Explore every episode of the podcast Behind the Scope

A McDonald's Christmas ad made entirely with AI. A Porsche ad drawn completely by hand. Both dropped around the same time. Only one of them got pulled from the internet. In this episode, we get into what these two examples actually tell us about where the market is heading. We're seeing the beginning of a real split: AI is becoming a signal for cheap, and human-made is becoming a signal for quality, craftsmanship, and even prestige.

Where did all the emos, skaters, and indie kids go? And where are we finding meaning behind what we wear and who we belong to? The algorithm telling us how to think, AI homogenizing our research habits, 2025 was officially called the year of overwhelming okayness in brand identity. It's all connected. In this episode we get into why everything looks the same right now, in branding, on social media, in our homes, on our feeds, and what's driving it.

In this episode we sit down with Eva Christ, founder of Unmuted Collective, a Vienna-based platform making mental health visible in the workplace. We get into why creatives are statistically more prone to burnout than other industries and why loving your work actually makes you more at risk. We talk about our own mental health crises and how we got through it. One of the more honest conversations we've had on the podcast.

Guest links:
Website: https://www.unmutedcollective.at
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unmutedcollective.at

What does success look like to you, and where did that definition come from? In this episode we get honest about how our answer to that question has changed, why we spent years chasing a version of success that wasn't actually ours, and what it felt like to scale down when the world around us treats growth as the only valid metric for success.

Laura Reichert is a photographer based between Munich and Vienna whose work is rooted in documenting people and authentic moments — and whose Studio Reichert project started as something deeply personal. After her grandfather, a typographer and artist, passed away, Laura began archiving his work, photographing his untouched workshop, and eventually turning his prints into something people could carry with them. In this episode we talk about keeping a creative legacy alive, why she stopped performing for the algorithm, what it means to document rather than photograph.

Guest links:

Website: https://laura-reichert.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorakfilm/ & instagram.com/studio.reichert

Creative Boom surveyed young freelancers on the hardest parts of being a creative. The results weren't surprising and very relatable. In this episode we go through every single finding, share where we've been there ourselves, and get honest about the ones we're still figuring out. Money, burnout, AI anxiety, feeling replaceable, direction, visibility, client nightmares.

You've heard it a hundred times, even on this podcast – niche down, become the go-to person for one thing, and the right clients will find you. Our guest Marie Zieger disagrees. She calls herself radically anti-niche, and in this episode we get into why that advice can be just as harmful as it is helpful, what a business as a multi-hyphenate creative looks like.

Guest links:
Website: www.everyseason.xyz
Instagram: www.instagram.com/everyseason.xyz

Image copyright:
https://www.instagram.com/sophienawratil

It's our podcast anniversary! We are spilling the tea on the rebrand, why LinkedIn became our biggest unexpected driver, what changed for us when we started bringing guests on with an actual topic in mind. Thanks for listening for the last three years!

Study, get a job, work your way up. In the creative industry that usually means junior, mid, senior, creative director, and often moving further and further away from the work you actually wanted to do.

In this episode we sit down with Alice Katter, founder of Out of Office Network and we get into why the traditional creative career ladder is outdated, what a non-linear career actually looks like in practice, and why going fully freelance isn't the only way out.

Guest links:
Website: https://www.alicekatter.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alicekatter

We scroll past hundreds of images every day. Most of them are well lit, well composed, perfectly optimized. Anna Baros is a Vienna-based architectural photographer who spent years inside the influencer world and the agency world, and came out the other side with a very clear opinion on how we got here.

We get into how algorithms fueled by patriarchy have flattened visual culture in ways that started long before the algorithm existed.

Guest links:
Website: https://anabarros.studio
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ANASBARROS/

How many episodes have we done on positioning? And even we still struggle to figure it out sometimes. In this episode we talk about why we decided to redo our website (again), and reveal a sneak peek of what to expect from the Faktor launch event.

