Wearing Many Hats As a Designer for a Software Startup with Andrew Berkowitz

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

22:08

Host Francesca Amiker sits down with directors Joe and Anthony Russo, producer Angela Russo-Otstot, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, and more to uncover how family was the key to building the emotional core of The Electric State . From the Russos’ own experiences growing up in a large Italian family to the film’s central relationship between Michelle and her robot brother Kid Cosmo, family relationships both on and off of the set were the key to bringing The Electric State to life. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.…

9 years ago

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In this conversation, Andrew shares some of the workflows required in a young, small, and nimble company, as well as his experiences testing personal productivity methods and morning routines.

Catch up with Andrew on his own show, The Global Startup Movement

Show Notes & Links

Andrew is “Head of Product” for Tradeversity
Early stage startups require the wearing of many hats

"Design is the question of taking what's in the mind and manifesting them into reality."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Tradeversity is exclusive to higher education students
Andrew graduated from Virginia Tech
.edu, .ac.uk — educational TLDs
Sharepoint, and other internal marketplaces within corporations are rather outdated

"Product Design is more like being an inventor than a designer."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

"The most important aspect of building a product is gaining empathy for users."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Ideo
Design Thinking can mean different things
5 elements of D-Thinking: gain empathy ? define problem ? ideation ? prototype ? test & iterate
Andrew worked at a large bank before joining a startup
Scrum Master (in Agile Project Management)

"The speed at which a project is moving is directly proportional to the energy involved."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

"Innovation comes from failure; Having the freedom to fail allows us to innovate."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson on Amazon and on Audible
Andrew runs his own podcast, The Global Startup Movement
Nootropics, cogntive-enhancing pills
Nootrobox
Andreessen Horowitz, Venture Capital firm
“Sprint Pills” as an alternative to coffee

"The culture and the habits are more important than the tools."

—Andrew Berkowitz

"The tool you use should reflect the system you've set up, and the mindset behind that."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

The 1800 Exercise
Tradeversity was launched from a content award — $20k and a year’s worth of office space
Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on Amazon and on Audible
Conspiracy, from the Latin conspiratare, meaning “to breathe the same air”
Virtually Reality, and opportunities for collaboration
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline on Amazon and on Audible

"A Virtual Reality device is an empathy machine."

—Andrew Berkowitz

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

Marie Poulin, not part of the “cult of 5:00am”
Entrepreneur on Fire
Andreesson Horowitz Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Amazon Kindle
Audible
Gadgets have to fit “The Three B’s”: Beach, Bed, Bath
Millennials read more than Baby Boomers
Amazon opens brick-and-mortar book stores
The Global Startup Movement
Andrew Berkowitz on Twitter
Andrew Berkowitz on Facebook
Andrew Berkowitz on LinkedIn

Tools

Techniques

Understand the emotions of your users. This will bring insight.
Employ Design Thinking; bring in real people and get your hands dirty
Experiment with “packaged services”
From a corporate setting, the thing you can learn most is working with diverse teams
The 1800 Exercise: describe how projects get done in the year 1800 (using only parchment & quill)

Habits

Keep Trello tidy; not started ? in-progress ? done
Have regular Sprint-planning and Retrospective meetings
Wake up around 6:00am for yoga, weightlifting, or running
Feed your subsconscious mind until it takes over

Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill as a free audiobook

Join the Discussion

Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.

SaveSave

100 episodes

Wearing Many Hats As a Designer for a Software Startup with Andrew Berkowitz

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

published 9 years ago

MP3•Episode home

Fetch error

Hmmm there seems to be a problem fetching this series right now. Last successful fetch was on March 01, 2024 06:16 (1y ago)

In this conversation, Andrew shares some of the workflows required in a young, small, and nimble company, as well as his experiences testing personal productivity methods and morning routines.

Catch up with Andrew on his own show, The Global Startup Movement

Show Notes & Links

Andrew is “Head of Product” for Tradeversity
Early stage startups require the wearing of many hats

"Design is the question of taking what's in the mind and manifesting them into reality."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Tradeversity is exclusive to higher education students
Andrew graduated from Virginia Tech
.edu, .ac.uk — educational TLDs
Sharepoint, and other internal marketplaces within corporations are rather outdated

"Product Design is more like being an inventor than a designer."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

"The most important aspect of building a product is gaining empathy for users."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Ideo
Design Thinking can mean different things
5 elements of D-Thinking: gain empathy ? define problem ? ideation ? prototype ? test & iterate
Andrew worked at a large bank before joining a startup
Scrum Master (in Agile Project Management)

"The speed at which a project is moving is directly proportional to the energy involved."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

"Innovation comes from failure; Having the freedom to fail allows us to innovate."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson on Amazon and on Audible
Andrew runs his own podcast, The Global Startup Movement
Nootropics, cogntive-enhancing pills
Nootrobox
Andreessen Horowitz, Venture Capital firm
“Sprint Pills” as an alternative to coffee

"The culture and the habits are more important than the tools."

—Andrew Berkowitz

"The tool you use should reflect the system you've set up, and the mindset behind that."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

The 1800 Exercise
Tradeversity was launched from a content award — $20k and a year’s worth of office space
Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on Amazon and on Audible
Conspiracy, from the Latin conspiratare, meaning “to breathe the same air”
Virtually Reality, and opportunities for collaboration
Ready Player One by Ernest Cline on Amazon and on Audible

"A Virtual Reality device is an empathy machine."

—Andrew Berkowitz

Marie Poulin, not part of the “cult of 5:00am”
Entrepreneur on Fire
Andreesson Horowitz Podcast
The Tim Ferriss Show
Amazon Kindle
Audible
Gadgets have to fit “The Three B’s”: Beach, Bed, Bath
Millennials read more than Baby Boomers
Amazon opens brick-and-mortar book stores
The Global Startup Movement
Andrew Berkowitz on Twitter
Andrew Berkowitz on Facebook
Andrew Berkowitz on LinkedIn

Tools

Techniques

Understand the emotions of your users. This will bring insight.
Employ Design Thinking; bring in real people and get your hands dirty
Experiment with “packaged services”
From a corporate setting, the thing you can learn most is working with diverse teams
The 1800 Exercise: describe how projects get done in the year 1800 (using only parchment & quill)

Habits

Keep Trello tidy; not started ? in-progress ? done
Have regular Sprint-planning and Retrospective meetings
Wake up around 6:00am for yoga, weightlifting, or running
Feed your subsconscious mind until it takes over

Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days

Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill as a free audiobook

Join the Discussion

Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.

SaveSave

100 episodes

All episodes

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

1
The Big 100! A Live Meetup Event with guests Rashan Casseus & Gabby Wallace 1:07:53

8 years ago1:07:53

1:07:53

That went quickly! Listen in to our live event where we commemorate 100 episodes of The Busy Creator Podcast and remark on the journey. This event was a crossover with the New York City Podcast Meetup , recorded at Small City Co-working space in Brooklyn. Joining Prescott on stage are musician Joaquin Cotler ( @ShinyIslands ), UX designer Rashan Casseus ( @rcassues ) & video publisher/entrepreneur Gabby Wallace ( @GabbyAWallace ). Together we discuss daily practice, creating projects and nurturing them over time, and our own experiences with podcasting. Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 100 (MP3, 1:07:53, 32.7 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 100 (OGG, 1:07:53, 35.9 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes , on Google Play Music , on Android , on iHeart Show Notes & Links Small City co-working space in Brooklyn Joaquin Cotler , musician, journalist, composer of The Busy Creator Podcast theme song Paul Shaffer , Clark Terry , Questlove — late night talk show band leaders through the years New York City Podcast Meetup Joaquin has appeared on The Busy Creator Podcast episode 41 John Lee Dumas & Kate Erickson , guests on TBC episode 50 "It's a great time to go to Puerto Rico if you already have a lot of money." —Joaquin Cotler Tweet This Creighton Mershonn & Jessi Arrington, proprietors of Small City and past guests on TBC ep 92 Vector Media Group , our default host of the NYC Podcast Meetup Nick Spriggs, partner at Vector, guest on TBC ep 91 New York City Podcast Meetup is one year old New York City Podcast Meetup on Twitter New York City Podcast Meetup on Facebook Prescott removed Facebook from his phone, sleeps better The Busy Creator Podcast made it to 100 episodes — they’re all here Jonathan Coulton , and his Thing A Week podcast project JoCo Cruise , featuring Aimee Mann , et al "Busy is a four-letter word." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This “ Busy Beaver ” is an English-language idomatic expression MIT’s mascot is Tim the Beaver, nature’s engineer Tim The Beaver Buzz The Busy Beaver is the mascot of The Busy Creator Podcast, but not modelled after Prescott #HumbleBrag , a definition The Busy Creator Podcast started as bi-weekly, went up to weekly, then returned to bi-weekly Bi-Weekly vs. Fortnightly vs. every-other-week, semantics TBC by the numbers: 3 years, 106 episodes (including B-Sides), 98 unique guests, 15 single-topic episodes, 4 monologue episodes TBC by the numbers, best single day downloads: 567, 11 January 2017 TBC by the numbers, best monthly downloads: 10,148, November 2016 TBC by the numbers, lifetime downloads: 103,279, as of 16 January 2017 Marc Maron’s show received nearly 750,000 downloads in 24 hours when he interviewed President Obama Casper Mattresses , not a sponsor #TBC100 and #NYCPodMeet to see photos from the event Rashan Casseus , NYC native, FIT Grad, currently a Senior UX Designer Rashan & Prescott met at a fan meetup for Keith and The Girl R & P participated in The Cinnamon Challenge The Ice-Bucket Challange , The Mannequin Challenge , etc. Ice Bucket Challenge Emeril Lagasse "I make digital tools easier to use." —Rashan Casseus Tweet This "UX is the thought process of how a human being gets from point A to point B." —Rashan Casseus Tweet This MailChimp , and their mascot Freddy Disembodied Monkey Hand , the name of Joaquin’s new punk band Microcopy , the words around the site on buttons, short messages, etc. Eat24 , and their “hungry” shopping cart 90Elm , Rashan’s cousin’s t-shirt company User Stories, User Interviews — tools of planning a site Sayba Naturals , Prescott’s mother’s soap brand Squarespace , also not a sponsor "Websites are never finished, they are only abandoned." —Prescott Perez-Fox, paraphrasing Leonardo da Vinci Tweet This "Your website is done when you run out of time, or when the client says 'I want it up now'." —Rashan Casseus Tweet This Museum of Arts and Design , NYC Gabby Wallace , YouTube producer, teacher, online marketing coach — hates headphones! Keith Richards Gabby defines herself as a creator. Simple. "I create something every day. Most day, many things." —Gabby Wallace Tweet This Prescott & Gabby met at Podcast Movement 2014 Gabby was a podcaster, has moved back to YouTube. GoNaturalEnglish , a video show to learn to English Friendtor , teaming up with people of complementary skills Adrienne Stortz , Katie Quinn , cooking video producers in Brooklyn Matt Cremona , woodworker "I reject all that quality and editing because it takes forever!" —Gabby Wallace Tweet This Keytar Gilmore Girls , and the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Gilmore Guys podcast The Town Troubadour from Gilmore Girls Joaquin attended CUNY J-School , earning a Master’s in Multimedia Journalism Atavist , easier to use than Squarespace or WordPress Roots on The Record , Joaquin’s graduate project speaking to musicians and Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz Marian McPartland , 1918–2013 The Nerdist Podcast Alicia Witt , and her episode on The Nerdist The 101 , traffic magnet in Los Angeles Studio 360 Kurt Andersen Ashley Milne-Tyte, previous guest on TBC ep 8 WBAI , the liberal talk station which plays Latin Jazz Ray Barretto "Way more fun than playing music is listening to other people play." —Joaquin Cotler Tweet This The Busy Creator Podcast is switching from bi-weekly publication to a seasonal format 9 Habits of Highly Creative People Zapier , upcoming episode for season.next Hulse Durrell , upcoming episode for season.next Vancouver Olympics New brand and website for The Busy Creator coming in the spring SASS (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets), better than CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) Rashan Casseus on Twitter Rashan Casseus on Facebook Rashan Casseus on Instagram Rashan Casseus on LinkedIn Gabby Wallace on Twitter Gabby Wallace on Facebook Gabby Wallace on Instagram Gabby Wallace on LinkedIn Gabby Wallace on YouTube Joaquin Cotler on Twitter Joaquin Cotler on Facebook Joaquin Cotler on Instagram Joaquin Cotler on LinkedIn Joaquin Cotler on YouTube Tools Jira Slack Squarespace Google Docs Atavist Techniques Name buttons on websites in an intuitive way; say “conclude” or “done” Consult a designer even when using a templated system like Squarespace Take team outings as a way to get to know each other Post a common planning document to keep your team accountable Share your core message; if you don’t have it defined, go back to square one Mix your “main bit” with casual, less rehearsed pieces When discussing an “album”, call it a “record” to be more generic Habits Keep your skills up with family and community projects Find the intersection of your creation and what people need Post helpful content and videos; people will ask for your help Constantly learn from others via podcasts, videos, blogs, books, etc. Return to a consistent format to avoid rehearsal SaveSave…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

