How we inspire

What is AmberEnergy – you might ask?

AmberEnergy is a “ready to drink” can that harnesses the power of Amber’s positivity and brightness. Wait… we are working on this crazy cocktail. Stay tuned for this release.

AmberEnergy the PODCAST is action-packed and full of entertainment. You’ll laugh, cry, chuckle and head-nod while you listen to our conversations with guests.

Topics range from business and entrepreneurship to branding and marketing. 

Topics

Business & Entrepreneurship

Branding & Marketing

Woman Empowerment

Education

& Tips

Watch & Listen

Listen to us on PodBean, any of your favorite podcast platforms, or watch us on Youtube!

    Advertise with us!

    We would be tickled pink to have you advertise on AmberEnergy!

    We are a fast-growing podcast that talks about different topics within branding and marketing industries as well as business and entrepreneurship to personal endeavors.

    Each episode will be an interview and conversation between host Amber Jacobs and you. 

    Podcasts

    Ch-Ch-Changes! Embracing Change Instead of Resisting

    Change can be exciting but more often it is daunting and fills a lot of us with doubt which leads to resistance. Recently at Amber Design we made a pretty big change; our CEO Amber Jacobs moved to Idaho! This episode dives into why embracing change will always serve you better than resisting it. You need to be confident in what you want. If you feel like a broken record, complaining about your life to everyone around you, that’s the sign that something needs to change. Amber Energy got a little more personal in this episode with both Amber and Rachel’s take on change, how to know when you need one and how to embrace it when. it comes. We strive to serve business owners and designers in all the ways. Sometimes that means the technical stuff like logos and marketing tactics, and sometimes we push more of a “human” button and we talk about things like change, being a parent while running a business, and other more personal topics. Listen to the whole podcast anywhere you get podcasts and make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes, releasing every other week! Also Available on Youtube! […]

    Explore

    Fighting the #WorkingMom with guest Disha Pegu

    What’s your definition of a “Working Mom”? Is it simply being employed or running a business while being a mom? What about the work of simply being a mom? Employed or not, all moms WORK. ..which is why we think its time to retire the hashtag #workingmom. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk all about this subject and we’re joined by a special guest, Disha Pegu of Atarim, a website project delivery system based in London! This episode is a little ‘preview’ to the upcoming presentation Amber will be doing at the Atarim Digital Agency Summit next week on April 27th. This episode is a candid conversation about what it is to be a mom and how much work it is by itself, not to mention if you have a job or run a business at the same time. We talk gender equality, family and office dynamics, and offer solid advice on how to balance being a mom (or dad) while also following your career and business dreams. “There’s some moms out there that, deep down, really deep down wish they had a job or…maybe they passed up an opportunity or got offered a promotion but they didn’t […]

    Explore

    The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

    Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

    Explore

    Ch-Ch-Changes! Embracing Change Instead of Resisting

    Change can be exciting but more often it is daunting and fills a lot of us with doubt which leads to resistance. Recently at Amber Design we made a pretty big change; our CEO Amber Jacobs moved to Idaho! This episode dives into why embracing change will always serve you better than resisting it. You need to be confident in what you want. If you feel like a broken record, complaining about your life to everyone around you, that’s the sign that something needs to change. Amber Energy got a little more personal in this episode with both Amber and Rachel’s take on change, how to know when you need one and how to embrace it when. it comes. We strive to serve business owners and designers in all the ways. Sometimes that means the technical stuff like logos and marketing tactics, and sometimes we push more of a “human” button and we talk about things like change, being a parent while running a business, and other more personal topics. Listen to the whole podcast anywhere you get podcasts and make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes, releasing every other week! Also Available on Youtube! […]

