Are you hesitant to explore the technology of your business? Maybe it makes you nervous to learn something new or speak tech lingo—today’s guest is removing those fears! Dawn Richardson of Tech Savvy Creative joins us to share why making technology accessible and simple for creatives is so important to her! Listen in as she highlights what you should be looking for in your business in both your gear and your programs!

The Branded by Bernel Podcast is brought to you by Bernel Westbrook, lead designer and founder of Branded by Bernel, a design studio dedicated to building strong brands and Showit websites for creative entrepreneurs.

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Dawn is a software engineer turned wedding photographer who loves to help Creatives streamline and optimize their business. Technology can be intimidating, and it’s Dawn’s goal to make tech fun and easy to understand. She will show you how systems, tools and other technology can take your business to the next level while achieving that balance you’ve always dreamed of!

Dawn is a Mama to 2 little girls and a Wife to Andrew. She’s an Enneagram 3 and loves to work, but when she’s not working you can find her on her Peloton, searching for the best Margarita in San Antonio, or watching some terrible reality TV!

Making Tech Knowledge Accessible for Creatives

After spending years in the tech industry, Dawn realized that there is a theme of pride in understanding technology without explaining the benefits, yet she also worked in a creative space where it was important to understand it. While most creative industry experts aren’t focused on the knowledge they need to for, it also wasn’t very accessible for them to gather without spending tons of time researching. In seeing this need, Dawn launched Tech Savvy Creative, where it is her goal to share what technology can do for creatives in a way that is not intimidating.

Technology is made for everyone!

Interchangeable Words in Technology

One thing that makes understanding technology hard is that words are used interchangeably. For example, RAM is known as Memory, but also Unified Memory, yet many think that means storage when it doesn’t. That’s one reason that Dawn creates content like this:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dawn | Tech Educator (@techsavvycreative)

Cost-Benefit Analysis

When choosing a computer for your work, it’s easy to want to try to save some money here and there based on features. This is why you need to consider a cost-benefit analysis. For example, say you need a $3000 computer that feels too expensive, yet will last you five years. You’re spending $600 a year for a computer, making it $50 a month. Consider the subscriptions you have in your business that you’re spending money on—or maybe even your monthly Starbucks tab.

Have you ever seen the dreaded message, “Scratch Disks Full?” Making that investment will save you the headache of a slower computer, or a crash, or even time from trying to make the space that you need.

How Tech Savvy Creative Helps Creatives

While Dawn is balancing motherhood and business, she’s helping creatives through Tech Savvy Creative 12 hours a week! Her current offerings include:

1. Education through courses, guides, and resources.
2. Coaching through Voxer

Through these resources, Dawn is able to help creatives troubleshoot their tech issues and set them up for success through easy to understand education.

What is Voxer Coaching?

Voxer coaching offers creatives the support they need throughout the day as they try to troubleshoot issues, try new softwares, or even get advice on what softwares to use!

Finding Tools for All Creatives

As a technology coach, Dawn is on a mission to help creatives find tools that work for them, which means she’s not a billboard for one tool. The tools that work for one business may not work for another business, so since the launch of her brand, she has been committed to being an advocate for the tools that work or you.

That means she has spent the time learning and navigating all of the tools in the market. By having a grasp on the industry as a whole, it allows her to guide a client to the right tool for them.

Tips for Choosing Your Tool

It is so easy to fall into these traps when selecting tools for your business that don’t actually work for you—here are a few tips to navigating your selection:

1. Don’t choose a product just because a friend uses it or they have a product! Give yourself the time, space, and freedom to test what works best for you.
2. Don’t stick with a tool that you’ve already paid for if it doesn’t do what you need it to do.
3. While it may feel right to select a tool that “does it all,” there may be better solutions out there for you in multiple tools.

THREE ACTIONABLE STEPS TO MOVE YOUR BUSINESS FORWARD

Now to my favorite question here on the show, I asked Dawn, what are three actionable steps that someone could take today to move their business forward with search engine optimization?

1. Plan for failure.
2. Invest in the right equipment.
3. Take care of your computer (Update your computer).

If you think it’s time to upgrade your Mac gear, but you’re not sure what to buy, make sure you take Dawn’s quiz!

