In this final episode of 2025, I'm reflecting on how the format of two episodes a week has been and sharing exciting plans for 2026. From hosting my first live podcast event in Cardiff to pursuing more public speaking opportunities and even writing a book, I'm opening up about my goals, my philosophy on holding plans lightly, and why I love doing more of what's already working in my business.

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, and I'd love to hear about your 2026 goals too! So please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

• Consistency Pays Off – Running both guest and solo episodes weekly since October has strengthened my personal branding and supported consistent YouTube content creation.
• Hold Goals Lightly – Sometimes better opportunities emerge than what you planned. Being flexible allowed for speaking at Adobe Max instead of the original podcast event timing.
• Goals Need Strategy – It's not enough to just set goals; you need a concrete plan and actionable steps to actually achieve them.
• Do More of What You Love – Growth doesn't require radical change. Focus on expanding the parts of your business that bring you joy and fulfillment.
• Community Matters – Whether it's self-publishing, podcasting, or building a brand, surrounding yourself with supportive people and communities makes ambitious goals more achievable.

• 0:00 – Welcome & reflecting on the twice-weekly podcast experiment
• 1:39 – 2026 public speaking goals and the live podcast event announcement
• 2:46 – Details about the February 24th Cardiff event with Gavin Strange and Hannah Isted
• 5:03 – The scary but exciting goal: writing and self-publishing a book in 2026
• 7:39 – Philosophy on goal-setting: holding plans lightly and being open to better opportunities

I am so excited to have today's guest back on the podcast after recording an episode with her a long time ago about my rejection challenge. Yes, it is Katie Chappell, who was the original inspiration for that challenge!

However, we are not talking about rejection today. Instead, we are talking all about Katie's incredible business as a Live Illustrator. Honestly, I love chatting to her; she is a total business powerhouse with so many brilliant ideas.

In this episode, we discuss how she runs her Live Illustration business, the membership and jobs board she has created to share overflow work, and how she manages her time and boundaries. I came away from this conversation so inspired, and I know you will too.

Key Takeaways:

• The pivot to online-only: Katie made the strategic (and initially terrifying) decision to stop doing in-person events and focus exclusively on online live illustration to better manage her stress and family life.
• Sharing the wealth with a jobs board: Instead of just turning down the inquiries she couldn't take, Katie created a paid jobs board on Substack to pass that overflow work on to other illustrators, creating a win-win for everyone.
• Dealing with negative comments: Katie opens up about the backlash and trolling she received regarding her jobs board and how she now views it as a "rite of passage" and a sign of increased visibility.
• The power of the decision tree: To avoid decision fatigue, Katie uses a "decision tree" managed by her assistant to automatically filter inquiries—if a job doesn't meet her specific criteria (like being online and within school hours), it goes straight to the jobs board.
• Live illustration is thriving: Despite doom and gloom in the wider illustration industry, Katie explains why live graphic recording is still a high-value, premium service that corporate clients love.
  ‌

Episode Highlights:

• 02:11 – Katie explains exactly what live illustration looks like and how she captures visual notes during events.‌
• 07:59 – How Katie discovered graphic recording in the library during her master's degree and realised it was like being a war artist, but for meetings.
• 14:26 – The moment Katie realised she needed to scale back her agency model and set a deadline to go online-only.
• 15:28 – How the "Jobs Board" was born from an abundance of inquiries she couldn't fulfill.
• 25:59 – Navigating "mild trolling" and the emotional process of dealing with negative comments online.
  ‌

About The Guest:

Katie Chappell is a live event illustrator who makes visual notes for online events. She is also one-third of The Good Ship Illustration, where she runs courses for creatives, and she manages a popular jobs board for illustrators.

You can find Katie on her website or say hi on Instagram.

Mentioned in this episode:

• The Good Ship Illustration: Katie's course business with Helen Stephens and Tanya Willis.
• Katie's Jobs Board: A Substack for illustrators to find work.
• Rich Webster: Previous podcast guest who discussed business as a self-development tool.
• Katy from Creative Boom: Discussed as someone who handles online visibility well.

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft lucylucraft.co.uk

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

In this solo episode, I reflect on my journey through 2025; celebrating the goals I achieved, the lessons I learned, and the growth I experienced both personally and professionally. From speaking at Adobe Max and launching new projects to working with dream clients and growing the podcast, I share honest insights about what went well, what didn't, and how I'm setting the stage for an even more intentional 2026. Join me as I look back on a year of progress, pivots, and proud moments.

I would love to hear all about your reflections and achievements of 2025. I hope you've enjoyed this episode. Come talk to me on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

Key Takeaways

• Progress isn't always linear. Sometimes the goals you don't achieve one year become your biggest wins the next. Keep moving forward and celebrate every step.
• The quality of your work and relationships matters more than the quantity. Focus on attracting clients and collaborators who truly align with your values and vision.
• Embrace change and be open to new opportunities. Pivoting, trying new projects, and sharing your authentic self can lead to unexpected growth and fulfillment.

