Your Creative Start

Thank you so much for joining me this week to celebrate 50 episodes. It's a very special milestone for me, and to celebrate, I am thrilled to welcome Jasmine Dowling back on the show for this surprise bonus episode!For those of you who don’t know Jasmine, she’s a designer from Brisbane, Australia. She kick started her career in 2012 by creating personal design projects and commissioned work for clients. Fast forward to today, and she has made her passion into a full time gig and has worked with the likes of Nike Australia, Hallmark, David Jones, Nespresso, Mecca Brands and lots more. She also has an online store, which she launched in 2014 as a place for her to sell her art print collections. Now her days consist of shooting, styling, coffee, postal runs, ink covered hands, and editing away in her home studio. If you've been listening along since the start, then you'll know Jasmine was my very first guest on the show. I will always remember nervously emailing Jasmine, about two years ago, to see if she would be interested in being on the show. And when she said yes, I couldn't believe it. Especially because my podcast hadn't officially launched. Her support gave me a huge burst in confidence that maybe, just maybe what I wanted to create, would provide an engaging and encouraging platform to help other creatives in their own businesses and lives.And it seems only fitting to have her back on the YCS Podcast to celebrate 50 episodes and to chat about the pressures to be a girl boss. She actually wrote a blog post about this, and it really resonated with me. With social media playing such a prevalent role in how we feel, it's important that we all know we are in this together - no matter what someone’s success is, or "looks like". I think this episode, albeit recorded a couple of months ago, couldn't have come at a better time with Instagram removing like count from the app recently. And as a quick side note: As this episode goes live, you can actually still see like counts on any desktop computer. But enough about that for now.Ever since reading Jasmine's blog post, I’ve had so many thoughts whirling around in my mind so I asked her to come back on the show so we can discuss and debate the pressures of being successful and having a successful business. On today’s episode Jasmine and I chat about social media and being the next big thing, "authenticity" becoming a trend, what happens when being a Girl Boss makes the rest of us feel like failures, building a successful business and the stereotypes that come with this, defining your own success, learning to feel and know that what you’re doing is enough, things that don’t make us feel successful, why we love working for ourselves, the pressures of success and becoming of age, and as always - lots, lots moreI really hope you guys enjoy this episode, because it holds a very special place in my heart. As always, you can except lots of wisdom bombs, actionable tips and practical advice, so I advise you get your pen and notebook at the ready. FIND JASMINE DOWLINGJasmine Dowling www.jasminedowling.comInstagram www.instagram.com/jasminedowlingFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.comInstagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www

I can’t believe this is the 50th episode of the YCS Podcast! Firstly, I want to say a huge thank you for listening and supporting my podcast, and guests. As you know, it truly means the world to me. To celebrate 50 episodes, I am coming back next week with a surprise episode. So, make sure you stick around because I’ve got someone very special on the show. Now, back to this week’s YCS Podcast episode. I am so excited to introduce you to Claire Deane, from Deane and Co. For those of you who don’t know Claire – she is a marketing gun who is all for working smarter, not harder. And she is the founder of her own marketing business, Deane & Co, which is based in Brisbane Australia.I’ve been lucky to cross paths with Claire on Instagram and in the last few months, I’ve attended two of her workshops. I am a huge fan of constantly learning and skilling up, and when I went to her workshop about growing eCommerce stores – I knew I had to get her on the podcast. I am really excited about this episode because we get stuck into the nitty gritty about selling products and services online. And I know this is going to be relevant to so many of you guys. Me too with the launch of my own business, Smør Store. On this week’s episode we chat about the importance of designing a website that actually sells including designing for mobile, which platform to use, and DIY templates and website designers. Claire reveals her must have eCommerce tools for business websites, and shares her tips for attracting, and most importantly, retaining customers. Claire also shares her tips and tricks for growing your email database, and we discuss in detail packaging trends, shipping strategies that attract and retain customers, and why every business needs trust cue’s. We also chat in detail about the check-out experience, measuring and reporting, and lots, lots more. And as an added bonus, Claire has generously shared her “10 Step Checklist” to help you launch your own business, which you can download and print for free from the YCS website. This checklist provides the perfect overview of exactly what you need to do to get your business up and running. With tips for choosing your platform, to how to get your customers to hand over their cash – this checklist will help you on your way to making your very own sale. Head over yourcreativestart.com to download it for free. You’ll find it in the Podcast section of our website, under Claire’s episode.Now, back to the show. FIND CLAIRE DEANEDeane & Co www.deaneand.coInstagram www.instagram.com/deaneandcoFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.com Instagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

