The Busy Creator Podcast with Prescott Perez-Fox

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The Big 100! A Live Meetup Event with guests Rashan Casseus & Gabby Wallace Jan 17, 2017

Show notes

That went quickly! Listen in to our live event where we commemorate 100 episodes of The Busy Creator Podcast and remark on the journey. This event was a crossover with the New York City Podcast Meetup, recorded at Small City Co-working space in Brooklyn. Joining Prescott on stage are musician Joaquin Cotler (@ShinyIslands), UX designer Rashan Casseus (@rcassues) & video publisher/entrepreneur Gabby Wallace (@GabbyAWallace). Together we discuss daily practice, creating projects and nurturing them over time, and our own experiences with podcasting. Get The Episode Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 100 (MP3, 1:07:53, 32.7 MB) Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 100 (OGG, 1:07:53, 35.9 MB) Subscribe to Get New Episodes Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes, on Google Play Music, on Android, on iHeart Show Notes & Links Small City co-working space in Brooklyn Joaquin Cotler, musician, journalist, composer of The Busy Creator Podcast theme song Paul Shaffer, Clark Terry, Questlove — late night talk show band leaders through the years New York City Podcast Meetup Joaquin has appeared on The Busy Creator Podcast episode 41 John Lee Dumas & Kate Erickson, guests on TBC episode 50 "It's a great time to go to Puerto Rico if you already have a lot of money." —Joaquin Cotler Tweet This Creighton Mershonn & Jessi Arrington, proprietors of Small City and past guests on TBC ep 92 Vector Media Group, our default host of the NYC Podcast Meetup Nick Spriggs, partner at Vector, guest on TBC ep 91 New York City Podcast Meetup is one year old New York City Podcast Meetup on Twitter New York City Podcast Meetup on Facebook Prescott removed Facebook from his phone, sleeps better The Busy Creator Podcast made it to 100 episodes — they’re all here Jonathan Coulton, and his Thing A Week podcast project JoCo Cruise, featuring Aimee Mann, et al "Busy is a four-letter word." —Prescott Perez-Fox Tweet This “Busy Beaver” is an English-language idomatic expression MIT’s mascot is Tim the Beaver, nature’s engineer Tim The Beaver Buzz The Busy Beaver is the mascot of The Busy Creator Podcast, but not modelled after Prescott #HumbleBrag, a definition The Busy Creator Podcast started as bi-weekly, went up to weekly, then returned to bi-weekly Bi-Weekly vs. Fortnightly vs. every-other-week, semantics TBC by the numbers: 3 years, 106 episodes (including B-Sides), 98 unique guests, 15 single-topic episodes, 4 monologue episodes TBC by the numbers, best single day downloads: 567, 11 January 2017 TBC by the numbers, best monthly downloads: 10,148, November 2016 TBC by the numbers, lifetime downloads: 103,279, as of 16 January 2017 Marc Maron’s show received nearly 750,000 downloads in 24 hours when he interviewed President Obama Casper Mattresses, not a sponsor #TBC100 and #NYCPodMeet to see photos from the event Rashan Casseus, NYC native, FIT Grad, currently a Senior UX Designer Rashan & Prescott met at a fan meetup for Keith and The Girl R & P participated in The Cinnamon Challenge The Ice-Bucket Challange, The Mannequin Challenge, etc. Ice Bucket Challenge Emeril Lagasse "I make digital tools easier to use." —Rashan Casseus Tweet This "UX is the thought process of how a human being gets from point A to point B." —Rashan Casseus Tweet This MailChimp, and their mascot Freddy Disembodied Monkey Hand, the name of Joaquin’s new punk band Microcopy, the words around the site on buttons, short messages, etc. Eat24, and their “hungry” shopping cart 90Elm, Rashan’s cousin’s t-shirt company User Stories, User Interviews — tools of planning a site Sayba Naturals, Prescott’s mother’s soap brand Squarespace, also not a sponsor "Websites are never finished, they are only abandoned." —Prescott Perez-Fox, paraphrasing Leonardo da Vinci Tweet This "Your website is done when you run out of time, or when the client says 'I want it up now'." —Rashan Casseus Tweet This Museum of Arts and Design, NYC Gabby Wallace, YouTube producer, teacher, online marketing coach — hates headphones! Keith Richards Gabby defines herself as a creator. Simple. "I create something every day. Most day, many things." —Gabby Wallace Tweet This Prescott & Gabby met at Podcast Movement 2014 Gabby was a podcaster, has moved back to YouTube. GoNaturalEnglish, a video show to learn to English Friendtor, teaming up with people of complementary skills Adrienne Stortz, Katie Quinn, cooking video producers in Brooklyn Matt Cremona, woodworker "I reject all that quality and editing because it takes forever!" —Gabby Wallace Tweet This Keytar Gilmore Girls, and the revival, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life Gilmore Guys podcast The Town Troubadour from Gilmore Girls Joaquin attended CUNY J-School, earning a Master’s in Multimedia Journalism Atavist, easier to use than Squarespace or WordPress Roots on The Record, Joaquin’s graduate project speaking to musicians and Marian McPartland’s Piano Jazz Marian McPartland, 1918–2013 The Nerdist Podcast Alicia Witt, and her episode on The Nerdist The 101, traffic magnet in Los Angeles Studio 360 Kurt Andersen Ashley Milne-Tyte, previous guest on TBC ep 8 WBAI, the liberal talk station which plays Latin Jazz Ray Barretto "Way more fun than playing music is listening to other people play." —Joaquin Cotler Tweet This The Busy Creator Podcast is switching from bi-weekly publication to a seasonal format 9 Habits of Highly Creative People Zapier, upcoming episode for season.next Hulse Durrell, upcoming episode for season.next Vancouver Olympics New brand and website for The Busy Creator coming in the spring SASS (Syntactically Awesome Style Sheets), better than CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) Rashan Casseus on Twitter Rashan Casseus on Facebook Rashan Casseus on Instagram Rashan Casseus on LinkedIn Gabby Wallace on Twitter Gabby Wallace on Facebook Gabby Wallace on Instagram Gabby Wallace on LinkedIn Gabby Wallace on YouTube Joaquin Cotler on Twitter Joaquin Cotler on Facebook Joaquin Cotler on Instagram Joaquin Cotler on LinkedIn Joaquin Cotler on YouTube Tools Jira Slack Squarespace Google Docs Atavist Techniques Name buttons on websites in an intuitive way; say “conclude” or “done” Consult a designer even when using a templated system like Squarespace Take team outings as a way to get to know each other Post a common planning document to keep your team accountable Share your core message; if you don’t have it defined, go back to square one Mix your “main bit” with casual, less rehearsed pieces When discussing an “album”, call it a “record” to be more generic Habits Keep your skills up with family and community projects Find the intersection of your creation and what people need Post helpful content and videos; people will ask for your help Constantly learn from others via podcasts, videos, blogs, books, etc. Return to a consistent format to avoid rehearsal SaveSave

