Inspired Ideas: Recent Episodes
Karla Colahan // The Inspired Foundry
A podcast about branding for creative entrepreneurs. Because we all know you'd rather do this business thing your own way -- here's the permission to do just that. Follow your own inspired ideas with a little brand strategy, design, and coaching from someone who's building an impact-driven brand alongside you.
How did six months go by so quickly? Time flies when you get divorced and run two creative businesses. Here are a few updates from The Inspired Foundry on what’s going on and where we’re going. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
A (nearly) 5-minute pep talk to encourage you in your creative work. This is a part of The 12 Days of Inspiration -- hop on my email list to get the rest of the 12 Days!
Sign up here!
The Inspired Foundry
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Bringing you an off-the-cuff episode about three eras you might find yourself in as a creative entrepreneur, and what to focus on in each era. Being able to name where we are in our own evolution allows us to focus on our present moment while looking to the future, but not skipping ahead and working on things that will keep us stuck.
For more of a deep dive into your entrepreneurial era, book a free 45-minute strategy session here and we'll help define some next steps for you in 2024 to keep your ideas moving forward.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
When you decide to build your brand a little deeper, to take it to the next level or refine it, “authentic” shouldn’t be at the top of your list for how you want your brand to feel. Not only is it a bit overused, but it just doesn't mean anything -- when it comes to branding, you need other keywords to help define what is actually authentic for you. So skip the word "authentic" and dig deeper for a brand that has true impact and beauty, the kind you are already in possession of and maybe just need a little help figuring out.
Grab a 100% free brand strategy session with me right here as we head into a new year of brand building!
The Inspired Foundry
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
In this episode, I'm chatting with myself about how easy it is to get attached to our businesses, to have expectations for how things should go, and how that easily leads to disappointment and burnout. From a branding perspective, there are a few things we can do to help our brains relax a little, even when things feel hard, so we can keep doing this work we love to do.
The Inspired Foundry
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Let's dive into the compelling reasons behind the Tiny Brand movement. In this episode, I'm sharing the intimate journey of how Tiny Brands have reshaped my approach to branding—turning minimal elements into a powerful force for clarity and impact in the business world.
We'll walk through the Tiny Brand Framework Guiding Principles—focused, intentional, inspired, sustainable, and personal—that have revolutionized the way I think about branding at a tiny scale.
Discover how embracing 'tiny' can simplify your process, deepen your customer connections, and create a sustainable, memorable presence in the marketplace. If you're a solopreneur or part of a small team dreaming big, this conversation is crafted for you.
Also, don't miss the chance to snag the last super discounted Tiny Brand Renaissance spot for 2023. And get excited for the all the fun & inspired holiday goodness coming your way!
Mentions:
Tiny Brands
www.theinspiredfoundry.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Dive into the heart of where craft meets commerce in this enlightening episode, a collaboration between myself and ChatGPT. We explore the transformative power of decisive creativity, drawing inspiration from the poetic wisdom of John O’Donohue, and uncover the unique advantages of being a multi-passionate entrepreneur. Plus, we'll chat through how the simple act of decision-making can elevate your business. Join us as we illuminate the beautiful intersection of artistry, choice, and commerce.
Mentions:
ChatGPT
The OK Factor
The Inspired Foundry on Instagram
www.theinspiredfoundry.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
After a non-intentional long break, I'm back with a new season of episodes all around this idea of blending beauty and business in a way that feels good to you. Explore this idea with me here and over on Instagram!
The Inspired Foundry on Instagram
www.theinspiredfoundry.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Today I'm digging into what I'd focus on to build a creative business that makes money in a way that's sustainable over the long-term.
For us creative folks, having a business is about so much more than just making money (even while needing the money, lol). We need it to both look amazing and feel amazing from the inside out, and we need it to create impact on the other side of our work.
But we often get stuck on the practical "how" of making a business work when we would so much rather spend time on our creativity. This is a call to blend the beauty with the business, to find ways to keep our craft alive without the soul-sucking business-as-usual ways of running a company.
Mentions:
DM me "inspired" on Instagram for more details on Tiny Brand Renaissance
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
I'm on a bit of a soap box today and encouraging you to be a terrible designer. Why? Because you don't need to be a great designer -- that's my job. Instead, join me as I talk through the three things I'm hearing from my audience that keeps them from having the brand they actually want, and why being a "good designer" is the last thing to help you get there.