1
There and Back Again, Craig Ward Discusses Joining A Large Agency After Years of Successful Solo Practice 47:06

8 years ago47:06

47:06

Craig Ward ( @MrCraigWard ) is a designer, art director, typographic artist, and author currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A UK native, he came to New York in 2009 shortly after being selected as an ADC Young Gun . As a solo act, Craig created projects for Adobe, Squarespace, Calvin Klein, Google, Nike, and host of other large brands across entertainment, fashion, media, and consumer products. Lately, he’s rejoined the agency world. In this conversation, we discuss the culture clash between a large company and a solo practice, the economics behind design (large and small), and where agencies can still innovate in spite of their size. Catch up with Craig on his personal website, Words Are Pictures . Cover photo by Jonathan Pilkington . Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 99 (MP3, 47:06, 22.8 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 99 (OGG, 47:06, 24.9 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes , on Google Play Music , on Android , on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the finest free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links Prescott and Craig have been pals for several years due to the NYC design scene Joaquin Cotler , a guest on The Busy Creator episode 41 and composer of the theme music Craig is ok being called a “designer & art director”; he’s also directed music videos and earn other titles by action Solo practitioners are a “one-man army” due to their multiple facets The US O-1B Visa , for people, like Craig, “who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement … and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements …” How a Bill Becomes Law "Solo practice is very liberating, but brings its own problems." —Craig Ward Tweet This "When you work for someone else, you can spend almost 100% of time working on projects. For yourself, it’s maybe 50%." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "When freelance work became my full-time job I suddenly had free time." —Craig Ward Tweet This Popular Lies About Graphic Design by Craig Ward on Amazon Craig’s first solo show "I didn’t think at all about the financial aspects of solo work." —Craig Ward Tweet This Grey advertising "Big agencies are designed to spin wheels." —Craig Ward Tweet This "If you’re a creative person, you’re not supposed to be good at business stuff." —Craig Ward Tweet This Intellectual Overhead vs. Property Overhead: anxiety, distraction, etc. rather than dollars "When you work solo the highs are higher, but the lows are lower." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This “Make hay while the sun shines” and other farming metaphors Pentagram Eddie Opara , digitally-savvy partner at Pentagram Douglas Davis , previous guest on TBC "In so many ways it’s a holiday to have a team." —Craig Ward Tweet This "At a certain point, agencies stop being creative companies and start being corporations." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Denise O’Bleness "Clients get the work they deserve." —Denise O'Bleness Tweet This Deutsch "The answers are not found in the office." —Craig Ward Tweet This "Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity." —Seneca Tweet This Mother , an agency which has Design and Advertising within it The Shadow Cabinet , in Parliament Skunk Works "The barrier to entry to experimenting is lower than ever." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "I worry that I’m spreading myself too thin, but I’d rather have a go than not." —Craig Ward Tweet This Extrude nodes, chamfered edges – jargon of 3D printing and modeling "We ran out of stuff to talk about … so we had a kid." —Craig Ward Tweet This "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up." —Pablo Picasso Tweet This "There’s real beauty in an eclectic team." —Craig Ward Tweet This Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) Craig Ward on Twitter Craig Ward on Instagram Craig Ward on Facebook Craig Ward on LinkedIn Tools Maya Techniques Use your “free” time for other long-term projects, like writing a book Keep “swiftness” in mind; build momentum at the start of projects Take on an agent to help even out the workloads Encourage your team to get out of the office and see things around the city Create a job number for excursions so you can track it; give yourself a time-budget per month Visualize your projects internally, and sketch when you have an idea in mind Habits Be a “restless creative”, always be making something Aim for one fully-fledged, start-to-finish project in your portfolio per year Allow for Unconventional Inspiration (one of The 9 Habits of Highly Creative People ) Build in separation between your home and work life; force a commute and specific hours…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

1
Going Hollywood, How Brittany Cormack Thrives as a Costume Designer Amid the Madness of Show Biz 44:04

8 years ago44:04

44:04

Brittany Cormack is a costume designer for film and television. Following her training in fashion and dance, Brittany arrived in Los Angeles without a clue how to work in the movie business, but has since found her groove. She works primarily on independent films, commercials, and music videos, but every day is an adventure. Work has taken her from frozen mountains to coastal swamps, and everywhere in between. In this conversation, we discover how movie sets work, what happens when everyone is freelance, and where to build habits even during crazy periods. Catch up with Brittany on her IMDB page or Portfolio . Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes , on Google Play Music , on Android , on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the finest free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links Gilmore Girls are back Brittany and Prescott went to college together, danced together Brittany is a costume designer for film & television The difference between costume and fashion is that fashion is meant to sell; costume helps build a character "Costume is the head-to-toe of a person" —Brittany Cormack Tweet This Costume should be part of the conception, not merely production Upstairs-downstairs , the term for important vs. non-important people Above-the-line/Below-the-line , terms in film (also advertising) to describe the most visible and important duties "Each set and each project has an energy of its own." —Brittany Cormack Tweet This "Every first day of shooting is like the first day of school." —Brittany Cormack Tweet This Caste System , even on a movie set On the set of Planet of The Apes , people will sit together based on their costumes Grips The Gig Economy "You have to be a little half-crazy to work in this industry." —Brittany Cormack Tweet This Grey’s Anatomy , currently in season 13 Contracts for short films or commercials are usually under 2 months "If you’re ever looking for work, just plan a vacation." —freelancers’ adage Tweet This The Hollywood Model , where a team is built for purpose, then disbanded Sandy Powell , costumer designer on Cinderella "In LA or New York, you can get anything if you have the money." —Brittany Cormack Tweet This Standard days of filming are 10-14 hours "I only want to tell stories that I feel matter." —Brittany Cormack Tweet This Aristotelian Logic (Logos, Ethos, Pathos) Lexiconical Gap in English for “happiness” in the context of a career (in Danish we have arbejdsglaede ) People Magazine Investigates Long Island Serial Killer , 2011 "If you want to be a true collaborator, you’ve gotta be willing to be a team player." —Brittany Cormack Tweet This Scandal (a Union show) Non-Union people can’t touch the clothes Greensmen , Set Decorators , Painters — keep away from one another’s jobs! "If there’s a hat, you’re gonna wear it!" —Brittany Cormack Tweet This “ Taking Meetings “, a common practice in Hollywood "You’re only as good as your last job." —Hollywood adage Tweet This Brittany uses Instagram strictly for work (no cats, no food!) Brittany Cormack’s portfolio Brittany Cormack on IMDB Brittany Cormack on Facebook Brittany Cormack on Instagram Tools Paper & Pencil Techniques Build a backstory for all your characters beyond what’s on the page Keep track of everyone who owes you money Call your “guy” when you’re in trouble Stay around people, be inspired by them (as well as books) Habits Keep a positive, collaborative attitude above all Use a billing software tool to track your invoices Document your work on social media to stay current Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes about the Stars and Legends of the Movies by Stephen Schochet as a free audiobook SaveSave SaveSave…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

1
Practical Typographic Advice and Building an Education Business Alongside a Design Firm with Michael Stinson 52:40

8 years ago52:40

52:40

Michael Stinson ( @MWStinson ) is a veteran designer, educator, and business owner. In addition to his work as a professor of graphic design, he also runs Ramp Creative , a branding studio in Los Angeles, as well as Type Ed, a dedicated typographic education business which helps creative pros return to form in the fields of typesetting and layout. Together in this conversation we unravel some of today’s worst typographic habits, and how to overcome them, share a few tips that all creatives can use to improve their type usage, and discuss some processes for working with clients. Catch up with Michael on his website, MichaelStinson.com , or through Type Ed . Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 97 (MP3, 52:40, 25.4 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 97 (OGG, 52:40, 22 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes , on Google Play Music , on Android , on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the finest free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links Michael is the first person from Los Angeles to join The Busy Creator Podcast Ramp Creative handles a lot of variety — digital, print, mobile Type Ed is an Education Organization, founded 2012 UI/UX design has eroded traditional type study High School scribbles are largely typography Michael was taught both ends of the type spectrum — hand lettering and typesetting (3 words or 300) "I'm not training you to be designers; I'm training you to be Creative Directors some day." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Phonetics Whiskey Labels, an underrated technical as well as artistic challenge "Everyone likes to do logos but wordmarks are extremely challenging." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Chronicle Books Typography for Lawyers , great site for anyone, not just lawers "Designers these days don't like process. They want to jump to making it look good." —Michael Stinson Tweet This "If you get your process in place, you can design anything." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Michael is a former Aerospace Engineer; Prescott studied Mechanical Engineering Prescott — in spite of the hyphen in his last name — doesn’t like to use hyphens in his paragraph text "Imagine if you're reading War & Peace in all caps — how far would you get?" —Michael Stinson Tweet This Milton Glaser’s Bob Dylan poster Bob Dylan by Milton Glaser Michael was accepted to study Physics at Berkeley , but received scholarships in Art "The beauty of graphic design is that it works both sides of the brain." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Additive & Subtractive Colours Lithographic printing Calculus Ramp Creative is 2 principals and 1 designer "If you follow the right words the path will take you to the promised land of the visuals." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Different methodologies — layer cake vs. pay-as-you-go Lots of Jewish families in New York City worked in the garment industry "You're an actor, you're a leader, you're an entrepreneur, you're a psychologist, you're a therapist ... all at the same time." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Building Brands , a Step-By-Step Guide for Creative Pros to Develop Strategy and Design Identity — original eBook by Prescott Perez-Fox Building Brands eBook "You're not going to use a crescent wrench for a hammer. Right tool for the right job." —Michael Stinson Tweet This "Never stop noticing design." —Michael Stinson Tweet This The most stringest morning routine ever described on The Busy Creator Podcast was that of Michael Bierut Reading in The Brain by Stanislas Dehaene on Amazon The Intellectual Devotional by David Kidder & Noah Oppenheim on Amazon and on Audible "Type isn't all about the characters themselves, it's about the space they take up and the negative space that's left." —Michael Stinson Tweet This Michael defines himself as an introvert Douglas Davis , another educator to appear as a guest Cat Rose discussed creative introverts on The Busy Creator Podcast Type Ed MichaelStinson.com RampCreative.com Michael Stinson on Twitter Michael Stinson on Facebook Michael Stinson on Instagram Michael Stinson on LinkedIn Type Ed on Twitter Type Ed on Facebook Tools InDesign Basecamp Harvest Techniques Use Tables in InDesign for grid-based layouts (restaurant menus) Build type hierarchy from the body copy up (subheads, etc.) If you’re setting more than 35 words, don’t use All Caps, Italics, Centered Don’t be afraid to use hyphens, but with discipline. (e.g., don’t use hyphens in the first line) Don’t use more than 13 words on a line (left-aligned), or 7 words on a line (centered) Aim for 50-70 characters per line (type size in points x 2 = measure width in picas) Don’t build websites in Photoshop — it’s not made for layout Habits Keep the reader in your mind. Think of them first. Always take clients through a verbal discovery phase first before visuals Give your print partners multiple files — flattened, outlined, original files, native links, etc. — make their lives easier Constantly observe and comment on design around you Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind by David Kidder & Noah Oppenheim as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

