About

Creatives Meet Business (CMB) is a community for creatives of all walks to come together and learn from the business world so that they can have sustainability in their careers. While we know that monikers like “creative” and “artist” are already part of a creative’s portfolio, CMB helps add a few new titles to their resumé such as, “small business owner” and “entrepreneur.”



So what is CMB you ask? We’re an event and podcast series that helps empower Austin’s creative sector by connecting them with the various businesses who support them. At each event, we gather five professionals from a highlighted field for five roundtable discussions to share principles and practices from their industry.

CMB was founded by Ashland Viscosi, a unicorn of sorts, as she was actually born in Austin, Texas. Ashland has a background in film and production and works with several arts-based organizations in Austin. A proud graduate of the Leadership Austin Emerge program, she loves being a part of the Austin creative community. Her favorite things are people, conversations, cheese plates and brunch.

Goal Planning 002 Telephone

WE CREATE PERSONALIZED GOAL PLANS.

Through in-person or virtual meetings, we’ll help you set action to your intentions by developing a personalized goal plan. We’ll ask the tough questions when we meet and then report back to you with an action plan broken out into small, digestible bites. 

SIGNATURE EVENT: The Experience (CMBXP) House

READY FOR THREE DAYS OF PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT  THAT FEELS LIKE SUMMER CAMP?

Did you know we produce the annual Creatives Meet Business Experience (CMBXP)? Know what it is? CMBXP is more than a conference, it’s a community for artists, creatives, and the creative-minded. It features over 50 hands-on workshops on Business, Marketing, Skills Development, and Storytelling, one-on-one mentorships with industry experts on a variety of topics, and nightly themed happy hours. CMBXP 2020 is taking place September 24-26 in Austin, Texas.

Badges on sale in April!

2019 Event Recap

Podcast Headphones

Our podcast series helps empower members of the creative community through insights and tips about the business-side of being a creative -- in digestible bites. We cover a variety of topics to give you the business savvy you need to start or sustain your creative venture. Podcast available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher (and just about anywhere you go to listen to podcasts...).





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Business

Creatives Meet Business Experience (CMBXP)

Date and Time: September 24 - 26, 2020

Location: Austin, TX

Description: Three days with 50 hands-on workshops across four (4) programming tracks: Business, Marketing, Skills Development, Storytelling. Badges also include access to mentorship sessions and nightly themed happy hours.

Learn More

Managing (Professional) Relationships

April 25th, 2017

Managing (Professional) RelationshipsApril 25th, 2017

This event was awesome! We welcomed phenomenal attendees and six (6) Professional Relationship pros to Google Fiber on 4/25/17. Conversations ranged from designing professional relationships to setting boundaries and saying no to walking away from a professional relationship (gracefully). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Managing (Professional) Relationships edition, hosted by The Creative Executive, held on 4/25/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

  • Jen Spencer, The Creative Executive // Designing Professional Relationships
  • Kara Kriegshauser, ActiveProspect // Managing Relationships from All Angles: How to Manage Up, Down, and All-Around
  • Dr. Vagdevi Meunier, The Center for Relationships // Boundaries: Setting Them and Learning the Art of “No”
  • Billy Moyer, SOS Leadership // Walking Away Gracefully: Calling it Quits Without Burning Bridges
  • M. Yvonne Taylor, Yvonne Taylor Coaching // Networking for Introverts
  • Ashley Kegley-Whitehead, Buie & Co. // This Would be Better if I Had a Business Partner, Wait, Would it…?

