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In this first episode of season 12, Jen is talking about something we've all experienced as business owners—slow seasons. But here's the thing: these quiet moments are actually golden opportunities! She shares ideas and ways for thriving during slower months, like creating low-cost services, launching digital products, or reconnecting with past clients, invest in learning and take courses (hint: The Design Minimind), and more! Slow seasons don't get to define your business—you do.

00:00: Intro/welcome to season 12!

01:27: Upcoming freebie announcement and Info

05:25: The Design Minimind success testimonials

10:00: Diving into the episode topic - slow seasons

12:34: How to generate quick cash in slow seasons

19:36: Ways to make the best use of the extra time

25:51: Final thoughts and encouragement

Episodes Mentioned:

S8E12: Spooooky Client Stories (Round 2) with Lauren Braier

S6E12: Spooooky Client Stories

S3E9: Difficult Client Stories

Links:

The Design Minimind

• Sign up to be notified - Applications for cohort 5 opens Nov 1st, 2025

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*These are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design

Wrapping up season 11 with a fun one! I’m answering your questions straight from the inbox.

Questions:

5:03: I’m a branding designer currently and I was wondering if you had an episode on pricing brand projects with and without websites?

6:55: How do you professionally incorporate Ai into your process?

12:05: If client "A" offers 10K for a project but you're a little iffy about some portion of the project vs client "B" offers 8K for approximately the same amount of time, which do you choose?

16:39: Creative directing is a role I thought I was ready for this spring and realized quickly that I was not. Can I ask where you get your leads from?

19:39: How do you stay creative when you have multiple projects?

21:44: How can you market yourself as a Brand Designer when you’re too working on your own brand and figuring out how to establish yourself?

22:49: Best places to learn and stay up to date with trends and best practices?

27:16: What must haves should a brand designer have in their contract?

28:20: How do you look for inspiration without comparing yourself to others and making yourself feel small?

29:54: How to help your client keep an open mind during the creative process.

32:00: How to say no when clients ask extra work?

33:35: Does it ever get easy?

35:24: How do we demonstrate our value as designers in an increasingly DIY landscape?

36:47: How people deal with direct competitors to their current client reaching out for branding help in a small market?

Episodes Mentioned:

S10 E7:What Should You Charge? Pricing Survey Results

S1 E10: How to Identify Good Clients and Avoid Red Flag Clients

S10 E1: Our Red Flag List(Avoid These Clients!) with Lauren Braier

S11 E19: 5 Year Update on Motherhood & Business

S10 E5: Why, When, and How to Start an Internship Program

S8 E17: Rethinking Social Media Marketing with Xanthe Appleyard

S8 E 18: How to Launch Your Services with Kelsey McCormick

S6 E19: Turning Your Services Page into a Sales Page with Kelsey McCormick

S5 E2: Finding Creative Inspiration

S11 E11: Branding Bestie Chit Chat: Designing a Life You Love with Lauren

Links:

The Design Minimind • Sign up to be notified - Applications open Nov 1st, 2025

Connect: Facebook Community | Website | Podcast Insta | Hello June Creative Insta | The Design Minimind | The Creative Diaries

In this solo episode, I’m talking about the tools and shortcuts I use every day in Adobe Illustrator (my favorite Adobe software!) while designing for my clients. Plus, I’m sharing exactly where to find them in Illustrator and how I use them. Follow along in more detail over on the blog post while you listen! - hellojunecreative.co/blog.

00:00: Intro

03:52: Pattern Brush Tool

05:31: Duplicate Shortcut

06:27: Smooth Tool

07:39 Pattern Tool

09:21: Width Tool

10:42: Join Tool

11:47: Pathfinder Tool

12:55: Puppet Warp Tool

14:53: Recolor Artwork Tool

15:56: Outline Stroke Tool

Head over to hellojunecreative.co/blog for more tools that I didn’t talk about on the podcast in the blog post! Or go comment on my instagram post over on @hellojunecreate if you know of a tool/shortcut that you use and love that I didn't talk about!

Links:

The Design Minimind

• Sign up to be notified - Applications for cohort 5 opens Nov 1st, 2025

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*

Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto, my payroll and compliance software.*

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.*

*These are affiliate links which means I may earn a commission.

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design

In this solo episode, I'm getting real about what five years of motherhood and business ownership looks like—and spoiler alert, it's nothing like I expected when my son was born back in 2020.

With baby two now in the mix, I'm diving into how being a mom has completely shifted alongside my career. We're talking daily schedules (chaos included), managing client expectations, and Dylan (my husband) now being home full-time with the kids. Plus the financial pressures of variable income and my ongoing feelings of mom guilt.

