In Their Own Words: 100 Episodes of Inspiration

In 2001 I sat down in front of a radio mic for the very first time. I was a junior in college and was convinced that what the College of William & Mary needed more than anything else was, in fact, a jam band radio show. WCWM had a pretty strict indie-only policy, but my roommate was the director of the radio station and took pity on my surburban hippie phase and let me play Phish every Friday from 12-2. While I left my jam band days back in college, there was a tiny part of me that always missed the radio.

So when I found out about Heritage Radio Network back in 2011, I knew I wanted to see if they’d let me start a show dedicated to design, creativity and small business issues. Thankfully they agreed to let me have a try and, two years later, I’m happy to have recorded my 100th episode. I’m taking a break from the show this season to work on our house upstate, but I’ve been hearing from people on social media lately who just discovered the show for the first time over the holiday break. It made me think that now might be the perfect time to recap some of my favorite episodes for anyone who didn’t know Design*Sponge had a radio show or for anyone who needs a little inspiration for life and work. I’ve broken down my favorite shows into categories like work/life balance, finances, social media, inspiration and publishing/blogging. I hope you’ll give these shows a listen, because the guests I’ve been honored to sit with have shared some of the most valuable work and life advice. From building a more inclusive design community and life as a working parent to finding your voice on social media and hiring your first employees, this show has been the biggest joy of the past two years of my work life. I hope you’ll give it a listen! xo, grace

*In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, who was and will always be a source of such great inspiration, here are some wonderful ideas of ways to celebrate his memory, honor his legacy, give back and do more to continue the work he did so bravely.

General Life Lessons:

• The Importance of Diversity and Inclusiveness in Design (Tina Shoulders)
• The Top 10 Episodes of After the Jump
• What I learned from 100 episodes of the show. (Grace Bonney)
• How to Turn Jealousy Into Motivation (Grace Bonney)
• How to Turn Fear Into Courage in Life and Business (Grace Bonney)
• The Importance of Taking Risks (Crista Freeman and Gaby Dalkin)
• How to Live the Life You Want to Live (Grace Bonney and Amy Azzarito)
• The Importance of Real Life Connections (Rena Tom and Morgan Evans)

Marketing + Branding:

• Branding and Brand Growth (LMNOP Design)
• The Story of the Rebranding of Russ & Daughters in NYC (Jen Snow and Kelli Anderson)
• Growing a Design Business (Jon Call)
• Becoming Your Brand (Grace Bonney and Amy Azzarito)

Business & Finances:

• The True Cost of Independent Design (Claire Mazur and Kathryn Fortunato)
• The Changing Pay Rate for Creatives (The Brinsons, Emily Henderson and Sarah Brysk Cohen)
• How to Make the Most of Holiday Sales for your Business (Nicholas Newcomb)
• How to Grow Your Business with Purpose (Matt and Renato of Baked Bakery)
• How we Define Ourselves as Creatives (Will and Susan Brinson)
• Understanding Retail (Michelle Varian and Erin Austen Abbott)
• Raising the Bar for your Business (Grace Bonney)
• Starting a Food Business (Phin & Phebes Ice Cream)
• 12 Things I Wish I’d Known Before Starting My Business (Grace Bonney and Julia Turshen)
• Learning to Right Your Wrongs (Grace Bonney)

Social Media + Blogging

• Social Media 101 (Grace Bonney)
• Dealing with Negativity Online (Grace Bonney)
• How to Create Content for Blogs (Grace Bonney)
• Choosing Your Words Wisely (Grace Bonney)
• Finding your Voice on Social Media (Grace Bonney)
• Making and Maintaining International Connections (Anne Ditmeyer)

Work Life Balance:

• Productivity Tips + How to Avoid Procrastination (Grace Bonney)
• 10 Habits of Healthy Business Owners (Grace Bonney)
• Working Moms (Meg Mateo Ilasco)
• How to Find Work Life Balance (Grace Bonney)

Inspiration

• History & Culture in Design (Veronica Corzo-Duchardt)
• How Design Can Change the World (Dawn Hancock and Sharlene King)
• DIY, Design Growth and Much More (with Genevieve Gorder of HGTV)
• How to Find Inspiration and Stay Inspired (Katie Deedy of Grow House Grow)
• Life & Design (Todd Oldham)
• Family & History (GB Tran)
• Design and TV (Thom Filicia)

Publishing & Photography:

• The Future of Print Magazines (Paul Lowe and Paul Vitale of Sweet Paul Magazine, Michele Outland of Gather Journal and Janine Vangool of Uppercase Magazine)
• Podcasting & Story Telling (Anna Sale of Death, Sex and Money)
• Filmmaking and Story Telling (Ivan Cash)
• Food Photography & Food Blogging (Matt Armendariz, Julia Turshen and Kristina Gill)
• Design Books 101 (Lia Ronnen of Artisan Books)