In the current climate of business, social media and mental health, surrounding yourself with a supportive community of peers, mentors, friends and family has never been more important. And that’s why I am thrilled to have Pru Chapman, the founder The Owners Collective on the Your Creative Start Podcast today. With over 15 years experience in business strategy, psychology and leadership development, Pru is a top business coach and strategist how has worked with thousands of clients from early stage businesses and cool start-ups, to big business. She offers a refreshing and unique mix of science, psychology, mindfulness and business savvy to a new breed of business owners who are no longer interested in confirming to the status quo. So, on today’s episode Pru and I chat about how the community around you can make or break a business, the effects of isolation, gaining traction and social proof, fighting fear and feelings of inadequacy in business, how to find the best business coach for you and your business, the power of positive, confident thinking, what a business coach costs, what you can do if you cant afford a business coach right now, auditing your own community, getting conscience about who is in our community, and lots, lots more.FIND PRU CHAPMANOwners Collective www.theownerscollective.comInstagram www.instagram.com/ownerscollectiveFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.com Instagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

I am thrilled to have Stevie Dillion from Stevie Says Social on the YCS Podcast today. A former lawyer turned social media marketer, Stevie has had an incredible career that has seen her work in London and Australia. She’s worked with some of the biggest brands in Australia, including Red Bull, and has experienced the power of good socials and a strong content marketing strategy, that completely transformed the big businesses she worked with. But on the other hand, she saw small businesses spending their time on the wrong things – obsessing over the tools and followers, but ignoring the strategy side of social whilst struggling to stand out. It became her mission to change that, and Stevie Says Social was born. Now, we all know social media is obviously a great platform to grow a brand, connect with a desired audience, and sell services and products. But how do we exactly do that? This is why I’ve got Stevie on the show this week. Her specialty is educating passionate small business owners to lift their social media game with thoughtful strategies so they can build a profitable business they love. She says, “if you’re not having fun – you’re doing it wrong”.On today’s episode Stevie and I chat about whether or not Instagram is a great space to launch a brand, the most important thing you need to launch a business on social media, how you find and create the best community for your business, tips for building a great newsletter database, strategically using a blog to grow your community, how you actually launch a brand on Instagram, how many followers you should have before you launch, what things should we do to build a genuine following who will buy from you, tips for creating really, really good content, Instagram stories and how we should use them, working with Influencers (and no they will not solve all of your marketing problems), and lots, lots moreRemember to sign up to the Your Creative Start Podcast newsletter for more actionable advice and wisdom bombs, as well as secret episodes! When you sign up, you’ll also receive a Getting Started Checklist - for FREE! Sign up here.FIND STEVIE DILLONStevie Says Social www.steviesayssocial.comInstagram www.instagram.com/steviesayssocialTalk To Me Social Podcast www.instagram.com/steviesayssocialpodcastFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.comInstagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

Sometimes you need help expressing who you are and what you do, and that’s why I am so excited to have this week’s guest on the Your Creative Start Podcast this week. Her name is Anita Siek and she is the founder of Wordfetti, a copywriting haus  who don’t do normal write. Yes, if that last bit didn’t sound exactly right, then head over to Anita’s witty website and you’ll see why. An ex-corporate ex-lawyer turned professional copywriting wordsmith, Anita just has this clever yet super relatable way of grabbing your attention that’s warm, honest and sometimes quirky, and that’s why she’s in top demand from her clients, and has a waitlist for those wanting to work with her and her creative team. What stands out most for me is that Anita is passionate about the phycology of writing, and how it shapes our behaviours. I have always loved how writing creates an emotional reaction in people, so I am excited to dive into this episode and divulge all of the wisdom bombs, actionable advice and practical tips Anita shares about copywriting and how it can make, or break, your business. But don’t worry, with Anita around, she’ll make sure copywriting only makes your business better for you, and your clients and customers. On this week’s episode, Anita and I chat about nontraditional career paths, exploring what you love through side gigs, the importance of good copywriting for business when you are trying to sell something, understanding the importance of language, creative copywriting and strategic copywriting, where you may need copywriting assistance (and it may not be where you expect), brand voice, cutting through a sea of similarities, brand bibles, budgeting for a copywriter, investing up your own copywriting skills, tips for crafting great copywriting, writers block and lots more. FIND WORDFETTIWordfetti www.wordfetti.comInstagram www.instagram.com/wordfettiFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.comInstagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

