Welcome to The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast. My name is Kady Sandel, and this podcast was brought to you by Aventive Academy – an online business education platform that helps brand, graphic, and web designers get more clients, increase their pricing, and build a profitable design business. You can find out more about starting and growing your freelance design business at aventiveacademy.com
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The Web Design Business Podcast with host Josh Hall is here to help you build a web design business that allows you to have freedom and a lifestyle you love. As a web designer and web agency owner of over a decade, Josh knows the challenges, struggles and often painful lessons of building a web design business without any guidance, proven strategies or a mentor to help you along the way, which is why this show exists. Think of this podcast as your weekly dose of coaching, mentorship and guid ...
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125 How to Consistently Get Design Clients without Chasing Leads
28:46
28:46
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Chasing leads is exhausting, and it’s holding you back from growing your design business to its full potential. I’m sharing my approach to consistently attracting high paying clients without the constant hustle. Imagine having clients seek you out, ready to pay what you’re worth, without you ever having to chase them down. It’s all about positionin…
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344 - Life/Work Balance (running a web agency without sacrificing your family) with Oscar Quesada
1:06:25
1:06:25
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1:06:25
You’ve heard of work/life balance…but what about life/work balance? What if, instead of prioritizing our work and living life around that, we set our calendars, schedules, and weekly routines to have our work revolve around our ideal week? As freedom based lifestyle web designers, that’s exactly the option we have available to us But it takes a pro…
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124 Exactly How to Scale Your Design Business and Raise Your Rates Today
27:43
27:43
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27:43
Scaling a graphic design business can feel overwhelming, but it doesn't have to be. I’m breaking down exactly how you can attract more premium clients, raise your rates, and start outsourcing so you can get your time back and grow your business without burning out. I’ll share the strategies that have worked for me, from refining your brand position…
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343 - Are you easily referable? How to make it easy for web design clients to refer you
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I’ve noticed a common thread among web designers who always seem to have no trouble getting clients - they’re easily ‘referable’ 🤝 It might be a niche, it might be a skillset, it might be something they're known for but in all cases, they’re easily referred to. For example, here are some Web Designer Pro members who fit the “easily referred” bill: …
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123 What Nobody Tells You About How Designers Can Work Less and Earn More
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20:16
Freelance design can feel like an endless grind - constantly hustling, wearing all the hats, and still not reaching the level of income or freedom you want. I’ve been there, and I know exactly how frustrating it is to be stuck in that cycle. The reality is that the key to working less and earning more isn’t about pushing yourself harder; it’s about…
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342 - From $0 to $7k MRR (in One Year) through Local SEO with Sam Sarsten
1:28:29
1:28:29
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Web designers often ask me “how long will it take to get to 6-figures in my web design business?” And it's a tough question to answer. There are a lot of variables to how fast you can build your web design business. Your background, your time availability, your area of focus or expertise, your aversion to risk, work ethic, etc are all factors. But …
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122 Why Freelance Designers Struggle to Grow (and How to Break Free)
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Why do so many talented freelance designers get stuck in a constant cycle of hustling for clients, overworking themselves, and never quite hitting the income goals they’ve set? In this episode, I’m breaking down the root causes behind why freelancers struggle to grow and, more importantly, how you can break free from this trap. I’ll be sharing the …
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341 - How to Avoid Burnout by Protecting Your Time with Andrew Hartman
1:03:23
1:03:23
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1:03:23
What’s the most terrifying phrase that hovers in the back of all our minds as a web designer and web business owner? Well, aside from “email down” it’s likely “burnout.” You may have seen a fellow web designer go through this or experienced it yourself. And the harsh reality is, burnout is where all roads can lead if we’re not careful. The onslaugh…
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121 The Designer to Agency Bootcamp, September 2024
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You’re doing all the things in your design business—designing, managing clients, handling marketing, and everything else on your plate—but the more you take on, the harder it is to actually scale. You know something has to change, but letting go of control feels risky. In this episode, I’m breaking down what you need to do to shift from being a sol…
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340 - A Web Designer Pro Coaching Call (revenue boost strategies, support plans vs growth plans, sales tips and more)
1:16:23
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We’re doing a first for the podcast on this episode…I’m featuring a recent Web Designer Pro coaching call! If you didn’t know, in my web design community Web Designer Pro, I host a live coaching call every week. These coaching calls typically include: Member website reviews Member hot seats 10-15 min coaching sessions) And AMA (ask me anything) tim…
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120 How I Went From $500 Website Designs to $10K+ Web Projects (Pricing Part 2)
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22:59
Ever wondered how you can charge more for your web design projects? In this episode, I’ll share my journey from charging $500 for a website to landing $10k+ web projects. Building on the insights from Part 1 (Episode #119), you’ll learn how to price your web projects for maximum profitability by understanding client needs, communicating value, and …
