Building your Brand

In this final episode of 2025, I'm reflecting on how the format of two episodes a week has been and sharing exciting plans for 2026. From hosting my first live podcast event in Cardiff to pursuing more public speaking opportunities and even writing a book, I'm opening up about my goals, my philosophy on holding plans lightly, and why I love doing more of what's already working in my business. I would love to hear what you think of this episode, and I'd love to hear about your 2026 goals too! So please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!   Key Takeaways Consistency Pays Off – Running both guest and solo episodes weekly since October has strengthened my personal branding and supported consistent YouTube content creation. Hold Goals Lightly – Sometimes better opportunities emerge than what you planned. Being flexible allowed for speaking at Adobe Max instead of the original podcast event timing. Goals Need Strategy – It's not enough to just set goals; you need a concrete plan and actionable steps to actually achieve them. Do More of What You Love – Growth doesn't require radical change. Focus on expanding the parts of your business that bring you joy and fulfillment. Community Matters – Whether it's self-publishing, podcasting, or building a brand, surrounding yourself with supportive people and communities makes ambitious goals more achievable.   Episode Highlights 0:00 – Welcome & reflecting on the twice-weekly podcast experiment 1:39 – 2026 public speaking goals and the live podcast event announcement 2:46 – Details about the February 24th Cardiff event with Gavin Strange and Hannah Isted 5:03 – The scary but exciting goal: writing and self-publishing a book in 2026 7:39 – Philosophy on goal-setting: holding plans lightly and being open to better opportunities  

I am so excited to have today's guest back on the podcast after recording an episode with her a long time ago about my rejection challenge. Yes, it is Katie Chappell, who was the original inspiration for that challenge! However, we are not talking about rejection today. Instead, we are talking all about Katie's incredible business as a Live Illustrator. Honestly, I love chatting to her; she is a total business powerhouse with so many brilliant ideas. In this episode, we discuss how she runs her Live Illustration business, the membership and jobs board she has created to share overflow work, and how she manages her time and boundaries. I came away from this conversation so inspired, and I know you will too.   Key Takeaways: The pivot to online-only: Katie made the strategic (and initially terrifying) decision to stop doing in-person events and focus exclusively on online live illustration to better manage her stress and family life. Sharing the wealth with a jobs board: Instead of just turning down the inquiries she couldn't take, Katie created a paid jobs board on Substack to pass that overflow work on to other illustrators, creating a win-win for everyone. Dealing with negative comments: Katie opens up about the backlash and trolling she received regarding her jobs board and how she now views it as a "rite of passage" and a sign of increased visibility. The power of the decision tree: To avoid decision fatigue, Katie uses a "decision tree" managed by her assistant to automatically filter inquiries—if a job doesn't meet her specific criteria (like being online and within school hours), it goes straight to the jobs board. Live illustration is thriving: Despite doom and gloom in the wider illustration industry, Katie explains why live graphic recording is still a high-value, premium service that corporate clients love. ‌ Episode Highlights: 02:11 – Katie explains exactly what live illustration looks like and how she captures visual notes during events.‌ 07:59 – How Katie discovered graphic recording in the library during her master's degree and realised it was like being a war artist, but for meetings. 14:26 – The moment Katie realised she needed to scale back her agency model and set a deadline to go online-only. 15:28 – How the "Jobs Board" was born from an abundance of inquiries she couldn't fulfill. 25:59 – Navigating "mild trolling" and the emotional process of dealing with negative comments online. ‌   About The Guest: Katie Chappell is a live event illustrator who makes visual notes for online events. She is also one-third of The Good Ship Illustration, where she runs courses for creatives, and she manages a popular jobs board for illustrators. You can find Katie on her website or say hi on Instagram.   Mentioned in this episode: The Good Ship Illustration: Katie's course business with Helen Stephens and Tanya Willis. Katie's Jobs Board: A Substack for illustrators to find work. Rich Webster: Previous podcast guest who discussed business as a self-development tool. Katy from Creative Boom: Discussed as someone who handles online visibility well. I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode! This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft lucylucraft.co.uk If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