Mentions:
Tiny Brands
The Inspired Foundry Library
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
In this episode, we’re chatting through the fourth and final part of building a tiny inspired brand: the practice of keeping everything running smoothly.
I call this practice engaging your brand vision. It’s a way to hold the vision of your inspired idea while knowing exactly what to be working on everyday to get closer to it.
Because this is the work, the sitting down at your desk every morning. The slow and steady focused hustle of seeing an idea through. Riding through the waves of doubt, the bursts of energy, the exhausting that settles in, all of which come and go at various times.
What we need is some kind of plan. Let's make one together!
Mentions:
The Creative's Almanac
The Inspired Foundry
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
In this episode, we're talking through what it looks like to set your business up for success. Based on your client experience, what do you need in place to make everything happen, from people discovering you to purchasing and beyond? Join me as we talk technology, systems, and software, plus a behind-the-scenes look at the evolution of my own business setup over the last 8 years.
Mentions:
Notion
The Inspired Foundry
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
There is so much wrapped up in your brand experience — we’re talking brand personality, your visuals, customer or client journey, and even down to the little details like how you’re packaging your offers, your copy, and the systems and tech you implement as a part of your experience. Tune in to get your brand up to snuff with the experiential side of things!
The Inspired Foundry
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Step one of building your tiny brand is having a solid plan. We're chatting through what that looks like, what to include, and why having this foundation makes running your creative business so much easier. This episode is perfect for creatives who are ready to do more than just come up with good ideas and make good art -- you're ready to take things seriously, focus more, and build something lasting for your and your audience.
The Inspired Foundry
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Don't get me wrong, I love logos. But if something isn't working with your brand, it might not be the logo's fault. Tune in to learn more about why the logo is just the tip of the iceberg, the four pieces of your brand that create cohesion, consistency, and clarity, and also listen to me attempt to relate a car metaphor to branding. It's a good one.
Mentions:
Tiny Brands
Tiny Brand Club (coming soon!)
Tiny Brand Handbook (coming soon!)
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
This week I'm bringing you a car conversation with my Swedish friend, Harald Nilsson -- guitar slayer in Jaerv, photographer, videographer, and teacher. On our way to Gullbrannafestivalen (near Halmstad, Sweden with Jaerv and my duo, The OK Factor), we spent an hour talking about his creative business and the shape his career has taken, as well as tackling a branding exercise in real time. There are some really lovely golden nuggets of wisdom here -- join us!
Recorded in a car while driving on the highway, so the audio isn't amazing...just fyi.
Links:
Harald Nilsson Website
Harald's Instagram
Jaerv
The OK Factor
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
If you’ve ever struggled with pricing yourself as a creative, this is the perfect episode for you. Mostly for solidarity because I also struggle with pricing myself, lol. But the good news is that branding can provide a bit of a framework for the kind of price range we should be in. If you want to get paid well for your creative work; raise the bar for your creative business; reflect the value of what you offer - thinking about this relationship between pricing and branding is the best place to start. Tune in for all the deets!
Mentions:
Tiny Brands
Pricing Calculator
Bonsai (affiliate link)
My Marketing Coach :)
My Business Coach :)
The Inspired Foundry
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
A recent poll on my Instagram suggests that the most important thing for creatives to get support in is not visuals or backend streamlining. Surprisingly enough, it's vision. Understanding your vision for the long haul, your creative work, how to get there, and what to work on first. In this episode, I dissect the results of this poll a bit deeper and share how The Inspired Foundry is the place to help you find and grow your vision for your own inspired ideas.
Mentions:
Tiny Brands
Tiny Brand Club (coming soon!)
The Inspired Foundry
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Inspired by this post by my friend Jen Fieldman on Instagram, we're talking about how branding can hold you back. If branding or creating a website or any other brand-related activity is causing you hesitation when it comes to sharing your work, then you simply don't need it.
Yet.
This episode is perfect for you if how something looks has ever stopped you from sharing your inspired ideas and making that dollar.
