The Design Diaries

Brand designer Alyssa Nguyen talks 3 key things to consider when approaching growth strategies for any part of your design or creative business. These tips will allow you to make actionable steps towards building a sustainable growth plan that won't overwhelm you.

What types of projects should I put in my portfolio? How many? What do I put on my about page? What do I put in the case studies? I'll answer all of these questions and more to help you build the best graphic design portfolio possible.

Figuring out if a client will be hard to work wit, if a contractor will be reliable, and if a coach will be worth it is hard! Here are 3 red flags that I look out for in each to maximize my chances of a good match.

Let's talk about finding a design style! In this episode, I break down the difference between a design style and a design aesthetic and then share my journey with finding my own. I'll tell you all about my strategies for figuring out your signature and give you 3 tips to start.

Let's talk about how lonely it is to be a self-employed creative...and then let me give some tips for finding community when you work by yourself! It's so important to take the time to connect with people in our industry, but it can be hard to figure out when, where, and how to do it. My best tips are in this episode!

"What am I missing???"
I know it's stressful leaving for the holidays not knowing if you've done *everything* you were supposed to, so here's a checklist of things I recommend doing at the end of the year to help you prep for the new year! In this episode, I'm talking accounting, improvement, planning, marketing, and more, so give it a listen and let me know what you think!

This is the last episode of season 2, so leave us a review and DM us on Instagram to let us know what you're thinking of the podcast so far!

I spent HOW MUCH?? I spent almost 40k this year, and in this episode, I break down all the categories for my expenses and tell you exactly how much I spent and on what!

It's a little early, but I'm sharing some of the goals that I have for the new year!

In this episode, I'm giving you my top 5 tips for optimizing your content for TikTok because YES it's completely different from Instagram.

In this episode, I'm sharing my best 3 tips for avoiding burnout to plan your year more intuitively and give yourself a break.

I'm covering my tips for figuring out how to budget yourself as a self-employed freelancer or creative! I discuss tracking expenses and income and figuring out how to pay yourself!

In this episode, I cover how to decide if a course is going to be worth your time and money and how to go about deciding if one is right for you!

In this episode, I asked you, my listeners, to submit some struggles that you need help with for this new advice column-style episode "Dear Diary." I'm giving advice to 3 different submitted situations: saying no to working with friends and family; holding yourself back from starting a business; and struggling to balance work and life as a freelancer without a formal schedule.

I'm listing the top 5 sections that I always look for in a contract that I highly recommend you have in yours!

I'm talking through 4 major legal mistakes I've made in my business and giving you the tips and honesty to help you avoid making the same ones!

I'm talking about the progress I've made with self-perception, productivity, self-worth, and achievement as someone who struggles with feeling satisfied!

I'm talking all about the steps I took to rebrand my studio and tips for making it *easier* for you!

I'm sharing my biggest 3 tips for how to approach large business changes like restructuring, scaling, etc! We're talking figuring out what to change, how to find a solution, and how to approach executing it.

I'm talking all about what it's been like taking a mental health break from the business and how I'm approaching getting back into the swing of things!

With all the content I've been putting out recently over Instagram, Close Friends, TikTok, this Podcast, and now my YouTube, I've been struggling with the question of whether or not I'm sharing too much and how to deal with that uncertainty.

I give a lot of advice on what to DO, but now I'm trying to show you what NOT to do through sharing my regrets and things I wish I knew when I was growing and starting out.

I'm covering early termination as both a client and a creative: when to know, how to do it, and how to cope!

What brands do you hate? Do you have anything cringey to admit? I ask my friends @bymatthewmiller, @helloimwilda, and @m.b.i.r.d some juicy questions that you sent us in a long, candid, and fun conversation!

In this episode I'm talking Imposter Syndrome and some tips on how I've dealt with it over the years!

This episode covers some tips for what to do once you've decided to increase your rates!

It's time for season 2! We're officially back and ready for a whole ton of exciting episodes!

In this episode, I cover key things you need to consider when starting to develop passive income streams and how to make them with minimal extra effort from you!

I'm getting a lil juicy today and talking about 4 trends that I think are TOXIC in the creative community!

I cover my top 5 things that I keep on the lookout for when meeting potential clients to avoid possible nightmare situations!

In this episode I share my best tips for managing client feedback like how to disagree with feedback & how to get the best feedback possible!

In this episode I cover my best advice for approaching tense or awkward client situations and I go through 5 client scenarios, talking you through my recommended approach for dealing with them: 1. Client Trust Issues, 2: Scope Creep, 3: Late Payments/Feedback, 4: Mismatched Vision or Negative Interactions (aka Terminating a Project), 5: Working with a Friend

WTF do you do when you feel like someone has copied your designs? In this diary entry I tell you about my experience with people taking my work and how I feel about the debate between copying and inspiration + a mini rant on the "be original" narrative!

I share my tips and methods for using Instagram in a sustainable and natural way to grow your business! Instead of giving you the classic algorithm tips, I'm sharing ways to view Instagram as a community tool to help you grow without the extra effort.

I'm sharing my top 5 things to consider and implement into your project experience to maximize client satisfaction and get you some good reviews! I talk systems, strategies, and things to consider when building your workflow.

We're talking strategies and methods for attracting clients that align with your business! I'm sharing some tips and things to consider that will help you attract your dream clients sustainably over time.

In this episode I talk about the scary moment when you decide to start being the spokesperson for your business on social media and how it's not all rainbows and butterflies! I talk about being anxious about hate, becoming an influencer, and how to balance marketing with personal comfort.

We're talking about how to price yourself in a way that's right for you and what's comfortable! I discuss how I go about pricing my services and suggest ways to think about how to structure yours. I don't cover any particular numbers, but rather I talk about how to think about your own comfort level to customize your pricing structure in a way that makes sense for you!

In this episode I cover my best advice, like real advice!, that I wish I had been told when I first starting out. I cover a variety of topics like pricing, service offerings, passion projects, and more!

In this episode I share realistic and simple steps to improve your rest-work balance! Instead of just telling you to rest and practice self-care (like what does that even mean these days?), I give you my actual tips that I use to help relieve anxiety, burnout, and more.

Your niche and target audience are one of the main pillars of your business' foundation! In this episode I cover ways to thoughtfully find your niche and strategically find your audience while also having a bit of fun!

In this episode I get vulnerable and talk about an unpleasant but real experience that I had in my week...breaking up with a client and getting talked down to in a meeting. I talk about the experiences of dealing with both and what I learned from them!

Welcome! Get to know me, your humble host, by learning about my unconventional journey into design and how I started freelancing, designing, and opening my own studio. I share my experience going through a MAJOR career change and following my passion. It's nice to meet you!

In this episode I outline my best tips for starting a creative freelancing career or business! I include tips for laying the foundation of your business to set you up for success and I also cover my top 5 admin essentials to get the ball rolling!