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339 - Starting and Scaling a Web Design Business Today (my interview from the Agency Growth Podcast)
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I was recently interviewed on the EverBros Agency Growth Podcast about my journey in fumbling through starting and scaling a web design agency. It was a really good, casual chat with tons of important topics for web designers (early stage and established alike) so THE BROS were kind enough to let me repurpose our chat here for you! Don’t let the na…
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119 How I Went from $65 Logo Designs to $20K+ Branding Projects (Pricing Part 1)
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25:37
Ever wondered how to significantly increase your rates? In this episode, I share my journey from charging $65 for logo designs to landing $20k+ branding projects. You’ll get insider tips on positioning, specializing, and communicating value to attract high-paying clients. I’ll walk you through the exact steps I took to transform my pricing strategy…
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338 - How Mike Generated $208,000 from his BNI Networking Group in One Year
1:14:54
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In person networking and referral groups remain to this day the best way to start getting clients, get more clients by expanding your network and get better clients by way of referrals. There are a lot of different ways to get clients in person and virtually, and I’ve done many but if I were starting as a web designer today, my FIRST priority would…
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118 The Benefits of Hiring and Outsourcing as a Freelance Designer
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26:58
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Ever feel like you’re drowning in tasks, both personal and professional, as a freelance designer? You're not alone. In this episode, I share how hiring and outsourcing can transform your business and your life. From hiring a cleaner or nanny to taking on a design assistant, I’ll show you the steps to move from solo freelancer to thriving business o…
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337 - Quick SEO Win Strategies with Barb Davids
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Ever had a client ask “How long would it take to get to the top of Google?” Ah, I can see your head nodding along now. As web designers, we can’t expect clients to understand how long SEO results can take. We know nothing will lead to instant results and due to all the variables, competition and goal of the client, it may take months to see results…
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117 How I Run a 6-Figure Design Agency Working Only 15 Hours a Week
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Ever wondered how you can work only 15 hours a week while running a 6-figure design agency? I used to work 15 hours a day, but I made a conscious choice to change that and spend more quality time with my kids. Now, with the help of my amazing team, I focus on what I truly enjoy and outsource the rest, including tasks like taxes and even house clean…
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336 - Building Recurring Revenue through Maintenance and Growth Plans with Marc Hyde
1:18:34
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Recurring revenue…the two most lovely words in web design (or any business for that matter.) Having enough recurring income to cover my family's bills is what changed the game for me, it’s what helped get us through a 56 day NICU journey and it’s what ultimately led to me creating my first course on how to launch and sell website maintenance plans.…
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116 How to Land Design Clients Without Social Media
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Tired of feeling like you have to post endlessly on social media to land design clients? I’ve got you covered! In this episode, I’ll show you how to build a thriving design business without relying on social media platforms. I'll share practical strategies to connect with potential clients, leverage SEO, and make the most of referrals. You'll disco…
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335 - Weeding Out Bad Fit Clients (my interview with Kady Sandel)
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In the early days as a web designer, it’s common to say “yes” to any project that comes your way just to make some money and build a portfolio. But it doesn’t take many “bad client experiences” before you’re ready to weed out those bad-fit clients. But what makes a client bad-fit? Are they cheap? Do they not understand your value? Are they a bad pe…
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115 Crushing Competitors With a Niche Design Agency With Massimo Zefferino
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Have you ever wondered how to turn your design freelancing into a thriving, successful agency? Today, I sat down with Massimo, the founder and creative director of a niche design agency that achieved a remarkable 7-figure acquisition. His journey from solo designer to agency owner is full of insights, challenges, and triumphs. You'll hear firsthand…
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334 - Selling Website Privacy Policies with Hans Skillrud of Termageddon
57:48
57:48
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Ah privacy policies…your favorite aspect of web design, right? Yeah me neither but day by day, it’s an aspect of websites that becomes more and more important with new privacy laws being passed in the states along with other countries, even outside the EU with regards to GDPR compliance. So, to help us make sense of where things are at with website…
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114 Q&A: Landing Clients, Boosting Rates, Running a Design Agency
1:05:06
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Ever wondered how to land high-paying clients, boost your rates, and run a successful design agency? This episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast is a bit different because I'm answering questions from you, our listeners. I’ve been in the design industry since I was 15, and now at 33, I’ve experienced it all—from charging $65 for a logo …
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333 - How Your Web Design Business can "Go Green" with Adela Mei
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58:09
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58:09
This is probably ignorance on my part but my eyebrow always went crooked when I heard digital agencies, hosting companies, saas products, or any online entrepreneur talking about how they’re a “green” company. It’s not like we’re a manufacturing company or chemical plant with waste and pollutants. We work on a computer at home…so how can we “go gre…
