The Professional Creative

Bonnie Christine
  • 5.0 (1)
  • DESIGN
  • EVERY TWO WEEKS
The Professional Creative

Have you ever dreamed of having a mentor with years of success to guide you through your creative business journey? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune into The Professional Creative podcast with your host, Bonnie Christine. With over 13 years of experience as an artist, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Bonnie brings genuine warmth and actionable advice to your journey as a creative professional. Tune in each week to get inspired and discover how the days of struggling to succeed as a creative are over. Each episode is designed to help you GROW no matter what phase of the journey you’re on. From overcoming creative challenges to learning how to promote your work, you’ll learn how to take your passion to the next level and see SUCCESS. If you’re an aspiring professional creative or already on the entrepreneurial journey, you’ll hear about the latest marketing trends, best business practices, and inside tips from a longtime designer—all to help you grow your business like a boss! Welcome to The Professional Creative podcast.

  1. 2 DAYS AGO

    175: Drumroll, Please: Unveiling Flowerie—Our New Product Shop

    Today is a day that I have been eagerly waiting to share with you! We’ve been quietly working behind the scenes on something incredibly special, and I’m thrilled to finally announce it: Flowerie, my brand-new product shop, is here! Listen in this week as I take you through the heart and vision behind Flowerie, sharing the story of how this shop came to be and what inspired its creation. From my early days making handmade products on Etsy to where we are today, Flowerie represents my love for combining natural beauty with everyday function and is a reflection of everything I love such as creativity, nature, and bringing a little bit of magic into daily life! I discuss the exciting products you’ll find in the first collection, including floral-themed sketchbooks, aprons, puzzles, and more. There are some special personal touches, too, like handmade aprons made by my mom from the original pattern I created back in 2009. Plus, I am so excited to share the details of our holiday sneak peek, coming next month! We will be releasing a small batch of our favorite items in limited quantities, and it’s your chance to grab something special before the full launch in late spring/early summer 2025! I also introduce The Secret Garden, our VIP community, where you’ll get first access to shop, sneak peeks at upcoming collections, and plenty of exclusive perks. Finally, I dive into our unique approach to building Flowerie, what we’re calling growing in public. We’re committed to sharing the behind-the-scenes process of building this shop, with transparency at the core of everything we do. I can’t wait to invite you into The Greenhouse, where you’ll be able to follow our journey in real-time! In the meantime, thank you so much for being part of this exciting new chapter. Be sure to sign up for The Secret Garden to get early access and stay in the loop on all things Flowerie. I’m so excited for what’s ahead! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/175 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    16 min

  2. 24 OCT

    174: Fall Q&A: Your Burning Questions Part 2

    Welcome back, everyone, to another round of Q&A in which I will be answering some of your burning questions! This time, I reflect on things such as where I see myself and my business in the next five to ten years. While long-term vision admittedly is not always my strongest suit, my team and I recently pushed ourselves to create a five-year plan that includes exciting growth goals across various areas! I also answer questions about the challenges of focus (something that I like to call our creative "Kryptonite”) and share how my team has been honing our priorities to stay on track with our mission, and you will hear me discuss some pivotal moments in my career and the mentors who helped shape my path. I additionally touch on the importance of family and work-life balance, sharing how I navigate both, especially with two kids now in school, and I discuss my homebody tendencies, gardening, and the joy of raising chickens and crafting with my daughter! I really hope that you will join me for this second round of questions and for this thoughtful, personal episode filled with stories, lessons, and tips on everything from business strategy to maintaining creative energy, and, as always, remember that there’s room for you! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/174 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    26 min