Full show notes at the publisher

There and Back Again, Craig Ward Discusses Joining A Large Agency After Years of Successful Solo Practice Dec 30, 2016

Show notes

Craig Ward (@MrCraigWard) is a designer, art director, typographic artist, and author currently living in Brooklyn, NY. A UK native, he came to New York in 2009 shortly after being selected as an ADC Young Gun.

As a solo act, Craig created projects for Adobe, Squarespace, Calvin Klein, Google, Nike, and host of other large brands across entertainment, fashion, media, and consumer products. Lately, he’s rejoined the agency world.

In this conversation, we discuss the culture clash between a large company and a solo practice, the economics behind design (large and small), and where agencies can still innovate in spite of their size.

Catch up with Craig on his personal website, Words Are Pictures.

Cover photo by Jonathan Pilkington.

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 99 (MP3, 47:06, 22.8 MB)
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Show Notes & Links

Prescott and Craig have been pals for several years due to the NYC design scene
Joaquin Cotler, a guest on The Busy Creator episode 41 and composer of the theme music
Craig is ok being called a “designer & art director”; he’s also directed music videos and earn other titles by action
Solo practitioners are a “one-man army” due to their multiple facets
The US O-1B Visa, for people, like Craig, “who possesses extraordinary ability in the sciences, arts, education, business, or athletics, or who has a demonstrated record of extraordinary achievement … and has been recognized nationally or internationally for those achievements …”
How a Bill Becomes Law

"Solo practice is very liberating, but brings its own problems."

—Craig Ward

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"When you work for someone else, you can spend almost 100% of time working on projects. For yourself, it’s maybe 50%."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"When freelance work became my full-time job I suddenly had free time."

—Craig Ward

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Popular Lies About Graphic Design by Craig Ward on Amazon
Craig’s first solo show

"I didn’t think at all about the financial aspects of solo work."

—Craig Ward

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Grey advertising

"Big agencies are designed to spin wheels."

—Craig Ward

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"If you’re a creative person, you’re not supposed to be good at business stuff."

—Craig Ward

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Intellectual Overhead vs. Property Overhead: anxiety, distraction, etc. rather than dollars

"When you work solo the highs are higher, but the lows are lower."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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“Make hay while the sun shines” and other farming metaphors
Pentagram
Eddie Opara, digitally-savvy partner at Pentagram
Douglas Davis, previous guest on TBC

"In so many ways it’s a holiday to have a team."

—Craig Ward

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"At a certain point, agencies stop being creative companies and start being corporations."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Denise O’Bleness

"Clients get the work they deserve."

—Denise O'Bleness

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Deutsch

"The answers are not found in the office."

—Craig Ward

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"Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity."

—Seneca

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Mother, an agency which has Design and Advertising within it
The Shadow Cabinet, in Parliament
Skunk Works

"The barrier to entry to experimenting is lower than ever."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"I worry that I’m spreading myself too thin, but I’d rather have a go than not."

—Craig Ward

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Extrude nodes, chamfered edges – jargon of 3D printing and modeling

"We ran out of stuff to talk about … so we had a kid."

—Craig Ward

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"Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

—Pablo Picasso

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"There’s real beauty in an eclectic team."