RSVP to the event: https://luma.com/q82uxdre
Faktor: https://www.faktor.so/
Same Same: https://www.samesame.studio

Most creatives spend their careers chasing the next brief, the next award, the next step up the ladder. Dian did that for 20 years, at some of the most respected agencies in Austria, and then stopped to count what he actually had to show for it.

In this episode, Dian gets into what that realization felt like, why the advertising industry is brilliant at consuming creative talent without giving much back, and what it took to finally walk away and build something on his own terms. We talk about the award culture that shaped his entire career, why the definition of great work has fundamentally changed, and what it actually means to use your creativity for yourself.

Guest links
Website: https://www.cainne-angste.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cainne_angste/

The creative industry spends a lot of time romanticizing passion.That's how we got here. But there's a version of that passion that can make you bad at pricing your work, bad at setting boundaries, and bad at building a business around it. And there's another version that stops being about the client altogether and starts being about you.

Sandro Siller, founder of Wort Weit Wien, was building his copywriting business right as ChatGPT hit. We get into what kind of creatives are at risk for being replaced by AI. Why selling output alone was never going to be enough, and why most creatives don't actually have a process worth selling (yet?). We also talk about why Sandro completely restructured his business around education and consulting instead of chasing the same clients with the same pitch in a market that had fundamentally changed.

Guest Links:
Website: https://www.wortweitwien.at
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandrosiller/

In this episode, we sit down with Julia Weithaler, founder of To Be Honest, a Vienna-based design studio built entirely around working with purpose-driven, values-aligned clients. We get into what that actually looks like in practice, and whether it's realistic to think you can hold your values and keep your business alive at the same time.

We get into the gray areas, and discuss the industry's obsession with performing progressive values while doing none of the work. Imperfect action is still better than no action. But we get into where the line is.

Guest links:
Website: https://tobehonest.studio/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tbh.designstudio

No context. No curiosity about the brief, the client, the requirements, or what the person was actually trying to solve. Just a verdict stated as fact, and dressed up as professional opinion.

We've been watching this play out for a while. The way creatives pile on other creatives online. The way critique gets weaponized without any of the information that would make it useful. The way opinions get presented as objective truth by people who weren't in the room, didn't read the brief, and have no idea what they're looking at.

Lorenzo is the founder of Eat Butter First, and in this episode he gets into the messy, practical reality of building an agency that runs on freelance talent. How do you find the right people? How do you know when someone is actually a fit versus just available? And how do you budget for a team when every project looks different?

We get into all of it: the hiring mistakes, the relationship dynamics between agencies and freelancers, why passion and fit matter more than most people admit, and how to stay adaptable when you're operating in industries that move as fast as social media and hospitality.

Guest links:
Website: https://www.eatbutterfirst.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eat.butter.first/

There was a project that didn't fall apart because the client was difficult. It fell apart because I let them run it. The timeline, the process, the decisions, I handed all of it over without realizing what I was doing. By the end I wasn't a creative director anymore, I was just executing instructions.

In this episode, I get into exactly how that happened, what it cost me, and what I changed after. But also why this is bigger than one bad project. In a world where clients can type a prompt and get a result in seconds, the idea that creatives are just executors is becoming normalized. And every time we let a client take the wheel, we reinforce it.

Design used to mean something. Now it's a $5 Fiverr logo and an AI prompt away. So what the hell happened?

In this episode, we're getting into the uncomfortable truth about how digitalization and globalization were just the beginning of what we are seeing today with AI.

We're talking about how design went from a specialized craft to a commodity, why platforms like Fiverr and 99designs accelerated the race to the bottom.

We also get into the ethics of it all: the outsourcing, the exploitation, the "exposure" economy, and what it means for creatives trying to build a real business today.

It's a common experience as a creative to lose out on a project to someone not as good. If we feel like our work is good, why isn't that enough? We kind of assume that if someone is the best option it should just be obvious. But clearly that's not how it works. A conversation on positioning and how communication can change everything.

