Unplanned Creative

Looking back at the first season of The Unplanned Creative Podcast, while looking forward at what to expect for season two

Business podcasts can be a dime a dozen, but I have found 5 that I listen to every week and have helped me grow my own business in different ways. ====================== Goal Digger Podcast: https://podcast.jennakutcher.com/ Creative Warriors: http://creativewarriorsunite.com/category/podcast/ Five on Design: https://nis.bet/podcast Double Your Freelancing: https://doubleyourfreelancing.com/podcast/ Clients From Hell: https://clientsfromhell.libsyn.com/

Podcasting is everywhere, and it seems like everyone has one. But here are three questions you should ask yourself before starting your own podcast.

Your business is on Facebook, but your audience has plateaued. How do you grow your engagement and find new potential clients? Here are three very easy ways to get your content in front of more eyes and grow your audience.

As an entrepreneur or a freelancer you are responsible for your own growth as a businessperson. Here is not only the biggest reason to continue your education, but 6 places you can find those opportunities no matter where you live ======================= Episode Links Skillshare: https://www.skillshare.com/ University of Phoenix: https://www.phoenix.edu/ Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/

You will hear from every direction that as an entrepreneur or a freelancer you need to be hustling 24/7 365 days a year. But how do you avoid burning out while in the midst of that hustle? How do you ensure that you will have the ability to hustle on a regular basis?

Live video can be a major benefit for your business or your personal brand. But where should you invest your effort? Here are 6 of the biggest FREE Live Video options available to you. ================== Episode Links Facebook Live: https://live.fb.com/ Instagram Live: https://help.instagram.com/292478487812558 Periscope: https://www.pscp.tv/ Snapchat: https://www.snapchat.com/ YouTube Live: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/2474026?hl=en

No matter what type of business you run as an independent creative, there will come a point where you need to collect payment from your clients. Here are a few ways to not only collect payment, but one extra way to help you send your clients proof of what they owe you. And it is all free! ----------- Episode Notes: Square: https://squareup.com/ PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/us/home Wave: https://accounting.waveapps.com Venmo: https://venmo.com/

Fiverr is a very popular site where people can find creative services for very affordable rates. But with such a low threshold for services, is the site worth it for an independent creative? =============== Episode Notes Fiverr: fiverr.com My Fiverr Profile: https://www.fiverr.com/hfstudios

Thumbtack is a very popular option for freelancers to find clients (and clients to find freelancers). But since their inception as a business, Thumbtack’s model has changed drastically. How do these changes impact freelancers on their site, and is the service they offer still worth the cost? ================= Episode Links Thumbtack: https://www.thumbtack.com/

Human beings are social creatures. Even those of us who enjoy time away from other people. Today’s episode is all about making time for family in your routine and why it is about more than just making memories.

I am a big comic book geek, and I love superheroes. One of my favorites is Superman, and though he has had a rough go lately, I still find so much inspiration in him. This episode is devoted to some of the characteristics Superman has that can serve us as creatives in our personal and professional lives.

One of the things I like to do in my free time it draw. I like to create art, and sometimes other people like the art I create. When I find that people enjoy my art, I offer it for sale on a few different platforms that offer print-on-demand services. Today I want to explore there three services I use and how they differ from each other. =========== Episode Links RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com Threadless: https://www.threadless.com TeePublic: https://www.teepublic.com My RedBubble Shop: https://www.redbubble.com/people/doctorheadly My Threadless Shop: https://doctorheadly.threadless.com My TeePublic Shop: https://www.teepublic.com/user/doctorheadly

When it comes to sharing the videos we create online, there tend to be a lot of different options. The two biggest are YouTube and Vimeo. Each service has their strengths and weaknesses, and today I will walk through some of those differences.

“There’s an App for That.” With those simple words our modern society was captured. Everyone has their favorite apps… or at least a handful that they use all the time. In today’s episode I will continue my list from last time and share five more apps that I find myself using all the time that could be useful in your life and business. ---------------------------- Episode Links: Mextures: mextures.com Apple Music: apple.com/music Google Maps: maps.google.com Venmo: venmo.com Vimeo: vimeo.com

Over the past couple of years I have filmed a lot of weddings. Each one brings a lot of stories that I like to reflect on, and some that I wish I could forget. Today I want to share three of my favorite stories from weddings that I have filmed.

I wasn’t always a wedding videographer, and I didn’t always plan to be doing what I am doing. Today I want to share a little of the story of how I got into crafting amazing wedding films for couples that they want to watch (and share) over and over again.

Are you breaking into the wedding videography biz? In today’s episode an experienced wedding videographer shares some of the more important things to know before you show up for your next (or first) wedding videography gig.