Connect with Dawn

techsavvycreative.com

instagram.com/techsavvycreative

tiktok.com/@techsavvycreative

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDhbJ2fF3vZUSwF10j2v8NQ

Connect with Bernel

brandedbybernel.com

instagram.com/brandedbybernel

Review the Transcript:

Bernel
Hey Hi. Welcome to the Branded by Bernel podcast. I’m your host Bernel. You may know me as the branding and web designer who obsesses over the details so you don’t have to. We all desire to be great at what we do. Although once we get there, no one seems to talk about the messy middle. This motivated me to set the table and invite industry peers over to share stories about living and working in the creative world. So grab the OJ and champagne, pull up a chair, join the creative community and be prepared to build a brand you fall in love with. This is the brand new bye for now Podcast. Today on the fire cast, I am joined by Dawn Richardson. Dawn is a software engineer turned a wedding photographer who loves to help creatives streamline and optimize their business. Technology can be intimidating, and it’s Dawn’s goal to make tech fun and easy to understand. She will show you how systems tools and other technology can take your business to the next level while achieving that balance you’ve always dreamed of. Dawn is a mama of two little girls and a wife to injure. She’s an Enneagram three and loves to work. But when she’s not working, you can find her on her peloton searching for the best Margarita in San Antonio are watching some terrible reality TV. Dawn, I’m so excited to have you on the show today.

Dawn Richardson
I am so excited to be here for now. It’s so good to see you.

Bernel
Yes, it’s so exciting to see each other face to face. We were talking before I hit record about how the creative community is literally like it’s like having a family reunion when we all get together at conferences, but we don’t see much of each other in between these conferences.

Dawn Richardson
Right? It’s all online. It’s like I have my online friends and my whole community. And it’s just so fun to cheer everybody on even though we’re not like close in proximity. But I still just feel just as close to everybody. Because that’s why social media and technology is so amazing.

Bernel
Yes, yes, indeed. So we met I’m trying to think I think it was reset wasn’t recent, the first time we met so I was following you prior.

Dawn Richardson
I was gonna say we were Instagram friends. And then that reset. We were like, Wait a minute. I know you.

Bernel
Yes, yes. And that was awesome. Catching up and reset.

Dawn Richardson
And then in January we’ll both be at conquer live.

Bernel
Yes. Awesome. Are you going to reset next year? I am as well. All right. Lots of conferences coming up. Oh, I love that. Well, for those of you listening at home who who’s not familiar with Dawn, she is the owner of tech savvy, creative. You’ve probably seen it on Instagram, super colorful brand. And she tells us everything we need to know when it comes to the tech tools to run our businesses.

Dawn Richardson
Yes, my goal when I launch tech savvy. Now a little bit of my background, I was a software engineer, I worked for Apple I have, you know, over a decade and a half of it experience. So I come from a very technical background, and I understand how intimidating it can be. And I also understand that the people who are in tech are very proud of how technical and overwhelming you can be. So they just kind of make it a little bit more overwhelming and it doesn’t need to be. So when I launched tech savvy, it was my goal to share what technology can do for creatives, but share it in a way that’s not intimidating. That’s fun, because it’s really made for everyone. It’s not made just for those super nerdy people. And that was our goal. Lots of colors very friendly. Because I know a lot of people want to rip their hair out by the time they find me online.

Bernel
Yes, yes, indeed. It’s interesting, because recently, I used some of the tech savvy resources. I was shopping for MacBook Pro mine just like completely died one day, like I was on zoom all day, and then it died. And I was just like, oh my goodness, I’m a web designer. Like without a laptop, I can’t make a living. So I go to the Apple Store, first Apple Store walking in and I’m like, Okay, I need this MacBook Pro. They’re like, Oh, great. There’s two new kinds that have come out. They don’t have touch bars, all this great stuff. I’m just like, Okay, I just which one do I need? And so they’re using all of these words. And I’m like, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Like they’re talking about CPU and RAM and SSD. And I’m like, What are these acronyms? Talking about? So I leave kind of discouraged and I’m like, All right, you know, I’ll order one online. Like, why don’t Apple’s website you know, how you can compare and contrast them next to each other? Still didn’t make any sense to me. So I go back to the Apple Store, and I’m just like, alright, new new person like, I need a MacBook Pro. I am a web designer. Most of my stuff is online. And they start explaining things and it still doesn’t make sense. Well, guys, I literally went on Instagram went to tech savvy creative, like, I’m not kidding. And Dawn had actually pinned the post. So like, it was pinned on the top row, and the post is entitled, What MacBook Pro? Should I order? And you’re like, I could have cried like a slot, I use a slider. So like I slid through. And I was like, okay, yep. And I prefer this screen size. Alright, great. Okay, what is the in one chip? Okay, great like, and I literally swiped through, and I was able to purchase my new MacBook Pro like that day. And so that’s one of the reasons why I was like, you have to come on the podcast, and talk to people about this. Because if you’re not following her on Instagram, and you use any sort of technology, like go right now follow her.

