StartUp Creative - Your go-to source for straight-up business advice

We’ve all been there, staring at our phone trying to come up with the perfect caption on social media, or reading and re-reading that one paragraph that just doesn’t feel quite right. We all want punchy copy and words with a strong message that resonates with our target audience, which is why I’m so happy to introduce you to the wonderful Ash Chow. She’s a launch strategist and conversion copywriter for online entrepreneurs who want to sell their digital products on repeat. I can attest to Ash’s incredible word slingin’ ability having used her services with StartUp Creative. Today we chat about Ash’s journey having pivoted, learnt, and grown within her own business model to creating the right copy that will set a standard of who you are and what you do in a punchy, straight to the point message.

Looking back on 2020/21 there have been many changes to the way that we do business, some by choice others as a result of ongoing restrictions. The world will not go back to 'normal' so it is vital that we recall what we have learnt throughout the ever-changing business environment and begin to implement new ways to safeguard, protect and preserve your business for the new landscape unfolding before us. In this episode, I suggest some ways in which we can reflect on the lessons learnt and make plans for the new year. •what were the biggest learnt for small businesses during and post the global pandemic •what can we expect moving forward •how can we best prepare to face sudden changes and uncertainty moving forward   If you’d like to join our Business Coaching Academy for more trainings and resources you can do so here https://startup-creative-coaching-academy.mn.co/landing?space_id=6207311  

What’s your flow state? Are you waking up on Monday morning, crunching hours, and feeling exhausted with the amount of work you think you need to do? Or, are you putting your focus on tasks that feel right for you at that moment? Today I wanted to discuss with you the whole idea of timing and getting into a manageable and comfortable flow state. Sometimes we can be so hard-hitting, fast-moving, and embrace a more masculine side of our energy, other times we embody the more feminine, floaty, and gentle side. In order for us to continue growing our business and ourselves, we must find the perfect mix of these two sides. I wanted to share with you two personal stories of divine timing. Of wanting something so badly but not having it work out for you, to one day having the opportunity present itself in a way you least expected it. I want to encourage you that if you’re creating something right now and it’s not happening, tune in to yourself and see what flow you need to get into to let it come to fruition. I’m really excited to share with you some information about the StartUp Creative membership offering which I chat a bit about at the end of this episode. Enjoy, K. x

If you’re looking for a story of resilience and holding firm to your dream, this is it. It’s an honest account of what it takes to make a dream a reality no matter what the obstacles may be. Sheree is a friend and colleague in the female business space and the founder of One Roof, an online community platform for women with 450 members across Australia today. Sheree shares her story from such an authentic and truly honest perspective and really puts it all out on the table for us. She’s a self-proclaimed “dive in without thinking and deal with the consequences later” type person, and she’s doing such an epic job of it. We chat about her beginnings in the cooperative world and feeling like a total fish out of water, not knowing what her true career identity was and finding her passion in wanting to close the gender gap for women in the working world. Once she took a deep dive into the wonderful work of startups, Sheree found herself starting co-working spaces from an Airbnb and a building about to be demolished to then raising $1 million to start her own co-working space in Melbourne. Sheree’s business was growing quickly, and I really respect her for putting one foot in front of the other and really following the energy of her business. At the end of this podcast, we get a few tips from Sheree on how to find the right investors for your business, pivoting when you no longer align with what you had previously set out, and managing your mental and physical wellbeing through the ups and downs of your business.

You guys know that I’m obsessed with change research and theories, and recently I came across a research article from Stanford University that does a deep dive into how people make changes in their life and stick to them. The paper theorizes the different ways we can implement change and what it really takes to set and achieve a dream or goal in our lives-self-belief. It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your business right now. If you can have a level of self-belief that you can and will bring your new reality to life, that’s the most important thing you can take into your business today. It’ll ensure that no matter what you come up against, you will have the ability to persist and self-reflect on what needs to change and keep finding a way to move forward. I end this episode with 3 of my own tips on self-belief and a friendly reminder that you can do this if you continue to visualise that future, cultivate it every single day and go after it. Find the article here. Self-efficacy: Toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1977-25733-001

I’m so very excited to share this podcast guest with you today, they’re an author, creative coach, consultant, and legendary content creator, Jerico. I absolutely love the content they put out and was so excited to immerse myself in their honest and raw story about tackling limiting beliefs, imposter syndrome and their hot take on ‘purpose’. Jerico, an OG at Girlboss recalls a time when they were working their butt off, pouring every ounce of creativity into projects that weren’t their own and only at a point of physical exhaustion and illness, realised that they had to start taking themselves as seriously as they took their job. Jerico makes some real points about designing your career around your personal values and beliefs and not being steered by your mouldings of the past. We chat about that funny little lie we’re sold in society, that you go to work, work hard and do what needs to be done to pay the bills until you ask yourself, what is this all for? But it’s not until you truly envision what's possible doing the things you love and being paid for it, that you turn around and push yourself even further, put in those extra hours, do the study and take on the freelance work to finally make your own dream work