    Explore

    Fighting the #WorkingMom with guest Disha Pegu

    What’s your definition of a “Working Mom”? Is it simply being employed or running a business while being a mom? What about the work of simply being a mom? Employed or not, all moms WORK. ..which is why we think its time to retire the hashtag #workingmom. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk all about this subject and we’re joined by a special guest, Disha Pegu of Atarim, a website project delivery system based in London! This episode is a little ‘preview’ to the upcoming presentation Amber will be doing at the Atarim Digital Agency Summit next week on April 27th. This episode is a candid conversation about what it is to be a mom and how much work it is by itself, not to mention if you have a job or run a business at the same time. We talk gender equality, family and office dynamics, and offer solid advice on how to balance being a mom (or dad) while also following your career and business dreams. “There’s some moms out there that, deep down, really deep down wish they had a job or…maybe they passed up an opportunity or got offered a promotion but they didn’t […]

    Explore

    Spending Money to Make Money

    These days you can start a business for relatively cheap. But how do you put your brand on the map? At a certain point, you’ll need to spend some money in order to make a little more of it. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk MONEY! In the last 6 years, Amber went from part time contractor after getting laid off from her full time gig to full fledged business owner. She has her own employees, multiple growth projects on the pipeline, and big plans for the future. that didn’t happen without spending some serious cash. This episode is a recounting of many big decisions made over the year to get Amber Design to where it is today, as well as invaluable lessons on starting a business and what you’ll need to succeed long term. “You live and learn…So I wouldn’t say there’s like, real big regrets or things I wish I would’ve done differently, it was just my natural organic progression in learning business. I didn’t learn business in school, I learned how to be a good graphic designer—but I learned the big business chops along the way.” Click on any of the links below to listen […]

    Explore

    Balancing Mom life with CEO Life

    Being a mom isn’t easy. Running your own business isn’t easy. Amber Jacobs does both, and while it challenges her daily, she wouldn’t have it any other way. In this episode, Amber and Rachel get a bit more personal than they have in previous episodes. They talk about the balancing act that is being a mom of two young boys while “making it” as a CEO of a small yet growing business. “I just kind of have to put my ear muffs on when it comes to mom guilt. You know I’m not doing it their way, I’m doing it my way. My way is this interesting hybrid that is ‘career mom at home’ and it’s not right or wrong–no ones way is right or wrong.” Deciding to have kids doesn’t always have to mean giving up your dream job or starting a business. Being intensely focused on your career or getting a business off the ground doesn’t have to mean putting off having kids either. Like any decision in life, if you want to be successful, it comes down to making a solid plan to make the things important to you work. Click on any of the links below […]

    Explore

    How to Come Back After Setbacks in your Career

    We all experience setbacks here and there. Life has a funny way of taking us on a ride that despite a planned route with specific rest stops and a destination in mind, sometimes ends up looking very different than originally planned with roadblocks we have to overcome and often a different direction entirely. In this episode, Amber and Rachel talk about the various obstacles that have come up along the way in Amber’s path from college student working 3 jobs to where she is now–wife and mom of two boys who owns her own graphic design business, leads a team of design contractors, and works with brands from all different industries across the world. “I remember I kept getting turned down at interviews because I was too green or they could tell I didn’t have enough work experience. And [during the recession] they were hiring senior designers for junior rates because they knew they could…So at one point I took the dates off my resume, and I remember that being a BIG door opener for me. As soon as I did that, I started to get more phone calls.” Setbacks don’t have to truly hold you back from what you […]

    Explore

    Amber Design 2021 in Review

    We are full speed ahead into the New Year and already working on our 2022 goals–but an important part of setting and achieving new goals is reflecting on how we did with our last set of goals, and the work it took to get there. In episode 2 of Amber Energy: The Podcast, Amber and Rachel review the favorite projects of 2021, the lessons learned, and talk about how successful we were at achieving the goals set at the beginning of the year. Amber Design experienced a lot of growth this year and that’s involved some tough decisions and changes in how we do business. “I had three contractors I had to hire and fire. Its all about creating and having quality work and if you don’t have it you can’t grow. But its also about integrity! Business integrity is so important to me. If you don’t have it, I don’t have time for that type of shit.” Amber Energy is a podcast where we tell it like it is when it comes to business, entrepreneurship, graphic design and the life that goes along with it. None of it is easy which is why we’re passing the wisdom we’ve gained […]

    Explore

    New Year, New PODCAST!

