EPISODE 5: HOW TO GET YOUR BUSINESS LEGALLY LEGIT WITH ATTORNEY & BRAND PROTECTOR BRITTANY RATELLE

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Live Date: June 14, 2021

 

Show Description: On today’s episode, Heather is joined by attorney for creatives and brand protector Brittany Ratelle. Brittany helps creative entrepreneurs get their businesses legally legit, without the stuffy suits and technical lawyer talk. Heather and Brittany discuss the biggest legal mistakes business owners make when starting or running a business, the difference between a copyright and trademark, how to talk about your business as a legitimate business and not a hobby, and the kinds of clients we should all avoid.

 

Link to Full Episode

 This Episode Will Teach You:

  • 5 biggest legal mistakes you can make when starting or running a business

  • The difference between copyright and trademark

  • How to protect what you create

  • Talking about your business as a legitimate business, not a hobby

  • What kinds of clients to avoid

  • How to prevent, avoid, and take care of copycats

Biggest Takeaways:

  • Brittany helps creative entrepreneurs get their businesses legally legit, and one of the biggest mistakes she sees people make as they start their business is that they don’t get things in writing. Whether it’s contracts, an operating agreement between business partners, or privacy, terms of use and legal disclaimers on their websites, she advises that in order to be protected, business owners must be smart and legally aware in order to be fully protected.

  • When it comes to naming your new business, Brittany strongly advises that you pick a name that is as clever and creative as possible–and that doesn’t clearly describe exactly what you do. Simple, straightforward names are hard to trademark, protect, and build an empire around. Original, creative names that aren’t being used elsewhere and don’t include simple terms like “pizza” and “shop” are easier to build a brand around and legally protect.

  • Many women in business struggle with imposter syndrome, and being afraid to call their job a legitimate business rather than a hobby. If you find yourself uncomfortable talking boldly about what you do, Brittany suggests that you shift your focus and stop making it about you. Rather, focus on the value you put out in the world, the number of people you’ve served, the problems your products solve, the number of babies you’ve clothed with your products, etc., and speak boldly about what you’ve accomplished.

About the Guest:

  • Brittany Ratelle is a lawyer for creatives, brand protector, and host of The Creative Counsel podcast. She helps creative entrepreneurs cut through the overwhelm of getting their business legally legit, without all that lawyer talk, and offers customizable legal templates that business owners can purchase, download, and put to use, right away. She frequently helps clients protect and grow their physical and digital offerings, diversify their revenue streams, and protect boundaries with co-founders, partners, collaborators, and vendors.

Quotables:

  • “If you have any business partners, please, please, please, get that business prenup–that operating agreement–set up sooner rather than later.” Brittany Ratelle, 10:06

  • “Everyone who has a website needs to have a privacy policy in their footer. Every single website.” Brittany Ratelle, 10:38

  • “The best practice here is that if you did not create this work, whatever it is, you do not use it unless you have written permission.” Brittany Ratelle, 19:57

  • “You actually want to have as creative and as clever a name as possible. Especially for an overall brand name.” Brittany Ratelle, 21:50

  • “I love outsourcing and I think it’s great to do what you do best, and hire out the rest. But you want to make sure that you have something in writing transferring the rights of whatever cool stuff people are helping you create.” Brittany Ratelle, 25:41

  • “We make the mistake of thinking, ‘if I talk too much about myself, and I stand and I own, and maybe even gloat a little bit or brag a little bit about it, I’m going to make other women uncomfortable. And here’s the thing–you’re not in charge of other people’s thoughts.” Brittany Ratelle, 33:59

  • “I don’t want to be part of a sisterhood that says I can only be kind by making myself smaller and taking up less space so the woman next to me feels good.” Brittany Ratelle, 34:26

  • “That’s the thing about why getting stuff in writing is so important, because it allows you to step back and guess what? You don’t have to be the bad guy–it’s the contract.” Brittany Ratelle, 40:26

  • “It’s so helpful to know why you want to do this because it’s gonna inform everything from what your marketing and branding looks like, to how you’re gonna show up in the world, to how you’re gonna hire and grow…Only you can be you and to show up and give value the way that you can.” Brittany Ratelle, 52:44

June 14, 2021

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