Becca Kennedy - From Academia to UX Consulting

The UX Consultants Lounge

In this episode of the UX Consultants Lounge, host Kyle Soucy sits down with Becca Kennedy, the owner of Kennason, a UX consultancy that combines design research and content design services. With over 15 years in the industry and nearly a decade of running her own consultancy, Becca shares her insights and experiences in the world of UX consulting.

What You’ll Learn:

• Becca’s Transition from Academia to UX Consulting: Becca discusses her journey from earning a PhD in Human Factors Psychology to becoming a successful UX consultant. She delves into how her academic background shaped her approach to user experience and how she transitioned from academia to the consulting world.
  
• Finding and Retaining Clients: Becca shares her early experiences in finding her first clients through local networking and discusses the importance of building relationships within the community. She also talks about her innovative “Let’s Fix It” workshops, designed to give new clients a taste of her services with actionable takeaways.
  
• The Importance of Saying No: Becca and Kyle explore the critical importance of knowing when to turn down work. Becca provides tips on how to evaluate potential projects and maintain a balance between business growth and personal well-being.
  
• Subcontracting Insights: They discuss the benefits and challenges of subcontracting through larger design firms, offering advice on how to balance direct client work with subcontracting projects.
  
• Disability Insurance for the Self-Employed: Becca provides valuable advice on the often-overlooked topic of disability insurance for freelancers and consultants, emphasizing the importance of financial planning and security.
  

Submit Your Stories and Questions: Do you have a topic or question you’d like us to explore in a future episode? Perhaps there's an anonymous consulting story you want to share? Click here to submit your story or question on our podcast website.

Connect with Us:

• Host: Kyle Soucy | Usable Interface
• Guest: Becca Kennedy | Kennason

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Links and Resources Mentioned:

• Becca’s Article: When to Say No to Freelance Projects
• Becca’s Newsletter: Interrobang: Questions and Exclamations on Design
• Recommended Book: “Design is a Job by Mike Monteiro”
• Recommended Resource for Disability Insurance: Freelancer’s Union
• Gamer music (Kyle’s fav): Syberia Soundtrack

Submit a question or story: Have a question or topic that you'd like us to cover in a future episode and/or want to share an anonymous consulting story? Submit your questions and stories.

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I can’t wait to have you back in the lounge for our next episode!

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1. Becca Kennedy - From Academia to UX Consulting (00:00:00)

2. Introducing Becca Kennedy (00:00:42)

3. Becca tells us about her consultancy, Kenasson, and the services she provides (00:08:40)

4. Listener Question: Is it better to use your own name or a business name when you're naming your business? (00:10:58)

5. Becca's journey from earning her PhD to then becoming a UX consultant (00:16:22)

6. How Becca found her first clients (00:20:55)

7. Becca's thoughts on local networking (00:24:16)

8. Listener question: How do you decide whether to call yourself consultant or freelancer? (00:28:54)

9. Becca's 'Let's Fix It Workshops' (00:32:26)

10. Becca's advice about when to turn down work (00:38:51)

11. How to ask about the client's budget (00:43:49)

12. The benefits and drawbacks of subcontracting (00:49:41)

13. Disability Insurnace for the self-employed (00:58:38)

14. How Becca would describe consulting in one word (01:05:24)

15. The best business advice that Becca's received (01:06:09)

16. Becca's favorite consulting resource (01:07:28)