Planning a wedding is hectic enough without adding coordinating your wedding video on top of it all. In today’s episode I will share the most important things you as a bride (or groom) need to know from an experienced wedding videographer.

Ah, the ever-difficult question of “where will my clients come from?” Today I want to take time to share three of the most common (and effective) ways to find quality clients for your business.

Social Media wasn't always a thing. Now it is almost impossible to succeed as a business without some sort of social media presence. Today I want to share three things to remember as you navigate the often choppy waters of social media as a business this week.

I have shared my brand philosophy before, but it is always good to revisit something. This time around I boil everything about Head First Studios down into two words. Take a few minutes out of your day to listen to this episode and find out not only what those two words are, but how my passion might be able to help you in your own business ventures.

As independent creatives and freelancers we are taught that we must always be hustling and moving forward to succeed. But is there another element to success? How important is self-care to a freelancer? Today I want to share three things that are necessary for every independent creative to remember to avoid burnout in your field.

The rise of social media created a need for businesses to market themselves visually in ways that we never thought necessary before the dawn of the internet. Today I am going to share the three main types of images that people look for, and some useful tools that will help you create simple images that will allow you to stand out online. All without needing to hire a graphic designer. =========== Episode Links Adobe Spark Post: https://spark.adobe.com Pixlr: https://pixlr.com/ Mextures: https://www.mextures.com/ Over: https://madewithover.com/ TitleFX: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/titlefx-write-on-pictures-add-text-captions-to-photos/id585663626?mt=8

Successful businesses can often point to their logo as a reason that people chose them over their competitors. But what makes a logo great? What makes a logo stand out, and be worthy of someone's attention? Today, find out the three things that every great logo has in common.

Have you ever worked with a client who made you wish you never met them? I think we all have at one point or another. Today I share a little story about one client who wasted my time, his time, and taught me a lot about who I do not want to work with in my field. =========== Episode links Clients From Hell: https://clientsfromhell.net/

You as a creative need to provide your clients with a fantastic experience when they work with you. Sometimes that needs to start before you even know the client is looking for you. Take a few minutes today to learn about the importance of (and how to) connecting with your clients.

All Independent Creatives need a way to keep their books and travels in order. Today I am sharing the best resource I have found that lets me do just that. And best of all... it's free! ==================== Episode Links: Expensify: https://www.expensify.com/

Apps make life easier... or at least better right? And Everyone loves a good list. So here are my list of my top 5 most commonly-used apps, whether for personal or business use. ==================== Episode Links: Overcast: https://overcast.fm/ Buffer: https://buffer.com/ Netflix: http://www.netflix.com Mazey: https://www.mazey.co/ Good Task: http://goodtaskapp.com/

You have completed your project for your client and it is time to collect your fee. Here are two huge items you need to remember to include in your process when you complete your projects. ==================== Episode Links: Wave: https://www.waveapps.com/ Square: https://squareup.com/ Stripe: https://stripe.com/ Clients From Hell: https://clientsfromhell.net/ Honeybook: https://www.honeybook.com/

Contract can often be a dirty word to creatives. Take five minutes in this episode to find out why they are not merely a necessary evil, but something that can benefit you (and your client) greatly! ==================== Episode Links: AIGA: https://www.aiga.org/standard-agreement Contract Killer: https://stuffandnonsense.co.uk/projects/contract-killer Bidsketch: https://www.bidsketch.com Media Surgery: https://mediasurgery.co.uk/blog/web-design-contract Legal Zoom: https://www.legalzoom.com/ Akron U Small Business Development Center: http://akronsbdc.org/

Today I get to share one of my favorite projects with you. As you can probably tell from the episode art it is a sports logo. ============ See more from this episode: * The Story Behind the Brand: http://headfirststudios.net/project/rust-belt-dynasty-baseball-league-branding/ * Behance Page: https://www.behance.net/gallery/63455127/Rust-Belt-Dynasty-Baseball-League-Branding * http://www.eartothegroundmusic.co * Rust Belt Dynasty on RedBubble: https://www.redbubble.com/people/doctorheadly/works/28721342-rust-belt-dynasty-fantasy-baseball?asc=u&p=t-shirt

Sometimes we struggle with reaching our audience in our creative endeavors. But have you ever sat down and asked who you are trying to reach in your business?

What are the pros and cons of 4 of the most popular Social Media accounts... and one bonus that you might not have thought of using.

Social Media is something that has become the norm for just about everyone. But where is the value for you to be utilizing social media in your business?

This episode I break down the Head First Studios brand to share how it communicates what I offer as a creative

What goes into the brand for my business? Take a few minutes and find out...

A brief preview of what to expect from Unplanned Creative each week