1
Becoming a Multi-Faceted Creative, and The Movie-Making Process with Filmmaker & Podcaster David Power 44:01

8 years ago44:01

44:01

David Power is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made. Our conversation covers creative practices and routines, as well as the often-nebulous world of film & video, including how to collaborate on a script and using crowdfunding to launch projects at scale. Catch up with David on his website, DavidPower.com , or through his show, SureFirePodcast.com Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 96 (MP3, 44:01, 21.3 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 96 (OGG, 44:01, 24.9 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes , on Google Play Music , on Android , on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the finest free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links David’s office is a multi-purpose room (writing, video editing, audio recording, podcast production) Acoustic paneling GIK Acoustics Reverb Anechoic Chamber David started making films based on his own whims and desires The Lonely Island Saturday Night Life D*ck in a Box David is currently podcasting the production of a feature film Michael Goldburg & Dave Chan , filmmakers Iron Mule Comedy Film Festival , NYC Seed & Spark , film-based crowdfunding platform Transcontinental Railroad Contractions (in dialogue) David’s podcast episode on crowdfunding Crowdfunding article on The Busy Creator blog Kickstarter and pitch videos which now are their own project and format Cathryn Lavery on The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 65 American Sign Language (ASL) Does Google Docs have an offline version? Centered, Courier text for screenplays. Why? David has assembled a 3-monitor desk setup over the years Island of Misfit Toys Crysis Ivy Bridge , Intel’s best chip from Spring 2012 David worked in a corporate environment for many years; no longer uses an alarm clock Prescott watches one event on broadcast TV each year: The Oscars Presidential debates in 2016 were streamed on Twitter DavidPower.com Sure-Fire Podcast David Power on Facebook David Power on LinkedIn Tools Trello Slack Google Docs FinalDraft BitBucket (on the web) SourceTree (on the desktop) Dropbox Paper Dell PC Tower from 2009 VEGAS Pro by Sony Magix Cakewalk by Sonar Hackintosh Mac Pro Techniques Soften the corners of a room to dampen reverb/echo Develop characters first, give them a voice and backstory, and then place them into a three-act structure. (Or not). Collect all notes and ideas; save them for later and vetting each one before writing Build a project management software workflow that actually reflects the way you work Don’t store files in Slack; that’s not the place for permanent items Use Plain Text formatting as a universal standard Build a Hackintosh if you can’t afford a Mac Pro (which you probably can’t) Habits Cross-promote, tag, and share your social links with your collaboration partners Exercise first thing in the morning Meditate, eat, drink coffee before starting work Use a floating lunch hour Wake up without an alarm Don’t actively seek out news (minus industry happenings) Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Finish the Script!: A College Screenwriting Course in Book Form by Scott King as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Business Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs & How to Launch an Online Community with Designer, Writer, and Podcaster Kathleen Shannon 52:25

8 years ago52:25

52:25

Kathleen Shannon ( @AndKathleen ) is a graphic designer and brand strategist, and co-founder of Being Boss, a podcast and community for creative entrepreneurs. Kathleen began as a staff art director, but learned entrepreneurial habits working on her side projects and blogging. She's now seeking to become a media mogul and serve the creative community. In this conversation, we discuss the origins of Being Boss, how Kathleen learned systematic behaviour and stays organised, and the common mindsets of creative entrepreneurs. Catch up with Kathleen on the Being Boss website or that of her agency, Braid Creative. Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 95 (MP3, 52:24, 25.3 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 95 (OGG, 52:24, 24.4 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android | on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the best free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links Prescott had a classmate named Kathleen, who went by Kate. Her mother, also Kathleen, went by Cassie. Kathleen was almost named “Cinco”, born May 5 Prescott is born May 6, making the two both Tauruses Kathleen describes herself as a “truth seeker & dream (job) chaser. Tea drinker & good food eater. Risk taker, magic maker & booty shaker.” AndKathleen.com , Kathleen’s personal site and retired blog “Creative Horcruxes”, websites and projects where we divide our passions, time, and attention Kathleen co-owns Braid Creative with her sister Tara Braid Creative is “Branding and business visioning agency for creative entrepreneurs” The Being Boss podcast started in 2014 as a way for Kathleen to “grow the top of her funnel” Emily Thompson ( @EmilyM_Thompson ), Kathleen’s partner in Being Boss Prescott kept hearing about “your audience”, which sparked him to start The Busy Creator Prescott admits that Being Boss is “ahead” of The Busy Creator in terms of spawning multiple forms (books, events, community classes, etc.) "Show notes are a great way to increase search engine optimization." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This The aim is transform Being Boss from a podcast into “multimedia conglomerate” Chelsea Handler , Kathleen’s hero for hosting a tv show Kathleen & Emily recently submitted a book for publishing (due out Spring 2018) FreshBooks was a sponsor of Being Boss almost since the beginning, because they align Being Boss Facebook Group , 17,000+ members strong, has grown almost beyond control "How you feel at work affects how you feel at home, and vice versa." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This "We didn't want to sully the waters with money." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This The Being Boss Clubhouse is a year-long community learning course with coaching, and more. Will Hudson , early guest on The Busy Creator, ep. 12 It’s Nice That and its sister agency, Anyways Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio have both been on TBC, separately, eps. 3 & 84 Brand New Conference , Brand New Blog Kathleen started writing on LiveJournal in 1999 Kathleen worked as an Art Director for advertising while blogging at home The Etsy – Pinterest Boom Kathleen attracted freelance design projects from posting her wedding invitations "First, you have to be dedicated to your craft." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This 10,000 hours “Fit of Entrepreneurial Passion”, as described by Michael Gerber "Nothing kills creativity like desperation." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This Kathleen learned Project Management skills at her ad agency job Charlotte Hornets "You can only connect the dots looking backwards." —Steve Jobs Tweet This Steve Jobs addresses Standford class of 2004 2005 The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo on Amazon and on Audible Prescott’s grandfather collected his lifetime’s worth of business cards 9 Habits of Highly Creative People (free eBook) Kathleen & Emily met as internet blogging pals Emily pitched the idea of a podcast, along with responsibilities Kathleen is the editorial lead; Emily handles web and tech "I didn't know this thing would need its own bank account one day!" —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This 7 People are involved with the production of Being Boss, including an editorial assistant and an audio editor The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber on Amazon and on Audible "Most people are still in their struggle. There's never a 'there'." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This "Your goals mean shit if you feel like shit along the way." —Kathleen Shannon Tweet This Emily only uses list view in Asana; Kathleen only uses calendar Prescott prefers Kanban view, where that’s available Ramit Sethi Kaizen , continual gradual improvements over time Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott on Amazon and on Audible Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson on Amazon and on Audible Daring Greatly by Brene Brown on Amazon and on Audible Martha Beck BeingBoss.club Kathleen Shannon on Twitter Kathleen Shannon on Facebook Kathleen Shannon on Instagram Braid Creative on Facebook Braid Creative on Pinterest Being Boss on Twitter Being Boss on Facebook Being Boss on Instagram Being Boss on iTunes Tools Being Boss Podcast Facebook Live FreshBooks Acuity Scheduling Asana CoSchedule Notebooks, Post-Its Evernote Google Docs Slack Techniques Ask your audience what they want, to create new content Put in your 10,000 hours before becoming an entrepreneur; become a “confident expert” Build a bridge before leaving your full-time job Aim to replace your income before taking that last leap Ask to be in client meetings; see the process up close Share your process as you’re in it — publish along the way Codify your methods, translate them to an e-course Find a “business bestie” and have “Skype dates” Use your existing resources to bolster your side projects Create an org. chart to plan future expansion, duties Know every element of your business, and only outsource as needed When overwhelmed, write top 3 items on a Post-It Be a little more casual with your team when chatting on Slack Habits Drink Coffee and Tea every morning Broadcast on Facebook Live a few times a week Make decisions, whether they’re right or wrong Respect your future self (through systems) Have empathy for others and what they struggle with — it may be different from you Put everything in Google Calendar Work out first thing in the morning Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Daring Greatly by Brene Brown as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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B-SIDE: Planning A Modern WordPress Website, with guest Avery Swartz 1:08:07

8 years ago1:08:07

1:08:07

Avery Swartz (@AverySwartz) joins Prescott to discuss the possibilities for the next version of BusyCreator.com. Together, the two discuss the capabilities of WordPress, best practices which Prescott is adopting (and should start), and the shortcomings of WordPress themes and plugins.

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Methods and Mindsets for Successful Web Design Projects with Agency Boss Ben Seigel 54:50

8 years ago54:50

54:50

Ben Seigel ( @versastudiollc ) is a web designer and developer, and head of Versa Studio . In addition to managing projects and writing the necessary code for client sites, Ben has examined and written about the underlaying value of design, how small businesses and design agencies can work together toward successful ends. In this conversation, we dig into content management systems on websites, discuss managing remote teams, remark on transitioning from a pure developer to a business owner, and share some common ailments of working with small businesses on their brand and web design projects. Website Planning for Small Business Grab Ben’s eBook, Website Planning for Small Business , and catch up with him via the website for Versa Studio. Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 94 (MP3, 54:50, 26.5 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 94 (OGG, 54:50, 26.2 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android | on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the best free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links Versa Studio is a distrubuted team, building websites & brands for small business and non-profits Ben previously ran a lawn service and worked internally in the insurance industry HAM Radio Commodore 64 , Prescott’s first computer The Internet of Things Versa Studio works with ExpressionEngine and Craft , exclusively WordPress Nick Spriggs, previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast Vector Media hosts the New York City Craft Meetup Register for a temporary live installation of Craft Ben manages projects, but also still writes code and works on the sites Ben runs the Madison Web Design/Development Meetup Big Data Periscope Ben’s eBook, Website Planning for Small Business "If someone wants to spend $20k on a project, but won't take 2 hours to read a plan ... they're not going to be a good client." —Ben Seigel Tweet This Prescott’s eBook, Building Brands "You need a 'minimum viable brand' before any website." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Prescott wants the “power of suggestion” as his business superpower. Ben prefers a version of ESP. Request for Proposals (RFP) "(an RFP) is a really great way to waste a whole bunch of peoples' time." —Ben Seigel Tweet This Brennan Dunn , Roadmapping A “Warm RFP” has a higher chance to succeed "You can read four proposals. You probably can't read 19." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Current (October 2016) Facebook image guidelines Full Employment Act Bespoke aka custom-built Tim Ferriss "We're not built to sit all day. We're also not built to stand. We gotta move." —Ben Seigel Tweet This Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin Graceland by Paul Simon on Amazon Derek Sivers Versastudios.com/now — what Ben is doing now Versa Studio Versa Studio on Twitter Versa Studio on Facebook Ben Seigel on LinkedIn Tools ExpressionEngine Craft CMS Photoshop Sketch HeartMath Techniques If given the opportunity, build a new platform fresh without links to the past ten years of legacy code Connect with people in person rather than social Break a project into steps/phases, so you can learn about the client as you go Build a “Helvetica-Vanilla” version of your website while you test-and-iterate on brand, content, visual styles Counter an RFP with an honest, candid phone call or conversation Ask about the competition for proposals/pitches/tenders Review a project through a post-mortem Auto-answer common email questions Pomodoro Method Habits Create a “framework” for your projects; share it with clients and industry Start projects with an “assembly line” for beginning a project Call Templates “Starting Documents” Be flexible on your standards and workflow Save code snippets and text macros as you work on projects; you’ll likely need to use them again. Always move during the day Work toward your daily practices Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get 201 Great Ideas for Your Small Business by Jane Applegate as a free audiobook Join the Discussion Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Exploring Business Issues Faced by Creative Pros with Author & Professor Douglas Davis 1:00:57

