The Speak Easy Podcast

There’s an art to navigating tricky projects while maintaining high standards and delivering exceptional service. Whether you're navigating a tight deadline or dealing with evolving client demands, success in these scenarios often comes down to communication and trust. When tasked with a project that’s more of a sprint than a marathon, maintaining clear, consistent team communication saves time, reduces confusion, and minimizes wasted effort. In this episode, we share our strategies for leaning on strong workflows, maintaining team communication and staying client-focused to ensure a seamless experience for clients — even when things get hectic behind the scenes.

A lesson shared by many entrepreneurs and parents is this: Time is limited, and you can’t do everything all the time for everyone. Combine that truth with the knowledge that every stage of your children’s development requires an entirely different playbook of parenting skills, and it's easy to lose sight of any plans you made to intentionally showing up for all of life’s responsibilities. Pulling from our own experiences as mothers and entrepreneurs, this week’s episode explores how focusing on values over tasks can help you make thoughtful decisions about family time and foster independence in your kids. Join us as we talk through the complexity of balancing work, motherhood, and personal well-being.

Creative burnout is something many face. In this episode, we dive into how to recognize the signs and navigate through it. Whether it’s struggling to focus, feeling uninspired, or simply pushing too hard without taking time to recharge, burnout can stop creativity in its tracks. Learning the tell-tale signals that it’s time to step back and refuel not only helps you better look after yourself, but it also stops you from burning energy producing work that’s below your own standards. Whether mixing up your routine or trying a new hobby, refilling your creative tank is essential to staying engaged and productive. Tune in for practical advice on how to avoid burnout and keep your creative spark alive.

In our latest case study, we dive into Redhead’s work supporting the Community Economic Development Association of Michigan (CEDAM) on marketing for the Michigan Children’s Savings Account Network. The Network, consisting of 17 programs across the state, aims to help students save for their postsecondary education through Children's Savings Accounts (CSAs). Recognizing the marketing capacity challenges faced by program leaders, Redhead developed a comprehensive CSA Program Marketing Toolkit, complemented by instructional videos and regular tips in newsletters, to ensure effective implementation. Jen shares insights on building marketing resources that go beyond teaching skills and set clients up for success — even when time and capacity are limited. Join us as we dive into how thoughtful, long-term solutions help organizations make a lasting impact.

In this episode, we’re exploring the difference between task-oriented and objective-oriented thinking. Focusing on the task at hand may feel like less mental labor, but it's important to remember that tasks are only one part of addressing a larger challenge. By aligning your work with the larger objective, you'll not only accomplish more but also approach your tasks with greater purpose and ownership. On the flip side, there are risks to focusing solely on tasks, like losing motivation or missing key issues. Whether at work or home, taking a step back to consider the bigger picture ensures that your efforts are moving you closer to your goals. Tune in to learn how thinking strategically about your tasks can lead to more meaningful outcomes.

In this episode, we dive into the dilemma of reaching the top and wondering, "Am I done yet?" Spoiler alert: not quite. We explore that feeling of having climbed the career ladder, only to find the horizon still stretching far and wide. When you’ve hit your goals and the view from the top is fantastic, what’s next? We discuss the signs of burnout, the pressure that comes with success, and how to keep moving forward. Whether it's learning something new, mentoring others, or taking on a fresh challenge, there’s always another peak to summit. So, what’s your next move?

When it comes to video marketing, the key to maximizing reach and enhancing brand visibility is starting with a solid distribution strategy. Whether earned, owned, or paid, each channel requires a different approach to craft a video that resonates with a distinct audience. Measuring the effectiveness of these strategies is crucial to ensuring that each video effort achieves its intended impact. In this week’s case study, Karen provides listeners with a peek behind the curtain of video production and walks us through Render’s strategies for successful video distribution.