Realising a vision, and turning it into a brand new business, with no customers or social media followers is quite daunting. It’s certainly no walk in the park. It takes a good story, persistence, a strong vision, attention to detail, resilience, consistency, useful content, perseverance, attracting the right audience, a little social media knowhow and a sprinkle of magic, which in my opinion is doing what you love. So that’s why I’m completely over the moon to have my friend and interiors expert Chelsea Bennie from Hello Trader on the show today. She was one of the first people I connected with when I moved to the Sunshine Coast, and she had a big part in making our wedding look stunning last year! Just over a year ago Chelsea launched her dream and her vision, a true extension of herself - Hello Trader. Fast forward to today she has amassed a cult following of 60,000 likeminded fans and customers on Instagram. Her retail store is thriving and her online store is going nuts. In fact, I don’t have any friends who haven’t made a purchase from Hello Trader. On today’s episode Chelsea and I chat about realising your vision, turning your vision into a business, developing the vision for your business on Pinterest, steps to opening a physical retail space, sourcing products, managing inventory with Shopify, POS, and TruckIt,  building a product website for future expansion, tips for opening an online store, collections and working ahead, setting up a business with no capital, staying true to your vision, creating hype, launching with an event, managing the juggle, learning not to overcommit, and lots more.“I am a very visual person and created the business from pictures; my vision was very strong.”“You just know. You just know in your gut. When starting a business and it feels right, you have the fire burning and you keep pushing forward and have the passion for it, you just have to do it.”FIND HELLO TRADERHello Trader  www.hellotrader.comInstagram www.instagram.com/hellotraderFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.comInstagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

This episode is dedicated to my friend, Jayne Pappin.Welcome back to Part Two of my inspiring conversation with Fabienne Costa, the founder and CEO of YCL Jewels.  The response to Part One of our conversation has been completely overwhelming in the most positive sense of the word. It's so inspiring to see many of you resonate with Fabienne’s honest journey and revelations about the truths of running her own business. I also want to say a huge thanks to all of you who reach out on social media to let me know about your own struggles and how this episode has helped you. This is the very reason why I started this podcast, and it warms my heart knowing it's doing social good. Now if you haven’t already listened to Part One, go back and do so now. And as a little reminder for those tuning in for Part Two, six years ago, Fabienne left the comforts of her job as a nurse to pursue her dream of jewellery designing, and along the way, she has ridden many deep lows and beautiful highs, is unashamed to admit she was actively failing in the first two of years of her business. Yet, Fabienne has learned to steady her emotions and because of this, she has come out on top. On today’s episode, Part Two, we chat about the beautiful highs and beautiful lows of running a business, learning to build emotional steadiness over time, mental health in business, changing the way we communicate with ourselves, tips for building resilience, changing the language we use, dealing the mental load, surrounding yourself with the right people, storytelling for success on social media, a good website and photography is the most important asset of a business, knowing the right time to advertise on Instagram, learning how not to get swept up in the social media numbers, working with influencers the right way, books we’ve recently read, and lots more.- - Now just quickly, before we dive into this week's episode I wanted to let you know there won't be an episode coming out next Tuesday. I am taking a little holiday and the YCS Podcast will be back with a new episode on Tuesday 18th June. FIND FABIENNE COSTAYCL Jewels  www.ycljewels.com Instagram www.instagram.com/ycljewelsFabienne Costa Instagram www.instagram.com/fabienne.yclFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.comInstagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