8 years ago1:00:57

1:00:57

Douglas Davis ( @DouglasQDavis ) is a graphic designer, professor, consultant, and author of the new book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design . The book, which follows his recent talks and workshops, explores business issues that face creative professionals, especially those which may not even seem apparent. In this conversation, we explore the business culture exposed creatives, the shortcomings of our design education system, and how Brooklyn is becoming the home for creative thought. Check out Douglas’s book, Creative Strategy and the Business of Design , now available where fine books are sold. Show Notes & Links Douglas joins Prescott at his home-studio in Brooklyn. Douglas too is a Brooklyn resident and former neighbour. Douglas describes himself as a Professor, among other things New York College of Technology , Communication Design City College , Branding & Integrated Communication graduate course Nancy Tag The Davis Group “In The Arena” DCRIT – MFA in Design Criticsm at the School of Visual Arts, now MA in Design Research "Everyone has that story of when they were first taken advantage of." —Douglas Davis Tweet This Creative Strategy and the Business of Design by Douglas Davis on Amazon Pratt , Communication Design MA Creative pros spend the first ten years of their careers “face down at the desk” NYU , MS in Integrated Marketing “In The Trenches” "Design school doesn't teach business, and Business school doesn't teach how to inspire designers." —Douglas Davis Tweet This "Clients expect us to answer their problems with creativity that's on-brand, on-strategy, and on-message." —Douglas Davis Tweet This "Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan." —Russian proverb (or maybe Tacitus c. 98 AD) Tweet This "Do it right or do it thrice." —Douglas Davis Tweet This The in-house design team of yesteryear was almost like a Kinko’s "Business is annexing design. Our design jobs are more important because of that." —Douglas Davis Tweet This McKinsey & Co. “Building a Design-Driven Culture” article IBM has been acquiring digital advertising, marketing, design The New York Times also has been acquiring Deloitte , other consulting companies GoPro is becoming a content/media company "Design is the spoonful of sugar that makes marketing & business palatable to the public." —Douglas Davis Tweet This Apple’s invested in design and beat Sony. Sony did that previously to beat Panasonic. Dr. Marjorie Kalter , NYU Direct Marketing Hall of Fame "'I love it' is not a compelling business rationale." —Dr. Marjorie Kalter Tweet This RIP Flash, Actionscript "We're here to inject art into commerce." —Tibor Kalman Tweet This Unknown Unknowns "It's almost a rite of passge to make every mistake in the book." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Bryce Bladon, editor of Clients From Hell , was on The Busy Creator Podcast, ep. 78 “Trial By Frying Pan” Fred Nickols , Strategy Is Execution (PDF download) "Begin with the end in mind." —adage Tweet This "Think like they think to do what we do." —Douglas Davis Tweet This Litmus Test "The short hand comes later; first you have to use the long hand." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "I've seen ideas die on the table because creatives weren't able to set the context." —Douglas Davis Tweet This Adams Media/HOW Books HOW Design University Creative Strategy began as an online course. It earned $17,000 in 9 offerings Tony DiSpigna , typographic illustrator How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy on Amazon "Some people are better at other things than I am." —Douglas Davis Tweet This Applesaucing Art Director can mean many different things General Assembly The Narcissicm of Minor Differences September/October 2016 issue of HOW Magazine DouglasDavis.com ThinkHowTheyThink.com Revision Path with Maurice Cherry Obsessed With Design with Josh Miles Douglas Davis on Twitter Douglas Davis on Facebook Douglas Davis on LinkedIn Tools AdWeek HOW Magazine Laptop Evernote Techniques Learn what keeps your client up at night so you can speak the same language Divide a project into smaller pieces so your clients can see the process unfold Consider how you “Frame” your solution. Often that’s the point of differentiation. Banish words like “right” or “wrong”, in favour of “it works” or “it doesn’t work” Practice with co-workers to use better, more instructive language Start with the story, then teach the lesson. This helps you write chapters in a book, for example. Keep a desktop folder called “desktop dump” where pretty much everything goes. Habits Work to maximise the “trust in the room” Take a moment at the beginning to write a “problem statement” Add a physical activity to your routine, such as boxing Take time to travel, perahps 2x per year Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Inside the Business of Graphic Design by Catharine Fishel as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Balancing a Design Practice and Co-Working Space in New York City, with Jessi Arrington & Creighton Mershon 59:17

9 years ago59:17

59:17

Jessi Arrington ( @JessiArrington ) and Creighton Mershon ( @Cr8tonMershon ) are the founders of Workshop, a Brooklyn-based creative agency, as well as the proprietors of Small City, a new co-working space and home to dozens of independent creative pros. Alongside their design practice, Jessi & Creighton have grown their co-working experience by taking on more responsibility across three different spaces in Brooklyn. In this conversation, we discuss the oddities and challenges of New York real estate, the financial and logistical efforts needed to run a co-working space anywhere, and a bit about balancing family life with all manner of creative and business tasks. Catch up with Jessi & Creighton on their websites for Workshop and Small City . Cover photo by Bekka Palmer Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 92 (MP3, 59:17, 21.5 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 92 (OGG, 59:17, 26.1 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android | on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the best free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links In Fall 2007, Prescott ran the Philadelphia Marathon but also discovered that he didn’t know any peers in the design biz Jessi and Prescott in Debbie Millman ‘s class at SVA in Fall 2007 Jessi & Creighton met in the “New York Design Scene” Jessi & Prescott, being young and wild J&C have broadened the definitions of “Design” "A shared word does not mean a shared definiton." —Debbie Millman Tweet This "Design is about intention. We're trying to live a designed life." —Jessi Arrington Tweet This Parsons , The New School for Design Jessi & Creighton founded Workshop in 2005 (and married in 2006) Jessi & Creighton recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary Workshop now practices “in-person experience design”, which encompasses physical spaces, graphics, and time (how a person moves through a place) "I like to think about our projects and ask 'What happens when we press play?'" —Creighton Mershon Tweet This Rainbow Parade "Nothing like your job to get in the way of your work." —business adage Tweet This Workshop is currently three partners: Jessi, Creighton, and Casson Rosenblatt TED "Keeping it small has been good for our business but bad for our personal lives." —Jessi Arrington Tweet This The Hollywood Model , a definition Co-Working , a definition Small City is a converted industrial space in Gowanus, Brooklyn The decor is very un-office-like Big Reuse Brooklyn Beta Comedy Hack Day Before opening Small City, J&C ran two prior co-working spaces, allowing them to become familiar with security deposits, etc. Desks at Small City cost $550/mo. ( get yours ) "Airbnb is a real estate play." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This DUMBO, Brooklyn (which used to be a very scrappy, creative ‘hood is now too expensive for upstarts like Workshop) HOW Magazine Different professions need different square feet per employee (call centers need 90; architects need 600) Airbnb One aspect of gentrification is desk workers replacing industrial workers Coney Island , as far as you can go in Brooklyn Popular Science magazine (and its predictions of the future ) Will self-driving cars transform commuting, and thereby the suburbs? Sheepshead Bay , Ridgewood , Castle Hill — New York City neighbourhoods outside of Manhattan Jessi & Creighton sold their Brooklyn condo and bought a building in Louisville, KY as part of a future project and for the ability to live in multiple cities Some folks are commuting to Small City from Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn Commuting is tolerable if you have a nice “work neighbourhood” The Internet of Things ACH Carting Companies , independant, for-profit companies a commercial space must use to collect garbage “Who’s dealing with the trash!” Adobe MAX Prescott’s family comes from the Recycling industry P&L = Profit & Loss WeWork Will co-working spaces offer childcare and other services? "Us being happy parents involves a certain amount of chaos." —Jessi Arrington Tweet This The Gowanus Canal (not for swimming) Jessi gave a TED talk AIGA & AIGA/NY Workshop Small City Jessi Arrington on Twitter Jessi Arrington on Facebook Jessi Arrington on Instagram Jessi Arrington on LinkedIn Creighton Mershon on Twitter Creighton Mershon on Instagram Creighton Mershon on LinkedIn Tools Quickbooks Google Sheets Station Wagon Found objects Reused furniture Techniques Keep your company small enough so you don’t have huge overhead Look for other ways to keep a network alive aside from conventional employees Use co-working studiomates for accountability and courage Find and reuse furniture or items, especially when found on the street or at flea market Use your existing resources for client events and experiences (no rules against that) Build a culture where people “take out their own recycling” Work up little by little into bigger spaces, which in turn allow you to save more and more money for future use Schedule a day each month to create the necessary invoices Keep separate bank accounts for different areas of operation (client services vs. renting desks) Habits Work to improve stopping and documenting projects and process Keep your company small if you’re not an effective or natural manager Always consider the trash situation following an event! Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Island at the Center of the World by Russell Shorto as a free audiobook Join the Discussion Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Joining an Established Agency to Build Workflow & Culture, with Nick Spriggs 53:03

9 years ago53:03

53:03

Nick Spriggs ( @ncsfoo ) is a partner at Vector Media Group in New York City. Though he wasn’t one of the original founders, Nick’s role at Vector has been to grow the design and branding offerings to complement the development and marketing capabilities previously in place. In this conversation, we discuss cultural differences among designers and developers, office rituals used at Vector, how to keep your remote colleagues in the daily mix, and best practices to keep an entire team communicating clearly and working productively. Catch up with Nick on the website for Vector Media Group . Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android | on iHeart Sponsor Freedcamp, the best free online project management software Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp , Group Efforts Made Effortless. Freedcamp is best free online project management software available. By using the built-in functions and additional tools like time tracking, invoices, milestones, file storage, and more, teams can customise the software for the task at hand! The Busy Creator Podcast itself is managed and operated on Freedcamp. Get started for free on Freedcamp.com Show Notes & Links Nick & Prescott are co-hosts of The New York City Podcast Meetup Past guest Vijay Mathews is a mutual friend Nick is a native of Australia, came to the US for University in 1999 Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design "Somehow a year in New York turned into 14." —Nick Spriggs Tweet This Prescott ran afoul of the Visa situation when he graduated from a UK university E-3 Visa for Australians, TN NAFTA for Canadians, et al. Christina Canters , a past guest on The Busy Creator The Museum of Mathematics Vector’s output is mainly websites & apps Their studio is rooted in branding, typography, traditional graphic design Nick likes the term “Product Designer” in the rare cases when it actually applies (thought beyond the page or the pixel, to the inter-connected parts and a bit of the “how”) "Clients sometimes don't understand what the term 'Design' means." —Nick Spriggs Tweet This The “explosion of explanation” can be exciting for a client Designers are trained to observe, critique, discuss our work; clients, not so much Vector was created around 2008 by Matt Weinberg & Lee Goldberg Vector is staffed with “Creative Developers”, not just code monkeys Nick was invited to join as a partner after working together as a collaborator previously Vector [still] takes on pure development projects, as well as a few pure design projects. Most stuff is collaborative, though. "You really have to be on your game when explaining something (to remote teammates.)" —Nick Spriggs Tweet This Reddit , and the “well, actually” culture Vector has started creating a Darts-scoring app as a side project They also created a “Project Hub” for client milestones & assets. ( Click to enlarge ) Client dashboard (as static HTML) Basecamp “Clock Discipline”, the habit of tracking your activity hour-by-hour Ken Carbone on fixed-costs project fees Matt Inglot of Tilted Pixel Consigliere Vector provides staff with laptops, allowing transportability and work-from-home Google Hangouts on Air will become YouTube Live You can now do VOIP calls in Slack GoToMeeting Zoom UberConference (and their hold music) 9 Habits of Highly Creative People Adam Harrison Levy uses wood-stacking as creative distraction Formula 1 Racing "A big part of building the business is just time management." —Nick Spriggs Tweet This Todd Henry books “office hours”, a time where your team can access you “Distractioneering”, when social media companies distract you on purpose Nick Spriggs on Twitter Nick Spriggs on Facebook Nick Spriggs on Instagram Nick Spriggs on LinkedIn Tools Google Hangouts Burn down reports Stack Overflow Slack UsabilityHub Usability.gov Techniques Keep clients excited & enthusiastic beyond the project itself (if they can’t stay energised, it’s hard for you). Bring clients “in” to the process (wireframes, sketches, etc.) Have clients describe “found objects” in early phases; let the client use their own language so we can use it later Allow designers & developers to cross-involve each other Learn to hold quick, informal meetings internally Involve developers into design-led processes; they too can participate Formalise kick-off meetings to involve the whole team, when possible Use retainers with clients; set aside blocks of hours ahead of time to ease minds and control workflows Schedule “reverse meetings”, time where you’re actually at your desk working and no one can distract you Take a screenshot at a random time during the day; see what everyone in the shop is working on Habits Use collaboration to inspire ourselves Observe the politics of your client’s company Bring your remote employees to headquarters for occasional workshops/retreats Explain with clarity when sharing with clients or remote colleagues Hold daily Standups, even with remote staff (via video call) Celebrate the project conclusion (close-out, hand-off, etc.); create office rituals around milestones along the way Track your time internally — as individuals and as teams — for your own learnings, regardless of how you bill the client Visit the quirky coffee shops in your neighbourhood Take the time to walk home (even if it’s 1 hour or more) Take a 10-15 minute walk when you feel “stuck” or distracted Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson as a free audiobook Join the Discussion Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Building Community and Finding Personality Strengths as a Creative Introvert, with Designer Cat Rose