Burnt out. Uninspired. Resentful and Bored. Whether you’re there now or have been there in the past, we’ve all felt it. Today I want to talk to you about zooming out and why it’s so important to work on your business and not in it and get you feeling motivated and inspired again. We all have that ideology implanted in our heads that if we aren’t hustling, we aren’t being productive enough. But as important as it is to hustle, it’s just as important to pump the breaks, sit down, bouncearound ideas and generate creative input. We must learn to zoom out of our analytical mind while we’re wearing the many hats within our business and step into our creative dreaming space of innovation and collaboration. This episode provides tips on how you can input your brain with creative inspiration and resources outside of your industry, learning to be okay with your never-ending to-do list and how to tell when it’s the right time to zoom out of your business

This week I am so honoured to have the very first Queen to grace the Startup Creative soundwaves, the talented and wonderful Timberlina. My conversation with Timberlina was so insightful and hilarious, from chatting about her first experience on stage in NYC doing the splits in the middle of a dance-off, getting wigs delivered to the work office on a construction site to using a little bit of liquid courage to email pubs and clubs in small rural towns to hireher bingo show. We chat about how she was never really a part of the gay scene, but started to connect and learn moreabout the community once she took on the glamorous persona of Timberlina. Her story is a beautiful example of flowing into your natural qualities and truly hustling and not letting ‘no’ get in the way of your dreams. She is breaking down barriers in small-town communities and educating people about the drag community by being inclusive, having a good laugh, and a lot of fun. Timberlina shares some really epic business advice on how to start your creative side hustle and how you can kickstart your drag career by staying true to who you are and aligning yourself with people and companies who embody you and your brand

This episode is a little pep talk to get you out of that funk you’re in. Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Did you know that 92% of people don’t achieve their new year's goals? It’s really not a surprise, because implementing change and new habits is hard and most people who set out to achieve something don’t achieve it on their first go. You’ve probably been sitting there dreaming up these incredible plans and writing out your goals yet you struggle to push it over the line. Today I chat about the 5 steps of change and provide you with some hacks to overcome your limited beliefs and how you can continue visualising your end goal to get you to where you want to be. Remember to keep riding the momentum of those dreams and goals that make you feel good.

I’m honoured to have a fellow Kaylene on the podcast this week to chat about her journey and the story behind the incredible start-up, WAH WAH Australia.  Kaylene is truly a woman of many talents and is the creative mind behind the niche knitwear brand that strongly reflects her passions and personal ethos. Her brand collaborates with artists, musicians, and the likes creating sustainable and high-quality knitwear made to order.  Kaylene shares her journey through Fashion School and how she gently shifted towards starting WAH WAH, chipping away and taking small steps to ensure her brand was completely in alignment with her beliefs and lifestyle.  The story of WAH WAH is an incredible start-up story and is filled with such wisdom and insight. I’m really excited to share it with you guys, enjoy!

If you’re looking for a mini motivation masterclass, you’ve come to the right place. I’ll start by saying that it’s totally normal to struggle with motivation for your business! Just like your business ebbs and flows, so does your drive to kick those goals or knockdown daily tasks. Today I chat about Autonomy, Mastery, and Purpose and how these 3 words will guide you to check-in with yourself, re-activate your motivation and come back to a sense of purpose.

This podcast has been in the making for a long time and it's a bit of a free therapy session. Dr. Marion is a creativity coach and copywriter who is obsessed with exploring what it means to live a truly creative life and I’m really excited to share her wisdom and experience with you today. Dr. Marion is incredibly passionate about research and creativity, and towards the end of her academic journey she honed in on her interest towards Spiralling Up and the concept of Post Traumatic Growth. We discuss how daily creativity engagement can assist in bolstering against life’s adversities, the 5 areas in life where Post Traumatic Growth shows up and how to activate the strategies when you notice your stressors arise. This episode is followed by a free downloadable workbook with journal prompts for you to delve deep into your own business glow up.

What are you feeding your brain? Right now, we’re living in a time of turbulence and uncertainty. It feels as though everyday there’s a new opinion to digest as though we’re stuck in a circulating door of thoughts and emotions. This episode is a friendly reminder to check in with your energy field, what are you allowing to be omitted into your frequency and how are you shaping your reality? During these moments where we feel as though we don’t have much control over anything, it’s important to check in with what’s real to you, and take back control of your own universe.