Dawn Richardson
That makes me so glad that that was helpful to you, because I know how intimidating it is. And there’s, like, words are interchangeable in the technology world. So, for example, you might have heard the term RAM, but that’s also memory. And that’s also unified memory. And those are just kind of interchangeable. And people get really confused by that. Or they think one thing like memory is actually storage, and it’s not, and you just get really confused. So it’s always good to have that basic understanding and an easy to understand way. And that’s my goal with all of those posts. And the one that you’re talking about right now is by far my most popular posts, I still get comments and questions about that. And that was posted last October.

Bernel
Wow. Yeah, no, it’s, it’s an incredible post. And it really kind of breaks things down to what your needs are as a business owner, because when you walk in the store, they kind of talk about, like, all the things that the computer can do. But Dawn’s post really kind of talks about if you’re a photographer, really, if you are going to be using editing software, like all the different scenarios that we live on a day to day basis.

Dawn Richardson
Yes, and I use it to I’m a wedding photographer, I only have a couple of weddings left, and then I’m fully retired. But I need my computer’s to work with, you know, Lightroom and Photoshop and you know, 40 Chrome tabs open all at the same time, and I need something that’s not gonna just like, you know, die on me. And that’s important for all of us. And we also want our computers to last us a long time. We don’t want to buy a new computer every single year. And that’s something that I feel like a lot of creatives think like, oh, well, I’m gonna save some money. And they try to do that when they’re purchasing their computer. But at the end of the day, that’s only going to hurt your budget in the future, because you’re gonna have to buy a new computer more often. But if you choose the right computer up front, you’re going to be able to use that computer for a longer period of time. And then I sat down with a friend of mine who was on also on Apple’s website trying to figure out like, which one to buy, like, should I upgrade this? Should I not? And when you’re literally did like a cost benefit analysis or like, okay, so if this computer is $3,000, okay, and expensive, oh, my gosh, your bank account is going to be very upset. But if that $3,000 computer will last you five years, okay? And then break that down? It came down to like, $5. I don’t know, it was like $5 a month? Well, that I could do some quick math. So $3,600 a year for your computer. Okay, so $600 a year for your computer divided by 12 months, that’s $50 a month? How many things do you spend like on your business like software subscriptions, stock photo subscriptions, like what are you spending in your business, that’s more than $50 a month because I know, I spend more than $50 a month on coffee. You know, like I literally

Bernel
was sitting here thinking my Starbucks tab. Exactly.

Dawn Richardson
But if you invest in that right computer, it comes down to $50 a month. And it’s going to last you and it’s going to make your life so much easier, because it’s not going to be slow and it’s going to be able to handle what you need to. So making that investment upfront even though it kind of hurts when you have to pay that bill. It is so worth it because your business relies on this machine in front of you. Like you said your computer died and you just don’t work at that point. Like there’s only so much you can do on your phone right now. And so, it is such a crucial element to our businesses. We have to be intentional about what we purchase. And remember that even though it seems expensive, it’s worth it in the long run.

Bernel
For sure for sure. And if you’re a photographer or graphic designer out there listening to this, you know the dreaded scratch disk full cost you know what happens when you see that like you can’t do anything in Photoshop so yeah, don’t don’t make the same mistake when I bought my My first MacBook Pro, I thought because it said Pro, I could just get the cheapest one. Like I was like, Okay, I’m already at the pro level. I don’t want to upgrade anything, don’t sell me anything extra. This is already expensive. And you know, I paid the price for that in stress. This go round, I was like, okay, price aside, which computer is going to give me the best options for my needs and longevity? So, yes, Dawn, you came in handy with that one.