—Craig Ward

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Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE)
Craig Ward on Twitter
Craig Ward on Instagram
Craig Ward on Facebook
Craig Ward on LinkedIn

Tools

Maya

Techniques

Use your “free” time for other long-term projects, like writing a book
Keep “swiftness” in mind; build momentum at the start of projects
Take on an agent to help even out the workloads
Encourage your team to get out of the office and see things around the city
Create a job number for excursions so you can track it; give yourself a time-budget per month
Visualize your projects internally, and sketch when you have an idea in mind

Habits

Be a “restless creative”, always be making something
Aim for one fully-fledged, start-to-finish project in your portfolio per year
Allow for Unconventional Inspiration (one of The 9 Habits of Highly Creative People)
Build in separation between your home and work life; force a commute and specific hours

Going Hollywood, How Brittany Cormack Thrives as a Costume Designer Amid the Madness of Show Biz Dec 13, 2016

Show notes

Brittany Cormack is a costume designer for film and television. Following her training in fashion and dance, Brittany arrived in Los Angeles without a clue how to work in the movie business, but has since found her groove. She works primarily on independent films, commercials, and music videos, but every day is an adventure.

Work has taken her from frozen mountains to coastal swamps, and everywhere in between. In this conversation, we discover how movie sets work, what happens when everyone is freelance, and where to build habits even during crazy periods.

Catch up with Brittany on her IMDB page or Portfolio.

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Show Notes & Links

Gilmore Girls are back
Brittany and Prescott went to college together, danced together
Brittany is a costume designer for film & television
The difference between costume and fashion is that fashion is meant to sell; costume helps build a character

"Costume is the head-to-toe of a person" —Brittany Cormack

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Costume should be part of the conception, not merely production
Upstairs-downstairs, the term for important vs. non-important people
Above-the-line/Below-the-line, terms in film (also advertising) to describe the most visible and important duties

"Each set and each project has an energy of its own." —Brittany Cormack

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"Every first day of shooting is like the first day of school." —Brittany Cormack

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Caste System, even on a movie set
On the set of Planet of The Apes, people will sit together based on their costumes
Grips
The Gig Economy

"You have to be a little half-crazy to work in this industry." —Brittany Cormack

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Grey’s Anatomy, currently in season 13
Contracts for short films or commercials are usually under 2 months

"If you’re ever looking for work, just plan a vacation." —freelancers’ adage

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The Hollywood Model, where a team is built for purpose, then disbanded
Sandy Powell, costumer designer on Cinderella

"In LA or New York, you can get anything if you have the money." —Brittany Cormack

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Standard days of filming are 10-14 hours

"I only want to tell stories that I feel matter." —Brittany Cormack

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Aristotelian Logic (Logos, Ethos, Pathos)
Lexiconical Gap in English for “happiness” in the context of a career (in Danish we have arbejdsglaede)
People Magazine Investigates
Long Island Serial Killer, 2011

"If you want to be a true collaborator, you’ve gotta be willing to be a team player." —Brittany Cormack

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Scandal (a Union show)
Non-Union people can’t touch the clothes
Greensmen, Set Decorators, Painters — keep away from one another’s jobs!

"If there’s a hat, you’re gonna wear it!" —Brittany Cormack

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“Taking Meetings“, a common practice in Hollywood
"You’re only as good as your last job." —Hollywood adage

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Brittany uses Instagram strictly for work (no cats, no food!)
Brittany Cormack’s portfolio
Brittany Cormack on IMDB
Brittany Cormack on Facebook
Brittany Cormack on Instagram

Tools

Paper & Pencil

Techniques

Build a backstory for all your characters beyond what’s on the page
Keep track of everyone who owes you money
Call your “guy” when you’re in trouble
Stay around people, be inspired by them (as well as books)

Habits

Keep a positive, collaborative attitude above all
Use a billing software tool to track your invoices
Document your work on social media to stay current

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get Hollywood Stories: Short, Entertaining Anecdotes about the Stars and Legends of the Movies by Stephen Schochet as a free audiobook

SaveSave

Practical Typographic Advice and Building an Education Business Alongside a Design Firm with Michael Stinson Nov 28, 2016

Show notes

Michael Stinson (@MWStinson) is a veteran designer, educator, and business owner. In addition to his work as a professor of graphic design, he also runs Ramp Creative, a branding studio in Los Angeles, as well as Type Ed, a dedicated typographic education business which helps creative pros return to form in the fields of typesetting and layout.

Together in this conversation we unravel some of today’s worst typographic habits, and how to overcome them, share a few tips that all creatives can use to improve their type usage, and discuss some processes for working with clients.

Catch up with Michael on his website, MichaelStinson.com, or through Type Ed.

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 97 (MP3, 52:40, 25.4 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 97 (OGG, 52:40, 22 MB)

Subscribe to Get New Episodes

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes, on Google Play Music, on Android, on iHeart

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Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp, Group Efforts Made Effortless.

Show Notes & Links

Michael is the first person from Los Angeles to join The Busy Creator Podcast
Ramp Creative handles a lot of variety — digital, print, mobile
Type Ed is an Education Organization, founded 2012
UI/UX design has eroded traditional type study
High School scribbles are largely typography
Michael was taught both ends of the type spectrum — hand lettering and typesetting (3 words or 300)

"I'm not training you to be designers; I'm training you to be Creative Directors some day."