9 years ago

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Cat Rose ( @CreativeIntro ) is an independent graphic designer and founder of The Creative Introvert , a website and community for creative professions who share introverted personality types. In this conversation, we discuss the oddities of life as a freelance designer, the observed behaviour of creative pros and where they fall on the introverted/extroverted continuum, and the challenges of building online communities and creating compelling content. SPONSOR This episode is sponsored by the new eBook Building Brands: A Practical Guide for Creative Pros to Develop Strategy and Design Identity . Show Notes & Links Cat lives in Brighton, England Prescott has visited Brighton, as well as Rottingdean , and the University of Sussex Farnham , a picturesque town in Surrey with a 10th century castle [av_video src=' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxTrwF3rbrE ' format='16-9' width='16' height='9'] Cat remains a graphic designer, started as an illustrator Behance Spaghetti code Cat draws people's pets Prescott chatted with Matt Inglot on The Freelance Transformation Podcast Flash ( dead in name only ) How to use Sketch for print design (if you're a complete animal.) InDesign and Illustrator aren't great for pixel design "Leg It" The Irish Goodbye Myers-Briggs Type Indicator , system for determining personality types The Big Five personality traits , aka the Five Factor Model (FFM) Introvert-Extrovert spectrum Ambivert (both introvert and extrovert) Brighton Pride parade , a most extroverted affair People with "I" in their Myers-Briggs result aren't considered for management roles Would you ever go to the movies by yourself? Bill Gates , a well-known, successful introvert Empathy is an introvert super-power, as are deep though, analysis, etc. Limiting self-beliefs, rather than introversion per se is what holds people back Get Your Art Out Summer Camp , a four-week course from The Creative Introvert Learning styles (visual, written, auditory, etc.) Is there a link between learning styles and introversion/extraversion? Mignon Fogarty aka Grammar Girl , a guest on The Busy Creator Podcast, ep. 67 "Applesaucing", re-using your content across multiple forms Pat Flynn wrote two articles ( 1 , 2 ) about repurposing your site/podcast content Upcycling and Downcycling , terms from Recycling Masterminds vs. Accountability Partners, which do you prefer? (Introverts prefer partners.) Meetup.com The New York City Podcast Meetup Malcolm Gladwell's Connectors The Rule of 3 and 10 for growing organizations The Creative Introvert Cat Rose on Twitter Cat Rose on Facebook Cat Rose on Instagram Cat Rose on LinkedIn Cat Rose on Pinterest Tools Behance MacBook Pro Adobe Creative Cloud Trello Evernote Slack After Effects Techniques Set a brief for yourself to make fine arts more of a "project" Build lasting relationships as a freelancer, even with your last employer Go minimal, if you can. Don't use a mouse and keyboard. Learn quickly, trust that you can teach yourself new tools Repurpose your content to serve different audiences (written vs. spoken vs. infographic) Be careful when creating a community Test and iterate, even on morning rituals Replace "routine" with "rhythm" Approach fearful projects in tiny increments (a six-second video vs. a feature film) Habits Use the software for its intended purpose! Adapt to clients and their workflow Compose your thoughts before filming/recording yourself; not everyone is an improviser. Wake up 4:30-5:00am for early yoga, journaling, meditation Do "the hardest thing" during coffee SaveSave…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Wearing Many Hats As a Designer for a Software Startup with Andrew Berkowitz

9 years ago

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Andrew Berkowitz ( @TheWitzCarlton ) is the Head of Product for Tradeversity , a buying-and-selling platform for university students. After gaining experience in a large corporate setting, Andrew has jumped in to startup life, enjoying the struggles along the way. In this conversation, Andrew shares some of the workflows required in a young, small, and nimble company, as well as his experiences testing personal productivity methods and morning routines. Catch up with Andrew on his own show, The Global Startup Movement Show Notes & Links Andrew is “Head of Product” for Tradeversity Early stage startups require the wearing of many hats "Design is the question of taking what's in the mind and manifesting them into reality." —Andrew Berkowitz Tweet This Tradeversity is exclusive to higher education students Andrew graduated from Virginia Tech .edu, .ac.uk — educational TLDs Sharepoint , and other internal marketplaces within corporations are rather outdated "Product Design is more like being an inventor than a designer." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "The most important aspect of building a product is gaining empathy for users." —Andrew Berkowitz Tweet This Ideo Design Thinking can mean different things 5 elements of D-Thinking: gain empathy ? define problem ? ideation ? prototype ? test & iterate Andrew worked at a large bank before joining a startup Scrum Master (in Agile Project Management) "The speed at which a project is moving is directly proportional to the energy involved." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "Innovation comes from failure; Having the freedom to fail allows us to innovate." —Andrew Berkowitz Tweet This Ready, Fire, Aim by Michael Masterson on Amazon and on Audible Andrew runs his own podcast, The Global Startup Movement Nootropics , cogntive-enhancing pills Nootrobox Andreessen Horowitz , Venture Capital firm “ Sprint Pills ” as an alternative to coffee "The culture and the habits are more important than the tools." —Andrew Berkowitz Tweet This "The tool you use should reflect the system you've set up, and the mindset behind that." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This The 1800 Exercise Tradeversity was launched from a content award — $20k and a year’s worth of office space Think And Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill on Amazon and on Audible Conspiracy, from the Latin conspiratare , meaning “to breathe the same air” Virtually Reality, and opportunities for collaboration Ready Player One by Ernest Cline on Amazon and on Audible "A Virtual Reality device is an empathy machine." —Andrew Berkowitz Tweet This Marie Poulin , not part of the “cult of 5:00am” Entrepreneur on Fire Andreesson Horowitz Podcast The Tim Ferriss Show Amazon Kindle Audible Gadgets have to fit “The Three B’s”: Beach, Bed, Bath Millennials read more than Baby Boomers Amazon opens brick-and-mortar book stores The Global Startup Movement Andrew Berkowitz on Twitter Andrew Berkowitz on Facebook Andrew Berkowitz on LinkedIn Tools Tradeversity Walletpop Craig’s List Agile Development Whiteboards Trello Nootropics Techniques Understand the emotions of your users. This will bring insight. Employ Design Thinking; bring in real people and get your hands dirty Experiment with “packaged services” From a corporate setting, the thing you can learn most is working with diverse teams The 1800 Exercise: describe how projects get done in the year 1800 (using only parchment & quill) Habits Keep Trello tidy; not started ? in-progress ? done Have regular Sprint-planning and Retrospective meetings Wake up around 6:00am for yoga, weightlifting, or running Feed your subsconscious mind until it takes over Try Audible.com Free for 30-Days Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill as a free audiobook Join the Discussion Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation. SaveSave…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Everyday Productivity and Striving for Excellence After Losing All Sense of Sight, with Author & Entrepreneur Tanner Gers

9 years ago

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Tanner Gers ( @TannerGers ) is an author, entrepreneur, and paralympic athlete. Blinded in a car crash at age 21, Tanner has learned entirely new methods of communication and working. In this conversation, Tanner discusses some of the technology — both lo- and hi-tech — he uses to experience the world in the absesnce of sight. We also share all-purpose productivity tips and examine his morning routines. Show Notes & Links Tanner describes himself as "Creative and Successful", hence the Creative Success Podcast "I get the most fulfilment from serving other people." —Tanner Gers Tweet This Tanner is a Paralympian sprinter Tanner is also a speaker, author, blogger, podcaster, producer, and coach Todd Henry , and other writers, have been on the show previous ( here , here , and here , for example) Tanner embarked on a "personal development journey" after being struck blind "I use Technology to do everything, and I'm so grateful for it." —Tanner Gers Tweet This ADD The importance of reading to your children Tanner turned to music (and dancing) in his new blindness. That turned to creative writing for lyrics, and other prose. "A picture's worth 1000 words. I was quite the talkative person; I would overcompensate for the lack of visual input." —Tanner Gers Tweet This Screen reading software, build into Mac OS X, iOS as "voiceover" Jaws , screenreader for Windows Ray Charles Blind people are remapping their senses via "sonar" Human Echolocation The British boy learning from "Bat Boy" Spark from CBC Radio Spark 268 , the episode covering sight-aiding and other sensory technology "I'm very blessed to know what a 747 looks like, what a sunset looks like, what blue looks like." —Tanner Gers Tweet This Dan Greene, born blind now writes missile-guidance software for Raytheon Putting Your Pen to Paper , episode 5 of Creative Success show Braille — Grades I and II Tanner had a question about "Quest Ion" Morse Code Tanner took a sleep study; was disturbed 100x in 6 hours "Installing a daily routine will take your game to the next level." —Tanner Gers Tweet This "Education is what remains after you've forgotten everything you learned in school." —anonymous Tweet This Prescott studied Mechanical Engineering & Mechanics Laminar Flow Adiabatic Compression vs. Isothermal Expansion Thermal Expansion Valve (Refridgeration) "When you split the atom, energy escapes. When you switch tasks, attention escapes." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Amy Porterfield Hal Elrod (leader of "The Cult of 5:00am") Professional Rugby League in America Creative Success Show Tanner Gers on Twitter Tanner Gers on Facebook Tanner Gers on Instagram Tanner Gers on LinkedIn Tanner Gers on YouTube Tools Brainport , let's you "see" with your tongue Jaws Techniques Turn off technology when it's time to focus on content Develop a verbal memory so you don't have to re-read what you just wrote Sleep with earplugs if you wake easily due to noise Sleep with music at low volumes (like Prescott has done since 1999) Test different methods; don't blindly follow gurus Alternate hard days with lighters days regarding fitness training. Use those recovery days. Habits Stick to your daily routines Go through mental routines first thing in the morning (gratitude, etc.) before you get out of bed Serve someone else early in the day Read daily and track/remark on what you read Block your day into half-day chunks TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Miracle Morning by Hal Elrod as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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B-SIDE: How to Speak with Confidence On The Mic and In Person, with Christina Canters 52:02

9 years ago52:02

52:02

Christina Canters ( @CJCanters ) is the founder of The C-Method and host of the Stand Out Get Noticed podcast. Her work as a speaking and confidence coach has taken her around the world, including recent appearances in Chicago, Florida, and New York City. This talk, recorded live at the New York City Podcast Meetup on July 12, 2016, features Christina coaching our members — most of whom are podcasters themselves — on how to speak better, have more confidence, and express their most authentic selves behind the mic, and in person. Show Notes & Links The New York City Podcast Meetup Recorded at Vector Media Americans love to approach people and talk about nothing Prescott appeared on The C-Method on the topic of avoiding awkwardness "If you want to grow and building your own confidence, you've gotta push yourself out of your comfort zone." —Christina Canters Tweet This "To build your confidence as a speaker, you must know your value." —Christina Canters Tweet This Christina plays the ukulele Amy Cuddy TED talk on body language "You don't have to be great to get started, but you have to get started to be great." —Zig Ziglar Tweet This Presentation Skills for Design Students , Christina's first podcast Mark Manson's Blog Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon on Amazon Christina's notes from Podcast Movement 2016 Obvious to You. Amazing to Others by Derek Sivvers Pat Flynn Andrew Warner The C-Method Christina Canters on Twitter Christina Canters on Facebook Christina Canters on Instagram Christina Canters on LinkedIn Christina Canters on YouTube Techniques Ask three people "What do I do well?" and "Why is this important?" Create a folder called "Crush It" in Evernote. Save screenshots of praise. Watch your language; avoid "just" and "only" Practice confident body language; hold the superhero pose for 2 minutes Paint a picture of your ideal audience Stop caring what other people think Focus on the 33% who really appreciate you, the rest will follow TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Zig Ziglar's Secrets of Closing the Sale by Zig Ziglar as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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The Tools I Use to Run Starship Design, a look at Software and Services for a Solo Design Practice

9 years ago

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Show Notes & Links Prepare to Share Places to Learn Business Skills Online The Previous Episode with Sally Hogshead The full catalogue of The Busy Creator Podcast episodes The Busy Creator Podcast 80 — The April Fool's Episode Starship Design , Prescott's design business Dual monitors Apple Cinema Display and old Dell monitor 4:3 ratio vs. 16:9 ratio displays (Macs use 16:10, actually) Hi-dpi screens Wacom Intuos 3 wide format tablet Logitech K750 Wireless USB Keyboard The Busy Creator Podcast 6 w/Bill Wadman Hackintosh Prescott prefers Safari, also runs Chrome "The Chrome" Safari extensions (Ad-block, Pinterest, etc.) Prescott [still] uses an iPod Classic Prescott doesn't use ?Music RIP CastRoller ChimpFeedr , from MailChimp Twitter for Mac Alfred tweets from the system Mac OS X built-in social sharing Faffing , a definition Slack (both for work and for personal) Email is very personal Prescott uses Postbox (but still doesn't like the interface of v4) Mozilla Thunderbird Nylas N1 Airmail (too smart for Prescott) Prescott doesn't use Apple Mail Adobe Creative Cloud Prescott uses Adobe Bridge , not mini-Bridge (which is now discontinued) Adobe TypeKit Extensis Suitcase Fusion CS3 "still works" Adobe XD , up and coming Sketch Adobe Audition Adobe Lightroom Prescott doesn't use Apple Photos , and before that, iPhoto Coda Transmit , also from Panic Software SourceTree , from Atlassian BitBucket GitHub Byword RIP Bean Microsoft Office (Word, Powerpoint, Excel) Apple iWork (Pages, Keynote, Numbers) InDesign Harvest WaveApps Chase Amazon Visa card Cushion Expensify Quickbooks Prescott has also used Billings , Freshbooks , FreeAgent , Harpoon The Busy Creator Podcast 31 w/Bryan Orr, Project Management & Collaboration Tools Freedcamp The Busy Creator Podcast 63 w/Angel Grablev, CEO of Freedcamp Asana Basecamp Trello Kanban board (swim lanes, phases) Phases/swim lanes in Freedcamp's Kanban view[/caption] Freedcamp iOS app Teamwork.com (Projects) 17Hats Workamajig VLC MPlayerX RIP Movist 0.6.8 QuickTime Player 7 Pro TinkerTool Onyx Yosemite Disk Utility ClipMenu Dropmark & Cloud.app Blog Post about Quick-Sharing and Quick-Saving 1Password Quitter PushBullet The Busy Creator Podcast 39 w/Steve Dotto Steve Dotto reviews PushBullet RescueTime Reddit.com Default Folder X XtraFinder TextExpander Article on using TextExpander with Markdown Growl Carbonite Amazon Cloud Storage Alfred LittleSnitch SaveSave…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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B-SIDE: Marie Poulin & Prescott Perez-Fox Discuss "Deep Work" by Cal Newport