Dawn Richardson
I’m so glad I was with you in spirit at the Apple Store.

Bernel
Yes. All right. Well, I digress. Because that’s my story about technology and Dawn’s Instagram posts. But tech savvy creative is so much more than her Instagram posts. So what are the different services you offer in your business and ways that people can work with you.

Dawn Richardson
So at tech savvy, we’re kind of in a shift right now, because I am a mama to two, I have a three and a half year old daughter and a seven month old daughter. And we recently pulled them out of daycare, we had some illness issues, we had a hospital stay, and it was really stressful time for us. So we had to pull them out. And now they are at home with me. So I no longer have my full work schedule like I used to, I only have 12 hours a week where a nanny comes in to watch the girls. So I can get a little bit of time to do interviews like this and to work on some things. So right now the services that tech savvy is offering is mostly we’re doing like a lot of course content, we have a lot of resources and guides that you can purchase and download. And that is our goal is to give you those resources on line, especially because when it comes to technology, it’s not something that you just kind of sit down and talk about for an hour, you know, like a one on one coaching session doesn’t necessarily make sense. Because like, we can have a great conversation, but then you’re gonna go do it. And then you’re going to be like, wait a minute, like, you know, and it’s different for every person. So having something that you can refer back to over and over again, or a course that you can go through on your own pace is really important for us. I also offer Voxer coaching, and that’s a full day. So starts at 9am Central goes to four o’clock Central. And that lets us talk back and forth about whatever it is that you are working on. And the same reason that I mentioned before, it’s not time boxed into an hour. So like, let’s say you wanted to work on speeding up your computer, something’s wrong with it, it’s slow, it’s clunky. Okay, so we’re gonna start off our morning by looking at these things, and you’re going to go clean up these folders, right, and then an hour later, you’re gonna come back, and we’re gonna keep on working throughout the day. So that gives us the opportunity to like work on a project, whether it’s something on your show at website, or it could be organizing and creating a backup system for your files if you’re a photographer, or it could just be you know, whatever computer thing you’re having issues with that day, but it gives you that support and that hand holding all day long. So if you have a meeting at throughout the day, it’s not a big deal. Like you’ll come back and talk to me when it’s available for you. So that’s what we’re doing now. Mostly Voxer coaching, mostly those online products that you can purchase. And then I also do the occasional, like quick setup or quick change for my clients who I’ve done setups for in the past. So that’s that’s kind of a day in the life here, but definitely mostly product based right now.

Bernel
That’s so cool. Yes, I love all the different products that you have in the shop on your website, but then also this Voxer coaching is super interesting. We’ve never talked about that. And I love that it’s also software things. So not just kind of what tools to purchase, but also like, you know, show it you mentioned walking people through that. Are there any other like specific business software’s that people have come to you to get assistance with during a Voxer day?

Dawn Richardson
Absolutely. Before I like list off a bunch of these. It is always been number one priority from day one, a tech savvy creative to not be a billboard for one tool. Okay, I am a technology coach. I am not a dubsado. Coach, right. So I work with a ton of different tools. And I spend a lot of time in all of these different tools because when someone comes to me, I want to be able to point them in the right direction that makes sense for them. Because I’m a firm believer that there’s not a tool that’s like one size fits all, as much as I might love a tool and I’ll use a tool. It doesn’t work for everybody. There’s different learning styles for people. There’s different restrictions, they have different needs. And it’s really important for me to have a grasp on the industry as a whole so I can help guide that person to the correct place. So, that being said, we have worked in HoneyBook. We have worked in dubsado sprout studio Tavi. We have done show it we have done Squarespace we have done flow desk, MailChimp, Convert Kit, all the Mac OS, iPad, OS and watch OS, we’ve done all that, gosh, there’s so many of them. I do a lot of work and clickup I do a lot of work in Asana, I do a lot of work in I’m starting to do some stuff in notion. notion is like getting really popular in the YouTube world. And I’m kind of getting sucked into it also. So

Unknown Speaker
doing stuff over here, you Yeah, it’s so it’s

Dawn Richardson
such a blank slate. But it is like really overwhelming because it’s such a blank slate. But once you kind of figure out where it’s going, it’s like, oh, this is really helpful. So doing that I do work in Lightroom photo mechanic, I use backup software’s like Backblaze time machine backups, I help creatives with how to choose the right external hard drive and how to organize their files, Dropbox, Google Drive, you name it, like there’s a never ending list.

