October 1, 2025 • 11 mins
This week I’m solo on Able Heads, pulling together the five shifts that actually helped me move my creative business forward, without burning out or chasing every shiny trend. Think of it as a tiny, evidence-backed playbook to hit your business goals: defining success beyond money, being seen on purpose, letting form follow a clear “why,” learning out loud with drafts and feedback, and building a brand that lasts through story.
I share the exact tools I use: a five-line purpose brief before I open Figma, a simple “risky ideas” folder I ship from each week, one “process share” post that invites real replies, and a small story bank I pull from so my work sounds like me. Stuff you can try today.
Join the community: https://www.instagram.com/anikaagg
👉 Subscribe and listen wherever you get your podcasts.
🔗 Full show notes and more at podcast.ablehead.com
🌍 Work with me: anika@hey.com
Links to research:
https://hbr.org/2023/07/what-makes-work-meaningful
https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx
https://simonsinek.com/golden-circle/
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34697180-dieter-rams
https://www.thinkbox.tv/research/thinkbox-research/the-long-and-the-short-of-it
LISTEN TO THE SHOW
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
In this episode, we're going to talk about 5 things that you can
do to get closer to your business goals.
If lately you've been posting, pitching, and saying yes to all
of the things and still wondering whether that's pushing
you forward, this episode is foryou.
My goal is to help you feel clearer and more in control of
your creative business. I've had these conversations
(00:20):
with my previous guests and I thought what better way to sum
it up than putting it all together in one Reflections
episode. So by the end you will have
actionable insights that you canimplement in your creative
practice, how to choose the right clients, designing with
purpose, showing up with intention, and really building
work that lasts. Hi, my name is Anika, an
engineer, tone designer and podcast host.
(00:43):
Ableheads is a podcast where we discuss creativity and business
and everything in between. I've had conversations with
illustrators, brand strategists,and creative business owners
about designing with purpose andbuilding a sustainable creative
practice. And I always keep seeing the
same patterns where people get stuck, what frees them up and
what actually works for them. So I paired those insights with
(01:05):
real research. So you're not just getting my
experience or conversations, you're getting ideas that you
can trust and really test for yourself.
So let's jump into it. Lesson #1 let's start with
success. Often a lot of us equate success
directly with money rates, revenues, and stuff like that.
(01:26):
Although money is just a metric,meaning is the engine behind the
work. Let me draw your attention to a
finding in a Harvard Business Review, a theme that shows up
again and again in the research Meaningful work outranks pay,
promotion, and perks for what people actually care about.
When the work feels meaningful, engagement and retention go up.
(01:48):
But what does that mean? Paid well but dead inside is not
a winning long term strategy. I'm thinking how you would
implement that from a business point of view.
Because purpose isn't just a wall poster, it's predictive,
right? Firms where the purpose is
clearly understood tend to perform better later on.
I think what it means is clarityof purpose is helping the
(02:10):
numbers and not just the mood. So here is how I would use that.
I won't filter new work just by asking myself, will this pay my
bills? I will also ask, and I usually
do, is will this leave me energyfor what matters?
Will I get to express something true?
Optimizing purely for money leaves performance on the table.
(02:30):
What I'm really trying to say isthat purpose driven work really
attracts better partners, keeps you in the game longer, and
makes the results easier to replicate.
But what does this look like in practice?
I think it starts with keeping atiny success filter next to your
desk, such as a sticky note saying freedom, expression,
energy, and all of these keywords are a reminder of
(02:53):
whether or not you're really working towards your goals.
If a project fails two out of these three, maybe renegotiate
the scope or think about what itactually matters in that
scenario because not everything will fall into that umbrella
that you create for yourself. So I encourage you to consider
it on a case by case basis. Once you know what winning feels
(03:13):
like, the next step isn't more posts.
It's the right kind of visibility.
Which brings me to lesson #2 being seen intentionally.
Because visibility isn't volume,it's relevance.
Let me point you to two useful signals.
First, Edelman's 2024 Brand Trust report, which says most
(03:33):
people wanna share values with abrand before they buy.