    For Amber Design, 2021 was very much about setting the foundation for a big growth year in 2022. While Amber prepared for some family expansion, she also made some key business decisions that have and will continue to help the brand of “Awesome Amber” grow to new heights. One of our biggest goals for 2022 is to increase and expand our reach. Enter: Amber Energy – The Podcast!   We started Amber Energy in an effort to not just talk about graphic design. Although that is a big subject we’ll be covering regularly, we also plan to go into all things business ownership, career success, and all the personal nuts and bolts that have to be tightened and oiled in order for life to keep on moving. Amber has a unique story. She’s the definition of a “self-made” woman making it in the world. She grew up in rural Western Washington on a farm with daily lessons in hard work, perseverance, and grit that would later pay off when experiencing the various hardships she’d come to face (more on that in a later episode). In high school, it became clear early on that Amber was an exceptional artist–she drew her […]

    Explore

    Ch-Ch-Changes! Embracing Change Instead of Resisting

    Change can be exciting but more often it is daunting and fills a lot of us with doubt which leads to resistance. Recently at Amber Design we made a pretty big change; our CEO Amber Jacobs moved to Idaho! This episode dives into why embracing change will always serve you better than resisting it. You need to be confident in what you want. If you feel like a broken record, complaining about your life to everyone around you, that’s the sign that something needs to change. Amber Energy got a little more personal in this episode with both Amber and Rachel’s take on change, how to know when you need one and how to embrace it when. it comes. We strive to serve business owners and designers in all the ways. Sometimes that means the technical stuff like logos and marketing tactics, and sometimes we push more of a “human” button and we talk about things like change, being a parent while running a business, and other more personal topics. Listen to the whole podcast anywhere you get podcasts and make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes, releasing every other week! Also Available on Youtube! […]

    Explore

    Fighting the #WorkingMom with guest Disha Pegu

    What’s your definition of a “Working Mom”? Is it simply being employed or running a business while being a mom? What about the work of simply being a mom? Employed or not, all moms WORK. ..which is why we think its time to retire the hashtag #workingmom. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk all about this subject and we’re joined by a special guest, Disha Pegu of Atarim, a website project delivery system based in London! This episode is a little ‘preview’ to the upcoming presentation Amber will be doing at the Atarim Digital Agency Summit next week on April 27th. This episode is a candid conversation about what it is to be a mom and how much work it is by itself, not to mention if you have a job or run a business at the same time. We talk gender equality, family and office dynamics, and offer solid advice on how to balance being a mom (or dad) while also following your career and business dreams. “There’s some moms out there that, deep down, really deep down wish they had a job or…maybe they passed up an opportunity or got offered a promotion but they didn’t […]

    Explore

    The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

    Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

    Explore

    Spending Money to Make Money

    These days you can start a business for relatively cheap. But how do you put your brand on the map? At a certain point, you’ll need to spend some money in order to make a little more of it. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk MONEY! In the last 6 years, Amber went from part time contractor after getting laid off from her full time gig to full fledged business owner. She has her own employees, multiple growth projects on the pipeline, and big plans for the future. that didn’t happen without spending some serious cash. This episode is a recounting of many big decisions made over the year to get Amber Design to where it is today, as well as invaluable lessons on starting a business and what you’ll need to succeed long term. “You live and learn…So I wouldn’t say there’s like, real big regrets or things I wish I would’ve done differently, it was just my natural organic progression in learning business. I didn’t learn business in school, I learned how to be a good graphic designer—but I learned the big business chops along the way.” Click on any of the links below to listen […]

    Explore

    History of Responsive Logos with Adam Jeffers

    The constantly updating and growing world of technology has made us change how we as consumers see and interact with brands through their websites, logos and marketing. As times change, so must brands if they want to stay top of mind. That means designers have had to change and grow too. In this installment of Amber Energy we have our first guest join us for a talk on responsive logos! Adam Jeffers is a designer who’s worked with Amber Design for just over a year. He specializes in Logos, icons, illustration and photo editing and has been a huge asset to the team. This episode is a deep dive on responsive logos and websites and how they came to be from the early 2000s to now as technology, internet and social media has evolved. “Its amazing what you can get away with with familiarity and shape and color at such a small and simplified logo version” Click on any of the links below to listen to this episode of Amber Energy and get the whole story and all the tips on how to juggle mom life, personal self care, and your career without going absolutely crazy. Episodes will be aimed […]