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Let’s talk about landing those high-ticket design projects that can transform your business. These aren't just any gigs – they’re the ones that allow you to showcase your design skills and command higher fees. To secure these projects, you need to position yourself as a premium brand, build trust with potential clients, and create compelling propos…
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332 - Q&A with Josh and Brad Hussey on Scaling Your Web Design Business
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I recently did a live training on how to Scale Your Web Design Business for Brad Hussey’s web design community CreativeCrew. We did a live Q&A session afterward and had some amazing questions come in. Brad and I got to riff on scaling a web agency, the lessons learned from our experience, what we both may have done differently and what we felt work…
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112 From Followers to Design Clients with James Barnard
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When was the last time a single social media post changed your life? Ever? Join me on The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast as I sit down with James Barnard, an award-winning logo designer, design educator, and the creative mind behind Barnard.co. James has an incredible story of how one viral TikTok post skyrocketed his career, bringing in count…
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331 - How to Sell Website Care Plans (if you're not using WordPress) with Eleanor Mayrhofer
56:29
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One of the benefits of being a web designer is your option to build recurring revenue. As a WordPress web designer, I learned that one of the best ways to do this was to offer a hosting and maintenance plan. Or “care plan” as it’s more commonly referred to these days. For years, it was my assumption that if you use self-hosted platforms like Square…
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111 Stop the Endless Client Emails With This Free Client Portal
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This client portal changed absolutely everything in my design business. Fewer revisions, fewer emails, fewer questions. It’s all in one spot. Clients don’t ask us to resend the final files, they don’t ask about the timeline, they know exactly when they should pay next, and they are not asking for revisions via email. All the answers for them are in…
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330 - Lessons from a 7-Figure Agency Owner (who's not burned out) with Greg Merrilees
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I’ve met a lot of 6 and 7-figure agency owners over the years and there’s always often a recurring theme…many are completely burned out, disgruntled OR they’ve sold or left the agency altogether. It’s probably the main reason I personally prefer the “small shop or studio” route as a solopreneur web designer with a lean and mean contractor team but …
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110 Who Pays the Fees: Designer or Client?
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Who pays the processing fees? How about taxes? Designer or Client? In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, we are revealing something that many designers don’t handle correctly. It’s definitely something that your clients can choose not to hire you for or hire you for. I’ve been freelancing and running my design agency since 201…
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329 - An Honest Conversation with Shannon Mattern on What's Working for Web Designers in 2024
1:12:09
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I recently caught up with my friend Shannon Mattern, fellow web design business coach who has a group coaching program called The Web Designer Academy. We often talk off-the-record but decided to record our most recent catch up, an honest conversation about what’s working for web designers in 2024. Shannon and I are both in a unique position to be …
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328 - Update from Josh (My Daughter's Recovery, Revamping Courses, What's Ahead in 2024) and more
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Hey friends, Josh here popping in with a bonus episode sharing a mid-year update for both personal and business side of things. Together we'll cover: An update on my daughter's recovery (thank you for the thoughts, prayers and support!) Updates on the business side of things including: which courses I'll be revamping this Summer, what projects I'm …
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109 Hooking Potential Design Clients with Quizzes
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Have you ever thought about creating a quiz as a designer? No, I'm not talking about designing it, but using it in a way that will help you GET CLIENTS! Yes, it works. In today’s episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, we are talking with Josh Haynam, the CEO and creator of Interact. Interact is a tool for creating online quizzes that g…
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327 - Relationship First Approach (to Getting Web Design Clients) with Jake Hundley
1:10:43
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In this podcast, Jake expands on how a few key relationships (with no hard selling or cold pitching) has led to the growth of his 6-figure web agency which exclusively serves landscaping companies. In This Episode 00:00 - Relationship-First Approach to Web Design Clients 07:02 - Success Strategies for Small Agencies 11:35 - Labor Allocation and Mar…
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108 Landing a $29,000 Branding Project - How Long It Takes
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Ever wondered how long it takes to land high-paying clients?You’ll be surprised, I promise. Welcome! In this episode, I walk you through every single step I had to take to land my $29,000 branding and web design clients. While this is just one example, the majority of my clients are in the five-figure range, and the steps I take remain consistent w…
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326 - Quarterly Strategy Calls to Boost Your Revenue with Lisa Williams
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Lisa has done 6 rounds of strategy calls with her hosting/maintenance plan clients (to this point) which has led to an additional $25,000+ boost of revenue for her. She has refined this strategy to be a well oiled, revenue boosting machine and she’s opening up about how she does it for you so that you can do the same! We dive into all of the questi…
