Soul Traders – Details, episodes & analysis

For this final episode of our special season Bo and Tess are taking listener questions. They’re answering all your gripes and grievances... And it turns out that we all have a lot of those when it comes to the frustrations of marketing your business on social media. From the paralysis of comparisonitis to the sheer exhaustion of putting yourself out there again and again and seeing little or no gain from your efforts.

Tess and Bo talk about the tools and strategies they’ve used in their own businesses and lives to create boundaries around social media use and find less energy draining ways to market their businesses. 

LINKS: 

Bo's Website

Bo’s Retreats

Tess’s Website

Self-Promotion Without Social Media 

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This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

As a sole trader or freelancer, changes in your personal life can have a huge impact on your business. In this episode, Tess and Bo talk about the risks and rewards of pivots and big leaps as well as small incremental changes across their own businesses and their client work. 

From having children to moving interstate, to changing your business name or a global pandemic, internal and external transitions can force us into having to change our business offerings whether we like it or not. Sometimes, it’s appropriate to bring your community with you on that journey of change and Tess offers suggestions for making sure your website and your narrative around that change is authentic and clear for your clients and colleagues. 

LINKS: 

Bo’s Mentoring 

Bo’s Retreats

DIY Guide to SEO 

Self-Promotion Without Social Media 

-

This podcast is a collaboration between Soul Traders Podcast and Creative Minds. 

If you’ve enjoyed this episode, please, take a moment to recommend us to a friend by sending them a link to the show. 

You can find us online at soultraders.net.au and creativemindshq.com

Tess’s new book Self-Promotion Without Social Media is available at bookstores and independent retailers around Australia, internationally via Amazon, and at creativemindshq.com.

Thanks to Lucy Peach for our music and Scott from Sound Mind Editing. 

This podcast is recorded across the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri and Menang peoples.

When did our inboxes get so out of control? Can we blame the pandemic? Or is this problem much bigger? Thousands of unread messages. Constant interruptions to the focused work we need to get done and the perception that we need to be always on top of our emails. We're calling it inbox overwhelm. In this episode Bo and Amy discuss email and how they navigate their inboxes. Bo is a proponent of inbox zero. Amy uses tabs and filters. They also discuss the new retreat dates and what they've been listening to, reading and working on. Links: Find all the details about the Soul Traders retreat here: http://soultraders.net.au/retreat/ This is the tweet that started it all Cal Newport's book 'A World Without Email' Cal Newport interviewed by Lisa Leong on This Working Life Subscribe to Tess McCabe's excellent email newsletter Sylloge Josh Spector's 40 One Sentence Email Tips Read short story Harrison Bergeron by Kurt Vonnegut Bo recommends listening to 'Everybody Knows', and reading Sally Rooney's 'Beautiful World, Where Are You' and enjoying the commentary surrounding it Amy's has been working with Tess McCabe on her Creative Minds project Amy recommends @iamthirtyaf for lols If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

Shannon Palmer and Bryce MacDonald of Studio Bonum truly want to make a difference in their community. They are intentional and thoughtful both in the work they produce for their clients but also in their approach to their business. Amy spoke to Shannon and Bryce about launching a creative business at a time of global uncertainty, the values they bring to their business and how they hope to attract clients with a similar social conscience. Links: If you'd like to join Amy and Bo for the Soul Traders retreat in November from the 11th until the 14th head to the retreat page soultraders.net.au/retreat/ and click on the link to email your interest. Find Studio Bonum online at studiobonum.com.au/ and on Instagram as @studiobonum If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

Exciting news: Bo and Amy are planning their very first in-person retreat! It will be a nourishing weekend for creative business owners who want to overhaul their businesses, go deep and get clear on what they want and need to happen in 2022. In this episode Amy and Bo talk about their plans for the retreat including an impactful program of workshops and activities. And food, don't forget about the amazing food. They also describe the incredible venue, New Farm Denmark, and cover the essential details. If you'd like to join Amy and Bo for the Soul Traders retreat in November head to the retreat page http://soultraders.net.au/retreat/ and click on the link to email your interest. Links: Find all the details about the Soul Traders retreat here: http://soultraders.net.au/retreat/ If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

