The Profitable Graphic Designer Kady Sandel

When was the last time a single social media post changed your life? Ever?

Join me on The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast as I sit down with James Barnard, an award-winning logo designer, design educator, and the creative mind behind Barnard.co. James has an incredible story of how one viral TikTok post skyrocketed his career, bringing in countless design inquiries and transforming his business. From his journey as a solo freelancer to becoming a sought-after design expert, James shares his “secrets” to success, balancing content creation with client work, and handling the ups and downs of social media fame. You won't want to miss this inspiring conversation!

 

You will learn:


The pivotal moment when James’ TikTok post went viral and how it impacted his design business.
Insights into James’ content creation process, including his strategies for TikTok and Instagram.
How James manages negative comments and maintains a positive online presence.
Tips on balancing content creation with client work.
How to identify and attract high-quality design clients.
Advice for brand, graphic, and web designers on growing their businesses and increasing their rates.

Tune in to discover how you can leverage social media to grow your design business and attract high-quality clients.

 

About James Barnard:

James is an award-winning logo designer, seasoned freelancer, design educator, dad, and owner of Barnard.co. He specializes in designing logos and visual identities with meaning.

James started his career in graphic design more than a decade ago, working in the publishing industry. He has designed creative content for some of the UK’s biggest titles, including The Daily Telegraph, Grazia, Men’s Health, Empire, Cosmopolitan, The Times, and many more.

These days, James runs his freelance logo design business from the Gold Coast, Australia, after emigrating from London in 2021. He has an impressive variety of skills in design software, which he aims to pass on to the next generation of designers through his social platforms.

His work has been published in the Logo Lounge, and he speaks as an authority in the world of logo design at design conferences, on podcasts, and for other design channels.

Connect with James:

https://barnard.co/

https://www.instagram.com/barnardco/

https://www.tiktok.com/@barnardco

 

Aventive Academy’s Resources:

Free Client Portal for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/client-portal/

$12k Client Attraction Masterclass: https://aventiveacademy.com/attract-clients-workshop/

The Wealthy Client Blueprint: ⁠https://aventiveacademy.com/wealthy-client/

12-Week Business Program for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/profit

The Creative CEO Accelerator: https://aventiveacademy.com/accelerator


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This client portal changed absolutely everything in my design business. Fewer revisions, fewer emails, fewer questions. It’s all in one spot. Clients don’t ask us to resend the final files, they don’t ask about the timeline, they know exactly when they should pay next, and they are not asking for revisions via email. All the answers for them are in one spot. It’s amazing.

https://aventiveacademy.com/client-portal/




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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aventive-academy/message

Who pays the processing fees? How about taxes? Designer or Client?

In this episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, we are revealing something that many designers don’t handle correctly. It’s definitely something that your clients can choose not to hire you for or hire you for. I’ve been freelancing and running my design agency since 2015, and I've been on both sides. Sometimes I am the client because we hire and outsource to contractors all the time. So, I know what feels right and who should pay the fees. Are fees the cost of doing business, or should your clients pay them? Tune in to learn more.

You will learn:


What fees you need to pay and what fees your clients should pay.
If you are a contractor that a project was outsourced to, who needs to pay taxes and processing fees.
If fees are included in a project price or charged extra.
How to present the fees to the clients.
Overall, who pays and what fees.

 

Aventive Academy’s Resources:

Free Client Portal for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/client-portal/

$12k Client Attraction Masterclass: https://aventiveacademy.com/attract-clients-workshop/

The Wealthy Client Blueprint: ⁠https://aventiveacademy.com/wealthy-client/

12-Week Business Program for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/profit

The Creative CEO Accelerator: https://aventiveacademy.com/accelerator


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aventive-academy/message

Have you ever thought about creating a quiz as a designer? No, I'm not talking about designing it, but using it in a way that will help you GET CLIENTS! Yes, it works.

In today’s episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer Podcast, we are talking with Josh Haynam, the CEO and creator of Interact.

Interact is a tool for creating online quizzes that generate leads. We use quizzes at Aventive Academy, and you can check one out for yourself; it’s called "Marketing for Designers," and it will help you figure out which marketing strategy is the best for you as a designer to get clients. It’s
amazing. In this episode, we covered everything from how to create it, the results you can get, what clients like and don’t like, and much more.

You will learn:


How you can generate design leads using quizzes


What it takes to create a quiz and the best ways to promote them
The full workflow, from a lead finding out about your quiz to all the next steps until they become your clients
The importance of understanding your audience’s psychology in marketing
How to create a quiz that doesn’t feel like a waste of time and is actually valuable and personalized

Tune in, and again, try out the Marketing Quiz for Designers to test it out.

 

About Josh Haynam:

Josh is the co-founder and CEO at interact, an AI powered quiz platform for generating leads and engaging audiences. Josh founded Interact 11 years ago and has bootstrapped it to 7,000 customers and over 1 billion quizzes served.

Connect with Josh: 

tryinteract.com

https://www.instagram.com/tryinteract/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhaynam/



Aventive Academy’s Resources:

Free Client Portal for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/client-portal/

$12k Client Attraction Masterclass: https://aventiveacademy.com/attract-clients-workshop/

The Wealthy Client Blueprint: ⁠https://aventiveacademy.com/wealthy-client/

12-Week Business Program for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/profit

The Creative CEO Accelerator: https://aventiveacademy.com/accelerator


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aventive-academy/message

Ever wondered how long it takes to land high-paying clients?
You’ll be surprised, I promise. Welcome! In this episode, I walk you through every single step I had to take to land my $29,000 branding and web design clients. While this is just one example, the majority of my clients are in the five-figure range, and the steps I take remain consistent with each potential client. I also share where our clients typically find us, how they communicate with us, what we offer, what's included, and all the important details.

This episode is incredibly valuable if you're aiming to land amazing clients you want to work with.



You will learn:


 How we acquire high-paying design clients
The timeframe for landing a five-figure client
The precise steps needed to secure a $29k client

 

Aventive Academy’s Resources:

Free Client Portal for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/client-portal/

$12k Client Attraction Masterclass: https://aventiveacademy.com/attract-clients-workshop/

The Wealthy Client Blueprint: ⁠https://aventiveacademy.com/wealthy-client/

12-Week Business Program for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/profit

The Creative CEO Accelerator: https://aventiveacademy.com/accelerator


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aventive-academy/message

In today’s episode of The Profitable Graphic Designer podcast, we're talking about design revisions. Throughout this episode, you'll learn how to embrace revisions as a natural part of the creative process, communicate effectively with clients to minimize misunderstandings, and educate clients on the value of your designs. By the end of our discussion, you'll have practical strategies to handle revisions with confidence and professionalism, ensuring smoother project workflows and happier clients.

You will learn:


How to reframe revisions as opportunities for improvement.
Strategies for effective communication with clients during the whole process.
Techniques for educating clients on the value of your designs.
What we do, in my branding & design agency, to minimize revisions and how we handle them when we have them

 

Aventive Academy’s Resources:

Client Portal: https://aventiveacademy.com/client-portal

$12k Client Attraction Masterclass: https://aventiveacademy.com/attract-clients-workshop/

The Wealthy Client Blueprint: ⁠https://aventiveacademy.com/wealthy-client/

12-Week Business Program for Designers: https://aventiveacademy.com/profit

The Creative CEO Accelerator: https://aventiveacademy.com/accelerator


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Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/aventive-academy/message