Article Archives

Build an Audience from Scratch

Let's say tomorrow I had to start my business from scratch. No existing clients, no existing following. How would I build an audience? How would I attract customers? More

Did We Exist Before Social Media?

I remember a time (I’m old in Internet years, so picture me shaking my fist at everyone under 25) when my day didn’t consist of at least an hour of checking tweets and likes, telling everyone who’ll listen what I’m working on (see: shameless self promotion) or replying to (see: blocking) friday follows. Before social... Read More More

There’s Just No Time

A travesty of modern times is that we think we don’t have time to pursue what we actually want to do. How can we find time to write our book, paint a masterpiece, write that song or whatever else we’d love to do with our lives? More

The Chair

My friend (and editor of all my books) Cheri told me about a professor she once had that said, "There are two types of people—those that sit on chairs in the public eye and those that build chairs." More

Every Entrepreneur is an Artist

There is no map, no guarantee of success. If there was, the map would have been photocopied (or reblogged on tumblr) by now. To move forward, to create what matters, we first need to get off the beaten path and into the unknown. It could fail, and that's ok. Great creations has always required great risk. Experiment, because experiments don't fail, they either prove or disprove a point. More

Profanity in business

I swear. At home, in meetings, and in my writing (books and articles). Not all the time, not even that often, but enough that it's noticeable to some. And occasionally I get called out on it. More

Fuck Stats, Make Art

Trying to follow a formula, script or tactic to get more traffic, sales or followers never works in the long run because it screams inauthenticity. Your goals and desires echo in everything you do, even if you think they don't. So if you're focused on going viral or being popular or selling something, it'll show. More

Find the Right Web Designer

I realize that maybe your cousin is a web designer who builds websites on the side. Or that your friend’s brother in college once updated your Tumblr in exchange for a case of beer. Or that you can, quite easily, figure out web design, programming and Wordpress yourself, but you just haven’t found the time. More

Make something useful instead

Now that we've all become online gurus, relentless marketers and (over)-promoters, there's little room left to actually make anything worth telling others about. With an economy that has taken a turn towards a steep downhill (whilst wearing rollerblades), we've turned out attention to promoting ourselves by creating content (content being writing, videos, images, courses, etc). And what are we creating? Content for how to promote ourselves better. Using 6 steps you've probably never thought of. Sign up for the newsletter to read it now. More

Don’t ask for the wrong things

There are common things clients of web design ask for in every project. These aren't always the right things to ask for or even focus on, yet they are almost always brought up. Not because it's the best thing for a project, but because it's what clients think they should be asking for. More

A Reader-First Internet

People worry about all sorts of things with their website. Are conversions happening? Is everything important above the fold? Are the sharing buttons visible? Does the mailing list signup have the right verbiage to net the most signups? More

Succeed at anything

I'm often asked by just-starting-out designers or folks looking to get into my industry for my advice. My answers over the years have varied from pointing them to Ira Glass' quote to telling them I don't actually know (which has been an honest answer at the time). More

Copycattery

I'm asked at least once a month by potential clients if I can copy a design of a website for them that's exactly like X [insert previous client name here] or if they can buy the design for X to use for their website. My answer (obviously "no") is always the same with the following explanation. More

Win at SEO

A few people have asked why I didn't cover SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in my book and the reason is simple—because I couldn't give a rats ass about it. Obviously I like the traffic I get (and think I get a decent amount, especially from search engines) but I've always worried more about what I write than being #1 when people search for "awesome". More

Bootstrap your online business

In my book, Be awesome at online business, I advocate hiring professionals if you want the right website, the right photography, the right functionality and the right content. When you're starting a business though, you might not have the option (i.e. the budget) to hire anyone to make your idea into a reality. Here are few things you can do to go from brainstorm to product for around $200/year. More

Your potential customers are actually smart

Most online sales pages treat viewers like they're idiots. As if somehow they'll be swayed by exclamation points, pages and pages of testimonials and arrows pointing at the 'Buy Now!!!' button. More

Sell your digital product

I've released and self-published everything from studio albums to royalty-free icon sets to vegan cookbooks. What I've learned is that the finished product you are going to sell is only a small piece of what's required to actually sell it. There's more to be done. A lot more. So let's dig in. More

Work better

I've been told I get a lot done quickly. Both in terms of client work I take on, as well as the sheer number of side-projects and hobbies I've got on the go at any given time. Here are a few of the things I've figured out that work for me. More