Guest links:
Website: https://fromblandtobrand.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-from-bland-to-brand/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromblandtobrand/

Photo credit:
© Arnela Kameric

Most people run their business around deadlines, clients, and expectations. The toxic "hustle culture" rhetoric online tends to glorify consistent high productivity and being busy. Why are we leaving out the fact that half the population experiences a menstrual cycle is it left out of the productivity conversation?

Guest links:

Website: https://www.femergency.at

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/femergency.at?igsh=MWhmdG5jemY0b25lZw%3D%3D

Photo credits:
© olivialaura.at 

Behind the Scope hosts honest & transparent discussions about the creative industry, pricing creative work and all things business.

Follow links:

Instagram

Threads
YouTube

We may have unintentionally triggered the AI vibe coders on Threads. We pointed out an obvious issue: many AI-generated websites look impressive at first, but fall apart once a real client needs to edit or maintain them. No proper content management, no flexibility, and no clear handover after launch. So we asked ourselves is this really the future or are we setting clients back decades while devaluing our industry further?

Some freelancers might know deep down that they should be charging more, but have they ever actually looked at their own numbers to confirm?

In this episode we talk about the psychology behind bad pricing decisions in the creative industry. Competition anxiety, fear of losing out on projects, and the discomfort of looking at your own financial reality. We explore why pricing stubbornness can be tied to identity and/or insecurity.

This week we’re joined by wedding stationery and branding designer Marina Brooks, who has spent years inside one of the most emotionally charged corners of the design industry. We talk about what really happens when design stops being a business decision and becomes identity, taste, pressure, and expectations all at once.

We also get into the stories. Unrealistic requests, disagreements between partners… and one project that sadly didn't end in a wedding. This episode is less about weddings and more about what happens when design becomes a deeply personal product.

Guest links:

Website: https://vonschoenstein.at

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

In this episode, we talk to Alber Armendáriz, co-founder of Armen + Max, about building a creative business that’s rooted in values, purpose, and transparency. Alber shares how he went from studying engineering to building a creative career working with founders, helping them articulate what they stand for and why it matters. We talk about following your passions, navigating perfectionism, and learning to define success on your own terms instead of borrowing someone else’s version of it.

Guest links:

Website: https://www.armenmaks.com

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

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@alber_armendariz

In this episode, we talk with freelance illustrator Carina Lindmeier about her path from agency project management into a full-time freelance illustration career. Carina shares what it really looked like to leave a structured role behind, finding her style, and start taking her own creative work seriously.

Guest links:

Website: https://carinalindmeier.com

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

In this episode, we talk with Katharina Luger, former managing director of Traktor, about her journey through the advertising industry and her recent exit from the agency. Together, we look at her path from creative roles into leadership, how Traktor built its distinct approach to advertising, and what it really means to lead creative teams through change, including the challenges of the pandemic years.

Guest links:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katharina-luger-078a4414a/

We break down the main things you should factor into your prices: creator factors like experience level and whether you are a solo freelancer or a team, commissioner factors like client size, funding stage, location and influence, and industry factors that change how much companies are willing to spend on design. We also talk about rush fees, discounts, payment provider fees and why most people forget to include them.

Faktor: https://www.faktor.so

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/faktor-app/

Threads: https://www.threads.com/@faktor.so

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/faktor.so

In this episode, we break down how hourly pricing emerged from male dominated consulting models, why it rewards speed and constant availability, and how that harms women, especially mothers and anyone who cannot or does not want to sell 40 hours a week. We explore value based pricing as a feminist position that centers impact, insight and emotional labor instead of hours, and what it means for women to step into roles as strategists, decision makers and value definers without simply reinforcing the existing system.

