Seriously in Business: Brand + Design, Marketing and Business

You've put time and effort into your branding. So why does it still feel a little... off? I walk through the 5 most common design mistakes I spotted after reviewing 50 brands that business owners had built themselves inside Canva (some of these will surprise you!)They're the kind of mistakes that are easy to miss when you're the one who made the design, and they're the kind of mistakes that tell potential clients you're not quite ready for them, even when you absolutely are.Free Canva Masterclass: Design Tools to $100k 👉 https://www.whitedeer.com.au/designmasterclassWhat’s covered:The mindset shift that changes how you approach design entirelyWhy low contrast text is one of the most common readability trapsThe body text alignment mistake that makes your designs harder to process than they need to beWhy too many fonts isn't just an aesthetic issueHow to check whether your design actually works on mobile before you hit publishWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/YngSbaj_o5oRead on the Blog: https://whitedeer.com.au/ep283/WORK WITH JACQUI:// DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb// The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub// Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio

I've been in Ellie Swift's mastermind for years. And I'll be the first to say: I didn't see it coming as a business model for myself.But Ellie was the one who, at the right moment, said "Jacqui, have you thought about running a mastermind?" And that conversation changed the trajectory of my business. My Co+Creation Design Club now brings in just as much, if not more, income than my online course, which I've been running for significantly longer.So in this guest interview, we're going deep on the mastermind model.Free Guide to Sell Out and Retain Mastermind Clients in 2026: https://ellieswift.com/free-guide-the-6-strategies-that-sell-out-and-retain-mastermind-clients-in-2026/ In this episode, we cover:What a mastermind actually isThe 5 C's framework Ellie uses to build a mastermind offerHow to know if you're ready to build a mastermind (even with a small audience)Why your clients might get better results in group format than 1:1What it takes to scale a mastermindThe retention conversation nobody talks about enoughTimestampsIntro 0:00A Day in the Life: Balancing Business & Motherhood 02:42My Experience Inside Ellie's Mastermind 07:08What Is a Mastermind? 09:53Overcoming the Fear of Group Coaching 14:44Are You Ready to Start a Mastermind? 18:49The 5 C's of Creating a Premium Mastermind 21:11The Math behind the Mastermind Model 27:35How to Scale: Building a Sales System That Works 31:38Retention: The Key to Sustainable Growth 38:37Your Next Step If You're Considering a Mastermind 43:03Wrapping up 47:20ABOUT GUEST:Ellie Swift is the Mastermind Expert & Business Coach for 6 and 7 figure coaches, mentors and consultants creating scalable freedom®.As an ex corporate marketer turned CEO, Ellie has become the go-to for people starting and scaling their masterminds through her program, The Mastermind Model™. She also runs her own mastermind, The Scalable Freedom™️ Mastermind, where she shares her 10 years of expertise in online business, and hosts the The Scalable Freedom Show podcast, with over 300+ episodes available to binge.Ellie spent a decade working in marketing in London, Sydney, and Perth, achieving her goal of Head of Marketing Strategy by the age of 28 before making the transition into her business. She built to a 7-figure business in the first 5 years and has supported her clients as they’ve built 6, multi 6 and 7-figure businesses, created six and multi-five figure launches, tripled their income and completely transformed their businesses (and lives!) using mindset, marketing & strategy.Ellie’s mission is to support coaches, mentors and consultants create businesses with a mastermind as part of their offer suite that generate results for their clients and creates the freedom they most want.She has been featured in a range of media, including Success Magazine, Medium, Mamamia, Thrive Global, Smart Company, The West Australian and as a guest on more than 100 podcasts.CONNECT WITH GUEST:Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@elliehswift Podcast:  The Scalable Freedom Show - https://thescalablefreedomshow.buzzsprout.com Instagram: @elliehswiftFree Download: https://ellieswift.com/free-guide-the-6-strategies-that-sell-out-and-retain-mastermind-clients-in-2026/ Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Ys8kNWtgzroRead on the Blog: https://whitedeer.com.au/ep282/WORK WITH JACQUI:// DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb// The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub// Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio

If you've ever stared at a blank Canva file wondering how other business owners post consistently... this podcast is for you. I get into one of the most underrated tools for business owners who want to show up on social media without losing their minds: templates. Not boring, cookie-cutter templates. Actually strategic ones, built around the kind of content you post, the assets you have, and the audience you're trying to reach. I also tackle the moment you start to get sick of your own brand, and why that's actually the signal that it's working. Free Canva Masterclass: Design Tools to $100k 👉 https://www.whitedeer.com.au/designmasterclass Have your branded templates created by us in our studio: https://whitedeer.com.au/studio What’s covered: What most people get wrong about templates The 4 things to consider before you build a template so you don't waste time on designs you'll never use Why you need to ignore the voice in your head telling you to change everything up The mix that works: curated designed posts vs. authentic, selfie-style content, and why you need both Your 2 options on how to get branded templates for your business Timestamps: Intro 0:00 The elephant in the room 1:40 Consider your posts 5:52 How often are you posting? 10:19 What is in your posts 11:14 PSA 14:55 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ak-ji4qugeI Read on the Blog: https://whitedeer.com.au/ep281/ WORK WITH JACQUI: // DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb // The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub // Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio

If you've worked with White Deer in any capacity, you've worked with Vanessa. You just might not have known it. This week's podcast is a proper introduction to Vanessa, my senior designer and co-coach inside both DIY Design My Biz and The Co+Creation Design Club. She is honestly the person holding a huge part of this business together. I've mentioned her a hundred times without ever sitting down and telling her story properly, so that's what we're fixing today. We talk about how a one-line text message turned into a 3 year working relationship, what it's actually like inside the studio day to day, and what changes while I'm on maternity leave. Book a branding/design package with the studio 👉 https://whitedeer.com.au/studio Sign up for the Co+Creation Design Club 👉 https://www.whitedeer.com.au/club Take a peek into the DIY Design my Biz course 👉 https://www.diydesignmybiz.com What’s covered: How Vanessa ended up working with my studio Why hiring a friend is risky... and why it worked anyway Vanessa's design background and how she landed on graphic design as a career The client project that changed how Vanessa trusts her own instincts What's changing in the studio while I’m on maternity leave Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oxUdyc_mzHg Read on the Blog: https://whitedeer.com.au/ep280/ WORK WITH JACQUI: // DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb // The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub // Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio

Are you using ChatGPT to create graphics for your business? I get it, it feels like the dream. You tip in your details, out pops a flyer, and you get to move on with your day. But in this podcast, I'm sharing something that might make you rethink that workflow... because what AI is spitting out for you might actually be quietly pushing your clients away. I've been doing some anecdotal research on this: running Reels, reading comments, talking to people... and what came back genuinely surprised me. Everyday people, not just designers, can spot an AI graphic. And when they can? They're less likely to trust the business, engage with the content, or even show up to the event being promoted. That's a big deal. This isn't about going anti-AI. I use AI too (mostly for writing, because that's not my strongest suit). But I do want to share why using it for your graphics specifically comes with some real costs, and what I'd actually love for you to do instead. Free Canva Masterclass: Design Tools to $100k 👉 https://www.whitedeer.com.au/designmasterclass Reel on AI: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DZtwYV8IuCG/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==&igsi=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== P.S. This video was recorded before the Instagram update that flags content as “AI” even if only Canva’s AI features like background remover was used. What’s covered: Why people can spot AI graphics more than you'd think, and what they do after The "same same" problem: why AI content is blending into the scroll What ChatGPT gets wrong about good graphic design The 3-step Bot-to-Brand Method for graphic design How to use AI for brainstorming designs Timestamps: Intro 0:00 The hidden cost of AI graphics 3:36 The research I did for this podcast 3:52 How people are reacting to AI graphics 5:00 Telltale signs of an AI flyer 7:34 Bot 2 Brand Method 9:08 Wrapping up 18:00 Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/keXApew9yeQ Read on the Blog: https://whitedeer.com.au/ep279/ WORK WITH JACQUI: // DIY Design My Biz: The best course for business owners DIYing their own brand and graphics in Canva. Learn more: https://whitedeer.com.au/diy-dmb // The Co+Creation Design Club: Design WITH the help of a professional designer in this high-touch coaching space: https://whitedeer.com.au/designclub // Design Studio: If you’re after fully done-for-you design services my studio team can help! https://whitedeer.com.au/designstudio