Lessons from Hospitality for Running a Better Design Business with Thad Cox

This week, Ian's joined by Vadim Carazan, founder of WeGrow and Nine Days, to explore his journey from freelancing on 99designs as an engineering student to building a successful subscription based branding studio.The episode dives into the retainer model behind WeGrow, how they keep client relationships flexible and fair, and Nine Days, a branding sprint that brings strategy, identity and a landing page together in one fast moving package. We also explore AI, including whether it really is a threat to designers and how Vadim built his own AI powered tool, Tessera, in just a day.This episode is sponsored by Superside, the world's leading AI-first creative partner for enterprises. Scale creative capacity with Superside: brand and presentation design, ad creative, social and video.

Liz Mosley never planned on working for herself, but 18 years, a stationery side hustle, and two kids later, she's built an independent branding studio and a podcast that has become one of her most valuable business assets. In this episode, Ian Paget sits down with Liz to explore the moment she stopped treating her business like a hobby, why podcasting became her biggest confidence boost, and how showing up consistently, mistakes and all, builds trust in a way AI never will. They also dive into Liz's "100 Rejections" challenge, a personal game she created to stop fearing the word "no." It led to partnerships with Adobe and Flodesk, as well as a joint talk at Adobe Max with a former guest of the Logo Geek Podcast. If you've ever felt stuck between working in your business and working on it, this episode is for you.

In this episode, Ian's joined by Dave Hopkins, print industry veteran, podcast host, and founder of Print Design Academy, for the show's first deep dive into print design. As AI continues to reshape digital creative work, Dave explains why print remains such an exciting opportunity for designers. From newspapers to digitally printed aluminium cans, we explore how print technology has evolved and why it's more accessible than ever. The conversation also covers the business side of print, including pricing, managing client content, finding reliable print partners, and creating additional revenue through production management and print markups. Whether you're new to print or looking to expand your services, this episode is packed with practical advice and fresh ideas for standing out in an increasingly AI-driven industry. Resources Mentioned More Creative Academy: The Ultimate Support Platform for Freelancers and Agency Owners. The Quickie Podcast - Dave's design podcast Print Design Academy - Dave's coaching and education platform Print Design Summit - Free five-day virtual event, held each March Print Ready Files Checklist - Free download at Print Design Academy Guide to Pricing Graphic Design - Free download at Print Design Academy HART Print - Digital aluminium can printing Newspaper Club - Short-run newspaper and zine printing GF Smith - Paper manufacturer (UK)

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