    Explore

    Balancing Mom life with CEO Life

    Being a mom isn’t easy. Running your own business isn’t easy. Amber Jacobs does both, and while it challenges her daily, she wouldn’t have it any other way. In this episode, Amber and Rachel get a bit more personal than they have in previous episodes. They talk about the balancing act that is being a mom of two young boys while “making it” as a CEO of a small yet growing business. “I just kind of have to put my ear muffs on when it comes to mom guilt. You know I’m not doing it their way, I’m doing it my way. My way is this interesting hybrid that is ‘career mom at home’ and it’s not right or wrong–no ones way is right or wrong.” Deciding to have kids doesn’t always have to mean giving up your dream job or starting a business. Being intensely focused on your career or getting a business off the ground doesn’t have to mean putting off having kids either. Like any decision in life, if you want to be successful, it comes down to making a solid plan to make the things important to you work. Click on any of the links below […]

    Explore

    How to Come Back After Setbacks in your Career

    We all experience setbacks here and there. Life has a funny way of taking us on a ride that despite a planned route with specific rest stops and a destination in mind, sometimes ends up looking very different than originally planned with roadblocks we have to overcome and often a different direction entirely. In this episode, Amber and Rachel talk about the various obstacles that have come up along the way in Amber’s path from college student working 3 jobs to where she is now–wife and mom of two boys who owns her own graphic design business, leads a team of design contractors, and works with brands from all different industries across the world. “I remember I kept getting turned down at interviews because I was too green or they could tell I didn’t have enough work experience. And [during the recession] they were hiring senior designers for junior rates because they knew they could…So at one point I took the dates off my resume, and I remember that being a BIG door opener for me. As soon as I did that, I started to get more phone calls.” Setbacks don’t have to truly hold you back from what you […]

    Explore

    Amber Design 2021 in Review

    We are full speed ahead into the New Year and already working on our 2022 goals–but an important part of setting and achieving new goals is reflecting on how we did with our last set of goals, and the work it took to get there. In episode 2 of Amber Energy: The Podcast, Amber and Rachel review the favorite projects of 2021, the lessons learned, and talk about how successful we were at achieving the goals set at the beginning of the year. Amber Design experienced a lot of growth this year and that’s involved some tough decisions and changes in how we do business. “I had three contractors I had to hire and fire. Its all about creating and having quality work and if you don’t have it you can’t grow. But its also about integrity! Business integrity is so important to me. If you don’t have it, I don’t have time for that type of shit.” Amber Energy is a podcast where we tell it like it is when it comes to business, entrepreneurship, graphic design and the life that goes along with it. None of it is easy which is why we’re passing the wisdom we’ve gained […]

    Explore

    What’s a Sales Funnel? #BuildingYourBusiness Series

    What the *fu#k* is a Sales Funnel?? Getting a customer to visit your website is usually pretty easy. but what makes them stay there to look around? What pushes them forward on the path to purchase rather than pushing them to close out their tab? Closing a sale of any kind through marketing tactics is hardly ever an accident. Customers buy products and sign up for services because they’re more than just curious–they’ve bought in. And they’ll only buy in with confidence if you lead them there with a sales funnel. “Those value propositions of why your product is so superior from the competition. So then through client/customer reviews, different certifications, different things like that, of why you’re superior…and then you can be like “BUY NOW! Because we’re so awesome! And now you know you need it because we’ve proven to you why it’s so awesome. And then not just buy this product but buy this support product that goes with it.” This episode of Amber Energy is part of our #BuildingYourBusiness Series which is meant for the newer and/or hopeful business owner to help give them the tools to start and nurture their business. Our last #BYB series episode is […]

    Explore

    Why Hire Boutique Over a Big Fish Design Agency?