—Michael Stinson

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Phonetics
Whiskey Labels, an underrated technical as well as artistic challenge

"Everyone likes to do logos but wordmarks are extremely challenging."

—Michael Stinson

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Chronicle Books
Typography for Lawyers, great site for anyone, not just lawers

"Designers these days don't like process. They want to jump to making it look good."

—Michael Stinson

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"If you get your process in place, you can design anything."

—Michael Stinson

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Michael is a former Aerospace Engineer; Prescott studied Mechanical Engineering
Prescott — in spite of the hyphen in his last name — doesn’t like to use hyphens in his paragraph text

"Imagine if you're reading War & Peace in all caps — how far would you get?"

—Michael Stinson

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Milton Glaser’s Bob Dylan poster
Bob Dylan by Milton Glaser
Michael was accepted to study Physics at Berkeley, but received scholarships in Art

"The beauty of graphic design is that it works both sides of the brain."

—Michael Stinson

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Additive & Subtractive Colours
Lithographic printing
Calculus
Ramp Creative is 2 principals and 1 designer

"If you follow the right words the path will take you to the promised land of the visuals."

—Michael Stinson

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Different methodologies — layer cake vs. pay-as-you-go
Lots of Jewish families in New York City worked in the garment industry

"You're an actor, you're a leader, you're an entrepreneur, you're a psychologist, you're a therapist ... all at the same time."

—Michael Stinson

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Building Brands, a Step-By-Step Guide for Creative Pros to Develop Strategy and Design Identity — original eBook by Prescott Perez-Fox
Building Brands eBook

"You're not going to use a crescent wrench for a hammer. Right tool for the right job."

—Michael Stinson

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"Never stop noticing design."

—Michael Stinson

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The most stringest morning routine ever described on The Busy Creator Podcast was that of Michael Bierut
Reading in The Brain by Stanislas Dehaene on Amazon
The Intellectual Devotional by David Kidder & Noah Oppenheim on Amazon and on Audible

"Type isn't all about the characters themselves, it's about the space they take up and the negative space that's left."

—Michael Stinson

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Michael defines himself as an introvert
Douglas Davis, another educator to appear as a guest
Cat Rose discussed creative introverts on The Busy Creator Podcast
Type Ed
MichaelStinson.com
RampCreative.com
Michael Stinson on Twitter
Michael Stinson on Facebook
Michael Stinson on Instagram
Michael Stinson on LinkedIn
Type Ed on Twitter
Type Ed on Facebook

Tools

Techniques

Use Tables in InDesign for grid-based layouts (restaurant menus)
Build type hierarchy from the body copy up (subheads, etc.)
If you’re setting more than 35 words, don’t use All Caps, Italics, Centered
Don’t be afraid to use hyphens, but with discipline. (e.g., don’t use hyphens in the first line)
Don’t use more than 13 words on a line (left-aligned), or 7 words on a line (centered)
Aim for 50-70 characters per line (type size in points x 2 = measure width in picas)
Don’t build websites in Photoshop — it’s not made for layout

Habits

Keep the reader in your mind. Think of them first.
Always take clients through a verbal discovery phase first before visuals
Give your print partners multiple files — flattened, outlined, original files, native links, etc. — make their lives easier
Constantly observe and comment on design around you

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get The Intellectual Devotional Modern Culture: Revive Your Mind by David Kidder & Noah Oppenheim as a free audiobook

Becoming a Multi-Faceted Creative, and The Movie-Making Process with Filmmaker & Podcaster David Power Nov 14, 2016

Show notes

David Power is a multi-purpose creative pro based in Brooklyn, NY. Since moving to New York, he’s worked in music recording & production, written several business books, penned screenplays, and helped write and perform in comedy films. His latest project is a podcast documentary of how a feature film is made.

Our conversation covers creative practices and routines, as well as the often-nebulous world of film & video, including how to collaborate on a script and using crowdfunding to launch projects at scale.

Catch up with David on his website, DavidPower.com, or through his show, SureFirePodcast.com

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 96 (MP3, 44:01, 21.3 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 96 (OGG, 44:01, 24.9 MB)

Subscribe to Get New Episodes

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes, on Google Play Music, on Android, on iHeart

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Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp, Group Efforts Made Effortless.