Bernel
Way more extensive list than I even thought you were gonna say so. Okay, she’s gonna tell us like the five software she loves. But I love that. And I love that what you said about not wanting to be a billboard for a specific product, because we do fall into that I feel like sometimes as creatives kind of borderlining, the influencer line, even, you know, you represent the products you love. Like

Dawn Richardson
exactly what it is, um, you know that also, because there’s a there’s a lot leaning on the influencer thing like, Does this person actually like this product? Or do they just have a really good affiliate link? You know what I mean? But at the same time, like affiliates are great. And I can recommend a software that I don’t use, you know, so just because I personally don’t use, let’s say, Honey book, for example, doesn’t mean that it’s not the right fit for somebody else. And I’m pretty happy to share that with you and tell you why. I might not use it, but you should use it. And again, it just comes down to the needs of the creative because every business is unique. And it is so important to find what works for you, not what works for somebody else, or what has a better coupon. Because a lot of creatives get sucked into that. They’re like, Oh, that’s a good coupon. Or they keep something because they’ve already paid for it, even though it’s making them lose time. Oh, in the long run,

Bernel
Oh, okay. You came in hot with that. You’re right, like, that’s me tell it like it is honesty that we love here on the podcast. Because, yes, a lot of these softwares were in good sales, they have really good coupons. And even though I am by no means a tech coach, as I work with creatives, building their websites, a lot of times when it comes to the point of talking about email marketing, and CRM integrations into their websites, I don’t really have a preference on what you integrate, you know, it’s like, what are you using? Bring it to me? And the number one question I get is kind of like, well, which one’s running a sale? Well, do you know anybody with an affiliate link to either one of those, and I’ll just go with which one has the affiliate link? And no, that is not how you choose software. But it’s also really good to know that there are companies like tech savvy, creative that to direct people to so if you are a creative who are looking for a software, it’s scheduling a call with you, right, like doing a Voxer day with you to kind of assess your needs, figure out the best one to use. Um, same thing goes for business owners who work with other creatives. I’m like, it’s, it’s good, it’s a good resource to send people to you. Because, you know, most of us only can recommend the products we’ve used, because we haven’t used a variety of them. That’s not in our wheelhouse. We use the same ones every day. We tell our clients to go with it. But you’re right. No tool is one size fits all for businesses.

Dawn Richardson
I wish it was, you know, that would that would make it so nice. And you know, another thing that I feel like creatives will kind of fall into is they’re like, Oh, well, this tool does everything, right? Like, I’m gonna force this tool to do all of my things because I want to pay one price tag a month rather than multiple tools. And my thing I always ask when I have a creative that’s really set on keeping a tool that does that, even though it’s not great for them is like, would you go to a barbecue restaurant and order Chinese food? Because that’s kind of what that tool is doing. Right? Like that tool is specialized in that barbecue food, but you’re trying to you know, order yourself and enchilada the barbecue menu and it’s not. It’s not going to be the best experience hands, right? So sometimes it’s best to focus on the tools that have their own zone of genius, right? So maybe that’s a gallery software, maybe that’s a CRM, or maybe that’s an email marketing software. And you might find tools out there that do more than one thing that work well for you. But don’t stress yourself out to find that tool that does it all. It’s not going to be the best experience if you really focus on that. But if you have a tool that does a couple things, then maybe you have another tool over here that specializes in something else that is totally Oh, K. That doesn’t mean that you’re failing the streamline game, it means you’re making the right decisions for you and your business, and it will be worth the investment.