    If you’re a business owner you’ve probably been faced (or maybe are currently faced) with the decision to choose a boutique design agency OR a “big fish” design firm. In this episode of Amber Energy: the podcast, we talk about the pros and cons of each side of the coin. R: Would you rather have a big team of various levels of expertise looking and working on your project or would you rather have 1-2 more experienced designers/creative directors working on it? A: Yeah, it’s just less layers…when you have a bigger company I get the rationale of why you have to be that way, because there’s more people to manage. A boutique agency like us is a little bit more nimble and usually more responsive. At Amber Design we give you a very “bespoke” experience. You get to be as involved as you want to be and your company’s project files are handled with the utmost care with highly experienced designers, including Amber who gives the final approval even if she has one of her contractors do most of the design work. Listen to the whole podcast anywhere you get podcasts and make sure to subscribe to stay up […]

    Explore

    Fighting the #WorkingMom with guest Disha Pegu

    What’s your definition of a “Working Mom”? Is it simply being employed or running a business while being a mom? What about the work of simply being a mom? Employed or not, all moms WORK. ..which is why we think its time to retire the hashtag #workingmom. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk all about this subject and we’re joined by a special guest, Disha Pegu of Atarim, a website project delivery system based in London! This episode is a little ‘preview’ to the upcoming presentation Amber will be doing at the Atarim Digital Agency Summit next week on April 27th. This episode is a candid conversation about what it is to be a mom and how much work it is by itself, not to mention if you have a job or run a business at the same time. We talk gender equality, family and office dynamics, and offer solid advice on how to balance being a mom (or dad) while also following your career and business dreams. “There’s some moms out there that, deep down, really deep down wish they had a job or…maybe they passed up an opportunity or got offered a promotion but they didn’t […]

    Explore

    The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

    Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

    Explore

    Spending Money to Make Money

    These days you can start a business for relatively cheap. But how do you put your brand on the map? At a certain point, you’ll need to spend some money in order to make a little more of it. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk MONEY! In the last 6 years, Amber went from part time contractor after getting laid off from her full time gig to full fledged business owner. She has her own employees, multiple growth projects on the pipeline, and big plans for the future. that didn’t happen without spending some serious cash. This episode is a recounting of many big decisions made over the year to get Amber Design to where it is today, as well as invaluable lessons on starting a business and what you’ll need to succeed long term. “You live and learn…So I wouldn’t say there’s like, real big regrets or things I wish I would’ve done differently, it was just my natural organic progression in learning business. I didn’t learn business in school, I learned how to be a good graphic designer—but I learned the big business chops along the way.” Click on any of the links below to listen […]

    Explore

    Balancing Mom life with CEO Life

    Being a mom isn’t easy. Running your own business isn’t easy. Amber Jacobs does both, and while it challenges her daily, she wouldn’t have it any other way. In this episode, Amber and Rachel get a bit more personal than they have in previous episodes. They talk about the balancing act that is being a mom of two young boys while “making it” as a CEO of a small yet growing business. “I just kind of have to put my ear muffs on when it comes to mom guilt. You know I’m not doing it their way, I’m doing it my way. My way is this interesting hybrid that is ‘career mom at home’ and it’s not right or wrong–no ones way is right or wrong.” Deciding to have kids doesn’t always have to mean giving up your dream job or starting a business. Being intensely focused on your career or getting a business off the ground doesn’t have to mean putting off having kids either. Like any decision in life, if you want to be successful, it comes down to making a solid plan to make the things important to you work. Click on any of the links below […]

    Explore

    How to Come Back After Setbacks in your Career

    We all experience setbacks here and there. Life has a funny way of taking us on a ride that despite a planned route with specific rest stops and a destination in mind, sometimes ends up looking very different than originally planned with roadblocks we have to overcome and often a different direction entirely. In this episode, Amber and Rachel talk about the various obstacles that have come up along the way in Amber’s path from college student working 3 jobs to where she is now–wife and mom of two boys who owns her own graphic design business, leads a team of design contractors, and works with brands from all different industries across the world. “I remember I kept getting turned down at interviews because I was too green or they could tell I didn’t have enough work experience. And [during the recession] they were hiring senior designers for junior rates because they knew they could…So at one point I took the dates off my resume, and I remember that being a BIG door opener for me. As soon as I did that, I started to get more phone calls.” Setbacks don’t have to truly hold you back from what you […]