Digital Marketing Edition

February 21, 2017

Digital Marketing EditionFebruary 21, 2017

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with six (6) Digital Marketing pros to Waller Ballroom on 2/21/17. Conversations ranged from managing your online reputation to blogging for SEO to understanding which analytics are actually applicable and why (and so much more). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Digital Marketing edition, hosted by Best Practice Media, held on 2/21/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

  • Claire Winslow, Best Practice Media // "The Ins and Outs of Online Reputation Management"
  • Chad Jones, Hatcreek Marketing // "The Demystification of Insights and Analytics - Which Measurements Really Matter?"
  • Cortney Hickey, lookthinkmake // "What You Can and Should Do To “Influence” Search Engines to Work FOR (And Not AGAINST) Your Blog"
  • Daniel Stone, Bandolier Media // "Content Marketing (AKA the “What”) to Share With Your Audience"
  • Maggie Miller, MaggieGentry // "Emails…How They Can Become Your Very Best Friend in Marketing"
  • Sean Greenberg, Work In Progress // "Making Sense of Your Digital Dollars Through Online Advertising"

PR Edition

December 6th, 2016

PR EditionDecember 6th, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with five (5) PR pros and a journalist to Spredfast on 12/6/16. Conversations ranged from finding your media home, to what makes a PR story compelling, all the way to influencer marketing and much more. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The PR edition, hosted by lookthinkmake, held on 12/6/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

  • Kristen Chin, POM PR // "Timelines - Why They Matter and How to Plan One"
  • Casey Miller, lookthinkmake // "Finding Your Story - How Do I Hone My Story To Make It Compelling?"
  • Jennifer Sinski, Giant Noise // "The Influence of Influencers in PR"
  • Victoria Villarreal, Bread & Butter PR // "Exploring The Media Landscape and Finding My (Media) Home" 
  • James Renovitch, The Austin Chronicle // "The Media & Me - How to Meet (and Then Talk) to Them" 
  • David Wyatt, Wyatt Brand // "It’s Not Just an Event - It’s Part of My PR Strategy"

Website Edition

October 18th, 2016

Website EditionOctober 18th, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with six (6) Website pros at Atlassian on 10/18/16. These pros dropped some insane knowledge with topics ranging from picking the right platform to not overloading your audience with images. This event was perfectly suited for anyone who is...A) building their first website, B) wanting to maximize the potential of their website, or C) considering overhauling their site and starting anew. Does this apply to you and now you're thinking "dang, I wish I could have been there?" Good news, you still can be! All of the conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

Jessica Alexander captured the lovely photos you see here in this gallery. If you want to see more, check out the album on Facebook.

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Website edition, hosted by General Assembly, held on 10/18/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

  • Jeremy Cox, McGarrah Jessee // "Branding Your Site: Consistency in Tone and Appearance"
  • Jon Lebkowsky, Polycot Associates // "Platforms and Me: How Do I Know Which is Best for My Needs" 
  • Mike Mitra, Drumroll // "How to Strike the Right Balance with Imagery and Visuals" 
  • Alex O’Neal, UXtraordinary // "Testing, Testing...and User Experience
  • Alyssa Scavetta, Masonry // "Website Admin: What You REALLY need to know about Hosting, Domains and more"
  • Julia Villarreal, SpaceCraft // "Map it out: the Ins and Outs of Site Mapping (aka How to Build Your Site So It Grows With You, Not Against You)"

Taxes & Accounting Edition

August 16, 2016

Taxes & Accounting EditionAugust 16, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with six (6) Tax & Accounting pros at Dropbox Austin on 8/16/16. We're fairly certain that we unraveled the great mystery surrounding taxes and accounting. Wish you could have been part of the great unraveling? No worries! Check out the podcast, available on iTunes and Stitcher. This edition was NOT live recorded, but we have something most excellent (and on topic) in store for you.

David Brendan Hall chronicled the evening – photos available on our Facebook page:

It’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors (and connect with fellow creatives along the way!).

The Tax & Accounting edition, hosted by Chris Adams, Maxwell Locke & Ritter, LLP, held on 8/16/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

  • Chris Adams, CPA - Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP
    • What is a CPA: Why, When and How to use one  
  • Elizabeth Donaldson - Maxwell Locke & Ritter LLP
    • The What, Why, When and How of Expense and Income Tracking
  • Jason Flaherty, JD, CPA - Brink Bennett Flaherty PLLC
    • What business structures are most commonly used in the creative spaces and what are the tax implications of each? 
  • Dena Holliday, Assistant Vice President, Business Banking - Frost Bank
    • What services are available to creatives and why are accurate financial details so important? 
  • Kristy Holmes-Hetzel, CPA - Maxwell Locke and Ritter LLP
    • What is the tax man going to come calling for each year and how do I make sure I keep him happily at bay? 
  • Layne Lauritzen, CPA, PC - Music CPA
    • Creating order out of chaos – what information, at a minimum, do I need to give my CPA at year-end? 

