Business Mentoring for Designers & Creatives
HONEST, STRATEGIC BUSINESS COACHING—designed for our industry
Frustrated by well-meaning business coaches & strategists who just don't understand the realities of creative business life?
I’ve been there. Nothing is more frustrating than investing in support for your business growth only to spend half your time working together educating the person you’re paying about how website design, branding, and creative business flows. Our industry has unique processes and challenges—and I’d love to help you negotiate all of that. After over nearly 15 years in business and growing SM&Co into a flourishing company, I’ve seen it all.
Let’s make your business more joyful, with ease baked in.
Wondering if your design business can be, well, easier?
The existing paradigm for design business makes it difficult for solo and micro agencies to scale profitably and ethically.
Most information for creative businesses focuses on profit margins, clients, and projects for large agencies or simply scales down those models to small, boutique companies.
And friction, stress, and unhappy clients are the result. Businesses like ours need to say goodbye to the exploitative vendor model we’ve borrowed from large agencies and creative something uniquely ours that creates incredible impact for our clients. That’s what I’ve done at SM&Co—and, using our propriety Aligned Authority™ model, what I help a handful of creatives do each year.
Embrace your authority, Align Your Creative business
When we partner with other creatives, we use the same framework and journey model we use with our own clients. This is a proven, proprietary system that enables you to move from overworked technician to respected authority.
To make that happen, you’ll need three primary tools in your toolkit: a model for your movement/vision, a marketing strategy, and services that fuel you financially and creatively. It’s that simple—and that hard.
We’ll work together in a three stage process, which will be fluid and tailored for your specific goals.
Once we’ve agreed to team up, you’ll receive a deep dive workbook that will peel back the layers of your business—and your dreams for it—so we’re all on the same page. This is challenging, introspective work, but it’s so important. Many of our clients have uncovered assets and unique angles on their businesses they’d never considered as part of this exploration.
This is a more expansive version of our Spark Sessions program, lasting three months with access between our twice monthly sessions. During this time, we’ll set our goals together and create a framework for your business. In addition to recordings of our sessions, we’ll provide you with access to supporting resources, and a private podcast feed to keep and revisit.
During our time together, you get access to our entire team when you need a second set of eyes on a proposal or space to debrief about a project gone sideways. Think of Team SM&Co as your lifeline during this time to support you in those challenging moments we’ve all had.
"It's hard to find a business consultant who's got the ability to take a big picture view – Sarah's brilliant at this. If you're good at helping your clients' businesses thrive but need a clever person to help you take your own advice, Sarah has the skills, enthusiasm, and tools to do this – she'll help you thrive too!"
— JOANIE GORMAN, JIG CREATIVE —
Design Mentoring Details
Are we a great match?
This program is a yes if you:
- Are ready to get laser focused on your positioning in a competitive environment.
- Want to increase your profit potential without off-shoring or outsourcing to cheap labor.
- Reject the "race to the bottom" nonsense that's dominating the design world.
- Know where you want to be but not sure how to get there.
- Want to build a purposeful, thoughtful business for the long term.
- Are excited about collaboration and are open to feedback.
- Can commit the time to working together.
- Are committed to inclusion, compassion, curiosity, and kindness.
Business mentoring may not be the right answer now if:
- Don't have a business yet or have only worked with 1-2 clients.
- Want technical support (book a strategy session instead).
- Want to copy another business's successes instead of developing your own path.
- Believe that success is dependent on who you know, and internet fame.
- Your business is only a hobby or a way to earn a bit of extra money.
- Want to scale by exploiting cheap labor.
- Aren't committed to inclusion, compassion, curiosity, and kindness.
Meet Your Design BUsiness strategist, Coach, & new #1 fan
Most people know me because I’m on a wild mission to re-envision marketing as an ethical, kind, and impactful discipline.
And I’d like to take your business on that journey too. It will take all of us, reinventing website and brand design in a way that supports both ourselves and our clients—but I know it we can do it. That’s why I’ve quietly offered business coaching and
You should also know that I’m also a dog wrangler, mediocre bicyclist, stand-up paddle boarder, and coffee nerd. After over two decades in the marketing and design biz, I believe in putting people first, and collaborating with empathy and compassion—but that doesn’t mean you won’t get a bit of tough love from me when you most need it.
If you’re ready to spend a few months with me, working towards creating a design business that’s meaningful and distinctive for you and your clients, I’d love to talk to you.
Questions & Answers
Got a question not listed here? Please drop us a line!
What's the outcome of this process?
It depends on what you intend to get out of it!
The nuts and bolts, however, include three months of business coaching from Sarah.
Is this a 1:1 service?
Absolutely! You will work primarily with Sarah, but our entire team’s expertise is available.
How long will our work together take?
Three months. Send us a note and we’d be happy to talk timing.
What kind of clients is this right for?
Are you a creative business owner such as a designer, brand strategist, or marketing agency owner? Are you a very small team? Are you struggling to grow in a way that feels good to you?
Then you may be a right fit. Go ahead and apply, and we’ll set you up with a no obligation call if it seems like a good fit.
What's the difference between this and your other offers?
This is a slower, more expansive, tailored version of our Spark Sessions program and a pared down version of our marketing accelerator. We developed precisely for you, our colleagues in creative industries.
Our business coaching for designers program is $5,500 and no-penalty payment plans are available.
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