The Uncool Designer

By Anna Dower

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Description

The podcast helping graphic designer boss-ladies work smarter and not harder in their design businesses. Your guru: the clever Anna Dower; mentor, designer, cake-lover and rad chick. 'Cos not all creatives wear hip black clothes and are design snobs. Some - like us - wear colourful Birkenstocks and believe in community over competition.

Episode Date
Old skool designers can learn new tricks
1317
Turns out you can teach an old dog, new tricks! In this episode Anna chats with fellow graphic designer Alison Price about her journey from old skool designer in a rut to passionate CEO of her super niched design biz.

Follow on instagram: @annacreativementor
Free resources for designers: https://annadower.com/freebies/
Work with Anna: https://annadower.com/work-with-me/
Design Biz Bootcamp: https://annadower.com/dbbwaitlist/

House of Henry: https://www.houseofhenry.uk/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 28, 2022
From Freelancer to Designer Boss with Jess Geppert
1290
In this episode Anna chats with fellow graphic designer Jess Geppert about her transformation from underpaid freelance designer to confident designer boss!

Follow on instagram: @annacreativementor
Free resources for designers: https://annadower.com/freebies/
Work with Anna: https://annadower.com/work-with-me/

Niche me, Baby! Challenge: https://annadower.com/niche-me-baby/
Design Biz Bootcamp: https://annadower.com/dbbwaitlist/

Jess Lea Creative: https://jesleacreative.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 21, 2022
Why You Have No Design Clients
668
In this episode Anna ditches the fluff and goes straight to the core of why you have no design clients.

Follow on instagram: @annacreativementor
Free resources for designers: https://annadower.com/freebies/
Work with Anna: https://annadower.com/work-with-me/
Niche me, Baby! Challenge: https://annadower.com/niche-me-baby/
Design Biz Bootcamp: https://annadower.com/dbbwaitlist/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 14, 2022
The Uncontrollable
737
In this episode Anna talks about the uncontrollable things life throws at you and how to handle it all while running a graphic design business.

Follow on instagram: @annacreativementor
Free resources for designers: https://annadower.com/freebies/
Work with Anna: https://annadower.com/work-with-me/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 28, 2022
Ask Anna
907
In this episode of the uncool designer podcast Anna Dower answers questions from her fellow designer boss-ladies.

https://annadower.com/freebies/Access free resources for graphic designers here:
https://instagram.com/annacreativementorFollow Anna on instagram here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/416408878711988Join the FB group Designer Boss-Ladies here:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 14, 2021
Do you need a FB Group for your design biz?
974
In this episode of the uncool designer podcast Anna Dower gives you the pros & cons of running your own FB group to help grow your design biz.

https://annadower.com/dblsquad/Sign up for The DBL Squad here:
https://annadower.com/freebies/Access free resources for graphic designers here:
https://instagram.com/annacreativementorFollow Anna on instagram here:

Links mentioned in this episode:
MKW Creative - https://www.facebook.com/MKWCreativeCo
Designers Learning Web Dev - https://www.facebook.com/groups/796539743801042
Designer Boss Ladies - https://www.facebook.com/groups/416408878711988

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 06, 2021
The "C" Word with Jacqui Naunton
1313
In this episode of the uncool designer podcast Anna Dower chats with fellow designer Jacqui Naunton about the power of and how graphic designers can use it to add value to their offerings. CANVA

Jacqui Naunton is a graphic designer turned online design teacher for small biz owners over at White Deer. She educates passionate business owners on how they can create their own visual brand and graphics for the early seasons of their business when hiring a designer is not yet an option (but soon will be!). Jacqui focuses on teaching design principles and Canva skills, not just handing over cookie-cutter templates. Jacqui is a new mum, cheesecake lover and Canva fanatic.

https://annadower.com/freebies/Access free resources for graphic designers here:
https://instagram.com/annacreativementorFollow Anna on instagram here:

https://www.whitedeer.com.au/Check out Jacqui's website here:
https://www.instagram.com/whitedeergdFollow Jacqui on instagram here:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 21, 2021
Get Funked
793
In this episode of the uncool designer podcast Anna Dower discusses how to get out of a funk in your design business.
For more free resources for graphic designers visit: www.annadower.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 21, 2021
Inclusion Revolution
1502
In this episode I chat with Rhodesia Jackson about the importance of being actively inclusive in your business.

