In this episode, Kate sits down with Jordis Small, a brand designer, mom of three, and founder of her own creative studio. Jordis shares her winding path from fashion design to branding, her love for logos, and the realities of navigating motherhood while growing a successful design business.
They dive into how having kids reshaped Jordis' boundaries, her pricing mindset, and her entire design process. From outsourcing to setting firm workdays, Jordis gets real about what it takes to make it all work (hint: her mom is her “secret weapon”).
One of the standout moments in the episode? Jordis opens up about her city logo project for Redondo Beach—a career highlight turned public ordeal involving Facebook trolls, endless council meetings, and a surprise contest. Through it all, Jordis shares the tough lessons, the silver linings, and why she’s still proud to see her logo on the city’s street signs.
Whether you’re a fellow creative, a parent, or both — this episode is packed with real talk, business wisdom, and moments that’ll make you laugh, nod, and maybe even cringe (in solidarity).
Highlights
- Freelancing and Family Life: Jordis shares what it’s really like balancing three young kids with running a branding agency.
- Boundaries and Burnout: From late nights to letting go, Jordis opens up about how motherhood helped her build better business boundaries.
- Pro Bono? Babysit Instead: How Jordis reframes unpaid work in the context of limited time and full-on parenting.
- The Redondo Beach Saga: The dream project that nearly broke her—how a city logo project spiraled into seven council meetings, Facebook trolls, and public backlash.
- Designing for Community: What Jordis learned from working with a committee, a city council, and an entire town.
- Pricing for Sanity: Why Jordis now prices based on the number of decision-makers, not just deliverables.
- Business Babies and Letting Go: Jordis reflects on why branding is like parenting, and how designers need to let go once the project is out in the world.
Connect with Jordis Small online:
Connect with Kate Christy:
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.