Financial Planning Edition

April 12, 2016

Financial Planning EditionApril 12, 2016

We welcomed a great crew of creatives from all walks along with 6 Financial Planners at WeWork Congress on 4/12/16. Each planner shared tips about making budgets you can stick to, tax and retirement planning and how to prepare yourself for tackling your next creative venture (and more). Wish you could have been there? We’ll have the podcast up and running in no time…

John Langford chronicled the evening – photos available on our Flickr page:

It’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Financial Planners edition, hosted by The Art of Finance, LLC, held on 4/12/16, featured roundtable discussions with:

Branding

June 20th, 2017

BrandingJune 20th, 2017

This event was awesome! We welcomed phenomenal attendees and six (6) Branding pros to T3 on 6/20/17. Conversations ranged from personal branding to designing for sales to standing out in a crowded market. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Branding edition, hosted by T3, held on 6/20/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

  • James Lanyon, T3 // Designing for Sales: How to Make My Service Jump Off the Page (and Into the Wallets of Others)
  • Kaitlin Maud, T3 // When Business Becomes Personal: Translating My Personal Brand into My Business Strategy 
  • Kyle Banahan, Amplify Snack Brands // Stand Out: How to Differentiate in a Crowded Market
  • Rachel Clemens, TradeMark Media // Behind Every Engaging Story…is a Set of Principles
  • Ariele Rosch, Facebook // Branding and Facebook: Designing Ads While Staying On Brand 
  • Trenzio Turner, Sanders\Wingo // What is Empathy, How Do I Use It and How Can I Leverage It for my Brand?

Photo Credit: David Brendan Hall Photography

Fundraising Edition

August 15, 2017

Fundraising EditionAugust 15, 2017

This event was awesome! We welcomed phenomenal attendees and six (6) Fundraising pros to uShip on 8/15/17. Conversations ranged from owning your mission statement to prospecting to crowdfunding campaigns to thought leadership. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and will be released as podcast episodes on iTunes and Stitcher (subscribe so you don't miss any!)

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Fundraising edition, hosted by Sally Blue, held on 8/15/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

Photo Credit: David Brendan Hall Photography

Bootstrap Edition

11/14/17

Bootstrap Edition11/14/17

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Bootstrapping pros to Atmosphere Coworking on 11/14/17. Conversations covered all five (5) stages of the Bootstrap Entrepreneurship Process: You, Question, Ideation, Valley of Death, and Growth. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and transformed into podcast episodes. They're available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts. Subscribe so you don't miss any!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Bootstrap edition, hosted by Bootstrap Austin, held on 11/14/17, featured roundtable discussions with:

  1. Bijoy Goswami, Bootstrap Austin // Stage 1: You - Key Action: Discover 
  2. Danny Gutknecht, Pathways // Stage 2: Quest(ion) - Key Action: Awaken
  3. Mike McKim, Cuvée Coffee // Stage 3: Ideation - Key Action: Demo
  4. Lou Ellman, RoyaltyZone // Stage 4: Valley of Death - Key Action: Sell
  5. Neelan Choksi, Tasktop Technologies // Stage 5: Growth - Key Action: Build

Photo Credit: Ashlee Newman Photography

Attention Management Edition

October 2, 2018

Attention Management EditionOctober 2, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Productivity pros to Red Velvet Events on 10/2/18. Conversations ranged from managing your attention and not time to uncovering the truth behind multi-tasking to creating structure and facilitating change that sticks (and SO much more!). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Attention Management edition, hosted by Maura Nevel Thomas, held on 10/2/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