Carving out your own path as a business owner demands a little rule breaking from time to time. Whether it’s a social norm or personal directive, it’s easy for our ways of being to spiral down the rabbit hole from routine to rule to barrier to success. If you find yourself stuck in that place, it’s time to start poking holes in your modus operandi. We’ll be the first to admit this process isn’t easy 一 breaking rules is an exercise in resiliency. Routines can be comforting, but placing the rules and assumptions you operate from under a microscope allows you to uncover new approaches to old problems and hidden roadblocks. This episode, join us as we explore the lessons we’ve learned by not playing by the rules.

Marketing is a lot like starting a garden. It’s all about planting a seed and knowing that with careful planning and attention, you’ll reap the results of your harvest. Even those of us with the furthest thing from a green thumb know that you can’t plant a seed one day, then expect to be able to pluck fully grown fruit from it the next. Organic growth takes time, and just like with gardening, if you only think about your marketing strategy when you want to reap its results, you risk having little to show for your efforts. Rather than leaving development of a marketing strategy to the last minute, marketing works best when thought about at step one. This episode, join us as we break down what it means to view marketing as *the* strategy, and why this process of working backwards is a recipe for success.

When helping a municipality identify their brand, it’s not always about resident attraction. Sometimes, it’s about reminding residents of all the various amenities that can be found right outside their front door. Pulling that off is a two-part challenge. First comes the creative work of developing the identity of the brand, then comes the technical work of ensuring the brand’s visual identity and messaging are designed to remain consistent across different uses. In short, there’s a lot to consider when branding a city. This week, we’re continuing our case study series by breaking down Redhead’s recent rebranding of the City of Trenton. Located 30 minutes southwest of Detroit, Trenton needed a new brand that better spoke to the city’s offerings: a location on the Detroit River, plenty of green spaces, and numerous options for outdoor recreation. Join us as we chat about the strategy behind this rebrand and dive into the creative and technical challenges of branding a city. Read more on Trenton’s rebrand here: redhead.studio/studies/trenton

Last episode, we approached the topic of having a team of advisors from a business perspective. Having advisors in your personal life is just as important, but looking at this topic from a personal perspective brings a whole new set of considerations. Owning a business demands having multiple people on your roster to handle different issues, and the same is true for your personal life. Identifying who to turn to for what issues, and knowing the difference between needing solutions and needing to be heard, are the first steps to securing a rock solid personal counsel. This episode, we discuss what we look for when identifying our own personal advisors, and why having a paid advisor who’s a good fit is just as important in your personal life as it is for your business.

For a lot of business owners, it can be hard to let go of the idea that you can do it all. However, as your business grows, there reaches a point where you shouldn’t be doing it all, and instead should be utilizing a team of advisors. In-house or outsourced, having a team of advisors you can turn to is a necessary investment for the health of your business (and your sanity). This could look like hiring an employee who will take on tedious admin tasks you struggle to make time for, or signing a contractor to handle big picture things, like accounting or IT infrastructure, that are outside of your wheelhouse. This episode, we discuss how we built our own teams of advisors, what we trust them with, and why you shouldn’t wait for a crisis to put together your own team.

For more than twenty years, Origami Rehabilitation has trusted Render Studios with capturing the stories of those affected by neurological conditions with compassion and nuance. Through this long-standing partnership, Render has mastered carefully navigating the intersection of marketing and human stories, and the ability to find a unique angle year after year to highlight the transformative impact of Origami’s work on their patients and their families. This week, we apply a case study lens to Render’s work with Origami, and explore the intricacies of maintaining a decades-long client relationship and the creative challenges that come with it. Join us as we chat about Render’s process for delivering fresh, engaging content that remains true to Origami Rehabilitation’s mission and values and examine the conditions needed for such lasting partnerships To learn more about Render’s work with Origami Rehabilitation, check out this case study: https://www.renderstudios.com/portfolio/origami

Setting expectations for your team is a crucial task. However, in our current work environment where the playbook seems ever-evolving, that process can seem easier said than done. For many business owners in the creative industry, defining these expectations comes with a boatload of questions — what should they encompass? Which expectations are outdated, and which need to be reiterated? How do we strike a balance between flexibility and productivity? This week, we discuss where we find ourselves in this ongoing process. Join us as we explore the nuances of expectation-setting in this new era, and why clear communication is the key to getting you and your team on the same page.

