Brand Unmuted Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Welcome to the trailer for Brand Unmuted, the podcast for creative women building businesses that work for their lives, not the other way around.

In this short intro, we’re giving you a taste of what to expect, including a little behind-the-scenes banter from the moment this whole idea sparked, why we teamed up on this project, and what you’ll hear in our first few episodes.

• Bite-sized episodes that feel like coffee with two creative friends who get it

• Warm, grounded conversations about the messy middle of entrepreneurship

• Practical strategies you can actually implement to build a business that supports your life

• Honest talk about energy, boundaries, creativity, and business growth

Brand Unmuted officially launches December 30th, just in time for that fresh start new year energy.

New episodes drop every Tuesday.

Joanna Moss is a web designer who believes in building brands and websites that make life easier, not heavier.

Dianna Robicheau is a copywriter who helps creatives sound like themselves, only clearer and more confident.

Together, we bring two perspectives, two skillsets, and one shared belief,

Ambition and real life can coexist, and you don’t have to burn out to grow.

Hit follow so you don’t miss the first episode, we can’t wait to dive in with you.

Business feels different right now than it did even a year or two ago — and you're not imagining it.

We're in what marketing experts are calling a "trust recession," and it's changing the way people buy online. Consumers are more skeptical, they're taking longer to make decisions, and they're looking for authenticity over perfectly polished content. In this episode, we're breaking down what the trust recession is, why it's happening, and most importantly, what you can do about it.

Instead of leaving you with doom and gloom, we're spending most of this episode on actionable strategies you can use right now to build trust with your audience — from showing up authentically on camera to using social proof the right way, building genuine relationships, and showing people you're a real human behind your business.

Topics We Cover

1. What the trust recession is and how it's affecting online business
2. Why people aren't buying as easily as they were a few years ago
3. The boom during the pandemic and the oversaturation of online businesses
4. How Gen Z's buying behavior differs from previous generations
5. Why AI is making the trust problem worse
6. Showing up authentically on camera (and alternatives if that feels uncomfortable)
7. The importance of brand photography
8. How to share client testimonials and social proof the right way
9. Sharing the process vs. overnight success stories
10. Why your website and branding need to stand out
11. Using templates while still being authentic
12. The role of discovery calls in building trust
13. Building genuine relationships on social media instead of just chasing sales
14. The importance of doing what you say you're going to do

Time Stamps

04:05 – What is the trust recession?

05:04 – How our personal shopping habits have changed

07:19 – What the trust recession means for online business

09:29 – Why people have become so skeptical

12:27 – Gen Z's different approach to buying online

15:35 – How AI is making the trust problem worse

16:50 – Joanna's story of getting scammed buying lawn furniture

20:51 – How Gen Z views authority differently

23:18 – What we can do to combat the trust recession

23:27 – Showing up authentically on camera

25:48 – The importance of brand photography

26:53 – Retiring filters and showing up as yourself 28:08 –

How to share client testimonials the right way 29:41 – Sharing the process vs. overnight success

32:32 – Sharing failures and things that didn't work

33:05 – Authentic branding and messaging

35:08 – Making your messaging transparent without overwhelming

37:27 – Email marketing and newsletters as trust-building tools

37:46 – Building genuine relationships on social media

40:26 – The role of discovery calls in the sales process

44:14 – The importance of doing what you say you're going to do

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

If you've been curious about switching your website over to Showit — or even if you've never heard of it before — this episode is for you.

Showit is our favorite website builder, and today we're breaking down exactly why. From the creative freedom it offers to the incredible community behind it, there are so many reasons we love working with (and on) this platform.

Whether you're a designer looking for more flexibility or a business owner who wants to be able to update your own site without needing an engineering degree, Showit might be the perfect fit.

In this episode, we're covering how we each discovered Showit, what makes it different from other platforms, the biggest misconceptions floating around about it, and answering all your frequently asked questions in rapid-fire style.

