Little advice. Big gravity. Spotlight on a voice from our orbit.
We're celebrating the women in our orbit. Generous creatives sharing powerful lessons from life in and out of the industry. Tiny truths, freely given, deeply felt.
“Never do spec work and never take on a project without a contract in place.”
Liz Elcoate
What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out?
Never do spec work and never take on a project without a contract in place.
What are three things you don’t do anymore in your field?
I don't engage over Whatsapp or any other messaging apps, only by email or phone call. I set really clear boundaries with this as I don't want to be receiving messages at all hours, its too easy too get drawn in when checking personal messages.On that note I don't reply to emails or return calls after 5.30pm and never on weekends.I don't send out proposals unless i have a fairly solid idea of a clients budget and know we're on the same page.
What’s a mindset shift that changed everything for you?
Clients need me as much as I need them, we're a partnership, I'm not an employee. This made me feel able to meet clients on a more even footing and shift from a freelancer mindset to a business owner mindset.
What’s something you once overcomplicated but now keep simple?
Brand workshops, I used to do a one-size-fits-all for these which meant that smaller clients were getting the same offering as larger organisations - an in-depth, deep dive workshop that was overkill for their needs and was a huge amount of work for me. Now I completely cater it to their budget and requirements, keeping it as simple as possible.
Liz is a brand designer and founder of @Betty . She works with non-profits, charities, and pro social organisations creating meaningful and engaging brands and campaigns.She is passionate about accessible and inclusive design and began her career as a digital designer working for the UK's leading provider of digital products for the education sector before moving into self employment and eventually focusing solely on brand design 7 years ago.
“In any one moment, you can only pay attention to one thing at a time. That means a choice is always being made - which is both a huge freedom and responsibility.”
Menka Sanghvi
Menka Sanghvi is a Mindfulness Researcher and Author. She teaches people how to be better cyborgs. Her book Your Best Digital Life (Macmillan, 2025) helps people reclaim their attention in an automated world. She delivers keynotes and workshops on digital habits, attention training, and AI-augmented leadership.
Menka has presented to audiences from the United Nations and corporate teams to photo clubs and primary schools, earning recognition for making complex research accessible. She’s been featured in the Observer, Women's Health, iHeartRadio and Huffpost.
In 2017, she created Just Looking as a local meetup exploring how to go slow and be more curious about everyday moments. It is now a global community project designing mindful tools, books, and experiences.
Follow her insights through the “Noticing” newsletter from Just Looking, and Substack “Trying Not to be a Bot”. menkasanghvi.com
What’s the best piece of advice you’d give to someone just starting out?
Give the thing longer than you think it might need, whether that’s a project, a start-up, a book, or collaboration. When you care deeply about something and put in your best energy at the start, it's natural to feel disappointed and exhausted if it doesn’t take off right away. If possible, try to give it more time… the universe might just be catching up with you!
What are three things you don’t do anymore in your field?
I don’t check my email before breakfast
I don’t shy away from calling myself an expert
I don’t take criticism personally (ok, that one is a work-in-progress)
What’s a mindset shift that changed everything for you?
In any one moment, you can only pay attention to one thing at a time. That means a choice is always being made - which is both a huge freedom and responsibility. We continually shape and reshape our reality, based on what we look at.
What’s something you once overcomplicated but now keep simple?
Task lists. I used to have a complex colour-coded system for these. Now I just scan my long list, write down 5 things I will definitely get done each day, then tick them off and feel good!.