On today’s episode of WP Elevation we’re talking with the other half of Bourn Creative, Brian Bourn.
Brian joins us to share what it’s been like to work as part of a husband-wife team, why personal brands are so vital to your success and where he sees his business going in the future.
We cover a lot on today’s show so sit back, listen in and enjoy episode #93 of the WP Elevation Podcast.
Win a copy of 'Einstein: His Life and Universe' by Walter Isaacson by answering this question: What is the most important thing you look for when joining a new team or hiring a new agency? Leave a comment below and Brian will be back soon to pick a winner!
Congratulations John Locke! Brian Bourn has chosen you as the lucky winner of the competition! Thanks for your contribution and keep elevating!
Brian Bourn and his wife Jennifer run a full service design studio providing client services that focus in on WordPress and web design development, brand design and graphic design. They are both high profile members of the WordPress community and regularly give back to their clients and others by sharing their knowledge as public speakers and supporters of WordPress community events.
Although they began their agency some 10 years ago, Brian didn’t always want to be an agency guru. In fact, he toyed with the idea of being a lawyer when he was younger! After some consideration he decided it wasn’t for him.
Not long after he discovered the Internet, and then WordPress. He recalls his first experience with the interface and remembers it was 2008 and the version was 2.7. He loved the functionality, but says he stuck around for the community and it has been a mainstay of his ever since.
Today the Bourn Creative’s client profile is the not-quite enterprise – a business that is not fortune 500 but not a small start-up either. Bourn Creative services the people in between – doctors offices, and other business owners and entrepreneurs with expanding offerings. They typically employ 40-50 people and are well-established, growing enterprises.
When Brian and Jennifer aren’t providing services and value to their clients they are hiking, kayaking and enjoying nearby nature in northern California. They love to escape technology and spend time in nearby Napa Valley, Lake Tahoe or Yosemite National Park.
Brian also tells us how they got clear on that not-quite enterprise client base, what he spends his average day doing and what the future has in store for Bourn Creative. Have a listen to hear all of it on today’s WP Elevation show!
Q: What’s the #1 thing any freelancer needs to know?
A: Pick up the phone or meet your clients in person. Stop emailing!
Q: What’s the best thing you’ve done to find new customers?
A: Networking within peer group and where clients go.
Q: How do you stop competing on price?
A: Build your own personal brand and add value to your clients or products so there’s no comparison.
Q: Any tips for writing better proposals?
A: Treat your proposal as a marketing piece.
Q: What’s your favorite CRM tool?
A: We manage our day to day operations with Infusionsoft and Basecamp.
Q: What’s the best way to keep a project and a client on track?
A: Mutually agreed upon deadlines and check-ins (on the phone).
Q: Any ideas for getting referrals from existing customers?
A: Just ask! And provide ongoing value to your existing client base.
Q: What’s the #1 thing you can do to differentiate yourself?
A: Educate others and help out. Start small and get involved with your local WordPress meetup or get involved in a Wordcamp. Continue to educate and give what you’ve learned is a great way to separate yourself and build a personal brand.
You can reach out and thank Brian on Twitter or Bourn Creative.
Brian suggested I interview Gregg Franklin from Desktop Server of Serverpress.com. Gregg, keep your eyes on your inbox.
What is the most important thing you look for when joining a new team or hiring a new agency? Leave a comment below and Brian will be back soon to award a free copy of Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson to one lucky winner!
4 Responses
Great podcast guys!
The number things I ask about before joining a new team is their processes. The teams I’ve joined that lacked systems never lasted long nor built anything of value. Having systems in place when bring on a new team member speeds up the onboarding process and helps set the stage for proper internal communicaiton.
Great podcast guys!
The number things I ask about before joining a new team is their processes. The teams I’ve joined that lacked systems never lasted long nor built anything of value. Having systems in place when bring on a new team member speeds up the onboarding process and helps set the stage for proper internal communication.
Quick tip: Brian, you can automate the process of transferring Infusionsoft client details to Basecamp using Zapier. Happy to help integrate that for you.
Hello Troy. Hey Brian. Great episode, here’s my thoughts on Troy’s question.