  3. 17 OCT

    173: Fall Q&A: Your Burning Questions Part 1

    Welcome to another episode of The Professional Creative, everyone! Get ready because I have a special treat for you, a two-part Q&A series. In this episode, I am diving headfirst into your thought-provoking questions and am covering quite a bit of ground! I kick things off with a deep question about areas where I still feel that I need to grow, reminding me of the importance of leadership and integrity. I have dreams galore, from seeing my art on products to maybe even a TV show about surface pattern design, but it’s all about embracing the journey, right? I am also asked about a career low point, and boy, does that ever hit home! Getting rejected by a fabric company made me question everything, but it ultimately taught me the strength of perseverance. Empathy grew from that experience, reminding me that we all face nay-sayers at different stages of our lives, but we’ve got to keep pushing through! Then, there is, of course, AI, truly a hot topic today with lots and lots of opinions floating around, so here is my take: AI in the design world is here, and it’s shaking things up. Whether you are an artwork architect using AI creatively or a traditional artist staying analog, there’s a place for everyone. I believe that we should be embracing AI as a helper, not a replacement. New challenges with growth bring up important questions about focus and financial stewardship, truly important stuff as we navigate new levels in our careers, so stay tuned as we tackle what traits make successful professional creatives! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/173 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    30 min

  4. 10 OCT

    172: Think Outside the Box: How to Master Creative Problem-Solving

    Welcome to another episode of The Professional Creative! As I approach fourteen years in business, I have learned that creative problem solving is so important for overcoming the challenges that help us grow as leaders! I used to make decisions alone, but I have since come to realize how vital it is to have support in entrepreneurship, even when it can feel isolating. This episode of the show digs deep into the significance of thinking outside the box, whether you’re a solopreneur or part of a larger team. Join me as I share a memorable story from my recent family vacation to Iceland, where we faced an unexpected challenge that forced us to get creative. I reveal how I was taught a valuable lesson about adapting to unpredictable situations and avoiding panic, and I contrast conventional problem-solving approaches with more flexible, innovative strategies, demonstrating how we can truly all benefit from thinking creatively! I also provide you with five practical steps to apply creative problem-solving in your business. From encouraging wild ideas to embracing constraints and deferring judgment, these tips are sure to help you develop innovative solutions when faced with obstacles, and you will learn how organizations like Facebook truly harness the power of ideation to fuel their success! Please tune in so that we can build resilience together as entrepreneurs and transform challenges into opportunities for growth! This episode is sure to help you discover how you can create the beauty you want to see in your business and beyond! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/172 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    25 min

  5. 8 OCT

    171: When Saying No is the Key to Success: Prioritizing Your Best Yes

    In case you didn’t know this, I love my Tuesday episodes because they are unscripted! In this particular batch of my unscripted Tuesday thoughts, I open up about the challenges of staying focused as a creative entrepreneur. If you're like me, then you have very likely experienced “shiny object syndrome” - that temptation to jump from one exciting idea to the next, but this year, my mission has been to dial in on what truly matters to my business and heart, which is serving the surface pattern design industry! Listen in as I will be sharing how I had to make some tough decisions, like sadly having to cancel our highly anticipated Professional Creative Conference, despite how incredible that it definitely would have been! That was a moment that was painful, but it also felt like a weight lifted off my shoulders because it allowed me to stay true to my mission. Refining focus has been far from easy, but it is truly necessary to make room for our best yeses! We have some truly exciting new things in the works, including a product shop that will be a living example for our students, a brand-new in-house art agent, and a potential journal publication for our industry! I am so excited to explore these opportunities while staying aligned with our core mission, and I really hope that you will walk away from this episode of the show inspired to take a closer look at your own focus! What can you say no to in order to protect your best yes? 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/171 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    14 min

  6. 3 OCT

    170: Crafting Your Company’s Heart: Defining Core Values for Creative Entrepreneurs

    I invite you to listen this week as I jump into a topic that I believe is the very heartbeat of any business: core values. Whether you are running a solo venture or managing a team of 100, your core values are essential because they shape your decisions, influence your culture, and guide your growth! Join me as I share why defining your core values matters more than you might think. I walk you through my own company's ten core values and how they have evolved as my team has grown, and you can expect to hear tangible examples of how these values have impacted our work culture and decision-making processes! From prioritizing generosity to fostering integrity, these principles are more than just words; they are the compass that keeps us aligned with our mission. I’ve also created a fantastic resource for you - a list of fifty core values to help you get started defining your own! This episode isn’t just theoretical; it’s packed with actionable steps to help you reflect on what matters most to you and your business, so whether you are just starting out or looking to refine your existing values, this episode is here to inspire and guide you! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/170 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    22 min