Bernel
Yes, yes, yes, yes. Most people don’t realize that until about maybe a year five or six of business, as your business begins to grow and spending money that doesn’t rule out your decisions. Because when you first start a business, honestly saving money, like trying to make a profit, that kind of rules, a lot of the decision making on getting software’s streamline and things automating you’re kind of like, okay, but I can do it myself. And that’s when the extra $90 a month. And then you know, you get to a point in your business where you’re turning a profit and you realize, like, wow, like my life could be so much simpler if I had the tools that were designed to do these tasks, instead of trying to make one tool work. So yeah, I listen to listen to done, guys, I’m trying to tell you like, don’t wait until you’re in business for five or six years. And then you have to do like a whole systems in processing overhaul because I did that during the I was like, oh, okay, now we have a much bigger marketing budget. Like, let me figure out some software’s that I need. And I went from one tool to five, so and it makes my life so much easier, though. So you know, there’s something to that for sure. For sure. So question because you’ve had an interesting journey, like you worked at the Apple store. I don’t know if this is in chronological order, guys. But you’re the Apple store. You were software, you worked in software, you were a wedding photographer, and now you have a tech company. Can you talk to us about pivoting a little bit? And that journey to really kind of finding this sweet spot your your zone of genius?

Dawn Richardson
Yeah, so my journey is less of a pivot and more of a full circle, like it’s like a full like, I pivoted like three times, and I made it all the way around that three point turn, for sure. So I went to school at Texas Tech for Information Systems. It’s a business degree that has a technology foundation to it. And I got hired straight out of school to be a software engineer. So that’s how I ended up here. And while I was in college is when I worked for Apple, I did technical support, and I did workshops and training for employees and customers coming in. So kind of what I’m doing now is what I did at Apple, but it was all it was, it’s I’m going to age myself here, I launched the very first iPad and the iPhone four. So that was I mean, iPhone 14 is out. Now, you know, that was a long time ago, it has come a long way. But you know, the whole foundation is the same technology can make an impact on people’s lives. And that was my job in even in the retail space was to help people understand how this tool in front of them could impact their lives for the better. And so, worked at Apple worked my way through school, got my software engineering job, moved here to San Antonio, where I was that software engineer. And I worked in that corporate job for five years, four years, roughly. That’s where I met my husband and we got married while I was there. And he is also a lead software engineer. He works in the security space, so he’s still there. And if y’all think I’m nerdy, you have not met my husband, like, my husband makes fun of me because he’s like, What do you do day and I’m like, Oh, well, I helped a creative set up an external hard drive. He’s like, Oh, no, like, it’s just like a different world for him. And I’m like, Yeah, it’s amazing, because I just changed their lives. Like now they have a backup, you know, like, it’s just a different world anyway. So while I was at that job, I bought a camera on Groupon, just like a lot of photographers did and started taking photos and I fell in love with it, because it was technical. You know, it was like super technical to be a photographer and like this machine in my hands, depending on how I set it up is going to do something different and I was just like so like, fascinated by that. So started doing that started taking pictures, learned that I can make money doing it. Learn that I could be my own boss and get I have that business degree. So it’s kind of like embedded in me. I’m like, Okay, I’m going to be an entrepreneur, started that wedding photography business, did both my software engineering job and wedding photography business for two years, and then went full time in 2017. And we have done roughly about 200 weddings in the last seven years. Yeah, I have two left, I have two left. I’m so so close. And I think by the time this airs, I’ll have one left. So bittersweet. But we have spent the last seven years in the industry. And it’s time to be home on the weekends with my little with my little girls. And I was burnt out from being at a wedding and getting pictures of my husband and my girls at the zoo, and like doing fun things that people do on weekends. And I really wanted my time back. But while I was a wedding photographer, you know, my favorite part of it was like the systems, the backups, all these files, and these hard drives, and like the computers and all the software and everything that I use. So I learned that that was something that creatives are very intimidated by. So I started creating educational content. And I started, you know, talking to creatives about how to choose the right computer and kind of go back to my Apple Store roots, right? Like, how can I help this computer work for your business. And then right before the pandemic, my coach and I, I was currently doing coaching with catch Moya, at the time, from Creative At Heart, and I was talking to her. And she, we came to the realization that it was really hard to market to brides and grooms and also wedding photographers at the same time, yo, we basically have separated the two businesses. And then that’s how tech savvy creative was born. And so I have this one brand over here that’s 100% focused on that. And then I have the other brand over here that’s focused on photography. And the photography man is just slowly, you know, set setting sail into the sunset right now. And tech savvy has picked up so that was a really long story about how I went full circle and like, went into weddings. It’s very techie came back in continue to do techy stuff with other creatives who are in the industry.