This is by far, one of my favourite episodes I have recorded on this podcast, and I am so excited to share this honest, raw and revealing conversation with you about the truths of running your own business. This week I chat with Fabienne Costa, the founder and CEO of YCL Jewels. This woman has been in business for six years; leaving the comforts of her job as a nurse to pursue her dream of jewellery designing, she has ridden many deep lows and is unashamed to admit she was actively failed in the first two of years of her business. Yet, in face of all this adversity, Fabienne has come out on top. She is a strong, passionate, and deeply profound woman filled with vision, creativity and wisdom. I fell head over heels in love with Fabienne throughout this conversation and I will forever honour this woman for all that she is. I actually got goosebumps listening to this conversation again. Because we ended up speaking for over an hour and a half, I have decided to split this episode into two parts. On today’s episode, Part One, we chat about switching careers and making the transition into pursuing your passion full time with confidence, actively failing, living our most profound and purposeful life, maintaining newness in a product business, marketing a creative business, building hype for a new collection, investing in your brand with intention, creating content that touches the lives of people, the importance of business mentorship, managing to “do it all” when you first start out, dealing with self doubt in all phases of business, failures and success, and lots more.FIND FABIENNE COSTAYCL Jewels  www.ycljewels.com Instagram www.instagram.com/ycljewelsFabienne Costa Instagram www.instagram.com/fabienne.yclFIND YOUR CREATIVE STARTYour Creative Start www.yourcreativestart.comInstagram www.instagram.com/yourcreativestartPinterest www.pinterest.com/yourcreativestartSoundcloud www.soundcloud.com/yourcreativestart

Welcome to Episode 43! I am super happy to have one of my favourite humans, and our resident nutritionist,  back on the Your Creative Start Podcast this week, Bec Miller from Health With Bec. For those of you who don’t have the pleasure of knowing Bec just yet, she has a Bachelor of Science Nutrition, is a Clinical Nutritionist, is obsessed with picking apart the science of food and health, and de-bunking common health and diet myths. She specialises in weight loss, food and lifestyle practices that are totally up to date and unique to what you may have tried before. I worked alongside Bec during my own weight loss journey after having Dusty, and I lost a staggering 20 plus kilos in the lead up to my wedding last year thanks to her ongoing support. She’s continued to help me stay healthy with her personalised meal plans and reset plans. I also know a lot of listeners have since worked with Bec on their own personal journeys after listening to her on the podcast, and are thrilled with their change in lifestyle, the way they experience food and their results. She truly is an incredible human. Now for those of you who may not be familiar with  Bec, head back to Episode 30 where we talk about Managing Stress and Episode 26 where we talk about Fuelling your creativity with nutrition. Her episodes are some of the most listened to, so I know you are going to get stacks out them. I wanted to get Bec back on the show to chat about energy because it’s my word for 2019 and I want to arm all of us with the tools we need to ensure we are optimising our creative thinking and producing great work, without overdoing it or burning out. So on today’s episode, Bec and I chat about why energy is so important, how we can positively and negatively impact our energy levels, how energy affects our thinking, optimising creative thinking, tips for dealing with the mental load, foods that can increase and decrease our energy, exercise, habits and routines, the afternoon slump, sleep and sleep deprivation (especially for parents), and she also reveals a few exciting things she is working on this year. Enjoy!www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.yourcreativestart.com/donatewww.instagram.com/yourcreativestartwww.healthwithbec.comwww.instagram.com/health_with_bec

Welcome to Episode 42 and Part Two of my conversation with Mel Carrero. For those of you who don’t know Mel, she is the PR and Marketing Manager at Spell & The Gypsy Collective. She has the dream job, and it feeds her passion for creativity, photography, travel, music and fashion. But don’t let her dream job fool you – she is the hardest working woman I know.  If you haven’t listened to Part One, otherwise Part Two might not make sense! Working for one of the most successful fashion brands in Australia is no easy feat; it requires a lot of creativity, energy and strategic thinking. And after I saw her speak at a League of Extraordinary Women event in Brisbane a few months ago, I was very keen to get her on the show to find out more about this amazing woman.On today’s episode, Part Two, Mel and I chat about working with influencers and how that landscape is forever evolving, how Spell embraces influencers as part of their exclusive Spell family, sustainability and shaping the fashion industry for the better, the evolution of Byron’s culture, and lots lots more.www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.yourcreativestart.com/donatewww.instagram.com/yourcreativestartwww.spelldesigns.comwww.instagram.com/melcarrero_www.instagram.com/spell

