Building your Brand

I loved today's podcast chat and something I've been thinking about a lot recently is how so many of us creatives and business owners have these similar human experiences that we all have to go through. I think it is so powerful when we share those experiences openly and vulnerably.
Today on the podcast, I am chatting to Emmi Salonen, who is a designer, artist, speaker and author of the amazing new book, The Creative Wellbeing Handbook. Emmi founded Studio EMMI in 2005 and has over 20 years of experience in the industry.
In this episode, we talk all about the lessons she has learned as a creative, including her personal journey through burnout and taking a year-long sabbatical. Emmi has chatted to hundreds of other creatives about their struggles, and she shares those insights alongside practical exercises to help nurture your creativity. It was a gorgeous conversation full of little gems that I am definitely going to implement in my own practice!
Key Takeaways:
Creativity needs a pause: Emmi discusses the concept of the "Creative Ecosystem" and how vital it is to nurture different areas of your life—like connection, wonder, and rest—to sustain your creativity.
You are not alone in self-doubt: Emmi's research found that 87% of creatives struggle with feeling "not good enough". We discuss how important it is to vocalise these feelings rather than internalise them.
The power of a 'Solo Day': One of my favourite exercises from the book is the 'Solo Day' (or Emmi Day)—taking guilt-free time alone to do exactly what you want, whether that's visiting a gallery or just pottering around the house, to let ideas percolate.
Financial stability protects creativity: We talk about the tension between passion and finance, and why having a financial buffer (if possible) is crucial for weathering dry spells or allowing for creative breaks.
Slow design vs. industry speed: Emmi highlights the pressure to deliver ideas instantly and why she now factors in a "percolation period" at the start of projects to allow ideas to properly form.
Episode Highlights:
02:00 – Emmi shares her background working in studios in Italy, New York and London before setting up Studio EMMI 20 years ago.
06:30 – The story behind her book: How a severe burnout led to a year off and a deep dive into creative wellbeing.
12:00 – The three biggest challenges creatives face today, including balancing finances and the pressure of instant idea generation.
21:00 – How Emmi practically managed to take a year-long sabbatical (and how Stefan Sagmeister does it every seven years).
23:00 – Practical exercises from The Creative Wellbeing Handbook, including the 'Solo Day' and 'Craft Club'.
32:00 – Emmi's perspective on AI: Using it as a tool while protecting human creativity and kindness.
About The Guest:
Emmi Salonen is a Finnish graphic designer and the founder of Studio EMMI, a London-based design practice established in 2005. She is the author of The Creative Wellbeing Handbook, a guide designed to help creatives navigate the ups and downs of their practice.
You can find more about Emmi's work at emmi.co.uk and explore resources for the book at creativeecosystem.org
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!

Last week I gave a talk at St Brides Foundation in London about some of the key moments from the podcast that have forever changed my brain chemistry. Today on the podcast I am sharing those moments with you. Hosting this podcast has added value to my business and in fact my life in ways that I never expected. I've listed all of the episodes mentioned so that you can go back and have a listen through for the full conversations. 
I hope you find these moments as inspiring as I did! I would love to hear what you think of this episode, and if there have been any moments from the podcast that have stuck in your mind aswell! So please do let me know on Instagram where I'm @‌lizmmosley or @‌buildingyourbrandpodcast and I hope you enjoy the episode!
 
Key Takeaways
"No" is not the end of the story Each rejection can give you valuable information to improve and come back stronger.
Fear of success can hold you back more than fear of failure Sometimes we sabotage ourselves not because we're afraid of failing, but because we're afraid of what success might cost us.
"Should" is the killer of joy When you catch yourself saying "I should do this," you're likely following someone else's path. Replace "should" with "could" to open up possibilities that feel more aligned.
Expect initial rejection as a learning opportunity. Lean into and welcome rejection as a task of curiosity and information to further your goals
Stop adding, start subtracting Before adding new habits, projects, or commitments to your plate, ask yourself: "What am I willing to give up to make space for this?"
 
Episode Highlights
2:32 Lesson 1: Kyle Webster's story - "No" is not the end
5:15 Lesson 2: Fear of success with Lois Seco and Hannah Istead
7:31 Lesson 3: Sophie Cliff - "Should is the killer of joy"
9:40 Lesson 4: Kyra Matthews - Expect rejection as your teacher
10:57 Lesson 5: Rich Webster - Don't keep adding, take things away
 
Mentioned in the episode
Kyle T Webster Episode
Fear of Success Episode with Liz Mosley, Hannah Isted and Lois Seco
Sophie Cliff Episode
Kira Matthews Episode
Rich Webster Episode
Laura Belgray Episdode and 750 words website

Do you ever get sucked in by all the messaging online about growth and what that looks like? For a while, I have known that I don't want to grow my business to be an agency or to have a big team, but sometimes it feels a bit frowned upon to stay small and keep your business lean
I was so excited when Maggie Patterson got in touch and suggested chatting on the podcast about staying small on purpose. This chat was totally up my street! We talked about the "trust recession", AI, how we price and package our work, and so much more.
I hope you will come away feeling encouraged, but also given a confidence boost about building a business that feels right for you.
Key Takeaways:
You don't need to scale to succeed: The majority of businesses are actually one-person operations, yet most business advice focuses on scaling up. You don't have to hire a team if you don't want to; staying solo is a valid and ambitious choice.
Charge for strategy, not just tactics: A common mistake for creatives and consultants is charging the same for strategic thinking as they do for tactical implementation. If you don't highlight and charge for your strategy, clients may overlook you for big-picture projects.
The "Trust Recession" and AI: We are currently in a market where buyers are skeptical and price-conscious, often referred to as a "trust recession". As a solo business owner, your superpower is your ability to offer genuine human connection and build personal relationships, which builds trust faster than faceless brands can.
The "Real Life Rule": Your business must work for your actual life, otherwise you will end up resentful and burnt out. When planning growth, you must consider your actual capacity—not just time, but energy and the season of life you are in (like having small children).
 
