. You're the bestest! Have a listen, and share your favorite memories from 2023, and what's next for you in 2024.

For this special episode, the gang is joined by Andrew Gibbs, Founder, CEO, and Editor-in-Chief of the Dieline which has been delighting passionate packaging designers since 2007. We dove deep into the world of packaging and package design, honing in on the importance of sustainability and where the next generation of package designers should focus their efforts. So, grab your favorite cocktail, sit back, and get ready for some serious inspiration. The Creative Shit Show is about to begin!

Can you monetize the thing that you love AND still love what you do? In this episode, the gang explores the possibilities of intersecting things you like to do, things you want to do, and things that could make you money. Jamie and Justin both made commitments to Von and Karen that you don't want to miss. Grab a cocktail, and have a listen.

Get ready to meet the fabulous Ilise Benun, the founder of Marketing-Mentor.com! She's the go-to guru for creative professionals who want to level up their projects and budgets. Ilise is the real deal, with over 35 years of experience teaching basic business skills like mindset, money, and marketing to solopreneurs and creatives. We're thrilled to call her a friend, and every time we catch up, she drops some serious wisdom on us. Listen, learn, and leave us a comment on social about your favorite part!

For our 30th episode and our first time together in person in 10 years, the gang puts on a shit show at the HOW Design Live Conference in Nashville, TN. The common thread of the conference was about celebrating human connections, collaboration, and talking about your mistakes as openly as you talk about your wins. We covered all those topics and more through Q&A with a live audience. Grab a cocktail, and listen to us LIVE at HOW Design Live.

The gang hosts the one and only Debbie Millman. We touch on many topics, including the story behind her iconic world's first podcast, “Design Matters,” her work curating an insane list of speakers for the HOW Design Conference, and she surprised us with a sneak preview of her next project! So, sit back, relax, and enjoy a refreshing cocktail while you listen to this enthralling episode.

The Creative Shit Show posse has reunited once again to chat about a wide range of topics, ranging from how to promote your own business even when you're not in the mood, to ways that AI can be leveraged to overcome creative obstacles, fine-tune your workflow, and provide some much-needed companionship during those solitary moments as a business owner. This description may or may not have been written by AI. You decide. Enjoy the show!

Branding master Marty Neumeier returns and brings with him his brand education partner in crime, Andy Starr. Marty and Andy are co-founders of Level C, the world's most visionary brand education program. Creative Shit Show co-hosts and branding strategists Karen Larson and Justin Ahrens chat with the pair about all things brand and the Level C program, plus share other personal stories from their decades in design. Have a listen.

We are so happy to have copywriter and creative brand builder Sara Rosinsky join us for this special episode. Sara has named high-tech companies and brands of ice cream. Written ads for banks, taglines for software, a website for MIT, and so much more. She's also the author of the book, Unflubbify Your Writing, a book about fun ways to remember tricky spelling, punctuation, and grammar rules. We had a blast playing with words, and talking about the keys to sustainable creative success. Have a listen.

Designer, strategist, speaker, storyteller, copywriter, movie watcher, husband, dad, friend, etc. We're convinced that there is nothing that our guest Stefan Mumaw can't do. On this special episode of The Creative Shit Show, he drops some useful knowledge about the art of believing in achieving and building an inclusive creative process that produces maximum results. Pour a tall one, and prepare to be captivated.

Sometimes we all desire to have someone wise and kind who knows our business and can help guide us into a positive mindset and point us toward what a successful path or future can look like. Steven Morris is that person, and he joins The Creative Shit Show to share that wisdom with us. Learn the power of good and what that can do to help us live, run our businesses or teams, and feel more fulfilled. Listen now.

The Shit Show gang goes deep into what drives us. You might laugh or cry with us, but you'll also walk away insights and motivation for yourself and your business. What drives you? After you listen, head over to our social channels and let us know!

Legendary branding master Marty Neumeier joins the Creative Shit Show to share stories from his fantastic career and speak to his current mission to continue to bring the conversation about branding and branders to the forefront of the C suite and businesses worldwide. From humble beginnings to working with iconic brands like Apple, Netscape, HP, Adobe, and Google, this best-selling author has a lot of stories to tell, and we wanted to hear all of them. We think you will too. Grab a cocktail, and have a listen.

Season 2 kicks off with the gang debating the merits of goal setting. Jamie, Justin, Karen, and Von break down our goal-setting strategies, touching on habits, resolutions, and why we do or don't like to commit. Goals can be motivational but also cause stress, fear, and disappointment. This episode explores all of that and how we handle it. Grab a drink, and have a listen.

We can't believe Season 1 has come to a close. We've had a blast! In this episode, our co-hosts share their favorite moments, what we are looking forward to in 2023, and shoot the shit one last time this season. Grab a drink as we say cheers to an amazing year with the very best listeners! Listen now.

Special guest Ivy Malik joins The Creative Shit Show. Ivy is a business and sales coach for creatives. Her mission is to help you attract and win quality clients without justifying your price. She's a shit show favorite for dispensing invaluable advice across her social media channels and through her Winner's Circle coaching program. This is a must-listen for creatives of every type — from newbies to veterans. Grab a drink and enjoy the show!

We've all been there before. You're on a call with a client or potential client, and you get that terrible feeling in your gut. The red flag. Our co-hosts have experienced just about everything when it comes to client interactions. Pricing disputes, lack of budget transparency, design by committee, and so much more. In this episode, we'll explore some of our red-flag moments and ridiculous client requests and how we deal with them. Grab a cocktail, and join us.

