Facilitated group coaching roundtables

Facilitated group coaching roundtables are an opportunity for creative business owners to learn, grow and thrive in a safe, non-competing place.

Perhaps you're a mid-sized design business owner wanting to improve management skills?
Or you want to grow the business into new sectors?
Or maybe you seek a community to share and talk business?

Roundtables are all these things. It’s a group of creatives with a common goal to manage their business better.

The round table has been invaluable to me professionally and personally. It has helped me to step up from a sole trader to a business operator mindset. The combined insights from Carol, Greg, and round table participants have broken down what seems a large undertaking into achievable micro-steps. Most importantly, the support that the monthly catch-ups have provided has given me drive to push forward.’

Georgie Batt, Founder, Creative Director, By Georg Design

In the past few months I have learnt more from the DBC round tables than I have in the previous year of being in business. Not just from Carol and Greg but from the fellow designers ‘at the table’.

It’s a non-competitive, safe environment. I’m definitely re-signing … my only regret is not joining one of their roundtables earlier. 

Julie Schroder, Founder, Business Director, Studio Hoopla

How roundtables work

Roundtables are curated groups of similar but non-competing creative businesses.

They’re not new, we’ve run roundtables for the past 5 years using content and experience based on our one-on-one consulting to creative businesses.

The content and direction are set by, and tailored to, the group. It’s about your goals, needs and challenges. We facilitate using our (over 30 years) experience founding and managing a creative business, and in consulting to hundreds of creative businesses we’ve mentored and coached over the past decade.

Our experience spans business models and structures; roles and responsibilities; processes and systems; marketing and new business; people and culture; profitability and how to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

And it’s not just about us, it’s the chance for you to see inside other creative businesses and hear what’s worked for them, and what hasn’t. *Gold*.

One of the values of roundtables is the opportunity to see inside other creative businesses. To hear how others may have solved the problem you currently face or tried a solution and failed. It’s a platform for listening, sharing and profiting from other’s experience. That’s of value because often our default network is an echo-chamber.

Roundtables are the ability to hear new ideas, thoughts and strategies. It’s the opportunity to have your thinking challenged and ideas broadened.

Between the monthly zoom sessions the conversation is continued on a dedicated Slack channel. We have seen some great things come through these channels.

Who is the roundtable for?

Creative business owners who want to learn grow and thrive in a safe, non-competing space.

There are many common issues faced by all creative business owners, but some challenges can be specific to size and/or business maturity. That’s why we run three different roundtables.

The entrepreneurial group is for creative business owners with 5-10 employees to manage and multiple client sectors to service. It’s a perfect group for those wanting to expand their service pillars and improve profitability while maintaining a life balance. Leadership at this level is important. Roundtables are the opportunity to discuss challenges develop better, stronger leadership skills, and build better, more robust mental health.

The enterprise group is for creative business owners with more than 10 employees. Contact Greg for more details.

Content is focussed on the group’s needs and wants. From experience we know that includes business models and structure; roles and responsibilities; processes and systems; marketing and new business; people and culture; profitability and maintaining a healthy work-life balance.

“I have just finished my first season of Business Roundtables hosted and mentored by Carol and Greg and joined by a friendly group of fellows from a variety of design businesses.

The zoom sessions were the perfect balance of practical and relevant information delivered in a relaxed and enjoyable style, making the two hours fly by.

Each session provided amazing insights and practical tools that I immediately began implementing in my business, which are now showing positive results. There is so much useful content and sage advice I only wish I had earlier in my business…”

“Carol and Greg are truly inspiring! They have extensive experience and knowledge of the design industry and the machinations needed for good business. They are passionate and enthusiastic about the design industry and community which showed in how interested and engaged they were with all of us as a group as well as individually.

I was drawn to the Roundtables having felt somewhat swamped from the demands of managing the business side of my creative enterprise. It helped to share these sessions with others who are dealing with similar demands as well as learning clever systems and solutions to common challenges. The sessions have left me feeling optimistic and empowered and part of a community of delightful people.”

Kate Knapp, Creator and Director, Twigseeds

Our experience

We’ve seen the relationship between roundtablers evolve from wary colleagues to trusted friendships.

Meeting with the same small group of people each month builds a strong connection. Ideas are shared, and problems solved. And while we’re doing that, trust grows.

We don’t all have families running a business, and sometimes talking business with friends is just not appropriate. The ability to share anxiety about a mental health challenge or a financial issue, celebrate a pitch or openly talk about profitability with others in a cone of silence is priceless.

Cost

The sessions are paid in advance in trimesters – three months at a time.
The cost varies depending on the size and complexity of your business.

Entrepreneurial level is $350 per month paid in advance in trimesters.  Contact Carol or Greg to register

Enterprise level pricing on application. Contact Greg to for more information.

Deliverables

Three things we can guarantee roundtables will deliver: confidence, connections and accountability.

Confidence in your business decisions and confidence you are building a business that will support your lifestyle and your goals. And confidence that if something doesn’t work you will know how to fix it.

Connections – you will grow a strong network of supportive creatives you can call on for support.

And accountability to others. Accountability that comes from just turning up, month after month. Accountability that comes from sharing your plans then doing what you said, you would do when you said you would do it.

Not sure which would be of most value to you? We also offer bespoke one-on-one mentoring, the Business of Design short course and the Chair mentoring program. Want to know more? Talk to Greg.