In this episode, we talk about value in the creative industry through a feminist lens. Who decides what is valuable and how has it affected our industry? We look at how execution work and emotional labor are still treated as less valuable than strategy, how that connects to the history of women doing the invisible parts of design, and why the industry keeps rewarding awards, speed and output instead of process. We also get into how AI will push execution work to be worth even less, why that makes value based pricing more important than ever.

In this episode, we talk about what it really takes to build a creative business that does not burn you out. We share how we went from severe burnout in our first years as a studio to building systems, boundaries, and pricing that actually support us. We cover planning your year with realistic capacity, making time for holidays, choosing tools and workflows that fit how you work, and setting working hours that match your energy instead of a 9 to 5 template. We also get into positioning, pricing, and project planning so you can avoid scope creep, chaotic timelines, and clients who do not respect your time. A practical check in for anyone who wants their business to feel sustainable this year, not just busy.

In this episode, we look back at our year as a studio and talk honestly about what happened behind the scenes. We share why our monthly recaps quietly stopped, how guest interviews took over our schedule, and how 2025 became the year of internal projects. We also talk about highs and lows, hiring our first assistant, and building community through Discord and events.

In this episode, we take a radical feminist look at why the creative industry remains inaccessible for many women. We talk about the pressure to work for free, the expectation to prove yourself before being taken seriously, and how this creates a barrier that women, especially those without financial safety nets, cannot cross. We also discuss the lack of women in leadership roles, the gatekeeping that happens in award jurys, and how decision making power is still concentrated in the hands of men. A conversation about access, opportunity, and the hidden costs of succeeding in the creative industry.

In this episode, we look at the feminist history of design and how the industry we know today was shaped by decisions, structures, and narratives that left many women out of the story. We explore how early design movements pushed women into “craft” while men defined what counted as “design,” why credit was unevenly distributed, and how these patterns still show up in creative work today. A conversation about recognition, visibility, and understanding the systems we inherit as creatives.

In this episode, we talk with Scy Heidekamp, creative technologist and founder of Qtures, about working at the point where art and technology meet. Scy shares how she approaches AI in her creative practice, why documenting your process matters, and what ethical questions creatives should think about as tools evolve. We also explore the idea of quantum creativity, what it could mean for the future of creative work, and why claiming your identity as a creative is more important than ever. A conversation about curiosity, community, and staying grounded while the industry shifts around us.

Guest links:

Qtures: https://qtures.com

Website: https://scyheidekamp.nl

Quantum Creativity Framework: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vcLYPwDfv0k1UzinDmRW45VF-zP0wrk2/view?usp=drivesdk

In this episode, we talk with Shideh Heravi, UX researcher and founder of Healthblokk, about how a personal health challenge led her to build a startup for people with dietary restrictions. She shares what she learned from her own journey, the reality of starting something on your own, and why asking questions matter more than perfect answers. We also talk about building around a problem, staying resilient, and finding your place in the tech startup scene as a woman.

Guest links:

Website: https://healthblokk.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shideh-heravi/

In this episode, we talk with Vanessa Olt, a Berlin-based business consultant and until 2025 the co-founder of Nea-Kosma with Rea Stamatoulakis, about the financial realities behind building a creative business. Vanessa shares the insecurities she sees most often in her clients, from money anxiety to business clarity struggles, and explains how she supports them through a mix of co-creating and what she calls “business therapy.” We discuss the importance of understanding how creatives think, speaking their language, and adapting business models to match their needs and financial comfort levels. A grounding conversation about money, financial literacy, and helping creatives feel supported rather than overwhelmed.

Guest links:

Website: https://www.vanessaolt.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/v.olt/

Photo credits:
© Marina Hoppmann

In this episode, we talk with Catherine Spet, an interdisciplinary artist based in Vienna, about finding balance between art, philosophy, research and graphic design. She shares her journey from digital and game art to the techno scene, her thoughts on the role of AI in creative work, and what it really means to work across disciplines. We also discuss imposter syndrome, the realities of combining passion projects with commercial work, and the importance of building connections to grow a network.