Episode Highlights:
02:00 – Maggie introduces her book, Staying Solo, and why she wrote it for the majority of business owners who don't want to manage a big team.
10:00 – Why pricing is the first place to look when refining your business, and why most service providers are undercharging.
13:00 – The "Strategy Stack": understanding that pricing doesn't exist in isolation from your positioning, packaging, and promotion.
20:00 – Discussing AI, the "trust recession", and why solo owners have an advantage in building genuine connections.
39:00 – Maggie's "Real Life Rule" and why we need to stop trying to build fantasy businesses that don't fit our reality.
 
About The Guest:
Maggie Patterson is a consultant who has spent years working with micro-businesses and solo service business owners, such as creatives, consultants, and professional service providers. She is the author of Staying Solo: Your Guide to Building a Simple and Sustainable Service Business, which launched in April 2025.
You can find Maggie at bsfreebusiness.com
Staying Solo Book
Staying Solo Podcast
Brave Boundaries Workshop
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 episode, I dive into how branding impacts the way you show up for your business. I open up about my own experience with outdated branding and how it actually stopped me from promoting my business because I was embarrassed to send people to my website. I talk about why visual identity matters so much in our content-saturated world and how we make split-second decisions based on what we see. If your branding feels off or isn't serving your current stage of business, I'd love to chat about working together this year.
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!
If you enjoyed this episode please leave a 5* rating and review!
 
Key Takeaways
Branding directly impacts business confidence and consistency. When branding feels misaligned or outdated, business owners often stop marketing themselves and avoid directing people to their website or social media, which stalls business growth.
Aligned branding creates a transformation in energy and output. Clients who invest in branding that truly reflects their vision often experience a surge in ideas, renewed belief in their mission, and more consistent, confident communication.
Visual decisions happen in seconds. In a world saturated with visual content, people make split-second judgments based on colors, fonts, and overall aesthetic before even engaging with the actual content—making strong branding essential for attracting the right audience.
 
Episode Highlights
0:02 - Branding as a uniform you choose
1:40 - My personal experience with outdated branding and how it held me back
4:01 - Client transformation story: renewed confidence and vision
5:46 - Why visual identity matters in a content-saturated world
 
 
Mentioned in this episode:
Studio Cotton

Today on the podcast, I am chatting to Kat Nicholls, the Brand and Integrity Manager at Happiful. If you haven't come across Happiful before, it is a network of mental health and wellness directories as well as a monthly magazine.
I loved chatting to Kat about how the brand came about and what it stands for, but we also dive deep into how to maintain your integrity as your brand grows. We cover some of the mistakes they have made and how they navigated them, along with brilliant advice on remaining true to your values and ensuring those values are communicated effectively across a growing team.
For most of us as small business owners, integrity is so important, so I am sure you are going to find this episode incredibly helpful.
 
Key Takeaways:
Defining Integrity: For Kat and Happiful, integrity is really about honesty and authenticity. It involves admitting when you make mistakes and learning from them, while ensuring you are "practising what you preach" regarding your values and how you treat your employee.
The "Proof Policy": To maintain high standards, Happiful uses a "proof policy" to ensure that any professional advertising on their directories reaches a certain standard of training and adheres to a code of ethics.
The Power of Saying No: Sometimes maintaining integrity means turning down press opportunities or partnerships that don't align with your values, even if they would provide significant brand exposure.
Handling Mistakes: When things go wrong, such as publishing misinformation, the key is to apologise sincerely to those affected, investigate why it happened (often human error), and implement training to prevent it from happening again.
Navigating AI with Integrity: Happiful has developed an AI policy that requires transparency; members must disclose if AI was used, and content cannot be fully AI-generated because human connection is vital in the mental health space. ‌
 
Episode Highlights:
01:00 – Kat explains her role as Brand and Integrity Manager and the mission behind Happiful.
09:03 – We discuss the definition of integrity: honesty, authenticity and admitting when we get things wrong.
11:59 – The challenges of maintaining integrity and considering your impact on the environment and employees as a business grows.
19:53 – How to handle mistakes and course-correct when content doesn't align with your values.
30:52 – Developing an AI policy that balances technological tools with human connection and transparency..
 
About The Guest:
Kat Nicholls is the Brand and Integrity Manager at Happiful, a company that owns a network of online directories for mental health and wellbeing support, as well as a monthly magazine. Her background is in content writing, podcasting, and coaching, and she now focuses on ensuring the brand maintains its authentic, value-led approach.
You can find out more about the magazine and directories at http://happiful.com
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!