In order to provide my clients with the most value possible, I believe it’s important to continually improve my process by investing in education, systems, tools, and professional services. If you’re a designer looking to level up your business or you’re just curious about my favorite resources, you’ve come to the right place!
Education
Skillshare*
When I first discovered Skillshare, it was still a startup. At the time, I was actively participating in Threadless contests, so naturally, I had to watch the class Threadless launched about how to design graphic tees. I signed up for a free trial and quickly fell in love with the platform. To this day, it’s still one of my favorite resources for online education. With Skillshare, you can master just about any creative endeavor under the sun. Trust me, even if you only watched one class with the premium membership, the subscription would practically pay for itself.
Workshop Teacher Academy
At the beginning of 2020, I experienced a huge mindset shift about the importance of investing. I quickly went from “freelancing” as my plan B, to taking my business very seriously. Now I can proudly say that I’m a full-time creative entrepreneur! As soon as I decided to embrace my business as plan A, I discovered (and binged) Jenna Rainey’s podcast. Shortly before the pandemic hit, Jenna launched Workshop Teacher Academy, which ultimately became the first big investment I made into my company. Since I couldn’t relaunch my in-person workshops, I used what I learned in WTA to create my first online workshop through Skillshare!
Branding With Bre*
After making one investment, it’s hard to stop. I was following Rowan Made when she posted that Branding with Bre was receiving some major updates and therefore, the price would be increasing. Out of curiosity, I read the sales page and I simply could not believe how much value her course contained. I bought it without hesitation and I still believe it’s one of the best investments I’ve made. Whether you’re a new designer or a seasoned one, there’s something everyone can learn from Bre. This course walks you through the entire branding process from onboarding clients to final delivery — so if you want to level up your process, look no further!
BONUS: Use the code jessrenee at checkout to get $25 off :)
Creativ Rise Mastermind*
There aren’t enough words to describe the impact this six-week growth accelerator had on my life. Turns out, money can buy confidence. If you consider yourself a professional, get yourself some coaching and it will completely change the game for you. In addition to the incredible course material, you’ll join a community of creatives that will become lifelong friends. I strongly believe that operating your own business shouldn’t be done in isolation. If you choose to join the Creativ Rise Mastermind, you will be surprised by the potential that awaits you on the other side.
Brand Clarity Academy
This year, Quill & Co. hosted a webinar about brand strategy at the Simply Profitable Designer Summit. During her talk, she took the ambiguity of brand strategy and turned it into actionable steps. Out of all the courses I was tempted to buy that day, Brand Clarity Academy seemed like the best option for me. Marisa’s course teaches designers how to conduct 2+ hour brand clarity workshops for their clients. I used to only send out brand strategy questionnaires until I learned how valuable in-person workshops are. Thanks to BCA, I can now provide an even better service for my clients. If you would like to give it a try, use the code JESSICA50 at checkout to receive $50 off!
The Futur
Ok, admittedly, I’m not a part of the Pro Group, but the sheer amount of business advice I’ve learned exclusively from Chris Do’s free content makes The Futur worth sharing. If you haven’t heard of The Futur before, you’re welcome and I promise you will immediately get value from their content. Although Chris is typically known for his YouTube videos, I prefer listening to his podcast! After every show, I often walk away with actionable takeaways that can be implemented immediately. As you can tell, I’m hyped about The Futur — there really isn’t a better way to put it, so I highly recommend checking them out.
Site Series*
Before signing up for Site Series, I was pretty intimidated and felt unqualified to write copy, but since I’m not in a position to hire a copywriter, I had no other choice. Sara’s course is a great way to learn and implement the tactics she uses in her own business. In the past, I've been able to generate traffic to my website but had difficulty converting leads to inquiries. I now realize that I need to clarify my messaging and the journey I am taking the visitor on. I'm still in the process of refining any wording that's centered on deliverables over transformations or focused on me instead of my ideal client. That concept alone really changed my entire perspective on how I should be writing copy. Bad copywriting could be the death of your business. If you want to successfully scale your business, don't skimp out on the copy. You can't afford to risk another day of driving prospects away because your current website is either confusing your audience or it's not compelling enough to resonate with them.
Lenahan Coaching
I can only imagine how much harder this year would have been without the support of the RYM mastermind community and Kieran’s calm, collected approach to coaching. The materials he provided to our group, along with the program, have helped me recalibrate the way I think about and operate my business. A lot of my “wins” have been pretty small, but Kieran has shown me how to honor even the little accomplishments. One of the many lessons I’ve learned is imagining my progress like chopping down a tree with an axe. Every time I post on social media, make a new connection, work on my website, write a blog post, add improvements to my client experience, etc. I’m taking another swing of the axe. This perspective gives credit to all the compounding efforts I contribute towards my business development. Don’t give up. Keep plugging away. You never know which swing of the axe will finally knock down the tree.
Honorable Mentions
Business & Economics
Podcasts
Business Tools
Design Essentials
Adobe*
industry-standard software
Procreate
digital illustration program
Squarespace
user-friendly website builder
Unsplash
beautiful, free images and photos
Death to Stock
stock photos for non-stock creatives
Ghost Plugins*
use the code JESSRENEE at checkout
Design Cuts*
online marketplace for creatives
True Grit
quality textures and brushes
Creative Market*
ready-to-use digital products
Pexels
stock photos you can use everywhere
Dribbble
inspiration for designers
GoLive*
use the code JESSRENEE10 at checkout
* all affiliate links are marked with an asterisk mark