You want to be an ally to marginalized communities, work with more diverse clients, and support causes you care about so you can actually change the world but how do you actually DO THAT?

Do Rhodesia's ecourse & get $200 off when you use the code: uncool

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Oct 20, 2020
Shitty Mindset Flu
1093
Are you struggling with your mindset? In this episode I discuss the different strains of mindset flu that are infecting your business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 30, 2020
Shapeshifter
754
In this episode Anna Dowers discusses:

Why you should not fear change in your business
How I have transformed in my business over the years
Shapeshifters - True Blood & my different roles in business
Decisions are not set in stone - do not fear change.
Growth is essential in business.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 16, 2020
The ins & outs of our first Designer Boss Summit
1242
Anna Dower & Emma Kate talk about their first successful Designer Boss Digital Summit.

+ Why we decided to host a digital summit for graphic & web designers
+ How long it took to plan & organise the summit
+ How we worked together as a team
+ The numbers! How much money we made & how many subscribers.
+ What we would do differently next time
+ A big announcement!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 20, 2020
The 10 Commandments Of Getting Paid
610
You love what you do.
Creating bad-ass sh*t that rocks your clients socks off? Totes your jam.
BUT even though you are definitely in this biz because you’re passionate af about it…a lady’s gotta get paid. After all, you can only pay your rent with million dollar smiles for so long.
So, how, as a kind but driven entrepreneurial designer boss lady, can you create cool sh*t…& get paid promptly for it?
Welp. Through trial, error (and more than a few weeks in the early days of staring at single digits in my business banking account), I’ve developed the ten commandments of getting paid.
Use them wisely, lady boss.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 05, 2020
Niche Me, Baby
1271
Do I really need a niché for my design business? The answer is YES.
Listen to Anna Dower discuss how you can layer your niché in a way that is authentically you.
Join the 5 day FREE challenge: Niché Me, Baby! here: https://annadower.com/nicheme/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 15, 2020
Cash Injections
867
In this episode Anna gives you some quick sure-fire ways to inject some cash into your design business NOW!

• Keep it simple, use content you already have
• Recommend your fave biz tools & earn affiliate cash
• Host a workshop & then upsell design offerings
• Bundle up existing valuable content and have a flash sale
• Sell some pre-made logo concepts that didn't make the cut!

Links mentioned:
www.annadower.com
www.dblsummit.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 24, 2020
Ask Anna
1237
In this episode Anna answers questions from her Designer Boss-Lady crew.
Some of the topics tackled in this episode include:

• How do I deal with copy cats
• How do I grow my design biz in a sustainable way
• The best way to drive traffic to my website
• How to remain focused with a looming deadline
• How to build trust with clients so they respect & obey you
• Getting clients to actually read what you send them
• Making clients understand that design is an investment

www.annadower.com


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 10, 2020
The DBL Digital Summit is coming!
1930
I can now officially announce that Emma Kate Patterson & I will are hosting the Designer Boss-Ladies digital summit! ✨

In this episode we chat about our collaboration and the FREE digital conference devoted to helping creative entrepreneurs work smarter and not harder in their design businesses.
(Especially in this time of COVID chaos where it’s vital we support and grow together)

There is currently 14 amaaazing speakers coming at you with topics ranging from making sales, to charging premium prices, to simplifying your own schedule (and everything in-between).