Topics We Cover

1. How Joanna discovered Showit as a frustrated wedding photographer in 2015
2. Dianna's experience switching from WordPress to Showit
3. The history of Showit: From slideshow presentations to website builder
4. What Showit is and how it works (drag and drop, creative freedom, WordPress blog integration)
5. How Showit compares to other platforms like Squarespace, Wix, and WordPress
6. Myth-busting: "It's not a real website if you don't code it"
7. Myth-busting: "Showit is hard to navigate"
8. The truth about SEO on Showit (spoiler: it works just fine)
9. Why Joanna chose to design in Showit: Creative freedom, ease of use, community, company values
10. Dianna's experience as a Showit user (not a designer)
11. Why clients switch to Showit from other platforms
12. How to know if Showit is the right platform for your business
13. Rapid-fire FAQ: Hosting, blogs, pricing plans, mobile design, e-commerce, custom code, cookie banners, email, and forms

Time Stamps

01:46 – How Joanna discovered Showit in 2015

03:18 – Dianna's experience switching from WordPress

04:55 – The history of Showit and their community focus

07:23 – What is Showit? 08:13 – How Showit compares to other platforms

09:09 – Biggest misconceptions about Showit

11:34 – The truth about SEO on Showit

13:48 – Why SEO is a long game on any platform

16:05 – Why Joanna chose to work with Showit

18:57 – Dianna's experience as a Showit user

21:07 – Why people switch to Showit 21:51 – How to know if Showit is right for you

23:55 – Rapid-fire FAQ section begins

29:49 – Random question: Would you rename yourself?

Links & Resources Mentioned

Showit! Get your first month free: https://account.showit.com/r/joanna

Joanna's Showit SEO blog post: joannamoss.com/showit-seo-myths-shattered/

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

Sarah Does SEO - Rank for Revenue course – A GREAT course for designers or other service providers looking to learn SEO and add it as a service for clients. https://0628--saradoesseo.thrivecart.com/rank-for-revenue/

Showit cookie banner tutorial: https://learn.showit.com/en/articles/1235058-eu-cookie-law

End-of-year reflection can be really helpful… and also weirdly loaded.

So in this episode, we’re doing a 2025 retrospective with zero “new year, new you” energy—just a grounded look at what worked, what we learned, and what we’re carrying into 2026.

We share our biggest wins, the lessons we’re still learning (hi, boundaries + scope creep), and the behind-the-scenes numbers from our year—like how many websites we collaborated on, how many hours we’ve logged for the podcast, and how many miles we traveled.

If you want to wrap up the year feeling clearer, calmer, and more proud of yourself than you expected… this episode’s for you!

Topics We Cover:

Our biggest wins of 2025 (and why you shouldn’t skip reflecting on this!)

Revenue growth, price increases, getting booked out early, and taking scary-but-worth-it steps outside your comfort zone.

The lessons we’re taking into 2026

Why boundaries matter most during slow seasons, how streamlining your client experience reduces decision fatigue, and the constant battle with scope creep.

Our gratitude lists for the year

Travel, community, flexibility, family time, and the relationships that make entrepreneurship feel less lonely.

Our 2025 by the numbers

Websites we worked on together, hours spent on Zoom for the podcast, miles traveled, templates used, and repeat clients who came back for more.

A gentle reminder about January

You don’t have to “start over.” You can build on what worked—and leave the rest behind.

00:00 – Intro + a tangent about all-black outfits & decision fatigue

01:49 – Why we’re doing a year-end reflection (without the pressure)

03:27 – Biggest wins of 2025 (Dianna + Joanna)

07:03 – Lessons learned: boundaries during slow seasons

08:10 – Streamlining client experience + hiring the right expert

11:54 – Scope creep + the people-pleasing tightrope

15:38 – Gratitude list: travel, flexibility, community, growth

18:31 – What Spark + DXP are (and why the Showit community matters)

24:45 – 2025 by the numbers: websites, Zoom hours, miles traveled

26:31 – Individual stats: templates + repeat clients

30:47 – Weird question: movie moments we wish were real

Joanna’s web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative – custom Showit websites & her Website in Two Weeks process (https://joannamoss.com/)

Dianna’s copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. – website & launch copy for creative women in business (https://risecopyco.com/)

Showit – Our favorite website platform + community for designers (https://account.showit.com/r/joanna)

Spark Conference Showit’s annual conference for brand and web designers (https://spark.showit.com/)

Showit DXP Showit Designer Experience, a retreat for brand and web designers (https://dxp.showit.com/)

J. Mills Consulting, Jess Millhiser Client experience expert + process support (https://www.jmillsconsulting.com/)

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

See you next week for another episode!