00:45 Motherhood & Business Q&A

02:15 Daily Schedule & Family Dynamics

07:15 Managing Client Expectations & Project Timelines

09:32 Financial & Growth Considerations

12:22 Personal Development & Mindset

20:33 Client Work & Creativity

24:20 Practical Day-to-Day Management

27:52 Long-Term Vision & Legacy

Episodes Mentioned:

Bonus Episode: Navigating Maternity Leave and Scaling a Business with a Newborn

S5 E21: 2-Year Update on Motherhood and Business

S7 E22: 3-Year Update on Motherhood and Business

S10 E6: 4-Year Update on Motherhood and Business

S9 E3: Steal My Web Design Process

S11 E7: What Happens After You Design a Website?

S11 E2: How to Take(Paid!) Extended Time Away from Your Business

S11 E5: Making “The Leap” from Agency to Studio (and Balancing Mom Life) with Katie Higginbotham

S5 E14: Iterating on the One-Concept Method

S9E10: Entering a New Era of Brand Strategy with Marion Tan

S4 E3: All About Brand Strategy with Melinda Livsey

Links:

The Design Minimind / Get notified - Applications opens Nov '25

30% off of your HoneyBook subscription

1 month Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune”

Earn $100 after you run your first payroll with Gusto

Get 50% off your first year of Flodesk, my email marketing software.

(Some are affiliate links)

Connect With Us: Our Free Facebook Community | Our Website | Podcast Instagram | Hello June Creative Instagram | The Design Minimind | Join The Creative Diaries (my email list)

I’m back with another solo episode where I’m breaking down the complete Hello June offer suite and sharing why having flexible packages has been a total game-changer for the studio.

I discuss my four main package tiers, from full service brand and web combos down to essential branding offerings, plus all the add-ons that support them and how I customize each to fit the client. Plus, I'm sharing how to get valuable feedback from leads (even the ones who don't book) and why your offer suite should always be evolving.

Whether you're just starting out or ready to refine what you've got, this episode is for you.

Links Mentioned:

S11E17: How to Leverage Semi-Custom Web Design with Alex McGinness

S10 E10: How to Run a Successful (and Profitable) Design Intensive with Jenna Johnson

S7 E4: How to Structure, Price, Market, and Sell Design Intensives

The Design Minimind

• Sign up to be notified - Applications for cohort 5 opens Nov 1st, 2025

Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

Hello June Creative Instagram

The Design Minimind

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design

In this episode, Alex of Arcoiris Design Studio is back on the pod to talk all things semi-custom websites, and why it might just be the best thing for small boutique studios looking to scale without the stress.

They talk through how starting with a solid template can still lead to a high-end, unique result for clients, why not every business needs (or benefits from) a custom build, and how setting boundaries around scope and timelines can protect your time and profitability. This episode is full of helpful tips on creative direction, client communication, and finding smart ways to grow sustainably.

Whether you’re considering building a template shop, white-label web development offers, or simply want to streamline your process, this convo is full with honest insights and actionable takeaways.

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Alex McGinness

Guest Business Name: Arcoiris Design Studio

Guest Website: arcoiris.design

Guest Instagram: @arcoiris.design.studio

Links Mentioned:

S5 E23: Using Intuition in Your Design Process with Alex McGinness

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

The Design Minimind

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design

In this solo episode, Jen’s chatting all about how she’s refined and streamlined her brand and web design process to better serve both her clients and her business.

She emphasizes customizing workflows to fit different client needs, cutting unnecessary steps, and focusing on high-value tasks. Key changes include reducing client calls, minimizing lengthy brand strategy, and relying on simple, effective communication tools with her clients.

Jen also shares practical tips such as live refinement sessions, unlimited revisions within a set time frame, and delivering social-media-ready assets upon off-boarding. These process shifts have saved time, allowed her to take on more projects, all while maintaining a high-quality client experience.

Links Mentioned:

S9E3: Steal My Web Design Process

S5E14: Iterating on the One-Concept Method

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

The Design Minimind

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design, processes, brand and web design

In this episode, I’m chatting with Katie Higginbotham, previous minimind student of mine, designer, studio owner, creative director, and mom of three. We talk all about what it really looked like to make the leap from her established agency job to running her own studio.

With Mother’s Day just behind us, this convo feels especially timely. Katie shares how she knew it was time for a change, how she prepped for the transition, and what it’s been like balancing client work, a part-time role, and mom life all at once. We also dive into the honest truths, like mom guilt, chaotic schedules, and learning to protect the time that matters most.

Guest Information:

Guest Name: Katie Higginbotham

Guest Business Name: Katie Higginbotham Design

Guest Website: katie-higginbotham.com

Guest Instagram: @katie_higg_design

Connect With Us:

Our Free Facebook Community

Our Website

Podcast Instagram

The Design Minimind

Tags: designer, design, brand design, brand identity design, design studio, design business, graphic design, brand designer, better podcast, brand designer podcast, logo design, brand identity design