Show Notes & Links

David’s office is a multi-purpose room (writing, video editing, audio recording, podcast production)
Acoustic paneling
GIK Acoustics
Reverb
Anechoic Chamber
David started making films based on his own whims and desires
The Lonely Island
Saturday Night Life
D*ck in a Box
David is currently podcasting the production of a feature film
Michael Goldburg & Dave Chan, filmmakers
Iron Mule Comedy Film Festival, NYC
Seed & Spark, film-based crowdfunding platform
Transcontinental Railroad
Contractions (in dialogue)
David’s podcast episode on crowdfunding
Crowdfunding article on The Busy Creator blog
Kickstarter and pitch videos which now are their own project and format
Cathryn Lavery on The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 65
American Sign Language (ASL)
Does Google Docs have an offline version?
Centered, Courier text for screenplays. Why?
David has assembled a 3-monitor desk setup over the years
Island of Misfit Toys
Crysis
Ivy Bridge, Intel’s best chip from Spring 2012
David worked in a corporate environment for many years; no longer uses an alarm clock
Prescott watches one event on broadcast TV each year: The Oscars
Presidential debates in 2016 were streamed on Twitter
DavidPower.com
Sure-Fire Podcast
David Power on Facebook
David Power on LinkedIn

Tools

Trello
Slack
Google Docs
FinalDraft
BitBucket (on the web)
SourceTree (on the desktop)
Dropbox Paper
Dell PC Tower from 2009
VEGAS Pro by Sony Magix
Cakewalk by Sonar
Hackintosh
Mac Pro

Techniques

Soften the corners of a room to dampen reverb/echo
Develop characters first, give them a voice and backstory, and then place them into a three-act structure. (Or not).
Collect all notes and ideas; save them for later and vetting each one before writing
Build a project management software workflow that actually reflects the way you work
Don’t store files in Slack; that’s not the place for permanent items
Use Plain Text formatting as a universal standard
Build a Hackintosh if you can’t afford a Mac Pro (which you probably can’t)

Habits

Cross-promote, tag, and share your social links with your collaboration partners
Exercise first thing in the morning
Meditate, eat, drink coffee before starting work
Use a floating lunch hour
Wake up without an alarm
Don’t actively seek out news (minus industry happenings)

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Visit BusyCreatorBook.com for your free trial

Get Finish the Script!: A College Screenwriting Course in Book Form by Scott King as a free audiobook

Business Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs & How to Launch an Online Community with Designer, Writer, and Podcaster Kathleen Shannon Oct 31, 2016

Show notes

Kathleen Shannon (@AndKathleen) is a graphic designer and brand strategist, and co-founder of Being Boss, a podcast and community for creative entrepreneurs. Kathleen began as a staff art director, but learned entrepreneurial habits working on her side projects and blogging. She's now seeking to become a media mogul and serve the creative community.

In this conversation, we discuss the origins of Being Boss, how Kathleen learned systematic behaviour and stays organised, and the common mindsets of creative entrepreneurs.

Catch up with Kathleen on the Being Boss website or that of her agency, Braid Creative.

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 95 (MP3, 52:24, 25.3 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 95 (OGG, 52:24, 24.4 MB)

Subscribe to Get New Episodes

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android | on iHeart

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Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp, Group Efforts Made Effortless.

Show Notes & Links

Prescott had a classmate named Kathleen, who went by Kate. Her mother, also Kathleen, went by Cassie.
Kathleen was almost named “Cinco”, born May 5
Prescott is born May 6, making the two both Tauruses
Kathleen describes herself as a “truth seeker & dream (job) chaser. Tea drinker & good food eater. Risk taker, magic maker & booty shaker.”
AndKathleen.com, Kathleen’s personal site and retired blog
“Creative Horcruxes”, websites and projects where we divide our passions, time, and attention
Kathleen co-owns Braid Creative with her sister Tara
Braid Creative is “Branding and business visioning agency for creative entrepreneurs”
The Being Boss podcast started in 2014 as a way for Kathleen to “grow the top of her funnel”
Emily Thompson (@EmilyM_Thompson), Kathleen’s partner in Being Boss
Prescott kept hearing about “your audience”, which sparked him to start The Busy Creator
Prescott admits that Being Boss is “ahead” of The Busy Creator in terms of spawning multiple forms (books, events, community classes, etc.)

"Show notes are a great way to increase search engine optimization."

—Kathleen Shannon

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The aim is transform Being Boss from a podcast into “multimedia conglomerate”
Chelsea Handler, Kathleen’s hero for hosting a tv show
Kathleen & Emily recently submitted a book for publishing (due out Spring 2018)
FreshBooks was a sponsor of Being Boss almost since the beginning, because they align
Being Boss Facebook Group, 17,000+ members strong, has grown almost beyond control

"How you feel at work affects how you feel at home, and vice versa."

—Kathleen Shannon

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"We didn't want to sully the waters with money."

—Kathleen Shannon

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The Being Boss Clubhouse is a year-long community learning course with coaching, and more.
Will Hudson, early guest on The Busy Creator, ep. 12
It’s Nice That and its sister agency, Anyways
Armin Vit and Bryony Gomez-Palacio have both been on TBC, separately, eps. 3 & 84
Brand New Conference, Brand New Blog
Kathleen started writing on LiveJournal in 1999
Kathleen worked as an Art Director for advertising while blogging at home
The Etsy–Pinterest Boom
Kathleen attracted freelance design projects from posting her wedding invitations

"First, you have to be dedicated to your craft."

—Kathleen Shannon

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10,000 hours
“Fit of Entrepreneurial Passion”, as described by Michael Gerber

"Nothing kills creativity like desperation."

—Kathleen Shannon

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Kathleen learned Project Management skills at her ad agency job
Charlotte Hornets

"You can only connect the dots looking backwards."