For instance, if you have valuesthat align with a brand with
sustainable packaging, you are naturally attracted to that over
the others on the shelf. Secondly, Sprout Social's 2023
Index found that what people actually remember is
personalized care and responsiveness.
(03:54):
Nobody cares about the trends ofthe week.
So my move is simple. When I share, I don't just drop
the final version. I narrate my design decisions.
I tell my audience or my community why I chose a
colorway. What was this particular layout
and why did I pick it? Or why did I dislike a direction
that I had working going on? For me, I always ask one
(04:16):
specific question to my audienceand wait for the data.
It's definitely more work, but in the long term, it converts
those strangers into conversations and those
conversations into trust. That leads to building the right
audience and connects you with the right people.
So here's my tip, Why not try itfor yourself?
Share your process. A 30 to 62nd video where you
(04:37):
tell your people what you tried,what you changed, and why.
Ask a direct question. And maybe it's something like
which headline would you choose or which colorway would you
choose? And then think of that data as
data because it's not for everyone.
And it may seem like it's judgment of your work, but
essentially it's data that you can learn from and really use
(04:58):
that feedback in your work. Because when the right people
see you, strategy gets easier. Because now form can follow
purpose. Which brings me to lesson #3
form all those purpose you guys did, strategy before style every
single time. Let me play you a clip from a
Ted talk by Simon Sinek. Why, How?
What? This little idea explains why
(05:22):
some organizations and some leaders are able to inspire
where others aren't. Let me define the terms really
quickly. Every single person, every
single organization on the planet knows what they do 100%.
Some know how they do it when you call it your differentiating
value proposition or your proprietary process or your USP.
But very, very few people or organizations know why they do
(05:45):
what they do. And by why, I don't mean to make
a profit. That's a result.
It's always a result. By why, I mean what's your
purpose? What's your cause?
What's your belief? Why does your organization
exist? So Simon Sinux says start with
the why, then how, and then what.
People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
(06:07):
Your visuals should prove what you believe and not distract
from it. So the creative angle of this,
which is Deidre Rams human firstheuristics.
Good design is useful, understandable and honest.
If a design choice doesn't help a human understand or succeed,
it's not good. It's just shiny.
It just looks pretty. And here's the business angle.
(06:30):
When organizations start designed to purpose and
outcomes, they tend to outperform.
Not because the buttons are prettier, because the work is
clearer, more consistent, and easier to learn from.
For me personally, let's say before I open any tool that I'm
working on, I write a purpose brief.
I think about who this is for, the problem in their words, the
(06:51):
change we want to see and the promise we're making, and the
single action that proves that it worked.
Then I hold all the other thingsthat are secondary.
I think about type, color, layout against this brief.
So the purpose brief comes first, then comes everything
else. Think of it as a mood board for
purpose. This takes the noise out of the
process and I feel like it helpsme get closer to the right
(07:14):
outcome faster. And with purpose set, we move
faster. So now let's talk about how to
move and learn faster too. Lesson #4 experimenting with
community and accepting imperfection.
I think this is one of those things which is very hard for me
personally to accept that imperfection is OK and not
everything has to be perfect before you ship it out to the
(07:35):
world. You don't have to wait for
everything to be perfect until you share it, right?
Teams and creators who experiment on purpose make
better design decisions than teams who go with their gut.
Having multiple options and quick feedback definitely beats
polishing and eye trading are just on just one design in
private. Think of it like working on a
(07:55):
type layout in private and the more you work on it and the more
time you spend on it, the longeryou spend time wondering whether
the word or the type design is spelled correctly.
I know it has happened to one ofyou out there before.
I honestly, I try to keep this folder of ideas that I think are
really way out there, which probably has loud colors or
(08:16):
headlines that I would not otherwise use.
And then I try to test them out ever so often.
I ask specific questions to my design besties and I think about
ways that it can go. So there are two things that can
happen here. Either it helps me find that
missing puzzle piece or it needsa do over.
Either way, I'm getting feedbackthat might actually help me find
that right rhythm and really usethat to get to perfection.