    Explore

    Amber Design 2021 in Review

    We are full speed ahead into the New Year and already working on our 2022 goals–but an important part of setting and achieving new goals is reflecting on how we did with our last set of goals, and the work it took to get there. In episode 2 of Amber Energy: The Podcast, Amber and Rachel review the favorite projects of 2021, the lessons learned, and talk about how successful we were at achieving the goals set at the beginning of the year. Amber Design experienced a lot of growth this year and that’s involved some tough decisions and changes in how we do business. “I had three contractors I had to hire and fire. Its all about creating and having quality work and if you don’t have it you can’t grow. But its also about integrity! Business integrity is so important to me. If you don’t have it, I don’t have time for that type of shit.” Amber Energy is a podcast where we tell it like it is when it comes to business, entrepreneurship, graphic design and the life that goes along with it. None of it is easy which is why we’re passing the wisdom we’ve gained […]

    Explore

    New Year, New PODCAST!

    For Amber Design, 2021 was very much about setting the foundation for a big growth year in 2022. While Amber prepared for some family expansion, she also made some key business decisions that have and will continue to help the brand of “Awesome Amber” grow to new heights. One of our biggest goals for 2022 is to increase and expand our reach. Enter: Amber Energy – The Podcast!   We started Amber Energy in an effort to not just talk about graphic design. Although that is a big subject we’ll be covering regularly, we also plan to go into all things business ownership, career success, and all the personal nuts and bolts that have to be tightened and oiled in order for life to keep on moving. Amber has a unique story. She’s the definition of a “self-made” woman making it in the world. She grew up in rural Western Washington on a farm with daily lessons in hard work, perseverance, and grit that would later pay off when experiencing the various hardships she’d come to face (more on that in a later episode). In high school, it became clear early on that Amber was an exceptional artist–she drew her […]

    Explore

    Ch-Ch-Changes! Embracing Change Instead of Resisting

    Change can be exciting but more often it is daunting and fills a lot of us with doubt which leads to resistance. Recently at Amber Design we made a pretty big change; our CEO Amber Jacobs moved to Idaho! This episode dives into why embracing change will always serve you better than resisting it. You need to be confident in what you want. If you feel like a broken record, complaining about your life to everyone around you, that’s the sign that something needs to change. Amber Energy got a little more personal in this episode with both Amber and Rachel’s take on change, how to know when you need one and how to embrace it when. it comes. We strive to serve business owners and designers in all the ways. Sometimes that means the technical stuff like logos and marketing tactics, and sometimes we push more of a “human” button and we talk about things like change, being a parent while running a business, and other more personal topics. Listen to the whole podcast anywhere you get podcasts and make sure to subscribe to stay up to date on new episodes, releasing every other week! Also Available on Youtube! […]

    Explore

    What’s a Sales Funnel? #BuildingYourBusiness Series

    What the *fu#k* is a Sales Funnel?? Getting a customer to visit your website is usually pretty easy. but what makes them stay there to look around? What pushes them forward on the path to purchase rather than pushing them to close out their tab? Closing a sale of any kind through marketing tactics is hardly ever an accident. Customers buy products and sign up for services because they’re more than just curious–they’ve bought in. And they’ll only buy in with confidence if you lead them there with a sales funnel. “Those value propositions of why your product is so superior from the competition. So then through client/customer reviews, different certifications, different things like that, of why you’re superior…and then you can be like “BUY NOW! Because we’re so awesome! And now you know you need it because we’ve proven to you why it’s so awesome. And then not just buy this product but buy this support product that goes with it.” This episode of Amber Energy is part of our #BuildingYourBusiness Series which is meant for the newer and/or hopeful business owner to help give them the tools to start and nurture their business. Our last #BYB series episode is […]

    Explore

    Why Hire Boutique Over a Big Fish Design Agency?