Join the waitlist to keep in the loop & score your free ticket: www.dblsummit.com
And leave a comment below to tell me who you are most excited to learn from! (more speakers coming)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 20, 2020
Meg Lewis & Anna Dower
2484
Meg Lewis is a designer mixing comedy with performance to help others shine through brand design, podcasts, workshops, pop-ups, and videos. Meg hosts the comedy meditation podcast Sit There & Do Nothing and the design podcast Overtime. Meg also runs a personal brand and career fulfilment destination with online classes, books, and free advice titled Full Time You.

In this episode Anna & Meg discuss...
+ Megs journey to multi-passionate entrepreneur
+ How to truly be authentic in life and your business
+ All the grand ideas and what to do with them
+ How to be a designer boss-lady with swag
#megmademedoit

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 06, 2020
Melanie Miller & Anna Dower
2699
It feels like the government announces a new rescue payment every other day and it is hella confusing and overwhelming for self employed peeps, right? That is why, in this new episode of the uncool designer Melanie will explain the JobKeeper payment in easy to understand terms and chats with me about how we can keep cash flowing in our businesses during the covid chaos.

Melanie Miller from The Profit Lovers is a business coach that specialises in the unsexy side of business! She is the queen of money, tracking your numbers & keeping it real.

Links mentioned: Plan & Track spreadsheet

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 22, 2020
Give up or Show up
1113
In this episode Anna chats about how you can keep going during the global COVID-19 pandemic.

She discusses -
+ The rollercoaster ride of emotions
+ Choosing to show up
+ Don't assume you know what people are thinking right now
+ How you can serve your peeps
+ What to do instead of discounting

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 08, 2020
A chat with Katie & Kim - Creating a successful design biz!
2278
In this episode Anna Dower chats with about how to build a design business that doesn't feel like work!Katie Wass & Kim Rosenthal

We discuss....

+ Choosing a niche
+ Ditching the imposter syndrome
+ Systems & Processes
+ Creative Confidence

& much more.

Sign up to now while doors are open:Design Biz Bootcamp
http://www.designbizbootcamp.com


See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 16, 2020
Elizabeth Mckenzie & Anna Dower
2479
Word nerd + Uncool Designer unite and become BFFs.

In this episode Anna chats with copywriter extraordinaire Elizabeth Mckenzie.

Elizabeth is a comedy writer. She's currently based in Melbourne, Australia. Her second favourite F word is fun.

The CEO + Founder of Write Or Die, she helps business owners write personality driven copy + content that sell better than the latest Marvel offering on opening weekend.

With a sense of self-importance known only to her generation, she's gone ahead and written a book The 30-Somethings: Life lessons from a 30-Something that you probably already know.

When she’s not writing in her ugg boots, she’s pretending she's cool across hipster cafes in Melbourne - the LA of Australia - writing words and eating carbs.

In this episode we discuss:

+ How to stand out in the noisy online world of business

+ Re-discovering your authentic voice & using it wisely

+ How to nurture your peeps

+ The sleazy side of sales pages

+ Sales page must-haves

+ Dealing with comparison paralysis

+ BFF deep dive into 90's culture




See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Mar 11, 2020
Laura Blythman & Anna Dower
1835
In this new episode of the uncool designer Anna chats with designer & artist Laura Blythman about all things creative.

Designer, illustrator and creative director Laura Blythman is renowned for her vibrant use of colour and paper collage. Her recognisable aesthetic has garnered her a legion of fans and a super happy + colourful portfolio of work with clients ranging from start up businesses to high profile Australian and International brands.

Collaborators and clients include - Pana Chocolate, National Gallery of Victoria, Boomf, Disney, Rollie Shoes, Galison / Mudpuppy, Frankie Magazine, Land of nod, Such Great Heights, Finders Keepers Market, Typo, Lark, Mr.Wolf Kids, Cotton On Kids, T2 teas, and so many more.

