Category Archives: Business development

Are you at an inflection point in your creative business?

Inflection points in a creative business or career are as inevitable as they can be difficult to navigate. Often accompanied by a unique blend of terror, fear, and potential, inflection points can be motivating at best and utterly paralyzing at worst. There are 101 (and then some) ways inflection points can show up in a creative business or career. Maybe: The way you’ve always gotten business is no longer working.  You’ve experienced a shift in your personal life e.g. a…

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3 ways to turn your website into your #1 sales tool (without an expensive re-brand!)

A couple of years ago, I started to get that professional itch. You know the one: you love what you do, but feel ready to up the ante a bit (or a lot). My immediate thought was “I need to re-brand.”  I started a Pinterest board of websites and brands I loved, started to think about who would do my branding (one of the perks of my job is I know the best creative talent). I thought about hiring a…

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Rocket fuel for your business 🚀: Finding the right community!

When I think back over nearly two decades 😲 of being a business owner, I realize one thing has been true in every stage: I’ve always achieved more, gained clarity on my value and offerings, made friends, and made more money when I’ve been part of a solid community of business owners. Over the past 15 years, I’ve participated in: A four-person accountability group that met monthly (come rain, shine, or snow) at a NYC diner to talk about business,…

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3 ways to be more proactive in your creative business (and why it matters!)

I was speaking to a new client yesterday and she shared that her overwhelming wish for her business in 2025 was to approach it with more intention.   Can you relate? I know I can! I think it’s such a relatable goal because being a creative freelancer or business owner often feels like reacting to things in the moment and doing the best you can. It reminds me of a “fun” game my kids played for a while.  It involved them…

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How to navigate challenges as a creative freelancer

I’ve always loved to read. Whether I’m looking for inspiration, guidance, support, or to walk in the shoes of a character, far from my lived experience, I often find exactly what I need (even when I didn’t know it!) in the pages of a book. Different times call for different books and right now, I’m re-reading Pema Chödrön’s When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times. Despite its rather ominous title, Chödrön’s comforting voice encourages us to see fear…

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3 ways to manage boredom in your creative business

Do you ever feel bored in your business? A desire to shake things up, pivot, or overhaul the whole kit and caboodle? I know I do. After all, entrepreneurial traits include a desire to engage in multiple disciplines and a higher tolerance for risk. How could we not get bored sometimes? While we may not like it, boredom can be a good thing because it can be a precursor to change. A feeling of not being challenged enough (booooring!) can…

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Creative Freelance Services Guide: 5 Pricing Models

“How do I price my services?” As a business coach for creative freelancers and business owners, this is one of the most common questions I receive from folks who have hit a wall with their current pricing strategy and know that if they’re going to be more profitable and grow, something’s gotta change! Why Is It So Hard To Price Creativity Anyway? I understand this is such a ubiquitous problem. Pricing something as subjective as creativity is challenging for multiple…

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How to start (and finish) a big creative project

What creative ideas, projects, or initiatives are you hatching right now?  Why do I ask? Oh, because if you’re a creative freelancer or business owner, I know you’ve got a thing or two (or twelve!) rolling around in your head. Tell me I’m wrong! So, how’s it going? If your answer is a mixed bag of excitement, excuses, and self-doubt you’re in good company (ask me how I know! ). One of the big ideas I’ve been kicking around/down the…

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The best business plan for creative entrepreneurs and agencies

If she could have climbed through the screen and hugged me, I think she would have! Naomi (not her real name) had signed up for a 90-minute laser coaching session to review her creative business launch.  She was gung-ho and willing to do whatever it took, but writing a traditional business plan was slowing her down (not to mention bringing her down!). “Why do you need a business plan?” I asked. “I don’t know. I thought you had to have…

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3 Ways Creative Freelancers and Entrepreneurs Can Get New Clients

Whenever one of our kids complains about how unfair life is, my husband invokes one of his blues music heroes, Buddy Guy “If you don’t think you’ve got the blues, just keep living.”    Booms and busts, bubbles and recessions, medical advancements and pandemics – if you’re lucky to be in this game long enough, you’re going to have to contend with the blues!   I’ve personally navigated 3 recessions as a business owner (2001, 2008, and 2020). Is it fun?…

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