I work with a variety of agency partners who lack a dedicated in-house WordPress developer. I also study a myriad of agencies to see how they handle internal management. Eventually I would like to grow something larger than myself, and it’s good to plan for the future.
The biggest things I look at when evaluating whether a partner will be a good alliance:
Why do they exist?
Beyond turning a profit…is there a greater purpose that drives the company? What is the core motivation of the company? What is it they want to bring about in the world? Even if design and code did not exist, what would drive the company as a motivator?
How do they treat employees, past, current and future?
Do they take pride in developing people to go on to greater things? (Think Seer Interactive or Vayner Media). Do they acknowledge their current team on their About page? Or is it a faceless company with an unknown quantity behind the scenes? Do they wish people well when they part ways to new projects? Do employees have the trust of the agency to deal with clients personally? Are employees regarded as spare parts, or do the sum of the team members make something larger than the individuals?
Is the onboarding process respectful?
Do they do a small paid project with new prospective employees so both sides can evaluate each other? Or do they want applicants to do unpaid “tests” and jump through hoops because of trust issues? Do they verbally bury past co-workers? Do they have respect for your time?
Are the processes and expectations clear?
Is it mutually clear what the time commitments are? Does one side have different expectations than the other? Is there a clear documentation process for onboarding new hires, or does it feel like everything is being invented on the fly? Is everyone involved clear about the differences between contractors and employees?
Is there a good track record?
Do people have good things to say about working with/for the agency?
Does the agency listen to input from employees and partners?
Do they make continual improvements based on internal feedback or is dialogue a one-way transaction?
Is the pay in-line with the value provided?
Do both parties agree on a fair exchange rate for the work provided? Or are there different concepts surrounding this?
Does the agency seem like they are active thought leaders?
Do they blog on a continual basis? Do they have an opinion on subjects regarding design, development, marketing? Do they give back to their communities (beyond marketing their own service)? Do they have a flag that is planted in the ground, or are they just like everyone else?
This is more than one thing, but I hope this give everyone in the discussion more to think about. These are the lenses I evaluate different people in our space through.
Hello Troy. Hey Brian. Great episode, here’s my thoughts on Troy’s question.
I work with a variety of agency partners who lack a dedicated in-house WordPress developer. I also study a myriad of agencies to see how they handle internal management. Eventually I would like to grow something larger than myself, and it’s good to plan for the future.
The biggest things I look at when evaluating whether a partner will be a good alliance:
Why do they exist?
Beyond turning a profit…is there a greater purpose that drives the company? What is the core motivation of the company? What is it they want to bring about in the world? Even if design and code did not exist, what would drive the company as a motivator?
How do they treat employees, past, current and future?
Do they take pride in developing people to go on to greater things? (Think Seer Interactive or Vayner Media). Do they acknowledge their current team on their About page? Or is it a faceless company with an unknown quantity behind the scenes? Do they wish people well when they part ways to new projects? Do employees have the trust of the agency to deal with clients personally? Are employees regarded as spare parts, or do the sum of the team members make something larger than the individuals?
Is the onboarding process respectful?
Do they do a small paid project with new prospective employees so both sides can evaluate each other? Or do they want applicants to do unpaid “tests” and jump through hoops because of trust issues? Do they verbally bury past co-workers? Do they have respect for your time?
Are the processes and expectations clear?
Is it mutually clear what the time commitments are? Does one side have different expectations than the other? Is there a clear documentation process for onboarding new hires, or does it feel like everything is being invented on the fly? Is everyone involved clear about the differences between contractors and employees?
Is there a good track record?
Do people have good things to say about working with/for the agency?
Does the agency listen to input from employees and partners?
Do they make continual improvements based on internal feedback or is dialogue a one-way transaction?
Is the pay in-line with the value provided?
Do both parties agree on a fair exchange rate for the work provided? Or are there different concepts surrounding this?
Does the agency seem like they are active thought leaders?
Do they blog on a continual basis? Do they have an opinion on subjects regarding design, development, marketing? Do they give back to their communities (beyond marketing their own service)? Do they have a flag that is planted in the ground, or are they just like everyone else?
This is more than one thing, but I hope this give everyone in the discussion more to think about. These are the lenses I evaluate different people in our space through.