Changemaker Jamal Collins, of Creative Kids Group, joins The Creative Shit Show for an inspirational and enlightening conversation. Jamal is a designer, photographer, videographer, speaker, and storyteller based in Cleveland, Ohio. After a transformative moment early in his creative career, Jamal set on a course to mentor, advise, and teach design to at-risk you. A real-world example of “Design for Good.”

We dug through a mountain of listener submissions and found a real gem to share and discuss. Warning, if you're in marketing (like Jamie), you'll want to have a drink before listening. Our hosts share relatable stories, red flags, and showstoppers, while Karen gives insight into working with people you don't have respect for. Be sure to check the show notes for an original illustration of Justin by Von - it won't disappoint! It's a super creative shit show. Enjoy!

It's a sustainable shit show! Special guest Gage Mitchell, Principal & Creative Director of Modern Species and host of the popular podcast Evolve CPG, joins the Creative Shit Show for a lively conversation about creating powerful impact by designing for the environment. Gage dispenses advice about supporting impact-driven CPG brands to grow through strategic branding, sustainable design, and community. We asked all the questions about the significance and benefits of B-Corp certification, and how to activate environmental change in your community. Grab a beverage and enjoy the show.

With so much going on in the world, staying focused and motivated as entrepreneurs and business owners can be challenging. Our co-hosts, Jamie Saunders, Von Glitschka, Karen Larson, and Justin Ahrens, have an open conversation about the power of introspection and leaning on those you trust to give you honest feedback to improve how you run your business. Mix up your favorite cocktail and have a listen.

We are humbled to have the legendary David C. Baker with us for a special guest episode of the Creative Shit Show. In this episode, we pick David's brain on everything from his career start to how he comes up with his creative ideas for his popular newsletter articles, books, and the 2bobs podcast. A must-listen to elevate yourself or your business. Grab a drink and hit play.

Co-Hosts Jamie Saunders, Justin Ahrens, Karen Larson, and Von Glitschka explore the plethora of movies, documentaries, and streaming series we've been watching. We weave in some camping stories, doppelgängers, facial recognition, and give each other shit. Grab your popcorn; it's time to go to the movies!

A force of nature, Terri Trespicio steps in for Von as co-host for this special episode of The Creative Shit Show. We chatted through everything from using the powerful Gateless method to write without hesitation to using stand-up comedy and improv to improve your public speaking and creativity to Terri's experience working with the queen of DIY, Martha Stewart. Grab a drink and have a listen.

We explore the summer slowdown, the medicinal benefits of cannabis and CBD, including packaging design trends for this growing industry, using the LinkedIn channel to your advantage, and shoot the shit. Grab a cocktail (or a “sample”) and join us.

It's a Magical Creative Shit Show with the incomparable Bill Gardner of Gardner Design and LogoLounge.com. Bill took co-hosts Jamie Saunders, Von Glitschka, Karen Larson, and Justin Ahrens on a captivating journey through design history offering up insanely good advice on refining your designs, and dealing with clients who think they're designers, magical etiquette, and hidden features on logolounge.com. Come have a laugh and learn with us.

It's a first for the Creative Shit Show! We invited the brilliant and funny Terry Marks, principal of tmarks creative firm in Seattle. We would say one and only, but we found out he's not! You may have seen Terry's work featured in PhotoDisc, Print Magazine, Communication Arts, Critique Magazine, HOW, and more. A dynamic storyteller, branding master, and collaborator, and somehow he manages to remain humble through it all. Join us for the laughs, stay for the stories, and leave feeling energized. You know what to do…grab a drink and enjoy the Creative Shit Show with our special guest, Terry Marks.

Being self-employed is a dream for some, but not everyone. As small business owners, our co-hosts open up about the benefits and pitfalls of working for themselves. It's long hours and hard work, and you must want it. Before you leap, you must ask yourself one question. Are you thirsty? If so, grab a cocktail and have a listen.

Co-Hosts Jamie Saunders, Justin Ahrens Von Glitschka, and Karen Larson have a rough start to an incredibly vulnerable episode about the impact our emotions (or lack of emotions) have on creativity. Learn to work around your feelings and use them as your superpower in handling clients, bosses, or tough projects. Grab a drink, and have a listen.

Our first ever LIVE podcast was recorded in front of an audience at 2022 How Design Live in Boston, with Von joining us via Zoom from Oregon. As always, we talk trash with each other, but we also took the opportunity to have the audience members ask questions — including Bill Gardner asking Jamie about stripper glitter! It's never dull, so take a listen!

Co-Hosts Justin Ahrens, Karen Larson, Von Glitschka, and Jamie Saunders share ways to break through creative blocks and get your creative juices flowing. Some might surprise you, but all should get you thinking and moving forward. Grab a drink, and have a listen. 

In this episode, Co-Hosts Karen Larson, Von Glitschka, Justin Ahrens, and Jamie Saunders discuss the power of playing nice with others. We tackle tough subjects like client disappointment and toxic co-workers and share our go-to tips for dealing with even the most impossible situations. Get your popcorn ready, it's about to get juicy. 

In this episode, Co-Hosts Jamie Saunders, Von Glitschka, Karen Larson, and Justin Ahrens chat through why we do what we do, weave through the stories of our friendships, and share how we got to where we are in our lives and careers. Friends for over ten years, we learned something new about each other including how to pronounce our last names. We also found a recipe for our signature Shit Show cocktail that you do not want to miss. Enjoy the show!

Co-Hosts Justin Ahrens, Karen Larson, Von Glitschka, and Jamie Saunders open the door for a peek inside the creative shit show that is our life. We love what we do, but it's not always perfect. In our inaugural episode of the Creative Shit Show, we talk through everything from nightmare clients and entrepreneurial challenges to what we should name our signature Shit Show cocktail. Grab a drink and have a listen.