Episode Highlights

• 0:56 I look back at my Instagram post from the end of 2024 and review the goals I set for that year.
• 3:11 I reflect on working with clients this year, feeling especially aligned and fulfilled by the people I collaborated with.
• 6:25 I summarize my progress on all my goals, noting that even if I didn't achieve them in 2024, I made real strides in 2025.
• 9:45 I talk about the way my personal brand has been affected this year
• 10:10 A moment to celebrate the podcast

We're in December and I am naturally getting reflective. In today's solo episode I am chatting through my business model and doing a little bit of an audit. I talk about why I've made certain decisions in my business in the way that I run it.

I hope you find this episode helpful and insightful.

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, and these solo episodes in general so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

Key Takeaways

• Intentional Small Business: Growth is focused on income and impact, not on building a large team or agency.
• Work-Life Blend: Achieving a healthy blend (not necessarily balance) between work and personal life is a priority, with flexibility and breaks built into the schedule.
• Personalized Success: There's no one-size-fits-all approach to business growth; success is about building a business that feels right for you, not following external expectations.

Episode Highlights

• 01:29: Pros and Cons of Employment vs. Freelancing: I chat through the benefits of traditional employment and explain why freelancing feels safer to me, especially after seeing redundancies in tech/design.
• 03:41: Mindset Challenges & Uncertainty: I discusses the freelancer mindset, dealing with uncertainty, and how evidence of continued work helps ease anxiety.
• 05:46: Work-Life Blend & Taking Breaks: I talk about the challenge of switching off, the joy of my work, and the importance of scheduling breaks.
• 07:32: Growth Goals: Income vs. Team Size

Mentioned in the episode

• Paul Jarvis' Book Company Of One

In this solo episode of the Building Your Brand podcast, I take you behind the scenes of one of my favorite recent client projects. I share insights into my branding process, the importance of collaboration and communication, and what I think makes for a dream client relationship. I give a candid account of how I work and what I value most in my client partnerships.

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

Key Takeaways

• Collaboration and Communication Are Essential: The most successful branding projects happen when there's open, honest communication and a true sense of collaboration between designer and client. Clear feedback and regular updates lead to better results and a more enjoyable process for both parties.
• Client Involvement Builds Confidence: Involving clients at every stage; from initial mood boards to final design tweaks, helps them feel confident in their new branding and ensures the end result truly fits their needs.
• Clarity Is Kindness: Direct, honest feedback from clients (even if it's blunt) is invaluable. It allows the designer to make the right adjustments quickly and creates a trusting and productive working relationship.

Episode Highlights

• 1:15: The client project: rebranding for Sally Webster and creating a physical journal
• 4:30: Lessons learned about the importance of communication in client work
• 7:00: The value of client collaboration and honest feedback
• 11:00: Step-by-step breakdown of the branding process
• 12:50: How to get in touch if you want to work with me in 2026

Mentioned in the Episode

• Sally Webster: Love How You Eat

If you're looking for branding or a rebrand in 2026, I am taking on new clients so do get in touch with me and we can book a discovery call

 Something that really inspires me in the small business world is how many turn their hands to teaching online, myself included. I remember teaching my very first workshop online to over 350 people around the world during lockdown and absolutely LOVING it. Since then I've taught lots more and created group courses that I'm so proud of which is why I was thrilled to chat to Patricia van den Akker, director of the Design Trust, business advisor, trainer and coach.

Patricia's worked with thousands of creatives over the last 20 years and she's recently written a book called Teaching Creative Workshops in Person and Online.

So if you already teach as part of your business or it's something that you are interesting in adding, then I think you're gonna find today's episode so, so valuable where we talk all about how to host workshops and teach really, really well.

Episode Highlights

• 05:06 Patricia shares a tip for online teaching and workshops: "launch before you're ready" to stop procrastinating, noting that getting paid increases commitment
• 11:59 Discussion on why teaching is beneficial for creative small business owners, including the reality that services are often currently easier to sell than product
• 16:59 Patricia discusses the psychology of pricing, noting that "when people don't pay, they don't value it" and that charging can actually increase student commitment .
• 30:00 Patricia outlines her framework for teaching by asking three key questions: "Why do you want to teach?", "What do you teach?", and "How do you teach?" .
• 39:56 A discussion on facilitation and the realization that often "we teach what we need to learn," and that students frequently learn more from each other than from the teacher .

Patricia van den Akker is the Director of The Design Trust, a creative business advisor, trainer, and coach. She has over 25 years of experience working with craftspeople, designer-makers, and applied arts professionals.

• Book: Teaching Creative Workshops in Person and Online
• Website: http://thedesigntrust.co.uk
• Instagram & Facebook: The Design Trust
  ‌

I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!

This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft lucylucraft.co.uk

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!