Pay your dues

So you want to be location independent, have a passive income and make money off what you love, right? Don't worry, all you need to do is start a company, sell something online and have a blog. The rest will fall into place, since you've got passion and know that doing your own thing is the path to happiness. More

An effective business plan isn’t simply to have a website

Simply having a website designed and built for your business is not an effective business, marketing or sales plan. It's only a part of the equation to make your business succeed. Just like if you were opening a brick-and-mortar store in your neighbourhood, you couldn't have it decorated by an interior designer, watch mad sales roll in and be instantly successful (money fight anyone?). More

Lessons in creativity

I've spent a decade and a half getting paid for creative work and running my own show (also called being a freelance designer). There's a weird intersection of creativity, business and money, that can be hard to navigate at times. Here are a few things I've learned about making a sustainable living being creative. More

Digital Minimalism

I've awoke to no new emails for the last three mornings. For the first two of them, I actually checked to see if my email server was working (and it was). This is the result of me basically removing all the digital information I consume. More

Social media share buttons

Let's face it - putting social media share/like buttons at the bottom of your blog post is not an effective way to win at social media. Seriously. You aren't magically guaranteed that every blog post you write will go viral, simply because of those buttons that say "tweet this", or "share on facebook" or "+1 this on google plus". If you believe that, I've got some magic beans to sell you. More

Wolf (and I).

Alone in the woods, a wolf allowed me to see him. "Allow" as he could hear me noisily moving along the path, well before either of us came into view of the other and had ample time to simply move slightly (out of sight). He stood there on the path, expecting my arrival. He did not jump nor move as I rounded the corner, but waited like a statue for me to finally arrive at our appointment (our eyes had somehow met a split-second prior to our eyes actually meeting). More

How to get more people to your site

Although I'm a web designer + developer, I often get asked by clients how they get can get more traffic, sell more products and/or services and generally just get more people using, interacting and talking about their website. Everyone wants their work seen, their words read and to make money doing something, but few people actually succeed with their blogs (of course, success can have any definition). So here's a list of what I think works best to make your site awesome. More

Products, services & people I used to self-publish my ebook

Let me preface this article with the fact that I knew absolutely nothing about writing books, ebooks, publishing, book marketing/promotion or anything related to these things prior to writing my first ebook, Eat Awesome. That said, I feel like I've learned a great deal through the process, and wanted to share what and who helped make, distribute and promote my ebook. More

How to have a successful newsletter

A newsletter is a powerful tool that works alongside your website and social media. It basically forces communication with your subscribers because it shows up in their inbox. This is a good thing, if used wisely — but sadly, I often don’t see newsletters used well. More

You are not a large corporation

A manifesto for the self-employed. You are a unique badass who's thrown down the shackles of cubicle life and been liberated by your own ambition to take things into your own hands. You now have tremendous power, so use it to your own benefit. More

How to critique a mockup

Design is iterative, and sometimes the most perfect solution isn't achieved on the first try (see: designers are not always perfect). This is a good thing — as it can lead to more focus and thought on what the problem is that needs solving. More

Tips for vegan travellers

I spend a couple of months a year on the road, going from city to city (either with my band on tour or just travelling for fun), and typically I need to eat. So I figured I'd put together a handy list of things I've learned about the best, easiest, and most filling way to travel if you're vegan. More

How to cater to vegans at your non-vegan restaurant

I spend months of each year traveling. A lot of that time is spent discovering and eating at new restaurants. But here's the thing — I'm vegan. That means I do not eat meat (including fish), dairy, butter, honey or any ingredient that is made or harvested from animals. What do I eat then? Whole fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, spices, etc — it's a broad range of easy to find ingredients. More

34 for 34

I suppose birthdays are a time for reflection, so here is a list of 34 things I've learned in my 34 years of (semi) consciousness. More

Working for yourself

I’ve worked for myself (full-time) for 12 years now, and have collected some thoughts on what makes my business continue to work. More

An Open Letter to the Planet

Phrases like “save the planet” or “save the environment” don’t make much sense. The planet and the environment were here long before us, and will continue to be here long after us in some form, regardless of what we do or how we shape it. The earth doesn’t need to be saved. what we really mean is that we want to save ourselves and keep the environment tolerable (and even suitable) for us to live in. More

Diversify

Something that’s come up a lot lately in my life is watching people “lose their shit” when something in their work life doesn’t go the way they hoped or thought it would. Whether it’s a boss/leader falling from grace for reasons of humanity or even just an industry changing focus due to consumer demand. More