Declan & Jono grew up as neighbours in Byron Bay, living and breathing the surf/skate lifestyle from their early years. Their love for fashion and design had kickstarted when they began screen-printing tee’s for bands in the early days of the Byron Bay hardcore music scene. Today, Afends is known as one of Australia’s most loved clothing brands and are leading the way for the future of the sustainable fashion industry. At the beginning of 2021, they chose to make the shift to using 100% certified fibres in all of their garments and have just recently bought 100 acres NSW to begin the process of growing their own hemp, with the dream of one day manufacturing their garments locally in Australia. Today we chat about their first conversations about their brand and developing the Afends name, their ethos, the financial process of begging and borrowing in the early years, to launching their first retail store to tie in their business with their lifestyle. Declan & Jono live and breath their passion for sustainability, not just in their own brand but changing the stigma behind hemp based products and fibres. They’re 100% committed to choosing integrity over the easy option and are constantly learning new skills to continue showing up for their brand and loyal customers.

What it's really like to leave your 9-5 and leap into your own business? On today's episode I caught up with a good friend of mine and recent freelancer, Daisy Clementine who has just launched her own business, Relate & Meditate.    Daisy shares her career journey from high school to working for herself, the real-life feelings of leaving the comfort of her job and starting her own business and shares practical tips, tricks and advice on how to transition from a job to working for herself. 

In today’s episode, I got to chat with Ellen, an incredible artist and has worked with clients like Adidas, Disney, Facebook, Instagram, Nike, and so much more. She’s so humble and generous for sharing her story with us today.    For those of you wondering, can I make money out of this? Whether being an artist or designer or anything. Ellen shares an honest story of what it took to get her into a full-time artist position with incredible clients. This is an amazing example of someone who’s gone before us and done it and gives us hope that other people can do it. Ellen will tell us what she did and how she got to where she is today. She gave lots of amazing tips but I think what stood out for me in this episode is somebody who had this dream and had a goal and went after it.    Turning passion into a viable business 4:47 Ellen’s story 6:30 Sacrificing and taking risks in order for dreams to become realities 20:00 Creating balance 22:40 Ellen’s tips on burnout and lack of inspiration 29:20 Her coaches and mentors 36:20 Building her personal brand 51:30  

Today I have Amie McNee on the podcast again. We will get real about the human side of being a creative and running a business and running a business where people expect a lot from you.   Being of service to yourself and others Creating boundaries within ourselves Getting back into the healthy boundaries and relationships Being your authentic self Comparison as a roadmap and as a struggle Give yourself grace

I’ve got to interview a practitioner that I’ve been working with and her name is Leah Simmons. She has just recently created her own healing modality/beautiful practice that I have been attending called Kaaiaa. Leah is going to tell us the story and a little bit of insight into the power of this class because it means all the people around the world will be able to access it soon. What I love about Leah’s story is the combination of all of her life experiences from being a DJ in London to going on a spiritual journey. Leah’s a mom and recently designed this Kaaiaa practice which for me is like a game-changer, it’s a mix of the ultimate morning routine. It’s an hour-long class, it’s a mix of breath work, disintegration technique, and meditation. She has designed this beautiful practice and I love this because it’s a sign of somebody who has channeled and tuned in and found their purpose and their passion and design something that’s unique and different. It’s been amazing to see her class flourish as somebody who is designing something uniquely hers and I think as a result of that, it will always be successful because it is an extension of herself. Leah is also an inspiring and motivational person. She says some great insights into us as humans and what we’re working through as a human experience. Something that I’ve learned over the years and experience in this class is in business we often find that we have to push ourselves to this new level, we have to beat procrastination and overwhelm, and inaction. Going to a class like this, it’s this physical experience of pushing yourself to a new level. Today we’re going to hear about Leah’s story and her journey and some incredible insights into a full integrated practice for our physical, spiritual, emotional self and how that can relate to doing good business as well.

In today’s episode, I have a brilliant chat with a brilliant business mind and her name is Steph Taylor. Steph and I worked together in a coaching capacity a few years back now. She’s been on the podcast when she was doing more social media in her business, coaching, and training.  Steph has recently pivoted her business to do launches, online courses, and teaching people how to make passive income through that business. Steph is brilliant at this, she’s a really hard worker, she has carved out her perfect business model. We share really good insights into boundaries in business. Steph has incredible insights and tips on how to say no and charge what you’re worth and stand behind what value you’re offering your clients. She shares some insights into how much to give for free, how to do an online course, I quiz her on some of the FAQs I get when people come to me and ask me in setting up passive income and she shares what it takes to get that set up in your business. She shares honest and beautiful insights into how she had to shift and change her business and what it’s like for her, the sacrifices she had to make, and what she is now offering, doing, and bringing to the world in a very successful way.

This topic I’ve been wanting to share for a while because it is something that I am passionate about in my business. I’m actually doing a talk coming up with One Roof, an online coworking membership program based in Melbourne. If you are interested in having an online community of networking and coworking and talks, you can check out One Roof and use the discount code: startupcreative and you’ll get 50% off on membership for a lifetime. I’ll do a teaser content for you called How to 10x Your Business. Why I love this topic is because it can be relevant no matter what stage of your business you’re at.