Better: The Brand Designer Podcast, founded by Giselle Field of Wander Design Co. and Jen Davis, was founded on the belief that designers need community. We find that the branding world often feels secretive, competitive, and sometimes just plain old confusing. When we realized that our honest, soul-chat-level convos could potentially help other designers, we realized a podcast was only natural! Better: The Brand Designer Podcast was officially born.
Giselle passed away during a climbing trip in Peru in summer of 2020. We encourage all listeners of our podcast to listen to our two Celebrating Giselle episodes. Giselle's adventurous, kind, funny, and supportive presence is missed every day—each and every episode that we record is dedicated to her legacy and her vision for this podcast. It is our honor to continue recording episodes in Giselle's memory and we know that she is with us every time we sit down to record.
In winter of 2022, we welcomed Esther Knox-Dekoning from Sereth Design as a new co-host. Esther brought an incredible and fresh perspective to the pod—her transition from agency to design studio as well as her love for web design, sustainability, and world change brought new guests, ideas, and amazing episodes to our listeners. She departed the pod in spring 2023 to dedicate more time to her studio's growth, and will be greatly missed!
Now, Jen runs the podcast solo and is beyond excited to continue interviewing guests, having interesting conversations, and sharing the behind-the-scenes of running her design studio.
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S14 E7: Before & After: How Picking a Specific Niche Changed My Business with Brooklyn Beckerson
Season 14 · Episode 7
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 • Duration 37:16
In this episode, I chat with Brooklyn of Glorybright Studio about how her health journey took her from freelancing and taking on any design project to niching into serving holistic practitioners and wellness brands. We talk about how her values and faith shaped her positioning, why speaking from personal experience makes marketing and sales feel simpler, and how this shift has changed the way she shows up for her kids and family.
S14 E6: An AI State of the Union (for Brand & Web Designers)
Season 14 · Episode 6
Tuesday, September 22, 2026 • Duration 41:27
In this solo episode, I chat all about how AI has impacted our studio, how we use it, how we see our clients using it (the good & the bad) where we don’t use it, and how we have implemented AI clauses in both our clients and subcontractors contracts.
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S14 E5: You're Making Six Figures on Paper. So Why Is Your Bank Account Empty? with Emily Bowie
Season 14 · Episode 5
Tuesday, September 15, 2026 • Duration 42:59
In this week's episode, I talk with Emily, a former Big Four audit manager who's now CFO of Thorne Advisors, the firm she co-leads with Andrea Mason. Together they help business owners get a clearer picture of their cash flow and a smarter approach to taxes. We get into why creative business owners can look profitable on their books but still feel broke, and unpack the cash leaks behind it, like underpricing and scope creep.
Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*
S14 E4: Behind-the-Scenes of Rebranding My 12-Year Design Agency with Kadie Smith
Season 14 · Episode 4
Tuesday, September 8, 2026 • Duration 42:41
In this week's episode, I chat with Kadie Smith, designer and founder of Drop Cap Design. We talk about why she chose to rebrand after 12 years in business, how she'd been feeling disconnected from her brand, and what it was like being the "client," working with her senior designer through it. We also discuss why communicating clearly with clients matters so much, presenting work and gathering feedback more effectively, and growing into a creative direction role with your team.
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S14 E3: What I'd Do Differently If I Were Starting My Design Business Today
Season 14 · Episode 3
Friday, September 4, 2026 • Duration 30:33
In this solo episode, as I'm in my 14th season of the podcast and 8th year in business, I chat about things that have changed since I started in 2019, and share what I would do differently and things I would prioritize sooner if I were starting my creative business today.
S14 E2: The Hidden Messaging Mistakes Costing You High-End Clients with Kayla Dean
Tuesday, August 25, 2026 • Duration 45:59
Grab Kayla's Website Copy Compendium today and use code BETTERPOD to save $200 on personal or commercial.
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In this episode, I talk with Kayla Dean, website copywriter, messaging strategist, and owner of The Literary Co. We chat about why messaging and positioning are often the missing link for designers who want high-ticket clients, and how strong copy can reduce pricing pushback, attract better-fit leads, and support what your portfolio already proves.
S14 E1: What’s the Future of Independent Design Studios? with Steven Wakabayashi
Season 14 · Episode 1
Tuesday, August 18, 2026 • Duration 54:07
In this first episode of season 14, I talk with Steven Wakabayashi, creative director and founder of Stranger Creative, about building a strong company culture in a fully remote, globally distributed agency, what it really takes to grow from freelance-style work into a sustainable team, and having the right mindset as a business owner. We also chat about how we work with talented freelancers across different areas of design expertise, and how that produces top tier work for our clients.
S13 E23: What Matters and What Doesn’t? Nine Years of Running a Design Studio with Olivia Austin
Season 13 · Episode 23
Wednesday, July 8, 2026 • Duration 39:31
In this week's episode I have fellow designer, mom, and business owner Olivia Austin back on the podcast. We chat about the things that don't matter and the things that really do when growing and running a business, and how becoming a mom has made all of that even clearer. Her last episode with me was back in 2022 and so much has changed since we last talked.
Become a member of Editorial Stock images and use code to receive 15% off your membership.
S13 E22: Building a 7 Figure Creative Agency that Will Sell with Brooke Apffel
Season 13 · Episode 22
Tuesday, June 30, 2026 • Duration 46:20
This week I chatted with Brooke Apffel about building her digital marketing business, Coastal Collective Marketing (CoCo), from the ground up, growing it into an agency with a team, and what the process looked like to eventually sell through an acquisition. We also talk about her social media masterclass, a course I took personally and highly recommend!
Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*
Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*
S13 E21: Stationery as Storytelling: The Power of Tangible Design with Amanda DeWoody
Season 13 · Episode 21
Tuesday, June 23, 2026 • Duration 44:12
In this weeks episode, I'm chatting with my friend Amanda, owner of Mandy Lee Studio (formerly Poised Avenue), who specializes in stationery, print design, and design licensing. We talk about why print still matters in a world of digital noise and AI, how tactile collateral can strengthen a brand experience, and how to educate your clients on print and all the possibilities it opens up to elevate their brand presence beyond just digital.
Get 30% off of your HoneyBook subscription - The CRM I use in my studio.*
Enjoy 1 month of Showit FREE with my code “HelloJune” when you sign up.*
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