9 years ago

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In this Bonus episode, Marie & Prescott sit down to discuss the book "Deep Work" by Cal Newport. Together with the live audience consisting mainly of Marie's students from Digital Strategy School, the two dive into the book's topics and themes, including social media distraction, time-blocking, retreats, accountability partners, single-tasking, meditation, and more. The conversation also strays to general purpose productivity chatter, along with answering some Q&A from the audience. Get in touch with Marie via digitalstrategyschool.com and Prescott via busycreator.com…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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What Sally Hogshead Learned Working in America's Top Ad Agencies, and How That Shaped Her Work as an Author

9 years ago

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Sally Hogshead ( @SallyHogshead ) is an author, speaker, and entrepreneur. Following a career in advertising, she evolved her career and reoriented toward building significance for other professionals and creatives. In this conversation, Sally discusses the phases of her career (so far), shares some of what she learned on the ground with advertising heroes, and remarks on the challenges of writing long-form books as a person who naturally bends toward the quick win. Check out Sally's latest book Fascinate and catch up with her on BrandFascination.com , for a start. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 86 (MP3, 38:43, 18.7 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 86 (OGG, 38:43, 21.6 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android or on Google Play Music Show Notes & Links Sally and Prescott have worked together on a varied of projects since 2011 Prescott discovered Radical Careering during his first job, which wasn't a very good job. When Sally found advertising, it was "love at first sight" Portfolio Center and their Copywriting course Sally's first career phase was not being awarded or recognised as a student, but discovering that's hardly the entire game "The most interesting creative ideas aren't going to be acknowledged at first, because they're not populist." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This Fallon McElligott Rice, now just Fallon Her Second phase was working with smart people on rapid-fire projects "You want to be the dumbest person on the team." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This Her Third phase was disillusionment when inheriting a management role "It takes a completely different mindset to be with people than from being with my ideas." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This The Fourth phase was expansion to create ideas beyond an ad into the wider world [as an author, speaker, etc.]. Sally was the Creative & Managing Director for Crispin Porter + Bogusky for their Los Angeles office CP+B's LA Office opened its doors on Sept. 10, 2001 "It's easy to be creative when the world has a big budget and optimism and a love for what hasn't been discovered." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This "In order to be a creative leader, you have to be able to lead people through the darkest times." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This "It's impossible to have creative ideas in an oppressive environment." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This 48 Laws of Power by Robert Green & Joost Elffers on Amazon and on Audible Kerning pairs (such as FA) [caption id="attachment_3445" align="alignnone" width="478"]Kerning Pairs[/caption] There used to be a natural (ten day) cycle with print advertising. There was time to work on stuff. "I'm still a geek with words." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This Paste-ups Bill Westbrook Jean Robere "One for the reel, one for the meal." —advertising adage Tweet This "Don't be a worrier, be a warrior." —Tony Robbins (and Prescott, ironically) Tweet This Clients would cut their marketing budget during the recession. Remember this? or this? Tibor Kalman (1949-1999) Design, like Jazz, is a generational artform John Coltrane played with Miles Davis who played with Charlie Parker Armin Vit worked with Michael Bierut who worked with Massimo Vignelli A lot of NYC agencies did annual reports, but didn't show it in the portfolio Medieval Stonemasons "Signifance doesn't live in one piece. It lives in a movement or a body of work." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This The Martin Agency The One Show , advertising awards show Varnish , in print TBWA/Chiat/Day Wieden+Kennedy Goodby Silverstein & Partners Bob Barrie , Art Director binomial nomenclature Print finishes by thickness: Varnish ? UV ? Aqueous Print finishes by lustre: Dull ? Satin ? Hi-Gloss Nightclub Flyers Fascinate achieved New York Times Bestseller status Sally admits to not being great with long content (100,000 word books) How The World Sees You by Sally Hogshead on Amazon and on Audible "Revisions suck my soul. Creation enlivens me." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This "writing-tired", when Prescott feels uninspired to write blog posts, etc. "I can't write anything great for the first hour. I have to get into a trance." —Sally Hogshead Tweet This Antiproton The 9 Habits of Highly Creative People , a free guide from The Busy Creator "The hardest part about writing isn't writing, it's finishing the dishes." —writers' adage Tweet This Prescott and Sally got connected on social media Starship Design on Facebook Sally Hogshead on Twitter Sally Hogshead on Facebook Sally Hogshead on Instagram Sally Hogshead on YouTube SallyHogshead.com HowToFascinate.com/blog BrandFascination.com Tools MacBook Noise-cancelling headphones Techniques Don't let the Creative Director and Managing Director be the same person; there needs to be a healthy tension between the two. Remark not only on awards won and praise given, but hard times which shape your character Examine any project via its priorities "Quality of Work", "Quality of Life", or "Quality of Compensation." Pursue the areas of work that feel like a "wellspring" of creativity; avoid "creative agony" Create an Idea Wall, and hang up your projects as you think of them Block time (at least 3 hours) to sink into writing Listen to music that reflects the sort of writing you're aiming for Designate externally- and internally-focused work (email vs. writing content) Habits Write down the words you use when mentoring, and which you need to hear Appreciate craft, even if it takes slightly longer Periodically examine your work and your agency to align with influence: Creative, Financial, or Cultural Shape expectations around you; follow the type of work that suits you best Take advantage of "swiftness"; don't analyse or think about ideas and instead just act (especially on side projects and writing ideas). Go to bed early; write in the morning. TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get Fascinate by Sally Hogshead as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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How Victor Yocco Uses Everyday Psychology in User Research, Testing, and Design

9 years ago

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Victor Yocco, PhD ( @VictorYocco ) is a writer and researcher, working in the field of digital design. His background in psychology gives him unique insight into how people interact with websites and applications, which in turn helps his design team build intuitive, functional projects. In this conversation, we discuss methods of user testing, stumbling blocks that design studies make regarding psychology, and a bit of his studio workflow and habits. Use code pcyobusy to receive 39% off the cover price for Victor's book, Design For The Mind Show Notes & Links Victor Yocco doesn't like titles, but describes himself as a researcher for user experience and digital design "Academic literature is often very inaccessibly written." —Victor Yocco Tweet This Fine Arts vs. Applied Arts Paola Antonelli on The Colbert Report , 2013 MoMA "Incorporated psychology into design doesn't have to be this huge thing." —Victor Yocco Tweet This Design For The Mind by Victor Yocco on Manning Books Don't Make Me Think by Steve Krug on Amazon Big-Ass Buttons "It's so easy a caveman can do it" campaign from Geico [av_video src=' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8aj1AlYvxI ' format='16-9' width='16' height='9'] heuristics , or mental shortcuts, take the place of finding information yourself. Whiteboard sessions, focus groups, interviews — other research tactics Jeff Sauro, Measuring U Quantifying Usability "You'll find 85% of potential usability issues just off 5 users." —Jeff Sauro Tweet This Lay People , which Prescott affectionately calls "Muggles" The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman on Amazon and on Audible "There is a point of 'Good Enough' in digital design." —Victor Yocco Tweet This Analysis Paralysis Minimum Viable Product An earlier episode with Kirsten Modestow Photoshop Sketch Full Stack Anxiety [av_video src=' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N470hsHKXNc ' format='16-9' width='16' height='9'] Spider Web Diagram Distribute Strength, Dexterity, etc. [caption id="attachment_3409" align="alignnone" width="601"]Role-Playing Games require you distribute your skills[/caption] "Designers are usually people who enjoy solving problems." —Victor Yocco Tweet This Sally Hogshead Social Identity Theory Contextual Inquiry , observing the user in his native habitat aka "shadowing" Undercover Boss , the one where the girl puts barcode on her arm for easy scanning Debuke, IA How to un-jam a tractor-trailer from a highway overpass? Let some air out of the tires. 90% of MS Word users only utilise 10% of the features VictorYocco.com Use code pcyobusy to receive 39% off the cover price for Victor's book, Design For The Mind Victor Yocco on Twitter Victor Yocco on Facebook Victor Yocco on LinkedIn Tools SPSS , statistics software MS Office Post-Its Box Slack Techniques Layer Cake approach (low level, medium level, high level) Respect the users' time by making simple interfaces, functions Don't just show your designs to other designers — they think differently, which might not see what the lay person sees Include additional team members, representing design, writing, project mgmt., etc. Record user testing sessions to easily refer other team members to particular moments Conduct a UX Assessment or heuristics Review before beginning a project Habits Build in heuristics (mental shortcuts) into your work Look to Usability testing to reveal users' instinct or assumptions Provide challenges for designers and creative staff; they naturally want to wrestle with problems and their solutions Search for methods to stay with a project until the end (even if you get bored with it) Set aside time in the evening to write TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Design of Everyday Things by Don Norman as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Taking Risks and Leaving New York to Build a Family Publishing Business, with Bryony Gomez-Palacio of UnderConsideration — The Busy Creator Podcast 84 40:46

9 years ago40:46

40:46

Bryony Gomez-Palacio ( @BryonyGP ) is a co-founder of UnderConsideration , an all-purpose publishing and design business based in Austin, TX. Along with husband Armin Vit, Bryony publishes several blogs including Brand New , Quipsologies , and FPO , in addition to publishing several books, and hosting the annual Brand New Conference. Armin was a guest on episode 3 of The Busy Creator Podcast back in Februrary 2014, making this chat an unofficial sequel. In the intervening years, Bryony and Armin have refined their workflow, taken new risks such as planning a version of the BNConf in Amsterdam , and still manage to balance family life with new creative endeavors. In this conversation, Bryony discusses the origins of UnderConsideration and how she and Armin transitioned out of their New York design roles, moved to Austin, and managed to create a viable business in spite of a few close calls financially. Show Notes & Links Bryony is one half of UnderConsideration Armin Vit, the other half, was an early guest on The Busy Creator Podcast Bryony describes herself as a "content generator" for graphic designers Bryony & Armit work from home, in the converted master bedroom Armin wakes up early to write his blog posts; Bryony wakes up early to get things done and kids ready for school The first Brand Nieuwe Conference in Amsterdam is taking place in June 2016 VAT It's still a hassle to sell internationally, even selling books to Canada Bryony had to pay customs fees for a baby's onesie The BNConf is UnderConsideration's main source of income, but only occurs once per year HOW Live , FUSE , AIGA ... other design conferences Eventbrite Bryony and Armin were living in Brooklyn, working at Addison and Pentagram , respectively For about two years, they worked in their basement, taking care of the baby " Mommy brain " makes it tough for new mothers to focus or to rapid-switch between modes "We were living in a city that had a lot to offer, but living within a 10-block radius." —Bryony Gomez-Palacio Tweet This Bryony was home-schooled on a farm without electricity for two years "It took me two years to be able to say 'I live in Austin, TEXAS'." —Bryony Gomez-Palacio Tweet This Byrony & Armin visited Austin and within 3 days had made an offer on a house Professional couples in Brooklyn can have a household income of $150,000 ... and still be struggling The cost-of-living between New York and Austin You would need around $7,320.33 in New York, NY to maintain the same standard of life that you can have with $4,400.00 in Austin, TX (assuming you rent in both cities) Hand-stitching covers for the BNConf Bryony can shoe a horse [av_video src=' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdiqQTKGoUI&t=20s ' format='16-9' width='16' height='9'] Another couple, John & Kate, on The Busy Creator Podcast episode 50 "We need to be very, very efficient. We don't have time to procrastinate and explore." —Bryony Gomez-Palacio Tweet This Dyslexia, and its link to coding "We spend a lot of time at design school in order to make pretty spreadsheets." —Bryony Gomez-Palacio Tweet This "One thing we always fear is stability & stagnation." —Bryony Gomez-Palacio Tweet This AIforGA The highly-controversial UnderConsideration website Bryony Gomez-Palacio on Twitter Bryony Gomez-Palacio on Facebook Bryony Gomez-Palacio on Instagram UnderConsideration on Twitter BrandNew by UCllc on Facebook UnderConsideration on Instagram Tools Standing desks with stools Google Sheets iCal/Calendar Endicia AccountEdge Techniques Integrate your workouts with other errands (e.g. biking the kids to school) Find someone "on the ground" if you're doing business in a foreign country Plan, perhaps using a spreadsheet that spans 20 years Split your household income between one full-time and one freelance salary Plan your move based on where winter can reach you Divide business duties based on who can handle interruptions (admin/finance vs. creative) Keep it real when providing design feedback, especially to your partner! Collaborate on a spreadsheet or document, concurrently even Stagger which marathons/half-marathons you run as a couple; two partners training can be overwhelming Use running time to work through problems Habits Keep a structured daily schedule (down to the minute) Explore where you can multi-task to be more efficient Work at opposing standing desks for easy collaboration Don't get attached to designs or ideas; move away quickly if something is not working Integreate your home and work calendars; keep it sacred Don't work on weekends TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Long Run by Matthew Long & Charles Butler as a free audiobook JOIN THE DISCUSSION Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Workflows for a Small Software Company with In-House Designers Kyle Bollinger & Kristin Burkhart — The Busy Creator Podcast 83 37:04