Has business been slower than usual for you in 2025? Same.

In our first *actionable* episode of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re talking about something almost every creative business owner has felt in 2025: how to handle a slow season in your business without spiraling.

From fewer inquiries to stretched-out timelines, it's unnerving when a slow season hits. But in this episode, we're talking all about how to handle a dip in business without panicking, slashing your prices, or saying yes to every misaligned project that lands in your inbox.

Instead of spiraling, we walk you through six practical ways to use a slow season to your advantage, protect your confidence, and keep your business moving forward (even when your calendar looks quiet).

1. Why 2025 has felt weird for so many creative business owners (you’re definitely not the only one!)
2. The difference between predictable slow seasons (like wedding off-season) and the surprise ones
3. How Joanna realized her September slowdown was actually a pattern — and how that led to starting this very podcast
4. Why Dianna’s slower summer was a blessing in disguise, and how she handled the inevitable “will I ever book another client?” spiral
5. The hidden cost of panicking in a slow season: undercharging, saying yes to misaligned projects, and future resentment

Then we walk through six concrete tips for navigating a slow season without losing your mind.

A one-page, 30-day calendar filled with quick, doable prompts to help you rebuild momentum in your business and boost your confidence back up.

Grab yours here! https://risecopyco.myflodesk.com/khwi39il6p

1. Showit (Our favorite drag and drop website platform - get your first month free!) https://account.showit.com/r/joanna
2. Showit's Spark Conference (3-day educational conference for web designers and copywriters) https://spark.showit.com/
3. Joanna Moss Creative – (Joanna's web design services) https://joannamoss.com/
4. Rise Copy Co. – (Dianna's copywriting services) https://risecopyco.com/

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

See you next week for another episode!

If you’ve ever wondered whether you’re “doing it wrong” because your business journey doesn’t look like anyone else’s, this one’s for you.

In this episode of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re taking you behind the scenes of our own businesses and sharing how we actually got started — and our two VERY different journeys into entrepreneurship.

Joanna talks about quitting her 9–5 overnight after landing a freelance web design project paying five times her salary (without even knowing what a “freelancer” was). Dianna shares the opposite path: discovering the online business world through a copywriting ad she thought was a scam, starting as a virtual assistant, then slowly working up the courage to go full-time as a copywriter.

1. Joanna’s first business in 2005: landing a shoe company as a freelance client, quitting her job, and winging it with Google and Excel
2. Why her early years in business were a full-on “year of yes” — and how scarcity mindset plays into that
3. Dianna’s move from New Hampshire to Oklahoma, and the copywriting ad she dismissed as a scam (before realizing copywriting is very real)
4. How she eased in through virtual assisting and blogging before fully embracing copywriting
5. The role that life events play in finally taking the leap to full-time
6. What it looks like to restart or pivot a business multiple times, and how each iteration gets a little clearer
7. Building a business around your real-life responsibilities: kids, mortgages, travel, and the desire for more flexibility
8. The ongoing reality of imposter syndrome (even 20 years in) and the importance of keeping your blinders on
9. Why community matters so much when you’re working from home
10. The mindset shift we both come back to: trusting yourself to figure it out, even if you have to pivot or choose a Plan B.

1. How I Built This (NPR radio show/podcast) https://www.npr.org/series/490248027/how-i-built-this
2. The MindHER Company, Mandi Casey (Business Coach) https://themindherco.com/
3. Showit (Our favorite drag and drop website platform - get your first month free!) https://account.showit.com/r/joanna
4. Showit's Spark Conference (3-day educational conference for web designers and copywriters) https://spark.showit.com/
5. Joanna Moss Creative – (Joanna's web design services) https://joannamoss.com/
6. Rise Copy Co. – (Dianna's copywriting services) https://risecopyco.com/

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

We’ll be back next week with a new episode!