Bernel
Yeah, no, that was the perfect story, though. Because I think it’s interesting that sometimes we use the word pivot, but really is a circle. Coming back to your roots, coming back to the things that you naturally like, Yeah, it’s funny, so many people told me and like 1819 20, you know, first couple years of college people tell you like, you don’t know what you want to do right now, like you’re a young person, you have no idea what you want to do, it’ll change by the time you’re 30. And I’m finding that we kind of do know what we want to do. And most of us just don’t do it first. Like, you go and you do the traditional job, or you you kind of do what makes more money, or you do kind of what you were groomed to do in school, and then somewhere around like your late 20s or even early 30s, you begin to realize like, wow, like I really kind of like this part of my job that I always liked. Yeah. And you kind of come full circle. So it’s interesting. I think that maybe we should give more kudos to teenagers, like you probably do know what your interests are. Oh, yeah.

Dawn Richardson
And I when I went to college, so as a freshman, I was pre med, like, I wanted to be a doctor, like, my whole life, like I don’t ever remember a time in my life growing up that I didn’t want to be a doctor. And but I always had technology around me, I built computers with my grandparents, like, it was just something but I never had thought of it as a career, it was just ingrained in my head. And even then, so when that went from pre med, to pre nursing to Family Studies, then on to it, and that kind of started that shift. I even created that career that I now realized I could have, which was to be a software engineer. But now it’s like I have that career. But it’s a different flavor of it, right? It’s in a different industry. I’m doing what I love, but with people that I love even more. And that was something that I never thought was possible, I guess like I don’t I don’t feel like when I sat in my software engineering job. I was like, Oh, I don’t like these people like this doesn’t fill my cup. But I didn’t I guess it didn’t realize how big my cup was. And now that I get to work with amazing creators in this industry that’s so artistic and passionate. It’s just so much better. And it’s really, you know, the trajectory happened for a reason it took a decade to get here but it was so worth it. And I just love who I serve and what I do now.

Bernel
Yes, yes, yes. Kudos to you. I completely agree. I kind of did the opposite. I just like dove headfirst into what I wanted to do. I never went into corporate even though that’s kind of the path I was on. But I graduated, I was like, I’m gonna start a business, which is kind of crazy to think about. But I love it when we find our place in the industry, like when your job can also fill your cup, like when it’s not the thing that drains your cup. I think that’s a beautiful thing. So, and there’s a lot of tools and a lot of software that make that possible. Yeah, I am

Dawn Richardson
never in a slow season. It’s constantly changing, like constantly changing. So I’m always trying off new software’s. You know, Apple keynotes are like my Super Bowl like I am like, I watched that keynote like five or six times because that is the new technology that I’m going to have to refer to creatives. And I have to get familiar with it. So I can again, help them make the right decisions for their business. So I’m telling you, it’s like blocked off on my calendar. Like I got the big screen out. I got my laptop like it’s go time.

Bernel
Yes. So same response, different reasoning behind it. I love Apple Keynote. Like, I block off client meetings that day, like I prepare for I get my favorite snacks. I also watch football, but for very different reasons. So this is funny. I love to see the way that they present and the way they go about public speaking and the way they captivate audiences because my passion is education. I clearly love to talk I have a podcast, but like speaking engagements, and, and Keynote and things like that. So I like to watch it just to kind of see how do you captivate an audience? What analogies are they using how their voice like kind of has a different inflection at different parts of the keynote? So yeah, I watch it for a totally different

Dawn Richardson
reason. It’s there. There’s no detail ignored when it comes to that. And that that’s true in y’all. I’m going to step up on my Apple fan girl soapbox here, but like there’s no detail in the packaging, or how they present it or the songs that they choose for their commercials. Like there’s, there’s geniuses over there. And that’s no secret, right? There’s geniuses over there. But there’s just so much beauty in the simplicity and the Oh, that makes sense. Like, I feel like I say that all the time. Like when I open a new box. I’m like, Oh, that was cool. Like, I didn’t have to like pull plastic off of this box. Like, it just it’s so fascinating that they thought of all these small things, and it makes me look into my business. I’m sure he does for you, too. And like, How can I present this in a way that’s so easy to understand like they did or that is so polished like they did? And that’s, it makes a big difference. And I know I’m always inspired by

Bernel
them. Yeah, they make simplicity look stylish. Like, I feel like when people tell me like, oh, I want a simple but elegant brand. I’m like so Apple, okay, like, but yeah, I love it. I love it. So we’ve already talked about the different places that people will be seeing you teach coming up. But I wanted to know, if there’s anywhere else that people can find additional resources? Is everything on your website? Do you have any special offerings getting ready to come out?