9 years ago37:04

37:04

Kyle Bollinger ( @WhoaKB ) and Kristin Burkhart are the in-house design team for PureChat , an software tool enabling websites to offer chat-based support. Dividing their duties between product and marketing, Kyle and Kristin have developed a workflow that allows them to work swiftly and efficiently, while still experimenting with new industry practices. In this conversation, we discuss company culture for a small SAAS startup, how the designer collaborate with internal stakeholders, and some unravel technical challenges around versioning and fast iteration. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 83 (MP3, 37:04, 17.9 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 83 (OGG, 37:04, 16.5 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links Kyle is a product-focused UI/UX designer Kristin is a marketing and web focused-design PureChat is chat software for websites SAAS Both Kyle and Kristin started at agencies, working for multiple clients, before going in-house with PureChat "Creating something from scratch is very different than iterating on something." —Kyle Bollinger Tweet This Prescott hates calling software-as-a-service a "product" Austin Kleon Show Your Work by Austin Kleon on Amazon Self-licking ice cream cone "We're creating a living document through each other's work." —Kyle Bollinger Tweet This TechCrunch "The speed at which a company can operate is inversely proportional to how much time it takes to find the answer to a question." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This AxoSoft Nerf Guns Gangplank , co-working space in Chandler, AZ RIP LayerVault Wake Split-testing aka A-B testing The Information Diet by Clay A. Johnson on Amazon Sidebar.io by Sasha Medium , and the occassional article about Millennials and their cereal-buying habits Audible The Three Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron & Dave Logan on Amazon and on Audible Sprint by Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky on Amazon and on Audible KyleBollinger.com KristinAshley.org Kyle Bollinger on Twitter Kyle Bollinger on LinkedIn Kristin Burkhart on LinkedIn Tools Slack InVision Illustrator Photoshop Sketch Google Docs Moleskine AxoSoft GitHub Medium Techniques Continuous gather user insight, even if it's only images or screenshot review Find a "theme" with each release or feature-set Get quick feedback from your teammates; no need for formal gatherings Work off the same agile board as your dev team Screenshare with your remote teammates Use InVision to create Brand Guidelines Try to answer the questions "Who do I talk to ..." before they arise Keep your micro-iterations in a document; use a version-style naming system, eg. screen1a-kyle-001 Habits Prank your officemates Continually monitor the site (heatmaps, split testing) Wake up early, get into the office and be creative Join office workouts and activities Share resources and findings with teammates TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The Three Laws of Performance by Steve Zaffron & Dave Logan as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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How to Identify and Control the Frustrating Voice In Your Head, with Author, Artist, & Teacher Danny Gregory — The Busy Creator Podcast 82 55:35

9 years ago55:35

55:35

Danny Gregory ( @DannyGregory ) is an advertising veteran who has worked across just about medium of creativity, including writing, design, photography, and teaching. He's published several books including his latest, Shut Your Monkey . In this conversation, we examine the topics of the book which include self-doubt, anxiety, distraction, and other mindset struggles faced by creative pros. Shut Your Monkey by Danny Gregory Keep you with Danny on his website or his blog . Shut Your Monkey is now available for order. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 82 (MP3, 55:39, 40.4 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 82 (OGG, 55:39, 30.1 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links According to his website , Danny is an artist/author/creative director/blogger/teacher/speaker Danny's new book, Shut Your Monkey Sketchbook Skool Danny has worked in Hanoi and Doha to build creativity schools Danny has blogged for 12 or 13 years, published his first book 14 years ago In advertising, Danny has been a CD, ECD, and CCO "Advertising is weaponised art." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "Advertising agencies no longer have cornered the market on creating advertising." —Danny Gregory Tweet This Absolut Vodka Ads https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pVcbasIb8lQ Wazuuuuup https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W16qzZ7J5YQ "A single tweet can have much more impact [than advertising]." —Danny Gregory Tweet This The Dress Jen Briney , who runs Congressional Dish podcast Media dollars that Donald Trump has "earned" Paid vs. "Earned" Media Spend Mad Men Conan O'Brien used to write for The Simpsons ( video discussion with alumni writers ) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtJ28qOEG1g "The core of social media is authenticity." —Danny Gregory Tweet This Charlie Sheen No Brown M&Ms! Flow , and obstacles to achieving it Gollum Gollum "Creativity plays a far bigger role in our everyday than it did in the past." —Danny Gregory Tweet This Hardwiring Happiness by Dr. Rick Hanson The War of Art by Steven Pressfield on Amazon and on Audible The Icarus Deception by Seth Godin on Amazon and on Audible "Creativity is inherently about change, risk, uncertainty." —Danny Gregory Tweet This Thomas Edison found "10,000 ways that won't work" to make a lightbulb. "When a great idea appears it's going to stand up and sing." —Danny Gregory Tweet This Shut Your Monkey originated from a blog post, and evolved into a series of posts, then a talk. Show Your Work by Austin Kleon on Amazon Radical Careering by Sally Hogshead on Amazon Number 17 (now 8 and a half ) Rachel Willey , graphic designer Whitney Museum The Met The HOW Conference Kaizen - continuous incremental improvements as opposed to a "win" "You don't come up with your life's work and then stop working." —Danny Gregory Tweet This DannyGregorysBlog.com Forthcoming Shut Your Monkey Weekly podcast , featuring "Monkey Tales" Danny Gregory on Twitter Danny Gregory on Facebook Danny Gregory on Instagram Danny Gregory on YouTube Tools Evernote Scrivener , book authoring software Art supply cart Techniques Understand what your "monkey" is saying, before anything else Don't argue with the monkey when he speaks in extremes Acknowledge the risks we've taken, the work we've accomplished Use your phone or a notebook to jot notes into Evernote Take "book ideas" and break them out into blog posts; return the prose as potential section. Leave big tasks unfinished so you have a place to resume the next day Habits Be available to work all the time (be a honeybee) Defend yourself against other peoples' monkeys Constantly feed on the raw materials that will become a good idea Move around the house to vary your working space Post consistently on your blog, 5 days a week at 7:00 am Tackle creative problems first thing in the morning Visit the library, take out books // khy3m5vf…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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The Trouble with Workplace Hierarchies, and What We Can Do About It, with Jonathan Raymond — The Busy Creator Podcast 81

9 years ago

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Jonathan Raymond ( @JonathanRaymond ) is an author, coach, consultant, and CEO of Refound , working with business leaders and managers to install better workplace habits and company culture, including mentoring. Over the years, he's seen numerous workplace dynamics, not just within the creative fields, and shares some of his patterns with us. In this conversation, we search for definitions of culture, discuss the differences between mentoring and simply bossing, and offer some advice for both the employee and the manager to build better relationships and in turn, a better team. Jonathan has written a book, Good Authority , which will be released later in 2016. Support his efforts by reading more about the book and by pre-ordering . GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 81 (MP3, 52:36, 25.4 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 81 (OGG, 52:36, 28.7 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links Jonathan "helps managers become mentors" Many companies talk about innovation, but a "gap" appears when they don't build the conditions "Culture is 'This is how we do it here.'" —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This Gallop says "7/10 employees are actively disengaged from their job" Rolodex Jeff Goins appeared on The Busy Creator Podcast "Culture is Context." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This The First Rule of Fight Club [av_video src=' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC1yHLp9bWA ' format='16-9' width='16' height='9'] "The First Rule of Culture Change is not to talk about it." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This Undercover Boss Ivory Tower "We over-rely on our strengths. We default to the things we're good at." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This "You're not on the same team; You own the company." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This AT&T/Ma Bell "You can't afford not to invest time into you [your people]." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This "If you invest in someone, they might leave. If you don't invest in someone, they'll definitely leave." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Jonathan was the Chief Brand Officer of E-Myth "When creative people go off the rails, they hold the rest of the team hostage." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This Studio culture is fundamentally about experimentation Agile methodology "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." —Janis Joplin Tweet This "More Yoda, less Superman." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This "95% of the work in any business is identical." Business Adage Tweet This "The bad thing isn't the hierarchy; it's abusive people in a hierarchy." —Jonathan Raymond Tweet This Hierarchy in the Catholic Church , and their big hats SalesForce "Write drunk, edit sober." —Ernest Hemingway Tweet This ReFound.com GoodAuthorityBook.com Jonathan Raymond on Twitter Jonathan Raymond on Instagram Tools SalesForce Hubspot Techniques Break away from the victim mindset; share what you're working on and struggling with Make bold requests — to attend conferences, meetings, etc. Be a Mensch , make that connection Habits Practice being loose, unfinished Take steps in the other person's direction before discussing tension or issues Give your creative team room to be creative (so they don't turn into administrators) Create some distance to reinforce the idea of being a "boss" TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Escaping Web Design to Build a Thriving Software Business, with Edger Co-Founder Laura Roeder — The Busy Creator 79

9 years ago

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Laura Roeder ( @LKR ) is the co-founder of Edgar , a social media scheduling and management tool. Laura began her career as a web designer, moving first to solo practice, and then to social media consulting. From this conversation, you'll learn how Laura transitioned away from work-a-day design and into entrepreneurship, how her team at Edgar manages their software development, and some of the philosophies behind their hiring and company management. One thing we don't cover are the features of the software itself, and the idiosyncrasies which separate Edgar from competitors like Hootsuite or Buffer. To learn more about Edgar itself, scroll down to the show notes for examples of Laura explaining in further detail on other podcasts, and some embedded videos showing off Edgar itself. That said, Laura and her team have offered listeners of The Busy Creator a free month of service for Edgar . Sign up before May 31, 2016 and use the code SUNANDSURF. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 79 (MP3, 49:06, 23.6 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 79 (OGG, 49:06, 25.0 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links Laura Roeder describes Edgar in greater detail on Smart Passive Income #132 ... and on EOFire #802 ... and on Online Marketing Made Easy #35 Laura describes herself as the founder of Edgar, at least today Laura started as a web and graphic designer, worked at a design agency when she was a fresh graduate Her rationale for leaving her agency job was largely that it would take a really long time to get to do the work she fancied. 10,000 hours Laura was inspired more by business owners than design practitioners Chamber of Commerce "I felt like a fish out of water because I was so much younger." —Laura Roeder Tweet This World of Warcraft is the New Golf Laura replaced her salary the first year, then doubled her earnings the following year. The transition from Paid Services ? Packaged Services ? Retail Packages "It felt a lot easier to sell an online class than to get individual clients." —Laura Roeder Tweet This Gary Vaynerchuk Laura's clients were asking about social media; there was a swelling Biography from A+E The Dash was the newsletter from LKR Social Media "It was always a business. I didn't start with a blog." —Laura Roeder Tweet This Laura's team works remotely Lean Startup Methodology Laura's husband Chris is the lead developer/CTO for Edgar Ruby on Rails The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss On Amazon and On Audible Edgar is 16 people strong (development, marketing, customer service) Team Edgar doesn't use Sprint/Agile methodology . They simply make priorities and do them. Edgar ties their QA into Customer Service "We don't make major changes to our software. We're focused on iterative improvements to what we already do." —Laura Roeder Tweet This DIY Network / HGTV Mike Holmes Amazon tests features very carefully "Always run split tests on the home page and signup page" —Laura Roeder Tweet This "I wasn't that passionate about design. I was interested in other elements." —Laura Roeder Tweet This False Negatives in hiring The Narcissism of Minor Differences "If you're talking to the HR Manager, you're doomed." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This The Edgar Blog Laura Roeder on Twitter Laura Roeder on Facebook Laura Roeder on Instagram Laura Roeder on LinkedIn Edgar on Twitter Edgar on Facebook Tools Skillshare Edgar Slack Trello Flow Google Hangouts Confluence Kissmetrics Jira Mailchimp Visual Website Optimizer Evernote Google Docs Pocket Techniques Think of the "Worst Case Scenario" before you quit Start with freelancers before hiring full-time staff Create a Wiki for shared information (customer service, company values, etc.) Methodology is more important than software When A/B testing, use dramatic comparisons; two completely different versions Habits Have a planning meeting every Monday and retrospective meeting every Friday Always write multiple subject lines Make lists in Google Docs (don't overcomplicate it)…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Evolving a Blog into a Brand and a Business with Writer and Clients From Hell Chief Bryce Bladon — The Busy Creator 78