In this first official episode of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re diving into a topic every creative business owner bumps into sooner or later: collaboration — the good, the awkward, and everything in between.

As a copywriter (Dianna) and web designer (Joanna), collaboration is at the heart of how we run our businesses. In this conversation, we unpack how we met, how we started collaborating, and what we’ve learned from working together on dozens of client projects.

Whether you’re a photographer referring planners, a VA partnering with an OBM, or a CPA sending clients to your favorite bookkeeper, collaboration is a huge part of building a sustainable business — especially when you’re doing most of it solo.

In this episode, we walk through what makes collaboration work, what to avoid, and how to build referral relationships that support your business and your sanity.

1. Why collaborations matter so much for solopreneurs — especially if you don’t have a team
2. How to know whether you’re referring a person or a specific service (and why the difference matters)
3. Our biggest tip for successful collaborations in business: keep the communication open
4. When a referral contract or written agreement is helpful — and when it isn’t
5. Why personal relationships make business collaboration easier, kinder, and way less lonely
6. The pros and cons of formal referral programs vs. informal “no-strings” referrals
7. How to protect your business, support your collaborators, and still create great client experiences

1. Showit (a drag & drop website platform that makes designing your site so easy - get your first month free!) https://showit.com/r/x9hc47hg
2. The Legal Paige (legal contract templates for creatives) https://thelegalpaige.com/?aff=231
3. The Contract Club (plug and play contracts & templates) https://www.bradendrake.com/a/2147575083/F2jRML6t
4. Joanna Moss Creative (Joanna's website design services) https://joannamoss.com/
5. Rise Copy Co. (Dianna's copywriting services) https://risecopyco.com/

If your website needs a refresh, you can explore Joanna’s design services at joannamoss.com or Dianna’s copywriting offers at risecopyco.com. Mention this episode, and you’ll receive 5% off your booking.

If you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — and we appreciate it so much.

See you next week for Episode Two!

If you've been in business for any amount of time, you've probably made at least one pivot — and if you haven't yet, you will.

Pivoting in your career or business isn't a sign of failure. It's a normal, healthy part of growth. But there's often this underlying fear that comes with making a big change: What will people think? Am I giving up? Should I push through instead?

In this episode, we're talking about all things pivots – from switching careers before entrepreneurship to making shifts within your business, and everything in between. We share our own pivot stories, why pivoting is more socially acceptable now than it was for our parents' generation, and how to prepare yourself (and your audience) when it's time to make a change.

Topics We Cover

1. Our personal pivot stories and the big shifts we've made
2. How career pivoting has changed generationally
3. Why our parents' generation stayed in one job, but ours doesn't
4. The different types of business pivots (career changes, corporate to entrepreneur, hobby to side hustle, side hustle to full business, and pivots within your business)
5. The difference between a pivot and growth or evolution
6. Why the fear of pivoting is more internal than external (hello, imposter syndrome)
7. How to prepare your mindset before making a pivot
8. Having conversations with your family about career changes
9. How to warm up your audience to a pivot instead of announcing it out of nowhere
10. Why most millionaires have 7 streams of income and how that helps with pivoting
11. How to know when it's time to quit versus push through a hard season
12. De-stigmatizing quitting and doing it properly
13. The difference between quitting a service vs. quitting your business

Time Stamps

03:10 – Why pivots are a normal part of entrepreneurship

04:18 – The different types of pivots we're covering in this episode

05:04 – Joanna's pivot story: From photography to web design

07:25 – Dianna's career shifts before starting her business

09:43 – How our upbringing shaped our perception of pivoting careers

12:32 – Why career changes are more socially acceptable now

15:51 – Dianna's experience with both traditional and non-traditional career models

16:23 – Is there less pressure on kids now to find a forever career?

22:21 – Aging out of careers and continuing to pivot as you grow

25:04 – Multiple streams of income and side hustles

29:04 – Is the fear of pivoting external or internal?