(08:40):
When you learn in public, you earn in public.
Now let's make sure what you share actually lost.
Which brings me to lesson #5 story and originality over
trends. Lean into your story.
Lean into your originality. Trends will buy you seconds, but
story will buy you seasons. Let me zoom out for a second.
(09:01):
The long term effectiveness of research in marketing says
emotion LED brand. Building your distinctive story
and point of view is what compounds overtime.
Activations like your call to actions and promos spike those
results, but the story makes those spikes easier to repeat.
So instead of asking what's trending this week, I ask what
(09:23):
do I want people to remember about me next year?
For me, it's the engineering to design journey systems thinking
to visual craft. Each week I try to pull one
small moment from that story into my work.
And it has doesn't have to be big or small.
It can be anything that you'd like to share and it's not to be
trendy, but to be true to yourself.
(09:43):
So the right lines show up for that perspective, for your
perspective and not for a template.
Something that I would encourageyou to do would be thinking
about 3 prompts. I believe design should, and
then what do you think design should I believe clients
deserve? I believe my work exists because
I would encourage you to read your answers, thread them into
(10:06):
captions and proposals, and really think about what matters
to you and what's your story. But how can you use this in your
business? All right, let's do this.
So we covered 5 things that willactually help you hit your
business goals without burning yourself out.
Define success beyond money, being seen intentionally,
letting form follow purpose, shipping drops and learning in
(10:30):
public, and building your story instead of chasing trends.
If you've been posting and pitching and still unsure if
you're moving forward, I hope this gave you a clearer edge for
you to push on and a way to feelmore in control of your creative
business. Your next step is honestly tiny
and immediate. Pick one move and do it in the
next 24 hours of listening. This.
(10:52):
Write the five line purpose brief for the project that
you're working on. Post a 62nd story or a process
that asks one specific question to your audience.
Adjust your last 9 posts and kill the ones that don't signal
your brand values. It seems like it's small, but
it's really helping you find theclarity in your bigger picture.
(11:12):
If you try something, let me know how it went.
Tag me, DM me, and share this with someone who might think
that this is useful. Remember, form follows purpose.
Think about your process, your story, and everything in
between. The studies and the prompts that
I mentioned are in the show notes.
Copy and paste them and try to use them in your own workflow.
If this Herb to 1 friend who's stuck in the busy but not moving
(11:35):
phase, it means a lot and it keeps these conversations going.
I'm Annika, engineer, tone designer and this is able heads
where creativity meets business and we make it workable.
Thanks for hanging out with me today.
I'll see you in the next one.
In this episode, we're going to talk about 5 things that you can
do to get closer to your business goals.
If lately you've been posting, pitching, and saying yes to all
of the things and still wondering whether that's pushing
you forward, this episode is foryou.
My goal is to help you feel clearer and more in control of
your creative business. I've had these conversations
(00:20):
with my previous guests and I thought what better way to sum
it up than putting it all together in one Reflections
episode. So by the end you will have
actionable insights that you canimplement in your creative
practice, how to choose the right clients, designing with
purpose, showing up with intention, and really building
work that lasts. Hi, my name is Anika, an
engineer, tone designer and podcast host.
(00:43):
Ableheads is a podcast where we discuss creativity and business
and everything in between. I've had conversations with
illustrators, brand strategists,and creative business owners
about designing with purpose andbuilding a sustainable creative
practice. And I always keep seeing the
same patterns where people get stuck, what frees them up and
what actually works for them. So I paired those insights with
(01:05):
real research. So you're not just getting my
experience or conversations, you're getting ideas that you
can trust and really test for yourself.
So let's jump into it. Lesson #1 let's start with
success. Often a lot of us equate success
directly with money rates, revenues, and stuff like that.
(01:26):
Although money is just a metric,meaning is the engine behind the
work. Let me draw your attention to a
finding in a Harvard Business Review, a theme that shows up
again and again in the research Meaningful work outranks pay,
promotion, and perks for what people actually care about.
When the work feels meaningful, engagement and retention go up.
