This week we talk all about how to bounce back from setback in your creative career. We all have days that suck, client feedback we didn’t expect or the unexpected going wrong. Today we look at the best ways to tackle these unfortunate circumstances.

[smart_track_player url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/honestdesigners/HD_95.mp3?dest-id=468740″ social=”true” social_twitter=”true” social_facebook=”true” social_gplus=”true” title=”Episode 95: Bouncing Back from Knockbacks”]

Watch more of the Honest Designers episodes here: Honest Designers Podcast Playlist   And remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel for regular updates direct to your inbox.


Show Notes for This Episode:

[1:40] Tom opens up the conversation and invites everyone to share their setbacks
[2:10] Dustin shares his most recent business setback
[3:00] When your customers walk away unhappy it hurts!
[4:00] How can you make a customer’s bad experience better?
[5:20] Embrace bad feedback but move forward as quickly as possible
[5:40] Tom explains how he guides his team through negative feedback
[6:10] Care in the right way and learn from your negative feedback
[7:00] See setbacks as a safety net that prevents future setbacks
[8:00] Ian gives some examples of how one can make it right for customers
[9:20] Use your creativity to craft beautiful apologies
[11:00] How worst-case scenarios prepare us for great opportunities
[12:00] Turning a negative into a positive
[13:50] Try to foresee problems and create fail-safes
[14:40] Poll your audience to see how well you are doing.
[15:40] Acknowledge there is a problem
[16:00] The gang discusses recent front-page PR nightmares
[17:45] Leave everyone talking about your fix, not the shortcoming
[18:00] An example of over countering to solve problems
[19:10] Over providing or unexpectedly providing builds positive buzz
[21:10] Dealing with unexpected job failures as a freelancer
[22:00] Lisa gives examples of rectifying problems to show you care
[23:25] Don’t beat around the bush with clients. Make it right!
[24:00] Always aim to wow your customers
[25:00] How you’re treated will determine if you return
[26:00] Word-of-mouth is still the most valuable form of promotion
[26:40] How do you fix a problem when it goes beyond your skill set?
[27:00] Lisa shares how she couldn’t fix work from her earlier career
[28:30] Ask clients how you can make things right
[29:30] Be prepared to walk away
[31:00] Expect the worst and relish all the good
[32:00] Lisa talks about learning as we run our business
[33:20] Taking failures personal
[35:00] Stop thinking refunds and react with focus on your brand’s long-term
[36:00] Ian shares his recent experience with poor customer service
[39:00] The process of making business positives
[41:00] Lisa, Tom and Dustin discuss Ian’s problem with his builder
[43:30] Dustin shares a beautiful moment between him and his daughter
[44:00] The gang wrap up the episode
[45:20] Mic drop!


“A must for every creative freelancer (or those aspiring to freelance). Thank you for being so… honest! Such a wealth of information from people I admire who have ‘been there and done that’. Listening to the podcast every week feels like I’m among friends. Can’t wait for more episodes!”AG_GD