Mentions:
Jen Fieldman on Instagram
Tiny Brands
The Inspired Foundry website
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
I know you don't really want to be thinking about the holidays just yet. But trust me when I say that you'll be so happy you did! I've got a very simple 3-step strategy for figuring out how you want to run your business during the holiday season, and it really does pay to start thinking about the holidays as early as possible. Preparation is key, so let's get prepped.
Mentions:
Tiny Brand Personality Quiz
Brand Coaching
Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
As the creative industry continues to expand, people have more choices than ever for who to work with. The one thing that makes you stand out above the rest as the right choice for your people?
Your client experience.
Your CX.
(It's like UX/UI but for your client relationships rather than digital interfaces.)
You need your CX to be solid, engaging, and dripping with your brand personality. Let's chat about the why and how behind a creating fabulous client experience.
Mentions:
Tiny Brand Personality Quiz!
Tiny Brands
Chipotle
Sunday Lawn Care
The Inspired Foundry
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Today’s episode is all about how to make selling feel less terrible. In my own entrepreneurial journey, selling has often felt like the worst -- my mindset was all I don’t want to ask people for their money or be a burden. But the truth I’ve discovered over time is that in order to make money doing what we love, we have to treat it like a business — because it is. That means making the ask, telling people about what you do and how you can work together, and not giving up even when we so badly want to go hide in a hole.
I've got four very practical down-to-earth ways to think about selling so you can make more money doing what you love. Listen in!
Mentions:
Kaitlyn Kessler, Mindset Coach and Business Mentor
NEW Tiny Brand Personality Quiz!
The Inspired Foundry
Buy Me A Coffee << a great low pressure way to ask for support! :)
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Stepping out of the starving artist mindset and stepping into a more profitable and successful version of your business means acquiring good branding. But what exactly is it that good branding gives us that will lead to a profitable and successful business?
In this episode, we're chatting about all the incredible benefits of good branding -- and getting down to business about how you can make sure you have it. You probably don't need to be convinced about having good branding, but just in case, give this episode a listen.
Mentions:
The Inspired Foundry Resource Library
The Creative's Collection (last one!)
DIY Resources for Brand Strategy (this one is amazing)
Tiny Brands
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
This episode is a love letter to you, my creative friend. You've joined the ranks of entrepreneurs because you wanted to make money and do what you love at the same time - using your creativity to bring change and goodness to the world. Most likely you weren't trained in the art of business (neither was I), but you're here anyway and I applaud you for that. Tune in for some encouragement to keep pursuing your craft because you have a unique position in the entrepreneurship space. And I want you to take advantage of that.
Mentions:
Rachel Turner (launch program and other great stuff)
www.theinspiredfoundry.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
If you've ever received a brand kit from a designer or a template shop, you probably have a set of brand guidelines somewhere. Personally, I make sure every client I work with has some kind of style guide so there's no question of how to work with their brand assets when it's time to post on social media, build your website, or create a line of merch. But in the event you're not quite sure what to do with those guidelines or why they're so critically important, tune in to this episode for the low down on the what, why, and how of brand guidelines.
Mentions:
Design Sh*t That Looks Good Course ($27)
Pre-Publish Checklist (free!)
Tiny Brands
www.theinspiredfoundry.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
When we want our creative work to make us money, sometimes we think too big. We get too inspired, we think too long term. I’ve been seeing this all over the place with brands that offer bundles or all-in-one solutions, and use terms like “everything included” or “one-stop-shop”.
Do we really need all that stuff? Is feeling like we need to either buy things that include everything or create offerings that are stuffed to the brim contributing to our anxiety around keeping up with business and eventual burnout?
This is where we run into problems with building a brand that doesn’t allow for our humanity. What we need to do is yes, dream big and have a strong vision, but then start by taking the first step and keeping things simple.
That's what this episode is about. Tune in to be a human with a business and a brand and all that encompasses.
Mentions:
Kaitlyn Kessler Coaching
Tiny Brands
www.theinspiredfoundry.com
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
What better way to talk about not going it alone in business than bringing on my business partner?! Cellist Olivia Diercks sat down with me (outside of a Starbucks so apologies for the slightly odd recording sound) to chat all things collaboration in entrepreneurship and how impactful it can be for your brand. Olivia and I make up the folk duo, The OK Factor, and we just celebrated 10 years of making music together -- and making a meaningful creative career out of our shared dream. Listen in for thoughts and encouragement to find the support you need to bring your inspired idea to life.
