In episode 080, I had a great conversation with Kevin Rapp, co-founder and chief creative officer of Ultra Friends. We dive into the exploitation of creatives and the crucial role of valuing creativity in business. Kevin shares his journey from working in agencies and studios to going in-house at a fast-growing startup, where he learned to focus not just on the craft, but on delivering real value to the business.

We discuss why creatives should stop pitching for free and start advocating for the true worth of their work. Kevin’s key takeaway? Understand and confidently articulate the immense value that creativity brings to the table.

This episode is a must-listen for any creative professional looking to elevate their impact and take control of their worth in the business world!

Key Takeaways

• Creatives need to shift their focus from the craft alone to delivering value to the business.

• Pitching for free devalues creativity and sets an unhealthy dynamic in client relationships.

• Understanding and articulating the true value of creativity is crucial for success.

• Advocating for fair compensation and valuing creativity leads to better career opportunities and financial growth.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:30 Transitioning from Agency to In-House Startup

06:09 Shifting the Focus to Value and Business Impact

09:55 Starting Ultra Friends and Optimizing Creative Content

15:05 The Importance of Not Pitching for Free

20:59 The Devaluation of Creativity and Self-Worth

26:00 Setting the Tone and Advocating for Fair Compensation

31:53 Understanding and Articulating the True Value of Creativity

Kevin is the co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of the creative agency Ultra Friends. He's an accomplished creative leader with almost two decades of experience in the field. And he's built a mild reputation for himself by shouting into the internet void on Linkedin.

In episode 079, I had the pleasure of speaking with Nicole Ayres, founder of Jumpsuit and creator of Jumpboards. After leaving the big agency world to freelance, Nicole built her own thriving agency—Jumpsuit—with zero paid ads and zero employees. She has since developed Jumpboards, a revolutionary end-to-end solution for agencies that streamlines everything from discovery calls to project handoff.

Nicole shares how Jumpboards empowers freelancers to confidently pitch larger projects and helps agencies operationalize business development, scoping, budgeting, and resource allocation. At the heart of her success? A strong belief in her team and a culture of collaboration and empowerment.

This episode is packed with insights for anyone looking to scale their agency or improve operational efficiency. Don’t miss out on Nicole's inspiring story and the game-changing strategies she’s developed!

Key Takeaways

• Building an agency without paid ads or employees is possible by leveraging a network of trusted freelancers.

• Jumpboards is a technology that streamlines the agency process and allows freelancers to pitch larger projects.

• Trust in your team is crucial for agency success.

• Creating a culture of collaboration and empowerment leads to a more fulfilling and productive work environment.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

08:21 Transitioning from Freelancer to Agency Owner

19:19 Introducing Jumpboards

27:31 The Future of Agencies and Freelancing

32:01Personal Interests and Advice

In episode 078, Jhana Li, founder of Spyglass Ops, shares her inspiring journey from living van life to building her own successful operations consulting company. She talks about how she helps agency owners scale their businesses while regaining personal freedom by mastering the power of operations. 

Jhana highlights how crucial operations are for growth and profitability, explaining how optimizing team performance, delegating tasks effectively, and implementing solid systems and processes allow founders to focus on high-value activities that drive real results. This episode is packed with practical insights for anyone looking to scale their agency while building a more efficient, sustainable business.

Key Takeaways

• Operations is crucial for scaling an agency and maximizing profitability.

• Optimizing team performance and implementing systems and processes are key to success.

• Founders should focus on high-value activities and delegate tasks to free up time.

• Raising the bar for success and setting higher standards can lead to team growth and success.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

03:04 The Importance of Operations in Scaling

08:23 Maximizing Team Performance

17:23 Raising the Bar for Success

Jhana Li, founder of Spyglass Ops. Jhana started as a COO for multiple startups - while living van life. After seeing countless founders stall out & trap themselves without the proper Operations, 3 years ago Jhana decided to start Spyglass Ops. Since then she has helped more than 100 businesses scale past 7 & 8-figures. Through Operations consulting, recruitment, and training, Spyglass Ops empowers founders to simultaneously scale their businesses while regaining their personal freedom.

Jhana Li started as a COO for multiple startups (while simultaneously traveling full-time in a converted van through N & S America). After seeing countless founders stall out & trap themselves without the proper Operations, 3 years ago Jhana decided to start her own company, Spyglass Ops. Since then she has helped 100+ businesses scale past 7 & 8-figures. Through Operations consulting, recruitment, and training, Spyglass Ops empowers founders to simultaneously scale their businesses while regaining their personal freedom.

Contact Jhana Li:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejhanali

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejhanali/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhana-li/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@theJhanaLi/

Website: https://spyglassops.com/

In this episode, I had the pleasure of chatting with Jacob Cass from JUST Creative about his remarkable journey from digital nomad and designer to his current roles as an agency owner, educator, and blogger. We delve into how Jacob manages to juggle multiple ventures while maintaining focus and standing out in the industry. His pursuit of creative freedom drives him to embrace new technologies and innovative ideas, such as the AI bots he's developed to support branding efforts for agencies. We also explore topics like affiliate marketing, value-based pricing, marketplace positioning, and more. Tune in for the full conversation and gain insights from Jacob's wealth of experience!

Key Takeaways

Embrace AI in design and see how it can improve your process and productivity.

Diversify your revenue streams to create a more stable and sustainable business.

Consider value-based pricing to reflect the value you bring to clients rather than charging by the hour.

Reflect, recalibrate, and refocus regularly to adapt to changes in the market and set new goals.

Try new tools and don't be afraid to experiment and find what works best for you.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction and Background

08:24 The Role of Design in Jacob's Business

23:55 Experimenting with Tools and Embracing Change

Jacob Cass is a brand designer, strategist, educator, podcaster, business coach, community builder and the founder of JUST Creative, a branding & design consultancy that doubles as an industry-leading blog and community.

Jacob helps grow brands strategically and has worked for clients such as Disney, Nintendo and Jerry Seinfeld however he is now focused on bringing this global brand experience to smaller businesses.

For Jacob, design is a lifelong journey of continuously honing his craft, as well as empowering other fellow designers & entrepreneurs to build on theirs, which has allowed him to build a large and loyal following, including his JUST Creative website which has been viewed over 70 million times.

Jacob has spoken at TEDx and been featured in Entrepreneur, Forbes, and a number of high-profile design books including The Best of Logo Lounge Master Series.

Jacob holds a Bachelor of Visual Communication (Graphic Design Major) from The University of Newcastle, Sydney, Australia and a Brand Master Certification from Brand Master Academy, and over 17 years of experience in the industry with multiple awards on his belt.

Jacob co-hosts the JUST Branding Podcast which helps designers & entrepreneurs grow brands.

He also coaches creatives in his Inner Triangle Coaching Program, either 1:1 or in a group mastermind setting. Yahoo! recently declared him as the “Best Brand Coach”.

Jacob also runs the membership community Exponential Creatives which helps creatives grow exponentially.

Jacob is a digital nomad and travels the world now isolated in Sydney with his family of four, while running JUST Creative.

He has visited 88 countries thus far with travel guides on most of them available at his travel blog, JUST Globetrotting.

Contact Justin:

Website: https://justcreative.com

Podcast: https://justcreative.com/podcast

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