Shame

January 15, 2020

There is nothing new about feeling shame, a sense of unworthiness, judgment when we look across the landscape.  Are you good enough relative to whatever or whoever you might be measuring yourself against?  Another designer’s projects, following, media coverage, bank account, etc.? Finding your way in this brave new world has been covered by many […]

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To What End Dignity?

January 7, 2020

Here we are at the dawn of a new decade and 2020 promises to be quite remarkable.  For creative businesses, the beginning of the year is a slower time for most and many of you turn to what you can do to improve for 2020.  That said, a lot of projects are already on the […]

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Twenty Wishes For The 20s

December 18, 2019

As we wrap up this decade, and marvel over all of that has happened (or not) to all of us, I thought it would be fun to offer twenty wishes for creative business professionals as they head into 2020 and beyond.  They are in no particular order and are offered in the spirit of giving […]

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Herbie

December 11, 2019

One of my favorite business books (one that is over 35 years old, by the way) is The Goal by Eliyahu M. Goldratt. You might ask, What does a production management book have to do with creative business? Well, everything. In the book, Goldratt uses a Scout troop going on a hike to demonstrate the […]

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Desire

December 5, 2019

What does it mean to be the best in the world at what you do?  How do you get better?  Are you really willing to do the work?  The hard work it will take to challenge yourself at the edges?  Or are you looking for the silver bullet?  For someone to give you THE answer […]

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The Value Of Community

November 21, 2019

We have all heard how you are supposed to create a profile of your ideal client so you can focus on what she cares about and mold your creative business around her.  As with most things, it is like telling someone to wear a coat when it is cold, valuable advice, though not particularly seismic. […]

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Follow The Money

November 14, 2019

Streaming is here to stay.  Check out this New York Times article about Disney’s entrance into the sphere.  Do not be put off by the rough technological start (glitchy/crashing app).  When the biggest content provider on the planet decides to go all in on streaming, we all have to do more than take notice.  Oh […]

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To What End Promotion?

November 7, 2019

As the season winds down for most creative businesses, attention turns to marketing/business building for the future.  Whether that is attending conferences, participating in showcases or doing some other form of promotion (social media or otherwise), now is the time when it all happens.  The question then is how do you decide what path you […]

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Resilience

October 31, 2019

The interesting idea that confronts all creative business owners is grit to stay true to your vision when it gets challenged.  So much attention is paid to marketing, to making the sale, even starting to work with a client in what will most certainly be a honeymoon period.  However, when tested (and you are always […]

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Scale Is Not A Magic Bullet

October 24, 2019

The inroads e-businesses have made into creative businesses have driven most creative business owners to the idea that scale — diversifying revenue streams is the only way they are going to survive.  Whether it is some sort of e-design services for interior designers, day of/month of services for wedding planning, even drop-off rentals for special […]

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