The podcast has reached a milestone: 10,000 downloads! Thank you to all our regular listeners for supporting us on our journey. To celebrate Bo and Amy answer the questions they get asked most frequently about their personal and professional lives. Links: Bo reflects on her interview with Kate Stokes from Coco Flip earlier this season. Amy remembers the episodes Real mistakes we've made and what we've learned along the way and Resisting the call to grow If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

Orla Larkin is an award winning digital designer, strategist and educator. Over her career she's worked across state government, not for profits and education. These days she helps makers, creatives and ethical businesses establish themselves online. Orla is no stranger to remote working, having worked with clients around the world for many years. In this conversation, Bo talks to Orla about finding ways to connect and create community as a freelancer, the importance of website accessibility, using Tik Tok as a grown up and her take on 'personal branding'. Links: Find Orla online at www.orlalarkin.com If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! We have a brand spanking new website www.soultraders.net.au Check it out and sign up to receive our Monthly Roundup - an email full of links and resources for creative freelancers. You can find Soul Traders on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

Fiona Killackey is a business coach who has worked with many small to medium sized businesses supporting them with practical insights into their marketing, business systems, goal setting and most importantly, working out where their dollars are coming from! Fiona has a podcast, offers courses and coaching and she's also written a book called 'Passion. Purpose. Profit.' which is an incredibly useful guide for anyone who has a small business or who dreams of starting one. In this conversation, Amy talks to Fiona about her tips for dealing with uncertainty (and lockdowns!) and the advice she gives her clients about finding their purpose as well as the people and the systems to support them. Links: Find Fiona online at www.mydailybusinesscoach.com and on Instagram as @mydailybusinesscoach Fiona's group coaching program 'Marketing for your small business' is enrolling now, find the details here. If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

Imposter feelings, or that nagging voice at the back of your head that whispers 'who do you think you are?' or 'any moment now, people are going to discover you're a fake!' Most of us have them from time to time, no matter how outwardly successful or established we are. In this episode, Bo and Amy answer a community question about imposter syndrome. They discuss how fears and doubts show up for them and what they've done to build confidence around their work and creative abilities. Links: The Soul Traders are online! Check out our new website soultraders.net.au Listen the the This Working Life episode about imposter syndrome Amy and Bo are reading The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron for the Soul Traders book club. Do you have a book suggestion? DM us on Instagram or use the contact form on our website soultraders.net.au Amy and Bo recommend Ms Represented with Annabel Crabb available to watch on ABC iView If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders online at soultraders.net.au and on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.

There's no denying working for yourself is a bit of a juggling act most of the time. When you're self employed, you are wearing all the hats: from administration, to accounts, to marketing and of course the actual creative service you are offering. Sometimes performing all these roles can feel fun and easy, but often it can feel like we're pulled in different directions and we have too much on our plate which can lead to overwhelm and then if we're not careful, burnout. In this episode Bo and Amy discuss the pros and cons of wearing all the hats, how overwhelm shows up for them and ways they avoid or combat it in their working lives. Links: Bo recommends This Working Life, an ABC podcast hosted by Lisa Leong and the Instagram account @sinkreviews Amy recommends the Instagram account @uglymelbournehouses She also recommends reading Richard Flanagan's essay in The Monthly 'To be free'. You can also listen to him reading the same essay on the 7am Podcast. If you've enjoyed this episode of Soul Traders please, please take a moment to recommend it to a friend. It's the best way to make sure the podcast reaches new ears. Also, review us on iTunes! Go on! We love reading them! You can find Soul Traders on Instagram as @soultraderspodcast Have a question? Just DM us, we love questions! Intro music kindly provided by Lucy Peach. Production by Sound Mind.