30:37 – How to prepare yourself for a big pivot

34:27 – Having conversations with family and your audience about pivots

38:10 – How to know when it's time to quit vs. push through

41:13 – Teaching kids (and ourselves) when it's okay to quit

42:00 – The benefit of flexibility as a small business owner

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

Episode 10: Why Your Why Matters (referenced in this episode) Listen on Apple / Listen on Spotify

If you're planning a website project, you've probably wondered: Should I write the copy first or start with the design?

The answer isn't one-size-fits-all — it depends on where you are in your business journey and what your goals are for the project. In this episode, we're breaking down when to start with copy, when to start with design, and how to make the smartest investment for your business right now.

Whether you're ready to scale or you're still in early growth mode, this episode will help you make the right choice for your website.

Topics We Cover

1. The difference between what design does and what copy does on your website
2. Why your approach might be different depending on your season of business
3. Meet Sarah: An established business owner ready to refine and scale
4. Why Sarah should start with copy before investing in design
5. How copy dictates the structure, hierarchy, and conversions on your site
6. Meet Paige: A newer business owner in the early growth stage
7. Why Paige should start with a design template to guide her DIY copy
8. The benefit of starting with a wireframe instead of a blank page
9. When it's okay to hire a copywriter midway through a template project
10. What NOT to do: investing in custom design with placeholder copy
11. How to restructure a template once your copy is done

Time Stamps

04:09 – The difference between design and copy on your website

05:10 – Why your approach may differ depending on your business season

05:22 – Meet Sarah: An established business owner ready to scale 06:33 – Why Sarah should start with copy before design

09:37 – Meet Paige: A newer business owner in early growth mode

11:54 – Why starting with a template helps Paige write her own copy

12:09 – Unpopular opinion: You don't need a custom website to be successful

12:55 – What to do when you get stuck writing copy with a template

13:30 – What NOT to do: Custom design with placeholder copy

14:41 – How to customize your template once the copy is finished

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com

Joanna's Showit templates with free content documents: joannamoss.com/showit-website-templates

Showit - our favorite website design platform: https://account.showit.com/r/joanna

Your why isn't just a buzzword, it's the foundation that holds your entire business together.

When you're clear on why you started your business and what keeps you going, decision-making becomes easier, guilt becomes lighter, and your marketing becomes more authentic. In this episode, we're diving into why knowing your why is so important, how to discover it (or rediscover it), and what happens when you actually honor it in your business decisions.

Whether you're just starting out or you've been in business for years, this conversation will help you reconnect with what really matters.

Topics We Cover

1. What a "why" actually is and why it matters in your business
2. How our whys have evolved over the years (flexibility, freedom, and impact)
3. Using your why as a pillar to make business decisions without guilt
4. Why your why is a better motivator than willpower alone
5. How your why helps you say no to the wrong opportunities
6. The connection between your why and your marketing/storytelling
7. Journal prompts to help you discover or reconnect with your why
8. What happens when you honor your why vs. when you ignore it
9. Using your why to avoid shiny object syndrome and stay on track
10. How to know when your why has shifted or evolved

Time Stamps

03:50 – Discussing eachother’s why

05:50 – How we each discovered our whys

07:29 – How our whys changed over the years

08:50 – Falling back on your why as a decision-making tool

11:07 – Your why becomes your guiding light in business

12:15 – How your why helps you decide what to keep and what to drop

12:45 – Why motivation alone isn't enough

13:27 – It's okay if your why changes and evolves

13:50 – Journal prompts to help you discover your why

15:07 – Tips for people who don't love journaling

16:54 – How your why connects to your marketing and storytelling

17:51 – What happens when you honor your why

19:10 – Examples of honoring your why in real business decisions

21:08 – Takeaway: Finish the sentence "I'm building this business because..."

Links & Resources Mentioned

Dianna's copywriting studio: Rise Copy Co. — website & launch copy for creative women in business: risecopyco.com

Joanna's web design studio: Joanna Moss Creative — custom Showit websites & Website in Two Weeks: joannamoss.com