(01:48):
But what does that mean? Paid well but dead inside is not
a winning long term strategy. I'm thinking how you would
implement that from a business point of view.
Because purpose isn't just a wall poster, it's predictive,
right? Firms where the purpose is
clearly understood tend to perform better later on.
I think what it means is clarityof purpose is helping the
(02:10):
numbers and not just the mood. So here is how I would use that.
I won't filter new work just by asking myself, will this pay my
bills? I will also ask, and I usually
do, is will this leave me energyfor what matters?
Will I get to express something true?
Optimizing purely for money leaves performance on the table.
(02:30):
What I'm really trying to say isthat purpose driven work really
attracts better partners, keeps you in the game longer, and
makes the results easier to replicate.
But what does this look like in practice?
I think it starts with keeping atiny success filter next to your
desk, such as a sticky note saying freedom, expression,
energy, and all of these keywords are a reminder of
(02:53):
whether or not you're really working towards your goals.
If a project fails two out of these three, maybe renegotiate
the scope or think about what itactually matters in that
scenario because not everything will fall into that umbrella
that you create for yourself. So I encourage you to consider
it on a case by case basis. Once you know what winning feels
(03:13):
like, the next step isn't more posts.
It's the right kind of visibility.
Which brings me to lesson #2 being seen intentionally.
Because visibility isn't volume,it's relevance.
Let me point you to two useful signals.
First, Edelman's 2024 Brand Trust report, which says most
(03:33):
people wanna share values with abrand before they buy.
For instance, if you have valuesthat align with a brand with
sustainable packaging, you are naturally attracted to that over
the others on the shelf. Secondly, Sprout Social's 2023
Index found that what people actually remember is
personalized care and responsiveness.
(03:54):
Nobody cares about the trends ofthe week.
So my move is simple. When I share, I don't just drop
the final version. I narrate my design decisions.
I tell my audience or my community why I chose a
colorway. What was this particular layout
and why did I pick it? Or why did I dislike a direction
that I had working going on? For me, I always ask one
(04:16):
specific question to my audienceand wait for the data.
It's definitely more work, but in the long term, it converts
those strangers into conversations and those
conversations into trust. That leads to building the right
audience and connects you with the right people.
So here's my tip, Why not try itfor yourself?
Share your process. A 30 to 62nd video where you
(04:37):
tell your people what you tried,what you changed, and why.
Ask a direct question. And maybe it's something like
which headline would you choose or which colorway would you
choose? And then think of that data as
data because it's not for everyone.
And it may seem like it's judgment of your work, but
essentially it's data that you can learn from and really use
(04:58):
that feedback in your work. Because when the right people
see you, strategy gets easier. Because now form can follow
purpose. Which brings me to lesson #3
form all those purpose you guys did, strategy before style every
single time. Let me play you a clip from a
Ted talk by Simon Sinek. Why, How?
What? This little idea explains why
(05:22):
some organizations and some leaders are able to inspire
where others aren't. Let me define the terms really
quickly. Every single person, every
single organization on the planet knows what they do 100%.
Some know how they do it when you call it your differentiating
value proposition or your proprietary process or your USP.
But very, very few people or organizations know why they do
(05:45):
what they do. And by why, I don't mean to make
a profit. That's a result.
It's always a result. By why, I mean what's your
purpose? What's your cause?
What's your belief? Why does your organization
exist? So Simon Sinux says start with
the why, then how, and then what.
People don't buy what you do, they buy why you do it.
(06:07):
Your visuals should prove what you believe and not distract
from it. So the creative angle of this,
which is Deidre Rams human firstheuristics.
Good design is useful, understandable and honest.
If a design choice doesn't help a human understand or succeed,
it's not good. It's just shiny.
It just looks pretty. And here's the business angle.
(06:30):
When organizations start designed to purpose and
outcomes, they tend to outperform.
Not because the buttons are prettier, because the work is
clearer, more consistent, and easier to learn from.
For me personally, let's say before I open any tool that I'm
working on, I write a purpose brief.
I think about who this is for, the problem in their words, the
(06:51):
change we want to see and the promise we're making, and the
single action that proves that it worked.
