Recent investments I've made in my business
Building your Brand
It can be hard to know what to invest in and when in your small business. Today I am sharing the recent investments I have made, why I made them and how they have helped me level up in my business. Have you made some recent upgrades or investments in your business? I'd love to know what has really supported you and given you a good ROI? Come find me on instagram where I am or to let me know and I hope you enjoy the episode! Key Takeways Needing hi-tech equipment shouldn’t be a barrier to entry for things in your business: start with what you have and build as you go Upgrading...
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Coming up with a mission statement for your brand
Building your Brand
Want to know one of the most clarifying and helpful things you can do for your small business? Define your mission statement. I've come across many small businesses who are doing great things but don't seem to have a clear direction they are going in simply because they missed a step when starting out, which is to determine their mission statement. On today's solo episode I chat through what a mission statement actually is, we look at big companies' mission statements and look at what's needed to define your own mission statement. I think you're going to find this episode helpful even if...
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Let's Get Rejected - An Update On One Hundred Rejections
Building your Brand
If you didn't already know, I've been trying to get to 100 Rejections for the last two years. Today I am chatting through the update of how it's all going (spoiler alert - I am failing!!!). I have been learning valuable lessons along the way and as I share them in today's episode I hope you find them helpful too. If you want some support in your Rejection Challenge Journey, or simply would like to have a list of ideas of what you could pitch for then you will want to get your hands on my latest resource - ; 30 prompts for you to challenge yourself with, daily or at your own pace. ...
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Lessons about cringe and discomfort from a chat with a friend
Building your Brand
Have you ever felt like there's a bit of a blockage between what you're doing now and where you want to be in marketing your business? Are you watching other people show up for their brands and their marketing in ways that just seem beyond what you feel naturally comfortable in doing and you don't even think the content they're producing is that good but they seem to be doing well...? Well today's episode is for you! I was having a chat with my friend who works in fundraising for a Charity and our converstation inspired today's episode. Join me as I talk through and encourage us all to...
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Should you follow trends in your small business?
Building your Brand
It is so tempting to jump on trends when it feels like 'everyone is doing it', and the creative direction is right in front of you but does it actually help or hinder your business? Today I chat through my thoughts on whether or not following trends is good for your branding and if you do follow trends how to know which ones work for you and which ones don't. I would also love to hear your thoughts on how you feel about trends and whether or not they work for you. Come let me know on instagram where you can find me or and I hope you enjoy the episode! Key Takeways...
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Creative Challenges I Did for Fun (That Accidentally Boosted My Business)
Building your Brand
Over the last 5 years of running my business I have set myself various creative challenges. I never really went into them thinking about the impact that they might have on my business but every single one of them has had a really significant impact and they have often led me to other very exciting opportunities. In this episode I share with 4 of those challenges, what I learnt from doing them and the other opportunities that came my way as a result, and I encourage you to think about the impact creative challenges might have for you. I would also love to hear your thoughts on what...
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Why I’m Saying No to an AI Avatar (and Showing Up as Me Instead)
Building your Brand
This episode is sponsored by Astute Graphics who create powerful plugins for Adobe Illustrator. (Aff link) This wasn't an episode that I was planning on recording but I suddenly felt the urge to chat about it as I see more and more of this sort of thing online. There are loads of tools now where you can upload hours of your voice or video content of you and make an AI avatar of yourself that looks pretty realistic. I can see how there might be some benefits to this and I discuss that in the episode but I have decided that this is not for me and I share the reasons why. I would love to know...
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The Secret Power of Brand Values: Stay Aligned & Avoid Bad Opportunities
Building your Brand
This episode is sponsored by Astute Graphics who create powerful plugins for Adobe Illustrator. (Aff link) Have you ever considered what your brand values are? Whenever I teach clients and students about branding I always bang on about how important your brand values are as part of your brand foundation and strategy. They aren't hard to work out and are often very similar to your personal values especially if you're a small business owner. In this episode, I share what my brand values are, a super simple excersize for working out what yours might be, and I also share some stories from...
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Tips for DIYing your own branding
Building your Brand
This episode is sponsored by Astute Graphics who create powerful plugins for Adobe Illustrator. (Aff link) In need of a brand but don't yet have enough budget to hire a professional? On today's episode of Building your Brand podcast I am giving you my top tips for DIYing your own branding. Whether its because you're a creative and want to do your branding yourself or you need some branding to bride the gap between now and when you can afford to outsource your branding, this episode is for you. I am also putting my course Design Your Own Branding ON SALE as I will be retiring the course after...
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How I am growing my personal brand as a graphic designer
Building your Brand
This episode is sponsored by Astute Graphics, who create powerful plugins for Adobe illustrator. (aff link) I am continuing the summer series of solo episodes and on today's episode I share with you my tips and experience of growing a personal brand. I go over what a personal brand actually is, the buzz words around it and why it might be really significant for you to think about growing your own personal brand too. I give a six step breakdown of lessons I've learned along the way I hope you really enjoy this episode and find it useful. I would love to hear what you think of this...
info_outlineIn this episode, I chat with Teresa Ferreira, founder of Ferrgood Studio, about the often-buzzwordy topic of sustainability in branding. Teresa, a brand designer herself, shares practical insights and steps businesses can take to build more sustainable and impactful brands. We discuss moving beyond the pressure of perfection and focusing instead on making consistent, small steps in the right direction. If you've been wondering how to integrate sustainability into your small business authentically, this episode offers valuable guidance.
Key Takeaways
- Progress Over Perfection: Sustainability is a journey, not a destination requiring perfection. Focus on making incremental, 1% improvements rather than getting stuck in an all-or-nothing mindset.
- Pillars of Sustainable Branding: Truly sustainable brands are built on authenticity (living your story transparently), consistency (aligning actions with values across all touchpoints), and measurable impact (tracking the positive effect you have).
- Practical Design Choices: Sustainability can be woven into design through tangible actions like choosing eco-friendly printers and materials, opting for green web hosting, implementing dark mode on websites to save energy, and selecting digital platforms conscious of their energy use.
- Intentionality is Key: Be mindful and intentional about resource use, whether it's adopting AI tools thoughtfully or avoiding wasteful trends (like collecting endless tote bags). Aim to outweigh any negative impact with positive actions.
- Communicate Authentically: Don't be afraid to talk about your sustainability efforts, even if they aren't perfect. Be transparent about your journey, admit where you can improve, and own up to mistakes – this builds trust and connection.
Episode Highlights
- 04:18: Embracing the "1% better" philosophy (inspired by James Clear) instead of aiming for unattainable perfection.
- 06:05: The three core values Teresa builds into her studio and client work: authenticity, consistency, and impact.
- 21:10: Using AI intentionally for efficiency, not letting it replace human creativity or using it trivially.
- 27:20: How to handle potential criticism when discussing sustainability efforts: focus on authenticity and transparency.
- 33:55: Using core brand values as a filter for opportunities, allowing for nuance rather than rigid blacklists.
About the Guest: Teresa Ferreira
Teresa Ferreira runs Ferrgood Studio, crafting designs and brands for businesses aiming to create a positive impact.
- Website: ferrgoodstudio.com
- Instagram: @FerrgoodStudio
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ferreirateresa/
Mentioned in the Episode
- Patagonia 1% for the Planet
- World Land Trust
- Friends of the Earth
- James Clear (Author of Atomic Habits)
- Dieter Rams (Designer, 10 Principles for Good Design)
- Planet App (Shopify carbon-neutral shipping integration)
- Online Carbon Footprint Calculators
End Credits
I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know1 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!