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107 Revisions and Client Feedback Are Not a Bad Thing
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In today’s episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer podcast, we're talking about design revisions. Throughout this episode, you'll learn how to embrace revisions as a natural part of the creative process, communicate effectively with clients to minimize misunderstandings, and educate clients on the value of your designs. By the end of our discuss…
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325 - Podcasting to Get Web Design Clients? Pros and Cons
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Considering starting a podcast to help build your web design business and get clients? Podcasting is AMAZING for expanding your network, deepening your relationship with customers and building trust with potential clients but I'm not going to lie...it is hard work. And it's not for everyone. To make it work, you have to set yourself up for sustaina…
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106 When Design Clients Are MIA: Tips for Navigating Slow Seasons
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No clients? No problem! Join me as I share invaluable insights and strategies for navigating those challenging times when clients seem to be nowhere in sight. In this episode, I'll guide you through practical steps to not just survive but thrive during these downtimes. You'll learn how to revamp your portfolio to attract new clients, harness the po…
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324 - How to Make More Recurring Revenue as a Web Designer through Growth Plans with Troy Dean
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I’m excited and a half to welcome back to the podcast, WordPress agency legend Troy Dean who shares exactly how you can offer growth plans anywhere from 2k to 10k+ per month for your clients. As the founder of AgencyMavericks.com Troy and his team oversee hundreds of agencies of all sizes with a core focus on growth plans and paid discovery so he k…
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105 Transforming Leads into High-Quality Design Clients with Josh Hall
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Every designer grapples with challenging clients—it's an inevitable part of the journey. We've all been there, facing clients who may not align with our vision or approach. But what defines a "bad" client? Is it the low-paying ones, the ones who seem to micromanage every detail, or perhaps the ones who reach out for minor tweaks at inconvenient tim…
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323 - Getting Past the 100k Revenue Mark as a Web Designer with Kady Sandel
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Kady Sandel, founder of Aventive Academy and host of the Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast is back on the show sharing some incredible insight on how to get past the 100k annual revenue mark with your web design business. If 6-figs is the goal, honestly don’t miss this one. In This Episode 00:00 - Achieving Six Figures in Web Design 04:22 - Navig…
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104 Working With Fortune 500 Companies and Securing $100K Branding Deals With Kyle Courtright
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Welcome to another episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast! In this episode, we're excited to have Kyle Courtright joining us. Kyle, a visionary who rejected the traditional 9-5 grind, has been making waves in the freelancing world. His impressive client roster includes big names such as PayPal, Toyota, Chipotle, Walmart, NVIDIA, NFL, NB…
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322 - Honest Thoughts on the 2024 WordPress Professionals Survey Results
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Josh shares a recent Q&A session sharing insight and honest thoughts on the TheAdminBar 2024 WordPress Professional Survey Results. This is a good look at what is working (and what isn’t) in web design today regardless if you’re a WordPress user or not. In This Episode 01:01 - Web Design Business Survey Insights 16:32 - Shifts in Web Design Trends …
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103 Marketing Strategies for Design Professionals With Shannon Mattern
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Welcome to an insightful episode where I sit down with Shannon Mattern, a seasoned business coach specializing in helping web design entrepreneurs create freedom, flexibility, and financial independence. In our conversation, Shannon shares invaluable insights into the realm of marketing for design professionals. Uncover the key elements of a succes…
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321 - Graphic Designer to Web Designer (Josh's Interview from The Angry Designer Podcast)
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If you’re a graphic designer who’s capped at a revenue level, it might be time to transition to web and luckily, there are so many ways to do it in a way that works for you. I hope my journey helps give you a proven path to follow 🙂 In This Episode 01:01 - Graphic Design to Web Design Transition 13:44 - Challenges and Opportunities in Web Design 23…
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102 Running a Small Design Agency with Kristy Campbell (Pink Pony Creative)
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Get ready to explore the vibrant world of design entrepreneurship with Kristy Campbell, the innovative force behind Pink Pony Creative. In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, we uncover Kristy's journey from a solo designer to leading a successful design agency. Discover the inspiration behind Kristy's 100-day design challenge …
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320 - Deciding What Web Design Services to Offer with Ran Segall of Flux Academy
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Ran Segall, founder of Flux-Academy.com shares his insights on how to craft the right offers today as a beginning web designer and how to package up your services in a way that builds your web business sustainably in 2024 and beyond. In This Episode 00:00 - Web Design Services and Referral Partners 05:26 - Webflow and Trends 18:12 - Web Design Chal…
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I am hosting a FREE masterclass on April 10th on how to get amazing design clients on LinkedIn. If you are a brand, graphic, or web designer, this is for you, and you can register by clicking on this link – aventiveacademy.com/linkedin. In today’s podcast episode, on The Profitable Graphic Designer podcast, we’re covering why LinkedIn is such a pow…
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