This week I am kicking off Season 5 with a woman who inspires me in many, many ways. Her name is Mel Carrero and she is the PR and Marketing Manager at Spell & The Gypsy Collective. I also drop a BIG announcement in the first five minutes of this episode so get ready...! Yes, she has the dream job. It feeds her passion for creativity, photography, travel, music and fashion. But don't let this dream job fool you - she is the hardest working woman I know.If you've been listening to the podcast for a while now, it'll come as no surprise that Mel and I spoke for almost two hours. Everything she had to say was just so damn insightful, inspiring and interesting. We chatted in depth about content creation, PR, design and marketing at Spell. We also spoke about influencers for brands and how that landscape is forever evolving, as well as Spell embracing influencers as part of their Spell family. We also dove into sustainability, as well as the evolution of Byron's culture.Because we had so much to talk about, I will be splitting this episode into a two part series. One today's episode, Mel and I chat about creating content that sells a brand as well as beautiful, useful content that tells a story, user generated content and getting featured on Spell's Instagram platform, strategic content mixes and collection drops throughout the year, marketing and social media planning, and lots lots more.As always you can this to the YCS Podcast on the Apple Podcast app, Stitcher, Soundcloud or wherever else you tune into podcasts. For the show notes, simply click the link in our bio. I can't wait to hear what you think about this episode - I happen to think it's electric! #YCSPodcastwww.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestartwww.instagram.com/melcarrero_www.instagram.com/spell

Welcome to Episode 40, which also happens to be the last episode of Season 4! This week is a continuation of my chat with Tess Robinson from Smack Bang Designs last week where we dive deep into ways you can Market Your Business. If you haven’t already listened to Part 1, episode 39 then I highly recommend you do right here. For those of you who don’t know Tess and what she does, Smack Bang Designs is a boutique creative agency based in Sydney, Australia. They are the creative force behind many brands you know and love. Having worked with the likes of Pampa, P.E. Nation, The Vista, Elle Effect and Fella Villas, it’s no wonder they’ve got a line-up of brands waiting to work with them. On today’s episode, we chat about how social media can grow your business, strategies to grow your community on Instagram, best times to post, advertising on social media, how to manage the juggle, being a new working mum, marketing systems and processes, mapping out a marketing plan, how to use marketing to launch a business, managing the money, mentors, knowing what to charge, and lots more.www.smackbangdesigns.comwww.instagram.com/smackbangdesignswww.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestartThis episode is proudly brought to you by Cash Full Stop. Elevate your relationship with money by signing up to their new "Love Your Money" online program. If you’ve ever wanted to have a better relationship with your money, then this is the course that will help you achieve that. Visit Cash Full Stop to learn more. 

I know I say this each episode, but I am genuinely over the moon to be speaking to my guest this week, Tess Robinson from Smack Bang Designs. I have been a fan of her work for years and have always wanted to meet her, and getting her on the podcast has been a huge career highlight of mine. She’s just so damn nice, and clever, and funny. For those of you who don’t know, Smack Bang Designs is a boutique creative agency based in Sydney, Australia. They are the creative force behind many brands you know and love. Having worked with the likes of Pampa, P.E. Nation, The Vista, Elle Effect and Fella Villas, it’s no wonder they’ve got a line-up of brands waiting to work with them. Offering brand strategy and identity, digital, publication and packaging design and creative direction, photography, videography and copywriting – there really isn’t anything Tess and her team can’t do.We had so much to chat about so we decided to split this episode into two parts. On today episode, Part One we talk about growing your team, creating a great culture for your team, mistake management, setting time aside for marketing, word of mouth is king, reputation and relationships, investing in branding, providing value through copywriting, blogging for your business, creating in batches, seo for blogging, newsletters and eBooks.www.smackbangdesigns.comwww.instagram.com/smackbangdesignswww.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestartThis episode is proudly brought to you by Cash Full Stop. Elevate your relationship with money by signing up to their new "Love Your Money" online program. If you’ve ever wanted to have a better relationship with your money, then this is the course that will help you achieve that. Visit Cash Full Stop to learn more. 