How to win at Instagram

For those of you who don’t use the internet (I assume that can’t be many of my readers), you may not have heard of Instagram. It’s a social media photo sharing app for iPhones (and now android devices!) that lets you post pictures and like or comment on other people’s pictures with filters that make you look like a better photographer than you really are. More

Eat Awesome

I just finished writing a book, Eat Awesome: a regular person’s guide to plant-based, whole foods. It includes practical pantry-stocking tips, kitchen-hacking tricks, and most importantly, over 30 nourishing recipes and meal ideas. No dogma, just deliciousness. Veganism is love, baby! More

Reasons why men should do yoga

I’m sick of reading articles on why men should do yoga, since they invariably mention “it’s a great place to pick up women!”. Your intention shapes your practice, so if your intention is vapid philandering with the opposite (or even the same) sex — enlightenment is more than just a few peak poses away. More

The promise of future work

A lot of times people contact me for new web design/development work, and offer the potential of work down the road or multiple projects, in lieu of full payment. While I think it’s a great idea to work with the same client multiple times and develop a relationship – that’s how I enter every project, so this shouldn’t be factor in the price. At least half of my clients are “repeat offenders”, and I am extremely stoked to work with these amazing people more than once. More

Growth

Since I am often very busy and booked fairly far in advance, I get the inevitable question “why don’t you hire more people?”. I’ve been asked this for 10+ years, and my answers have always stayed the same... I figured I’d share them here. More

Dealing with unreasonable requests

Chances are you’ve been there — a client (or potential client) asks you something that’s just not possible in terms of time or budget. Just yesterday I got an email asking me if I was able to do a project that I calculated out to be less than minimum wage in British Columbia if I took it on. More

How to get an accurate quote for your next web project

The first question I am invariably asked when someone wants to work with me is “what do you charge for websites?”. I unfortunately always need to answer with “it depends”. To avoid this initial volley with any web designer or web design company, here is a list of 6 key points you can prepare when you’re thinking about having your website designed (or redesigned). More

A non-tech guide to launching your website

The most important part of any website project is actually launching it. Here are a few tips for you (an owner of a website) to have a successful website launch. More

Not getting paid

You’ve just done a great job on a project for a client, and now they’ve decided not to pay you... now what? Unfortunately a lot of entrepreneurs have had to deal with the fact that sometimes clients just don’t pay. More

Fuck being cool

High school is over, but we all still want to be thought of as “cool”, myself included. Why is that? Especially since the people in my high school that were considered cool happened to be total assholes. More

Web design tips for non-web-designers

So, you’ve hired someone (a professional) to design your website. The following are a set of helpful rules to keep in mind when asking for things during the web design process — ensuring you get the most return-per-visit. Whether it’s making you money, having your content read, having a quiz filled out, or whatever else your website’s goal relates to — these tips can help you have a better end product for your website. More

Notification separation anxiety

The more I dive into figuring out what minimalism means to me, the more I see the connection between having less and being present. Less means fewer distractions and more focus (hopefully). Specifically, and what I mean to say by “distractions” in this instance, is notifications. Notifications are those little “popups” on your smart phone or computer when someone likes, @s, comments or shares something with you via social media or sends you an email. More

A year without consumption

I resolve to not buy anything in 2012, except for necessary consumables (like food, hygiene products, gas for my vehicle). What I instead want to spend my money (and more importantly my time) on is experiences — travel, connecting, interacting – basically I want to be doing more and buying less. More

How to work with a web designer

Unfortunately when you hire a web designer, they’ve worked on more web design projects than you. Here are some tips to bring you up to speed on the best way to work one on a project. Know that this is based on how I (as a web designer) work best with clients — it’s not a bad idea to ask the one you hire how they typically like to work with the following points. More

Client responsibilities for web projects

One of the most common misconceptions about hiring someone to design and program your website is that there’s not much for you to do, except review mockups and say “take this website live!”. This just is not true. More

Say No

I say “no” a lot to projects that come my way with my company and stick to pretty strict schedules for projects I do take on. I’ve spent the last 12 years running my company successfully by saying no strategically often. More

An intentionally unfinished manifesto for everything

Always be authentic. Do what you love, and if you don’t love it — stop doing it immediately. Actually listen. Be strong in your beliefs, but challenge them daily. More

I’m not interested in being part of the vegan community anymore

To start with, although I’m typically a loner and gravitate away from groups, I really did make an effort to engage the vegan community in my life, on my blog, at events, and on especially twitter. I just realized last week that involving myself in the daily minutia of “large groups of vegans talking” that I had become something I wasn’t happy with. I got completely caught up in being reactive, whiny and judgemental — and those are not characteristics I want to foster. More

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