Category Archives: Business Growth Strategies

How to Grow a Creative Business: 2 Lessons I Learned from Youth Baseball

July 22, 2026 0 comments Business Growth Strategies, creative business tips, creative entrepreneur advice, How to grow a creative business, how to grow a freelance business, small creative business growth justine

Somewhere along the way, this British transplant became a baseball mum (or “mom”). My youngest son joined a rec league a couple of years ago and loved it so much he tried out for the travel team. In our two years as a baseball family, I’ve learned a few things: Kids baseball is a really long game where not a lot happens. Suffering is a choice, so the quicker you get good with that, the better. Unless you’re an experienced…

How to Stand Out as a Creative Entrepreneur: Point of View, Values, and Knowing When to Change Your Mind

May 14, 2026 0 comments Business Growth Strategies justine

I recently re-listened to a podcast conversation between Trevor Noah and Malcolm Gladwell, and it was so energizing I basically wanted to call someone and talk about it immediately. Already a huge fan of Trevor Noah’s intelligence, curiosity, and humor, I was pleasantly surprised to find I loved Gladwell just as much by the end. In their freewheeling, completely captivating conversation, they discussed Gladwell’s decision to fully rewrite—not merely update—his phenomenally successful 2000 book The Tipping Point for its 25th…

3 ways to deliver an A+ client experience (and why it’s crucial to the success of your creative business)

October 7, 2025 0 comments Business Growth Strategies justine

Have you ever had a service experience that left you feeling misunderstood, uncared for, or downright mad? I know I have! From the physician who’s always running late to the waiter with an attitude, we’ve all experienced that disconnect between what we expected and what we got. Now think about a time you were surprised and delighted. I still remember picking up my car from an autobody shop right before vacation, only to find they’d washed and detailed it inside…

How to remain relevant as an ageing creative professional

June 17, 2025 2 comments Business Growth Strategies justine

I have a few significant anniversaries coming up next year: I will have been living in the US for 30 years I will have been happily married for 15 years I will have been a business owner for 20 years I will be in my mid-50’s My first thought is, I should throw a big party to celebrate this avalanche of anniversaries. My second is that I instinctively listed them in order of significance with the least important one being…

Three strategies for managing economic uncertainty in your creative business

April 23, 2025 1 comment Business Growth Strategies justine

You know what they say (OK, what I say, LOL): If you’re in business long enough, you’re going to hit some bumpy times. It’s part of the entrepreneurial/human experience. In the last few months, several creative freelancers and business owners have told me their industry has been decimated by factors outside their control – from political policies and AI to simply aging as a creative. There are no shortage of things to keep us up at night. Yet, I’m convinced…

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

January 7, 2025 0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies justine

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…

How to Find High-Quality Clients & Get Paid What You’re Worth

September 16, 2024 0 comments Business Growth Strategies justine

I’ve seen so many incredibly talented creative professionals struggling to generate the consistent work and income they need to live the life they want. If you have the talent, desire and grit to make things happen (and I know you do!), the only thing standing between you and a profitable creative business or career are the exact steps to: communicating what you do, and why it’s of value defining who you work with, and what’s in it for them creating…

10 biz lessons I learned from throwing a birthday brunch

March 15, 2024 1 comment Business development, Business Growth Strategies justine

This past weekend I celebrated my birthday with brunch at our home. The brilliant idea to throw a party after way too long (thanks, Covid) occurred to me during a rare kid-free breakfast with my husband in a lively local coffee shop. Buoyed by caffeine, pastries, and the joy I’ve always felt about birthdays, I put together a guest list and had the Paperless Post sent by the end of the day. No going back now, it was on the…

Finding your way out of the business wilderness

October 19, 2023 0 comments Business development, Business Growth Strategies justine

We’ve all been there – the unbearable space between where you are and where you want to be in your business. Perhaps the current version of your business feels too small, safe, and limiting. Maybe you’ve outgrown your clients, revenue, and business model. Maybe you’re not even sure what your business model is (hey, there’s no shame in this game, most of us start with the default model!). You know there’s a next chapter waiting to be written – something…

Three Things

Three Things is a monthly newsletter designed to help creative professionals, founders, and freelancers get clear, stay focused, and build momentum in a landscape that’s always shifting.

Each edition includes a personal insight, a mindset-shifting reframe, and three practical, doable steps to help you build a fulfilling, efficient, and profitable creative business.

Justine Clay