BEYOND Design — Business, Mindset & Life for Creatives

Nelett Loubser - Creative Entrepreneur Since 2010 - Designer, Creative Business & Mindset Mentor

Design is only part of the job. BEYOND Design is about everything that comes with it. Hosted by designer and Kunshuis founder Nelett Loubser, this is a podcast for designers, freelancers and service-based creatives navigating the real business and life behind creative work. We talk about pricing, clients, briefs, boundaries, confidence, money, creativity, burnout, changing careers, running a business and staying human while doing it. Drawing on more than 20 years in the design industry, Nelett shares the lessons, mistakes, conversations and practical things creative people are often expected to figure out on their own. Sometimes it’s business. Sometimes it’s life. Usually, it’s both. Because being good at the creative work is one thing. Building a creative career and life that actually works for you is the part we need to talk about.

  1. Aug 5

    How to Price Freelance Design Work — Without Undercharging

    Send us Fan Mail If the money conversation makes your stomach drop, this one's for you. After 25 years as a designer, I'm sharing exactly how I price my work — not by the hour, but by the value it creates — and the brave questions to ask before you ever say a number. Here's what we get into: Why you're not bad at money — you're just scared of the conversationThe phone call that told me I was "hurting the industry" by charging too littleWhy having a baby made me switch from hourly to project-based pricingWhat value-based pricing actually means, and how to explain your worthChris Do's "price the client, not the job" — the exact questions to ask every timeMy real steps: your private floor, one project price, three options, deposits in stagesWhy you should never drop your price (cut the scope instead)Design days — the fun, slightly glamorous way to chargeThe one thing nobody teaches us at design school: communicationPrefer to read it? The full written version — every step, laid out — is in the show notes on my site: Shownotes and all the tools are here. If it helped, leave a review and subscribe. It's how another designer finds this and feels a little less alone in it. Want the tools? I'm building the Studio Desk and the Beyond Design membership to take the guesswork out of pricing for good. Get on the waitlist: https://kunshuis.com/membership I'm Nelett — designer of 25 years, here to show you that freelancing and design isn't difficult. It's small things, done right, consistently. Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  2. Jul 22

    Designer Burnout: I Didn't Leave Design, I Left What It Cost Me

    Send us Fan Mail I've been in design for more than twenty years, and for most of them I genuinely believed the chaos was just the job. The 4pm "can you quickly change this," the laptop that came on holiday "just in case," the edits I once did on the side of a road while my family waited in the car. It felt normal. Until Covid stopped the world and my body finally exhaled — and I had to ask why it took a global crisis to give me permission to breathe. This episode is the honest version of why I stepped back from design work. Not because I stopped loving it (I didn't), but because I left the way it was quietly costing me my life — the underpricing, the always-being-available, the freelance guilt that sits on both chairs at once. If you're a designer or freelancer running on "ek moet net gou," this one's for you. We talk burnout, boundaries, pricing, and why "no" is a whole sentence. 📝 Full show notes, plus everything I couldn't fit in the episode → kunshuis.com  Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  3. Jun 25

    Freelance Designer Loneliness: Why Community Beats Another Course

    Send us Fan Mail Nobody talks about the real loneliness of freelancing. Not the Pinterest version — laptop, coffee, living the dream. The real version. Where you read the same client email five times and wonder if you're being difficult, or if you should just drop your price because shame, you need the work. In this episode, I want to talk about something most designers carry quietly: the weight of doing everything alone. The pricing decisions, the client conversations, the small wins nobody celebrates with you, and the hard days nobody sees. Because here's the truth — you can be talented and still need people. You can run your own business and still need someone to say, "Breathe. You're not crazy. This is normal." We talk about why community matters more than information right now, what real creative support actually looks like (hint: it's not 284 unread messages in a WhatsApp group), and why independence has been made to look a little too glamorous in the freelance world. This one is honest. It's real. And if you've been feeling lonely in your creative business lately, I think you need to hear it. 👉 Read the full show notes and find the links mentioned in this episode here. Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  4. Jun 17

    Will AI Replace Graphic Designers? Here's the Truth After 25 Years in the Industry

    Send us Fan Mail AI is everywhere right now — in design, branding, content, websites, logos and almost every creative conversation. And here is my honest take: I love AI. It helps me think, organise, clean up admin and move faster where faster helps. But AI is not my replacement. In this episode of BEYOND Design, I talk about AI in graphic design, human-centric creativity, and why designers still matter in an AI-saturated market. Because when everyone can make something look good, the designer who can think, guide, feel and bring real life into the work will stand out. SHOWNOTES + VIDEO: https://kunshuis.com/2026/06/17/ai-is-my-assistant/ Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  5. Apr 28