Tight marketing budgets are a reality for many organizations, including nonprofits and advocacy groups. Clients like these operate with limited resources, yet they play a vital role in addressing societal issues, driving change, and raising awareness about important causes. Oftentimes, when nonprofits and advocacy organizations struggle with ineffective marketing strategies, their biggest hurdle is how they approach marketing, rather than the budget they have to do it. For mission-based organizations, their marketing strategy is the connective tissue that furthers their efforts. Whether their goal is greater visibility, fundraising, coalition building, or volunteer recruiting, a strategic approach to communication is necessary for accomplishing their mission. In this episode, we talk about the common mistakes nonprofits and advocacy organizations make with their approach to marketing, and how they can develop an effective marketing strategy, even with financial constraints.

What do you do when you want to spread the word about free money for college to quite literally every graduating high school student in the state? A large-scale public awareness campaign with some pretty creative tactics, of course. This episode, we’re diving into a case study on The Michigan Achievement Scholarship campaign — a multi-modal marketing campaign complete with videos, billboards, mailers, social media, and more aimed at spreading the word about postsecondary education funding. The Michigan Achievement Scholarship is a new source of funding launched in 2023 designed to help recent graduates from high schools in Michigan pay for college or continuing education. Eligible students could receive financial aid to attend a college or university with the Michigan Achievement Scholarship, or for a career training program with the Michigan Achievement Skills Scholarship. Alongside the client leading this drive, Michigan College Access Network (MCAN), Redhead crafted a campaign that would drive audiences to take action, and Render produced some effective videos to drive these efforts. We discuss how strategic messaging, design, and videography converged to appeal to young audiences, simplify a somewhat-dense concept and make this campaign a success. Links: The Michigan Achievement Scholarship https://getmimoney.org/ Michigan College Access Network:

Navigating the complexities of caregiving for aging parents is an endeavor fraught with uncertainty and emotion. It's a journey that often catches us off guard, forcing us to confront the profound responsibility of guiding our parents through end-of-life care. In this episode, we delve into our personal experiences with aging parents, reflecting on the hurdles faced and lessons learned. From grappling with difficult medical decisions to finding the right support systems, we discuss the steps we wish we’d taken to prepare and share the candid realities of being members of the sandwich generation.

For better or worse, sometimes we are our job, or our brand, or our leadership role…you get the picture. When you’re in a situation where your job isn’t something you put down at the end of the day and walk away from, what does that mean in terms of work-life balance? If you’re in a position where your job follows you into the other aspects of your life, it could be helpful to view your job not as your life, but rather as your lifestyle. In this episode, we talk about when wearing many hats at once means a traditional approach to work-life balance doesn’t make sense, and the benefits that come from viewing your work as a lifestyle, rather than just a job.

Founded by David Such and Larry Bass in 2008, ScrapFest is a Lansing art festival that brings together artists from around the country to compete in a scrap metal sculpture competition. Earlier this year, Karen’s media production company, Render Studios, premiered their debut ScrapFest documentary. The film highlights various artists and their sculptures from the previous year's festival, offering viewers an immersive exploration into the creative journey of participating artists. For our second entry into our new case study series, we offer a deep dive into the documentary and its filmmaking process. This week, Karen shares what the creative process looks like for such an endeavor, why ScrapFest has a special place in Render’s heart, and the rich narrative potential inherent in documenting the stories of artists.

Whether intentional or not, sometimes a client is disingenuous about the end goals of a project. For whatever reason, they are not upfront with their initial objective, and massage the creative process through nitpicking and endless revisions to achieve an end product that is decidedly different from what was agreed upon. In situations like these, it’s the job of the creative to advocate for their team, and explain to the client why nitpicking creative or playing it safe doesn’t serve their audience, and doesn’t serve their message. This is a tricky situation to be in, and it takes experience to successfully explain to a stubborn client why being upfront allows you to build them the product they need. This week, we share our own experiences with the dreaded client “bait and switch”, and break down how we work towards a successful end goal when confronted with these situations.