In this solo episode, I reflect on my journey through 2025; celebrating the goals I achieved, the lessons I learned, and the growth I experienced both personally and professionally. From speaking at Adobe Max and launching new projects to working with dream clients and growing the podcast, I share honest insights about what went well, what didn't, and how I'm setting the stage for an even more intentional 2026. Join me as I look back on a year of progress, pivots, and proud moments. I would love to hear all about your reflections and achievements of 2025. I hope you've enjoyed this episode. Come talk to me on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast  If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!   Key Takeaways Progress isn't always linear. Sometimes the goals you don't achieve one year become your biggest wins the next. Keep moving forward and celebrate every step. The quality of your work and relationships matters more than the quantity. Focus on attracting clients and collaborators who truly align with your values and vision. Embrace change and be open to new opportunities. Pivoting, trying new projects, and sharing your authentic self can lead to unexpected growth and fulfillment.   Episode Highlights 0:56 I look back at my Instagram post from the end of 2024 and review the goals I set for that year. 3:11 I reflect on working with clients this year, feeling especially aligned and fulfilled by the people I collaborated with. 6:25 I summarize my progress on all my goals, noting that even if I didn't achieve them in 2024, I made real strides in 2025. 9:45 I talk about the way my personal brand has been affected this year 10:10 A moment to celebrate the podcast  

In this episode, I really enjoyed picking the brains of Niki Hutchison, a marketing strategist who is passionate about online businesses marketing themselves like pros. We discuss moving away from amateur ways of doing things to ensure you are marketing like a professional. Even though I am not a trained marketer myself, I have loved learning about it over the last decade of running my business. Niki and I delve into many interesting areas, including demystifying what a 'strategy' actually is, the importance of a multi-channel approach, and the massive impact public speaking can have on your business growth.   Key Takeaways: Marketing strategy doesn't have to be complicated: Niki explains that strategy is often over-complicated, but it is simply about starting with your business objective and deciding how to use different channels to achieve it. Don't rely on a single channel: One of the biggest mistakes small businesses make is relying on just one platform; instead, you should leverage your own channels (like your email list) alongside partnerships and other people's audiences. The power of in-person connection: Niki shares that speaking on stages and building real-life connections is currently the most effective way she is growing her audience and establishing trust quickly. Consistency creates trust: A major issue is 'ghosting' your marketing; disappearing and reappearing makes it difficult to establish trust with your audience, so it is vital to find a sustainable rhythm. From Overlooked to Fully Booked: Being 'fully booked' isn't about having zero white space in your diary; it's that confident feeling that you are winning at business, clients are coming in, and momentum is building.   Episode Highlights: 02:59 – Niki demystifies the word "strategy" and explains why it is actually quite simple. 07:59 – The danger of relying on just one social media channel and the importance of partnerships. 12:54 – Why in-person speaking and events are Niki's most exciting marketing tool right now. 20:19 – How to build reciprocal partnerships to help spread the word about your launches. 34:23 – Niki's top tips for creating a marketing plan that fits into your actual life without leading to burnout.   About The Guest: Niki Hutchison is a marketing strategist who helps business owners and brands take a multi-channel marketing approach to market like a pro. She runs two businesses: her personal brand teaching business owners how to market and grow, and an agency specialising in launching for organisations. You can find Niki on Instagram @nikihutchinson, where she basically lives in her DMs, or connect with her on LinkedIn. You can also find out about her in-person events at her website.   Mentioned in this episode: Adventures in Marketing: The event Niki hosts in Edinburgh with her friend Abby. Enterprise Nation: Niki is an advisor and trainer for this platform. Adobe Express Scheduler: The tool Niki uses to schedule her content. Habit Share: An app Niki uses to keep on track with her tasks.   I would love to hear what you think of this episode, so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode! This episode was written and recorded by me and produced by Lucy Lucraft lucylucraft.co.uk If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!

We're in December and I am naturally getting reflective. In today's solo episode I am chatting through my business model and doing a little bit of an audit. I talk about why I've made certain decisions in my business in the way that I run it. I hope you find this episode helpful and insightful. I would love to hear what you think of this episode, and these solo episodes in general so please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode! If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!   Key Takeaways Intentional Small Business: Growth is focused on income and impact, not on building a large team or agency.  Work-Life Blend: Achieving a healthy blend (not necessarily balance) between work and personal life is a priority, with flexibility and breaks built into the schedule. Personalized Success: There's no one-size-fits-all approach to business growth; success is about building a business that feels right for you, not following external expectations.   Episode Highlights 01:29: Pros and Cons of Employment vs. Freelancing: I chat through the benefits of traditional employment and explain why freelancing feels safer to me, especially after seeing redundancies in tech/design. 03:41: Mindset Challenges & Uncertainty: I discusses the freelancer mindset, dealing with uncertainty, and how evidence of continued work helps ease anxiety. 05:46: Work-Life Blend & Taking Breaks: I talk about the challenge of switching off, the joy of my work, and the importance of scheduling breaks. 07:32: Growth Goals: Income vs. Team Size   Mentioned in the episode Paul Jarvis' Book Company Of One