Dawn Richardson
Yes. So I would say that I am mostly on Instagram right now you can find me at tech savvy, creative. You can also find me and all my resources at tech savvy creative.com. We are on YouTube. And that is something on my to do list to ramp up here and q4. So I will be creating more YouTube content here soon you can find me there at tech savvy, creative. But in terms of something new that’s coming out, we are releasing a Mac guide for creatives and how this works. It’s going to be a quiz, you can just answer a couple of questions. And then that helps me point you in the right direction of what Mac would be the best solution for you and your business. And then when you get your answer I give you a full breakdown on why I tell you why this is a better choice. Why I would choose this one over another one. So for example, why I would choose a MAC studio instead of an iMac for me personally as a photographer, I’ll explain those differences to you. And that will be a free resource for creatives. So we are super excited to be launching that. And I really hope this answers those questions. So there are no creatives out there who are standing in the Apple Store. Not sure what to do.

Bernel
Yes, oh my goodness, that is wonderful. As always guys, we will definitely have that linked in the show notes for you. So after you listen to this episode, just scroll down and you’ll be able to click and go directly to that resource. All right, Dawn. Well, we have reached my favorite part of every show. You guys listen at home. You know what to do. This is when you grab your pen your pencil open your note This app, Dawn is gonna give you three actionable steps that you can take today to move forward in your business. So Don, what are your three actionable steps?

Dawn Richardson
Okay, well, my actionable steps are not sexy. So they’re gonna be very nerdy, but they’re very important. Okay? First plan for failure. Okay. I don’t care. If you bought the fanciest hard drive out there, or the most expensive computer, it’s technology and technology can be unpredictable. Have a backup plan. If you have not backed up your computer, do that right now. Okay, stop waiting, get it done, and set it up on an automatic backup process. I want you to take like, visualize like, what would happen if your computer just never turned on again? Or if somebody came into your house and stole it? Would you be able to get your files back? Okay, so think about that. The second thing I want you to do is invest in the right equipment. And if you’re not sure, if you have the right equipment right now, reach out and get some recommendations, and start putting that in your budget now, because it’s going to make your life so much easier in the future. And last but not least, and y’all are gonna like this, you’re probably gonna roll your eyes, but take care of your computer. Okay, that means click Yes to the software update. Okay, I know how many of y’all like to push the later button. Okay. i Today, before you log off for the day, I want you to run your software updates and let your computer update. Those software updates are not just for new features and cool new things. Those software updates are there to protect you and to fix security issues and to fix problems. So if somebody comes to me, and they say like, Hey, my computer’s not acting right, the very first thing I’m going to ask you is if you’ve updated your computer, because a lot of times the updates will fix those problems. So stop clicking ignore at the end of your day, run that software update and let it go. You have to keep all of your devices up to date. It is so so important.

Bernel
Oh my goodness. Those are great. Yeah, I started like writing some down in my notes as she was saying them because I’m definitely guilty over here of later. Later, years later, honestly, and then so many software updates, like you missed, and now things aren’t running properly. So thank you. So

Dawn Richardson
I’m here to be like your conscience, like update your computer’s guy. So

Bernel
I definitely will be doing that today. Thanks. But yes, I appreciate so much you coming on the show. This was amazing. I hope that if you guys are listening at home, that you feel a little bit more comfortable with, you know, opening your mind to new software’s or even upgrading your devices or getting the most out of the devices that you currently have. And just know that you’re not alone there is someone out there who helps creatives literally make those decisions. So thanks so much, Dawn, for being here. And thank you so much for having me. Wow, that went by really fast. As always, thank you so much for showing up in my little corner of the internet. I would love to hear your thoughts on the show. So please, please subscribe, leave a review and share what you learned with friends. Some of the best things in life are freebies. So don’t forget to head over to brandedbybernel.com to check out our free branding goodies. This show notes and more educational resources.