Then I hold all the other thingsthat are secondary.
I think about type, color, layout against this brief.
So the purpose brief comes first, then comes everything
else. Think of it as a mood board for
purpose. This takes the noise out of the
process and I feel like it helpsme get closer to the right
(07:14):
outcome faster. And with purpose set, we move
faster. So now let's talk about how to
move and learn faster too. Lesson #4 experimenting with
community and accepting imperfection.
I think this is one of those things which is very hard for me
personally to accept that imperfection is OK and not
everything has to be perfect before you ship it out to the
(07:35):
world. You don't have to wait for
everything to be perfect until you share it, right?
Teams and creators who experiment on purpose make
better design decisions than teams who go with their gut.
Having multiple options and quick feedback definitely beats
polishing and eye trading are just on just one design in
private. Think of it like working on a
(07:55):
type layout in private and the more you work on it and the more
time you spend on it, the longeryou spend time wondering whether
the word or the type design is spelled correctly.
I know it has happened to one ofyou out there before.
I honestly, I try to keep this folder of ideas that I think are
really way out there, which probably has loud colors or
(08:16):
headlines that I would not otherwise use.
And then I try to test them out ever so often.
I ask specific questions to my design besties and I think about
ways that it can go. So there are two things that can
happen here. Either it helps me find that
missing puzzle piece or it needsa do over.
Either way, I'm getting feedbackthat might actually help me find
that right rhythm and really usethat to get to perfection.
(08:40):
When you learn in public, you earn in public.
Now let's make sure what you share actually lost.
Which brings me to lesson #5 story and originality over
trends. Lean into your story.
Lean into your originality. Trends will buy you seconds, but
story will buy you seasons. Let me zoom out for a second.
(09:01):
The long term effectiveness of research in marketing says
emotion LED brand. Building your distinctive story
and point of view is what compounds overtime.
Activations like your call to actions and promos spike those
results, but the story makes those spikes easier to repeat.
So instead of asking what's trending this week, I ask what
(09:23):
do I want people to remember about me next year?
For me, it's the engineering to design journey systems thinking
to visual craft. Each week I try to pull one
small moment from that story into my work.
And it has doesn't have to be big or small.
It can be anything that you'd like to share and it's not to be
trendy, but to be true to yourself.
(09:43):
So the right lines show up for that perspective, for your
perspective and not for a template.
Something that I would encourageyou to do would be thinking
about 3 prompts. I believe design should, and
then what do you think design should I believe clients
deserve? I believe my work exists because
I would encourage you to read your answers, thread them into
(10:06):
captions and proposals, and really think about what matters
to you and what's your story. But how can you use this in your
business? All right, let's do this.
So we covered 5 things that willactually help you hit your
business goals without burning yourself out.
Define success beyond money, being seen intentionally,
letting form follow purpose, shipping drops and learning in
(10:30):
public, and building your story instead of chasing trends.
If you've been posting and pitching and still unsure if
you're moving forward, I hope this gave you a clearer edge for
you to push on and a way to feelmore in control of your creative
business. Your next step is honestly tiny
and immediate. Pick one move and do it in the
next 24 hours of listening. This.
(10:52):
Write the five line purpose brief for the project that
you're working on. Post a 62nd story or a process
that asks one specific question to your audience.
Adjust your last 9 posts and kill the ones that don't signal
your brand values. It seems like it's small, but
it's really helping you find theclarity in your bigger picture.
(11:12):
If you try something, let me know how it went.
Tag me, DM me, and share this with someone who might think
that this is useful. Remember, form follows purpose.
Think about your process, your story, and everything in
between. The studies and the prompts that
I mentioned are in the show notes.
Copy and paste them and try to use them in your own workflow.
If this Herb to 1 friend who's stuck in the busy but not moving
(11:35):
phase, it means a lot and it keeps these conversations going.
I'm Annika, engineer, tone designer and this is able heads
where creativity meets business and we make it workable.
Thanks for hanging out with me today.
I'll see you in the next one.
Host
Anika Aggarwal
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