    How to Set Up Your Freelance Design Business

    Send us Fan Mail In this episode of BEYOND Design, I’m talking about the part of freelancing we often avoid in the beginning — setting up the basic foundation of your freelance design business. Not the fancy website. Not the perfect brand. Not seventeen apps and a dramatic business plan. Just the simple things that make you feel more legit, more organised, and less all over the place when a client finally asks, “Can you send me a quote?” We’ll talk about the four basics every freelance designer needs: admin, client basics, simple tools, and a clear online presence. Because sometimes the reason your business feels messy is not because you are not talented enough. It is because the structure behind the work is not holding you yet. I also share a simple 7-day get set up plan to help you start putting the right things in place without overthinking everything. You do not need to build the whole business in one day. You just need somewhere solid to stand. Read the full shownotes and 7-day checklist here Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  6. Apr 8

    Business Side of Design: Talent Gets You Hired — This Keeps You Booked.

    Send us Fan Mail The 80/20 Truth: Design talent might get you hired once… but it’s the other 80% that keeps you booked. In this episode we talk about the part of freelancing nobody posts about: boundaries, client communication, systems, confidence — and even that thing I call “email apnea” (when your inbox makes you hold your breath like it’s about to ruin your day). You’ll leave with one practical takeaway: five non-negotiables for how you work, so clients don’t run your life. Full show notes (and steal the non-negotiables list) Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  7. Mar 12

    How I Started Kunshuis (And I’d Do It All Again Today)

    Send us Fan Mail This is the most requested episode I get: how I started Kunshuis. I’m taking you back to 2009/2010 — the spare-bedroom days, after-hours work, the awkward phone calls, the “Eish… I hope this works” moments… and the simple things I did that still matter today. In this episode, I share what I did first to get clients, why I didn’t niche (and why I don’t regret it), the small habits that made me feel like a proper professional, and how human connection became the lifeline of my business. If you’re starting out, starting again, or you’re craving a calmer way to build your freelance life… this one’s for you.  🖤 Get the full show notes (plus links + resources) here Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

  8. Mar 6

    Working From Home Without Losing Your Mind

    Send us Fan Mail Working from home sounds like the dream… until it’s week two and you’re sitting in the same spot again, feeling flat, distracted, and a bit alone. In this episode, I share the real story of how KunsHuis started (dining-room desk, pay-as-you-go internet, all of it) — and what actually helped me climb out of that early working-from-home slump. We’re talking dedicated space, routine, boundaries, staying connected, and the small things that make freelancing sustainable. → Show notes, 🖤, and links mentioned are waiting for you:  https://kunshuis.com/2026/03/06/working-from-home/ Support the show Thanks for listening to BEYOND Design! I hope this episode gave you something to think about, something to try, or simply reminded you that you're not the only one figuring this creative life out. If you'd like to stick around, here's where you'll find me and a few things I've made to help you along the way. A GOOD PLACE TO START Kunshuis — My little corner of the internet. Tools, honest advice and all things beyond design.The BEYOND Design Journal — Show notes, articles, personal thoughts and extra resources.Free Resources — Practical guides and downloads to help with the business side of creativity. A LITTLE HELP FOR YOUR CREATIVE BUSINESS Explore the Living Tools — Practical tools for pricing, clients, planning and running your creative business.Shop Kunshuis — The Studio Desk, planners, books and more.The BEYOND Design Membership — A space to learn, ask questions and grow alongside other creatives. Join the waitlist. LET'S KEEP IN TOUCH Instagram — The everyday bits, design life and what's happenin...

About

Design is only part of the job. BEYOND Design is about everything that comes with it. Hosted by designer and Kunshuis founder Nelett Loubser, this is a podcast for designers, freelancers and service-based creatives navigating the real business and life behind creative work. We talk about pricing, clients, briefs, boundaries, confidence, money, creativity, burnout, changing careers, running a business and staying human while doing it. Drawing on more than 20 years in the design industry, Nelett shares the lessons, mistakes, conversations and practical things creative people are often expected to figure out on their own. Sometimes it’s business. Sometimes it’s life. Usually, it’s both. Because being good at the creative work is one thing. Building a creative career and life that actually works for you is the part we need to talk about.