Behind the Design

Hosted by Olivia Austin

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180

Latest episode

Aug 2026

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About the show

Behind the Design is a podcast for ambitious designers and creatives ready to move beyond inconsistent income, overworking, and playing small and into a more refined, scalable, and sustainable business and life. Hosted by Olivia Austin, brand strategist and business mentor, the show goes behind the scenes of what it actually takes to build a high-performing creative business through smarter offers, confident pricing, streamlined systems, and the mindset required to scale without burnout. This is the gateway into The Studio Co., where clarity, leverage, and long-term growth begin.

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60 recent

August 19, 202659 min

174. Following Your Intuition as a Mom and Business Owner With Gabriella Laura

Today I'm sitting down with Gabrielle Laura, an intuitive channeler who works with founders and leaders who've already built their own lane in whatever they do. She calls herself the translator between your intuition and your expansion. Her own words are: 'you can feel the pull, I can see where it's taking you.' She's not a coach. She doesn't hand out frameworks or homework or a five-step plan. She works with expanding entrepeneurs to break past their own boundaries and heal from within to expand to their next level.I wanted to sit down with her to talk about what the connection between intuition and healing and how they play a huge role in your expansion as a founder, mom, wife and just in general your next level self. Gabby lives at that intersection every single day, in rooms with women who've already 'made it' on paper and are still stuck. So today we're going there, what expansion actually takes, what it looks like in the body before it shows up in your bank account, and how to heal for a more peaceful life. AND how all of that is the foundation for a thriving business.Gabby is an amazing friend and I thought she was the perfect person to have this conversation with. I think you're really going to love it. Let's get into it.

August 5, 202627 min

174. Business Burnout or a Signal to Pivot? How to Tell the Difference

Business burnout and a genuine signal to pivot feel almost identical from the inside — and that's exactly why so many mom entrepreneurs make the wrong call. I've watched women rebuild their entire offer suite, fire their whole team, and rebrand twice to fix a problem that was never structural in the first place. I've also watched women blame themselves for "not having good enough systems" in a business they should have walked away from two years ago. Same symptom. Two completely different problems. Both cost years. In this episode, I'm breaking down how to tell business burnout apart from a signal to change — before you make a decision you can't take back. We cover what burnout actually feels like (global, cause-and-effect, responsive to rest) versus what a signal actually feels like (specific, values-based, and it follows you home from vacation). Then I walk you through a five-question diagnostic you can run on yourself this week, including the rest test that cuts through almost all of the confusion. Plus: what to do with your answer. Because if it's burnout, the move is architectural. If it's a signal, you don't have to act on it today — naming it accurately is the win. And if it's both, there's a clear order of operations. If you're tired in a way that a lighter week hasn't touched, this one's for you. In this episode: Why overwhelm is usually an architecture problem — and the one version of tired that no system fixes The shape of real business burnout vs. the shape of a real signal A 5-question diagnostic to run before you restructure or quit anything The two-week rest test and how to read the result What to actually do if it's burnout, if it's a signal, or if it's both Ready to stop guessing? Momentum Mastery is my 12-month hybrid mastermind for mom founders — private 1:1 strategy with me plus a room of ambitious women building alongside you. Apply at byoliviaaustin.com/apply. New episodes every Wednesday. Follow along @byoliviaaustin.

July 29, 202630 min

173. How to Grow Your Business Without Working More

If you're stuck at the same revenue ceiling every month no matter how many hours you add, this episode breaks down why that's not a hustle problem — it's a business architecture problem. I'm walking through the exact framework I use with clients to scale a service-based business past $20K and $30K months without more childcare, more hours, or more burnout. Inside this episode, you'll learn my Predictable Growth Method — the four-part system for building a business that runs without you being the bottleneck

July 22, 202627 min

172. Mid-Year Check-In To Exceed Your Business Goals This Year

A mid-year business check-in for service-based entrepreneurs and ambitious moms who want to hit six figures without waiting until December to see if they're on track. This episode walks you through four audits: your revenue pace, your capacity, your time, and your Q3/Q4 pipeline, so you can course-correct now while there's still runway left. You'll learn how to check your numbers against your annual goal, figure out if your current systems and pricing can actually support the revenue you want, audit where your time is really going, and get honest about what's booked versus what you're just hoping happens. If you set goals in January and haven't looked at them since, this is your reset. Perfect for female entrepreneurs, coaches, and service providers who want business systems that create momentum instead of burnout. https://byoliviaaustin.com/part-time-ceo

July 15, 202622 min

171. The Visualization Practice That Changed My Life

My life today looks nothing like it did six months ago, and definitely nothing like it did a year ago. In this episode, Olivia breaks down the exact visualization practice that got her here, and why it only works when you pair it with real, aligned action. Your brain runs the mental rehearsal on the same hardware it uses for the real thing. That's why visualization works, and also why it can trick you into feeling done before you've actually done anything. Olivia walks through her full daily practice: Pinterest boards, a printed vision board, even her phone home screen, all pointing back to one vision. Visualization journaling (writing as if it's already happened). Meditation and affirmations to get into flow state and high vibration. Daily gratitude, grounding mantras like "clients love paying me in full," and catching yourself the moment you slip into lack. You'll learn why goals are a place to come from, not a place to get to, and how to make decisions daily as your future self instead of waiting to arrive. Plus the books shaping her mindset right now (The Power of One More, Level Up) and the app she uses to stay consistent. If you're an ambitious mom building a business and ready to stop just hoping things work out and start visualizing on purpose, this episode gives you the actual practice, not just the vibes.