Guest links:
Website: https://www.catherinespet.com

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

In this episode, we talk about why hourly pricing doesn’t reflect the real value of creative work, and why it’s time for the industry to move on from it. We dive into the challenges that come with trading time for money, how it limits creatives, and what alternative pricing models actually make sense. A conversation about reframing worth, and shifting an industry to where clients value outcomes over cheap hours.

In this episode, we talk with Lina & Florentin from No Worries Just Shapes, a 3D design duo from Vienna, about their journey from photography to creating immersive digital worlds. They share how their fascination with nature and technology shapes their work, how AI influences their creative process, and why community and collaboration are essential to what they do. We also dive into their experiences with public speaking, hosting meetups, and building connections in the creative scene.

Guest links:

Website: https://nwjs.studio

Instagram NJS: https://www.instagram.com/noworriesjustshapes/

Community Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/viennamotionbunch/?hl=en

Design strategist Lara Langner talks about the many sides of her creative career, from design and freelancing to strategy and product work, and how one principle connects it all: value. She shares how understanding value shapes the way she prices her work, chooses projects, and defines her identity as a creative. We also discuss the realities of freelancing, financial ups and downs, and finding balance when doing many things.

Guest links:

Website: https://laralangner.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/atelier.ohr/

In this episode, Johanna Lederer, founder and creative director of Studio Arde, shares how she made the leap from employee to entrepreneur. She talks about the challenges of starting her own studio, building a business rooted in values, and empowering women in the creative industry and in business. Johanna also opens up about the importance of planning, finding focus through niching down, and how coaching and mentorship shaped her growth. A conversation about courage, clarity, and creating a business that truly reflects who you are.

Guest links:

Website: https://www.studio-arde.com

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

Photo credits:
© Sarah Katharina Photography

In this story-time episode we share the messy behind-the-scenes of a web project that didn't end as planned. What started as a standard design and development job ended with a new stakeholder, shifting requirements, an unpaid final invoice, and a threat to ruin our reputation if we pursued collections.

Designer and studio owner Erik Herrström shares his journey from Sweden to Vienna and the experiences that shaped his career. He talks about working with global brands like Nike, Google, and Spotify, the leap from freelancing to running his own studio, and the lessons learned along the way. Erik reflects on the value of networking, learning from others, and embracing mistakes as essential steps in building a successful creative business.

Guest links:

Website: https://www.studioherrstrom.com

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

Photo credits:

© Mario Ilic

Freelance photographer and podcast host Ulrich Aydt shares his path into photography and freelancing, the challenges of pricing creative work, and what he’s learned from hosting creative therapy sessions. He talks about building community, staying balanced while juggling projects, and why collaboration and asking for help are essential for any creative.

Guest links:

Website: https://www.ulrichaydt.com

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

Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/3eYG4lJkpcemfBEoVxfkud?si=8497d3b052df40f5

In this episode, we look back at August and share what we’ve been working on behind the scenes. From project updates and website development to experimenting with SEO strategies, we cover the progress and challenges that shaped the month. We also talk about launching our Creative Club, the ongoing struggles freelancers face with pricing, and why industry standards matter. Plus, we reflect on balancing social media engagement with real value, and what we’ve learned along the way.

We invited Studio Sirene to have a conversation that explores the dynamics of a design collective, focusing on the unique structure, roles, and responsibilities within the group. We discuss their approach to client relationships, financial logistics, and the importance of work-life balance. They also share insights on hiring practices and offer advice for those looking to start their own collective.

Guest links:

Website: https://sirene.studio

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/studio.sirene/

In this episode we celebrate 100 episodes of podcasting. We go over what it has been like and what we want to improve in the future.

In this conversation, we critically analyze an article promoting the idea that being a generalist is more beneficial than specializing in a specific field. We discuss the implications of this perspective on the creative industry, emphasizing the importance of specialization, adaptability, and the potential harm such narratives can cause to freelancers and creatives.