  1. Maura Nevel Thomas, Regain Your Time // Attention Management - Why You Should Manage Attention, Not Time
  2. Bob Duke, University of Texas at Austin // What IS Multitasking Anyway?
  3. Erika Marcoux, Mindfulness Therapy // How to Use Mindfulness to Increase Creativity 
  4. Shawn Thomas, Regain Your Time // Productivity and How to Facilitate Change that Sticks
  5. Christine Moline, Dashboard Priorities // Why It Pays to Create Structure and Workflow

Photos by Annie Winsett, Crafting Exposure

Event Planning Edition

June 26, 2018

Event Planning EditionJune 26, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Event Planning pros to The Refinery on 6/26/18. Conversations ranged from structuring a successful event to sponsorships to event marketing (and SO much more!). Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Event Planning edition, hosted by The Refinery, held on 6/26/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

  1. Sarah Lo, Red Velvet Events // Teams, Tension, and Trial and Error; AKA, The Art of Working with Others When the Stakes are High
  2. Richelle Ouellette, Alchemy Events // Event Planning: Creating Your Own Roadmap for a Successful Event
  3. Danielle “Dani” Thomas, Big Green House // It’s Not Just an Event, It’s An Experience: Here’s How to Build One
  4. Hayley Swindell, The Refinery // Sponsors, Sponsorships, and Sponsor Decks - Oh My!
  5. Sarah K. Wolf, The Austin Chronicle // Event Marketing: If You Build It, Will They Come?

Photos by David Brendan Hall Photography

Telling Your Brand Story Edition

April 24, 2018

Telling Your Brand Story EditionApril 24, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Brand Story pros to Galvanize on 4/24/18. Conversations ranged from understanding voice and tone to perfecting your elevator pitch. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Telling Your Brand Story edition, hosted by Greenleaf Book Group, held on 4/24/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

  1. Sam Alexander, Greenleaf Book Group // Developing Personnas: aka Who Hears Your Story?
  2. AprilJo Murphy, Greenleaf Book Group // Understanding Voice and Tone: How You Tell It Matters
  3. Scott Andrew James, ScottAndrewJames.com // 5 Second Storytelling and the Art of the “Elevator Pitch"
  4. Nate Stine, lookthinkmake // Storytelling Vehicles: aka The Way You Tell It
  5. Lyn Graft, Storytelling for Entrepreneurs // What IS Your Story...

Photos by Ashlee Newman Photography

Goal Planning Edition

February 20, 2018

Goal Planning EditionFebruary 20, 2018

We welcomed phenomenal attendees and five (5) Goal Planning pros to Condé Nast on 2/20/18. Conversations ranged from separating business and personal goals to self care to financial goal planning to productivity hacks. Wish you could have been there? Good news, you still can be (in a way). The conversations were recorded and are transformed into podcast episodes available on Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher (and anywhere you go to listen to podcasts!). Search for "Creatives Meet Business Podcast" on your favorite podcast listening platform then subscribe so you don't miss any future episodes!

If you're new to who we are, you should know that it’s our mission at Creatives Meet Business to provide a valuable and meaningful service to creatives across all disciplines by helping them understand the business side of the industry and become more sustainable in their endeavors.

The Goal Planning edition, hosted by The Paper + Craft Pantry, held on 2/20/18, featured roundtable discussions with:

  1. Pei Sim, Paper + Craft Pantry // Keep 'em Separated...Personal vs. Business Goals 
  2. Maggie Miller, MaggieGentry.com // From Values to Vision Boarding 
  3. Steve Kahle, Gray Wolf Workflow // Productivity: Brain Hacks for Developing Your Goal Planning System 
  4. Kara Perez, bravely // Financial Goals: Keeping it All in Check(s) 
  5. Claire Siegel, The Petite Professional // Putting On Your Own Oxygen Mask First (aka Self Care!)

Photos by David Brendan Hall Photography

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH ME

Want to know more about upcoming events, our podcast series, or just want to chat? We'd love to hear from you!

Ashland Viscosi 
PO Box 49654, Austin, TX 78765 
512.363.7294 
ashland AT cmbatx DOT com

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