—Steve Jobs

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Steve Jobs addresses Standford class of 2004 2005
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo on Amazon and on Audible
Prescott’s grandfather collected his lifetime’s worth of business cards
9 Habits of Highly Creative People (free eBook)
Kathleen & Emily met as internet blogging pals
Emily pitched the idea of a podcast, along with responsibilities
Kathleen is the editorial lead; Emily handles web and tech

"I didn't know this thing would need its own bank account one day!"

—Kathleen Shannon

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7 People are involved with the production of Being Boss, including an editorial assistant and an audio editor
The E-Myth Revisited by Michael Gerber on Amazon and on Audible

"Most people are still in their struggle. There's never a 'there'."

—Kathleen Shannon

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"Your goals mean shit if you feel like shit along the way."

—Kathleen Shannon

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Emily only uses list view in Asana; Kathleen only uses calendar
Prescott prefers Kanban view, where that’s available
Ramit Sethi
Kaizen, continual gradual improvements over time
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott on Amazon and on Audible
Rework by Jason Fried & David Heinemeier Hansson on Amazon and on Audible
Daring Greatly by Brene Brown on Amazon and on Audible
Martha Beck
BeingBoss.club
Kathleen Shannon on Twitter
Kathleen Shannon on Facebook
Kathleen Shannon on Instagram
Braid Creative on Facebook
Braid Creative on Pinterest
Being Boss on Twitter
Being Boss on Facebook
Being Boss on Instagram
Being Boss on iTunes

Tools

Techniques

Ask your audience what they want, to create new content
Put in your 10,000 hours before becoming an entrepreneur; become a “confident expert”
Build a bridge before leaving your full-time job
Aim to replace your income before taking that last leap
Ask to be in client meetings; see the process up close
Share your process as you’re in it — publish along the way
Codify your methods, translate them to an e-course
Find a “business bestie” and have “Skype dates”
Use your existing resources to bolster your side projects
Create an org. chart to plan future expansion, duties
Know every element of your business, and only outsource as needed
When overwhelmed, write top 3 items on a Post-It
Be a little more casual with your team when chatting on Slack

Habits

Drink Coffee and Tea every morning
Broadcast on Facebook Live a few times a week
Make decisions, whether they’re right or wrong
Respect your future self (through systems)
Have empathy for others and what they struggle with — it may be different from you
Put everything in Google Calendar
Work out first thing in the morning

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Get Daring Greatly by Brene Brown as a free audiobook

B-SIDE: Planning A Modern WordPress Website, with guest Avery Swartz Oct 23, 2016

Show notes

Avery Swartz (@AverySwartz) joins Prescott to discuss the possibilities for the next version of BusyCreator.com. Together, the two discuss the capabilities of WordPress, best practices which Prescott is adopting (and should start), and the shortcomings of WordPress themes and plugins.

Methods and Mindsets for Successful Web Design Projects with Agency Boss Ben Seigel Oct 19, 2016

Show notes

Ben Seigel (@versastudiollc) is a web designer and developer, and head of Versa Studio. In addition to managing projects and writing the necessary code for client sites, Ben has examined and written about the underlaying value of design, how small businesses and design agencies can work together toward successful ends.

In this conversation, we dig into content management systems on websites, discuss managing remote teams, remark on transitioning from a pure developer to a business owner, and share some common ailments of working with small businesses on their brand and web design projects.

Website Planning for Small Business

Grab Ben’s eBook, Website Planning for Small Business, and catch up with him via the website for Versa Studio.

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 94 (MP3, 54:50, 26.5 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 94 (OGG, 54:50, 26.2 MB)

Subscribe to Get New Episodes

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android | on iHeart

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Show Notes & Links

Versa Studio is a distrubuted team, building websites & brands for small business and non-profits
Ben previously ran a lawn service and worked internally in the insurance industry
HAM Radio
Commodore 64, Prescott’s first computer
The Internet of Things
Versa Studio works with ExpressionEngine and Craft, exclusively
WordPress
Nick Spriggs, previous guest on The Busy Creator Podcast
Vector Media hosts the New York City Craft Meetup
Register for a temporary live installation of Craft
Ben manages projects, but also still writes code and works on the sites
Ben runs the Madison Web Design/Development Meetup
Big Data
Periscope
Ben’s eBook, Website Planning for Small Business

"If someone wants to spend $20k on a project, but won't take 2 hours to read a plan ... they're not going to be a good client."

—Ben Seigel

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Prescott’s eBook, Building Brands

"You need a 'minimum viable brand' before any website."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Prescott wants the “power of suggestion” as his business superpower. Ben prefers a version of ESP.
Request for Proposals (RFP)

"(an RFP) is a really great way to waste a whole bunch of peoples' time."

—Ben Seigel

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Brennan Dunn, Roadmapping
A “Warm RFP” has a higher chance to succeed

"You can read four proposals. You probably can't read 19."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Current (October 2016) Facebook image guidelines
Full Employment Act
Bespoke aka custom-built
Tim Ferriss

"We're not built to sit all day. We're also not built to stand. We gotta move."

