the podcast

As And She Looks Up hits the 50 episode milestone and a year of the podcast, I take a look back at the roller coaster that was my first year of podcasting, what I've learned and what's coming up next!

Lawyer Andrea Henry of Henry Business Law joins us this week to talk about how you can take steps to protect your creative business and your intellectual property - including what you can do yourself and where you should get a lawyer to help you (and how to find a lawyer that gets you and your business!)

What could you do to earn $100 today? This week Melissa and guest Heather Travis are talking about figuring out what you could create right now that could earn you $100 and how that small but still significant number can boost your confidence, take some pressure off your shoulders and propel your business forward.

In Episode 47 Melissa shares why doing a 100 Day Project (or a 30 day, or 50 day, or 365 project) can be so beneficial to your skills, creativity and help you build a body of work. There's also tips on how to succeed and finish your 100 days.

Success Coach Alana Ruoso joins us this week to talk about 10 of the most common, yet oh so subtle, ways creative entrepreneurs self-sabotage their careers - and what you can do about it!

Whether you have customers, clients, listeners, viewers or followers, how you treat them determines whether or not you'll keep them. This week Melissa and Heather talk about how you can easily surprise and delight your audience and make them raving fans!

Ever wondered what the difference is between mastermind groups, mentorships and coaches? I explain it all in this episode and tell you why these can be great investments in yourself and your creative business!

2021 is starting off with a whole host of new restrictions for a lot of us so how on earth do you kick start creative inspiration when you're looking at the same walls every day? Here's some of my favourite sources of inspiration right now!

Melissa and Heather Travis discuss how they plan to grow their art businesses in 2021. A great episode for any creative, artist or maker looking build their business in the new year.

Melissa and Heather Travis review what worked, what didn't and what they learned from their art businesses in 2020. A great episode for any new creatives, makers or artists just starting out with their creative businesses!

Melissa and Ayngelina Brogan talk about how to set goals in work and life as your creative business enters a new year that's shrouded in uncertainty.

Lily Ernst is the founder of the website, Little Sweet Baker. This bio-chemist left her job in chemical sales to become a full time baking blogger which in turn, led to the launch of her first book, Blogging For Passion and Profit. The book profiles 20 creative bloggers and entrepreneurs whose stories are sure to inspire you in your own business.

In Episode 36 of the podcast, Melissa and Heather Travis pool their 20+ years of combined experience in the influencer marketing space to tell you everything you need to know before hiring bloggers, instagrammers and other digital content creators to help grow your creative small business's brand. We share our tips on what to do, what not do to and the big red flags you need to watch out for!

This week, Melissa talks with Puneeta Chhitwal Varma about how she has grown her exposure and her creative business by appearing on local and national TV programs like The Social, CBC, and Global. She shares tips for connecting with producers, pitching your ideas, prepping for your segments, connecting with the anchors and hosts and going live!

Puneeta Chhitwal Varma is a writer and better food advocate who founded the website Maple and Marigold where real food and sustainable living are viewed through the lens of cultural fusion. She also founded Nourish by Numbers, a public service initiative that encourages growing a healthier planet through better food choices.

Media Kits are not just for digital content creators. Whether you're an artist, a maker or a creative, if you have a creative small business you need a media kit as part of your marketing toolbox. Melissa and Heather Travis talk about what media kits are, what they can do for you and your creative business and how they're different from Press Kits, Rate Cards and Sell Sheets.

In Episode 32 of the podcast, Gabby Peyton and I talk about the challenges and advantages of being a multi-passionate creative. Whether it’s fending off negative stereotypes of being flaky or lacking focus or dealing with the challenges of branding yourself or not being afraid to showcase your multiple skills, we talk about trying to figure out how to make it all work together.

In Episode 31 of the podcast, Gabby Peyton shares her best pitching tips both as a writer and journalist and as an editor on the receiving end of pitches. Whether you're pitching newspapers, magazines, websites or your dream publication, this episode is packed with pitching tips.

In this episode Melissa and Gabby Peyton talk about taking advantage of the unique opportunities that are available when you build your creative business in a smaller urban or even rural centre (and how you can leverage those into big city opportunities if you choose too!)

Get to know Newfoundland freelance writer, Gabby Peyton. Hailing from St. John's, Gabby is a freelance writer, journalist, archaeological dig illustrator and food photographer with feet itching to travel. Find out how this multi-passionate creative has built a life she loves that celebrates all her creative callings.

In episode 28 Ayngelina Brogan and I dive into why it's so important to know your key numbers, regardless of what kind of creative business you run, and how knowing those numbers can help you increase your productivity, time management and profitability!

Mindset and business are interconnected and what you call yourself really matters. How you refer to yourself and the mental roles you let yourself take on can both spur you on to growth or keep you trapped somewhere you don't want to be. We want to help you change your mindset in this episode to spur you on to growth - both as a creator and a business owner!

The global pandemic has wreaked havoc on many businesses but, it has also triggered a lot of ingenuity as women have figured out how to pivot their creative businesses and continue to find success. Today, we talk about how to pivot your business in times of change (and not just in a pandemic).

Get to know Nova Scotia creative Ayngelina Brogan. Ayngelina is the publisher behind the culinary travel website Bacon is Magic, where she publishes written and video content to help travelers find the best food around the world - and even make some of it at home. When we're not in the midst of a global pandemic, Ayngelina splits her time between Havana, Cuba, her home just outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia and traveling the world! Learn more about Ayngelina's journey from a successful Toronto advertising career to a self-employed writer and publisher.

In Episode 24 we're talking about pitching. At some point we're all faced with pitching ourselves - be it to an editor, a gallery, a future client, a craft market, or a wholesaler. The times where we have to pitch ourselves and our businesses are endless. It comes down to two key points - listen to the full episode to find out more!

In Episode 23 of the podcast we tackle a topic a lot of women and a lot of working creatives really don't like to face: negotiation. But negotiation is a critical part of life and business and without learning some simple negotiation techniques, we often wind up settling for things we're not really happy about. We're flipping negotiation on its head today and getting rid of the stress that goes with it.

In Episode 22 we talk about how to promote yourself and your work without relying so much on social media. Heather Travis puts on her PR hat and we give you tons of tips and tricks to DIY your own press and marketing and have success with it! This episode is jam packed with all kind of grass roots marketing ideas to help you move your business forward in your community - even if you're a digital content creator.

Get to know Ontario artist Heather Travis. Heather is a communications professional as well as a painter known for her large scale canvases and mural work. Recently, she has also gone mini with several old dollhouse restoration projects! We talk about the art community in her rural Ontario town, where her creativity comes from, the business of her art and what it's like when both you and your spouse are self-employed.