    If you’re a business owner you’ve probably been faced (or maybe are currently faced) with the decision to choose a boutique design agency OR a “big fish” design firm. In this episode of Amber Energy: the podcast, we talk about the pros and cons of each side of the coin. R: Would you rather have a big team of various levels of expertise looking and working on your project or would you rather have 1-2 more experienced designers/creative directors working on it? A: Yeah, it’s just less layers…when you have a bigger company I get the rationale of why you have to be that way, because there’s more people to manage. A boutique agency like us is a little bit more nimble and usually more responsive. At Amber Design we give you a very “bespoke” experience. You get to be as involved as you want to be and your company’s project files are handled with the utmost care with highly experienced designers, including Amber who gives the final approval even if she has one of her contractors do most of the design work. Listen to the whole podcast anywhere you get podcasts and make sure to subscribe to stay up […]

    Explore

    Fighting the #WorkingMom with guest Disha Pegu

    What’s your definition of a “Working Mom”? Is it simply being employed or running a business while being a mom? What about the work of simply being a mom? Employed or not, all moms WORK. ..which is why we think its time to retire the hashtag #workingmom. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk all about this subject and we’re joined by a special guest, Disha Pegu of Atarim, a website project delivery system based in London! This episode is a little ‘preview’ to the upcoming presentation Amber will be doing at the Atarim Digital Agency Summit next week on April 27th. This episode is a candid conversation about what it is to be a mom and how much work it is by itself, not to mention if you have a job or run a business at the same time. We talk gender equality, family and office dynamics, and offer solid advice on how to balance being a mom (or dad) while also following your career and business dreams. “There’s some moms out there that, deep down, really deep down wish they had a job or…maybe they passed up an opportunity or got offered a promotion but they didn’t […]

    Explore

    The Perfect Logo #BuildingYourBusiness Series

    Today, Amber Energy: The Podcast embarks on a series we think will be appreciated by all business owners, but especially those of you who are just starting out or thinkig of starting a business soon. The #BuildingYourBusiness series will cover topics in-depth that are directly transferable to starting and building a solid business that will stand the test of time and your chosen industry. First up: The Perfect Logo. R: What is Amber’s Definition of a logo? A: It’s a visual representation of your brand. It’s the first impression typically of your brand and what your company says. It’s a symbol. You can learn a lot from a logo; it says a lot about you at a glance. It’s that 3-second conceptual representation of your brand. R: Why do you like working on logos? A: They’re the foundation of a brand, its why I like them so much. They say so much about you without saying anything at all. Like, how does this little button bug encapsulate the concept of your brand? Its fun to come up with something unique. From the logo everything else just spins off of it to all aspects of the business. This is one of […]

    Explore

    Spending Money to Make Money

    These days you can start a business for relatively cheap. But how do you put your brand on the map? At a certain point, you’ll need to spend some money in order to make a little more of it. In this installment of Amber Energy we talk MONEY! In the last 6 years, Amber went from part time contractor after getting laid off from her full time gig to full fledged business owner. She has her own employees, multiple growth projects on the pipeline, and big plans for the future. that didn’t happen without spending some serious cash. This episode is a recounting of many big decisions made over the year to get Amber Design to where it is today, as well as invaluable lessons on starting a business and what you’ll need to succeed long term. “You live and learn…So I wouldn’t say there’s like, real big regrets or things I wish I would’ve done differently, it was just my natural organic progression in learning business. I didn’t learn business in school, I learned how to be a good graphic designer—but I learned the big business chops along the way.” Click on any of the links below to listen […]

    Explore

    History of Responsive Logos with Adam Jeffers

    The constantly updating and growing world of technology has made us change how we as consumers see and interact with brands through their websites, logos and marketing. As times change, so must brands if they want to stay top of mind. That means designers have had to change and grow too. In this installment of Amber Energy we have our first guest join us for a talk on responsive logos! Adam Jeffers is a designer who’s worked with Amber Design for just over a year. He specializes in Logos, icons, illustration and photo editing and has been a huge asset to the team. This episode is a deep dive on responsive logos and websites and how they came to be from the early 2000s to now as technology, internet and social media has evolved. “Its amazing what you can get away with with familiarity and shape and color at such a small and simplified logo version” Click on any of the links below to listen to this episode of Amber Energy and get the whole story and all the tips on how to juggle mom life, personal self care, and your career without going absolutely crazy. Episodes will be aimed […]