—Ben Seigel

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Exploring Music with Bill McGlaughlin
Graceland by Paul Simon on Amazon
Derek Sivers
Versastudios.com/now — what Ben is doing now
Versa Studio
Versa Studio on Twitter
Versa Studio on Facebook
Ben Seigel on LinkedIn

Tools

Techniques

If given the opportunity, build a new platform fresh without links to the past ten years of legacy code
Connect with people in person rather than social
Break a project into steps/phases, so you can learn about the client as you go
Build a “Helvetica-Vanilla” version of your website while you test-and-iterate on brand, content, visual styles
Counter an RFP with an honest, candid phone call or conversation
Ask about the competition for proposals/pitches/tenders
Review a project through a post-mortem
Auto-answer common email questions
Pomodoro Method

Habits

Create a “framework” for your projects; share it with clients and industry
Start projects with an “assembly line” for beginning a project
Call Templates “Starting Documents”
Be flexible on your standards and workflow
Save code snippets and text macros as you work on projects; you’ll likely need to use them again.
Always move during the day
Work toward your daily practices

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Join the Discussion

Leave a comment below to participate in the conversation.

Exploring Business Issues Faced by Creative Pros with Author & Professor Douglas Davis Oct 03, 2016

Show notes

Douglas Davis (@DouglasQDavis) is a graphic designer, professor, consultant, and author of the new book Creative Strategy and the Business of Design. The book, which follows his recent talks and workshops, explores business issues that face creative professionals, especially those which may not even seem apparent.

In this conversation, we explore the business culture exposed creatives, the shortcomings of our design education system, and how Brooklyn is becoming the home for creative thought.

Check out Douglas’s book, Creative Strategy and the Business of Design, now available where fine books are sold.

Show Notes & Links

Douglas joins Prescott at his home-studio in Brooklyn. Douglas too is a Brooklyn resident and former neighbour.
Douglas describes himself as a Professor, among other things
New York College of Technology, Communication Design
City College, Branding & Integrated Communication graduate course
Nancy Tag
The Davis Group
“In The Arena”
DCRIT – MFA in Design Criticsm at the School of Visual Arts, now MA in Design Research

"Everyone has that story of when they were first taken advantage of."

—Douglas Davis

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Creative Strategy and the Business of Design by Douglas Davis on Amazon
Pratt, Communication Design MA
Creative pros spend the first ten years of their careers “face down at the desk”
NYU, MS in Integrated Marketing
“In The Trenches”

"Design school doesn't teach business, and Business school doesn't teach how to inspire designers."

—Douglas Davis

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"Clients expect us to answer their problems with creativity that's on-brand, on-strategy, and on-message."

—Douglas Davis

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"Success has many fathers but failure is an orphan."

—Russian proverb (or maybe Tacitus c. 98 AD)

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"Do it right or do it thrice."

—Douglas Davis

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The in-house design team of yesteryear was almost like a Kinko’s

"Business is annexing design. Our design jobs are more important because of that."

—Douglas Davis

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McKinsey & Co. “Building a Design-Driven Culture” article
IBM has been acquiring digital advertising, marketing, design
The New York Times also has been acquiring
Deloitte, other consulting companies
GoPro is becoming a content/media company

"Design is the spoonful of sugar that makes marketing & business palatable to the public."

—Douglas Davis

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Apple’s invested in design and beat Sony. Sony did that previously to beat Panasonic.
Dr. Marjorie Kalter, NYU
Direct Marketing Hall of Fame

"'I love it' is not a compelling business rationale."

—Dr. Marjorie Kalter

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RIP Flash, Actionscript

"We're here to inject art into commerce."

—Tibor Kalman

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Unknown Unknowns

"It's almost a rite of passge to make every mistake in the book."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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Bryce Bladon, editor of Clients From Hell, was on The Busy Creator Podcast, ep. 78
“Trial By Frying Pan”
Fred Nickols, Strategy Is Execution (PDF download)

"Begin with the end in mind."

—adage

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"Think like they think to do what we do."

—Douglas Davis

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Litmus Test

"The short hand comes later; first you have to use the long hand."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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"I've seen ideas die on the table because creatives weren't able to set the context."

—Douglas Davis

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Adams Media/HOW Books
HOW Design University
Creative Strategy began as an online course. It earned $17,000 in 9 offerings
Tony DiSpigna, typographic illustrator
How to Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy on Amazon

"Some people are better at other things than I am."

—Douglas Davis

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Applesaucing
Art Director can mean many different things
General Assembly
The Narcissicm of Minor Differences
September/October 2016 issue of HOW Magazine
DouglasDavis.com
ThinkHowTheyThink.com
Revision Path with Maurice Cherry
Obsessed With Design with Josh Miles
Douglas Davis on Twitter
Douglas Davis on Facebook
Douglas Davis on LinkedIn

Tools

Techniques

Learn what keeps your client up at night so you can speak the same language
Divide a project into smaller pieces so your clients can see the process unfold
Consider how you “Frame” your solution. Often that’s the point of differentiation.
Banish words like “right” or “wrong”, in favour of “it works” or “it doesn’t work”
Practice with co-workers to use better, more instructive language
Start with the story, then teach the lesson. This helps you write chapters in a book, for example.
Keep a desktop folder called “desktop dump” where pretty much everything goes.