I am so excited because today I get to speak to one of the most truly creative, kind hearted, business savvy women I know – Kelly Thompson. I have been wanting to get her on the show for ages now and I am so excited we this episode is happening. For those of you who don’t know Kelly, she is a fashion photographer who has evolved into a hugely successful illustrator and has been published around the world. As her work became in demand, he soon found herself working full time as a freelance artist, being invited as a guest speaker at popular creative events, and collaborating with fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. Basically, living the dream. She is the founding director of Maker’s Mgmt, a creative consultancy and illustration agency based in Melbourne that has worked with leading brands such as MAC Cosmetics, Nike, Apple, Pepsi and Maybelline. She is also the founder of Makers Mrkt, a platform where artists come together to sell their makery – including ceramics, jewellery, art and paper goods. On the YCS Podcast we speak about collaboration over competition – a topic we both feel super passionate about. But that’s not all. We also talk about being an artist and an artist manager, starting your own business partnership and how to end a business partnership, ways in which creatives can work together and support each other, the pressures of being a girl boss, the pay disparity between women and men, money and how to get comfortable talking about it, negotiation tips, payment terms and quoting.So, strap in everyone, this episode is going to leave you thinking differently than you ever have before.www.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart

Welcome to the YCS Podcast Q&A episode. As you would have noticed, throughout Season 4 I have been asking you to email me your burning business questions. And this is the episode where I answer them. I get a lot of emails and Instagram Messages from you guys asking for business advice, and I can’t always answer them in as much detail as I would like, so I thought this would be a great format to do so. You’ll also hear the questions other creatives need help with, and hopefully, you’ll be able to apply these in your own life and business. Needless to say, the response has been overwhelming so I’ve chosen to answer five questions that I think will be most relevant to all of you with topics including keeping a positive business mindset, marketing tools to help attract sales and new clients, faking it till you make it, knowing what pricing strategy to use and what to charge, the comparison trap, how to build your tribe instead of finding a mentor, photography, blogs, newsletters and social media, how to get your first client, mentoring yourself and lots, lots more.www.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart

In business, has anyone ever said you to “you’re so lucky” and it leaves you, well, a bit offended or stumped? If so, this episode is for you. This week on the YCS Podcast I talk to my friend and colleague Madeline Rawlings from The Binding about a topic we are both super passionate about – “It’s not luck, it’s hard work”.Before we dive in, let me tell you more about Maddy – aka the designer behind many of the brands you love. Maddy and I actually first met through Instagram when I moved to the Sunshine Coast a few years ago. It was a mutual love and appreciation of each other’s work that forged our friendship. I have been so lucky to work with Maddy across several client projects and her creativity and outlook on life and business for such a young woman never ceases to amaze me. For those of you who don’t know Maddy, she’s a graphic designer and is now based on the Gold Coast. She launched The Binding in 2016 when demand for her graphic design work grew. She’s a passionate and positive creative who is obsessed with bringing a business to life through thoughtful designs and collaborates closely with likeminded, niche creatives to deliver projects for clients worldwide. Today on the episode, we chat about true self, how luck has nothing to do with hard work, how to respond to people when they say you’re lucky, tips for actually doing the work, decision making with intention, the comparison trap, what life is really like behind social media, passion over potential, how to attract new clients and customers, and ways in which you can create your own luck in business – big hint…lots of hard work. Yup, it’s a big episode jam packed with lots and lots and lots of wisdom bombs. Now before we get stuck into the episode, I am delighted to let you know that Maddy has created a “Decision Making with Intention Worksheet" which you can download for free from the YCS website. Simply head over to yourcreativestart.com/podcast and download the checklist from Maddy’s episode show notes. Not only is it beautifully designed and should sit on your wall at home, it’s also highly thought-provoking and gives you the tools and guidance you need to make decisions with intention and clarity. Ok, let’s get started. www.thebinding.comwww.instagram.com/the.bindingwww.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart

Today I have the absolute pleasure of chatting with Sara Crampton, the founder of the hugely successful style blog Harper & Harley and the online fashion store The Undone, which have both just celebrated their 10th and 2nd birthday! I've had the privilege of knowing Sara for many years as a friend and it’s been an amazing experience being able to see her businesses grow online. For those of you who don’t know, Sara is one of the pioneering style bloggers in Australia. Launching Harper and Harley in 2008, she’s carved a niche within the “less is more” philosophy across fashion, beauty and lifestyle. An expert in social media, blogging and online, not only is she a specialist in her field but she’s had the pleasure of working with some incredible brands including Estee Lauder, Nike and Gucci. And if that wasn’t enough of an adventure, she launched TheUNDONE in 2016. An online shopping destination for the effortless minimalist, the store is an edited e-boutique catering for the “less is more” style approach that the Harper and Harley brand has become renowned for. On today episode, we talk about blogging and how to stand out from the crowd, how to use social media to grow you blog and business, what it’s really like juggling two businesses, growing an online business and the marketing strategies she uses including SEO, the rise of AfterPay, packaging, postage and photography, and lots, lots more. www.theundone.comwww.instagram.com/theundonestorewww.instagram.com/harperandharleywww.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart

For some of us, our passion and purpose in business is obvious and clear. But for many of us, finding our passion and purpose doesn’t come easily. And when you’re thinking of launching your own business, it certainly doesn’t help when there is so much competition and clutter around. Quite frankly, it can get quite overwhelming and many of end up putting off our business ideas for fear of failure and self-doubt. Which is why I am really excited to have Kate Dalton, the founder of Mayde Tea and Mayde Space, on the Your Creative Start podcast today to share her thoughts on how you can find the clarity to do what you love. For those of you who don’t know Kate, she is a clinical naturopath and nutritionist and holds a Bachelor of Health Science. Kate is passionate about all areas of health, particularly women’s health, digestive condition and nervous system ailments. Her business Mayde Tea was born out of a deep love for the natural healing properties of plants, and has blossomed into an organic herbal tea company based in Byron Bay. Today on the podcast we talk about what you should be looking out for to help you find your passion and purpose, if we are destined to do one thing or many things in life and business, tips for helping you find your passion and purpose, hobbies vs. side hustles, starting slow, how to maintain doing what you love, motivation and upskilling, brand values, routines and boundaries, resetting and cleansing mantras, connecting with other likeminded people, business tools, and lots, lots more. www.maydetea.comwww.instagram.com/maydeteawww.instagram.com/katemaydalton_www.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart 

I am so excited to introduce you to Carly Willoughby-Rolls, otherwise known as the Minimalista. A recovering anxious, over-thinking perfectionist, turned calm, content, imperfect minimalist, Carly is all for living a life you actually love, and one that’s a hell of a lot less complicated. She’s is a life coach who helps ambitious, modern women ditch busy, clutter and overwhelm, by helping them get more done in less time, and showing them how to thrive in their own business and life. Today on the Your Creative Start Podcast I have the pleasure of speaking to Carly about recognising the signs of needing to live with less, simple tools, tips and tricks that you can put into action today to help you live with less, what you can do in your business to get more done in less time, the minimalist mindset, decluttering tips and not just decluttering the material items in your life and business, dealing with self-doubt and the comparison trap associated with social media, and ways you can be a minimalist without spending money. www.minimalista.com.auwww.instagram.com/minimalista.com.auwww.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart

After receiving so many requests to get Jasmine back on the show, plus wanting to chat with her about so many aspects of running a business, I am thrilled to have Jasmine Dowling back on the Your Creative Start Podcast. For those of you who don’t know Jasmine, she’s an illustrator, designer and content creator and is known for her freehand typography, love of flowers, all things beauty, and crisp photography. I really wanted to chat to Jasmine about Money Mindset today because she is one of the most innovative thinkers I know – so buckle in, this episode is going to blow your mind. Now I know Money Mindset is something that affects every single one of us no matter what stage in the business journey we’re in. So today on the show we get stuck into the nitty gritty details of money and talk about factors that contribute to a good (and bad) money mindset, the stigma surrounding talking about how much we earn and spend, tips for shifting towards a positive money mindset, surrounding yourself with a great financial team, tips for transitioning a side hustle into a full-time gig, sustaining and growing your earnings, productivity, and we chat about the time spent on things that directly make money, and the things that don’t. Now, before you head off Jasmine has a gift for you! If you’ve been following along on Instagram @yourcreativestart, then you’ll know she has very kindly created a FREE “Freelancer Finance Checklist and Tip Sheet” which you can use in your own business.It is jam packed with actionable tips and advice to help you get your finances in check, and to help you create your own positive money mindset. To download Jasmine’s “Freelancer Finance Checklist and Tip Sheet” and print for free, simply head over to yourcreativestart.com/podcast and click on today’s episode show notes. www.jasminedowling.comwww.instagram.com/jasminedowlingwww.yourcreativestart.com www.yourcreativestart.com/podcastwww.instagram.com/yourcreativestart