Group mentoring call October 9th
In this week’s mentoring session, we unpacked how to niche with clarity, refine your portfolio, and protect your creative energy.
Hello All,
Here is the link to the recap of our group mentoring call!
Below is what we covered with time stamps
🎙 Group Mentoring Call Recap
Here’s what we covered in this week’s Creatives Help Desk group mentoring session — from finding your niche and refining your portfolio to setting client boundaries and pitching with confidence.
[00:00] Introductions + community overview
Kickoff and welcome to new members. Shared the purpose of the Creatives Help Desk — a space for connection, peer learning, and support for designers navigating business growth, creative challenges, and client relationships.
[05:00] Choosing your niche
Discussion around how to define or refine your niche:
Exploring interests, authority, and connections as starting points.
Niching by industry, audience mindset, or problem solved — not just demographics.
Recognizing that your niche often evolves naturally through your work.
Emphasis on clarity and consistency over forcing a narrow niche too early.
[15:00] Real-world niching insights
Conversation expanded into lived examples of niching:
The pros and cons of committing to one industry vs keeping variety.
Using past projects to identify patterns in the type of clients or industries that bring the most enjoyment and profitability.
How showing specific types of work attracts more of the same.
Balancing creative freedom with commercial focus.
[25:00] Identifying traits of your ideal clients
Exploration of how to niche by shared values, vision, or mindset rather than labels.
Targeting clients who are ambitious, visionary, and know where they’re headed.
Writing messaging that speaks directly to that mindset.
Examples of defining niches through purpose and attitude (e.g. “future-focused founders”).
[35:00] Platforms, services, and positioning
Conversation on whether to niche by design/development platforms.
Pros and cons of presenting as a multi-platform expert vs a specialist.
Finding the balance between flexibility and clarity.
Positioning yourself as the go-to problem solver, not just a technician.
[45:00] Portfolio strategy + passion projects
How to create a strong portfolio that attracts ideal clients:
Focus on depth, not volume — better to have six polished projects than fifteen random ones.
Combine real client work with passion projects to showcase your desired direction.
Case studies should tell the story of process, results, and transformation.
Using mini decks or tailored PDFs for direct outreach.
Passion projects and reduced-rate work can strategically open doors when chosen intentionally.
[01:00:00] Client boundaries + nonpayment scenarios
Open discussion on managing difficult clients and enforcing boundaries:
When to walk away from projects that drain energy or disrespect your process.
Importance of clear contracts, communication windows, and restart fees.
Not handing over work until the final payment clears.
Learning from “bad” projects — they often shape your best systems and policies.
[01:15:00] Pitching and outreach
Final topic focused on pitching and re-engaging potential clients:
Reframing outreach as offering a solution, not begging for work.
Making contact personal and intentional — highlight connection points or shared interests.
Using resources like Joana Galvão or Fck Being Humble* for pitching templates.
Differentiating between pitching to warm vs cold leads.
Testing and refining outreach emails to see what resonates.
[01:30:00] Closing reflections
Wrapped up with encouragement to experiment — test niches, refine offers, and lead with clarity and confidence. The key takeaway: your niche, your portfolio, and your process will evolve as you do. What matters most is building a business aligned with your values, your strengths, and the kind of clients you truly want to attract.