Habits

Work to maximise the “trust in the room”
Take a moment at the beginning to write a “problem statement”
Add a physical activity to your routine, such as boxing
Take time to travel, perahps 2x per year

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Get Inside the Business of Graphic Design by Catharine Fishel as a free audiobook

Balancing a Design Practice and Co-Working Space in New York City, with Jessi Arrington & Creighton Mershon Sep 19, 2016

Show notes

Jessi Arrington (@JessiArrington) and Creighton Mershon (@Cr8tonMershon) are the founders of Workshop, a Brooklyn-based creative agency, as well as the proprietors of Small City, a new co-working space and home to dozens of independent creative pros.

Alongside their design practice, Jessi & Creighton have grown their co-working experience by taking on more responsibility across three different spaces in Brooklyn. In this conversation, we discuss the oddities and challenges of New York real estate, the financial and logistical efforts needed to run a co-working space anywhere, and a bit about balancing family life with all manner of creative and business tasks.

Catch up with Jessi & Creighton on their websites for Workshop and Small City.

Cover photo by Bekka Palmer

Get The Episode

Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 92 (MP3, 59:17, 21.5 MB)
Download The Busy Creator Podcast, episode 92 (OGG, 59:17, 26.1 MB)

Subscribe to Get New Episodes

Subscribe to The Busy Creator Podcast on iTunes | on Google Play Music | on Android| on iHeart

Sponsor

Freedcamp, the best free online project management software

Bandwidth for The Busy Creator Podcast is provided by Freedcamp, Group Efforts Made Effortless.

Show Notes & Links

In Fall 2007, Prescott ran the Philadelphia Marathon but also discovered that he didn’t know any peers in the design biz
Jessi and Prescott in Debbie Millman‘s class at SVA in Fall 2007
Jessi & Creighton met in the “New York Design Scene”
Jessi & Prescott, being young and wild
J&C have broadened the definitions of “Design”

"A shared word does not mean a shared definiton."

—Debbie Millman

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"Design is about intention. We're trying to live a designed life."

—Jessi Arrington

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Parsons, The New School for Design
Jessi & Creighton founded Workshop in 2005 (and married in 2006)
Jessi & Creighton recently celebrated their ten-year anniversary
Workshop now practices “in-person experience design”, which encompasses physical spaces, graphics, and time (how a person moves through a place)

"I like to think about our projects and ask 'What happens when we press play?'"

—Creighton Mershon

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Rainbow Parade

"Nothing like your job to get in the way of your work."

—business adage

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Workshop is currently three partners: Jessi, Creighton, and Casson Rosenblatt
TED

"Keeping it small has been good for our business but bad for our personal lives."

—Jessi Arrington

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The Hollywood Model, a definition
Co-Working, a definition
Small City is a converted industrial space in Gowanus, Brooklyn
The decor is very un-office-like
Big Reuse
Brooklyn Beta
Comedy Hack Day
Before opening Small City, J&C ran two prior co-working spaces, allowing them to become familiar with security deposits, etc.
Desks at Small City cost $550/mo. (get yours)

"Airbnb is a real estate play."

—Prescott Perez-Fox

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DUMBO, Brooklyn (which used to be a very scrappy, creative ‘hood is now too expensive for upstarts like Workshop)
HOW Magazine
Different professions need different square feet per employee (call centers need 90; architects need 600)
Airbnb
One aspect of gentrification is desk workers replacing industrial workers
Coney Island, as far as you can go in Brooklyn
Popular Science magazine (and its predictions of the future)
Will self-driving cars transform commuting, and thereby the suburbs?
Sheepshead Bay, Ridgewood, Castle Hill — New York City neighbourhoods outside of Manhattan
Jessi & Creighton sold their Brooklyn condo and bought a building in Louisville, KY as part of a future project and for the ability to live in multiple cities
Some folks are commuting to Small City from Manhattan and other parts of Brooklyn
Commuting is tolerable if you have a nice “work neighbourhood”
The Internet of Things
ACH
Carting Companies, independant, for-profit companies a commercial space must use to collect garbage
“Who’s dealing with the trash!”
Adobe MAX
Prescott’s family comes from the Recycling industry
P&L = Profit & Loss
WeWork
Will co-working spaces offer childcare and other services?

"Us being happy parents involves a certain amount of chaos."

—Jessi Arrington

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Tools

Quickbooks
Google Sheets
Station Wagon
Found objects
Reused furniture

Techniques

Keep your company small enough so you don’t have huge overhead
Look for other ways to keep a network alive aside from conventional employees
Use co-working studiomates for accountability and courage
Find and reuse furniture or items, especially when found on the street or at flea market
Use your existing resources for client events and experiences (no rules against that)
Build a culture where people “take out their own recycling”
Work up little by little into bigger spaces, which in turn allow you to save more and more money for future use
Schedule a day each month to create the necessary invoices
Keep separate bank accounts for different areas of operation (client services vs. renting desks)

Habits