We discuss:

>> The journey from designer to artist

>> Dealing with the fear of revealing your art to the work

>> The mindfulness and quietness of creating art

>> How to deal with copycats & much more.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 26, 2020
Liss Amyah & Anna Dower
1909
In this episode Anna chats with hand lettering creative entrepreneurs Liss Amyah.

Preachers wife turned pleasure advocate, Liss was married at 19, had 6 babies by 31, and was divorced by 36. In 2014, after baby number six was born, Liss started an online business teaching calligraphy and has seen thousands of students go through her courses.

These days, as well as all the arty things, Liss is all about speaking her truth and telling her story in ways that are sometimes terrifying, but also deeply healing. She rarely feels terribly brave, but most days at least a little brave-ish. Liss believes that curiosity will take us places certainty never can, that pleasure is not a dirty word, and that it’s totally ok to not have it all figured out.

• What does the term brave-ish mean?
• Liss’s change in family circumstance and running a business as a single mum of 6 kids
• How to make money as a creative with ecourses & memberships
• The power of instagram for creatives
• Advice to other women who are struggling with family/life/biz gig

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 11, 2020
Bring on 2020 & ditch imposter syndrome
1086
Everyone feels like an imposter at some stage during their career and today Anna talks about…

  • How to focus on what’s important in your design business
  • The moment I stopped feeling like an imposter
  • The power of having someone who believes in you
  • Slowly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone
  • Feeding your confidence needs to become a daily ritual
  • Confidence is the key ingredient to a successful business
  • Mindset mantras to build confidence
  • What you & Beyonce have in common

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feb 11, 2020
Help Me Anna
1216
In this episode Anna answers all of your burning questions!

  • How to best manage your time each day
  • Saying NO to a client
  • Positioning your business in the marketplace
  • Marketing your design business so it gets seen
  • Working a full time job & starting a design biz

Links

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 18, 2019
The Queen of Confidence Erika Cramer
1535
In this episode Anna chats to Erika Cramer about taking a bold stand for women owning their throne & reclaiming their confidence.

After overcoming a life full of trauma, physical and sexual abuse, near-death experiences, breaking her back and being widowed, Erika Cramer found herself drowning in pain and sadness trying to numb everything she had been through. These life changing experiences finally lead her to life coaching where she went on a deep path to personal growth and healing. As a confidence coach she is here to guide women to living a life where they seek progress, not perfection.


We discuss:
  • the power of storytelling in your business to create connection & authenticity
  • how to figure out what story you can share with your audience
  • letting go of what other people think
  • overcoming the fear of failing and not feeling good enough your design business

Links

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sep 01, 2019
The tipping point for success
2405
In this episode Anna is joined by 4 other graphic designers who share their experience as designer boss-ladies and reveal their tipping point for success.
  • The hard issues facing designers today: lack of confidence, difficult clients, working for no money.
  • The deep inner work you need to do before you can succeed
  • Taking the step to invest in yourself & your future and getting clear on your worth, boundaries & niche.
  • How to get to a point where you are running a business you love, working with clients who have no changes & making more money!

Links

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 18, 2019
How my failed marriage was the turning point for me choosing success!
1361
In this episode Anna’s discusses….
  • How I serve my audience
  • When my life fell apart
  • How I chose to succeed despite the heartache
  • The 5 ways I worked smart in my design biz
  • The power of women
  • Deciding not to fail

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Aug 04, 2019
Be a Boundaries Boss
1009
In this episode we discuss:
  • Why you need to set clear boundaries in your design business
  • How to remember you are the boss
  • Why you need a price list for your services
  • The 5 things you can do in your business today to create clear boundaries in your business

Links mentioned in this episode:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 21, 2019
Passive Income for graphic designers
1146
In this episode we discuss:
  • What is passive income
  • Ideas for multiple income streams in your design biz
  • How to come up with an idea for your offer
  • The 3 x mistakes designers make when it comes to passive income

