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            <itunes:email>brandupclub.picasso@gmail.com</itunes:email>
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        <googleplay:email>brandupclub.picasso@gmail.com</googleplay:email>
        <title>Creatives BrandUp Club Podcast</title>
<link>https://afripods.com/podcast/creatives-brandup-club-podcast</link>
<language>en</language>
<description>&lt;p&gt;Helping creatives unlock their awesomeness, and build reputations that shine.&lt;/p&gt;</description>
<copyright>&#169; BrandUp Club</copyright>
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<itunes:author>BrandUp Club</itunes:author>
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            <title>Things i wish i knew when i was a 25 year old. </title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/things-i-wish-i-knew-when-i-was/86157050-20fe-11f1-8565-7960d103de47</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What would you do differently if you could go back a decade?&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, we&apos;re peeling back the curtain on the early days of building a creative agency. We explore the vital difference between technical skill and professional value and why being a &quot;great designer&quot; isn&apos;t enough if you can&apos;t write a professional email or navigate a networking event.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From the &quot;natural cadence&quot; of success to the philosophy that money&apos;s primary role is to buy back your time, this is a deep dive into the wisdom gained from the struggle. We also share a curated list of 6 books that transformed our journey from a &quot;side hustle&quot; to a professional business. Whether you&apos;re an introvert looking for peace or a result-obsessed creative needing to rediscover the process, this episode is for you.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Creatives Brandup Club Community&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href=&quot;https://chat.whatsapp.com/E3J5etAQQU7KW6uYJrAs16?mode=gi_t&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://chat.whatsapp.com/E3J5etAQQU7KW6uYJrAs16?mode=gi_t&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 16 Mar 2026 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>Things i wish i knew when i was a 25 year old. </itunes:title>
<itunes:duration>1226</itunes:duration>
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            <title>The Creative &quot;Solo-Preneur&quot; Trap</title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/the-creative-solo-preneur-trap/336d66e0-0d18-11f1-951d-01ade381c056</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong style=&quot;color: rgb(0, 0, 0);&quot;&gt;The Solo-Preneur Trap: Why Your &quot;One-Man Army&quot; is Costing You Money&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are you the photographer, the editor, the lighting assistant, and the accountant all rolled into one? In this episode, Elijah dives deep into the &quot;One-Man Army&quot; syndrome that keeps talented creatives exhausted and underpaid.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Using his 8-year journey with&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;Picasso&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;as a case study, Elijah breaks down why the &quot;solo-preneur&quot; model eventually hits a ceiling and why global research (and high-paying clients) favors agile, cross-functional teams. Whether you are a freelancer looking to scale or a seasoned pro struggling with delivery, this episode is your wake-up call to move from &quot;hiring help&quot; to &quot;building a legacy.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;What you&apos;ll learn in this episode:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Power Formula:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Why&amp;nbsp;&lt;em&gt;Exceptional Value = Collaboration + Shared Problem-Solving.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Picasso Story:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;How Elijah transitioned from a 5:00 PM &quot;secret&quot; side-hustle to a structured agency of 10.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The 360-Degree View:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Identifying the four critical pillars your brand needs to show &quot;Trust and Scale&quot; to clients.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The 3-Step Strategy:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;A practical guide to assembling your project-based &quot;Special Ops&quot; team today.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Contract Essentials:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;The four legal negotiable you need when bringing collaborators on board.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;h3&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Key Takeaway:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Collaboration isn&apos;t just about lightening your workload; it is a&amp;nbsp;&lt;strong&gt;positioning strategy&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;that allows you to bill for higher value and build a brand that can thrive even in your absence.&lt;/h3&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Homework for the week:&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;Identify the 2 or 3 people you need in your circle to turn your service from &quot;good&quot; to &quot;exceptional.&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;#NowGoBeAwesome&lt;/strong&gt;&amp;nbsp;😎&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:34:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>The Creative &quot;Solo-Preneur&quot; Trap</itunes:title>
<itunes:duration>1108</itunes:duration>
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            <title>Why &quot;Samples&quot; are Killing Your Brand</title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/why-samples-are-killing-your-bra/aef20220-0332-11f1-bbec-27ae26bd0e81</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Stop Being a Fashion Store: Why &quot;Samples&quot; are Killing Your Brand&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode of the Creatives BrandUp Club, we tackle the &quot;spec work&quot; trap. We explore why doing free samples for prospects is a gamble that disrespects your paying clients and drains your creative energy.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Learn how to pivot from a &quot;desperate freelancer&quot; to a &quot;professional expert&quot; by using your portfolio and process to sell value instead of guesswork. Stop auditioning, start positioning.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Other Episode Here&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href=&quot;https://podcasts.apple.com/ug/podcast/creatives-brandup-club-podcast/id1865022679&quot; rel=&quot;noopener noreferrer&quot; target=&quot;_blank&quot;&gt;https://podcasts.apple.com/ug/podcast/creatives-brandup-club-podcast/id1865022679&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 01:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>Why &quot;Samples&quot; are Killing Your Brand</itunes:title>