July 8, 202632 min

170. My Business Evolution Update: 60 Days In

Pivoting your business when nothing is technically broken is one of the hardest, most confusing decisions to make as an entrepreneur. Sixty days ago I walked away from a business that was working, a steady structure, and an identity I'd spent nine years building, to follow the thing I actually wanted to do. In this episode I'm getting fully transparent about what a business pivot really looks like: the identity grief nobody talks about, what my actual day-to-day schedule looks like now, the numbers behind the decision, and why readiness is not a feeling you wait for, it's an action you take. If you're an ambitious mom sitting on the edge of a change you know you need to make but you're scared because things still "work," this episode is for you. Consider this episode one: I'll be documenting this pivot as it unfolds. Work with me: https://byoliviaaustin.com/momentum-mastery

July 1, 202638 min

169. Marketing Strategies That Don't Feel "Salesy"

Marketing strategies for service-based entrepreneurs who are tired of feeling like they have to post 24/7 to grow. In this episode, I'm breaking down why so many of us treat marketing like the enemy, and why that mindset is actually the thing holding your business back. We'll talk about the subconscious beliefs around visibility and being seen that keep you playing small, why marketing is the lifeblood of your business (not an optional extra), and how to pick ONE platform to focus on for the next 3-6 months instead of spreading yourself across all of them. I'm also sharing my favorite marketing strategies without Instagram, including referrals, coffee connections, guest podcasting, pitching past clients, building an offer ascension ladder, email marketing funnels, and Pinterest. If you're an ambitious mom or business owner who wants consistent clients without burning out on content creation, this episode will completely reframe how you think about marketing your business. LINKS: The Focus Filter: ⁠https://delightful-glade-81121.myflodesk.com/w9krm39mi9⁠ [FREE GUIDE] The Part Time CEO: ⁠https://delightful-glade-81121.myflodesk.com/lbsf3c4fe8⁠ [FREE EXPERIENCE]: The Upgraded You: ⁠https://delightful-glade-81121.myflodesk.com/ej9iv1g03p⁠ 1:1 Coaching: https://byoliviaaustin.com/coaching

June 24, 202619 min

168. 5 Mindset Shifts That Separate High Achievers From Everyone Else

[POPULAR EPISODE REPLAY!] Want to know what high-achieving entrepreneurs actually do differently? It's not strategy or working more hours, but their high performance mindset and the daily habits behind it. In this solo episode, I'm walking you through the belief systems, mental shifts, and mindset practices that high performers live by (myself included) to be more productive and more fulfilled without a 4am wake up. Strategy can only take you so far. The biggest changes I've seen in my life and business didn't come from another funnel or tactic they came from discipline, identity, and protecting my energy. And so much of the high-performance world out there is built by people who aren't running a business on three days a week with little kids waking them up at night. This is the real, raw, practical version of high achievement for ambitious women who want more but feel stretched thin. Inside this episode I'm breaking down 5 mindset shifts: the identity shift (becoming the person, not chasing the goal), self-leadership and radical responsibility, reframing failure and fear as feedback, choosing energy over time and prioritizing rest, and building daily mindset practices like visualization that fit your real schedule. Whether you're battling burnout, working on discipline over motivation, or rebuilding your routine around motherhood, these are the behind-the-scenes habits that change everything.

June 17, 202627 min

167. Time Management and Business Systems for Overwhelmed Entrepreneurs

Time management and business systems for overwhelmed entrepreneurs. If your calendar is running you and you're burnt out by the business you built to be free, this episode is your reset. Have you ever opened your calendar and felt your stomach drop? Back to back, no white space, no room to breathe. Somewhere between your third client email and that forgotten invoice, you realize you're exhausted by your own business. I've been there more times than I can count. Here's what nobody tells you: feeling overwhelmed in your business isn't a discipline problem. It's not that you need to wake up earlier or want it more. Your week was just never actually designed. And in this episode, I'm walking you through how to fix that. This is a practical guide to time blocking, client management, automated invoicing, and protecting your mental bandwidth, the four systems that took me from having a business but no freedom, to wrapping up by 3pm and not working Fridays. Whether you're a designer, coach, creative, or solopreneur, this is how you build a work week that actually fits your life. In this episode: Why "just hustle harder" keeps entrepreneurs stuck and burnt out How to time block and architect your week before anything gets booked Client management systems that eliminate 80% of mid-project chaos How to automate your invoicing so getting paid runs without you Protecting the focus and mental bandwidth your best work depends on A 1-hour business audit to find the one thing to fix first Perfect for female entrepreneurs, creative business owners, and ambitious moms who want to work less, earn more, and stop letting their schedule run their life.

June 10, 202630 min

166. Why Ambitious Moms Undercharge, Overdeliver, and Say Yes When They Mean No

There are limiting beliefs holding you back as an ambitious mom. It doesn't matter how successful you are, how long you've been in business or how clear you are on your goals, limiting beliefs can subconsciously sabotage even your greatest accomplishments. In this episode, we're talking all about limiting beliefs going. Where they come from, what it's been costing you in ways you might not even realize, and exactly how to start dropping it for good. If you feel discontent, overwhelmed or "behind", mastering your limiting beliefs may be the thing that gets you to the next level. The Focus Filter: https://delightful-glade-81121.myflodesk.com/w9krm39mi9 [FREE GUIDE] The Part Time CEO: https://delightful-glade-81121.myflodesk.com/lbsf3c4fe8 [FREE EXPERIENCE]: The Upgraded You: https://delightful-glade-81121.myflodesk.com/ej9iv1g03p 1:1 Coaching: ByoliviaaustinPrivate Coaching for women business owners