Links mentioned in this episode:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jul 09, 2019
The evolving designer journey
2619
Designer Jenna Hallett turns the tables and interviews Anna in this episode:
  • The biggest design fails ever
  • Juggling work/mum life
  • How to not quit your biz
  • Lessons from crappy clients
  • How to intentionally create the biz of your dreams

Links mentioned in this episode:
Jenna Rae Hallett –https://jennaraedesigns.com.au/
Anna Dower –http://annadower.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jun 09, 2019
The coolest designer of them all: Sian Richardson
2086
Creative entrepreneur & designer Sian Richardson joins me for a chat about:
  • How she took the leap to start her own design biz
  • Taking not shit from clients
  • What makes design good
  • Combining travel and designer entrepreneur life
  • Deciding on her distinctive design style

Links mentioned in this episode:
Good As Gold Studio - https://goodasgoldstudio.com/
Sian Richardson - http://sianrichardson.co/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 30, 2019
Communicating your value with Cass Lane
2525
Copywriter extraordinaire Cass Lane joins me to chat about how to effectively communicate your value on your website.

In this episode we discuss:
  • Hooking your dream design clients with just one sentence
  • The #1 big mistake graphic designers are making on their “services” page
  • How to sell yourself as a design pro without coming across as sleazy or pushy
  • Why you should make your prices available online

Links mentioned in this episode:
Seven ways you are puzzling your web visitors blog: https://wildspirit.co/puzzling/
Wild Spirit Co. https://wildspirit.co/
Design Biz Bootcamp: http://designbizbootcamp.com/

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

May 12, 2019
How To Get Design Clients
1251
As s a creative mentor and someone that designers come to for help,
there is one question that drives me BONKERS.

Can you guess what it is?

In this episode we discuss:
  • Why asking me how to get clients drives me mad.
  • The four essential ingredients to getting dream design clients.
  • How to attract the right clients and repel the wrong clients.

Links mentioned in this episode:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 28, 2019
The Burnout Battle with Charlene Roberts
1659
Charlene Roberts is a Canadian Designer Boss-Lady that knows the burnout cycle all too well.

In this episode we discuss:

• Realising that you are in fact burnt out
• How you got to the point of wanting to quit your design biz
• Figuring out how to pull yourself out of the burn out cycle
• Putting systems & processes in place to look after yourself & make sure you never get burnt out again


Links mentioned in this episode:



See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 15, 2019
Living Your Illustration Dream with Martina Martian
1723
Martina Martian is an Australian designer & artist who has done work for some huge brands like converse, asos, reebok, cotton on & snapchat.

She has a mega instagram following of over 140k and did the gorgeous artwork for this very podcast!

In this episode we discuss:

  • Overcoming the fear of being an artist for a living
  • The power of Instagram
  • Working with big brands
  • Committing to your own style
  • How long the journey to success takes
  • The illustrative process including tools
  • Advice for other artists


Resources/links mentioned in this episode:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 04, 2019
FU False Beliefs - It's Time to Ditch the Fear
997
A false belief is a story that fear tells your brain, over and over again, until finally your brain
Believes it.

The 5 false beliefs that are holding you back in your design business:
#1: If my business doesn’t appeal to every man and his fam, it will fail.
#2: To make big money, you have to work really hard, all the time!
#3: I need to compete with cheaper designers.
#4: I am boring and have no personality to inject into my business.
#5: I wouldn’t pay that price, so why would anyone else?


Links:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 04, 2019
Meet Your (Uncool) Guru Anna Dower
407
Anna Dower is a graphic designer, mentor, ecourse boss & cake lover. She is and always has been uncool but she is SMART.

A smart designer who…
  • Has run her own successful design business for over ten years.
  • Has worked with hundreds of clients and mentored fellow designers from across the globe
  • Took her business to six-figures.
  • Takes every Friday off work.
  • Never works weekends.
  • Takes long lunches.
  • Has cuddle breaks with her kids.
  • Has designed a set of systems, processes and procedures in place to help her work smarter, not harder.

Links:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Apr 04, 2019