Creatively Cultured

I look at creative portfolios ALL day. I probably review 20 a day at minimum. In this episode I'll walk you through 5 things that every portfolio needs. Your portfolio is meant to answer your seekers questions before they get in contact with you, here is how. 

hey hey hey... it's been a long while. This episode is all about getting you guys up to date so we can get back to the regularly scheduled program. so many new things - everything is working together.

In the midst of the chaos we seem to face almost weekly now, it's natural that brands and/your brand take a stance. The question is HOW. 

I am so excited to walk you through the one thing that has gotten me where I am today, the sponge mentality! I have never been a huge fan of traditional education, but I've always been big on not having to learn a lesson twice or not having to be the person to experience consequences to learn from them. Lets jump in!

Filters belong on images and videos, never on you. 

"Run a business you can advertise being you"

It's almost exactly one month till Valentine's Day. If you are one of those people who don’t like the day because it’s a commercial holiday, you have two options:

a. Find an industry that does not involve people (very hard, I know)

b. Embrace the fact that you are in the business and world of buying and selling

• You’ve probably already embraced that fact if you are listening to this episode. Okay, so the day of love and appreciation is here. But let’s be real, that’s not all that it’s about. It’s about showing the people you love that they are loved and appreciated. Which then means a lot of purchasing will be happening around this time.
  
• Keep in mind if your service or product is not a typical purchase one would make to show love and appreciation, you may be mistaken. It’s never really about what you are selling, it’s about why you are selling it. And marketing is all about relating to the different reasons why someone purchases what they purchase.
  
• Let's jump into these tips:
  

1. If you have packaged products, load up on sample sizes. They serve for great gift additions. (I would also focus on new, best selling or underdog products)
   
2. If you have a blog or are an influencer, pitch brands on a slot in your valentine's day gift guide.
   
3. Create a new service/product or create a new package of old products inspired by love and appreciation. (this could be packaging, flavor, scents etc.)
   
4. Do a giveaway! The people are here to feel loved, so make someone feel the love. Granted you aren’t promoting any specific product, but you will get some awareness which will more than likely lead to some sales.
   
5. Charity work. Similar to a giveaway but this is more of a feel good awareness. If your brand promise aligns strongly with helping others, this could be great for you. You could even get your customers to join you by donating. This gets some relationship building going for you guys.
   

I hope you guys have some ideas coming in! It’s an all new year, with an all new gameplan.

1. What is Q1?
   
2. What are the fiscal quarters?: A quarter is a three-month period on a company's financial calendar that acts as a basis for periodic financial reports and the paying of dividends.
   
3. Why are they important?: Fiscal quarters are important because they allow companies to compare different quarters within a year or between different years to make comparisons and evaluate trends.
   
4. What should be ironed out to take adv of Q1?: - budget - identify yearly and quarterly goals -  essential dates - content strategy - reflect on what didn’t work for you last year - Check in with your team/employees.
   

Okay okay, I had to give in to this True Kitchen Kocktails conversation happening on social media. By all means, please let's continue to support this black business. We have so much learning and unlearning to do. But we must continue to show up and show out for our people. But, first, we chat facts. 

Creative business owners are usually creative first and then go into business for themselves. It's so inspiring to watch the process, however, I oftentimes see the same hiccup each time. A creative goes into business and continues to give 100% of their time to just their creative process. You've entered a new realm that calls for new processes. 

"Ghosting" is actually a thing in the professional world. Unlike your everyday lives, ghosting a customer, client, boss or any important contact could leave you with more of a loss than again. Consistency isn't the only secret, persistency is the cherry on top. Following up will leave you heard, respected, and trusted. 

We have more and more small businesses popping up everyday! And I love it. As creatives, it's natural that we'd be curious to know who supports us. In this episode, we talk about who actually matters. 

It's been four months and we are still inside. What does this mean for creative businesses?

I'm not even going to sugar coat it. It's a lot going on right now. 

A reminder to lead with pride and compassion. Shoutout to the Black community. 

This is the time for... 

We are in strange times, but this is all I am taking from it. 

I am a serial dreamer. I can see the details like the lighting in the room and exactly where I am standing, even how the room will smell. If there was something I could get paid to do, it would be to dream. As I embarked a new phase within my journey, there were specific things I knew I needed to learn. However, this lesson wasn't one of the things I was anticipating learning. Let's chat. 

It's another one of the moment of vulnerability episodes. Lets chat. 

Hey there! We are back with season 2! This time around we are focusing a bit more on skills. One thing I know for sure is that it takes an entirely separate skill to manage the business of your craft. Talent doesn't mean you have every skill to make the goal happen. So today, we dive into the 4 steps behind self-management! 

It's the season finale! Wow. 10 Episodes in and I'm here to end it how I started it, with vulnerability. Fall 8 times get up 9 right? But there is that window for the need of much more. Let's chat. 

I was talking to one of my best friends and he reminded of a time in my life that was super great lol. It honestly felt like it was just two weeks ago this happened and the idea of time dawned on me. It's moving everyday with no pause, rewind or fast forward. So much for us to consider. Let's chat. 

For a long time I gave motivation so much value. I put a lot of weight into the presence of motivation. Along my journey I have learned that motivation is fickle. In this episode I share my thoughts on the topic, in hopes that you begin the new year with a commitment. 

In this episode, I share my knowledge and view on spirituality in conjunction with creativity. This understanding goes beyond any religion, today I talk about the state of mind and spirit. Are creative blocks a thing for you? I've tried many times to find the source of creativity so I could remove the block. Let's chat. 

If you've been seeing talk about Megan Thee Stallion suing her MUA, it's not true. However the MUA isn't far from it. This episode, I dive into Megan Thee Stallion's MUA NDA breach. Was he wrong? Let's chat. 

Inspired by a tweet from @bronze_bombSHEL. Honestly, I was triggered. It took a while before I understood what "the work" really was. 

I had every intention on delivering this on Monday, but we are here regardless. I love home, my family and loved ones. But loving them does not always mean you are understood. We make decisions no one can relate to, and thats okay. No need to explain, I understand. 

Everyday I see someone launching something new (I really love it), but everyday I am realizing the consistency on what should be done that no one is doing. The holy grail to securing conversion (sales or following through with an action) on the day of any launch. 

We Love you.
We Need you.
We Honor you.
We Respect you.
We Support you.
We Admire you.
We Desire you.
We Trust you.
We Pray for you.
We Ride for you.
We Advocate for you.

My very first podcast episode! It's not perfect, but it's here. And that is tweet, the post and the point.