Ep02: Two Entrepreneurs, Two Wildly Different Origin Stories

TL;DR

There’s no “right” way to start a creative business.

In this episode, we share our very different origin stories — one impulsive leap into freelancing, one slow and steady side-hustle build — and what they taught us.

We talk about:

• Starting before you feel ready (and figuring it out as you go)

• The “year of yes” most entrepreneurs go through

• How risk feels different depending on your life season

• The unexpected perks of business ownership (like community)

• Why imposter syndrome doesn’t disappear — but it does get quieter

Different paths. Same lesson: trust yourself enough to take the next step.

Hi! I’m Joanna

Vancouver-based website designer and podcaster with nearly two decades of experience building strategic, conversion-focused websites for creative entrepreneurs. I’ve worked through multiple waves of SEO changes, platform shifts, and design trends, and what I know for certain is this: clarity, structure, and intentional branding will always outperform something that’s just visually impressive. That’s the lens I bring to every Vancouver website design project I touch.

In Episode 02 of the Brand Unmuted Podcast, we’re sharing our business origin stories — and spoiler: they couldn’t be more different.

Joanna’s story started with an overnight leap into freelancing (she literally quit her job on a Friday and started a new project on Monday). Dianna’s story took years of planning, researching, and building a side business before she finally made the jump to full-time entrepreneurship.

But even with totally different starting points, we’ve both learned the same thing: there’s no “right way” to build a creative business — you just have to keep trusting yourself that you’ll figure it out.

[LISTEN ON APPLE PODCASTS]

In This Episode, We Cover:

• Joanna’s first leap into business (and how she learned everything on the fly)
  
• The “year of yes” (and why so many entrepreneurs start there)
  
• Dianna’s path from healthcare admin → virtual assisting → copywriting
  
• Why risk feels different depending on your season of life
  
• The unexpected perks of entrepreneurship (like community)
  
• The reality of imposter syndrome (and why it doesn’t fully go away)
  
• The biggest takeaway: trust yourself that you’ll figure it out
  

Time Stamps

00:00 – Intro + why we’re sharing origin stories
01:49 – Joanna’s “started a business overnight” story
06:24 – Dianna’s path (the slow, planned version)
12:55 – What surprised Dianna even after planning so much
14:13 – Joanna’s restart seasons + building a business plan
18:58 – Mindset shifts, responsibility, and trusting yourself
23:04 – Unexpected perks of business ownership (community!)
25:05 – The imposter syndrome conversation

The Brand Unmuted Podcast is hosted by web designer Joanna Moss of Joanna Moss Creative, and copywriter Dianna Robicheau of Rise Copy Co. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. 

And if you enjoyed the show, leaving a rating or review is one of the best ways to support the podcast — we appreciate it so much.

See you next week!