  7. 26 SEPT

    169: Failed Payments? How to Recover Revenue Without Losing Customers

    I think that you're likely really going to like today's topic – all about keeping the money that you have already made! Listen in as I examine an issue that every online business owner faces at some point: failed payments. If you run an online business, offer a product, or have a subscription-based model, failed payments can mean losing revenue that you have already earned, and nobody wants that, right? What if I told you, though, that there is a way to recover those payments and keep more of your hard-earned money? I walk you through our tried-and-true process at Team Bonnie for recovering failed payments, which has brought us an 88% recovery rate - much higher than the industry average of 49%! I share why we brought our payment recovery back in-house after outsourcing it as well as the steps that we follow to not only recover payments but also treat every customer with kindness, tact, and empathy! You’ll hear about the tools and strategies we use, like Stripe’s built-in features and Churn Buster (which we love!), and how our approach to communication makes it easy for customers to get back on track. I also break down the difference between involuntary and voluntary churn, and how addressing each requires a unique touch. If you’re struggling with failed payments or looking to tighten up your payment recovery process, this episode is packed with actionable tips. I also, of course, remind you: it’s not just about the numbers; it’s about treating your customers like individuals and creating systems that serve them and your business well! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/169 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    20 min

  8. 24 SEPT

    168: Your House, Your Rules: Take Control of Your Live Events and Webinars

    Going into this episode, you might want to go back and (re)listen to episode 20 of The Professional Creative as well all about learning to love going live because this episode is definitely going to pair well with that one! Join me as I revisit the topic of going live, whether it’s on Instagram Stories, Facebook Live, Zoom workshops, or webinars. For many of us, the idea of going live can feel overwhelming, and trust me, I get it. Even after years of experience, I still feel a bit nervous, especially when it comes to public-facing sessions where you never know who might join! I share my personal journey of becoming more comfortable with going live and offer practical tips on how to safeguard your presentations. From Zoom settings to co-hosting strategies, I walk you through the steps that I take to ensure smooth, stress-free live sessions. Plus, I share a couple of funny mishaps that happened along the way. Tune in for an encouraging conversation about embracing live sessions, feeling in control, and knowing you’ve got backup plans in place, and, as always, remember that there's room for you! 📒 Episode Notes, Links, & Resources 📒 https://www.professionalcreative.com/blog/168 📝 Read the Transcript 📝 Connect with Bonnie: ▸ ONLINE | http://bonniechristine.com ▸ INSTAGRAM | https://instagram.com/bonniechristine ▸ START SIMPLE IN SURFACE DESIGN | FREE MINI CLASS | https://www.bonniechristine.com/startsimple ▸ FREE SURFACE DESIGN GUIDE | https://www.bonniechristine.com/guide

    14 min
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Hosts & Guests

About

Have you ever dreamed of having a mentor with years of success to guide you through your creative business journey? That’s exactly what you’ll get when you tune into The Professional Creative podcast with your host, Bonnie Christine. With over 13 years of experience as an artist, entrepreneur, educator, and leader, Bonnie brings genuine warmth and actionable advice to your journey as a creative professional. Tune in each week to get inspired and discover how the days of struggling to succeed as a creative are over. Each episode is designed to help you GROW no matter what phase of the journey you’re on. From overcoming creative challenges to learning how to promote your work, you’ll learn how to take your passion to the next level and see SUCCESS. If you’re an aspiring professional creative or already on the entrepreneurial journey, you’ll hear about the latest marketing trends, best business practices, and inside tips from a longtime designer—all to help you grow your business like a boss! Welcome to The Professional Creative podcast.

Information

  • Creator
    Bonnie Christine
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    176
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Bonnie Christine
  • Show Website
    The Professional Creative

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