How to be a Savvy Creative

8. How to write a killer grant application

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Applying for grants and funding can be intimidating, but in this episode Olivia Everitt pulls back the curtain on how to put your best foot forward when preparing your application.

And she is very equipped to have this conversation. She has been a professional grant writer, project coordinator and workshop facilitator working across the arts, economic development and not-for-profit sectors since 2010. Olivia is incredibly generous with her knowledge of how these funding bodies work and what a strong, competitive application looks like.

Regional Arts Development Fund

Regional Arts Fund

Olivia Everitt: LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/oliviaeverittprojects

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7. Changing Lanes

Mon, 15 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

This episode is about changing lanes or pivoting from one career to another and I’m joined by the incredible Anna Mackenzie - Portfolio Career Mentor and Writer of the popular newsletter Anna Mack’s Stack.

Often a creative’s bank account is supplemented by another source of income or as I like to call it “The day job”. Realistically a gig career is going to have ebbs and flows and so it makes sense to stack your skill set and monetise in a way that creates freedom and flexibility.

We discuss the practicalities of working this way, how to get started and the biggest hurdles to overcome before taking any kind of career leap.

Anna Mackenzie

Tiny Beautiful Things

Anna Mackenzie: LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/annaclmack

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

6. Identifying your customer

Mon, 08 Jun 2026 16:00:00 GMT

In this episode I chat with Natalie Lynch, Digital Producer and Founder of Cinch Media.

It’s so important to understand your target market and we look at both understanding and crafting strategy to reach both your product/film’s target audience and also your own customer - ie. Who is going to give you work and opportunities?

We talk a lot about content in the episode and it directly relates to the prior episode with Carmel so if you haven’t listened chronologically - go back and listen to episode 5 first.

Natalie Lynch: LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/nat_cinch_media

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

5. The Power of Personal Brand

Mon, 01 Jun 2026 15:00:00 GMT

A powerful thing you can do for yourself to increase opportunities coming your way is to actively build your personal brand online.

In this episode I chat with marketing genius and founder Carmel Zein who is an expert in this arena.

We talk about the dollar value that a strong brand brings for companies but also how you can do this for your own personal brand and why you should.

Humble Brags

Staje

Carmel Zein: LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/humblebrags

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4. Financial foundations for a sustainable creative career

Mon, 25 May 2026 16:00:00 GMT

In this episode I chat with Pascale Helyar-Moray OAM, Director, Founder and Advisor about a topic that she and I are both incredibly passionate about… money.

This can be a sensitive subject for some creatives, however my goal with this podcast and The Savvy Creative in general is to demystify and make personal finance relatable and dare I say - fun or at the very least, interesting.

We discuss what led her to create start up Grow My Money (now Finder Shopping), her exit from the business and her top tips on how anyone can approach personal finance.

*Pascale contacted me after the record to let me know she confused her quotes! The quote was “a life lived in fear is a life half lived” and it was from the film Strictly Ballroom.

Dead Poets Society “Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary”.

BNP

Rich Dad Poor Dad

Australian Gender Equality Council

Pascale Website

Moneysmart.gov.au

Pascale Helyer-Moray: LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/dare.to.be_rich

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

3. Planning for success

Mon, 18 May 2026 17:00:00 GMT

In this episode with Dr David Sharpe of Sharpe advisory I wanted to see if we could draw up a business plan for your creative career the same way you would when starting a business. What would that look like? How can we best strategise and mitigate risk whilst remaining in a creative state.

Turns out risk is a crucial part of any business journey. Without it you cannot have the stepping out of your comfort zone and for entrepreneurs the more times you take a risk the stronger that muscle becomes. Can we borrow this for creative pursuits?

Dr. David Sharpe: LinkedIn

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2. Traditional Business vs Creative Business

Mon, 11 May 2026 17:02:00 GMT

In this episode I talk to the brilliant Matt Taylor and we dive into the comparison of traditional business models and creative business models.

Do they differ? Can we learn anything from traditional and apply it to the creative?

Matt takes us through his first business which he successfully exited and sold to Deloitte, what he learned through that process and then applied to his next business.

Matt Taylor: LinkedIn https://www.instagram.com/mjtaylor_esq/

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

1. The missing ingredient in arts education…

Mon, 11 May 2026 17:01:00 GMT

This is our introduction to season one with the incredible Dr Gerard Reed.

Our conversation is around fostering entrepreneurialism and innovation within creative people.

Gerard has taught this subject for many years, really living and breathing this idea through his work and experiences. We discuss creative partnerships, what does success look like and if the end goal of creating something is purely for self or is it for a marketability factor?

We also touch on how failure and painful experiences can actually be incredibly informative and life changing. All growth comes from discomfort - so it is in fact an inevitability for anyone testing outputs into a market.

This American Life podcast
Design thinking - UK council double diamond
Maslow’s taxonomy of needs
American Academy Awards
Blue ocean strategy (Kim & Mauborgne)
Bruce Jeffreys (Go get cars)

Dr Gerard Reed: LinkedIn

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by Sam Blacker: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Recorded with: Pivotal Conversations

Music by Gen Patrick: https://www.instagram.com/genpatrick.wav/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Introducing: How to be a Savvy Creative

Tue, 05 May 2026 10:45:09 GMT

Introducing, 'How to be a Savvy Creative', the podcast for anyone who is living and breathing a creative pursuit but perhaps lacks a little of the business know how that is essential for building a sustainable career.

Nell Nakkan, failed actress turned entrepreneur interviews experts in different fields to uncover if there is anything to be borrowed and applied to the life of a freelancer.

This season offers the foundations like Marketing 101, the importance of building an online presence, getting good at managing your finances and how to write a killer grant application.

To learn more visit the website: https://thesavvycreative.com.au/

Follow us at: https://www.instagram.com/the_savvycreative/

Watch this chat: https://www.youtube.com/@MaidenMediaOfficial

Produced by: https://thepodcastbutler.com/

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.