9 years ago

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Bryce Bladon ( @BryceBladon ) is a freelance writer and editor of the popular blog Clients From Hell . Bryce has been editing and curating the site for years, and has overseen dramatic growth both in blog readership and in creating outside partnerships, products, and offerings. In our conversation, we discuss the origins of Clients From Hell, how a blog can become a viable business, and how all of us who provide services can avoid clients from hell to have a better working life. Bryce has recent authored the second book from Clients From Hell, Hell To Pay , concerning the ever-popular topic of getting paid for freelance work and avoiding money-related drama. Hell To Pay, the new book from Clients From Hell Listeners of The Busy Creator can save 50% by using code "BusyCreator" when purchasing from this link.…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Culture and Habits for a Three-Person Design Studio with Designer and Agency Boss Kristine Neil — The Busy Creator Podcast 77 41:53

9 years ago41:53

41:53

Kristine Neil ( @TheKNeil ) is head of branding and design company Markon Brand Design . She purchased Markon when it was an old-fashion sign company, and has since transformed it into a small creative studio, now boasting a team of three. In our conversation, we cover the quirks and rituals used by the team at Markon, Kristine's personal productivity habits, and the general challenges that face all busy design teams nowadays. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 77 (MP3, 41:52, 25.3 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 77 (OGG, 41:52, 19.9 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links Kristine describe her work as "varied" Markon is a small agency focusing on branding for small- to medium-sized businesses Kristine purchased Markon rather than founded it. Previously, it was a sign company. The Markon team is now three strong — Kristine, Mike, and Jenna "It's a scary thing to say 'I need some Help'." —Kristine Neil Tweet This Kristine started by adding contractors/freelancers before bringing in full-time employees Prepare to Share — an article and podcast episode about bringing additional people into your workflow Kristine is a systems person, admits to being slightly ADD "Get ideas out of your head. People aren't mind-readers." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This "Always organize things for how they'll work in your absense." —Kristine Neil Tweet This Single Point of Failure — a bottleneck for decisions or skills Many freelancers/solo practitioners struggle to stay organised Kristine previously worked as a GM for a manufacturing company. This taught her systems and regimented behaviours. "Have a system. It doesn't have to be fancy." —Kristine Neil Tweet This "Meta-work" the work surrounding work such as scheduling meetings, checking email, managing your software Ben Elijah , previous guest on TBCP , described "Productivity Pornography" United We Brand by Mike Moser on Amazon "We don't always have the time to treat ourselves as a client." —Kristine Neil Tweet This "We don't just make the things. We make the ideas that make the things great." —Kristine Neil Tweet This Space150 , design firm who redesigns their identity every 150 days "It's no longer acceptable to set a brand identity and let it ride for 20 years." —Kristine Neil Tweet This The Sunk-Cost Fallacy Sweat Equity Phase-In a brand vs. "Shadow Op" to replace everything Esso became Exxon seemingly overnight[av_video src=' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lZkX01wFbE ' format='16-9' width='16' height='9'] Todd Henry , twice a guest on The Busy Creator Podcast Kristine Neil on Twitter Kristine Neil on LinkedIn Markon Brands on Twitter Markon Brands on Facebook Markon Brands on Instagram Markon Brands on Pinterest Tools Whiteboard Scrum and Agile development Remember The Milk for iPhone Google Drive Swiffer Duster Slack Dropbox Basecamp Jira Freedcamp Techniques Divide your whiteboard by category and by day. Slot tasks accordingly. Create a file-naming system that makes sense — plan ahead for others reading in the future. Don't become a Single Point of Failure Pomodoro Technique Only keep the immediate future on the Board, save long-term stuff elsewhere Test systems to find what works best Get outside opinions on your brand/company, at least annually Use Slack to post videos and gifs — especially after a tough day at the desk Habits Host "Board Meetings" with your team every morning Build starting documents ("templates") when you have repetitive projects/tasks Audit your own brand. Be willing to walk away from your previous website. Create a routine strong enough so you don't need an alarm clock Shut down between Christmas and New Year TRY AUDIBLE.COM FREE FOR 30-DAYS Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial Get The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding by Al & Laura Reis as a free audiobook…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Finding a Community Online and Crafting a Signature Style with Illustrator, Designer & Artist Alice Coles — The Busy Creator Podcast 76

9 years ago

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Alice Coles ( @HulloAlice ) is an illustrator, artist, designer, and video producer based in Colorado. She has honed her skills and created a signature style thanks largely to her own video production schedule. Alice publishes tutorial videos and showcases her experiments on her YouTube channel, HulloAlice . In this conversation, we discuss Alice's origins as an illustrator, how she found supporters in the YouTube community, what art supplies she relies on, and what sort of desk setup she uses to film her own work as it happens. See more of Alice's work and get in touch on her website , AliceRColes.com. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 76 (MP3, 38:55 18.7 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 76 (OGG, 38:55, 20.2 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links Prescott and Alice met at a design conference in Phoenix Alice describes her work as "an exploration of herself, her memories, and her place and role in the world." Alice uses storytelling in her art, calling herself an illustrator Monument Valley Loish , artist and inspiration of Alice Kaizen , the Japanese idea of continual self-improvement Alice admits she doesn't quite have the time/focus for too many commissions Sycra on YouTube Baylee Jae on YouTube "YouTube can be toxic at times, I've seen, but the art community is so supportive of each other." —Alice Coles Tweet This Alice started making videos "every couple of months" but found consistency through audience momentum Alice is primarily a watercolour artist Faffing , a definiton Matt Cremona , woodworker/furniture maker on The Busy Creator Podcast Matt Cremona on YouTube Doctor Who Papasan Chair "Watercolour is the worst medium to scan." —Alice Coles Tweet This "I tend to barrel through life like a rolling stone." —Alice Coles Tweet This Tsundoku , the Japanese word for "the constant act of buying books, but never reading them" Reddit Alice hails from Desborough, Northamptonshire, UK Alice Coles on Twitter Alice Coles Illustration on Facebook Alice Coles on Facebook Alice Coles on Instagram Alice Coles on YouTube Tools Windows Movie Maker Lightbox Winsor & Newton India Ink Dip Nib White Guash Gel Pens Prismacolor pencils Watercolor colored pencils Desk from Target with a hutch Custom lights Bookcases Wacom Intuos 5 tablet Wacom Cintiq monitor/tablet Adobe Photoshop Basecamp Techniques Start with inspiration — colour combo, landscape, etc. Use figure references for anatomy Paint in layers — block in shadows first, then skin tone — keep it thin Underpaint (paint an entire paper with a single colour to instill a tone or feeling) Use a hairdryer to dry your layers Use a hairdryer to cure swimmer's ear Complete a painting in a single sitting (2–6 hours) Batch videos, especially when lighting/hair/make-up is required Watch a speed version of your video first, then record it again in real-time Increase contrast and colour-depth in Photoshop — with the aim to match real-life colours Use planners and lists — "bullet journal" Habits Keep supplies organized in clear cases — jars, boxes, etc. Create an inspiring workspace, use personal items and motifs Aim for a consistent wake-up time (maybe 8 am) Reply to comments and emails first thing in the morning Read while you eat, and before you go to bed Don't be so hard on yourself (regarding time management or inconsistency) List out your tasks for the next day…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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How Kirsten Modestow Started a Branding & Design Agency in Her House and Thrives Outside of a Major City — The Busy Creator Podcast 75 49:51

9 years ago49:51

49:51

Kirsten Modestow ( @KModestow ) is the founder & creative director of Brigade , a branding and design firm in Massachusetts. Brigade focuses on consumer packaging and communications; they create brands for products, and help them stand out on shelves. In recent years, this has translated to digital promotion and social media as well. In this conversation, Kirsten discusses her origins as a young designer, learning from her elders, how she started Brigade in her house and where the company is now, and examines the curious culture of an agency that grows fast and lives in an open-plan office. GET THE EPISODE Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 75 (MP3, 49:55, 72.1 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 75 (OGG, 49:55, 23.7 MB) SUBSCRIBE TO GET NEW EPISODES Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes or on Android Show Notes & Links Brigade focuses on food & beverage clients, within the packaging and communication media types, so not everything. In-store design materials include more items — shelf talkers, point of sales, mobile-friendly websites, etc. "Do you have to create a whole persona just for a box of crackers?" —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This Lately, consumers are more educated and more finicky — they want information Nabisco , Kraft - big companies in consumer goods Wheat Thins on Facebook Kirsten started working out of her home after relocating to Western Mass. Land Rover Svedka vodka To accommodate the growing team, Kirsten converted her garage into a studio 5 colleges are located in the Amherst-Hadley area, but none have a graphic design course Boss is sometimes a four-letter word Kirsten started at Hill Holiday in Boston Brigade has grown from 5 employees to 20 in the past 2 years Recruiting is tough outside of a "design center" like New York, Chicago, London Brigade's first Project Management hire was a photographer freelancing as a graphic designer "No one is on top of each other; they're alongside them." —Kirsten Modestow Tweet This Brigade is [finally] at the point of getting cold calls from potential clients The Dieline Tarik El-Khateeb "Production is a huge part of design!" —Kirsten Modestow Tweet This Hatch Show Boston Dribbble "Side projects are the internal fuel for agencies and small firms." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This The Cult of The Overworked Open floorplans create challenges ( just ask Lucy Kellaway ) "The Middle School Cafeteria", Prescott's term for single-table, open-plan offices "Good ideas come from everywhere." —Kirsten Modestow Tweet This "Open plan only works if people give a crap about each other." —Simon Sinek on office design Tweet This Five Guys Burgers Kirsten Modestow on Twitter Kirsten Modestow on Facebook Brigade on Twitter Brigade on Instagram Brigade on Facebook Brigade on Spotify Tools Asana Harvest Producteev Float Open floor plan (with caution) Techniques Focus on your main goal — pick a "story" and do it well. Build your "dream team" from unconventional people — even if they aren't traditionally qualified Create mentorship programs within your company/agency As a boss, give someone "the big shirt, so they can grow into it." Use daily "pow-wows", twice-weekly traffic meetings Apply 80/20 thinking when it comes to routine work vs. exciting breaks Habits Continually evaluate your work, and whether it should be submitted to contests Share work within the office; build culture of helpfulness to combat ownership/jealousy Critique as a group for larger projects Build office rituals, like picnics, lunches, bowling outings Arrive at the office early, before chaos starts Work toward 8 hours of sleep…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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Web Agency Owner Matt Inglot Talks Client Selection, Workflow, and The Challenges of Working from Home - The Busy Creator Podcast 74 38:41

9 years ago38:41

38:41

Matt Inglot ( @MattInglot ) is the founder of Tilted Pixel , a results-focused web design agency based in Calgary, Canada. A veteran web designer, Matt has been an agency owner most of his career, beginning when he was still a student. Over the years he's refined his own business strategy to bring greater value to his own clients, and in turn build a thriving practice. Matt is also the host of the Freelance Transformation podcast, where he speaks with creative entrepreneurs and practitioners about business and freelance issues. In this conversation, Matt discusses his role in the business, how systematic (or not) he likes to be with prospective clients, and how he handles working from home.…

The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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An Introduction to Freelancing — Definitions, Ailments, Mindsets, and Advice for new and veteran freelancers — The Busy Creator Podcast 73 39:04

9 years ago39:04