    Explore

    Balancing Mom life with CEO Life

    Being a mom isn’t easy. Running your own business isn’t easy. Amber Jacobs does both, and while it challenges her daily, she wouldn’t have it any other way. In this episode, Amber and Rachel get a bit more personal than they have in previous episodes. They talk about the balancing act that is being a mom of two young boys while “making it” as a CEO of a small yet growing business. “I just kind of have to put my ear muffs on when it comes to mom guilt. You know I’m not doing it their way, I’m doing it my way. My way is this interesting hybrid that is ‘career mom at home’ and it’s not right or wrong–no ones way is right or wrong.” Deciding to have kids doesn’t always have to mean giving up your dream job or starting a business. Being intensely focused on your career or getting a business off the ground doesn’t have to mean putting off having kids either. Like any decision in life, if you want to be successful, it comes down to making a solid plan to make the things important to you work. Click on any of the links below […]

    Explore

    How to Come Back After Setbacks in your Career

    We all experience setbacks here and there. Life has a funny way of taking us on a ride that despite a planned route with specific rest stops and a destination in mind, sometimes ends up looking very different than originally planned with roadblocks we have to overcome and often a different direction entirely. In this episode, Amber and Rachel talk about the various obstacles that have come up along the way in Amber’s path from college student working 3 jobs to where she is now–wife and mom of two boys who owns her own graphic design business, leads a team of design contractors, and works with brands from all different industries across the world. “I remember I kept getting turned down at interviews because I was too green or they could tell I didn’t have enough work experience. And [during the recession] they were hiring senior designers for junior rates because they knew they could…So at one point I took the dates off my resume, and I remember that being a BIG door opener for me. As soon as I did that, I started to get more phone calls.” Setbacks don’t have to truly hold you back from what you […]

    Explore

    Amber Design 2021 in Review

    We are full speed ahead into the New Year and already working on our 2022 goals–but an important part of setting and achieving new goals is reflecting on how we did with our last set of goals, and the work it took to get there. In episode 2 of Amber Energy: The Podcast, Amber and Rachel review the favorite projects of 2021, the lessons learned, and talk about how successful we were at achieving the goals set at the beginning of the year. Amber Design experienced a lot of growth this year and that’s involved some tough decisions and changes in how we do business. “I had three contractors I had to hire and fire. Its all about creating and having quality work and if you don’t have it you can’t grow. But its also about integrity! Business integrity is so important to me. If you don’t have it, I don’t have time for that type of shit.” Amber Energy is a podcast where we tell it like it is when it comes to business, entrepreneurship, graphic design and the life that goes along with it. None of it is easy which is why we’re passing the wisdom we’ve gained […]

    Explore

    New Year, New PODCAST!

    For Amber Design, 2021 was very much about setting the foundation for a big growth year in 2022. While Amber prepared for some family expansion, she also made some key business decisions that have and will continue to help the brand of “Awesome Amber” grow to new heights. One of our biggest goals for 2022 is to increase and expand our reach. Enter: Amber Energy – The Podcast!   We started Amber Energy in an effort to not just talk about graphic design. Although that is a big subject we’ll be covering regularly, we also plan to go into all things business ownership, career success, and all the personal nuts and bolts that have to be tightened and oiled in order for life to keep on moving. Amber has a unique story. She’s the definition of a “self-made” woman making it in the world. She grew up in rural Western Washington on a farm with daily lessons in hard work, perseverance, and grit that would later pay off when experiencing the various hardships she’d come to face (more on that in a later episode). In high school, it became clear early on that Amber was an exceptional artist–she drew her […]

    Explore

    Join our quarterly newsletter

    Sign up for our free newsletter containing our latest projects, insights and resources.

    Name(Required)

    Let’s Partner

    We can’t wait to begin the conversation around advertising opportunities or becoming a guest on our show.