Mentions:
Olivia Diercks on Instagram
The OK Factor
The OK Factor on Patreon
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
While this episode is not exactly an episode about branding, it is an episode about how to run your brand into the ground. Falling into the trap of this one mistake will take away years from your inevitable success and leave you feeling burned out, poor, and bored. Maybe it's an obvious one, but it's one that bears repeating.
Mentions:
The OK Factor
Cave Day
Brand Coaching
The Inspired Foundry
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
Listen up, my creative business owners. We're notorious for doing everything but what we know will help us gain momentum. In this episode, I'm expanding on the compound effect to help us balance our human needs and our business needs with a few simple strategies so we can stop the spinning wheels and make some progress.
--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inspiredideas/support
The pandemic changed almost everything. What it didn't change? The single universal law that everything will always be changing, even in business. We survived the worst of the COVID pandemic as creative entrepreneurs, and maybe we're thriving on the other side. Maybe we're at a loss for what to do next. Regardless of our individual journeys, we have been asked to recalibrate again and again. And I'm starting to feel another calibration coming. Tune in for some solidarity and validation for keeping on with your creative work no matter what's going on in the world.
Mentions:
This Instagram post
Tiny Brands
The OK Factor
The Inspired Foundry
We're tackling the idea that business might actually be personal for us creative entrepreneurs. Yes, in many ways running a business requires us to think of it as an experiment and not get too wrapped up in the emotions of it all. But from a branding perspective, we can't afford to be impersonal with our client experience. Join me for a solo deep dive into how we can be more personal with our businesses.
Mentions:
The Creative's Direction: Brand Coaching!
The Creative's Collection: Brand-building workbooks
I'm a firm believer in details. Specifically, the details that make up your brand experience. However, in order to craft the details our people will care about, we need to understand who they are. In this episode, I offer up some strategic questions to get you thinking about your audience in terms of their preferences so you can translate those preferences into a high-quality brand experience they can't say no to.
Mentions:
The Creative's Collection
The Inspired Foundry
Those who can influence us can also inspire us. Why not turn the tables around and be an influencer of our own creative work to inspire others? In this episode we'll chat about the strategies I see influencers use and how to work that into your own marketing plan for a simple and effective way to sell your stuff, foster engagement, and grow your creative business.
The Inspired Foundry
The essence of any brand is its mission and vision, both of which should essentially answer the question: what kind of world are you creating? Listen in to take a swan dive into this question and turn it around from all angles.
The Creative's Collection
The Inspired Foundry
My inspired ideas are taking the form of questions this month, and this week's is one of my favorites: what are you working towards?
Let's chat about why vision matters for creative work, especially when it comes to turning that creative work into a true business. Staying inspired as you work toward a long-term goal is often more difficult than we want it to be, not to mention figuring out what that long-term goal even is. Let's talk about it.
Mentions:
The Creative's Almanac (free/pay what you want download in the library)
The Creative's Collection
This week's episode is a deeper dive into the inspired idea about asking yourself what you need in your business. If "confidence" is at the top of your list, consider revising your current systems or implementing new ones. I walk you through some real-world examples of helpful systems, and take you behind the curtain of my own business with an honest analysis of how systems directly impacted my business revenue over the last three years.
The Inspired Foundry on Instagram: @theinspiredfoundry
The Creative's Collection: www.theinspiredfoundry.com/the-creatives-collection
In this episode, we're unpacking one of my favorite brand strategy questions: what brought you here?
In thinking about our creative work, we often get stuck on sharing what we think someone needs to hear in order for them to trust us with their money, like credentials or expertise. But it's often the smaller details, the interesting stories, the, yes, inspired ideas we have that make people interested and invested.
Tune in for a few ways to think about this questions and an invitation to answer it for yourself and your business.
Follow my brand-building adventures on Instagram: @theinspiredfoundry
Learn more about how we can collaborate together: www.theinspiredfoundry.com
Welcome to Inspired Ideas, a podcast about branding for creative entrepreneurs.
Brought to you with love by The Inspired Foundry