<itunes:duration>1349</itunes:duration>
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            <title>Dare to Be Different</title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/dare-to-be-different/7e4e7587-5eed-4577-8bce-ce1364fd1918</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;&quot;Dare to Be Different: Take Charge of Your Creative Career&quot;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In this candid and powerful episode, we dive into the mindset required to move beyond conventional labels and build a truly impactful creative career.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Drawing inspiration from a recent personal hiring situation, host Elijah shares the story of a photographer and filmmaker who dared to &lt;strong&gt;&quot;take charge&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; of their projects. This leads to three essential lessons for every creative, entrepreneur, and agency leader:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ol&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Dare to Be Different:&lt;/strong&gt; Your value is beyond the mouse or the camera. Learn the art of ignoring conventional limits and defining your own path.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Take Charge of Your Craft:&lt;/strong&gt; Hear a real-world example proving that professionalism means giving professional opinions, organizing the shoot, and owning the project—you are the expert, so &lt;strong&gt;be the king!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Build to Last:&lt;/strong&gt; Agency founders, the conversation shifts to empowering your teams and creating structures that allow you to step away. Elijah shares the wisdom of a mentor who runs a successful multi-million shilling firm with only three administrative staff, demonstrating the power of working &lt;strong&gt;on&lt;/strong&gt; your business, not just &lt;strong&gt;in&lt;/strong&gt; it.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ol&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you&apos;re ready to &lt;strong&gt;Recharge, Reflect, and Redefine&lt;/strong&gt; what it means to be a creative professional, this episode is a must-listen. Don&apos;t forget to check out the recommended reading: &lt;em&gt;Built to Last&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Thank you for helping us hit over 30 downloads per episode! Until next time, take care.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 21 Nov 2025 13:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>Dare to Be Different</itunes:title>
<itunes:duration>646</itunes:duration>
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            <title>The Power of Confidence as a Creative</title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/the-power-of-confidence-as-a-cre/8f1f6f40-5a22-4b04-bd4f-c52d30d570d6</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Power of Confidence: Stop Selling, Start Serving (The 3 P&apos;s Framework)&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are you a creative who struggles to talk about, market, or sell your own work? You&apos;re not alone. In this empowering episode of the Creatives Brandup Club, your host dives into the silent struggle with confidence that plagues even the most talented artists and entrepreneurs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We break down the powerful mindset shift from feeling &quot;pushy&quot; to simply being &lt;strong&gt;prepared to serve&lt;/strong&gt;. Discover why true confidence isn&apos;t about convincing others, but about your deep conviction in the &lt;strong&gt;value&lt;/strong&gt; of your solution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;In this episode, you&apos;ll learn:&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The Confidence Crisis:&lt;/strong&gt; How to recognize and overcome the three common confidence saboteurs: &lt;strong&gt;Imposter Syndrome, Fear of Rejection, and Feeling Like a Burden.&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;The 3 P&apos;s Confidence Framework:&lt;/strong&gt; A practical, actionable guide to building unshakable self-assurance:&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class=&quot;ql-indent-1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pillar 1: Personal Preparation:&lt;/strong&gt; Convince yourself of your worth by clarifying your &lt;em&gt;Why&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Uniqueness&lt;/em&gt;.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class=&quot;ql-indent-1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pillar 2: Product Preparation:&lt;/strong&gt; Adopt a &lt;strong&gt;&quot;Servant&apos;s Mindset&quot;&lt;/strong&gt; by reframing your features as solutions to customer pain points.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li class=&quot;ql-indent-1&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pillar 3: People Preparation:&lt;/strong&gt; Master &lt;strong&gt;active listening&lt;/strong&gt; to turn pitches into collaborative problem-solving sessions.&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;Stop letting hesitation sabotage your business. Your work matters, and this episode gives you the blueprint to share it confidently.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;We&apos;re almost at 50 community members! Join the WhatsApp community now&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 04 Oct 2025 07:00:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>The Power of Confidence as a Creative</itunes:title>
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            <title>Productivity Vs efficiency </title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/productivity-vs-efficiency/d19fbb80-e50c-11f0-a1ed-bb75b35fef84</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;Productivity and efficiency have a thin line&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 02:19:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>Productivity Vs efficiency </itunes:title>
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            <title>Starting</title>
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<description>&lt;p&gt;Starting&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 14 Jun 2025 02:22:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>Starting</itunes:title>
<itunes:duration>546</itunes:duration>
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            <title>First Impression</title>
<link>https://afripods.com/episode/first-impression/898a6790-e50d-11f0-8dce-039d211f9b8f</link>
<description>&lt;p&gt;First Impression&lt;/p&gt;</description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Jun 2025 02:25:00 GMT</pubDate>
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            <itunes:title>First Impression</itunes:title>
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